NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Calls on Senate to Make DOGE Cuts Permanent

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    WASHINGTON – After exposing sweeping abuses at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) spoke on the Senate floor to urge her colleagues to pass President Trump’s rescissions bill to save taxpayer dollars and make Washington squeal.
    From funding fashion week to pickle makers, Ernst cited multiple wasteful USAID projects and taxpayer-subsidized partisan propaganda at National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) that she has uncovered.
    After being stonewalled, Ernst has been leading the fight to combat waste at USAID and sent Secretary of State Marco Rubio a letter detailing her experience with the rogue agency as it misled, lied, and deceived the American people about how their tax dollars are spent. She has continued her work exposing jaw-dropping waste at USAID.
    Last month, Ernst demanded transparency from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) over a $1.9 million grant it provided NPR last year.

    Watch Senator Ernst’s full remarks here.
    Ernst’s full remarks:
    “All Americans can take great pride in our nation’s generosity that has saved millions of people around the world from starvation and disease.
    “And, our government agencies coordinating aid efforts should be eager to share details about how their use of taxpayer money makes the world a better place.
    “Yet, over the past decade, USAID repeatedly rebuffed my requests for information, using intimidation and shell games to hide where money is going, how it’s being spent, and why.
    “As a result of my oversight, I learned that the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, is a rogue bureaucracy, operating with little accountability and even, sometimes, at odds with our nation’s best interests.
    “What warranted such secrecy and stonewalling?
    “Here’s just some of USAID’s questionable spending that I uncovered:
    “Money intended to alleviate economic distress in war-torn Ukraine was spent:
    “Sending models and designers on junkets to New York City and Fashion Weeks in Paris and London, at a cost of more than $203,000;
    “$148,000 went to a pickle maker;
    “A dog collar manufacturer fetched $300,000; and
    “A custom carpet manufacturer collected $2 million.
    “Elsewhere, $20 million was awarded to Sesame Workshop, which produces Sesame Street, to create content for Iraq;
    “$2 million went toward promoting tourism to Lebanon, a nation that our very own State Department warns against traveling to due to the risks of terrorism and kidnapping.
    “Yes, folks, $2 million for tourism to Lebanon when we are saying, don’t travel there.
    “$67,000 was spent to feed edible insects to children in Madagascar.
    “Over $800,000 was sent to China’s notorious Wuhan Institute of Virology to collect coronaviruses.
    “What exactly was our international development agency developing at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology?
    “Well, if the CIA, FBI, and other experts are correct that the COVID virus likely originated from a lab leak, USAID may have had a hand in a once-in-a-century pandemic that claimed the lives of millions.
    “There’s no shortage of other questionable USAID projects, but President Trump is putting an end to this deep state operation.
    “The foreign assistance programs that do advance American interests are now being administered under the watchful eye of Secretary Marco Rubio.
    “This includes projects previously supported by USAID that were caring for orphans and people living with HIV.
    “Imagine how much more good work like this could be done with the dollars that instead financed fashion shows, supported Sesame Street programs in Iraq, or ended up in China’s Wuhan Institute.
    “Overseas projects without merit are being ended and the tax dollars that were paying for them will be refunded if the Senate passes the rescissions bill.
    “It also cancels taxpayer subsidies to public broadcasting.
    “Too often, these programs are partisan propaganda.
    “You don’t have to take my word for it.
    “A National Public Radio senior editor recently confessed ‘It’s true NPR has always had a liberal bent.’
    “He admits the organization has ZERO Republicans in editorial positions.
    “Come on folks, even CNN has Scott Jennings to roast the looney liberal lunatics on that failing network.
    “NPR and PBS have a right to say whatever the heck they want, but they don’t have a right to force hardworking Americans to pay for their political propaganda being masked as a public service.
    “Defunding this nonsense is causing a lot of squealing from the big spenders around here.
    “Washington insiders are more upset at this effort to stop wasteful spending than at the misuse of taxpayer dollars.
    “In fact, saving tax money is such a crazy concept in Washington that Democrats are threatening to shut down the entire government if this bill passes.
    “It says a lot about the other side’s priorities when they’re willing to take hostage funding for veterans and senior citizens to prevent $9 billion in unnecessary waste, fraud, and abuse from being trimmed from our $7 trillion annual budget.
    “The interest that we are paying on our debt alone is costing nearly $3 billion every single day.
    “If we are ever going to get serious about our debt crisis, Congress needs to pass a rescissions bill like this every single week.
    “Folks, the simple truth is if you can’t find waste in Washington, it’s because you simply are not looking.
    “With our national debt now exceeding $37 trillion, the real question we should be asking isn’t ‘why is government spending now being scrutinized?,’ but rather, ‘why did it take so long?’”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons statement on President Trump’s decision to allow the export of advanced AI chips to China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement after the Trump administration announced it would allow Nvidia to resume selling its H20 advanced computer chips to Chinese customers:

    “President Trump’s decision today hands China cutting-edge technology that Beijing will use to erase our competitive advantage in artificial intelligence, undermine our military, and outpace our economy. Thanks to the efforts of the Biden administration and bipartisan work in Congress, the United States was better positioned at the beginning of the year than any other country on the planet to lead the way on artificial intelligence, from chip design to applications. Now, President Trump is throwing that all away, giving China a tool that will strengthen their economy and military, while, just today, China announced it will restrict American access to critical battery technology and equipment we need for our own economy and security. The administration must immediately reverse this harmful decision and take steps to make sure its actions on AI actually match its tough-on-China rhetoric.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LEADER JEFFRIES ON MSNBC: “REPUBLICANS ARE RUNNING SCARED”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

    Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes where he emphasized that Democrats will continue pushing back on the extremism being unleashed on the American people by the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress.

    CHRIS HAYES: Joining me now is House Democratic Leader, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New York. What do you make of all this, Congressman? Like, why are we here and what do you affirmatively want to see happen and the Democratic Caucus want to see happen?

    LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it’s great to be with you, Chris. At the end of the day, the American people deserve to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth as it relates to this whole Jeffrey Epstein matter. Donald Trump and his MAGA extremist allies have fanned the flames of this conspiracy theory for years. And so there’s only two options at this point. Either Donald Trump, Pam Bondi and that whole crew have been lying to the American people over the last several years about what is actually in the Jeffrey Epstein files or, alternatively, Donald Trump, Pam Bondi and his allies in the Trump administration are hiding something from the American people right now. So we’re determined to get to the bottom of this on behalf of the American people who deserve transparency from their government.

    CHRIS HAYES: Reporter Annie Karni, who was just on in the last block, said that the line from Republicans on the House today—were talking about appointing a special counsel. I wonder if that’s something that you would support or other Democrats would support.

    LEADER JEFFRIES: It seems to me that a special counsel is just a diversionary tactic. If the files exist, produce them and produce them now to the American people. The Attorney General mentioned a few weeks ago that the files existed. In fact, she said it was on her desk. And so, all she really needs to do at this point is to release it, as Donald Trump promised that he would do. This is also a situation where what we’ve seen from the Trump administration is a government of the billionaires, by the billionaires and for the billionaires. We saw it during Trump’s inauguration. This One Big Ugly Bill was all about hurting everyday Americans to provide massive tax breaks to their billionaire donors. And now what we see is the possibility that there’s a massive coverup taking place within the Trump administration, because there may be people on the Epstein list, within the Epstein files, that Donald Trump is trying to protect, who happen to be part of his billionaire cabal.

    CHRIS HAYES: There’s—I want to talk about the one, the bill, in a second. But there’s something else happening this week in Congress, and it’s very strange. It’s called this rescission package. Basically, it’s clawing back money that’s already been appropriated. It would decimate public broadcasting in this country, including rural NPR affiliates and rural public radio. I know Democrats are opposed to it, but I want to ask about this technique. It seems like they’ve come up with a strange way to like, pass appropriations with a filibuster majority, where they come to Democrats, work out a bipartisan appropriations deal, and then they come back with a 50-vote threshold in the Senate so that they can kind of take back the money they don’t want. And if that’s the case, then, like, how can anyone do an appropriations deal with these people?

    LEADER JEFFRIES: I completely and totally agree. These people cannot be trusted. And why in the world would we ever enter into a bipartisan negotiation to try to arrive at a spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people if Donald Trump and his administration, at the end of the day, conspiring with MAGA extremists in the House, who are nothing more than a Reckless Rubber Stamp for his extreme agenda, decide that after passing into law a bipartisan spending agreement, they’re just going to come back through this rescission mechanism and undo the parts of that agreement that they don’t like because they want to hurt priorities that are important to Democrats because they’re important to the American people.

    CHRIS HAYES: Have you talked to Senator Schumer? Because ultimately, you know, we avoided a shutdown. Senator said, look, we had to avoid a shutdown. There was a bipartisan spending line set. You in the House took a different tact, but if they do this rescission package, I just can’t. I mean, how could there be some deal in September if they’re just going to do this? Like, have you talked about this with him?

    LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah. And in fact, I think Senator Schumer has made some public statements in this regard, that if they are going to take this approach, it will detonate the possibility of arriving at any bipartisan agreement because we can’t trust that these extremists are operating in good faith. And we’re going to have to do something about this particular vehicle that is being used around rescission, which is a part of the 1974 Budget Control and Impoundment Act, because it’s a backdoor to undermining actual bipartisan agreements.

    CHRIS HAYES: I mean, at the same time, their position is that another part of that Act is totally unconstitutional, and they can impound funds unilaterally. But we’ll put that part aside. On the huge bill that they just passed, I saw Josh Hawley talking about introducing legislation in the Senate to stop Medicaid cuts, having voted for Medicaid cuts—enormous, unprecedented, hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicaid cuts, talking about how bad Medicaid cuts are, voting for it, now wanting to go back at Medicaid cuts. Would Democrats support some kind of, like, let’s go back and take the Medicaid cuts legislation?

    LEADER JEFFRIES: I mean, Josh Hawley is a complete and total phony at this point. He spent the last few months talking about how devastating these Medicaid cuts would be for the people that he represents in Missouri, and then turned around and actually voted for it. If he wanted to do something about these Medicaid cuts, he actually was the deciding vote, and he could have stopped it, just like Lisa Murkowski could have stopped it. We saw the same thing in the House of Representatives, where many of these so-called moderates who spent months saying they would never vote to cut Medicaid benefits to their constituents, and then they turned around and did exactly that. We’re going to have to get this situation addressed, but we have no faith that Republicans are actually committed to doing it in good faith. This is going to fall to Democrats in the House and the Senate. It’s one of the reasons why the midterm elections are going to be so important.

    CHRIS HAYES: Two quick questions for you before I let you go. One is there’s an announcement that Texas is going to do mid-decade redistricting. They did this under the Bush administration. It’s a violation of the normal norms because they want to, like, juice Republican representation. And they’re going to call a special session. Is there anything Democratic governors can do in large states like New York and California to respond to this?

    LEADER JEFFRIES: Republicans are running scared. This is outrageous, that they’re going to attempt to rig the midterm elections by gerrymandering a congressional map in Texas that is already gerrymandered, Chris.

    CHRIS HAYES: Yes it is.

    LEADER JEFFRIES: And so, what’s interesting about this is that this may be what has often been referred to as a dummymander, where as part of the effort to actually steal some more seats, they may make it easier for us because they’re going to shift Democrats into Republican held districts to actually flip some seats currently held by Republican incumbents. In terms of the Governor of California, who has been very vocal on this, and the Governor of New York and other states, it seems to me that all options should be on the table to make sure that we are unilaterally disarming when everything we care about, the economy and healthcare and democracy itself are at stake.

    CHRIS HAYES: Final question quickly. You’re meeting with Zohran Mamdani. You have not endorsed him yet. What do you say to people who say, why are you not endorsing the guy that won the Democratic primary in a contested election in your backyard?

    LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I look forward to sitting down and talking to him. I didn’t get involved in that primary election, and I don’t know him well. We had a very good conversation the day after the primary. We agreed to meet. And so, I’m looking forward to having that discussion on Friday.

    CHRIS HAYES: Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

    Full interview can be watched here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Leading Mainland sports drinks brand uses Hong Kong as regional headquarters to go global (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced today (July 16) that a renowned Mainland sports drinks brand, Jianlibao, has chosen Hong Kong as its regional headquarters, leveraging the city’s role as an international business hub and a gateway to overseas markets to expand globally.

    Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK Mr Arnold Lau welcomed Jianlibao’s decision. He said, “We are happy to see that Jianlibao has established its regional headquarters in Hong Kong. It not only highlights the city’s unique advantages as a global business hub but also reinforces our position as a preferred destination for Mainland enterprises looking to expand internationally. Hong Kong has a sound legal system, world-class infrastructure and a vibrant business environment, which are conducive to Jianlibao’s strategy of expanding its global business.”

    Jianlibao has been actively expanding its business in Hong Kong since its establishment in the city in 2024. The company has recently installed over 50 vending machines across various districts, including Central, Tai Po, and Hung Hom, making its healthy beverages easily accessible to visiting tourists, local families, and transit passengers. The company also supports local sports initiatives by sponsoring local sports team and events.

    The Vice Chairman of Jianlibao Group, Mr Yeung Wan-chung, said the decision to set up its regional headquarters in Hong Kong is a strategic move by the company to expand its global footprint. He said, “We chose Hong Kong as our regional headquarters because of its unparalleled access to international markets and its reputation as a global financial and logistics hub.”

    The Director of Jianlibao Asia, Mr Larry Yeung, explained, “Hong Kong’s strategic location, coupled with its dynamic business environment, provides us with an ideal platform to accelerate our global expansion. We are confident that this move will enable us to reach new markets and strengthen our brand presence worldwide.”

    He added, “We plan to launch a new product series in Hong Kong to increase our exposure in the market. We are now actively preparing to enter the Southeast Asian market, with Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam as the first stops, and to expand our business to Australia, Canada and the United States to enhance our market presence.”

    For more information about Jianlibao, please visit www.jianlibao.com.cn.

    For a copy of the photos, please visit: www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72177720327571249.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 516

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL6

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 516
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    840 PM CDT Tue Jul 15 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Western Iowa
    Extreme north central Kansas
    Extreme southwest Minnesota
    Eastern Nebraska

    * Effective this Tuesday night and Wednesday morning from 840 PM
    until 300 AM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
    Isolated large hail events to 1 inch in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…A line of storms will continue spread east-southeastward
    through the overnight hours with the potential to produce occasional
    severe outflow gusts of 60-70 mph and isolated large hail near 1
    inch diameter.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 50
    statute miles east and west of a line from 15 miles west northwest
    of Worthington MN to 40 miles west southwest of Beatrice NE. For a
    complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline
    update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 513…WW 514…WW 515…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 550. Mean storm motion vector
    30030.

    …Thompson

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW6
    WW 516 SEVERE TSTM IA KS MN NE 160140Z – 160800Z
    AXIS..50 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    15WNW OTG/WORTHINGTON MN/ – 40WSW BIE/BEATRICE NE/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 45NM E/W /40E FSD – 57W PWE/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1 INCH. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 30030.

    LAT…LON 43739486 40069650 40069839 43739686

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU6.

    Watch 516 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (10%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low ( 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (10%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    Mod (60%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: COMLOG WESTPAC/CTF-73 Holds Awards Ceremony, July 10, 2025 [Image 2 of 4]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    SINGAPORE (July 10, 2025) Rear Adm. Todd F. Cimicata, left, Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73 (COMLOG WESTPAC/CTF-73), presents the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal to Chief Master-at-Arms Nicolasa Simmons, assigned to COMLOG WESTPAC/CTF 73, during an awards ceremony on Sembawang Naval Installation, July 10, 2025. COMLOG WESTPAC supports deployed surface units and aircraft carriers, along with regional Allies and partners, to facilitate patrols in the South China Sea, participation in naval exercises and responses to natural disasters. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 07.10.2025
    Date Posted: 07.10.2025 07:27
    Photo ID: 9172260
    VIRIN: 250710-N-ED646-6053
    Resolution: 8256×5504
    Size: 5.72 MB
    Location: SG
    Web Views: 12
    Downloads: 1

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    This work, COMLOG WESTPAC/CTF-73 Holds Awards Ceremony, July 10, 2025 [Image 4 of 4], by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pearl Harbor conducts SHOTEX [Image 1 of 3]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    PACIFIC OCEAN (14 July, 2025) – Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jose Alvarado, center, instructs Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Derick Castromedina, left, on how to prepare influenza syringes in the mess decks aboard the Harpers Ferry-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) in the Indo-Pacific on 14 July, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Mario E. Reyes Villatoro)

    Date Taken: 01.01.2009
    Date Posted: 07.15.2025 21:41
    Photo ID: 9181922
    VIRIN: 250714-N-OJ012-1039
    Resolution: 3159×2527
    Size: 909.99 KB
    Location: US
    Web Views: 2
    Downloads: 0

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Royal Thai Navy Vice Admiral Benjapon Rusakul Visits COMLOG WESTPAC, July 10, 2025 [Image 3 of 4]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    SINGAPORE (July 10, 2025) Rear Adm. Todd Cimicata, right, Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73 (COMLOG WESTPAC/CTF-73), and Vice Adm. Benjapon Rusakul, Director General Naval Supply Department, Royal Thai Navy, pose for a photo during a scheduled visit to Sembawang Naval Installation, July 10, 2025. COMLOG WESTPAC supports deployed maritime forces, along with regional Allies and partners, to sustain Western Pacific operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Jennings/Released)

    Date Taken: 07.10.2025
    Date Posted: 07.13.2025 22:03
    Photo ID: 9177784
    VIRIN: 250710-N-YV347-1067
    Resolution: 5923×4231
    Size: 16.64 MB
    Location: SEMBAWANG PORT, SG
    Web Views: 6
    Downloads: 2

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  • MIL-OSI Security: USS PEARL HARBOR (LSD 52) Deck Department Sailors stow lines [Image 1 of 5]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    PACIFIC OCEAN (July 14, 2025) Seaman Rey Ramos, from Brooklyn, New York, stows line in the forecastle of the Harpers Ferry-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) in the Pacific Ocean on July 14, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Alexander Bussman)

    Date Taken: 07.14.2025
    Date Posted: 07.15.2025 21:53
    Photo ID: 9181926
    VIRIN: 250714-N-RW505-1152
    Resolution: 5050×3367
    Size: 10.06 MB
    Location: US
    Web Views: 0
    Downloads: 0

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  • MIL-OSI Security: USS PEARL HARBOR (LSD 52) Deck Department Sailors stow lines [Image 3 of 5]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. until 0400 est. February 15th

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USS PEARL HARBOR (LSD 52) Deck Department Sailors stow lines [Image 3 of 5]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. until 0400 est. February 15th

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USS PEARL HARBOR (LSD 52) Deck Department Sailors stow lines [Image 5 of 5]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. until 0400 est. February 15th

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USS PEARL HARBOR (LSD 52) Deck Department Sailors stow lines [Image 5 of 5]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. until 0400 est. February 15th

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: TACHYON ECHO 25-2 strengthens combined Technical Effects integration across Tri-Command

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — From July 8 to 11, U.S. Forces Korea hosted TACHYON ECHO (TE) 25-2, a Tri-Command Technical Effects Tabletop Exercise (TTX) with over 100 participants from United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Command.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: TACHYON ECHO 25-2 strengthens combined Technical Effects integration across Tri-Command

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — From July 8 to 11, U.S. Forces Korea hosted TACHYON ECHO (TE) 25-2, a Tri-Command Technical Effects Tabletop Exercise (TTX) with over 100 participants from United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Command.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USFK, UNC, and CFC Commander Strengthens Multinational Defense Ties During Australia Visit and Talisman Sabre Exercise

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    GYEONGGIDO [KYONGGI-DO], South Korea — Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and U.S. Forces Korea, concluded a successful three-day visit to Australia focused on deepening bilateral defense cooperation, including a review of mutually beneficial advanced training, readiness and interoperability outcomes for US and ROK forces while exercising with the Australian Defence Force and other international military units.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S., Royal Thai Navies Forge Stronger Bonds Through Secure CENTRIX Communications During CARAT Thailand 2025

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    SATTAHIP, Thailand (July 13, 2025) – In the Indo-Pacific, effective and secure communication forms the bedrock of strong alliances. This critical principle is at the forefront of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Thailand 2025, where U.S. Navy personnel and their Royal Thai Navy (RTN) counterparts conducted subject matter expert exchanges on the Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange System (CENTRIX)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Urges DHS Secretary Noem to Declassify Trump Butler Assassination Records

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, calling on the agency to declassify all documents related to the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, PA.

    “I write to you following the one-year anniversary of the first assassination attempt against President Donald J. Trump. This occasion marks a deeply troubling chapter in our nation’s history and serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency in preserving public trust during moments of national crisis. To that end, I urge you to take the necessary steps to declassify all documents within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) related to the events of July 13, 2024,” Senator Hawley wrote. 

    In September 2024, Senator Hawley released a 22-page whistleblower report detailing the failures of the United States Secret Service in connection with the July 13, 2024 attempted assassination of President Trump.

    Read the full letter here or below. 

    The Honorable Kristi Noem
    Secretary
    U.S. Department of Homeland Security
    2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE
    Washington, D.C. 20528

    Dear Secretary Noem,

    I write to you following the one-year anniversary of the first assassination attempt against President Donald J. Trump. This occasion marks a deeply troubling chapter in our nation’s history and serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency in preserving public trust during moments of national crisis. To that end, I urge you to take the necessary steps to declassify all documents within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) related to the events of July 13, 2024.

    As you know, assassination attempts against current and former presidents are rare but profoundly consequential events in American life. And the American people rightly expect full transparency from their government. Unfortunately, the Secret Service and DHS under your predecessor stonewalled numerous congressional investigations—including my own—and denied the American people basic facts. The public learned far more from whistleblowers than they did from public officials, and I released a report documenting these disclosures, many of which have been corroborated to date.

    In October of last year, in a unanimous vote, the Homeland Security Committee passed my legislation requiring the Secret Service release to the public all pertinent documents. Now, I am requesting that you immediately declassify and release all documents relating to the first assassination attempt on President Trump within the full extent of your authority, subject only to the narrowest possible redactions necessary to protect ongoing operations or individual safety.

    The public deserves a full and accurate account of this event, the circumstances that allowed it to happen, and the steps the government has taken since to strengthen protective measures. To that end, and to advance congressional oversight work, I request that you provide the following by July 30, 2025:

    1. A complete inventory of all classified or non-public materials related to the first assassination attempt on President Trump, including reports, internal communications, threat assessments, after-action reviews, and coordination records with other agencies.

    2. A formal explanation for the continued classification of any materials you believe must remain restricted.

    3. A proposed plan and timeline for the immediate declassification and public release of all remaining documents, with minimal redactions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Urges DHS Secretary Noem to Declassify Trump Butler Assassination Records

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, calling on the agency to declassify all documents related to the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, PA.

    “I write to you following the one-year anniversary of the first assassination attempt against President Donald J. Trump. This occasion marks a deeply troubling chapter in our nation’s history and serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency in preserving public trust during moments of national crisis. To that end, I urge you to take the necessary steps to declassify all documents within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) related to the events of July 13, 2024,” Senator Hawley wrote. 

    In September 2024, Senator Hawley released a 22-page whistleblower report detailing the failures of the United States Secret Service in connection with the July 13, 2024 attempted assassination of President Trump.

    Read the full letter here or below. 

    The Honorable Kristi Noem
    Secretary
    U.S. Department of Homeland Security
    2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE
    Washington, D.C. 20528

    Dear Secretary Noem,

    I write to you following the one-year anniversary of the first assassination attempt against President Donald J. Trump. This occasion marks a deeply troubling chapter in our nation’s history and serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency in preserving public trust during moments of national crisis. To that end, I urge you to take the necessary steps to declassify all documents within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) related to the events of July 13, 2024.

    As you know, assassination attempts against current and former presidents are rare but profoundly consequential events in American life. And the American people rightly expect full transparency from their government. Unfortunately, the Secret Service and DHS under your predecessor stonewalled numerous congressional investigations—including my own—and denied the American people basic facts. The public learned far more from whistleblowers than they did from public officials, and I released a report documenting these disclosures, many of which have been corroborated to date.

    In October of last year, in a unanimous vote, the Homeland Security Committee passed my legislation requiring the Secret Service release to the public all pertinent documents. Now, I am requesting that you immediately declassify and release all documents relating to the first assassination attempt on President Trump within the full extent of your authority, subject only to the narrowest possible redactions necessary to protect ongoing operations or individual safety.

    The public deserves a full and accurate account of this event, the circumstances that allowed it to happen, and the steps the government has taken since to strengthen protective measures. To that end, and to advance congressional oversight work, I request that you provide the following by July 30, 2025:

    1. A complete inventory of all classified or non-public materials related to the first assassination attempt on President Trump, including reports, internal communications, threat assessments, after-action reviews, and coordination records with other agencies.

    2. A formal explanation for the continued classification of any materials you believe must remain restricted.

    3. A proposed plan and timeline for the immediate declassification and public release of all remaining documents, with minimal redactions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Scott, Colleagues Reintroduce Child Care for Working Families Act—Democrats Advocate for Affordable Child Care While Trump & Republicans Blow Up Debt on Billionaire Tax Cuts and Attack Head Start and Federal Child Care Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    As Republicans deliver fresh tax breaks for billionaires and kick Americans off their health care, Democrats continue their fight to help families find and afford child care

    ***WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE HERE***

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, joined their colleagues in reintroducing the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need.

    Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) joined Senator Murray in leading reintroduction of the legislation alongside 39 additional cosponsors in the Senate—the most in the bill’s history.

    House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA-05) and Representative Summer Lee (D-PA-12) joined Representative Scott in leading reintroduction of the legislation alongside 80 additional cosponsors in the House.

    “Right now, the cost of child care and other essentials is weighing millions of families down, but instead of tackling the affordability crisis, President Trump and Republicans have chosen to shower their billionaire donors with trillions of dollars in new tax breaks and kick 17 million Americans off their health care,” said Senator Patty Murray. “It’s an outrageous betrayal, and instead of wasting billions on handouts for the richest people on earth, Democrats are going to keep fighting to help working families afford the basics and get ahead—including by passing my Child Care for Working Families Act to ensure every family can find and afford the child care they need. Just about everyone now recognizes how urgent an issue the child care crisis is—and how badly it hurts families and our economy—so I invite my Republican colleagues to join us to finally deliver the actual reform we need to address this crisis. This is an ambitious and commonsense plan to build child care centers, hire and retain more early childhood educators, and make sure every family can afford child care—with the typical family paying less than $15 a day. Not only that, we’d finally set this country on the path to universal Pre-K. People actually want Congress to do this—don’t tell me we can’t afford to invest in child care and bring down costs for every family after Republicans just blew up the national debt to give tax breaks to billionaires who don’t need them.”

    “Our economy forces too many workers to choose between their jobs and caring for their children. Without investments in the care economy, jobs will remain unfilled because too many workers, especially women, will have to remain at home and our economy will never reach its full potential,” said Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott. “Let’s be clear. The child care crisis cannot be solved without sustained public funding. The Child Care for Working Families Act makes the investments we need to turn our child care system around and meet the needs of children, parents, and child care workers. We must finally pass this bill and expand access to affordable, quality early learning opportunities, provide child care workers with the support they deserve, and give parents the freedom to pursue rewarding careers and contribute to our economic growth.”

    As President Trump and Republicans in Congress choose to spend trillions on new tax cuts for billionaires and the biggest corporations, kick Americans off their health care, cut kids off from nutrition assistance, and raise costs on everyday essentials for working families, Democrats in Congress are continuing their push to help working people make ends meet—including by tackling the child care crisis. The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states’ budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.

    The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages. The legislation will also dramatically expand access to pre-K, and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers. Under the legislation, which Murray and Scott have introduced every Congress since 2017, the typical family in America will pay no more than $15 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family will pay more than 7% of their income on child care.

    “Families should not have to break the bank to afford child care. Democrats are fighting to ensure working families can access the child care they need, and that hardworking child care workers get paid what they deserve,” said Leader Chuck Schumer. “Republicans have a different priority – giving tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy, paid for by cutting health care and food assistance for millions of families. The contrast couldn’t be clearer and Republicans couldn’t be crueler. We hope Republicans will join us in moving forward legislation that will actually help working people and invest in kids and families.”

    “Child care enables parents to work and kids to thrive. But right now, it’s impossibly expensive,” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. “In the richest nation on earth, no parent should have to choose between groceries and child care. Under this bill, the typical family will pay no more than $15 a day for care. Ultimately, this bill is about giving every family a fair shot at the American Dream. I want my Republican colleagues to look parents in the eye and explain how they can oppose that.”

    “The child care crisis is holding our families, businesses, and economy back,” said Senator Tim Kaine. “I’ve heard from parents in every corner of Virginia about how they’re being locked out of the workforce because they can’t find affordable care for their kids, and from passionate child care workers who are pressured to leave their field because of low wages. Especially as we contend with the economic chaos and uncertainty caused by President Trump, Congress can and must do more to address this issue and put affordable care within reach. By raising salaries for low-wage child care employees and capping child care costs at seven percent of working families’ incomes, we can make child care more accessible and affordable, support passionate workers in the field, and strengthen our economy.”

    “Throughout our country, too many working and middle class families struggle to find access to high-quality, affordable child care, forcing parents to make tough sacrifices for their children,” said Senator Mazie Hirono. “Child care is essential to the strength of our communities, and every family should be able to access the affordable care they need and deserve. That’s why I am proud to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act, which would provide a long-term investment in our children as an important step forward in tackling our country’s child care crisis.”

    “Parents and working families are struggling under an affordability crisis being made worse by the Trump administration — many without any childcare options they can afford or reasonably get their kids to every day,” said Senator Andy Kim. “This bill is the comprehensive reform we need to tackle the childcare shortage, deliver families immediate relief, and make sure we better support the workers who go above and beyond to deliver this high-quality care.”

    “We are experiencing a child care crisis in this country. Child care—if folks can even find it—is pushing families into poverty, and Trump’s Big Ugly bill will only exacerbate the struggles our families are dealing with,” said Representative Summer Lee. “The Child Care for Working Families Act is a means to putting an end to this crisis. We have to make sure families have access to child care slots, that no family spends more than seven percent of their income on child care, and that all early childhood educators make a livable wage. I am grateful for Ranking Member Bobby Scott and Senator Patty Murray for their partnership on this bill, and I look forward to seeing it over the finish line.”

    The Child Care for Working Families Act will:

    • Make child care affordable for working families.
      • The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for child care.
      • No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
      • Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
      • If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    • Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
      • Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
      • Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
      • Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
      • Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
    • Support higher wages for child care workers.
      • Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
      • Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care.
    • Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
      • States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
      • States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
      • If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    • Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.

    In the Senate, the bill is cosponsored by 44 Senators: Senators Murray, Kaine, Hirono, Kim, Schumer, Alsobrooks, Baldwin, Bennet, Blumenthal, Blunt Rochester, Booker, Cantwell, Coons, Cortez-Masto, Duckworth, Durbin, Fetterman, Gallego, Gillibrand, Hassan, Heinrich, Hickenlooper, Kelly, King, Klobuchar, Lujan, Markey, Merkley, Murphy, Padilla, Peters, Reed, Rosen, Sanders, Schatz, Schiff, Shaheen, Slotkin, Smith, Van Hollen, Warnock, Welch, Whitehouse, Wyden.

    In the House, the bill is cosponsored by 83 lawmakers: Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), Summer Lee (PA-12), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Melanie A. Stansbury (NM-01), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), André Carson (IN-07), Kathy Castor (FL-14), George Latimer (NY-16), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Hillary J. Scholten (MI-03), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Troy A. Carter (LA-02), Mark Pocan (WI-02), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Betty McCollum (MN-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Suzan K. DelBene (WA-01), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Seth Moulton (MA-06), William R. Keating (MA-09), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Judy Chu (CA-28), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Adam Smith (WA-09), Haley M. Stevens (MI-11), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Dina Titus (NV-01), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Shontel M. Brown (OH-11), Sean Casten (IL-06), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), and Sharice Davids (KS-03).

    A fact sheet on the legislation is available HERE.

    Text of the legislation if available HERE.

    “As Child Care Aware of America’s report, Child Care in America: 2024 Price & Supply shows, in every region of the country, there are far too many families that do not have access to affordable and high-quality child care. The high price of child care is often one of the largest household expenses for families. And yet, our educators and programs struggle to make ends meet. Current federal investment in child care is not meeting the needs faced by families across the country. The Child Care for Working Families Act would help ensure more families have access to high-quality and affordable child care,” said Child Care Aware of America.

    “For far too long, children, families, and providers have borne the burden of a broken child care sector. The Child Care for Working Families Act would make access to child care more equitable and affordable for families across the country while also better valuing and compensating the child care workforce. Families need relief from untenable child care prices. Children need reliable education and care settings. Providers need increased education supports, consistent employment, and higher wages. This bill will deliver necessary improvements to America’s child care sector,” said Wendy Chun-Hoon, President and Executive Director, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).

    “Recognizing  and supporting child care as a true public good simply requires the political will from our elected leaders because the political will from families across the country is already there. Americans agree we should have equal opportunities to engage in the workforce regardless of gender and parental status and making that a reality shouldn’t break the bank for families. I want to thank Senator Murray, Rep. Scott and the child care champions leading the way on the Child Care for Working Families Act. The bill builds on the excellent foundation of its previous iterations, incorporates lessons from the pandemic, ARPA, and the experience of nearly achieving historic child care and early learning policy during the Build Back Better debate. Children, families, and America’s economic growth cannot wait,” said TCF Senior Fellow and Director of Women’s Economic Justice Julie Kashen.

    “Making child care more affordable isn’t just good for families—it’s essential for a thriving economy, strong businesses, and vibrant communities,” said Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund. “Instead of working to pass legislation that will increase costs for families while giving tax breaks to billionaires, Congress should pass the Child Care for Working Families Act. This billwould lower costs for families, raise wages for early educators, and tackle the child care crisis head on.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Scott, Colleagues Reintroduce Child Care for Working Families Act—Democrats Advocate for Affordable Child Care While Trump & Republicans Blow Up Debt on Billionaire Tax Cuts and Attack Head Start and Federal Child Care Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    As Republicans deliver fresh tax breaks for billionaires and kick Americans off their health care, Democrats continue their fight to help families find and afford child care

    ***WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE HERE***

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, joined their colleagues in reintroducing the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need.

    Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) joined Senator Murray in leading reintroduction of the legislation alongside 39 additional cosponsors in the Senate—the most in the bill’s history.

    House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA-05) and Representative Summer Lee (D-PA-12) joined Representative Scott in leading reintroduction of the legislation alongside 80 additional cosponsors in the House.

    “Right now, the cost of child care and other essentials is weighing millions of families down, but instead of tackling the affordability crisis, President Trump and Republicans have chosen to shower their billionaire donors with trillions of dollars in new tax breaks and kick 17 million Americans off their health care,” said Senator Patty Murray. “It’s an outrageous betrayal, and instead of wasting billions on handouts for the richest people on earth, Democrats are going to keep fighting to help working families afford the basics and get ahead—including by passing my Child Care for Working Families Act to ensure every family can find and afford the child care they need. Just about everyone now recognizes how urgent an issue the child care crisis is—and how badly it hurts families and our economy—so I invite my Republican colleagues to join us to finally deliver the actual reform we need to address this crisis. This is an ambitious and commonsense plan to build child care centers, hire and retain more early childhood educators, and make sure every family can afford child care—with the typical family paying less than $15 a day. Not only that, we’d finally set this country on the path to universal Pre-K. People actually want Congress to do this—don’t tell me we can’t afford to invest in child care and bring down costs for every family after Republicans just blew up the national debt to give tax breaks to billionaires who don’t need them.”

    “Our economy forces too many workers to choose between their jobs and caring for their children. Without investments in the care economy, jobs will remain unfilled because too many workers, especially women, will have to remain at home and our economy will never reach its full potential,” said Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott. “Let’s be clear. The child care crisis cannot be solved without sustained public funding. The Child Care for Working Families Act makes the investments we need to turn our child care system around and meet the needs of children, parents, and child care workers. We must finally pass this bill and expand access to affordable, quality early learning opportunities, provide child care workers with the support they deserve, and give parents the freedom to pursue rewarding careers and contribute to our economic growth.”

    As President Trump and Republicans in Congress choose to spend trillions on new tax cuts for billionaires and the biggest corporations, kick Americans off their health care, cut kids off from nutrition assistance, and raise costs on everyday essentials for working families, Democrats in Congress are continuing their push to help working people make ends meet—including by tackling the child care crisis. The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. Nonetheless, President Trump has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states’ budgets with the “Big Beautiful Bill’s” cuts to Medicaid and SNAP—which may well force states to pare back on their own investments in child care. While two-thirds of Americans oppose Republicans’ Big Beautiful Betrayal that President Trump signed into law earlier this month, over three-quarters of Americans support increased investment to help families afford child care.

    The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages. The legislation will also dramatically expand access to pre-K, and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers. Under the legislation, which Murray and Scott have introduced every Congress since 2017, the typical family in America will pay no more than $15 a day for child care—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family will pay more than 7% of their income on child care.

    “Families should not have to break the bank to afford child care. Democrats are fighting to ensure working families can access the child care they need, and that hardworking child care workers get paid what they deserve,” said Leader Chuck Schumer. “Republicans have a different priority – giving tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy, paid for by cutting health care and food assistance for millions of families. The contrast couldn’t be clearer and Republicans couldn’t be crueler. We hope Republicans will join us in moving forward legislation that will actually help working people and invest in kids and families.”

    “Child care enables parents to work and kids to thrive. But right now, it’s impossibly expensive,” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. “In the richest nation on earth, no parent should have to choose between groceries and child care. Under this bill, the typical family will pay no more than $15 a day for care. Ultimately, this bill is about giving every family a fair shot at the American Dream. I want my Republican colleagues to look parents in the eye and explain how they can oppose that.”

    “The child care crisis is holding our families, businesses, and economy back,” said Senator Tim Kaine. “I’ve heard from parents in every corner of Virginia about how they’re being locked out of the workforce because they can’t find affordable care for their kids, and from passionate child care workers who are pressured to leave their field because of low wages. Especially as we contend with the economic chaos and uncertainty caused by President Trump, Congress can and must do more to address this issue and put affordable care within reach. By raising salaries for low-wage child care employees and capping child care costs at seven percent of working families’ incomes, we can make child care more accessible and affordable, support passionate workers in the field, and strengthen our economy.”

    “Throughout our country, too many working and middle class families struggle to find access to high-quality, affordable child care, forcing parents to make tough sacrifices for their children,” said Senator Mazie Hirono. “Child care is essential to the strength of our communities, and every family should be able to access the affordable care they need and deserve. That’s why I am proud to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act, which would provide a long-term investment in our children as an important step forward in tackling our country’s child care crisis.”

    “Parents and working families are struggling under an affordability crisis being made worse by the Trump administration — many without any childcare options they can afford or reasonably get their kids to every day,” said Senator Andy Kim. “This bill is the comprehensive reform we need to tackle the childcare shortage, deliver families immediate relief, and make sure we better support the workers who go above and beyond to deliver this high-quality care.”

    “We are experiencing a child care crisis in this country. Child care—if folks can even find it—is pushing families into poverty, and Trump’s Big Ugly bill will only exacerbate the struggles our families are dealing with,” said Representative Summer Lee. “The Child Care for Working Families Act is a means to putting an end to this crisis. We have to make sure families have access to child care slots, that no family spends more than seven percent of their income on child care, and that all early childhood educators make a livable wage. I am grateful for Ranking Member Bobby Scott and Senator Patty Murray for their partnership on this bill, and I look forward to seeing it over the finish line.”

    The Child Care for Working Families Act will:

    • Make child care affordable for working families.
      • The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for child care.
      • No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
      • Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
      • If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    • Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
      • Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
      • Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
      • Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
      • Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
    • Support higher wages for child care workers.
      • Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
      • Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care.
    • Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
      • States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
      • States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
      • If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    • Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.

    In the Senate, the bill is cosponsored by 44 Senators: Senators Murray, Kaine, Hirono, Kim, Schumer, Alsobrooks, Baldwin, Bennet, Blumenthal, Blunt Rochester, Booker, Cantwell, Coons, Cortez-Masto, Duckworth, Durbin, Fetterman, Gallego, Gillibrand, Hassan, Heinrich, Hickenlooper, Kelly, King, Klobuchar, Lujan, Markey, Merkley, Murphy, Padilla, Peters, Reed, Rosen, Sanders, Schatz, Schiff, Shaheen, Slotkin, Smith, Van Hollen, Warnock, Welch, Whitehouse, Wyden.

    In the House, the bill is cosponsored by 83 lawmakers: Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), Summer Lee (PA-12), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Melanie A. Stansbury (NM-01), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), André Carson (IN-07), Kathy Castor (FL-14), George Latimer (NY-16), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Hillary J. Scholten (MI-03), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Troy A. Carter (LA-02), Mark Pocan (WI-02), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Betty McCollum (MN-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Suzan K. DelBene (WA-01), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Seth Moulton (MA-06), William R. Keating (MA-09), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Judy Chu (CA-28), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Adam Smith (WA-09), Haley M. Stevens (MI-11), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Dina Titus (NV-01), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Shontel M. Brown (OH-11), Sean Casten (IL-06), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), and Sharice Davids (KS-03).

    A fact sheet on the legislation is available HERE.

    Text of the legislation if available HERE.

    “As Child Care Aware of America’s report, Child Care in America: 2024 Price & Supply shows, in every region of the country, there are far too many families that do not have access to affordable and high-quality child care. The high price of child care is often one of the largest household expenses for families. And yet, our educators and programs struggle to make ends meet. Current federal investment in child care is not meeting the needs faced by families across the country. The Child Care for Working Families Act would help ensure more families have access to high-quality and affordable child care,” said Child Care Aware of America.

    “For far too long, children, families, and providers have borne the burden of a broken child care sector. The Child Care for Working Families Act would make access to child care more equitable and affordable for families across the country while also better valuing and compensating the child care workforce. Families need relief from untenable child care prices. Children need reliable education and care settings. Providers need increased education supports, consistent employment, and higher wages. This bill will deliver necessary improvements to America’s child care sector,” said Wendy Chun-Hoon, President and Executive Director, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).

    “Recognizing  and supporting child care as a true public good simply requires the political will from our elected leaders because the political will from families across the country is already there. Americans agree we should have equal opportunities to engage in the workforce regardless of gender and parental status and making that a reality shouldn’t break the bank for families. I want to thank Senator Murray, Rep. Scott and the child care champions leading the way on the Child Care for Working Families Act. The bill builds on the excellent foundation of its previous iterations, incorporates lessons from the pandemic, ARPA, and the experience of nearly achieving historic child care and early learning policy during the Build Back Better debate. Children, families, and America’s economic growth cannot wait,” said TCF Senior Fellow and Director of Women’s Economic Justice Julie Kashen.

    “Making child care more affordable isn’t just good for families—it’s essential for a thriving economy, strong businesses, and vibrant communities,” said Fatima Goss Graves, president of the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund. “Instead of working to pass legislation that will increase costs for families while giving tax breaks to billionaires, Congress should pass the Child Care for Working Families Act. This billwould lower costs for families, raise wages for early educators, and tackle the child care crisis head on.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Federal Arrests of Spokane Residents for Protests Against ICE

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI from June: Senator Murray Statement on Protests in Response to Immigration Arrests in Spokane

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the news, reported by the Spokesman-Review, that federal agents arrested and searched the homes of Spokane residents who took part in a protests in Spokane on June 11th. The protests in June were sparked by the sudden detention of two asylum-seekers whose work visas were abruptly revoked days before.

    “The Trump administration is abusing the force of the law to intimidate Americans exercising their First Amendment rights—whether you are a Democrat or Republican, this is wrong and we all need to speak out against this disturbing perversion of justice.

    “If you are as angry as I am about Trump’s unconstitutional and cruel assault on immigrants, we need to speak out peacefully against inhumane policies. We lose our democracy when our voices fall silent.

    “Let’s be perfectly clear about Trump’s unconstitutional immigration crackdown: he is diverting limited federal resources away from pursuing violent criminals to instead round up individuals with no criminal record—and now, apparently, he’s going after peaceful protestors as well. We cannot be silent and I will be contacting DOJ directly regarding this gross abuse of federal resources.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Federal Arrests of Spokane Residents for Protests Against ICE

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI from June: Senator Murray Statement on Protests in Response to Immigration Arrests in Spokane

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the news, reported by the Spokesman-Review, that federal agents arrested and searched the homes of Spokane residents who took part in a protests in Spokane on June 11th. The protests in June were sparked by the sudden detention of two asylum-seekers whose work visas were abruptly revoked days before.

    “The Trump administration is abusing the force of the law to intimidate Americans exercising their First Amendment rights—whether you are a Democrat or Republican, this is wrong and we all need to speak out against this disturbing perversion of justice.

    “If you are as angry as I am about Trump’s unconstitutional and cruel assault on immigrants, we need to speak out peacefully against inhumane policies. We lose our democracy when our voices fall silent.

    “Let’s be perfectly clear about Trump’s unconstitutional immigration crackdown: he is diverting limited federal resources away from pursuing violent criminals to instead round up individuals with no criminal record—and now, apparently, he’s going after peaceful protestors as well. We cannot be silent and I will be contacting DOJ directly regarding this gross abuse of federal resources.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Peters, Merkley Sound Alarm on Potential Purging of Eligible Voters Through DHS Database

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Peters, Merkley Sound Alarm on Potential Purging of Eligible Voters Through DHS Database

    Senators to DHS Secretary Noem: “As Secretary, you have a responsibility to assure the public that the Department is acting appropriately to protect citizens’ rights and personally identifiable data.”

    Senators criticize DHS for briefing election denier groups, but not Congress on uses of database on voting records

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (HSGAC), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) expressed serious concerns that recent changes to and the expanded use of the insufficiently tested Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program could purge eligible citizens from state voter rolls.

    In addition to President Trump’s attempts to create obstacles to the ballot box through his anti-voter “election integrity” executive order earlier this year, DHS overhauled the program to verify the citizenship of voters on state voter rolls over false concerns of noncitizen voting. However, the Administration’s political agenda and data quality issues could lead to the erroneous disenfranchisement of eligible voters. The Senators warned that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has not conducted sufficient testing to root out errors and false positives that could make the SAVE program ready for widespread use by states to determine voter eligibility, independent of other databases.

    They also criticized DHS’ lack of transparency surrounding the program’s operations and safeguards. More than 9 million records have already been run through the new SAVE program with little to no transparency.

    “States and nonpartisan voter advocacy organizations have expressed concerns with using the SAVE program as a standalone tool to determine voter eligibility without adequate safeguards,” wrote the Senators. “In particular, there are concerns that data quality issues may cause state and local officials who rely on the program to receive false positives or incomplete results. This means state and local officials must take on additional burdens to verify SAVE’s results and to ensure that eligible Americans are not denied their right to cast a ballot.”

    “Public transparency and assurances that the Department is appropriately protecting citizens’ rights, including privacy, is extremely important,” continued the Senators. “Unfortunately, DHS has not issued any of the routine and required documentation about the program’s operations and safeguards or issued any public notice or notice to Congress. … It has been reported that the Department is apparently preparing to urge all state election officials to use this program but has not provided these officials with any briefings about its capabilities or safeguards.”

    The Senators expressed particular concern with the fact that DHS briefed the Election Integrity Network — an organization founded by Cleta Mitchell, a lawyer who worked to overturn the results of the 2020 election — on the changes to the SAVE program before providing information to lawmakers or the public. They requested that the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and HSGAC receive any materials shared with external organizations as well as a briefing on these changes to the SAVE program.

    Additionally, the Senators reiterated a series of questions for the record that Padilla previously asked USCIS Director nominee Joseph Edlow about the SAVE program. After receiving no substantive response from Edlow, the Senators asked Secretary Noem to respond to the same questions by July 29, 2025.

    Senator Padilla led 11 Senators in introducing the Defending America’s Future Elections Act to repeal Trump’s illegal anti-voter executive order and prevent the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive voter registration data and state records. Padilla previously led 14 Democratic Senators in calling on Trump to revoke his illegal anti-voter executive order and issued a statement slamming the order when it was announced.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    We are seeking information regarding the recent overhaul of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, which the Department has apparently undertaken with the goal of expanding the program to verify citizenship of voters on state voter rolls. 

    States and nonpartisan voter advocacy organizations have expressed concerns with using the SAVE program as a standalone tool to determine voter eligibility without adequate safeguards. In particular, there are concerns that data quality issues may cause state and local officials who rely on the program to receive false positives or incomplete results. This means state and local officials must take on additional burdens to verify SAVE’s results and to ensure that eligible Americans are not denied their right to cast a ballot. 

    Public transparency and assurances that the Department is appropriately protecting citizens’ rights, including privacy, is extremely important. Unfortunately, DHS has not issued any of the routine and required documentation about the program’s operations and safeguards or issued any public notice or notice to Congress. Recent reports indicate that the Department of Homeland Security has run more than 9 million voter records through the new SAVE system. It has been reported that the Department is apparently preparing to urge all state election officials to use this program but has not provided these officials with any briefings about its capabilities or safeguards.

    We are also gravely concerned that the Department has not shared information with lawmakers and the public, but did reportedly provide a private advance briefing about the changes to the database to the Election Integrity Network, an organization founded by Cleta Mitchell, a lawyer who worked to overturn the results of the 2020 election. 

    We request that USCIS brief the staff of the Senate Committees on Rules and Administration and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and provide any other materials that have been shared with external organizations like EIN about the updates to the SAVE program.

    Further, Ranking Member Padilla previously posed a series of nomination hearing questions for the record to Joseph Edlow, the nominee to be Director of USCIS about the SAVE program but received no substantive responses in his reply. Given Mr. Edlow’s lack of response and the impact the use of this program will have on the American people, we are once again seeking complete and substantive answers to similar questions from you. As the program continues to be in use, we respectfully seek responses no later than July 29, 2025.

    1) What level of access to the SAVE program and the underlying data that feeds into it was provided to staff of the Department of Government Efficiency?

    a) What precautions, if any, were taken to ensure the integrity of the SAVE program and the data it accesses were not compromised?

    b) In initiating your changes, what if any notice did you provide to the public on data privacy?

    c) Will you commit that going forward USCIS will review and monitor all the user access, usage, and other relevant data related by all personnel to the SAVE program to ensure that individuals’ data is not compromised and compliance with the Privacy Act? 

    2) USCIS has announced that users can search the program using an individual’s Social Security Number, name, and date of birth. What categories of information are being shared by USCIS with the Social Security Administration, and vice versa?

    a) Does USCIS plan to segregate that data from searches that are conducted using a Department-issued identification number?

    b) Can you describe the testing USCIS has done to confirm accuracy of this expanded program? What is your accuracy rate? Is it possible to determine what percentage of US citizens could be falsely identified as non-citizens in the SAVE program?

    c) How will USCIS work to educate state and local election officials on the potential for falsely identifying individuals as noncitizens or providing inconclusive findings that can occur when using the system in the context of verifying voter eligibility?

    3) How does the Department plan to fund the SAVE program now that it is free to government agencies at the federal, state, and local level?

    a) What steps will be taken to ensure the program has the infrastructure to support this level of use, including hiring additional staff that may be needed for manual verifications to reconcile contradictory information? 

    4) Does the Department have memoranda of agreement (MOA) with each state or local agency that uses the SAVE program?

    a) If not, which agencies are using SAVE without an MOA? 

    b) Existing MOAs between USCIS and states on voting require remediation steps before a state may remove a voter from their rolls following a SAVE program’s non-confirmation of citizenship. How is USCIS actively seeking to ensure that states are in compliance with this provision of the MOA? 

    c) Will you make the MOAs public?

    5) Is the expansion of this program covered by the SAVE System of Records Notice published in 2020?

    a) If so, please provide a copy of the SAVE MOA or Computer Matching Agreement.

    b) If not, please provide any relevant interagency data-sharing or data-matching agreements between the Department and the Social Security Administration.

    6) Have you completed an updated Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for the SAVE program. If so, please provide a copy. If not, please address:

    a) Data quality requirements and procedures

    b) Data retention and information sharing policies

    7) Does SAVE retain data from voter rolls? If so:

    a) What data elements are saved?

    b) Who within the Department has access to any saved data?

    c) How long is this data retained?

    As Secretary, you have a responsibility to assure the public that the Department is acting appropriately to protect citizens’ rights and personally identifiable data. We look forward to your prompt attention to these important questions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Peters, Merkley Sound Alarm on Potential Purging of Eligible Voters Through DHS Database

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Peters, Merkley Sound Alarm on Potential Purging of Eligible Voters Through DHS Database

    Senators to DHS Secretary Noem: “As Secretary, you have a responsibility to assure the public that the Department is acting appropriately to protect citizens’ rights and personally identifiable data.”

    Senators criticize DHS for briefing election denier groups, but not Congress on uses of database on voting records

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (HSGAC), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) expressed serious concerns that recent changes to and the expanded use of the insufficiently tested Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program could purge eligible citizens from state voter rolls.

    In addition to President Trump’s attempts to create obstacles to the ballot box through his anti-voter “election integrity” executive order earlier this year, DHS overhauled the program to verify the citizenship of voters on state voter rolls over false concerns of noncitizen voting. However, the Administration’s political agenda and data quality issues could lead to the erroneous disenfranchisement of eligible voters. The Senators warned that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has not conducted sufficient testing to root out errors and false positives that could make the SAVE program ready for widespread use by states to determine voter eligibility, independent of other databases.

    They also criticized DHS’ lack of transparency surrounding the program’s operations and safeguards. More than 9 million records have already been run through the new SAVE program with little to no transparency.

    “States and nonpartisan voter advocacy organizations have expressed concerns with using the SAVE program as a standalone tool to determine voter eligibility without adequate safeguards,” wrote the Senators. “In particular, there are concerns that data quality issues may cause state and local officials who rely on the program to receive false positives or incomplete results. This means state and local officials must take on additional burdens to verify SAVE’s results and to ensure that eligible Americans are not denied their right to cast a ballot.”

    “Public transparency and assurances that the Department is appropriately protecting citizens’ rights, including privacy, is extremely important,” continued the Senators. “Unfortunately, DHS has not issued any of the routine and required documentation about the program’s operations and safeguards or issued any public notice or notice to Congress. … It has been reported that the Department is apparently preparing to urge all state election officials to use this program but has not provided these officials with any briefings about its capabilities or safeguards.”

    The Senators expressed particular concern with the fact that DHS briefed the Election Integrity Network — an organization founded by Cleta Mitchell, a lawyer who worked to overturn the results of the 2020 election — on the changes to the SAVE program before providing information to lawmakers or the public. They requested that the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and HSGAC receive any materials shared with external organizations as well as a briefing on these changes to the SAVE program.

    Additionally, the Senators reiterated a series of questions for the record that Padilla previously asked USCIS Director nominee Joseph Edlow about the SAVE program. After receiving no substantive response from Edlow, the Senators asked Secretary Noem to respond to the same questions by July 29, 2025.

    Senator Padilla led 11 Senators in introducing the Defending America’s Future Elections Act to repeal Trump’s illegal anti-voter executive order and prevent the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive voter registration data and state records. Padilla previously led 14 Democratic Senators in calling on Trump to revoke his illegal anti-voter executive order and issued a statement slamming the order when it was announced.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    We are seeking information regarding the recent overhaul of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, which the Department has apparently undertaken with the goal of expanding the program to verify citizenship of voters on state voter rolls. 

    States and nonpartisan voter advocacy organizations have expressed concerns with using the SAVE program as a standalone tool to determine voter eligibility without adequate safeguards. In particular, there are concerns that data quality issues may cause state and local officials who rely on the program to receive false positives or incomplete results. This means state and local officials must take on additional burdens to verify SAVE’s results and to ensure that eligible Americans are not denied their right to cast a ballot. 

    Public transparency and assurances that the Department is appropriately protecting citizens’ rights, including privacy, is extremely important. Unfortunately, DHS has not issued any of the routine and required documentation about the program’s operations and safeguards or issued any public notice or notice to Congress. Recent reports indicate that the Department of Homeland Security has run more than 9 million voter records through the new SAVE system. It has been reported that the Department is apparently preparing to urge all state election officials to use this program but has not provided these officials with any briefings about its capabilities or safeguards.

    We are also gravely concerned that the Department has not shared information with lawmakers and the public, but did reportedly provide a private advance briefing about the changes to the database to the Election Integrity Network, an organization founded by Cleta Mitchell, a lawyer who worked to overturn the results of the 2020 election. 

    We request that USCIS brief the staff of the Senate Committees on Rules and Administration and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and provide any other materials that have been shared with external organizations like EIN about the updates to the SAVE program.

    Further, Ranking Member Padilla previously posed a series of nomination hearing questions for the record to Joseph Edlow, the nominee to be Director of USCIS about the SAVE program but received no substantive responses in his reply. Given Mr. Edlow’s lack of response and the impact the use of this program will have on the American people, we are once again seeking complete and substantive answers to similar questions from you. As the program continues to be in use, we respectfully seek responses no later than July 29, 2025.

    1) What level of access to the SAVE program and the underlying data that feeds into it was provided to staff of the Department of Government Efficiency?

    a) What precautions, if any, were taken to ensure the integrity of the SAVE program and the data it accesses were not compromised?

    b) In initiating your changes, what if any notice did you provide to the public on data privacy?

    c) Will you commit that going forward USCIS will review and monitor all the user access, usage, and other relevant data related by all personnel to the SAVE program to ensure that individuals’ data is not compromised and compliance with the Privacy Act? 

    2) USCIS has announced that users can search the program using an individual’s Social Security Number, name, and date of birth. What categories of information are being shared by USCIS with the Social Security Administration, and vice versa?

    a) Does USCIS plan to segregate that data from searches that are conducted using a Department-issued identification number?

    b) Can you describe the testing USCIS has done to confirm accuracy of this expanded program? What is your accuracy rate? Is it possible to determine what percentage of US citizens could be falsely identified as non-citizens in the SAVE program?

    c) How will USCIS work to educate state and local election officials on the potential for falsely identifying individuals as noncitizens or providing inconclusive findings that can occur when using the system in the context of verifying voter eligibility?

    3) How does the Department plan to fund the SAVE program now that it is free to government agencies at the federal, state, and local level?

    a) What steps will be taken to ensure the program has the infrastructure to support this level of use, including hiring additional staff that may be needed for manual verifications to reconcile contradictory information? 

    4) Does the Department have memoranda of agreement (MOA) with each state or local agency that uses the SAVE program?

    a) If not, which agencies are using SAVE without an MOA? 

    b) Existing MOAs between USCIS and states on voting require remediation steps before a state may remove a voter from their rolls following a SAVE program’s non-confirmation of citizenship. How is USCIS actively seeking to ensure that states are in compliance with this provision of the MOA? 

    c) Will you make the MOAs public?

    5) Is the expansion of this program covered by the SAVE System of Records Notice published in 2020?

    a) If so, please provide a copy of the SAVE MOA or Computer Matching Agreement.

    b) If not, please provide any relevant interagency data-sharing or data-matching agreements between the Department and the Social Security Administration.

    6) Have you completed an updated Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for the SAVE program. If so, please provide a copy. If not, please address:

    a) Data quality requirements and procedures

    b) Data retention and information sharing policies

    7) Does SAVE retain data from voter rolls? If so:

    a) What data elements are saved?

    b) Who within the Department has access to any saved data?

    c) How long is this data retained?

    As Secretary, you have a responsibility to assure the public that the Department is acting appropriately to protect citizens’ rights and personally identifiable data. We look forward to your prompt attention to these important questions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley Mourns Death of Haverhill Man, Champions Bills to Support People in Mental Health Crisis

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    People’s Response Act and Mental Health Justice Act Take a Public Health Approach to Public Safety

    Press Conference Video

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), issued the following statement on the death of Haverhill resident Francis Gigliotti after an encounter with police this weekend. Earlier today, Congresswoman Pressley joined Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12), colleagues, and advocates to launch the Community Safety Agenda, an evidence-informed approach to public safety that prioritizes care, connection, and prevention over punishment, control, and isolation. Included in the agenda are two bills championed by Rep. Pressley, the People’s Response Act and Mental Health Justice Act, that take a public health approach to public safety and support individuals in mental health crisis.

    “My heart breaks for Francis Gigliotti, his loved ones, and everyone in the Haverhill community impacted by his tragic loss. What we’ve learned so far is that Francis was experiencing a mental health crisis and should have been met with care and compassion. I join my colleagues at the federal, state, and local levels calling for a swift and thorough investigation into what happened and what protocols were or were not followed.

    “For too long, our approach to public safety has centered criminalization, resulting in a shameful mass incarceration crisis and harm. Tragedies like this one are a painful reminder of why we need policies like our Mental Health Justice Act and People’s Response Act—which would help save lives by centering de-escalation, mental health interventions, and a public health approach to public safety.

    “Unfortunately, we’ll never be able to deliver justice for Francis Gigliotti—for in a just world, Francis would be alive today, at home with his fiancée and family—but we can and must provide accountability and policy change. I look forward to seeing a transparent and independent investigation led by District Attorney Tucker so the community writ-large can get the answers and healing they deserve.”

    The People’s Response Act is groundbreaking legislation that would advance an inclusive, holistic, and health-centered approach to public safety by creating a public safety division within the United States Department of Human Health and Services (JHHS) and launching a federal first responders unit to support states and local governments with emergency health crises. The bill would promote alternative approaches to public safety, including coordination of research and policies that are being implemented across HHS and other agencies to center health-based and non-carceral responses throughout the federal government.

    The Mental Health Justice Act would reduce violence against individuals with mental illness and disabilities by helping states, tribes, and localities establish mental health responder units to support individuals in crisis, instead of police. The bill would create a grant program that allows states, tribes, and localities to hire, train, and dispatch mental health professionals to respond to mental health emergencies when 911, 988, or another emergency hotline is called; empower the Civil Rights Division at DOJ and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at HHS to provide technical assistance to grant recipients; require a study on the effectiveness of the grant program; and establish best practices for mental health professionals responding to mental health emergencies.

    The Community Safety Agenda is supported by over 100 civil rights, public health, racial justice, housing, violence prevention, and economic justice groups and prioritizes policies that invest in people and communities, not police and prisons, to keep people safe.

    Joining Reps. Pressley and Lee in launching the agenda are Representatives Steven Horsford (NV-04), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), and Lucy McBath (GA-06), along with Thea Sebastian, Executive Director for The Futures Institute; Liz Komar, Sentencing Reform Counsel for The Sentencing Project; Kevin Beckford, PhD, Senior Associate for the Pretrial Justice Institute; Nick Wilson, Senior Director of Gun Violence Prevention for American Progress; Beatriz Beckford, National Director of Youth and Family for MomsRising; Michael Huggins, Deputy Senior Director for Color of Change.

    Video of their press conference unveiling the agenda is available here.

    The People’s Response Act and Mental Health Justice Act are informed by Congresswoman Pressley’s People’s Justice Guarantee, her comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system. She has introduced over a dozen pieces of precise legislation informed by the People’s Justice Guarantee to fundamentally redefine what justice looks like in America.

    • In June 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12)unveiled the Housing for Formerly Incarcerated Reentry and Stable Tenancy (Housing FIRST) Act, bold legislation to help people who are formerly incarcerated and those with criminal histories access safe and stable housing.
    • In May 2023, Rep. Pressley reintroduced her Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act to improve maternal health care and support for pregnant individuals who are incarcerated. It was originally introduced in March 2020 and reintroduced in February 2021 as part of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Package—a suite of 12 bills aimed at addressing the Black maternal health crisis.
    • In May 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Grace Napolitano (CA-31), Co-Chair of the Mental Health Caucus, requested the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to research post-traumatic prison disorder and share findings related to prevention and treatment for people returning from behind the wall.
    • In April 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) re-introduced their Ending Qualified Immunity Act, legislation that would eliminate the unjust and court-invented doctrine of qualified immunity and restore the ability for people to obtain relief when state and local officials, including police officers, violate their legal and constitutionally secured rights. Rep. Pressley originally introduced the bill in June 2020 with Rep. Justin Amash (L-MI) and reintroduced it with Sen. Markey in March 2021.
    • On April 6, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Hank Johnson led 25 of their colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus in calling on Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation to address racial disparities in traffic enforcement.
    • In April 2023, Rep. Pressley, in partnership with Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05), re-introduced the Ending PUSHOUT Act, their legislation to end the punitive pushout of girls of color from schools. It was originally introduced in December 2019 and reintroduced in March 2021.
    • In March 2023, Rep. Pressley, Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35) and 27 Members of Congress, alongside more than 300 advocacy organizations and community leaders, reintroduced the New Way Forward Act, a landmark piece of legislation that addresses some of the most harmful provisions of immigration law that drive racist enforcement practices, expanded incarceration in immigration detention centers, and unjust deportations. It was originally introduced in December 2019 by Reps. Chuy Garcia (IL-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Karen Bass (CA-37) and was reintroduced in January 2021.
    • In March 2023, Rep. Pressley and her colleagues re-introduced the Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act to stop federal entities’ use of facial recognition tools and prohibit federal support for state and local law enforcement entities that use biometric technology. They reintroduced the bill in June 2021.
    • In December 2022, the House passed Congresswoman Pressley’s amendment to strengthen maternal health care for people who are incarcerated.
    • In December 2021, Rep. Pressley unveiled the Fair and Independent Experts in Clemency (FIX Clemency) Act, historic legislation to transform our nation’s clemency system and address the mass incarceration crisis.
    • In March 2021, Rep. Pressley sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to consider H. Res. 266, the People’s Justice Guarantee, as a framework for embedding justice in our criminal legal system and building integrity in the Department of Justice (DOJ). 
    • In February 2021, October 2020, Congresswoman Pressley reintroduced the Mental Health Justice Act with Reps. Katie Porter (CA-45), Tony Cardenas (CA-29), and Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), to support the creation of mental health first responder units that would be deployed in lieu of law enforcement when 911 is called due to a mental health crisis. The lawmakers originally introduced the legislation in October 2020.
    • In January 2021, she reintroduced the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act of 2021 with Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) to prohibit the use of the death penalty at the federal level, and require re-sentencing of those currently on death row. The lawmakers originally introduced the bill in July 2019.
    • In August 2020, she introduced the COVID-19 in Corrections Data Transparency Act with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and others, requires federal, state, and local prisons and jails to collect and publicly report COVID-19 data. The legislation was reintroduced in 2021.
    • In July 2020, she introduced the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act with Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) and Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), to prohibit federal funds to support the increased presence of police in K-12 schools and supports school districts that invests in counselors.
    • In June 2020, she introduced the Dismantle Mass Incarceration for Public Health Act with Reps. Tlaib (MI-13) and Barbara Lee (CA-13) to require decarceration to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in prisons and jails.
    • In June 2020, she introduced the Andrew Kearse Accountability for Denial of Medical Care Act with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Ed Markey (D-MA), to hold police officers criminally liable for denying care to those in medical distress.
    • In May 2020, she introduced a resolution with Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Karen Bass (CA-37) and Barbara Lee (CA-13) to condemn any and all acts of police brutality, racial profiling, and militarization and over-policing of Black and brown communities.  
    • In July 2019, she introduced the No Biometric Barriers Housing Act with Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-09) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-13) that would prohibit the use of biometric recognition technology in most public and assisted housing units funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), protecting tenants from biased surveillance technology. 
    • In June 2019, in conjunction with Gun Violence Awareness Month and the 5th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day, she introduced a resolution to honor survivors of homicide victims by establishing National Survivors of Homicide Victims Awareness Month. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Krasniy Oktyabr Inc. USA Issues Alert on Eviscerate Dry Salted Vobla “Aral Silver”

    Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

    Summary

    Company Announcement Date:
    July 15, 2025
    FDA Publish Date:
    July 15, 2025
    Product Type:
    Food & BeveragesFoodborne Illness
    Reason for Announcement:

    Recall Reason Description
    Potential Foodborne Illness – Clostridium botulinum

    Company Name:
    KRASNIY OKTYABR INC. USA
    Brand Name:

    Brand Name(s)
    ARAL SILVER VOBLA

    Product Description:

    Product Description
    EVISCERATE DRY SALTED VOBLA ARAL SILVER

    Company Announcement
    KRASNIY OKTYABR INC. USA. of BROOKLYN, NY, is recalling its “ARAL SILVER VOBLA” brand “ARAL”, because the product was found to be uneviscerated.
    The fish were distributed nationwide through retail stores. The product comes in a clear plastic vacuum packaged bag with a blue label, containing two whole fish inside marked “Product of Kazakhstan”.
    The recall was initiated after routine sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets food inspectors and subsequent analysis by NYS Food Laboratory revealed the product was not properly eviscerated prior to processing.
    The sale of uneviscerated fish is prohibited because clostridium botulinum spores are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera than any other portion of the fish. Uneviscerated fish have been linked to outbreaks of botulism poisoning. Symptoms of botulism include dizziness, blurred or double vision and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these problems should seek immediate medical attention.
    No illness has been reported to date in connection with this problem.
    Consumers who have purchased packages ‘DRY SALTED VOBLA ARAL SILVER’ are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 718-858-6720.

    Company Contact Information

    Consumers:
    718-858-6720

    Product Photos

    Content current as of:
    07/15/2025

    Regulated Product(s)

    Topic(s)

    Follow FDA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: During Nomination Hearing, Rosen Exposes UN Ambassador Nominee Mike Waltz for Continuing to Receive White House Salary Months After Being Removed from Role

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    Watch the full exchange HERE.
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, during a confirmation hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) slammed UN Ambassador nominee Mike Waltz for continuing to receive his White House salary months after being removed from his position as National Security Advisor. According to recent public reporting, Waltz was still included in the White House payroll earning an annual salary of $195,200 after his removal from the role in May.
    Below is an excerpt from the interaction:
    Senator Rosen: Congressman, I want to start with you because this morning it was reported that, despite being removed from your role as National Security Advisor in May, surprisingly you have been on the White House payroll for the last few months. Throughout this hearing, you’ve made assertions that, if confirmed, you would root out waste and unnecessary overhead at the UN. So can you confirm for us whether you have been receiving a salary from the White House since being let go at the NSA?
    Waltz: Thank you, Senator. I was not fired, the President never said that nor did the Vice President, I was kept on as an advisor, transitioning in a number of important activities and now I hope to be confirmed.
    Senator Rosen: You’re saying you were not dismissed from your role as was publicly reported? Because it’s also been publicly reported that you’ve been receiving almost $200,000 of taxpayer money since you were dismissed from being the national security advisor.
    Waltz: Uh the reporting, Senator, is fake news which shouldn’t surprise anyone, you know the President was clear he said I will nominate Mr. Waltz and the Vice President was quite clear–
    Senator Rosen: Fake news can’t be the answer to everything.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 07.15.2025 ICYMI: Sen. Cruz Secures Historic School Choice Wins in the One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, National Review spotlighted Senator Cruz’s leadership in securing two landmark school choice provisions in the One Big, Beautiful Bill, which together make the bill the most significant federal school choice legislation ever signed into law. One measure expands previous language drafted and written into law by Sen. Cruz in 2017, and dramatically expands the ability of parents to use 529 accounts for their children’s education. The other measure allows eligible taxpayers to receive a federal tax credit for contributions up to $1,700 per year to scholarship-granting nonprofits.

    From National Review: Inside Ted Cruz’s Reconciliation Fight for School-Choice Tax Credits
    In the lead-up to the July 4 holiday, Ted Cruz found himself in a rare position for a sitting U.S. senator: Arguing his case directly to the Senate parliamentarian. A school-choice provision Cruz proposed was on the verge of being cut from this year’s reconciliation package.
    Up until that point the Texas senator had been a reliable “yes” vote on reconciliation. But he made clear to Senate Majority Leader John Thune that if the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) was removed from the package, he would “burn the whole bill down.”
    After a mad dash of rewrites, Cruz and his legislative team secured the passage of the national school-choice provision — a legislative victory he described to National Review in a wide-ranging interview as one of the most consequential, legacy-defining additions to Congress’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
    The ECCA will allow eligible taxpayers to receive a federal tax credit for contributions up to $1,700 per year to scholarship-granting nonprofits. Following parliamentarian pushback on the original legislative language that applied the tax credit to all fifty states, the final version of the bill lifts the cap on tax credits but allows states to opt out of the scholarship program.
    …
    But Cruz’s team worked into the bill an important distinction: states can opt out of receiving scholarships from the nonprofits, but they can’t opt out of the tax credit, which Republicans made a permanent part of the tax code in this year’s reconciliation legislation.
    …
    Until this year’s bill, Cruz’s biggest school-choice legislative achievement was the amendment he authored and passed through Congress’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The amendment allowed parents to pay for K–12 education expenses up to $10,000 per year by expanding Section 529 college-savings plans, and was at the time the most “far-reaching” piece of federal legislation on school choice, Cruz said.
    …
    Once the bill hit the Senate, Cruz had two goals for the school-choice provision: Keep it in the package, and make it more consequential.
    Read more here.
    BACKGROUND
    Sen. Cruz is the leading voice in the Senate on school choice and for parental rights in education.

    Sen. Cruz introduced the Student Empowerment Act to enhance 529 College Savings Plans to help public, private, religious, and homeschool students and families and the Universal School Choice Act to allow for up to $10 billion annually in dollar-for-dollar federal tax credits for individuals and businesses that contribute to nonprofit scholarship granting organizations supporting students’ educational opportunities.

    Sen. Cruz authored and passed into law the Student Opportunity Amendment as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This amendment expanded 529 College Savings Plans to include K-12 elementary and secondary school tuition for public, private, and religious schools. It was at the time the most far-reaching federal school choice legislation ever passed.

    Sen. Cruz filed the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act in 2019, 2021 and 2023. The bill creates a federal tax credit for taxpayers who donate to scholarship organizations supporting post-secondary workforce education, including trade schools and apprenticeship programs, and K-12 education.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Scott and Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Make Child Care More Affordable

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and U.S. Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) in introducing the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need. The average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29 percent increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis head-on: ensuring families can afford the child care they need, expanding access to more high-quality options, stabilizing the child care sector, and helping ensure child care workers taking care of our nation’s kids are paid livable wages. The legislation will also dramatically expand access to pre-K and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs and increased wages for Head Start workers.

    “The child care crisis is holding our families, businesses, and economy back,” said Kaine. “I’ve heard from parents in every corner of Virginia about how they’re being locked out of the workforce because they can’t find affordable care for their kids, and from passionate child care workers who are pressured to leave their field because of low wages. Especially as we contend with the economic chaos and uncertainty caused by President Trump, Congress can and must do more to address this issue and put affordable care within reach. By raising salaries for low-wage child care employees and capping child care costs at seven percent of working families’ incomes, we can make child care more accessible and affordable, support passionate workers in the field, and strengthen our economy.”

    “Our economy forces too many workers to choose between their jobs and caring for their children. Without investments in the care economy, jobs will remain unfilled because too many workers, especially women, will have to remain at home and our economy will never reach its full potential,” said Ranking Member Scott. “Let’s be clear. The child care crisis cannot be solved without sustained public funding. The Child Care for Working Families Act makes the investments we need to turn our child care system around and meet the needs of children, parents, and child care workers. We must finally pass this bill and expand access to affordable, quality early learning opportunities, provide child care workers with the support they deserve, and give parents the freedom to pursue rewarding careers and contribute to our economic growth.”

    In 49 states—including Virginia—and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent. And in 41 states, including Virginia, and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. This crisis could worsen as the Trump Administration has gutted oversight of and support for the federal child care office, held up child care funding to states, held up Head Start funding, and now created massive holes in states’ budgets with the GOP partisan megabill’s cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. These cuts could force states to pare back on their own investments in child care.

    The Child Care for Working Families Act will:

    • Make child care affordable for working families.
      • The typical family earning the state median income will pay about $10 a day for child care. 
      • No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
      • Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for child care.
      • If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    • Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by:
      • Addressing child care deserts by providing grants to help open new child care providers in underserved communities.
      • Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
      • Increasing child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
      • Supporting child care for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
    • Support higher wages for child care workers.
      • Child care workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
      • Child care subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care.
    • Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
      • States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
      • States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
      • If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    • Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.

    Kaine has long pushed to expand access to child care. Earlier this year, he introduced the bipartisan Child Care Availability and Affordability Act and the Child Care Workforce Act—bipartisan, bicameral legislation that form a bold proposal to make child care more affordable and accessible by strengthening existing tax credits to lower child care costs and increase the supply of child care providers. Provisions from the legislation were signed into law by President Trump in July 2025. In 2023, Kaine introduced the Child Care Stabilization Act to expand vital child care funding to help providers keep their doors open. He has also introduced bipartisan legislation to develop, administer, and evaluate early childhood education apprenticeships.

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

    In addition to Scott, the legislation is co-led in the House by Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA-05) and Representative Summer Lee (D-PA-12) and is cosponsored by Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Melanie A. Stansbury (NM-01), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), André Carson (IN-07), Kathy Castor (FL-14), George Latimer (NY-16), Katherine M. Clark (MA-05), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Hillary J. Scholten (MI-03), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Troy A. Carter (LA-02), Mark Pocan (WI-02), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Betty McCollum (MN-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Suzan K. DelBene (WA-01), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Jill N. Tokuda (HI-02), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Seth Moulton (MA-06), William R. Keating (MA-09), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Judy Chu (CA-28), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Adam Smith (WA-09), Haley M. Stevens (MI-11), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Dina Titus (NV-01), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Shontel M. Brown (OH-11), Sean Casten (IL-06), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), and Sharice Davids (KS-03).

    A fact sheet on the legislation is available here.

    Text of the legislation if available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –