NewzIntel.com

Category: Trumpism

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Kemi Badenoch says she wants to be Britain’s Javier Milei – but is the Argentinian president a model to follow?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sam Halvorsen, Reader in Human Geography, Queen Mary University of London

    When UK Conservative party head Kemi Badenoch recently declared that she aspires to be Britain’s Milei, she aligned herself with one of the world’s most radical and controversial leaders.

    Javier Milei, Argentina’s self-styled “anarcho-capitalist” president, has gained global notoriety since his election in December 2023 for wielding a chainsaw at rallies, promising to destroy the so-called “political caste” and launching a scorched-earth economic reform programme.

    But what has Milei actually achieved since entering office? And should Britain really be looking to his administration for inspiration?

    Milei swept to power on a wave of anti-establishment anger. Styling himself as an outsider economist rallying against the ruling caste, he promised to slash state spending and replace Argentina’s peso with the more stable US dollar. He also pledged to eliminate entire government ministries, including health, education and culture.

    His now-famous “chainsaw plan” proposed a dramatic restructuring of Argentina’s political and economic institutions, which he blamed for decades of stagnation and corruption. Backed by business elites and libertarian ideologues, Milei offered a vision of Argentina remade through radical individualism and state retrenchment.

    His campaign, which contained some clear populist tendencies, was built as much on spectacle as substance. It contained daily media outbursts, personal attacks and an anti-caste rhetoric designed to turn governance into performance.

    Inflation was central to Milei’s campaign. When he took office, annual inflation in Argentina stood at over 130%, one of the highest rates in the world. Milei promised to bring it under control by slashing the fiscal deficit and enforcing monetary discipline.

    Monthly inflation doubled in the first months of his administration, forcing millions of Argentinians further into poverty. But it has fallen below 50% since the middle of 2025, which has been held by the government as a success.

    However, the decrease in the inflation rate is the result of economic recession. While international markets have praised Milei’s fiscal orthodoxy, there is little sign of a growth rebound. Investment has stalled, consumption has plummeted and local industries are struggling amid cuts to public procurement.

    Consumption has shown signs of recovery in the last few months, but only in the high-income segment. This has deepened a dual reality where middle-class and working sectors cannot make ends meet. Instead of helping the Argentinian economy recover, high-income consumption also pushes the trade balance to deteriorate.

    Milei’s government has endeavoured to keep the Argentine peso strong. A strong currency has seen foreign investments paused and, despite ongoing capital controls, millions of US dollars leave the country with a surge in Argentinian tourism abroad. This trend is exactly the opposite of the most controversial of Milei’s promises: to adopt the dollar in Argentina.

    Given the critical level of the central bank’s foreign reserves, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the release of a US$4.7 billion (£3.5 billion) loan tranche in April 2024. It is expected to loan an extra US$2 billion before the 2025 mid-term elections in October.

    Squeezing Argentinian society

    Job losses have been extensive. Tens of thousands of public sector workers have been laid off, and many more have seen their salaries decimated by inflation. Entire agencies have been shut, from science and housing to the post office.

    Milei’s framing of public employees as part of a parasitic caste has helped him politically. It has reinforced his anti-establishment credentials and mobilised resentment among private sector workers and the self-employed. But it has further polarised an already fragmented Argentinian society.

    Unions and civil society organisations have mobilised in response, organising strikes and mass protests. These have been met in turn with crackdowns, the criminalisation of dissent and expanded police powers.

    Meanwhile, Congress has been sidelined. Milei’s critics warn of creeping authoritarianism as the president governs increasingly by decree, perhaps most notably by attempting to fill two vacancies of the Supreme Court in February.

    Environmental protection and foreign policy have also been reshaped by Milei’s radical agenda. The ministry of environment was among the agencies targeted for elimination. And Milei’s sweeping law of bases bill, which became law in 2024, included provisions to weaken environmental regulations and accelerate extractive industries such as lithium and oil.

    Milei dismisses environmental concerns as leftist distractions from economic freedom. This is a stance echoed in his foreign policy, which has seen Argentina pivot away from regional cooperation. He has snubbed neighbours like Brazil, withdrawn from the accession process to the Brics group of nations and has aligned himself more closely with the US, Israel and the global far right.

    He frequently rails against “global socialism”, and presents himself as a figurehead of a new anti-globalist movement. This posture appeals to his domestic base and international allies, but has further isolated Argentina diplomatically and eroded longstanding regional ties.

    If Badenoch wants to emulate Milei, it raises serious questions about the political and economic future she envisions for Britain. Argentina is currently living through a radical experiment in state destruction. Despite circumstantially winning praise from bond markets and libertarian circles, it has brought pain, polarisation and increasing levels of repression.

    For those looking beyond spectacle, Milei’s presidency offers not a blueprint for bold reform, but a cautionary tale about the dangers of governing by chainsaw.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Kemi Badenoch says she wants to be Britain’s Javier Milei – but is the Argentinian president a model to follow? – https://theconversation.com/kemi-badenoch-says-she-wants-to-be-britains-javier-milei-but-is-the-argentinian-president-a-model-to-follow-261915

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: After Trump’s Cuts, Pingree Leads Bipartisan Effort to Restore Local Food Lifelines

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

    Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), a longtime farmer and member of the House Agriculture Committee, led a bipartisan group of her colleagues in introducing the Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act to boost the purchasing and distribution of local food. The bill, co-led by Representatives Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), and Josh Riley (D-N.Y.), will help build stronger connections between local producers and community food programs, expanding markets and improving access to healthy food for those in need.

    “When Trump’s USDA abruptly ended the Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for Schools programs, it pulled the rug out from under farmers, food banks, and schools across the country—including in Maine. These were proven tools for strengthening local food supply chains, supporting small producers, and getting healthy, locally grown food to hungry families,” said Rep. Pingree. “Our bipartisan Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Act restores and improves on that successful model. It’s a practical, community-driven solution that invests in our nation’s farmers, builds regional resilience, and fights hunger.”

    The Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act will allow states, through USDA, to establish cooperative agreements connecting local farmers and producers with local food distribution organizations. Through these agreements, funds will be used to purchase local, fresh, and minimally processed foods like seafood, meat, milk, cheese, eggs, fruit, and poultry. The bill also sets aside a portion of these funds to purchase food specifically from small, mid-size, beginning, and veteran farmers. Text can be found here.

    “Far too often the discussion around alleviating hunger leaves out those who grow, raise, and produce food – our local farmers. Reducing the barriers between our communities and the farmers who produce our food is a commonsense approach to ensure everyone in Northeast Pennsylvania has access to the food they need.” said Rep. Bresnahan. “This bill recognizes the hard work that is needed to supply fresh and nutritious food like fruit, veggies, milk, and cheese, while also creating a clear path to putting this food on the plates of people who need it. This investment in our local farmers is an investment in stronger local food security and healthier communities.”

    “The Central Valley grows the food that feeds our nation, and this bill gives us a chance to connect our farmers directly with local families and food banks to deliver healthy, homegrown food where it’s needed most,” said Rep. Valadao. “The Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act is a bipartisan effort that invests in our farmers and communities, and I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in support.”

    “It doesn’t get more common sense than fighting hunger by supporting local farmers,” said Rep. Riley. “This is about putting food on the tables of people who need it most, and investing directly in the family farmers who power our rural communities.”

    Original cosponsors include Tony Wied (R-Wisc.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Eugene Vindman (D-Va.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), and Alma Adams (D-N.C.). 

    “Iowa farmers work hard to grow high-quality, nutritious food. This bill helps ensure local families, schools, and food banks can afford the fresh produce grown right here in our communities,” said Rep. Nunn. “I’m proud to back a plan that strengthens our food system, supports small producers and veterans, and expands access to healthy, Iowa-grown meals.”

    “This legislation supports a program with a proven record of increasing access to the fresh fruits and vegetables our farmers work hard to produce,” said Rep. Newhouse. “It cuts down on food waste, supplies local schools and food banks with produce, and ensures that those who need food can get it. I thank Rep. Bresnahan for his leadership on this legislation as we work to strengthen our food system and expand access to healthy food across the country.”

    “I’m proud to join this bipartisan bill to support our Illinois family farmers and help my constituents access nutritious, locally-grown food,” said Rep. Budzinski. “In Central and Southern Illinois, the Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for Schools have been a win-win-win for growers and producers, food banks, and schools. It was a major setback when these initiatives were abruptly cancelled. The Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Act would restore these successful programs that are a proven way to fight hunger, strengthen the food supply chain, and bolster the local agricultural economy.”

    “As the only Virginian on the House Agriculture Committee, I know the Local Food Purchase Assistance and Local Food for Schools programs are essential for our farmers and the families they feed across the Seventh. When the Trump Administration suddenly ended both, it caused a ripple effect — hurting local farmers, schools, and food banks across the Commonwealth and the United States. This cannot stand,” said Rep. Vindman. “Earlier this year, I met with Eugene Triplett at his fifth-generation, Black-owned family farm in Culpeper. He told me directly that these programs helped him get healthy, locally grown food to hungry kids and families. I will always work to deliver for Virginia families and farmers like Eugene.”

    The Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act is endorsed by the Feeding America, National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), National Farmers Union (NFU), Save the Children, Full Plates Full Potential, Good Shepherd Food Bank, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), and more.

    “Maine’s food system has been hit hard over the past few months due to the instability created by changing government policies and cuts to established food programs, like the Local Food for Schools program which helped schools buy local food from local farms,” said Anna Korsen, Deputy Director of Full Plates Full Potential. “We know children go hungry when household and school budgets get squeezed, so Full Plates welcomes the Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Act and the potential it has to build on what Maine does best – community solutions to community problems.”

    “The Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Act recognizes and advances the work of thousands of farmers and proponents nationally who have worked to bolster the resiliency of our local food system and Nation’s food supply chain,” Colleen Hanlon-Smith of Farm to Neighbor Maine. “We applaud Congresswoman Pingree for her work to advance this Act. Both LFPA and LFS offered an opportunity for the federal government and the public’s tax dollars to strategically inject funding at the intersection of local food access and farm viability. These were not only incredibly successful programs but critical to shifting the needle on food security by ensuring economic investments locally, to the benefit of our Nation’s farmers, food insecure citizens and local communities.”

    “The proposed bill would be a win for both local farmers and families facing hunger,” said Heather Paquette, President of Good Shepherd Food Bank. “By prioritizing the purchase of local foods and partnering with organizations that have deep experience in food distribution, we can ensure that nutritious food reaches the people who need it most, all while strengthening local economies.”

    “As Executive Director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, I strongly support the Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Act because it uplifts the hardworking farmers and food producers who nourish our communities every day,” said Sarah Alexander, Executive Director of MOFGA. “By investing in cooperative agreements that build local food infrastructure and markets, this Act empowers states and Tribal governments to create resilient, community-based food systems. It’s a smart, values-driven approach that strengthens local economies, improves food access, and ensures a healthier, more sustainable future for all.”

    “Maine has spent the last two decades building strong, innovative programs to support small farms and connect local producers with their communities. This legislation will help strengthen that foundation, ensuring we continue to grow, adapt, and meet the evolving needs of both farmers and families,” said Jimmy DeBiasi, Executive Director of the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets. “If we’re serious about making America healthier, we have to start with what we’re eating. This bill recognizes that feeding people nutritious, locally grown food is not just good policy—it’s a smart investment in public health and our agricultural future.”

    “This legislation benefits family farmers and the communities they feed,”said Rob Larew, President of National Farmers Union. “It strengthens local food systems, expands economic opportunity, and builds more resilient farms.”

    “PFB appreciates Representative Bresnahan (R-PA-08) championing legislation that will expand our farmers’ market opportunities, reduce food waste, and get locally grown food to American families’ tables,” said Chris Hoffman, President, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. “The Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Act exemplifies the importance of cherishing the hard work that goes into producing food and not wanting to waste it, while providing less fortunate consumers with local options that provide them with the opportunity to support their local farmers. This is a win-win piece of legislation for all involved, and we look forward to working with Congress to advance it.”

    “Fresh produce, dairy, and protein are some of the most requested items across the charitable food network,” said Julie Bancroft, CEO, Feeding Pennsylvania. “This bill will strengthen the farm-to-food bank supply chain, create new markets for farmers, and ensure food bank shelves are stocked with locally grown, nutritious food products that help Pennsylvanians access the food they need to thrive. Feeding Pennsylvania is pleased to see the introduction of this important legislation and looks forward to working with our members of Congress as it moves through the legislative process.”

    “We commend Representatives Rob Bresnahan, R-PA, Josh Riley, D-NY, David Valadao, R-CA, and Chellie Pingree, D-ME, for their bipartisan Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act,” said the National Milk Producers Federation. “This bill will provide an additional pipeline for dairy farmers to provide their communities with nutritious milk and dairy products. We especially thank the sponsors for ensuring that farmer-owned cooperatives are eligible to participate in this important food security initiative and look forward to working to enact this legislation.” 

    “Our nation’s farmers are a key part of the nutritious food provided to community members through local food banks and pantries,” said Vince Hall, Chief of Government Relations Officer, Feeding America. “Farmers have worked in partnership with Feeding America food banks for over half a century. The Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act would increase resources for states to support local growers and ensure their nutritious food is connected with community members through local organizations like food banks. Feeding America supports the introduction of this legislation and encourages members of Congress to endorse this bipartisan bill that helps farmers and food banks.”

    “The bipartisan Local Farmers Feeding Our Communities Act makes meaningful investments in local and regional food systems by connecting small and mid-sized farmers to nearby communities, strengthening rural economies and advancing health-driven outcomes for consumers,” said Ted McKinney, CEO, NASDA. “NASDA supports this legislation led by U.S. House Representatives Bresnahan (PA) and Riley (NY) and urges the House to swiftly pass this bill.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Merkley Demand Public Release of Epstein Files

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) have launched an effort to direct the U.S. Department of Justice to publicly release all files related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.

    Senators Luján and Merkley introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act to ensure full transparency for the American people, accountability for those involved with Epstein, and justice for victims.  As story after story trickles out about the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein Files, the Epstein Files Transparency Act is critical to restoring the public’s trust in government and includes strong protections to redact appropriate information to protect victims’ privacy and national security, while explicitly prohibiting redactions based on reputational harm or political sensitivity.

    “President Trump promised the American people transparency and accountability on Jeffrey Epstein and his horrible crimes. The Trump administration has failed to deliver on this promise and as a result has lost the trust of the American people. That’s why I’m partnering with Senator Merkley to launch this effort to provide the public with full transparency relating to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and his associates and help deliver justice for the victims,” said Senator Luján.

    “The rich and powerful cannot use their influence, money, and connections to cover up the abuse of our most vulnerable,” said Senator Merkley. “We have a government of ‘We the People,’ not ‘We the Powerful.’ To restore the public’s trust, the American people deserve the truth about Jeffrey Epstein and those connected to him.”

    Earlier this month, U.S. Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced a bipartisan resolution in the House calling for consideration of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

    The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Coons (D-DE), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Michael Bennet (D-CO).

    Full text of the Epstein Files Transparency Act as introduced in the Senate can be found here. The Senators intend to force Senate consideration of the legislation as soon as possible.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Heinrich, Luján Call for Large-Scale Expansion of Humanitarian Aid in Gaza & Resumption of Diplomatic Efforts to Secure a Ceasefire & End the War

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined 42 Democratic senators in writing to the Trump Administration to express alarm about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and call for a large-scale expansion of humanitarian aid as well as the return of diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire agreement to end the war.

    “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unsustainable and worsens by the day. Hunger and malnutrition are widespread, and, alarmingly, deaths due to starvation, especially among children, are increasing. The ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ has failed to address the deepening humanitarian crisis and contributed to an unacceptable and mounting civilian death toll around the organization’s sites. To prevent the situation from getting even worse, we urge you to advocate for a large-scale expansion of humanitarian assistance,” the senators wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

    In the letter, the senators underscore the remaining viable pathway that would end the war, bring home Israeli hostages, ensure Hamas can no longer pose a serious military threat to Israel, and achieve a diplomatic resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    The senators also affirm their opposition to the permanent forced displacement of the Palestinian people, which would be contrary to international humanitarian law and a sustainable and lasting peace.

    “We ask that the Administration make this clear as it seeks an end to the war,” the senators continued. “We stand in strong support of diplomatic efforts to return all hostages, end the fighting in Gaza, and bring humanitarian relief for the safety and prosperity of the Israeli and the Palestinian people.”

    The letter is led by U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.). 

    Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D, Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    The full text of the letter is hereand below:

    Dear Secretary Rubio and Special Envoy Witkoff:

    With recent efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas being unsuccessful, the situation in Gaza remains perilous. Efforts to secure an agreement are as critical and urgent as ever and we urge the resumption of good-faith talks as quickly as possible. While we appreciate that additional aid is beginning to enter Gaza, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Yet there still remains a viable pathway to end this war, bring home Israeli hostages, and achieve a diplomatic resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

    The Israeli hostages, held in Gaza by Hamas since their brutal attack on Israel on October 7th, have suffered far too long, as have their families. It is imperative that those still living be brought home as soon as possible, before more perish as the war drags on. And it is essential that the remains of those presumed killed – including Americans Omer Neutra and Itay Chen – be reunited with their loved ones. After many months of despair, it is long past time to bring all of the hostages home.

    The acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza is also unsustainable and worsens by the day. Hunger and malnutrition are widespread, and, alarmingly, deaths due to starvation, especially among children, are increasing.  The “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” has failed to address the deepening humanitarian crisis and contributed to an unacceptable and mounting civilian death toll around the organization’s sites. To prevent the situation from getting even worse, we urge you to advocate for a large-scale expansion of humanitarian assistance and services throughout the Gaza Strip, including through the use of experienced multilateral bodies and NGOs that can get life-saving aid directly to those in need and prevent diversion.

    Beyond a negotiated ceasefire, a permanent end to this war will also require an end to Hamas rule in Gaza and ensuring that Hamas can no longer pose a serious military threat to Israel. We reaffirm our strong support for continued U.S.-led diplomacy with Israel, Palestinian leaders, and other partners in the Middle East in pursuit of the long-term goal of a negotiated two-state solution with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in lasting peace, security, dignity, and mutual recognition.

    Finally, we write to underscore our strong opposition to the permanent forced displacement of the Palestinian people. This would be antithetical to international humanitarian law, to a sustainable end to this war that prioritizes the long-term safety and security of Israelis and Palestinians alike, to achieving a lasting peace in the Middle East, and expanding the Abraham Accords. We ask that the Administration make this clear as it seeks an end to the war.

    We stand in strong support of diplomatic efforts to return all hostages, end the fighting in Gaza, and bring humanitarian relief for the safety and prosperity of the Israeli and the Palestinian people.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On Senate Floor, Warren Warns Democrats About Dangers of Voting for Funding Bills While Republicans Use Tricks to Claw Back Bipartisan Funds, Trump Breaks Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    July 30, 2025

    “I’m asking my Republican colleagues to grow a spine and stand up for Americans instead of bowing down to their pretend-king. And I’m asking my Democratic colleagues to join me in using the power we have to fight back.”

    Video of Floor Speech

    Washington, D.C. — With the Senate set to vote on the first appropriations bill this week, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) took to the Senate floor in opposition, warning Democrats about the dangers of voting for Republicans’ funding bills while the Trump Administration illegally impounds funds, unilaterally cancels funding, and considers using tricks like pocket rescissions to sidestep Congress.

    “Why should Democrats come to the table in good faith and throw our support behind a quote-unquote bipartisan bill, only for Republicans to turn around after the deal is done and, somewhere down the line, delete any of the parts Trump doesn’t like?,” said Senator Warren. “That’s like Republicans saying: “Let’s cut a deal to sell you a car today,” and then a month from now, they come back and steal the wheels.”

    “Congress is a co-equal branch of government. We swore an oath to the Constitution, not to a king,” Senator Warren concluded. “I’m asking my Republican colleagues to grow a spine and stand up for Americans instead of bowing down to their pretend-king. And I’m asking my Democratic colleagues to join me in using the power we have to fight back.”

    Transcript: Floor Speech Opposing Reconciliation Funding Bills

    U.S. Senate Floor

    July 30, 2025

    As Prepared for Delivery

    Senator Elizabeth Warren: Mr./Madame President, I’ve come to the Senate floor today to discuss how our government is funded.

    The Constitution puts Congress in charge of setting up programs and funding them. There are some programs – for instance, Medicare and Social Security, that are funded at a certain level every year, unless Congress passes a law to change it. For everything else, Congress has to pass a new funding law every single year.

    The list is long:

    • medical research,
    • fighter planes,
    • weather satellites,
    • salaries for park rangers,
    • food inspection programs to make sure your chicken doesn’t make you sick.

    The money that we spend is detailed every year in a set of twelve bills that Congress votes on called “appropriations bills.”

    The Senate voted on the first one of those twelve bills last week – the one that deals with funding for veterans’ programs and military bases. I care deeply about improving the lives of our servicemembers and veterans. All three of my brothers are proud veterans, and they served their country with honor. I’m the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Personnel subcommittee.

    I voted no on that funding bill because even if this bill becomes law, I don’t believe Donald Trump has any intention of following that law. I’m not willing to be a helpmate on another one of Donald Trump’s scams.

    Why do I think Trump won’t follow the law? Consider his administration’s track record over the past six months on Congressional spending laws.

    First, Trump tried to freeze billions of dollars that American families and businesses count on — money that Congress set aside to support everything from food assistance programs to scientific research. Multiple federal judges blocked the illegal power grab, saying it blatantly violated the Constitution. Now, even Republicans are begging the administration to hand out the investments that Congress already passed and, by law, their communities were promised.

    Second, Republicans in Congress are bowing down to Donald Trump and ratifying some of his worst efforts. They are using an obscure piece of federal law to zero out federal funding after it was approved by both Republicans and Democrats in Congress. This process is called a “rescission,” and it only requires 50 Republican votes to do Donald Trump’s bidding.

    And if that wasn’t bad enough, Trump is already plotting to use a shady loophole to defund even more programs — demanding cuts so late in the year that Congress doesn’t have enough time to do anything about it. The Director of Donald Trump’s Office of Budget and Management, Russ Vought, has already said that loophole is quote-unquote “on the table.”

    Let’s be clear about what’s happening here. Step One: Congress negotiates a compromise that both Republicans and Democrats support and it’s signed into law. Step Two: Trump tells Republicans what parts of that deal he wants to cancel. Step Three: Republicans in the Senate bend the knee and follow Trump’s orders to cancel the money. But wait there’s more — apparently, Step Four is Republicans turn around and, with a straight face, ask Democrats to negotiate more deals for next year’s funding, starting the whole rinse-and-repeat process again, beginning with the bill to fund veterans services.

    Are you kidding me? Do we really look that gullible?

    Why should Democrats come to the table in good faith and throw our support behind a quote-unquote bipartisan bill, only for Republicans to turn around after the deal is done and, somewhere down the line, delete any of the parts Trump doesn’t like? That’s like Republicans saying: “Let’s cut a deal to sell you a car today,” and then a month from now, they come back and steal the wheels.

    Of course, Trump may not ask his Republican buddies to rescind spending. Maybe instead on his own he’ll just illegally refuse to spend it, the way he’s done with $425 billion already this year.

    Our founders didn’t give the President the power to decide spending. A king can decide anything he wants, but not a president. Donald Trump wants to be able to wake up and decide to cancel funding for public education, transportation projects, medical research, food inspectors, anything, just because Donald Trump feels like it — and he wants the Republicans in Congress to roll over and let it happen. No checks and balances. Just Trump playing king and ending programs that would help Americans.

    Trump is getting a lot of help from his team. Russ Vought, the head of OMB, has said that the problem in Congress is too much bipartisanship. Too much. In other words, the Trump administration is saying loud and clear that Donald Trump can make all the decisions. They don’t need — or want — Democrats.

    At the very same time, the Republicans need Democratic votes for these funding bills because the Senate rules currently require 60 votes for them to pass and there are only 53 Republicans in the Senate. If Democrats don’t provide votes, the Republicans want to blame us for shutting down the government when this year’s funding runs out at the end of September.

    On the other hand, if Senate Republicans want Democratic votes for these funding bills, they should ask us what it will take to win our support. Not just what programs we want to fund or at what levels, when those promises aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. No, Democrats should tell Republicans that if they want our votes, they will have to guarantee that any deal we strike actually means something.

    I get it: Democrats and Republicans have different priorities. Here in the Senate, Republicans have voted to end health care for 17 million Americans and drive up health insurance costs for millions more. Republicans have voted to give billionaires huge tax cuts. Democrats are willing to make a deal, but our deal is about bringing down costs for families, including the cost of health care, groceries, and housing. If Republicans want to make a deal, let’s make a deal — but only if the Republicans include an agreement that they won’t take it back a few weeks later.

    Congress is a co-equal branch of government. We swore an oath to the Constitution, not to a king. I’m asking my Republican colleagues to grow a spine and stand up for Americans instead of bowing down to their pretend-king. And I’m asking my Democratic colleagues to join me in using the power we have to fight back.

    Mr. President, I yield the floor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Markey, Merkley, Whitehouse Press Top Trump Officials on Rising Electricity Prices for Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    July 30, 2025

    Consumers face higher electricity prices than when Biden left office, despite Trump campaign promise to cut energy and electricity prices in half 

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), joined by Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), pressed Trump administration officials on rising electricity prices for Americans. Despite Donald Trump’s campaign promise to “cut the price of energy and electricity in half,” consumers are facing higher electricity prices than when President Biden left office.

    “The Administration must reverse its path of increased energy prices and instead work to cut energy costs for American families,” wrote the lawmakers.

    The lawmakers wrote to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer, and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., pressing for answers as to why President Trump has failed to lower energy prices and what the administration’s plan is to bring down those costs.

    “We write to you – a broad swath of the cabinet – because the increase in energy costs is driven by a broad swath of policies across the Trump Administration,” wrote the lawmakers.

    According to the most recent data from the Consumer Price Index, under the Trump administration, electricity prices are up nearly 5 percent from the start of the year and up by almost a full percentage point in June 2025. Prices are expected to climb even further, with the average electric bill in the U.S. during this year’s air conditioning season projected to hit record highs.

    “At the same time, the Trump Administration is cutting programs that help families afford higher electricity costs and lower their energy usage, all while utility CEOs receive massive payouts,” wrote the lawmakers. “A combination of the Administration’s regulatory decisions, the impacts of tariffs, and the Administration’s reversal of key energy investments is driving up energy bills for Americans around the country.”

    The lawmakers cited key examples of Trump administration actions which have exacerbated the energy cost crisis, including:

    • The President’s “Big Beautiful Bill” makes cuts to existing clean energy and manufacturing tax credits that will lead to the estimated loss of 1.6 million jobs and elimination of $980 billion in GDP growth. The final law will result in an estimated $280 increase in average American household energy costs per year over the next decade.
    • President Trump’s efforts to sell more gas overseas risk creating a domestic price surge due to draining domestic supplies.
    • The Trump Administration is forcing states to keep defunct, unwanted, and unneeded coal plants open in several states, foisting tens of millions of dollars of new maintenance and retention costs onto consumers in 15 states.
    • President Trump’s chaotic and poorly planned tariffs policy is increasing costs for building materials for transmission lines and electrical equipment, and “virtually every other segment of the supply chain,” imposing additional costs on consumers.
    • The Administration has proposed entirely eliminating funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) after firing the entirety of the program’s staff, which provides $4 billion in assistance to approximately 6 million low-income families who rely on this funding to pay their utility bills.
    • The Energy Department is in the process of rolling back energy efficiency and water conservation standards, which save households close to $600 annually on water and gas bills.

    The lawmakers pressed for answers to better understand how the Administration plans to lower prices for consumers by August 11, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mullin to Host Next Telephone Town Hall on Thursday 7/31

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) will host his next live telephone town hall event tomorrow, Thursday, July 31st at 5pm CT. During the call, Mullin will provide a quick legislative update, including highlights from the recent passage of President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ before taking live questions from constituents.

    “Our telephone town halls are a great way for thousands of Oklahomans across the state to receive convenient updates and speak directly with me about the issues that matter most to them,” said Senator Mullin. “I’m excited to discuss what we’ve achieved in the first 7 months of President Trump’s term, including historic tax cuts, permanent border security, lower energy costs, and greater support for our defense community. Though we’ve already delivered major wins for Oklahoma, it’s vital that our state continue to have a voice as we advance legislative priorities for the second Trump administration. I look forward to hearing from those who join our important conversation.”

    Details for participating in the call are below:

    Date: Thursday, July 31st, 2025

    Time: 5:00pm CT

    Dial In: (855) 614-0277

    Note: Due to the anticipated size of this event, all participating Oklahomans are encouraged to dial into the telephone town hall at least 5-10 minutes early to get connected. The telephone town hall will also stream LIVE and be available for playback on Senator Mullin’s Facebook page. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: White House, Tech Leaders Commit to Create Patient-Centric Healthcare Ecosystem

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services

    Leading Healthcare, Tech Companies Pledge to Work on Interoperability & User-Friendly Apps

    Today, the Trump Administration announced progress toward building a smarter, more secure, and more personalized healthcare experience in partnership with innovative private sector companies. During a White House “Make Health Tech Great Again” event hosted with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Administration secured commitments from major healthcare and information technology firms – including Amazon, Anthropic, Apple, Google, and OpenAI – to begin laying the foundation for a next-generation digital health ecosystem that will improve patient outcomes, reduce provider burden, and drive value.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Maxwell Frost Blasts Florida Attorney General’s Threats to Remove Orange County Government Officials Over Immigration Enforcement

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Maxwell Frost Florida (10th District)

    July 30, 2025

    ORLANDO, FL — Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) issued a statement slamming Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, for threatening to remove Orange County Commissioners and Mayor Jerry Demings, after Orange County leaders rejected a proposal that would force county corrections staff to transport federal immigrant detainees to federal detention facilities. Uthmeier’s threat comes as Florida’s newly appointed CFO has announced the State is auditing the county’s spending.

    In a statement, Rep. Frost says:

    “In a desperate attempt to score points with the Trump Administration, Florida’s unelected Attorney General is threatening to remove elected Orange County officials for doing what they were elected to do — to stand up for the residents of Orange County and exercise their sovereignty and duties given to them by the people.

    “This the same governor who used to claim that the federal government was an ‘out-of-touch bureaucracy that does not act on behalf of us, but instead looms over us and imposes its will upon us.’ And now after squandering $450 million of state taxpayer dollars to build an internment camp in the middle of the Everglades, they want to force Orange County to foot the bill for their cruel immigration agenda and use its resources to transport detainees nearly 250 miles away.

    “The Governor’s office has a long track record of overstepping and playing these twisted political games to silence the opposition. Threats to remove local leaders who were elected to represent our community while at the same time auditing the county’s spending are nothing short of baseless, direct attacks on one of the only Democratic strongholds left in Florida. This is a political shakedown. 

    “I stand by Orange County and its leaders against these attacks. This assault on our local democracy will not stand.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Aftermath of Tsunami Alert, Cantwell Thanks First Responders & NOAA: “Those Warnings Were Made Possible Because Of The Incredible Work of NOAA Employees”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    07.30.25

    In Aftermath of Tsunami Alert, Cantwell Thanks First Responders & NOAA: “Those Warnings Were Made Possible Because Of The Incredible Work of NOAA Employees”

    Tsunami warning comes on the heels of Cantwell’s letter to Trump calling for more NOAA investments in ocean data collection, emergency alert systems

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell thanked first responders and employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for tracking the risk of a tsunami following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake near Russia and immediately mobilizing alert systems to ensure people on the West Coast, in Hawaii, and in Alaska had the up-to-date information needed to stay safe.

    “Those warnings were made possible because of the incredible work of NOAA employees [and] emergency responders. And to make sure that our coastal communities like the State of Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, California, and Oregon, and other impacted areas, were given warning safely in advance,” Sen. Cantwell said during a meeting of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, on which she serves as ranking member.

    “We have this capability because of investments we’ve made in infrastructure. This includes the DART program — the NOAA buoys positioned in the ocean to monitor for tsunamis in real time — and the work of NOAA’s Center for Tsunami Research in Seattle working to improve the models to provide faster, more accurate weather warnings and information.”

    Video of her remarks in the committee meeting is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

    Last night’s tsunami warning came on the heels of a letter Sen. Cantwell sent to President Donald Trump last week outlining her five-point plan to bolster the United States’ weather readiness.

    READ MORE:

    The Seattle Times: EDITORIAL — Cantwell’s bipartisan weather plan shows the leadership America needs

    CNN: Key senator makes bipartisan plea to Trump to invest in weather and early warning networks

    CBS: Sen. Maria Cantwell urges Trump to invest in modernized weather forecast system: “The money will save you money”

    Sen. Cantwell’s five recommendations for President Trump are:

    1. Modernize Weather Data Collection: The United States needs to collect and compile more data by land, air, space, and sea by modernizing our weather data infrastructure and other tools, including better radars, hurricane hunters, weather satellites, and ocean buoys.
    2. World Leading Analytics: We need to catch up with and surpass European weather forecasting capabilities, which will require more supercomputing and improvements in data analytics including assimilation.
    3. Cutting Edge Research: As our communities experience more frequent and extreme weather, now is the time to invest in additional cutting-edge basic and applied research.
    4. Modernizing Alert Systems: We must strengthen and expand weather emergency communication channels to keep the public informed and help first responders prepare and react to natural disasters.
    5. Advance Bipartisan Legislation: The bipartisan Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2024 would strengthen weather research and forecasting and expand commercial data partnerships.

    More details about each of Sen. Cantwell’s recommendations can be found HERE.

    NOAA provides critical services to the nation including weather forecasts, extreme storm tracking and monitoring, tools to enable communities to adapt to sea level rise and climate change, supporting fisheries management, and conserving marine mammals and other protected species.

    Last month, Sen. Cantwell joined renowned meteorologists from across the country for a virtual presser to sound the alarm on cuts at NOAA’s National Weather Service, and called on the Trump Administration to restore the agency to full capacity. In February, Sen. Cantwell voted against confirming Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, citing – among other issues – his “tepid support” for NOAA. She then sent a letter to Lutnick directly following his confirmation calling on him to exempt the NWS from the federal hiring freeze, and protect all NOAA workers from firings “that would jeopardize the safety of the American public.”

    Sen. Cantwell is a champion of NOAA and helped secure $3.3 billion in NOAA investments in the Inflation Reduction Act to help communities prepare for and adapt to climate change, boost science needed to understand changing weather and climate patterns, and invest in advanced computer technologies that are critical for extreme weather prediction and emergency response. Her Fire Ready Nation Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen NOAA’s ability to help forecast, prevent, and fight wildfires, passed the Commerce committee unanimously earlier this year and now heads to the full Senate for consideration. In 2011, she secured Washington state’s first coastal Doppler radar in Grays Harbor County, enabling forecasters to better determine wind speed and rainfall of incoming storms.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Demands Action and Accountability for Mass Starvation in Gaza: “It’s a war crime to starve a population to get what you want from your enemy.” 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) last night spoke on the Senate floor about the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and the need for the United States to take immediate action. He condemned Hamas, pushed for a ceasefire, and demanded the release of the remaining hostages. Senator Welch also rejected the Netanyahu government’s illegal use of starvation as a weapon of war. 
    “We all condemn Hamas. We all want the release of the remaining hostages. But we have to ask ourselves the question: is it at all justifiable that there is a policy that has to be recognized that starvation is being used as a tool of warfare? I reject the legitimacy of that act. It’s a war crime, Mr. President. It’s a war crime to starve a population to get what you want from your enemy, as righteous as your defense against an enemy may be. It’s illegal to starve children to obtain the battlefield advantage. But the Netanyahu government has actually said it’s doing that. My view, Mr. President is that it’s long, long past the time to say enough. Enough. No.
The United States will not stand by as hunger is used as a weapon. We don’t do that,” said Senator Welch.   
    Watch Senator Welch’s floor remarks here: 

    Read Senator Welch’s remarks as delivered here. 
    Senator Welch has been a leading voice in calling for an indefinite ceasefire in Gaza to stop the bombing, prevent further loss of civilian life, extend access to humanitarian relief to those who had been displaced, and continue negotiations to secure hostages.  Earlier this week, Senator Welch joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in leading 19 of their Senate colleagues in pressing the Trump Administration for answers on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). In their letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Senators called on the Administration to immediately cease funding for GHF and restore support for existing United Nations aid distribution mechanisms. 
    In May, Senator Welch led 46 colleagues on a resolution calling on the Trump Administration to use all diplomatic tools at its disposal to bring an end to the blockade of food and lifesaving humanitarian aid to address the needs of civilians in Gaza. Senate Republicans blocked Senator Welch’s request for unanimous consent to pass his resolution. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DeGette Statement Following OMB Attempt to Slash NIH, Biomedical Research

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)

    DENVER, CO — Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01), Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, issued the following statement after the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reversed course on directing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to only use appropriated dollars for salaries, administrative expenses, and expenses associated with the NIH Clinical Center which would have prohibited the investment of at least $15 billion in biomedical research.

    “The Office of Management and Budget may not change or disregard the law. Congress appropriated $47.3 billion for NIH in fiscal year 2024 appropriations, and it continued that funding level in the fiscal year 2025 continuing resolution. That funding was made available to support research, not just at NIH but at institutions across the country and around the world. OMB and its director, Russ Vought, may not change that reality with the stroke of a pen.

    “NIH-funded research has fueled treatments and cures for sickle cell disease, Hepatitis C, and cystic fibrosis. It has led to effective treatments for myriad cancers, leading in part to a reduction in the cancer death rate by a third in the past 30 years. Halting this progress means death and misery for millions of Americans with diseases that NIH seeks to cure. That is why Congress has continued to empower NIH. Congress has given OMB and NIH zero authority to curtail grantmaking.

    “Russ Vought’s latest attempt to strangle biomedical research is just a continuation of his disdain for Congress, science, and the American people. It was apparently a bridge too far, even for Donald Trump and the White House, which reportedly pushed back on the directive from OMB and Vought. There must be accountability for this directive, and Director Vought must testify before Congress to explain his illegal attempt to gut biomedical research.” 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Applauds Committee Passage of Bipartisan Legislation, Including Bill to Improve Access to Care in Rural Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, applauded the committee passage of the Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act, bipartisan legislation Kaine introduced to reauthorize programs to improve access to health care in rural communities.

    “Everyone – regardless of their ZIP code – deserves access to high-quality medical care. But rural communities across Virginia and the country face unique challenges that can reduce or completely eliminate their access to that care. President Trump’s new law that will rip health care away from more than 15 million Americans and cut funding rural hospitals rely on to keep their doors open will only make those challenges worse. We were able to take a small step forward today in the HELP Committee to provide much-needed funding for health care in rural communities, and I will keep doing all that I can to reverse the dangerous health care policies of this Administration,” said Kaine. “I’m also glad that the HELP Committee passed my bipartisan bill with Senator Banks to improve over-the-counter (OTC) drug safety and modernize the FDA’s review of OTC medications, and my bipartisan bill with Senator Marshall and to help more employees harness a stake in the companies they work for.”

    In addition to the Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act, the HELP Committee passed several other pieces of Kaine-led legislation. The committee passed a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Over-the-Counter Monograph User Fee Program (OMUFA), which modernizes the FDA’s review of OTC medications with support from drug manufacturer user fees, until fiscal year (FY) 2030. Included in that text, the committee also passed the Kaine-led OTC Monograph Drug User Fee Transparency Act, mandating that the FDA annually provide information about OTC drug safety, adverse effects, the speed with which the FDA processes OTC monograph order requests, and other matters related to the safe and timely regulation of over-the-counter drugs. The legislation also requires that the FDA provide the Senate HELP Committee and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce with a report after two years on the status of the OTC drug supply chain. The committee also passed the Retire through Ownership Act, led by Kaine and Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), which provides crucial guidance to facilitate the formation and continued operation of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). ESOPs allow all workers to directly share in the profits they help their company earn, leading to higher wages and more wealth-building.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On Anniversary of Medicare And Medicaid, Warner & Kaine Introduce Bill to Repeal Health Care Provisions in Republican ‘Big, Ugly Bill’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on the 60th anniversary of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, (both D-VA) introduced legislation to repeal the health care provisions in President Donald Trump and Republicans’ ‘Big, Ugly Bill’ and permanently extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced tax credits, which expire at the end of the year. The law, which Warner and Kaine strongly opposed, will result in more than 15 million people losing their health insurance under Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act and many rural hospitals losing federal funding from Medicaid, putting them at risk of closure.

    “In the 60 years since President Johnson signed the law that established Medicare and Medicaid, millions of Americans have been able to access the health care they need. Sadly, instead of strengthening these programs, President Trump and Republicans’ ‘Big, Ugly Bill’ will do the opposite and kick people off their health insurance under Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act,” said the senators. “We will all be better off if more people can access health insurance, and that’s why we’re proud to join our colleagues in introducing legislation to repeal the health care changes in the disastrous Republican law and extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced tax credits so Virginians can continue to access care.”

    The Republican law makes massive cuts to health care, nutrition assistance, and other critical programs that Virginians rely on in order to cut taxes for the ultra-wealthy. While the bill was being considered in the Senate, Warner and Kaine introduced a series of amendments in an attempt to improve the legislation, but Republicans blocked them.

    78,000 Virginians will lose access to some benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Virginia will be required to contribute an estimated $263 million annually in state cost-share for benefits, which have always been fully federally funded. The law jeopardizes clean energy jobs in Virginia by phasing out clean energy and energy efficiency tax credits and incentives that were passed in the Inflation Reduction Act. The law gives the top 0.1% a $250,000 tax cut and makes it harder for students to access student loans. The legislation also includes $85 million to move the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia to Houston, Texas; the full cost to move the space shuttle is estimated to be $300-$400 million.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Warnock Reintroduce John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    July 29, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Reverand Raphael Warnock (D-GA), along with U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and all other Senate Democrats, today reintroduced the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, legislation that would update and restore critical safeguards of the original Voting Rights Act.

     

    This legislation is especially relevant in Texas where, following historic disapproval of Congressional Republicans’ tax bill, Texas state lawmakers are looking to add five additional Republicans. The move comes in direct response to President Trump’s fears that voters may flip the House in the 2026 midterms.

     

    “There is no freedom more fundamental than the right to vote. But between the Trump Administration’s executive order on voter registration and state legislatures gerrymandering districts, there has been a clear, concerted effort to chip away at the protections guaranteed to every American under the Voting Rights Act,” said Durbin. “In the face of these injustices that target communities of color and their right to vote, we must continue the work of civil rights leaders like John Lewis and strengthen the framework of the Voting Rights Act by passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.”

    “As I often say, a vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and our children,” said Warnock. “Our prayers are stronger when we pray together. Democracy is the political enactment of a spiritual idea that each of us has within ourselves the spark of the divine. We all have value, and if we all have value, we ought to have a voice in the direction of our country; we ought to have a vote.”

     

    In the wake of the Supreme Court’s damaging Shelby County decision in 2013—which crippled the federal government’s ability under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to prevent discriminatory changes to voting laws and procedures—states across the country have unleashed a torrent of voter suppression schemes that have systematically disenfranchised tens of thousands of American voters. The Supreme Court’s decision in Brnovich delivered yet another blow to the Voting Rights Act, by making it significantly harder forplaintiffs to win lawsuits under the landmark law against discriminatory voting laws or procedures.

     

    Durbin and Warnock marked the reintroduction of the legislation with a press conference, available to view here.

     

    In addition to Durbin, Warnock, Schumer, Booker, and Blumenthal, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jack Reed (D-RI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Coons (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tina Smith (D-MN), Angus King (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).

     

    The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is endorsed by hundreds of organizations.

     

    The full text of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act can be found here.

     

    A section-by-section analysis of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act can be found here.

     

    -30-

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Statement On Senate Confirmation Of Emil Bove To Serve As A Lifetime Circuit Court Judge

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    July 29, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Emil Bove’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit:

     

    “Mr. Bove’s primary qualification appears to be his blind loyalty to this President. As Acting Deputy Attorney General, Mr. Bove personally ordered the terminations of dozens of career federal prosecutors who worked to put violent January 6 offenders behind bars. Mr. Bove even made the outrageous claim that the prosecutions of January 6 rioters were ‘a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people.’ He doubled down on this sentiment during his confirmation process—and further insulted the law enforcement officers who kept us safe from those rioters. He even ordered prosecutors to dismiss charges against Eric Adams forblatantly corrupt reasons.

    “On top of this, three whistleblowers have come forward to shine further light on Mr. Bove’s alleged misconduct. One whistleblower, a career Justice Department lawyer, not only provided evidence of Mr. Bove’s failure to fulfill his ethical obligations as a lawyer, but also demonstrated that his activities are part of a broader pattern by President Trump and his allies to undermine the Justice Department’s commitment to the rule of law.

    “He is a terrible choice for the Third Circuit, and I think it’s a dire mistake by my Republican colleagues to confirm him for a lifetime position on the federal bench.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Takes Action to Address the Threat to National Security from Imports of Copper

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S COPPER INDUSTRY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation to address the effects of copper imports on America’s national security, including by imposing tariffs on several categories of copper imports.
    The Proclamation imposes universal 50% tariffs on imports of semi-finished copper products (such as copper pipes, wires, rods, sheets, and tubes) and copper-intensive derivative products (such as pipe fittings, cables, connectors, and electrical components), effective August 1.
    The copper 232 tariffs apply to the copper content of a product; non-copper content of a product remains subject to reciprocal tariffs or other applicable duties. These tariffs do not stack.
    The copper 232 tariffs do not stack with auto 232 tariffs. If a product is subject to auto 232 tariffs, then the auto 232 tariffs apply, not the copper 232 tariffs. 
    Copper input materials (such as copper ores, concentrates, mattes, cathodes, and anodes) and copper scrap are not subject to 232 or reciprocal tariffs.

    The Proclamation directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a product “inclusion” process to add copper derivative products to these tariffs.
    The President is also authorizing the Secretary of Commerce to take steps under the Defense Production Act to support the domestic copper industry, including:
    Requiring 25% of high-quality copper scrap produced in the United States to be sold in the United States. This will improve access to this important feedstock for domestic fabricators and secondary refiners.
    Commerce also recommended an export licensing requirement for high-quality copper scrap to ensure adequate domestic supply.

    Requiring 25% of copper input materials (such as copper ores, concentrates, mattes, cathodes, and anodes) produced in the United States to be sold in the United States – starting at 25% in 2027, increasing to 30% in 2028 and 40% in 2029. This will boost U.S. refining capacity by ensuring low-cost inputs while domestic refiners grow their operations.

    By taking these actions, President Trump is leveling the playing field for U.S. copper businesses to support a strong domestic copper industry.
    ADDRESSING THE EFFECTS OF COPPER IMPORTS: The Proclamation follows the Secretary of Commerce’s completion of a Section 232 investigation under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended.
    President Trump directed the initiation of the Section 232 investigation through Executive Order 14220 of February 25, 2025, “Addressing the Threat to National Security from Imports of Copper.” The investigation found that:
    Copper is essential to the manufacturing foundation on which U.S. national and economic security depend. Copper is a necessary input in a range of defense systems, including aircraft, ground vehicles, ships, submarines, missiles, and ammunition. It is the Department of Defense’s second-most used material, and it plays a central role in the broader U.S. industrial base.
    Foreign competitors’ predatory practices and excessive environmental regulations have undercut the American copper industry and domestic investment in smelting, refining, and fabrication facilities.
    The U.S. now has a massive trade deficit in, and an unsustainable dependence on, many foreign copper products.

    REVITALIZING DOMESTIC INDUSTRY AND REDUCING TRADE IMBALANCES: This Proclamation builds on previous actions taken by the Trump Administration to ensure U.S. trade and industrial policies serve the national interest.
    On Day One, President Trump established his America First Trade Policy to make America’s economy great again.
    President Trump signed Proclamations to close existing loopholes and exemptions and elevate tariffs on steel and aluminum to 50%.
    President Trump implemented a 10% additional tariff on imports from China in response to China’s role in the border crisis. 
    President Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs to take back America’s economic sovereignty and address nonreciprocal trade relationships that threaten our economic and national security.
    President Trump has issued several Executive Orders and Presidential Memoranda to boost mining, manufacturing, and investment in domestic industry, including by reducing regulations and eliminating bureaucracy.
    President Trump signed a Memorandum to safeguard American innovation, including the consideration of tariffs to combat digital service taxes, fines, practices, and policies that foreign governments levy on American companies.
    President Trump has initiated several other Section 232 investigations in addition to the one on which he is taking action today.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Addresses Threats to the United States from the Government of Brazil

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    ADDRESSING A NATIONAL EMERGENCY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order implementing an additional 40% tariff on Brazil, bringing the total tariff amount to 50%, to deal with recent policies, practices, and actions by the Government of Brazil that constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.
    The Order declares a new national emergency using the President’s authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) and establishes an additional 40% tariff to address the Government of Brazil’s unusual and extraordinary policies and actions harming U.S. companies, the free speech rights of U.S. persons, U.S. foreign policy, and the U.S. economy.
    The Order finds that the Government of Brazil’s politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship, and prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and thousands of his supporters are serious human rights abuses that have undermined the rule of law in Brazil.
    USING LEVERAGE TO SAFEGUARD OUR INTERESTS: President Trump has consistently reaffirmed his commitment to defending the United States’ national security, foreign policy, and economy against foreign threats, including by safeguarding free speech, protecting U.S. companies from unlawful censorship coercion, and holding human rights abusers accountable for their lawless behavior.
    Recently, members of the Government of Brazil have taken unprecedented actions to tyrannically and arbitrarily coerce U.S. companies to censor political speech, deplatform users, turn over sensitive U.S. user data, or change their content moderation policies on pain of extraordinary fines, criminal prosecution, asset freezes, or complete exclusion from the Brazilian market. This undermines not only the viability of U.S. companies’ business operations in Brazil but also the policy of the United States in promoting free and fair elections and safeguarding fundamental human rights at home and abroad.
    For example, since 2019, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has abused his judicial authority to threaten, target, and intimidate thousands of his political opponents, shield corrupt allies, and suppress dissent, often in coordination with other Brazilian officials, including other justices on Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court, to the detriment of U.S. companies operating in Brazil.
    Justice de Moraes has unilaterally issued hundreds of orders to secretly censor his political critics. When U.S. companies have refused to comply with these orders, he imposed substantial fines, ordered the companies’ exclusion from Brazil’s social media market, threatened their executives with criminal prosecution, and, in one case, froze the assets of a U.S. company in Brazil in an effort to coerce compliance.
    In fact, in addition to jailing individuals without trial for social media posts, Justice de Moraes is currently overseeing the Government of Brazil’s criminal prosecution of Paulo Figueiredo, a U.S. resident, for speech he made on U.S. soil, and has supported criminal investigations into other U.S. persons after they exposed his gross violations of human rights and corruption.

    President Trump is defending American companies from extortion, protecting American persons from political persecution, safeguarding American free speech from censorship, and saving the American economy from being subject to the arbitrary edicts of a tyrannical foreign judge.
    PUTTING AMERICA FIRST: By imposing these tariffs to address the Government of Brazil’s reckless actions, President Trump is protecting the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States from a foreign threat. In line with his election mandate, President Trump has also taken other actions to achieve peace through strength and ensure foreign policy reflects U.S. values, sovereignty, and security.
    On Day One, President Trump signed an “America First Policy Directive” to the Secretary of State that declared that the United States’ foreign policy must always put the interests of America and its citizens first.
    Consistent with this directive, on May 28, 2025, Secretary Rubio announced a visa restriction policy targeting foreign nationals responsible for the censorship of protected expression in the United States.
    Pursuant to that policy, on July 18, President Trump directed Secretary Rubio to revoke visas belonging to Justice de Moraes, his allies on the Court, and their immediate family members for their role in enabling Justice de Moraes’ human rights violations against Brazilians and free speech violations against Americans.
    Preserving and protecting the free speech rights of all Americans and defending American companies from coerced censorship will remain at the forefront of President Trump’s America First foreign policy strategy.
    President Trump has successfully used tariffs in the past to advance America’s interests and address other urgent national security threats and is doing so again today.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump is Protecting the United States’ National Security and Economy by Suspending the De Minimis Exemption for Commercial Shipments Globally

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    TAKING DECISIVE ACTION GLOBALLY TO PROTECT AMERICANS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order suspending duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value shipments, closing the catastrophic loophole used to, among other things, evade tariffs and funnel deadly synthetic opioids as well as other unsafe or below-market products that harm American workers and businesses into the United States.
    President Trump is taking action to deal with the national emergencies that he has recently declared with respect to unusual and extraordinary threats to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.
    Effective August 29, imported goods sent through means other than the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption will be subject to all applicable duties.
    For goods shipped through the international postal system, packages will instead be assessed duties according to one of the following methodologies:
    Ad valorem duty: A duty equal to the effective tariff rate imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) that is applicable to the country of origin of the product. This duty shall be assessed on the value of each package.
    Specific duty: A duty ranging from $80 per item to $200 per item, depending on the effective IEEPA tariff rate applicable to the country of origin of the product. The specific duty methodology will be available for six months, after which all applicable shipments must comply with the ad valorem duty methodology.  

    Longstanding exemptions under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(A) and (B) remain in place – meaning American travelers can still bring back up to $200 in personal items and individuals can continue to receive bona fide gifts valued at $100 or less duty-free.
    COMBATTING ESCALATING DECEPTIVE SHIPPING PRACTICES, ILLEGAL MATERIAL, AND DUTY CIRCUMVENTION: President Trump is putting an end to the proliferation of shippers worldwide that, among other things, deceptively exploit the de minimis privilege in an effort to evade duties, inspection, and U.S. law.
    Packages entering the United States using the duty-free de minimis exemption are typically subject to less scrutiny than traditional imports; however, the packages can pose health, safety, national and economic security risks. 
    Between 2015 and 2024, the volume of de minimis shipments entering the U.S. increased from 134 million shipments to over 1.36 billion shipments. On average, CBP processes over 4 million de minimis shipments into the U.S. each day.
    The de minimis exemption has been abused, with shippers sending illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, precursors, and paraphernalia into the United States in reliance on the lower security measures applied to de minimis shipments, killing Americans.
    Enforcement data consistently shows that de minimis shipments account for the majority of all cargo enforcement actions. In FY24, 90% of all cargo seizures originated as de minimis shipments, including:
    98% of narcotics seizures (by number of cases).97% of intellectual property rights seizures, totaling 31 million counterfeit items. 
    77% of health and safety/prohibited items seizures totaling more than 20 million dangerous or illicit items (e.g., weapons parts and Glock switches).

    The volume of de minimis shipments, even from countries that historically have not been the primary source of de minimis abuse, has skyrocketed this year, with 309 million so far for FY25 (through June 30), compared to 115 million for all of FY24 resulting in significant lost revenue for the United States.
    CBP is increasingly interdicting de minimis shipments where the certificate of origin is misrepresented in an attempt to circumvent duties.
    BUILDING ON A RECORD OF FIGHTING HARMFUL TRADE LOOPHOLES:   President Trump is delivering on his promise to “put an end” to the “big scam” of de minimis shipments killing Americans and hurting U.S. businesses.
    In February, President Trump declared national emergencies on the United States’ northern and southern borders, including the public health crisis caused by fentanyl and other illicit drugs.
    In April, President Trump declared a national emergency relating to the conditions underlying the United States’ exploding trade deficit and the implications of that deficit for the United States’ economy and national security.
    Effective May 2, President Trump suspended de minimis treatment for low-value packages from China and Hong Kong, which account for the majority of de minimis shipments to the United States.
    The President signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which permanently repeals the statutory basis for the de minimis exemption worldwide effective July 1, 2027.
    President Trump is acting more quickly to suspend the de minimis exemption than the OBBBA requires, to deal with national emergencies and save American lives and businesses NOW.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: The President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets Releases Recommendations to Strengthen American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    USHERING IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF CRYPTO: When President Trump took office in January, he promised to make America the “crypto capital of the world.” Today, the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets is releasing a report that provides a roadmap to make that promise a reality.
    Established by President Trump’s Executive Order 14178 Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology, the Working Group consists of officials throughout the Federal government and was tasked with submitting a report that recommends regulatory and legislative proposals to advance the policies established in the Order.
    By implementing these recommendations, policymakers can ensure that the United States leads the blockchain revolution and ushers in the Golden Age of Crypto.
    POSITIONING AMERICA AS THE LEADER IN DIGITAL ASSET MARKETS:The Working Group determined that a fit-for-purpose market structure framework is essential to support growth and innovation in the digital assets industry, protect consumers, and keep the United States at the forefront of digital asset development. The Working Group recommends that:
    Congress build on the massive bipartisan House of Representatives vote for CLARITY by enacting legislation that:
    Eliminates existing gaps in regulatory oversight by providing the CFTC authority to oversee spot markets for non-security digital assets.
    Embraces DeFi technology and recognizes the potential of integrating such technology into mainstream finance.

    The SEC and CFTC use their existing authorities to:
    Immediately enable the trading of digital assets at the Federal level by providing clarity to market participants on issues such as registration, custody, trading, and recordkeeping.
    Allow innovative financial products to reach consumers without bureaucratic delays through the use of tools like safe harbors and regulatory sandboxes.  

    MODERNIZING BANK REGULATION FOR DIGITAL ASSETS: The Trump Administration has already ended Operation Choke Point 2.0 once and for all by working to end regulatory efforts that deny banking services to the digital assets industry. A sound and predictable banking regulatory framework that embraces the promise of blockchain technology will allow depository institutions to meet customer demand for core banking services for digital assets, and make it easier for those customers to access digital asset markets. The Working Group recommends that regulators take additional actions to:
    Relaunch crypto innovation efforts to clarify permissible bank activities in custody, tokenization, stablecoin issuance, and the use of blockchains.
    Promote transparency regarding the process for institutions to obtain bank charters or Reserve Bank master accounts.
    Ensure that bank capital rules are aligned with the actual risks associated with digital assets, not simply the fact of their presence on a distributed ledger.
    STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF THE U.S. DOLLAR: The widespread adoption of dollar-backed stablecoins will modernize payments infrastructure and allow the United States to move away from costly and outdated legacy systems. On July 18, 2025, President Trump signed the historic GENIUS Act into law, which creates the first-ever Federal regulatory framework for stablecoins. The Working Group recommends that:
    Treasury and the banking agencies faithfully and expeditiously implement the GENIUS Act.
    Congress take additional action to protect privacy and civil liberties by passing the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act to codify the provisions of the President’s Executive Order banning Central Bank Digital Currencies in the United States.
    COMBATING ILLICIT FINANCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE: By modernizing our anti-money laundering rules, the United States can be a leader in financial innovation while protecting our national security interests. The Working Group recommends that:
    Treasury and the appropriate regulators provide clarity regarding BSA obligations and reporting.
    Congress reinforce the importance of self-custody and clarify the AML/CFT obligations of actors within the decentralized finance ecosystem.
    Regulators work to prevent the misuse of authorities to target lawful activities of law-abiding citizens and protect citizens’ privacy.
    ENSURING FAIRNESS AND PREDICTABILITY IN DIGITAL ASSET TAXATION: Our tax rules must align with new technologies and eliminate compliance hurdles for both individuals and businesses engaged in activities involving digital assets. The Working Group recommends that:
    Treasury and the IRS reduce burdens on taxpayers by publishing guidance on topics related to CAMT, wrapping transactions, and de minimis receipts of digital assets.
    Treasury and the IRS review previously issued guidance on the tax treatment of activities like mining and staking.
    Congress enact legislation that treats digital assets as a new class of assets subject to modified versions of tax rules applicable to securities or commodities for Federal income tax purposes and add digital assets to the list of assets subject to wash sale rules.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Members of Congress Sue Trump-Vance Administration for Blocking Lawful Oversight of Federal Immigration Detention Facilities

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

    July 30, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – A dozen individual members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sued the Trump-Vance administration, challenging its unlawful obstruction of congressional oversight that the members have sought to conduct at federal immigration detention facilities, in which both citizens and noncitizens have been detained without due process. 

    The administration has implemented a new, unlawful policy that blocks these Members of Congress from obtaining the information necessary to perform their constitutional duty to ensure the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is complying with federal law in operating these facilities and to oversee how billions in taxpayer dollars are being spent. The administration is mandating a seven-day waiting period and prohibiting access to field offices where people are being detained, despite a federal law that prevents these restrictions.

    The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia demands that the administration comply with a federal law that guarantees Members of Congress the right to conduct oversight visits to any DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sites where noncitizens are detained without prior notice. 

    The plaintiffs include Rep. Norma Torres, Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse; Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat; Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bennie G. Thompson; Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin; House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia; House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Ranking Member Rep. J. Luis Correa; Rep. Jason Crow; Rep. Veronica Escobar; Rep. Dan Goldman; Rep. Jimmy Gomez; Rep. and Raul Ruiz.

    The congressional leaders are represented by Democracy Forward Foundation and American Oversight.

    At a time when the administration is detaining more individuals than ever before—over 58,000 people—and reports of mistreatment, overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and the detention of U.S. citizens are growing, the need for real-time, on-the-ground oversight has never been more urgent. Eleven people have died in immigration custody in the first six months of this administration. DHS’s recent mass layoffs of internal oversight personnel only deepen the concerns about this conduct and possible abuse.

    “Donald Trump’s extreme immigration agenda—attacking birthright citizenship and pushing for cruel, chaotic mass deportations—is dragging this country down a dark and dangerous path. We’ve already seen the consequences: so many reports of overcrowded, unsanitary ICE detention facilities where human dignity is treated as optional,” said Rep. Norma Torres. “As a Member of Congress, I have a legal and moral obligation to conduct oversight—and I will not stand by while people in our community are locked away in facilities that may be violating their rights. I will continue to press for full access to these facilities and demand accountability from those responsible for their operation. No one is above the law—not even ICE.”

    “Blocking Members of Congress from oversight visits to ICE facilities that house or otherwise detain immigrants clearly violates Federal law—and the Trump administration knows it,” said Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse. “Such blatant disregard for both the law and the constitutional order by the Trump administration warrants a serious and decisive response, which is why I’m proud to lead the lawsuit we proceeded with earlier today.”

    “The obstruction of Congressional oversight is not just an affront to the Constitution—it’s a threat to our democracy,” said Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat. “Since day one, we have witnessed the Trump administration’s systematic efforts to dehumanize immigrants, detain tens of thousands—including U.S. citizens—and weaponize federal agencies to carry out a mass deportation agenda rooted in cruelty and chaos. The Trump administration has consistently hindered oversight powers while gutting internal watchdogs in executive branch agencies like CRCL, the OIDO, and the CIS Ombudsman’s Office, creating the perfect storm for abuse and impunity. We will not stand by as due process, human dignity, and transparency are trampled. We demand access and accountability, and will pursue every legal and legislative tool available to hold this administration accountable.”

    “By blocking Members of Congress from visiting ICE detention facilities, the Trump administration is not only preventing us from conducting meaningful oversight of its facilities, it is clearly violating the law. This unprecedented action is just their latest effort to stonewall Congress and the American people.  If DHS has nothing to hide, it must follow the law and make its facilities available,” said Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bennie G. Thompson.

    “The Trump administration is systematically violating our legal right as Members of Congress to conduct oversight of DHS facilities. This blockade of Congress, deliberately interfering with our constitutional duty to perform oversight of the immigration system, is designed to stop us from checking out reports of inhumane treatment and denial of fundamental rights to immigrants in detention,” said Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin. “President Trump and Secretary Noem believe they can block scrutiny of their lawless immigration enforcement sweep by closing out Members of Congress. But these brazen attempts to rebuff us—in stark violation of federal law—only deepen our resolve to get information to the American people. We’re going to continue to show up and demand the transparency and access that the law guarantees, and President Trump—we’ll see you in court.”

    “As the Ranking Member on the Oversight Committee I know how essential it is to access facilities like the LA Detention Facility. These visits are critical to holding DHS and ICE accountable for lawful and humane treatment. Without full access, Members of Congress cannot properly monitor taxpayer funds or address urgent constituent concerns. Strong oversight is vital for transparency, accountability, and serving the public,” said House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia.

    “As Members of Congress, our job is to conduct oversight. Congress’ job is to assure taxpayer funds are spent in accordance with the law. I’ve been a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security for years, and my job has always been to oversee ICE. Until this summer, I’ve done this job without any problems,” House Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Ranking Member Rep. J. Luis Correa said. “Recently, in clear violation of the law, ICE began to deny me access to ICE facilities and impede my ability to do my job. Obeying the law is not an option for any of us. Nor should it be up to ICE to decide which laws to follow and which laws to ignore.”

    “Today, I filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after they illegally denied me access into a federal immigration detention facility,” said Rep. Jason Crow. “Oversight is a fundamental responsibility of Congress. Under law, Members of Congress have the right to do unannounced oversight visits of federal immigration detention facilities. Since President Trump was elected, this administration has denied Members of Congress access to immigration detention facilities and tried to intimidate us from doing our jobs. I will not be deterred from conducting lawful oversight, and I’ll continue fighting to hold the administration accountable, including in Congress and the courts.”

    “Oversight of government agencies and the use of taxpayer dollars is a critical part of Congressional work. For years, and throughout multiple administrations, I have conducted oversight of federal agencies and facilities, including immigration facilities in my district. And, for years, I have been able to tour these facilities, speak with immigrants, detainees and staff, ensure humane treatment of individuals in federal custody as well as to monitor workplace conditions for federal employees, and bring about change when needed. It is a Constitutional duty that I take incredibly seriously. Under the Trump administration, DHS has chosen to violate the law which allows for unannounced visits of DHS facilities, instructing local ICE staff to refuse me entry last month, despite my Congressional oversight authority. It is not acceptable for the Trump administration to ignore the law and limit Congressional oversight and authority; this cannot go unchallenged,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar.

    “For months, masked, unidentified ICE agents have detained law-abiding immigrants in inhumane conditions, while DHS has repeatedly and unlawfully blocked Members of Congress from inspecting these facilities. Today, we’re filing a lawsuit because when a federal agency defies the law and obstructs oversight, we have a duty to do everything possible to uphold the law. As Donald Trump escalates his mass deportation agenda, we will continue to use every option available to expose the truth for the American people,” said Rep. Dan Goldman.

    “No child should be sleeping on concrete, and no sick person should be denied care, yet that’s exactly what we keep hearing is happening inside Trump’s detention centers, including the one in my own district that set off national outrage and protests across the country,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez. “I’ve tried repeatedly to get inside and conduct oversight, only to be turned away. When ICE and DHS block Members of Congress, they’re not just slamming the door on U.S. Representatives, they’re slamming it on the American people’s right to know how their government is treating human beings with their tax dollars. This lawsuit is our message: We as Members of Congress will do our job, and we will not let these agencies operate in the shadows.”

    “As Members of Congress, we have a legal right to ensure residents in our districts are not subjected to inhumane conditions. The Department of Homeland Security’s policy change requiring advance notice is unacceptable, unlawful, and clearly designed to block transparency and accountability,” said Rep. Raul Ruiz. “Members of Congress have a constitutional duty to conduct oversight. This lawsuit will hold the Trump administration accountable and fully vindicate our right to conduct lawful, unannounced oversight at DHS detention facilities.”

    “This lawsuit goes to the heart of our democracy. These individual members of Congress have the constitutional duty, and the legal right, to conduct oversight and investigate how the government treats people in its custody,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “When the administration locks the doors on oversight, it locks out the American people. At Democracy Forward, we are honored to represent these members of Congress to sue the Trump-Vance administration, and we will not stop using the courts to demand accountability on behalf of the American people and uphold the rule of law.”

    “Members of Congress have a clear legal right to inspect ICE detention facilities without notice, and the American people have a right to know what’s happening in their name. When the Trump administration hides the truth about how people are being treated in government custody, they’re not just dodging oversight — they’re endangering lives,” said Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director of American Oversight. “ICE is holding men, women, and children in overcrowded rooms without beds, showers, or medical care — sometimes for days on end. ICE’s stonewalling is not only illegal — it’s a brazen attempt to shield abuse from scrutiny, and American Oversight is proud to be a part of the fight to stop it.”

    The case is Joe Neguse et al. v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement et al.

    The legal team at Democracy Forward in this case includes Christine Coogle, Lisa Newman, Paul Wolfson, Brian Netter, and Josephine Morse. The legal team at American Oversight in this case includes Daniel Martinez, Katherine Anthony, Ronald Fein, and Jessica Jensen.

    Read the complaint here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks on the President’s Working Group Recommendations

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    The policy recommendations that the President’s Working Group (PWG) put forth today follow months of deep collaboration across agencies and perspectives. Together, we have developed a blueprint to achieve President Trump’s vision of making America the crypto capital of the world.

    At its core, the PWG report reflects a conviction that I have long held: a rational regulatory framework for digital assets is the best way to catalyze American innovation, protect investors from fraud, and keep our capital markets the envy of the world. Unfortunately, my predecessor and the previous Administration did not share that vision. Thank goodness President Trump does and is leading on it. As the report makes clear, the SEC will continue to play a key role in developing a federal framework by using its existing authorities to establish new rules and regulations, and to implement any new legislation crafted by Congress. I look forward to pursuing these priorities alongside Commissioner Hester Peirce, members of my staff, and the SEC’s Crypto Task Force. I also appreciate the report’s call for enhanced collaboration between the SEC and the CFTC, as well as with other relevant federal agencies, to ensure that our approach is unified, clear, and consistent.

    The goals that we have outlined are ambitious, and essential, to meeting the possibilities of this moment. We must unleash the transformative potential of digital asset technology, safeguard our financial stability, and protect investors. In line with this report, I will continue to prioritize the development of forward-thinking and future-proof regulations that foster innovation while mitigating risks.

    Today marks yet another important milestone in unlocking American innovation by providing the crypto marketplace with clear rules of the road. I support the PWG’s recommendations and applaud President Trump on his leadership as we ensure that the U.S. is the best and most secure place in the world to invest and to do business.

    The President said last week that he wants “the entire world running on the backbone of American technology.” Indeed, America must do more than keep pace with the crypto asset revolution—we must lead it. I stand ready to help get the job done.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. and Chile Sign New Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program Agreement

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    The Trump Administration will pursue all tools at its disposal to keep America safe

    SANTIAGO, CHILE – Today, the United States and Chile signed a new Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) letter of intent to continue this crucial information sharing system between the two nations.

    “Data sharing benefits everyone – except bad actors who wish to do us and our people harm,” U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement. “Today, we kick-started a Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) to help both nations better track criminals, terrorists, other dangerous individuals who try to cross our borders and do us harm. America, Chile, and the entire western hemisphere will be safer because of these efforts.”

    Biometric data is critical for vetting, tracking, and keeping the worst of the worst criminal aliens from around the globe from crossing our borders. To increase both countries’ capabilities in that effort, the U.S. trained Chilean law enforcement on a successful BITMAP pilot program this past spring.

    The letter of intent signed today will serve as a “bridge” for Chile and the U.S. as the two countries work towards a full partnership. Once BITMAP is fully operational, both countries will enjoy increased cooperation in identifying and tracking transnational criminals, terrorists, and other high-risk individuals who are attempting to enter American borders.

    Now, Chilean officials can identify potentially dangerous individuals among illegal third-country aliens to prevent their travel to the U.S., and they also have the capability to use BITMAP in Chilean prisons to fully vet prisoners and detainees.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Signs Van Orden Bill to Reduce Veterans Homelessness Into Law

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Derrick Van Orden (Wisconsin 3rd)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Trump signed Congressman Derrick Van Orden’s (WI-03) VA Home Loan Program Reform Act into law.

    This legislation establishes a permanent partial claims program within the VA Home Loan Program, bringing VA in line with other federal agencies that lend money for homes and replacing the fiscally irresponsible Biden administration-era VASP program. Veterans will be permitted to have the same programs non-veterans have available to them through FHA loans, allowing veterans who have fallen behind on their mortgages to receive federal assistance.

    “President Trump is the strongest support of veterans and servicemembers of any president in our nation’s history,” said Rep. Van Orden. “This law helps fulfill a promise to those who protected us with their service and continue to do so today by providing a path to maintain homeownership. I am very proud of our legislation and thankful to President Trump for signing it into law.”

    “Our veterans and their families should have every tool at their disposal to keep their homes and reduce the risk of foreclosure if they fall into financial hardship or endure a national disaster. Today, House Republicans and President Trump made that a reality for every veteran homeowner,” said Chairman Bost.“Rep. Van Orden’s VA Home Loan Program Reform Act will modernize the VA Home Loan to meet veterans’ needs and reduce the risk of veteran homelessness. I’m proud that we fought hard to get this good bill to President Trump’s desk to keep our promise to those who have served.”

    Read the full bill here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Introduces Kentuckian at Judicial Nomination Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today before members of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary in support of S. Chad Meredith, of Lexington, President Trump’s nominee to serve as a district judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky:

    “Mr. Chairman and distinguished Members of the Committee, today it is my distinct privilege to introduce my fellow Kentuckian, Chad Meredith.

    “President Trump made an outstanding choice for his nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Earlier this year, I proudly recommended Chad to the White House and as you will see from today’s hearing, he has the intellect, skill, and experience to excel as a federal district court judge.

    “One of the Senate’s most important constitutional responsibilities is to offer its advice and consent with respect to executive nominations, and I take very seriously the responsibility to carefully consider every nominee, especially for vacancies in my home state. 

    “Chad is a bright lawyer with a stellar resume and a distinguished record of public service, but I would like to share with you how I first met him.

    “Chad interned with my office in 2003. The internship program provides college students with the opportunity to enhance their education as well as increase their knowledge of issues important to both the Commonwealth and our country. Interns are selected on the basis of strong scholastic and extracurricular achievements as well as an interest in the governmental process, and I’ve been impressed to watch a former McIntern through the decades succeed in the legal field, public service, and now to be nominated to the federal bench.

    “Chad graduated summa cum laude from Washington and Lee University and summa cum laude from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Following his formal education, he sharpened his legal skills with two judicial clerkships with then-District Judge Amul Thapar on the Eastern District of Kentucky and Judge John Rogers on the Sixth Circuit.

    “He served as the first – that’s right, the first – Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As the Solicitor General from 2019 to 2021, Chad oversaw all civil and criminal appellate litigation involving the Commonwealth. He earned a reputation for being fair-minded and professional, and for having a strong work ethic.

    “From throughout the country, we have dozens of current and former state solicitors general expressing their strong support for Chad’s nomination, saying, ‘As Kentucky’s first Solicitor General, Chad distinguished himself in diverse areas of federal and state law. Chad also exhibits the temperament necessary to serve as a District Judge…As Chad’s professional peers who have witnessed his work, we are confident that he possesses the qualities to serve with distinction as a District Judge.’

    “Additionally, it’s quite notable to hear from hundreds of lawyers calling Chad ‘fair-minded’. These attorneys come from many diverse backgrounds and include civil litigators, prosecutors, and criminal defense attorneys. They hold various political views and judicial philosophies and are supporting this nomination saying, ‘we all agree that our legal system needs judges who carefully and honestly evaluate the arguments made by the parties and do what the law requires. We all believe that Chad will excel as a District Judge.’

    “Amid Chad’s great professional success in private practice, even his colleagues know his value as an excellent lawyer and a careful thinker will serve our nation well, saying, ‘As much as we don’t want to lose him, our loss would be the public’s gain.’

    “This is all very resounding support and where that support runs deepest is with Chad’s family. I’d like to recognize his father, Kentucky State Senator Steve Meredith and his mother, Karen. They are both here and I know are very proud of Chad… and so is his wonderful wife, Rebekah, and we can bet that each of their children, Ben, Grace, Emma, and Daniel are beaming with pride for their dad.

    “Also joining today to support Chad’s commitment to public service is Kentucky State Representative Samara Heavrin, as well as many more members of his family, his friends, and colleagues.

    “Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to come by and put in a good word. I am confident that Chad Meredith, who has demonstrated devotion to the rule of law and the Constitution, will serve the people of Kentucky and our country well on the federal bench. I appreciate this committee’s consideration of his nomination, and I look forward to his confirmation.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castro Statement on Illegal Texas Congressional Map

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

    July 30, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement on the illegal Texas congressional map:

    “This proposed Texas Congressional map is illegal and a direct violation of the Voting Rights Act. Governor Abbott is subverting the political will of Texans so that national Republicans can interfere in our state, and ensure that Trump is not held accountable for his criminal actions in the Congress. Texas is being used by Donald Trump and it is incumbent on all my colleagues, Democrat and Republican, to speak out against this attack on the Voting Rights Act. This illegal map will suppress the vote and impact black and brown communities the most.

    “Alongside the Texas Democratic delegation, I will do everything I can to fight this attack on the voting rights of Texans. This is part of a wider plan by Trump to undermine our democracy. And I will continue to fight for my constituents regardless of boundaries.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement on the President’s Working Group Recommendations

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    The policy recommendations that the President’s Working Group (PWG) put forth today follow months of deep collaboration across agencies and perspectives. Together, we have developed a blueprint to achieve President Trump’s vision of making America the crypto capital of the world.

    At its core, the PWG report reflects a conviction that I have long held: a rational regulatory framework for digital assets is the best way to catalyze American innovation, protect investors from fraud, and keep our capital markets the envy of the world. Unfortunately, my predecessor and the previous Administration did not share that vision. Thank goodness President Trump does and is leading on it. As the report makes clear, the SEC will continue to play a key role in developing a federal framework by using its existing authorities to establish new rules and regulations, and to implement any new legislation crafted by Congress. I look forward to pursuing these priorities alongside Commissioner Hester Peirce, members of my staff, and the SEC’s Crypto Task Force. I also appreciate the report’s call for enhanced collaboration between the SEC and the CFTC, as well as with other relevant federal agencies, to ensure that our approach is unified, clear, and consistent.

    The goals that we have outlined are ambitious, and essential, to meeting the possibilities of this moment. We must unleash the transformative potential of digital asset technology, safeguard our financial stability, and protect investors. In line with this report, I will continue to prioritize the development of forward-thinking and future-proof regulations that foster innovation while mitigating risks.

    Today marks yet another important milestone in unlocking American innovation by providing the crypto marketplace with clear rules of the road. I support the PWG’s recommendations and applaud President Trump on his leadership as we ensure that the U.S. is the best and most secure place in the world to invest and to do business.

    The President said last week that he wants “the entire world running on the backbone of American technology.” Indeed, America must do more than keep pace with the crypto asset revolution—we must lead it. I stand ready to help get the job done.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Smith Introduce New Bill to Restore Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Bicameral legislation to reverse “defund” Planned Parenthood provision in Republicans’ reconciliation bill is endorsed by Planned Parenthood & more than 125 original cosponsors

    Senator Murray has led the fight in the Senate against Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, offered an amendment to strip “defund” provision out of the reconciliation bill—Republicans blocked it

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, joined Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representatives Laura Friedman (CA-30), Nikema Williams (GA-5), and Chris Pappas (NH-1) in introducing theRestoring Essential Healthcare Act this week, a bicameral bill that repeals the federal ban on Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood that Republicans recently enacted as part of their partisan reconciliation legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

    The legislation strikes Section 71113 of Republicans’ reconciliation bill, which prohibits federal Medicaid payments to Planned Parenthood clinics that offer reproductive health care and other essential health care services. The provision puts nearly 200 Planned Parenthood clinics at risk of closure, endangering access to health care for more than two million patients across the country.

    “Republicans have been pushing for years to defund Planned Parenthood, because they want to ban abortion nationwide—and they don’t care if they rip away access to cancer screenings, contraception, or other essential preventive care for millions of women in the process,” said Senator Murray. “Our bill is simple: it would reverse the provision Republicans enacted into law that cuts Planned Parenthood and other women’s health clinics off from federal Medicaid funding. In many communities, Planned Parenthood is the only place women can go to get basic preventive care, no matter their income. I’m proud to join my colleagues in this effort to save essential health care.”

    “I worked at Planned Parenthood. I saw how controlling your own health care allows you to make the best decisions about the course of your life – your education, your work and your family,” said Senator Smith. “Planned Parenthood offers so much more than abortion services. In many communities it is the only clinic to provide cancer screenings, birth control, and STI screening. This bill takes a critical step to restore Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, to ensure these clinics are equipped with the resources they need to provide essential health care, and to give patients back the right to choose their health care provider.” 

    “President Trump and his allies in Congress chose to devastate our nation’s already fractured health care system when they passed a backdoor abortion ban ‘defunding’ Planned Parenthood. With this provision, they have put nearly 200 health centers at risk of closing and threatened over a million people’s access to cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment,  birth control, and other essential services, all in order to push an unpopular, anti-abortion agenda. We are thankful to Sens. Smith (D-MN) and Murray (D-WA) and Reps. Friedman (D-CA-30), Pappas (D-NH-1), and Williams (D-GA-5) for introducing the Restoring Essential Healthcare Act, and for championing access to high-quality, affordable reproductive care. Everyone deserves health care, and we will continue to fight every day to make that possible,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

    The ban on Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood could leave thousands of patients in every state with no place to seek essential reproductive care and other vital health services. Every year, Planned Parenthood provides health care to more than two million people, including STI testing, breast exams, birth control, HPV vaccines, and other critical services. 

    The Restoring Essential Healthcare Act has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Center for Reproductive Rights, Reproductive Freedom Caucus, All* Above All, Guttmacher Institute, National Abortion Federation, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Council of Jewish Women, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, National Network of Abortion Funds, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Reproductive Freedom for All, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Power to Decide.

    There are 133 original cosponsors of the Restoring Essential Healthcare Act in the House, including Williams*, Pappas*, Amo, Auchincloss, Balint, Barragán, Bell, Beyer, Bonamici, Brownley, Budzinski, Carbajal, Carson, Carter, Case, Casten, Castor, Cherfilus-McCormick, Chu, Cisneros, Clarke, Cleaver, Cohen, Correa, Craig, Crockett, Davids, Davis, DeGette, DelBene, Deluzio, DeSaulnier, Dexter, Doggett, Elfreth, Escobar, Evans, Fletcher, Foushee, Frankel, Frost, Garamendi, Garcia (TX), Goldman, Goodlander, Gottheimer, Horsford, Houlahan, Hoyle, Huffman, Ivey, Jacobs, Jackson, Johnson (GA), Kamlager-Dove, Kaptur, Kelly, Kennedy, Khanna, Krishnamoorthi, Landsman, Larson, Lee (PA), Leger Fernandez, Levin, Liccardo, Lieu, Lofgren, Lynch, Mannion, Matsui, McBath, McBride, McClellan, McGovern, McIver, Meeks, Menendez, Meng, Min, Moore, Morelle, Morrison, Moulton, Mullin, Nadler, Norton, Olszewski, Panetta, Pelosi, Peters, Pettersen, Pingree, Pocan, Pou, Quigley, Ramirez, Randall, Raskin, Ross, Ryan, Salinas, Scanlon, Schakowsky, Schneider, Sewell, Sherman, Sherrill, Simon, Sorensen, Soto, Stansbury, Stanton, Stevens, Strickland, Sykes, Takano, Thanedar, Thompson (CA), Titus, Tlaib, Tokuda, Tonko, Torres (NY), Torres (CA), Trahan, Underwood, Veasey, Velázquez, Wasserman Schultz, Waters, Watson Coleman, Wilson.

    Senator Murray has been the leading voice in the Senate speaking out and raising the alarm against Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. After the Parliamentarian allowed Republicans to proceed with their long-sought goal of defunding Planned Parenthood in their reconciliation bill, Senator Murray put forward an amendment to strike the provision—Republicans blocked it.

    At her recent Senate forum on the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Senator Murray spoke about Republicans’ plan to institute a backdoor nationwide abortion ban and laid out how defunding Planned Parenthood is a key part of that strategy. Last month, Senator Murray delivered a lengthy speech on the Senate floor where she laid out in detail how Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will rip away health care from millions of Americans, shutter the doors of hospitals and health care clinics across the country, make the largest cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance in history, and blow up the national debt—all so Republicans can fund massive tax breaks for billionaires.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA-ISRO Satellite Lifts Off to Track Earth’s Changing Surfaces

    Source: NASA

    Carrying an advanced radar system that will produce a dynamic, three-dimensional view of Earth in unprecedented detail, the NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite has launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India.
    Jointly developed by NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and a critical part of the United States – India civil-space cooperation highlighted by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi earlier this year, the satellite can detect the movement of land and ice surfaces down to the centimeter. The mission will help protect communities by providing unique, actionable information to decision-makers in a diverse range of areas, including disaster response, infrastructure monitoring, and agricultural management. 
    The satellite lifted off aboard an ISRO Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket at 8:10 a.m. EDT (5:10 p.m. IST), Wednesday, July 30. The ISRO ground controllers began communicating with NISAR about 20 minutes after launch, at just after 8:29 a.m. EDT, and confirmed it is operating as expected.
    “Congratulations to the entire NISAR mission team on a successful launch that spanned across multiple time zones and continents in the first-ever partnership between NASA and ISRO on a mission of this sheer magnitude,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Where moments are most critical, NISAR’s data will help ensure the health and safety of those impacted on Earth, as well as the infrastructure that supports them, for the benefit of all.”
    From 464 miles (747 kilometers) above Earth, NISAR will use two advanced radar instruments to track changes in Earth’s forests and wetland ecosystems, monitor deformation and motion of the planet’s frozen surfaces, and detect the movement of Earth’s crust down to fractions of an inch — a key measurement in understanding how the land surface moves before, during, and after earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.
    “ISRO’s GSLV has precisely injected NISAR satellite into the intended orbit, 747 kilometers. I am happy to inform that this is GSLV’s first mission to Sun-synchronous polar orbit. With this successful launch, we are at the threshold of fulfilling the immense scientific potential NASA and ISRO envisioned for the NISAR mission more than 10 years ago,” said ISRO Chairman V Narayanan. “The powerful capability of this radar mission will help us study Earth’s dynamic land and ice surfaces in greater detail than ever before.”
    The mission’s two radars will monitor nearly all the planet’s land- and ice-covered surfaces twice every 12 days, including areas of the polar Southern Hemisphere rarely covered by other Earth-observing radar satellites. The data NISAR collects also can help researchers assess how forests, wetlands, agricultural areas, and permafrost change over time.
    “Observations from NISAR will provide new knowledge and tangible benefits for communities both in the U.S. and around the world,” said Karen St. Germain, director, Earth Science division at NASA Headquarters. “This launch marks the beginning of a new way of seeing the surface of our planet so that we can understand and foresee natural disasters and other changes in our Earth system that affect lives and property.”
    The NISAR satellite is the first free-flying space mission to feature two radar instruments — an L-band system and an S-band system. Each system is sensitive to features of different sizes and specializes in detecting certain attributes. The L-band radar excels at measuring soil moisture, forest biomass, and motion of land and ice surfaces, while S-band radar excels at monitoring agriculture, grassland ecosystems, and infrastructure movement.
    Together, the radar instruments will enhance all of the satellite’s observations, making NISAR more capable than previous synthetic aperture radar missions. Unlike optical sensors, NISAR will be able to “see” through clouds, making it possible to monitor the surface during storms, as well as in darkness and light.
    NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California provided the L-band radar, and ISRO’s Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad developed the S-band radar. The NISAR mission marks the first time the two agencies have co-developed hardware for an Earth-observing mission.
    “We’re proud of the international team behind this remarkable satellite. The mission’s measurements will be global but its applications deeply local, as people everywhere will use its data to plan for a resilient future,” said Dave Gallagher, director, NASA JPL, which manages the U.S. portion of the mission for NASA. “At its core is synthetic aperture radar, a technology pioneered at NASA JPL that enables us to study Earth night and day, through all kinds of weather.”
    Including L-band and S-band radars on one satellite is an evolution in SAR airborne and space-based missions that, for NASA, started in 1978 with the launch of Seasat. In 2012, ISRO began launching SAR missions starting with Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1), followed by RISAT-1A in 2022, to support a wide range of applications in India.
    In the coming weeks, the spacecraft will begin a roughly 90-day commissioning phase during which it will deploy its 39-foot (12-meter) radar antenna reflector. This reflector will direct and receive microwave signals from the two radars. By interpreting the differences between the two, researchers can discern characteristics about the surface below. As NISAR passes over the same locations twice every 12 days, scientists can evaluate how those characteristics have changed over time to reveal new insights about Earth’s dynamic surfaces.
    The NISAR mission is an equal collaboration between NASA and ISRO. Managed for the agency by Caltech, NASA JPL leads the U.S. component of the project and is providing the mission’s L-band SAR. NASA also is providing the radar reflector antenna, the deployable boom, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and payload data subsystem.
    Space Applications Centre Ahmedabad, ISRO’s lead center for payload development, is providing the mission’s S-band SAR instrument and is responsible for its calibration, data processing, and development of science algorithms to address the scientific goals of the mission. U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, which leads the ISRO components of the mission, is providing the spacecraft bus. The launch vehicle is from ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, launch services are through ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre, and satellite operations are by ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network. National Remote Sensing Centre in Hyderabad is responsible for S-band data reception, operational products generation, and dissemination.
    To learn more about NISAR, visit:
    https://nisar.jpl.nasa.gov
    -end-
    Karen Fox / Elizabeth VlockHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.vlock@nasa.gov
    Andrew Wang / Jane J. LeeJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.626-379-6874 / 818-354-0307andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump signs Kennedy, Cortez Masto bill to help Louisianians recover from natural disasters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump signed into law Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.)’s bipartisan Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act, which will provide relief for taxpayers in states that have issued state-level disaster declarations.

    “I’m grateful to President Trump for signing our bipartisan Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act into law. Louisianians recovering from hurricanes and other disasters shouldn’t have to wait on Washington to get the tax extensions they need. This law will make sure hard-hit communities can get necessary tax relief without delay,” said Kennedy.

    “When a natural disaster strikes, hard-hit families looking for tax relief shouldn’t have to wait for the federal government to act. This commonsense bill will ensure that taxpayers who have been through state emergencies can get the flexibility from the IRS that they deserve while recovering,” said Cortez Masto.

    Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) also cosponsored the bill.

    “The last thing Tennesseans should have to worry about when a natural disaster like Hurricane Helene strikes is meeting a tax-filing deadline. Now that President Trump has signed our bipartisan Tax Relief for Natural Disasters Act into law, Americans impacted by natural disasters will have the flexibility to focus on recovery, not tax paperwork,” said Blackburn.

    Prior to the bill’s signing, the Internal Revenue Service had the authority to postpone tax filing deadlines following a presidentially declared federal disaster but not following a state-level emergency declaration. 

    The Filing Relief for Natural Disasters Act allows the governor of a state or territory to extend a federal tax filing deadline following a state-declared emergency or natural disaster without waiting for a federal disaster declaration. 

    This change will enable states to provide federal tax extensions independent of the federal government’s involvement in an emergency or natural disaster.

    The law also expands the mandatory federal filing extension from 60 days to 120 days. 

    The full bill text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –