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Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Murray, Booker, Schumer Renew Push to Protect IVF Amid Ongoing GOP Attacks Against Reproductive Freedom

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    June 11, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Patty Muray (D-WA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today led 25 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in introducing legislation that would establish a nationwide right to in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Ever since Roe was repealed by Donald Trump’s Supreme Court majority, Republicans’ ongoing assault against reproductive freedom has threatened Americans’ access to IVF services—as evidenced by the Alabama Supreme Court ruling last year that shut down state clinics and painted IVF parents and their doctors as criminals. The Protect IVF Act would protect against such attacks by creating a statutory right for patients to access IVF services, a right for doctors to provide IVF treatment in accordance with medical standards as well as a right for insurance carriers to cover IVF without prohibition, limitation, interference or impediment. By establishing a statutory right, this would preempt any state effort to limit such access and help ensure no hopeful parent—or their doctors—are punished for trying to start or grow a family.

    “Donald Trump loves to tell everyone how strongly he supports IVF—but the reality is, he’s the reason IVF is at risk in the first place,” said Senator Duckworth. “If Trump really cares about protecting IVF, then the choice is simple: instead of signing toothless executive orders, he should call on Republicans to support my bill to establish a nationwide right to IVF. Otherwise, all the pro-IVF talk is just more lip-service from people who have proven time and again they have no interest in actually taking any meaningful action to protect IVF access.”

    “The anti-choice movement has never been about protecting life—it has always been about controlling women. Republicans’ efforts to rip away women’s reproductive rights and enshrine fetal personhood bit by bit are having catastrophic consequences for women across America and putting access to IVF in jeopardy,” said Senator Murray. “Trump is full of empty talk when it comes to IVF, but he’s refused to take any action that would meaningfully improve access, and he’s empowering the very same anti-abortion activists who are working to ban IVF nationwide. The Protect IVF Act would establish a statutory right to access IVF and other assisted reproductive technology, so that all Americans can grow their families on their own terms, free from Republican interference.”

    “Donald Trump and Senate Republicans have repeatedly jeopardized American families’ fundamental right to make their own decisions about when and how to start a family,” said Senator Booker. “Congress must act to ensure that the freedom to start and grow a family using IVF treatment is protected and accessible to everyone in the United States.”

    “Despite all the smoke and mirrors and hollow Executive Orders, Donald Trump and Republicans have led an unrelenting crusade against reproductive rights for years, refusing to support legislation that would truly protect access to IVF. Senate Democrats are united in protecting access to pro-family fertility treatment and giving every American the freedom to decide when and how to build a family. We will continue to fight extreme rightwing Republicans threatening access to IVF across the country, going against scientific evidence, and accelerating their ideologically-driven crusade,” said Leader Schumer. 

    In addition to Duckworth, Murray, Booker and Schumer, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), John Fetterman (D-PA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Angus King (I-ME), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Chris Murphy (D-CT).

    The Protect IVF Act is endorsed by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, Endocrine Society, MomsRising, Indivisible, What to Expect Project, Legal Momentum: The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Center for Reproductive Rights and the National Women’s Law Center.

    “In February 2024, a single court ruling in Alabama put providers’ ability to offer standard-of-care fertility treatments at immediate risk,” said Sean Tipton, ASRM Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer. “Since then, we have only seen an uptick in government leaders on both sides of the aisle expressing their support for medical procedures like IVF that make it possible for millions of Americans to start and grow their families. As a result, our federal lawmakers should rally behind legislation that would protect patients’ rights to reliable access to high quality fertility care and providers’ rights to deliver IVF in accordance with scientific and evidence-based clinical guidelines. We thank Senators Duckworth, Murray, Booker, and Schumer for their tireless leadership on the Protect IVF Act and urge immediate passage of this important bill.”

    “The path to parenthood is often filled with emotional and financial challenges, and for too many Americans, uncertainty about the future of IVF only adds to that burden,” said Barbara Collura, President/CEO, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. “No one should have to wonder if accessing medical care to build their family will be legal in their state. We can solve this right now by passing the Protect IVF Act, championed by Senator Tammy Duckworth. This legislation offers a clear solution to protect access to IVF nationwide. It’s time to give people the peace of mind they deserve and ensure that the ability to build a family is protected—once and for all.”

    Full text of the legislation can be found on the Senator’s website.

    Throughout her time in the Senate, Duckworth has made protecting reproductive freedom a top priority in the face of Republicans’ anti-choice crusade. Duckworth has long pushed to pass her Right to IVF Act—which Senate Republicans blocked not once, but twice last year—that would both establish a right to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology (ART), expand access for hopeful parents, Veterans and federal employees, as well as lower the costs of IVF for middle class families across the country. Last September’s vote marked the fourth time Senate Republicans blocked Duckworth-led legislation that would protect access to IVF nationwide—Duckworth’s Access to Family Building Act, which builds on previous legislation she introduced in 2022.

    Duckworth was the first Senator to give birth while serving in office and had both of her children with the help of IVF. In 2018, she advocated for the Senate to change its rules so she could bring her infant onto the Senate floor.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Warren, Democrats Lead Push to Reverse Trump and Hegseth’s Ban on Transgender Servicemembers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    June 12, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic colleagues in introducing legislation to support our military readiness and national security by prohibiting discrimination against transgender servicemembers.

    “If you are willing to risk your life for our country and you can do the job, it shouldn’t matter if you are gay, straight, transgender, Black, white or anything else,” said Duckworth. “Every transgender servicemember earned their role through rigorous training and is more qualified to serve in those roles than Pete Hegseth is to be Secretary of Defense. I’m proud to join Senator Warren and my Democratic colleagues in working to reverse the Trump Administration’s offensive transgender military ban, which is disruptive to our military, hurts readiness and not only does nothing to strengthen our national security—it actively makes things worse.”

    Banning transgender servicemembers undermines our military’s readiness. The Administration’s actions hurt our national security and dehumanize the thousands of transgender servicemembers who have made meaningful contributions to our Armed Forces. To ensure the United States can continue to benefit from the service of transgender individuals, who have raised their hand to defend and protect their country and meet the same rigorous standards as their peers, the Fit to Serve Act prohibits the Defense Department from: 

    • Banning transgender servicemembers from the military; 
    • Prescribing qualifications for service on the basis of gender identity; 
    • Denying necessary health care for servicemembers on the basis of gender identity; 
    • Forcing a servicemember to serve in their sex assigned at birth; or 
    • Otherwise discriminating against servicemembers on the basis of gender identity.

    In addition to Duckworth and Warren, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Fetterman (D-PA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    U.S. Representative Adam Smith (D-WA-09) introduced companion legislation in the House, which is cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), Joe Courtney (D-CT-02), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01), Maxine Dexter (D-OR-03), Laura Friedman (D-CA-30), Robert Garcia (D-CA-42), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06), Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51), Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-AL), Chris Pappas (D-NH-01), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Mark Takano (D-CA-41) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12).

    Duckworth, a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), has been leading the opposition in the Senate against Donald Trump’s un-American transgender military service ban. In April, Duckworth led over a dozen of her colleagues in pushing back against the ban for being a blatant violation of our brave servicemembers’ civil rights and weakening our national security. Secretary Hegseth responded to Duckworth’s letter—but he did not answer many of the questions that were asked about the short- and long-term impacts of the ban on servicemembers, readiness and national security as well as taxpayer cost and more. In response, last week Duckworth led 22 of her colleagues in urging Hegseth to not implement the ban and in demanding answers from the Secretary—including what specific data is being used to back up their misguided claim that transgender servicemembers are not in the “interests of national security” and how much it will cost taxpayers to train the replacements of perfectly capable transgender servicemembers that they are forcing out of our military.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amid Trump’s Threats to Critical Agriculture Support Programs, Duckworth Discusses Agricultural Priorities with Illinois Farm Bureau

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    June 11, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—founding co-chair of the Senate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Caucus—met with Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) President Brian Duncan and IFB members to discuss shared priorities to grow Illinois’s agriculture industry and support our farmers. Duckworth and the members discussed the importance of supporting our family farmers by expanding the biofuels market, increasing agricultural exports and improving farm safety net programs as Donald Trump continues to threaten critical federal agricultural programs. Photos from today’s meeting can be found on the Senator’s website.

    “America has always depended on our nation’s farmers to grow the food and fuel we need, and I’m proud to advocate for them on both the national and international stage,” Duckworth said. “The work of Illinois’s farmers is so important to the strength of our state and our nation, and I will continue to do everything I can to support the Illinois Farm Bureau and farmers across the state at the federal level.”

    In the Senate, Duckworth has been a leader in supporting biofuels, including expansion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and permanent authority to use E15 fuel year-round. To help increase the availability of E15 biofuels, Duckworth helped introduce the bipartisan Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act and the bipartisan Next Generations Fuel Act to allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. Duckworth additionally helped introduce the bipartisan Home Front Energy Independence Act to ban Russian oil and expand use and production of biofuel that’s grown in the American heartland, while providing American families with a less expensive option to fuel their vehicles. Earlier this year she helped introduced the Farm to Fly Act to help accelerate the production and development of SAF.

    As a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Duckworth has been an advocate for Illinois agriculture across the globe and helped secure significant wins for Illinois and American agriculture. After Duckworth’s visit in 2023, Japan announced a regulatory change that will lead to an increase in imports from U.S. biofuel producers, supporting our farmers and growing Illinois’s economy, and following a prior trip to Taiwan in 2022, she helped secure a commitment from Taiwan to purchase an estimated $2.6 billion of our Illinois’s corn and soybeans.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IN THE NEWS: Ranking Member Coons highlights Secretary Hegseth’s “poor judgement” in appropriations hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, drew attention for his opening statement and questioning of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth yesterday, where he called attention to Secretary Hegseth’s “poor judgement.” Reports noted that Ranking Member Coons criticized Secretary Hegseth’s leadership on multiple fronts, including his failures to secure appropriate funding for the department, his focus on culture war issues at the expense of military readiness, and his role in the administration’s efforts to weaken our nation’s relationships with NATO allies.

    The comments occurred yesterday at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing on the president’s fiscal year 2026 budget request.

    From the Washington Post: Sen. Chris Coons describes ‘chaos and poor judgement’ under Hegseth

    Sen. Chris Coons (Delaware), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, opened his remarks at a hearing featuring Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with a list of ways the former Fox News host has exhibited what Coons called “poor judgment” and executed decisions that Coons said are damaging to the country’s military and national security.

    “For the very first time,” Coons noted, U.S. troops are “operating under a full-year continuing resolution” — a temporary piece of legislation to keep the government open because the administration and Congress have failed to pass an annual appropriations bill. And that means “tens of billions of dollars less in purchasing power than under the previous administration,” Coons said.

    From NBC: Sen. Chris Coons says Hegseth spending too much time ‘fighting culture wars’

    Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., the top Democrat on the subcommittee, criticized staffing shake-ups at the Pentagon and the focus on culture war issues…

    He also slammed Hegseth for sharing military information on Signal. “Mishandling important and sensitive information in the middle of an operation by a secretary is unthinkable,” Coons said.

    From NOTUS: Congress Wants to Know Where the Department of Defense’s Budget Is

    “The department has been unacceptably slow in providing us with the account-level information that we need to draft the defense appropriations bill,” Sen. Susan Collins told Hegseth, echoing a critique her Democratic colleague Sen. Chris Coons lodged earlier….

    “We are still waiting for real budget details. This is officially the latest budget submission of the modern era,” Coons said. “This committee, to do its job, wants to work with you on the details.”

    From The Daily Beast: Hegseth Blasted by Top Republican Over Trump-Putin Bromance

    When it was Senator Chris Coons’ turn to question Hegseth, he also raised concerns, and said it seems Putin has no intention of negotiating.

    “It seems to me concerning that the 2026 request eliminates aid to Ukraine entirely,” the Democratic Party senator said.

    Coons also took issue with Hegseth’s comments about Europe freeloading. He noted that Article 5 was only invoked once after 9/11, when America’s allies deployed to Afghanistan alongside the U.S. and suffered casualties. He also noted that 50 other countries have delivered support for Ukraine.

    From the Las Vegas Sun: Senators critical of Defense Secretary as hearing kicks off

    Pete Hegseth met with bipartisan criticism Wednesday as the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee hearing kicked off.

    Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, slammed him, saying that “more of your time so far has been spent inside the building on culture wars, rather than outside the building, deterring real ones.”

    He criticized Hegseth’s moves to fire the previous chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other “qualified uniformed leaders” and said the Pentagon is worried more” about each other than America’s enemies.

    From CBS News [VIDEO]: Coons blasts Hegseth for request to eliminate funding for Ukraine’s war against Russia

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Budd, Blumenthal Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Award MACV-SOG Elite Special Operations Units with Congressional Gold Medal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG). The bill recognizes the service members of MACV-SOG, one of the most distinguished and elite special operations units in United States military history, for their achievements in conducting rescue missions for downed pilots, deep-penetration reconnaissance, sabotage, and direct-action missions against the North Vietnamese.

    “MACV-SOG operators rank among the most elite special operations forces in U.S. military history. During the Vietnam War, they carried out highly classified, extraordinarily dangerous missions to combat communist insurgencies by obtaining vital intelligence for critical military operations, setting the gold standard for U.S. special operations. In North Carolina, there are fifty-nine living members of this unit, and many more across the country. Their devotion to duty deserves our deepest respect and recognition. I hope my colleagues will join Senator Blumenthal and I in our effort to honor these service members with a Congressional Gold Medal for their unparalleled bravery, sacrifice, and enduring contributions to our nation’s security,” said Senator Budd.

    “The servicemembers who were a part of MACV-SOG played a vital role in protecting and defending our great nation. Performing highly covert operations, facing incredible dangers, and gathering invaluable intelligence, members of MACV-SOG displayed a bravery and dedication to our country that is profoundly inspiring. Awarding these servicemembers a Congressional Gold Medal rightfully recognizes their great contributions to our nation and shines a light on the pivotal roles they played in our military history,” said Senator Blumenthal.

    Read the full bill text HERE.

    Background

    MACV–SOG was established in January 1964 as a dedicated joint military task force to conduct high-risk and special activities in the denied areas of North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

    These covert operations remained unacknowledged by military leadership and unknown to the United States public until their existence began to be declassified decades later. This secret war denied MACV–SOG members their just recognition and deprived the families of deceased and wounded operators from knowing the full extent of the sacrifice of their loved ones to the United States.

    To date, twelve MACV–SOG operators have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, New England Colleagues Urge Coast Guard to Delay Removal of Navigational Buoys

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Angus King and a bipartisan cohort of the New England Senate Delegation are urging the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to delay the removal of navigational buoys off the coast of New England so they can better engage with stakeholders and understand the impacts of the proposal. In a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Kevin Lunday, the Senators ask for USCG to extend the comment period for public input, undertake more extensive outreach and enhance the compilation of data before making any final decisions on the removal of the navigational buoys.

    The USCG launched the Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative in April 2025, a component of its broader Short-Range Aids-to-Navigation Modernization effort. This initiative proposed the discontinuation of 351 coastal buoys across New England (Maine accounts for the largest share at 145 buoys). In parallel, an additional 2,349 buoys and beacons are under review for future removal as part of the Harbor Buoy Modernization Initiative and the Shallow Water Level of Service Study (SWLOSS), scheduled for phased implementation from 2026 through 2029. In total, some 2700 buoys are up for consideration for removal along the New England coast.

    These efforts collectively represent a significant reconfiguration of the region’s maritime navigational infrastructure affecting both commercial and recreational mariners; despite the technical justifications for the initiative, the USCG approach has raised concerns throughout New England’s maritime community.

    “We write regarding our concerns with the First District Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative and related efforts. Principally, we have reservations about how this would affect the safety of mariners throughout District One, the timeline the agency is proposing and the sufficiency of the agency’s communications with stakeholders of the proposed changes. We understand the need to modernize the Aids-to-Navigation (ATON) system, and we commend the agency for proactively initiating a program to assess current systems and to propose appropriate changes. However, we urge the agency to slow down this effort to ensure that the agency understands the needs of the communities and mariners in our states. Therefore, we urge you to extend the public comment period and increase public and Congressional engagement as outlined in this letter,” the Senators began.

    “We understand that Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Electronic Navigation Charts (ENC), Electronic Charting Systems (ECS) and smartphone navigation applications have changed many facets of navigation,” they continued. “However, prudent mariners continue to depend on non-electronic and traditional means of navigating, including charts and visual navigation aids like buoys and related ATON.”

    The Senators concluded, “With respect to the First District Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative, we are troubled that the current proposal would discontinue 916 buoys and beacons (309 Coastal and 607 Harbor buoys) in District One as soon as this year and into 2026. We appreciate the need to modernize, but the Coast Guard and other stakeholders need to maximize navigation safety utilizing all available means – electronic and visual. As you are well aware, mishaps continue to show the need for mariners to competently pilot their vessels, and effective coastal piloting relies on GPS, Radar and visual navigational aids including buoys, beacons, lights, ranges and lighthouses.”

    Joining King on the letter are Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumental (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

    The full of the text of the letter can be found here and below.

    +++

    Dear Acting Commandant Lunday:

    We write regarding our concerns with the First District Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative and related efforts. Principally, we have reservations about how this would affect the safety of mariners throughout District One, the timeline the agency is proposing and the sufficiency of the agency’s communications with stakeholders of the proposed changes. We understand the need to modernize the Aids-to-Navigation (ATON) system, and we commend the agency for proactively initiating a program to assess current systems and to propose appropriate changes. However, we urge the agency to slow down this effort to ensure that the agency understands the needs of the communities and mariners in our states. Therefore, we urge you to extend the public comment period and increase public and Congressional engagement as outlined in this letter.

    We understand that Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Electronic Navigation Charts (ENC), Electronic Charting Systems (ECS) and smartphone navigation applications have changed many facets of navigation. However, prudent mariners continue to depend on non-electronic and traditional means of navigating, including charts and visual navigation aids like buoys and related ATON. Indeed, the agency’s regulations on ATON acknowledges that “The Coast Guard maintains systems of marine aids to navigation consisting of visual, audible, and electronic signals which are designed to assist the prudent mariner in the process of navigation.”

    With respect to the First District Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative, we are troubled that the current proposal would discontinue 916 buoys and beacons (309 Coastal and 607 Harbor buoys) in District One as soon as this year and into 2026. We appreciate the need to modernize, but the Coast Guard and other stakeholders need to maximize navigation safety utilizing all available means – electronic and visual. As you are well aware, mishaps continue to show the need for mariners to competently pilot their vessels, and effective coastal piloting relies on GPS, Radar and visual navigational aids including buoys, beacons, lights, ranges and lighthouses.

    Because the scope of the proposed effort is significant and will have a lasting impact, we request that the Coast Guard extend the comment period for public input on the District One initiative until September 1, 2025, undertake more extensive outreach and enhance the compilation of data on which the agency is relying.  Specifically, we request a dedicated public website on this initiative, an extension to the comment period, a briefing after the agency has winnowed its list of ATON to discontinue and a commitment to implement the District One ATON effort no earlier than October 1, 2026. The extension of the public comment period will allow the Coast Guard to conduct outreach, enhance public comment via additional means other than a single email address (e.g. a dedicated website) and allow mariners to practically consider these changes during peak recreational and commercial seasons.  Lastly, we also are seeking a delay in implementing the actual changes by approximately one year to allow for sufficient review and collaboration ahead of implementation.

    We appreciate your attention to this matter and request a follow-up discussion with you regarding this matter by June 26th, 2025.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, King Announce USS Gravely to Visit Eastport for Fourth of July Celebration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that Eastport will receive a port visit during the city’s 2025 Fourth of July celebration. The U.S. Navy has committed to sending the guided missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG-107), which has a crew complement of approximately 330 sailors.

    USS Gravely is a battle-tested warship and recently saw action in the Red Sea.

    “We are grateful to the U.S. Navy for honoring the State of Maine with this port visit during Eastport’s Fourth of July celebration,” said Senators Collins and King. “The arrival of the USS Gravely will give Mainers a special opportunity to meet the sailors bravely serving our country. It’s an honor to welcome these servicemembers to our state as we mark Independence Day, and we thank the Navy for making this visit possible.”

    The Eastport Fourth of July parade and festival is the largest in the state and draws thousands of Maine people every year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boyle Grills Secretary Bessent Over Cost of Trump’s Budget Bill in Ways & Means Hearing

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brendan Boyle (13th District of Pennsylvania)

    WASHINGTON, DC — In today’s Ways and Means Committee hearing, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, questioned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about the staggering cost of the Republican budget bill.

    Boyle warned that Trump’s plans would add $3 trillion to the deficit while kicking 16 million people off their health care and slammed the administration’s trade policies that led the World Bank to slash growth projections.

    A full transcript and video are below: 

     

     (Click for video of remarks as delivered.)

    Congressman Boyle’s full remarks and questions as delivered:

    Congressman Boyle: “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous pork-filled spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it. You know you did wrong. You know it.” Those were the words of your former White House colleague and good friend Elon Musk.

    Another: “This spending bill contains the largest increase in debt ceiling in US history. It is the debt slavery bill. A new spending bill should be drafted that doesn’t massively grow the deficit and increase the debt ceiling by $5 trillion.”

    Why do you believe Mr. Musk is right or wrong?

    Secretary Bessent: You’d have to ask Mr. Musk.

    Congressman Boyle: Well, take the substance of what he said. Does it not add trillions of dollars, your bill to the deficit and debt?

    Secretary Bessent: It is not my belief that it does. It may be his, he could speak for himself.

    Congressman Boyle: But of course, it’s not just Mr. Musk, it is the Congressional Budget Office. It is conservative leaning groups like Tax Foundation, Cato, left-leaning groups, and nonpartisan groups like CBO and JCT. So this bill has actually united the left, the right, and the center all saying it massively increases deficit and debt, but they’re all wrong and you’re right?

    Secretary Bessent: Congressman, I think that there are a, are a range of outcomes that I think that many do not include the pro growth measures, just as they were wrong with the original TCJA, and that has proven to be a resounding success. Just as, I don’t know if you were here to vote for the IRA, the CBO scoring on that, it has been three to four times more expensive.

    Congressman Boyle: So, it’s curious to me because you spent decades as an executive at George Soros’ hedge fund being very successful, making billions of dollars. Back then you would always rail against deficit and debt. What happened?

    Secretary Bessent: I, again, that it is smart spending, that what are we spending for?

    Congressman Boyle: Tax cuts that mostly go to billionaires such as yourself while throwing 16 million people off their healthcare coverage.

    Secretary Bessent: Well, I, I would dispute that 16 million. I think you’re conflating a lot of numbers.

    Congressman Boyle: No, it’s the — excuse me, reclaiming my time — those aren’t my numbers. Just to be clear, as you know, it’s the Congressional Budget Office projection.

    Secretary Bessent: I think you’re adding up a, a lot of numbers that shouldn’t be added.

    Congressman Boyle: Excuse me. I am adding two specific numbers. The cuts CBO found coming to Medicaid — no, we’re entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts and not our own numbers. The CBO shows that 10.9 million will lose their health care coverage from the Medicaid cuts and another 5.1 million will lose their healthcare coverage due to the ACA cuts. 10.9 plus 5.1 is 16 million.

    Secretary Bessent: So, so you are adding numbers.

    Congressman Boyle: Yes. Correctly.

    Secretary Bessent: Do, do you support Medicaid for illegal aliens? 1.4 million.

    Congressman Boyle: I’m asking the questions, not you, although you’ll be happy to know that my home state commonwealth of Pennsylvania, actually they check your citizenship status before you can enroll in Medicaid.

    Congressman Boyle: But I understand why you’re wanting to divert and change the subject. Let me move, since we’ve taken up already most of my time, the World Bank yesterday had a shocking growth projection. They slashed their growth projection for the United States by upwards of 40%. I’m just curious, do you agree or do you think they’re wrong as well, because they specifically cited the trade uncertainty caused by your administration, the administration that you serve as Secretary of the Treasury, as being the primary reason why they’ve had to slash their growth projection to the lowest since 2008.

    Secretary Bessent: Congressman, you kindly cited the success that I may or may not have had in my previous career, but I could tell you I would not have had it if I followed World Bank projections.

    Congressman Boyle: So, it is interesting that you believe all of these groups are wrong. From your former colleague, Elon Musk, to left leaning groups, to right leaning groups, to center groups, to the World Bank, everything is going hunky dory. The reality is, I can see why you would have that opinion. You as a billionaire will reap the rewards of this tax cut while 16 million Americans will lose their health coverage. That is the sad reality of the situation.

    Secretary Bessent: We could look at the, who would be most harmed if these tax cuts expire?

    Congressman Boyle: Well, you’ll be happy to know that on this Democratic side of the dais, through an 18 hour markup, every single Democratic member voted to extend the tax cuts for everyone making under a billion dollars.

    Congressman Boyle: I see my time has expired. I yield back.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Krishnamoorthi Responds to Air India Crash in Ahmedabad

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

    WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement in response to the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, India:

    “I am heartbroken by today’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad and want to express my deepest condolences to all those around the world touched by this tragedy. There must be a full investigation to provide answers and prevent such tragedies from happening again.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Danny K. Davis rejects the Republican One Big Beautiful Bill that makes poor people poorer, sick people sicker, and hungry people hungrier

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Danny K Davis (7th District of Illinois)

    June 12, 2025

    Statement of Rep. Danny K. Davis 

    Ways and Means Committee

    Hearing with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – June 11, 2025

     

    Today, Secretary Bessent appears here to praise the Republican One Big Beautiful bill, which is the most cruel, draconian, inhumane legislation that I’ve voted on since I’ve been here.  Government, I seriously believe, should help people and not hurt them. 

    I reject this bill that makes poor people poorer, sick people sicker, and hungry people hungrier. 

    I reject this bill that rips health care from 16 million Americans, with over 498,000 Illinoisans expected to lose their health insurance, including 102,000 children and 27,000 seniors in my District alone.

    I reject this bill that threatens my constituent Debra and her two children, whom she adopted from foster care.  This picture behind me shows Debra’s children, who are medically fragile and rely solely on Medicaid for their health care. 

    I reject this bill that will close hospitals in my district and kick people out of their nursing homes, not only in my district but across the country, especially in urban inner-city communities and rural communities for sure. 

    I reject this bill that explodes poverty and suffering while giving the wealthy trillions in tax cuts. 

    I reject this bill’s irresponsible explosion of the deficit that triggers statutory cuts to critical programs supporting children and families. 

    These Paygo reductions would eliminate funding for the Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program – known as MIECHV – that is proven to improve mother and child health, family safety, and child development.  It would eliminate the guaranteed funding for the MaryLee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families program that we know helps prevent child maltreatment and strengthen families.  It would eradicate the Social Services Block Grant that provides substantial investment in child care, child welfare, and adult protective services.  These egregious cuts alone will cost Illinois over $72 million dollars and hurt Illinois children, seniors, and families. 

    I reject this bill that gifts tax cuts to the wealthy paid for by denying and depriving low-income, poor people, senior citizens, sick people, unhealthy people the health care, food assistance, housing assistance, and economic development opportunities that they need. 

     

    This bill reminds me that there is something rotten in Denmark.  There is something wrong with the thinking that puts such a bill in front of us.  This bill is actually what we call the Robinhood in Reverse.  Take from the poor.  Take from the disabled. Take from the sick.  Take from the hungry.  And give to the wealthy.  It is not good.  It is immoral.  I reject it. 

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Norton Opposes Anti-D.C. Home Rule Bill on the House Floor

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

    Norton released her remarks after speaking on the House floor opposing the District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act of 2025.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released her remarks from the House floor where she spoke today in opposition to the District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act of 2025, an anti-home rule bill the House will vote on tomorrow. The bill would nullify locally enacted D.C. laws, policies and practices regarding D.C. exchanging information about the citizenship and immigration status of individuals and would require D.C. to comply with requests by the Department of Homeland Security regarding immigration detainers.

    “This bill is just another entry in the long list of attacks on D.C. home rule by Republicans this Congress,” Norton said. “I look forward to turning this bill into another footnote of failed attempts to undermine D.C.’s autonomy.

    “This bill does not promote public safety. Instead, it undermines it because it will make individuals wary of calling the proper authorities for help. In turn, this reluctance to call for help could make groups of people easy targets for criminals.

    “Jurisdictions across the country have passed laws to support and protect the safety of all its residents, regardless of immigration status, and D.C. is no exception, as D.C. has a tradition of upholding the values of kindness, compassion, and fairness.

    “If Republicans cared about the safety and well-being of D.C. residents or democracy, they would take up H.R. 51, the D.C. statehood bill. H.R. 51 would admit the residential and commercial areas of D.C. as a state, giving D.C. residents voting representation in Congress and full local self-government.”

    Norton’s full remarks follow, as prepared for delivery.

    Floor Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

    H.R. 2056, the District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act of 2025

    June 11, 2025

    I strongly oppose this undemocratic, anti-immigrant bill, which would nullify laws, policies and practices enacted by the locally elected District of Columbia government.  The over 700,000 D.C. residents, the majority of whom are Black and Brown, are capable and worthy of local self-government.

    I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from every member of D.C.’s locally elected legislature, the Council, opposing this bill.  I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from D.C.’s locally elected Attorney General, Brian Schwalb, opposing this bill. 

    D.C. residents are treated as second-class citizens by Congress.  They are required to pay federal taxes, serve on federal juries and register with Selective Service in the same manner as residents of states.  They have served in the military since the Revolutionary War, which was fought to end taxation without representation and to give consent to the governed.  Yet, Congress has denied them voting representation in Congress and full local self-government for over 200 years. 

    Last Congress, over 100 bills and amendments were introduced to repeal or block local D.C. laws and policies.  This Congress, 28 such bills and amendments already have been introduced, including bills to abolish the locally elected D.C. government.  Three months ago, Congress passed a bill that cut over $1 billion from the local D.C. budget, which consists entirely of locally raised revenue.

    While Congress has the authority to legislate on local D.C. matters, it does not have a duty to do so.  In Federalist 43, James Madison said of D.C. residents, “[A] municipal legislature for local purposes, derived from their own suffrages, will of course be allowed them.”  In 1953, the Supreme Court held that, “there is no constitutional barrier to the delegation by Congress to the District of Columbia of full legislative power.” 

    The Council has 13 members.  If D.C. residents do not like how the members vote, residents can vote them out of office or pass a ballot measure.  That is called democracy.

    Congress has 535 voting members.  None are elected by D.C. residents.  If D.C. residents do not like how the members vote on local D.C. matters, residents cannot vote them out of office or pass a ballot measure. That is the antithesis of democracy.

    Congress has the authority to grant D.C. residents voting representation in Congress and full local self-government.  It simply needs to pass H.R. 51, the D.C. statehood bill, which would make the residential and commercial areas of D.C. a state.  The Admissions Clause of the Constitution gives Congress the authority to admit new states.  All 37 new states were admitted by an act of Congress.  The District Clause of the Constitution gives Congress the authority to reduce the size of the federal district, which it has previously done.

    The substance of H.R. 2056 is irrelevant, since there is never justification for Congress to legislate on local D.C. matters, but I will briefly discuss it.  Consistent with federal law, the position of the Major Cities Chiefs Association and D.C.’s values, D.C. limits cooperation with federal immigration agencies. D.C. concluded that cooperating with federal immigration agencies would make D.C. less safe for all residents by diverting police department resources and discouraging immigrants from interacting with the police department and other government agencies.  Many states, cities and counties have reached the same conclusion.

    I urge members to respect the will of D.C. residents by voting NO on this bill.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: USGS and partners publish a structured science synthesis (SSS) about the effects of nonmotorized recreation on ungulates

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Federal land management agencies conduct NEPA analyses to assess the potential environmental effects of proposed actions. Science is a core, required component of NEPA analysis. However, science about many land management issues can be complex or evolving. Staff from the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey developed a new type of science delivery product, called a structured science synthesis (SSS), that provides content structured around priority management issues and organized according to steps in NEPA analysis.

    Bull elk stands next to a hiking trail (NPS).

    Scientists with the Fort Collins Science Center and land managers with the Bureau of Land Management recently published a new SSS that synthesized science about the effects of nonmotorized recreation on ungulate species in the western United States. The authors conducted a structured literature search to gather four types of information used in NEPA analyses: data about occurrence of nonmotorized recreation and distribution of ungulates, scientific studies about the effects of nonmotorized recreation on ungulates, methods for quantifying those potential effects, and measures for mitigating potential negative effects. 

    The report found that timing, intensity, duration, and spatial distribution of nonmotorized recreation are important factors that influence the degree to which recreation can affect ungulates. Ungulate individuals and populations vary in their responses to recreation because of differences in diet, migration, predation pressure, and prior habituation to recreation. Methods to assess potential effects range from basic spatial analyses to more technical modeling methods, many of which focus on movement or avoidance of individual ungulates around recreation sites. Managers have many options to mitigate potentially adverse effects, such as restricting timing or type of recreation, educating recreators about minimizing impacts on ungulates, and designing recreation infrastructure to minimize its potential to disturb ungulate habitat.

    The SSS series and other USGS science synthesis efforts are continuing to explore ways to enhance science delivery for public land management in the United States. See a list of past and upcoming synthesis products at: 

    “Effects of Nonmotorized Recreation on Ungulates in the Western United States—A Science Synthesis to Inform National Environmental Policy Act Analyses” was authored by Samuel Jordan, Taylor Ganz, Tait Rutherford, Elisabeth Teige, and Sarah Carter with the Fort Collins Science Center; and Matthew Blocker, Christopher Domschke, Fritz Klasner, Elroy Masters, Tye Morgan, and Daryl Ratajczak with the Bureau of Land Management. The SSS was published as a U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report and is available online at https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20255014.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Third Strategic Dialogue between the State of Qatar and the French Republic

    Source: Government of Qatar

    Paris,  June 12, 2025

    The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, Mr Jean-Noël Barrot, co-chaired the third annual Qatar-France Strategic Dialogue in Paris on June 12 2025. 

    Qatar and France welcomed the holding of their third Annual Strategic Dialogue and reviewed the important progress made since the State Visit of His Highness the Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to France in February 2024 which resulted in new cooperation initiatives within the fields of security, defence, economy, trade, investment and education. Both countries affirmed the strength of their bilateral relationship and pledged to further develop it by expanding strategic partnership on key files.

    POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC COOPERATION

    Both Ministers reaffirmed the commitment of Qatar and France to upholding a rules-based international order and international law, the promotion of peace, stability and prosperity in the Middle East, and to close cooperation in relation to regional and global crises.

    Palestine-Israel: Both Ministers called for a ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages and a long-term political solution that will offer the best hope for the victims of this conflict on all sides and achieving a pathway to a two-state solution. The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs expressed France’s deep appreciation for all Qatar’s mediation efforts, including those to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

    Both Ministers called for full, unhindered humanitarian access allowing aid for the Palestinian population to enter Gaza. The Ministers further stated that politicising of humanitarian assistance, threats of forced displacement, or Israel’s plans to remain in Gaza after the war are unacceptable. The two Ministers stated that the Israeli government’s restrictions of essential humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population of Gaza are totally deplorable and breach International Humanitarian Law.  They further highlighted that Israel is duty-bound to meet all its obligations to ensure immediately a massive and unhindered flow of aid to Gaza – this includes engaging with the UN to ensure aid delivery is in line with humanitarian principles. 

    Both ministers reiterated their opposition to any forced displacement of Gaza’s Palestinian population, which would be a serious violation of international law and a major destabilizing factor for the entire region.

    Qatar welcomes the endorsement by France of the Gaza Reconstruction plan formulated by the League of Arab States in March as a serious, credible basis for immediately meeting reconstruction, governance and security needs in the aftermath of the war in Gaza. It guarantees the respect of international law and maintains Gaza’s future within the framework of a future Palestinian State.

    HE Prime Minister Al Thani welcomed the French-Saudi jointly chaired international meeting on June 18 for the implementation of a two-state solution. Both Ministers declared such efforts as the only way to bring durable peace and security to Israelis and Palestinians while ensuring the stability of the wider region.   

    They stressed that the High-Level International Conference on the peaceful resolution of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-State solution, decided by UNGA resolution A/RES/79/81, would contribute to this goal by designing a credible roadmap for the implementation of this solution in which the two countries would be able to live side-by-side in peace within their internationally recognized borders. Both ministers stressed that the future Palestinian state would have sole responsibility for rule of law, including policing primacy. 

    Syria: Both Ministers acknowledged the historic transition process underway in Syria. They emphasised the importance of an inclusive political dispensation that protects the rights of all irrespective of ethnicity, sect, religion or gender. They reiterated their support for the reconstruction of a new Syria – free, stable, sovereign, that respects all components of society. They agreed that stability and security in Syria is paramount for all its citizens as well as the surrounding region. To that end both Ministers committed to work together wherever possible to provide humanitarian assistance, as well as support economic development, and long-term reconstruction. They welcomed the lifting of international sanctions on Syria’s economy and encouraged foreign investments in the country. Qatar welcomed French support for the recent EU decision to lift economic sanctions on Syria and the recent meeting between President Macron and Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Such support and initiatives enable Syria and the Syrian people to undertake a transition to stability, peace and prosperity. The Ministers condemned violations of Syria’s territorial integrity and warned of escalation tactics designed to de-stabilize the region.  

    Lebanon: Qatar welcomed the hosting by France of the International Conference in Support of Lebanon’s People and Sovereignty in October 2024. Progress to political and economic reform in Lebanon is welcomed by both countries. 

    Qatar and France support the territorial integrity and sovereign rights of the Lebanese people, both Ministers called on all parties to honour the commitments made under the ceasefire reached in November 2024. To this end they called for a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, the complete deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces and their ongoing support to ensure security and achieve State monopoly on arms, assisted by UNIFIL and the supervision mechanism of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, of which France alongside the U.S. participates in. 

    They emphasized their support to the process of change that has begun under the new Lebanese government, aimed at putting Lebanon back on the path of reconstruction, recovery and stability. They expressed their continuing support to the Lebanese Armed Forces and to the UN interim force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) whose action is essential to guarantee the stability of South Lebanon.

    Iran: Both Ministers reaffirmed Qatar and France’s support for a diplomatic solution leading to an agreement that addresses and resolves all international concerns related to Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, in order to preserve the non-proliferation global architecture as well as stability and de-escalation in the Gulf region. They reiterated their support to the ongoing talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America.  They also called on Iran to fully and effectively cooperate with the legitimate requests and work of the International Atomic Energy Agency.   

    Rwanda and eastern DRC: Both ministers emphasised their shared commitment to peace, stability and security in the Great Lakes region. France commended Qatar’s mediation efforts between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and between Congolese authorities and AFC/M23. They stressed the need for parties to continue working towards the conclusion of a ceasefire, as called upon by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2773 (2025). Following its participation, along with the U.S., DRC, Rwanda and Togo, to the Doha meeting on April 30, France recalled its continued support to Qatar’s peace efforts.

    Sudan: Both Ministers resolved to further work together to address the devastating conflict in Sudan. Qatar and France recalled the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2736 (2024) demanding that the Rapid Support Forces halt the siege of El Fasher and calling for an immediate de-escalation. They reaffirmed their support to the unity of the country and called on the warring parties to immediately cease hostilities, abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law, protect civilians, and guarantee full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access. 

    UNOC: Both ministers welcomed the organization of the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France, from 9 to 13 June 2025, inter alia to support a blue carbon economy and the fight against illicit fishing. They praised the treaty on marine biodiversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction on the high seas (BBNJ) as a milestone in the collective protection of the high seas.

    ECONOMY, TRADE AND INVESTMENTS

    Qatar and France emphasized the importance of their growing economic, trade and investment partnership, with a total trade of more than €1.3 billion in 2024. The Ministers highlighted that bilateral trade makes a significant contribution to supporting jobs, innovation, and economic development in both countries.

    The two Ministers reviewed progress on Qatar’s 2024 landmark engagement to invest 10 billion euros into key sectors of the French economy. Qatar’s investment will cover mutually beneficial sectors ranging from food security, digital economy, AI and IT, semiconductors, energy transition, space, Intellectual Property, health, tourism and hospitality and culture. They also welcomed the forthcoming Qatar-France Business Forum as an opportunity for mutual trade growth and investment. They discussed ways to further strengthen their investment partnership and underlined their willingness to facilitate cooperation between the Qatari and French private sectors. They also explored areas of common interest, such as fiscal policy, sustainable finance and public-private partnerships (PPPs).

    Qatar’s innovative investment in France’s semiconductor industry highlights its role in key technology subsectors, including supply chain developments that are also propelling digital and green transformations across vital industries such as AI, mobility, and consumer technology. 

    Both sides discussed ways to further develop their trade and investment partnership, through a Roadmap focused on strategic areas in alignment with the framework of the economic diversification goals stated by Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and in accordance with the economic plan “France 2030.” 

    The French Minister praised Qatar’s ongoing commitment to ensure continued and reliable supplies of energy to Europe, including France and thus contributing to the country’s energy security. 

    DEFENSE, SECURITY AND COUNTERTERRORISM 

    Qatar and France reaffirmed the importance of the defence and security as a foundation stone of their partnership.  This was illustrated by the increase in official-level visits in the last 12 months, and the deepening coordination on an operational level.  

    The Ministers welcomed the implementation of joint defence operational partnership including joint planning, training and military exercises, most recently the Pegase, Al Salam, Al Koot exercises, as well as joint projects in defence industries and innovation and ongoing defence acquisitions including cooperation through both nations’ air forces, facilitated by the common possession of Rafale combat aircrafts. 

    They praised the strategic convergences between Qatar and France, which contribute to enhancing bilateral interactions between the two military institutions. Qatar and France are keen to explore ways to develop new synergies between their armed forces for future defence capabilities. 

    They also explored ways to build on existing links and expand activities on common strategic interests particularly as they contribute to de-escalation and security in the Gulf and the Red Sea.  

    Both Ministers welcomed the robust and long-lasting partnership between their respective security forces, including cooperation and important knowledge-sharing on Mega Sports Events, Crisis Management and Major Event Management, Air and Aviation Security, Cybersecurity and Digital Investigations, and mutual professionalization and capacity-building. 

    They commended the friendship and trust between the French Gendarmerie and the Qatari Lekhwiya celebrating in 2025 the 20th anniversary of their cooperation. They also welcomed the development of a strategic partnership between the French and Qatari national police forces and the establishment of a High Police Committee. They also emphasised building on this cooperation. 

    Both Ministers emphasised that the fight against terrorism remains a key bilateral realm for cooperation. They said that such cooperation is crucial in prevention and countering terrorism and ensuring the safety of their citizens. These efforts reflect the need for a coordinated approach to deal with an ever-evolving set of terrorist threats that transcend national borders. They also agreed to continue their strong partnership in cybersecurity and in combating terrorism, countering violent extremism and illicit financial flows. 

    HUMANITARIAN AND DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

    On humanitarian and international development cooperation, both Ministers affirmed the continuing success of programmatic bilateral cooperation and coordination between their respective implementing agencies including QFFD, EAA, Silatech and AFD.

    Regarding development, both Ministers welcomed the renewal of their bilateral cooperation in this field, building on the signing of two major agreements between the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Qatar Fund for Development, the Education Above All (EAA) foundation and Silatech in February 2024. They expressed their appreciation concerning the first cooperation between AFD and QFFD for an ambitious project to renovate and expand Saint Joseph’s Hospital in East Jerusalem. They welcomed that QFFD and the AFD Group (AFD, Proparco and Expertise France) renewed their commitment to cofinance development projects and agreed to raise the cofinancing target from $50 million to $100 million for the duration of the MoU. In the short term, QFFD and the AFD Group commit to operationalizing the partnership in the following countries where there are pressing needs and discussions have already started on joint priorities: Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. They welcomed that QFFD and AFD Group will also, in the medium term, work on joint global advocacy activities and expand the partnership to innovative finance.

    Both Ministers praised the ongoing discussions between the Crisis and Support Centre of the French ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Qatar Fund for Development to explore possible new areas of dialogue and joint funding, including in the Middle East, Africa and Asia as well as in the field of humanitarian logistics. 

    Following the joint commitment by the Emir of Qatar and the President of the French Republic to dedicate 200 million dollars in 2024 to humanitarian relief in Gaza both Ministers expressed the necessity of answering without delay the urgent needs for aid there. The Ministers also commended the humanitarian impact of joint health relief efforts in Gaza, including medical evacuations, delivery and flow of humanitarian aid, medicines and ambulances. Additionally, they highlighted joint relief efforts in Lebanon to support conflict-affected populations. Recalling these recent successful joint humanitarian operations, both Ministers support a new joint emergency operation to supply medical equipment and medicine to Afghanistan.

    Such cooperation is the embodiment of the longstanding strategic partnership as well as the commitment of Qatar and France to stand by conflict-affected populations.  

    EDUCATION, HEALTH AND SPORTS 

    Both Ministers lauded the strong cooperation in the fields of education, health and sports. On education the Ministers addressed the growing partnership in the field of education, in particular knowledge sharing and research agreements between Qatari and French Institutions of Higher Education (HEI), including Sciences Po and Doha Institute. 

    Cooperation on research and innovation has been boosted by the strong collaboration between Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council (QRDI) and French HEI’s including Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux energies alternatives (CEA), Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM) and HEC Paris. Under the Qatar Open Innovation Scheme French companies have also received QRDI awards and are working in collaboration with Qatar-based SME’s and institutions to make strides in Agricultural Sciences and Medical Healthcare.  

    Qatar and France are looking forward to the signing of the 8th executive program enhancing bilateral cooperation particularly in French language learning, technical, professional and higher education, and mobility of students and teachers. This agreement aims at establishing a steering committee dedicated to learning French from the 9th (third French) class in Qatari public institutions, as well as a steering committee related to the development of university cooperation. Both sides expressed their mutual intention to strengthen their cooperation in higher education and research, promoting exchanges of students and researchers, as well as further exploring joint training and programmes that enable students to achieve their personal and professional goals.

    Qatar and France also expressed their wish to strengthen the sharing of expertise between the medical communities of the two countries, through the rapprochement or exchange of researchers. The minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs expressed his appreciation for the help of Qatar for the recent opening of the World Health Organization Academy in Lyon.The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Al Thani congratulated the Republic of France on its hugely successful hosting of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.  Both sides expressed their willingness to share expertise and knowledge and to continue their cooperation on the positive impact and the legacy of hosting mega sporting events.  In particular, they addressed the ways in which strong commitments in terms of social and environmental issues, including on emissions reduction and carbon absorption, opportunities to promote inclusion and diversity, and combat hate speech, racism and other forms of prejudice and discrimination, is offered by sport. 

    CULTURE, ART, HERITAGE COOPERATION

    Both Ministers welcomed the deep institutional and people-to-people connections forged through shared ties on culture, art and heritage. They recalled the visit in April, at the invitation of the Qatari authorities and HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, of HE Rachida Dati, Minister of Culture of the French Republic. 

    The visit came as part of framework commitments made in the MoU signed in June 2024 between HE Rachida Dati, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, and HE Sheikha Al Mayassa, Chairperson of Qatar Museums. Both Ministers welcomed the signing of 6 partnership agreements in April 2025 between the French Ministry of Culture, Qatar Museums and the cultural institutions of both countries, and pertaining to a broad range of areas of cooperation, in particular training, exhibitions, loans, research, artist residencies, development of image education workshops for young audiences, development of co-productions, support in the creation of a cinematheque. Qatari and French cultural institutions are currently working on the implementation of these agreements.

    The accords include a framework agreement between the French Ministry of Culture and Qatar Museums for professional training in the cultural sector; an agreement between Qatar Museums and the Etablissement public du musée d’Orsay et du musée de l’Orangerie – Valérie Giscard d’Estaing, including research projects, joint exhibition projects, and academic and educational projects. Qatar Museums and the Musée Guimet will proceed on collaboration that includes research, conservation and educational projects dedicated to Asian arts. Qatar Museums also proceeded with a partnership agreement with Manufactures nationales – Sèvres and Mobilier national dedicated to the design and crafts sectors, aiming to strengthen links between French and Qatari designers and craftspeople. Under the framework further Qatar-France agreements include a Memorandum of Understanding between the Doha Film Institute and the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée as well as a Memorandum of understanding between the National Library of Qatar and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. 

    They also welcomed the increased cooperation between the Qatari and French Ministries of Culture, in particular through the forthcoming renewal of the cooperation agreement between the two ministries of Culture.

    Both Ministers reiterated the commitment of their nations to heritage protection, especially in conflict areas, and respect for all relevant international agreements of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

    A SHARED AND RESPONSIBLE FUTURE 

    The State of Qatar and France emphasize the importance of their continued partnership which benefits the interests of both countries and consolidates coordination towards a shared and responsible future.

    Qatar and France look forward to reviewing progress in these areas at the fourth Strategic Dialogue to be held in Doha in 2026.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Vasquez Secures Key Commitments from Ag Secretary Rollins on Rural New Mexico Priorities

    Source: US Representative Gabe Vasquez’s (NM-02)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – On June 11, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) secured key commitments from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to address urgent issues affecting rural New Mexico — including frozen food security funding, wildfire readiness, and broken federal contracts. She also committed to visiting New Mexico and meeting with Rep. Vasquez’s Agriculture Advisory Group. 

    WATCH: REP. VASQUEZ SECURES COMMITMENTS FROM SECRETARY ROLLINS IN HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE

    “I represent one of the largest and most rural districts in the country — a district that elected both me and President Trump,” said Vasquez. “Farmers, ranchers, food banks, and wildfire crews in my district rely on a functioning USDA — not just for support, but for survival.”

    Vasquez raised the abrupt funding freeze to Frontier Food Hub in Silver City, which serves as the only food pantry for hundreds of miles and the only organization supporting small-scale rural producers in the region. Secretary Rollins committed to reviewing the matter and working with Vasquez on food insecurity issues.

    On wildfire preparedness, Vasquez described how essential USDA trail crews responsible for cutting fire lines and maintaining forest access have been laid off ahead of peak fire season in New Mexico. He secured a commitment from Secretary Rollins to assess staffing cuts and their impact on New Mexico’s wildfire response capabilities.

    Vasquez also called on USDA to honor existing agreements with producers and nonprofits and urged support for his Honor Farmers Contracts Act, which would ensure the agency follows through on executed contracts.

    Secretary Rollins accepted Vasquez’s invitation to visit New Mexico’s 2nd District to hear directly from his Agriculture Advisory Group, which consists of producers, hunger advocates, local business owners, and land conservationists throughout NM-02.  

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pallone Blasts Trump Budget for Gutting Emergency Response Funds Ahead of World Cup, Nation’s 250th Anniversary

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

    Elimination of Hospital Preparedness Program Would Cripple NJ’s Emergency Medical Response

    Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today slammed the Trump Administration’s new budget proposal for eliminating the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) – a federal initiative that directly supports New Jersey’s Emergency Medical Services Task Force and ensures the state can respond to mass casualty events.

    “Eliminating this program is reckless,” Pallone said. “The Hospital Preparedness Program is the backbone of New Jersey’s ability to respond to disasters. Without it, we’re flying blind as we prepare for millions of visitors to descend on our region for the World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary. Republicans in Congress should be fighting to protect their communities, not helping Trump gut the systems that keep people alive.”

    Next year, MetLife Stadium will host multiple FIFA World Cup matches and communities across New Jersey are expected to host large public events to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary. Pallone said pulling the plug on the HPP now puts first responders and residents at serious risk.

    The Hospital Preparedness Program, currently administered through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), provides approximately $240 million annually to help states prepare hospitals and EMS systems for large-scale emergencies. In New Jersey, those funds support the NJ EMS Task Force, a nationally recognized team that has coordinated public safety for major events, natural disasters, and mutual aid deployments.

    Pallone, top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is leading efforts in Congress to block the cut and fully restore HPP funding.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Lauren Underwood Delivers Remarks at Homeland Security Subcommittee Markup to Highlight How Republican Funding Bill Weakens National Security and Makes Americans More Vulnerable to Terrorism

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

    WASHINGTON — During today’s House Appropriations subcommittee markup of the 2026 Homeland Security funding bill, Ranking Member Lauren Underwood (IL-14) delivered the following remarks: 

    “Good evening, and thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

    I think we can all agree that whether it is at the border, the airport, our country’s shorelines, or in cyberspace, the Department of Homeland Security cannot fail.  

    But I also believe the Department cannot fail the ideals and values that make America the greatest nation in the world. Under the Trump Administration, DHS is out of control: illegally spending hundreds of millions of our taxpayer dollars and flagrantly violating the rights and civil liberties of Americans. 

    Under this administration, due process and the limitations that the Constitution puts on our government are being ignored, and this bill does nothing to protect Americans from being targeted.  

    It fails to protect American citizens from deportation.  

    It does nothing to protect American citizens from being confronted in their homes and offices, or having their property seized, as this Administration’s deportation policies ignore legal safeguards.  

    It allows ICE agents to continue to grab people in places of worship and in our schools without a warrant, and it punishes legal immigrants who speak their minds all while rewarding for-profit detention centers with billions of taxpayer dollars.  

    As Members of Congress, we have a constitutional responsibility to keep this Administration accountable in both how it spends taxpayer dollars and how it operates.  

    We saw this year after our FEMA hearing what this Department does when anyone speaks truth to power. I am deeply concerned that if this bill passes and the Trump-Noem DHS goes unchecked, the United States of America will become a country that our own citizens will seek refuge from because of the repeated attacks on our basic freedoms and rights.  

    Giving unchecked power to this Administration is bad enough, but unfortunately, the bill makes things worse, by leaving Americans more vulnerable to catastrophic cyber threats and burdening state and local governments. The bill adopts DOGE staffing cuts to CISA and FEMA personnel by roughly $130 million and $93 million, respectively.   

    The burden to respond to the next ransomware attack on your local hospital or deadly hurricane in your district – will increasingly fall to state and local leaders who lack the resources to protect your sensitive health care information from hackers. States don’t have the ability to rebuild after disasters on their own. This bill abandons our neighbors after a crisis.  

    Both the Acting Administrator and the recently named Acting Deputy Administrator of FEMA have little to no emergency management experience.  

    Let me say that again: the two most senior people running FEMA are severely-under qualified at a time when an above-average hurricane season is forecasted, and when the disaster relief fund is already expected to end fiscal year 2025 with an $8 billion deficit.  

    Listen, as recently as last week, the White House had to clean up after the brand new FEMA Administrator was caught supposedly joking about the upcoming hurricane season. We are also heading into wildfire season in the West, and friends, the funding level provided in this bill is insufficient to help us dig out of this hole, and it all but guarantees that FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund will be at a dangerously low level again by next summer. 

    Meanwhile, the White House requested zero dollars to supplement this critical fund that all Americans rely on to recover from major disasters, and fails to acknowledge an urgent $8 billion dollar deficit in the Disaster Relief Fund.  

    The bill fails to address the catastrophic cybersecurity threats facing our critical infrastructure: our hospitals, banks, schools, and secure government systems.  

    And it does nothing to protect Americans from growing attacks on their privacy. The only people who benefit from this bill’s failure to invest here are cybercriminals in China, Russia, and around the world who will now find it easier to attack Americans.  

    Finally, the bill does not include funding for the Citizenship and Integration Program that has been running for more than a decade by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.   

    This initiative funds faith-based organizations and community-focused organizations that help legal immigrants prepare to become citizens by preparing them for the citizenship exam and helping them learn English.  

    Mr. Chairman, we make America stronger and more secure when we make investments in our communities stronger, and when we uphold our values. But this bill does neither, and I cannot support it.   

    Finally, Mr. Chairman, I would like to note for the Record that Ms. Escobar is not able to attend today’s markup due to a canceled flight from Texas. I know she would join me in opposing this bill if she were here and I would like that to be reflected.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: GOLDEN MUSSEL NEWS: Harder Announces New Legislation to Stop Invasion of Stinky, Sludge-Spouting Golden Mussels

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

    First U.S. sighting in the Delta in October, infestation has grown as far south as Kern County

    A single female mussel can produce up to one million offspring a year

     

    WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) introduced legislation with members of the Delta delegation to halt the exploding invasion of golden mussels, a razor-sharp invasive species that spouts sludge, emits a rotting odor, and destroys ecosystems and water infrastructure. The Golden Mussel Eradication and Control Act fights the invasion by deploying new eradication efforts to the Valley.

    The Delta is ground zero for the golden mussel’s continental invasion:

    • The first U.S. sighting of golden mussels occurred near the Port of Stockton just last October, and the infestation now ranges as far south as Kern County.
    • A single female mussel can produce up to one million offspring a year, and in some river systems, they have spread up to 150 miles per year on average.
    • If left unchecked, the infestation could threaten the water supplies relied upon by 27 million Californians and $50 billion in agriculture.

    “Don’t let the name fool you, these golden mussels are sharp, slimy, and stinking invaders that clog our waterways with sludge and threaten our fragile Delta ecosystems. We need to act now to stop their advance,” said Rep. Harder. “This bill protects our waterways and our Delta economy by jumpstarting eradication efforts right now, not when it’s far too late.”

    How the Golden Mussel Eradication and Control Act gets the job done:

    • Deploys a rapid response program to monitor, contain, and begin eradicating the current infestation.
    • Invests in new technology and inspection stations to speed up local eradication efforts.
    • Increases state, local, and federal coordination through a comprehensive report on best practices and new guidance on golden mussel prevention.

    The Golden Mussel Eradication and Control Act is endorsed by the Delta Counties Coalition, which is made up of county supervisors from Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, and Yolo counties.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Pappas Urges Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Permanently Schedule Fentanyl Analogues

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

    Pappas has led the fight in Congress to permanently schedule all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs, securing several extensions of the temporary scheduling measure until permanent measures could be passed.

    Last night Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), a member of the Bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus, urged his colleagues to join him in voting to pass bipartisan legislation to permanently schedule all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs to ensure law enforcement can keep them off the streets and hold drug traffickers accountable. Watch his remarks here.

    On February 6, 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a temporary scheduling order that placed all fentanyl-related substances in Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act for two years. Following Pappas’s leadership, Congress has extended the order several times, and the scheduling of these substances is currently set to expire on September 30, 2025.

    The legislation being considered by the House today, the HALT Fentanyl Act, contains identical key provisions from Pappas’s bipartisan SAFE Act, which he first introduced in the 117th Congress. It will permanently classify any fentanyl-related substance as a Schedule I drug.

    Read his full remarks below or watch the video here:

    Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

    I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the HALT Fentanyl Act when it comes to the floor tomorrow.

    For the past five years, I have engaged with law enforcement, public health experts, and colleagues across the aisle to ensure the scheduling of fentanyl analogues doesn’t lapse and is finally made permanent.

    Permanent scheduling will ensure law enforcement retains important tools they need to tackle the opioid crisis and hold traffickers accountable, tools that have helped drive down drug-related deaths in New Hampshire to its lowest level in 10 years.

    This is thanks to New Hampshire’s all-hands-on-deck approach: pairing enforcement with treatment to bring down both the supply of opioids reaching our communities, as well as the demand for them. 

    There is still work to be done, including getting this bill across the finish line, and restoring vital funding cut by the current administration for treatment and recovery. 

    I will continue fighting to ensure our communities have the support they need to save lives and confront addiction head on.

    I yield back.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Phoenix removes Mexican Noroeste Cartel member

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    NOGALES, Ariz. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed Gerardo Nava-Benitez, a 30-year-old Mexican alien and Noroeste cartel member, June 10.

    ICE transported Nava-Benitez from the Florence Detention Center to the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, where he was transferred to the custody of Mexican authorities.

    “The removal of Nava-Benitez demonstrates the collaborative, whole-of-government approach that ICE supports in protecting the citizens of the U.S.,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Phoenix Field Office Director John Cantu. “Our dedicated officers and partners in law enforcement have worked tirelessly to ensure that such individuals are brought to justice and then removed from the United States.”

    Nava-Benitez was previously expelled to Mexico on four occasions in October and November 2022. He reentered the U.S. illegally in November 2022 and was encountered by ICE at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on March 13, 2024, following an arrest for criminal activity. Thereafter he was placed in immigration proceedings and was ordered removed by an immigration judge in April 2025.

    Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives, transnational gang members or other criminal aliens who are in the U.S. illegally, are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423, or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form.

    For more news and information on how ICE carries out its immigration enforcement mission in Arizona, follow us on X at @ERO__Phoenix.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Will Not Waver in Defending Itself from Federal Overreach: Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration for Attack on California’s Clean Vehicles Program

    Source: US State of California

    LOS ANGELES – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and the California Air Resources Board today led a coalition of 10 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the federal government challenging the unprecedented and unlawful use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to upend California’s clean vehicles program, specifically the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII), Omnibus, and Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) standards. Predicated on illegal actions by the Trump Administration, Congress purported to disapprove the Clean Air Act waivers, granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that allow California to enforce these more stringent, state-level emission standards. In the 50 years since the Clean Air Act was enacted, waivers have never been subject to the CRA.  Nor have any other agency orders that adjudicate requests for permission—such as oil and gas leases or mining permits. Congress’s unprecedented action attempting to invalidate California’s waivers contradicts the non-partisan Government Accountability Office and Senate Parliamentarian, both of whom determined that the CRA process to disapprove federal regulations does not apply to waivers.

    If California is prevented from enforcing these vehicle emission standards, it will result in the loss of significant economic and public health benefits, costing California taxpayers an estimated $45 billion in preventable health care costs. Despite decades of progress, tens of millions of Californians still breathe some of the worst air in the nation—these regulations were specifically designed to change that. Losing these standards would also undermine market certainty for vehicle manufacturers, stifling innovation and job creation, including in the electric vehicle sector, which has been a growing source of high-paying green jobs and investment. 

    “The President’s reckless, politically motivated, and illegal attacks on California continue, this time with his attempt to trample on our longstanding authority to maintain more stringent clean vehicle standards,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The President is busy playing partisan games with lives on the line and yanking away good jobs that would bolster the economy – ignoring that these actions have life or death consequences for California communities breathing dirty, toxic air. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: California will not back down. We will continue to fiercely defend ourselves from this lawless federal overreach.”

    “Trump’s all-out assault on California continues – and this time he’s destroying our clean air and America’s global competitiveness in the process,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “We are suing to stop this latest illegal action by a President who is a wholly-owned subsidiary of big polluters.”

    Motor vehicle emissions contribute to the formation of smog, as well as fine particle pollution and unhealthy levels of air toxics, all of which are linked to premature death, respiratory illness, cardiovascular problems, and cancer, among other serious health impacts. Transportation is also the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country, and cars and trucks account for more than 80% of those transportation emissions. 

    The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set federal emission standards for air pollutants from new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines that cause or contribute to air pollution that endangers public health or welfare. The Clean Air Act allows California to adopt more stringent emission requirements independent from EPA’s regulations, and the Act requires EPA to approve preemption waivers for those requirements absent certain, limited circumstances not present here. Historically, EPA – under both Republican and Democratic administration – has granted California more than 75 preemption waivers for updates to the State’s new motor vehicle emissions control program. As Congress intended, these waivers have allowed California to improve on its vehicle emissions program, which pre-existed the federal government’s efforts to regulate vehicle emissions via the Clean Air Act.

    Consumers are rapidly embracing clean vehicle options. In California alone, over 2 million zero-emission passenger cars have been sold, with clean vehicles now making up 26% of all new car sales. This momentum extends to the medium-and heavy-duty vehicle market as well, where sales have exceeded targets for two consecutive years – well ahead of timelines set by state regulations.

    Since 2023, the EPA granted California three waivers, allowing it to enforce the ACC II, Omnibus and ACT regulations in California. Under ACC II, automakers must continue to sell an increasing number of zero-emission vehicles in California—as they have been for decades. By model year 2035, 80% of the passenger vehicles sold in California must be zero-emission, while the remaining 20% may be plug-in hybrids. Advanced Clean Truck regulations, which aim to accelerate the widespread adoption of zero emission vehicles in the medium and heavy-duty truck sector, are similarly critical for California’s efforts to meet air quality standards and protect public health. By 2040, the Advanced Clean Truck regulations will reduce emissions of NOx by 16.9 tons per day and fine particulate matter emissions by 0.46 tons per day. The Omnibus regulation requires internal combustion heavy-duty trucks sold in California to meet strict standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOx), which are major contributors to smog formation.

    Under the direction of President Trump, the EPA transmitted these waivers to Congress as “rules” in an attempt to invoke CRA procedures, even though all three waivers state EPA’s consistent and longstanding position, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, that waiver decisions are not “rules.” Both the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate illegally used the CRA to “disapprove” of California’s Clean Air Act waivers.

    The complaint filed today alleges that the attempt to invalidate California’s waivers violated constitutional principles of federalism and separation of powers, the Take Care Clause, and multiple federal statutes including the Congressional Review Act and Administrative Procedure Act.  The complaint asks the court to declare the resolutions to be unlawful and to require the Administration to implement the Clean Air Act consistent with the granted waivers. 

    Attorney General Bonta led the lawsuit with the attorneys general of Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

    A copy of the complaint is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Caught on Missouri Highway with 58 Kilograms of Cocaine Pleads Guilty

    Source: US FBI

    ST. LOUIS – A man from Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday admitted being caught with over 58 kilograms of cocaine in a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in Phelps County, Missouri.

    Rene Alejandro Valdivia-Gonzalez, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine. On Sept. 21, 2024, Valdivia-Gonzalez was stopped in a Mercedes Sprinter van by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department for a traffic violation. After receiving consent to search the van, the deputy spotted an after-market compartment that had been installed to create a cavity under the original floorboards. The deputy found rectangular bricks wrapped in plastic and tape that weighed about one kilogram each. Investigators also found bricks hidden behind the dashboard. The 53 bricks contained cocaine weighing a total of 58.85 kilograms.

    Valdivia-Gonzalez, who was living in Phoenix, is scheduled to be sentenced October 2. He faces at least 10 years in prison.

    The Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Celebrates House Passage of His Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Require Baby Changing Stations on Amtrak Trains 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined U.S Representatives Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02) this week in celebrating the House passage of the bipartisan, bicameral Baby Changing on Board Act. This bill would require each Amtrak train to be outfitted with baby changing stations in all accessible restrooms and to post adequate signage indicating their availability. The Baby Changing on Board Act directs Amtrak to utilize current funding streams to install baby changing stations on new cars until Amtrak can meet a minimum service requirement. 
    “A lack of safe and sanitary spaces for parents to care for their children while traveling can make any journey more challenging. Longer train rides can be especially stressful for parents who need to utilize baby changing stations more than once when riding the rails. While some trains are equipped with these crucial facilities, Amtrak can—and must—do more to increase access to these private, sanitary spaces to care for their children,” said Senator Welch. “The House’s passage of our bipartisan bill brings us one step closer to ensuring a smooth ride for rail passengers with infants.” 
    “The route from Memphis to New Orleans – the main Amtrak route used by Tennesseans – is almost nine hours, meaning families need access to changing facilities for their children,” said Senator Blackburn. The Baby Changing on Board Act would ensure that families traveling by Amtrak are supported with baby changing stations in all accessible restrooms.” 
    “Parents and caregivers shouldn’t have to worry about whether there’s a safe, clean place to care for their kids while traveling,” said Rep. Underwood. “I am so pleased that this legislation has passed the House and is now one step closer to becoming law. This common-sense, bipartisan legislation is a practical and necessary step to make sure families have access to the amenities they need on Amtrak.” 
    “Ensuring families have access to baby changing stations in Amtrak train cars is a simple, common-sense solution that will make a world of difference,” said Rep. Van Drew. “As a parent myself, I know how important it is for families traveling with young children to feel comfortable and supported during their journeys. By tapping into existing funding to put in these stations, we are meeting a real need and making travel a lot easier for parents and their little ones. Every family deserves that kind of support on their journeys.” 
    The Baby Changing on Board Act is endorsed by A Better Balance, MomsRising Together, and the National Women’s Law Center. 
    In Fiscal Year 2024, Amtrak set an all-time ridership record with 32.8 million passenger trips and operated routes connecting 46 states, Washington D.C. and two Canadian provinces. The average duration of a trip on Amtrak’s most traveled route, the Northeast Regional, can last between 3.5 and 8 hours, from D.C. to New York and from D.C. to Boston, respectively. Amtrak’s longest route, connecting Los Angeles to Chicago, can take passengers 65 hours to travel. Parents and families who are traveling often need to change a newborn child’s diaper every two hours, making accessible, safe, and comfortable changing facilities essential.  
    Learn more about the Baby Changing on Board Act.  
    Read the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Introduces Legislative Package to Protect American Way of Life from Communist China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced a legislative package of four bills that would counter malicious efforts to disrupt American prosperity by Communist China and other adversaries. The package includes the No Capital Gains Allowance for Americans Adversaries Act, the PRC Military and Human Rights Capital Markets Sanctions Act, the No China in Index Funds Act, and the Protecting Endowments from our Adversaries Act (PEOAA). This legislative package limits the ability of adversaries like Communist China from taking advantage of America’s economic strength and tax benefits intended for Americans.
    “Communist China is the greatest threat to the American way of life,” said Ricketts. ”Communist China is actively threatening a rules-based system that has maintained peace and prosperity for over 80 years. America’s markets are supposed to benefit Americans. We can’t allow our markets to fund our adversaries like Communist China.”
    The No Capital Gains Allowance for Americans Adversaries Act would:
    Treat capital gains on all Chinese, Russian, Belarusian, Iranian, and North Korean stocks as ordinary income. Such investments would then not be eligible for the lower capital gains tax rates.
    Eliminate the “step-up in basis” for Chinese, Russian, Belarusian, Iranian, and North Korean assets inherited at death – which reduces an heir’s tax liability by ignoring gains that occurred before inheritance.
    Direct the Securities and Exchange Commission to maintain a public list of securities covered by this Act and require that sellers of covered securities disclosure to customers that sales of those securities will be treated as ordinary income.
    The PRC Military and Human Rights Capital Markets Sanctions Act would:
    Direct the President to compile and maintain a single public list of sanctioned companies and their affiliates.
    These lists include those that target human rights violators, including companies that utilize coerced labor in production, companies that proliferate dangerous technologies, and those that have connections to the Chinese military and intelligence services.

    Prevent U.S. persons from purchasing, selling, or holding:
    A publicly-traded security issued by a sanctioned company or affiliate of the sanctioned company;
    A publicly-traded security that is a derivative of a publicly issued security issued by a sanctioned company or affiliate of the sanctioned company;
    A security that provides investment exposure to a publicly-traded security issued by a sanctioned company or affiliate of the sanctioned company.

    Give a U.S. person 180 days after enactment to divest from the prohibited securities.
    The No China in Index Funds Act would:
    Prohibit index funds from investing in Chinese companies and require them to divest from such investments within 180 days after date of enactment.
    The Protecting Endowments from Our Adversaries Act (PEOAA) would:
    Apply to private college and university endowments over $1,000,000,000
    Disincentivize endowments from investing (directly or indirectly) in adversarial entities that are on any of the following US Government Lists (USG):
    Entity List
    Military End User (MEU) List
    Unverified List
    FCC Covered List

    Impose a 50% excise tax on the principal investment at the time of acquisition if an endowment invests in a company that is listed.
    Impose a 100% excise tax on the realized gains derived from listed investments one year after an entity is listed.
    BACKGROUND:
    Other countries have investment incentives not applicable to some foreign investments. For instance, China provides investment incentives through its tax code, but foreign investments are eligible only with the pre-approval of the Chinese government.
    Companies that have their business relations with the United States cut off or strictly restricted should not be allowed to sell securities in the U.S., or to U.S. persons, whether directly or indirectly through a mutual fund or ETF.
    Index mutual funds minimize their expenses by simply investing in all the companies in a certain market sector, without looking closely at the individual companies. There are unique difficulties in evaluating the risks of investing in Chinese companies. Americans should not invest in these companies without carefully evaluating the risk. This bill will keep these hard-to-evaluate Chinese stocks out of index mutual funds.
    University and college endowments are funds or assets donated to support various activities of the institution. These institutions often invest billions from their endowments into organizations and companies listed on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List. While maintaining a tax advantage, endowments can fund these entities even if they pose national security concerns.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville Joins “Kudlow” to Discuss President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business Network to discuss President Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” and how the Senate needs to pass it quickly to enact historic tax cuts for Americans. Senator Tuberville also discussed the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers and shared how President Trump’s tariffs are delivering positive results in Alabama.  

    Excerpts from Senator Tuberville’s interview can be found below and the full interview can be found on Rumble or YouTube. 

    KUDLOW: “Joining us now is Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, [the] great Senator Tommy Tuberville. Senator, welcome back as always. I just wanna try this thesis out in you. Mr. Trump acted so decisively to stop the riots in Los Angeles, to protect the work of ICE, to keep the deportations going, to make it very clear that criminals would be thrown into jail, if you spit on somebody, you’re going to jail, etc., etc. That was a big win, I mean, I think it was a big win and a big loss for Democrats. But here’s my questions there. I think that kind of action, which is so popular—it’s like an 80/20 issue—plays into passage of the one big, beautiful bill because people want promises made, promises kept. They want the Trump agenda, and they see that he is unhesitatingly defending the Trump agenda on which he was elected last November. What you think? I’m going from LA to one big, beautiful bill.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, if you just think about this summer coming up, it’s probably gonna be the ‘summer of hate’ instead of the ‘summer of love,’ Larry. We got huge problems. 1,400 protests just this weekend, but at the end of the day, President Trump never hesitated with this. He goes in—this is a third world country run by a communist governor. And the guy should be in jail, and also the mayor. This is an absolute disgrace. The American people—actually the citizens of California—should be treated a lot better than this. But at the end of the day, it is really gonna help, I think, also, as you said, coming back to the big, beautiful bill, President Trump means business. If you look at this bill, about ¾ of it is tax cuts for all Americans. Tax cuts.”

    KUDLOW: “Mhmm.”

    TUBERVILLE: “And that’s what we need. We gotta get that done. The other—there’s some things in there, that I don’t agree with all of it—a little bit too much spending, but the one thing we have to get done is the tax cuts and all those other things will work itself out as we go through this bill and another reconciliation down the road. But, yeah, President Trump means business. He knows what he’s doing. He’s got huge backing from really smart people like [Secretary Scott] Bessent and [Secretary Howard] Lutnick, and all the people that are working, all the trade and tariff deals. I’m fired up about the big, beautiful bill being passed here in the very near future.”

    KUDLOW: “I mean, you—look, you’ve probably seen some of these numbers from the White House Legislative Affairs, but a 15% tax cut to working families, [has] 82% [support], [support for the] child tax credit [is even] higher, [at] 81% percent. Ending taxes on tips, [has] 77% [support] to 18% [non-support]. Cutting taxes on overtime, [has] 74% [support] to 18% [non-support]. I mean, these are like 75% to 80% [support] to 20% [non-support] issues. You know what they’re like, Senator. They’re like law and order, punishing criminals, or deporting murderers and sex traffickers[which are all popular issues]. They’re 80/20 issues too. And I’m just saying, to me it all kind of comes together—I know LA seems a long way from one big, beautiful bill, but in the public’s mind, the guy they hired to be president is doing what folks want, and I think there’s been momentum. That’s why I wanna get the one big, beautiful bill done as soon as possible, sir.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Exactly. Take our country back like he’s doing in California. Take our economy back like he’s gonna do with this bill. This bill is gonna help a lot of people, Larry, and it’s gonna build growth. You know, just last week, I talked to a group in Alabama that President Trump saved 300 jobs at this manufacturing textile mill because of what he did with tariffs.” 

    KUDLOW: “Mhmm.”

    TUBERVILLE: “That’s gonna happen. Biden, Obama, Clinton, they all sold our manufacturing out. Anywhere you drive in this country, you’re gonna see manufacturing plants that are just old, dilapidated. Nobody’s working there—small towns gone to heck in a hand basket. But at the end of the day, President Trump means business. He’s gonna get people to come back. He’s gonna tariff everybody that’s against this country, especially China. And we’re gonna get manufacturing back and take care of ourself instead of other people.”

    KUDLOW: “Well, you know, full cost expense is gonna help that. But the bigger story is the tariff inflation is missing in action. And I think these exporting countries with their unfair trading practices—you know, Senator, I think they’re eating the tariff. That’s what I think is happening because there’s no inflation. It’s only 1.4% for the past four months. That’s remarkable. Every economist practically in the liberal media was completely wrong.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, the Democrats have been hollering, ‘Chicken little, the sky is falling. The sky is falling,’ and all we have to do is look at really what’s going on and everything is getting better. You know, we might not have improved a lot, but we haven’t tanked like the Democrats were expecting because look at all the things we’re having to go through, the tariffs, the wars, all these protests. They’re doing everything they can to slow President Trump down. It’s not working. He’s not listening to the nonsense anymore. The media can do what they want to, but he’s gonna do exactly what he told American people he’s gonna do. He’s gonna stick with it. He’s got a game plan. And I’m looking forward to this game plan continuing on. When we get these tax cuts done, the country is gonna take off in the right direction, and you don’t have to worry about inflation. We’re gonna be on the way up.”

    KUDLOW: “Senator Tuberville, President Trump is hinting at putting in a new Fed chairman. I mean, this guy, Jay Powell, should have been cutting rates with the absence of inflation. How about you running the Federal Reserve System? A commonsense guy like you—businessman, you know the farm community. We need somebody. I know your eye—you got your eye on the Alabama governorship. I got the Federal Reserve checked off for you.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, the one thing I will tell you and [you] hit it on one of those ideas there, Larry. The interest rates are killing our farmers. We’re gonna lose our farmers if we don’t get this interest rate down. It’s costing them a fortune. They can’t make a profit. And what happens when we lose our farmers like we did manufacturing, we’re gone go south. And we cannot allow that to happen. We gotta protect our farmers. Yeah, let’s drop the interest rates. Drop them now. They were way too high for way too long.”

    KUDLOW: “Senator Tommy Tuberville, that’s the best. Thank you for your wisdom, sir.”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Experts Agree: Trump’s Trade War Is Short-Term Pain With No Long-Term Gain

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    06.12.25

    Cantwell, Experts Agree: Trump’s Trade War Is Short-Term Pain With No Long-Term Gain

    “We’re really going to hurt our long-term competitiveness as a nation from doing this,” says Cantwell

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, participated in a spotlight forum on tariffs hosted by Democratic senators.

    At the forum, Sen. Cantwell questioned witnesses about the long-term damage that President Trump’s trade war is inflicting on America’s long-term competitiveness.

    “We should be doubling down now on workforce training. Instead, we’re throwing it into cost and chaos, and so we’re really going to hurt our long-term competitiveness as a nation from doing this,” said Sen. Cantwell. “So, we’re not getting any short-term gain. Nobody’s going to make any money here.”

    “Senator, you’re absolutely right,” responded Adam Posen, President of the nonpartisan Peterson Institute for International Economics. “Even if our goal is to create more manufacturing or good jobs […], you can’t compete in manufacturing if you’re further up the value chain, where the better jobs are, if you can’t substitute for these imports at any reasonable price.”

    “This is short-term pain and long-term pain,” added Thea Lee, Economist and Former Deputy Undersecretary for International Labor Affairs. “There is no short-term pain for the long-term gain, because we are destroying the rules-based system.”

    This week, Sen. Cantwell joined 30 Senators in filing an amicus brief in a key case, Oregon v. Department of Homeland Security, challenging the Trump Administration’s abuse of emergency powers to impose global tariffs.

    In April, Sen. Cantwell introduced the bipartisan Trade Review Act of 2025 to reaffirm Congress’ key role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy, and reestablish limits on the president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs. Her bill has since picked up 12 additional cosponsors – an equal mix of Republicans and Democrats – and been endorsed by multiple major U.S. business organizations, including the National Retail Federation, which is the largest retail trade association in the world. House members also introduced a bipartisan companion bill.

    On April 16, Sen. Cantwell joined nine local business owners and leaders at the Port of Seattle to push back against the Trump administration’s chaotic tariffs-first trade policy. On May 29, she gathered stakeholders at the Port of Seattle again to respond to the chaos caused by President Donald Trump scrambling to keep his draconian tariffs in place amid court challenges.

    “American businesses need a rules-based trade system. That means American families would have the certainty, not chaos and not higher prices. We know this: That when you start trade wars, usually that means you end up closing markets,” Sen. Cantwell said in at the May 29 press conference.

    In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries. More information about how those tariffs will affect consumers and businesses in the State of Washington can be found HERE.  

    For the past four months, President Trump has been sowing economic chaos across the country with unpredictable and ever-changing tariff announcements. His back-and-forth announcements and actions have whipsawed American businesses and consumers, as well as close neighbors and allies.

    Federal Reserve Chairman Powell recently warned, “What looks likely, given the scope and scale of the tariffs, is that … the risks to higher inflation, higher unemployment have increased.”  This week, the Federal Reserve issued its “beige book” report, which found that all 12 Federal Reserve Districts “indicated that higher tariff rates were putting upward pressure on costs and prices.”  Today, the World Bank also said that because of a “substantial rise in trade barriers,” it is cutting its forecast for U.S. economic growth in 2025 in half, while also cutting its estimate for global economic growth, and warned that the world economy “is once more running into turbulence” and “Without a swift course correction, the harm to living standards could be deep.’’

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Miller Participates in Ways and Means Committee Hearing with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) participated in a Ways and Means committee hearing with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The Congresswoman focused her comments on the success of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill in fixing the Democrat-imposed 1099-K $600 reporting threshold and Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs. A video of the Congresswoman’s questions followed by Secretary Bessent’s responses can be found here and is transcribed below. 

    Congresswoman Miller began by voicing support for the One, Big, Beautiful Bill’s inclusion of her Saving Gig Economy Taxpayers Act and asking Secretary Bessent about how reverting back to the time-tested standard of $20,000 and 200 transactions for 1099-K will positively affect taxpayers.

    “One of my top priorities in the tax package is to repeal the Democrat’s absurd 1099-K threshold. Under the Biden Administration, Democrats changed the time-tested standard of $20,000 and 200 transactions to $600 when determining whether a taxpayer receives a 1099-K or not. Before this committee, your predecessor acknowledged that this new threshold would be difficult to administer and lead to the taxpayer’s confusion. Instead of working with us to fix it, the Biden Treasury unconstitutionally delayed implementation and then changed the threshold to try and ease the taxpayer’s confusion in the election year. Unfortunately, there are still millions more 1099-K forms that were sent out and Republicans have worked to restore the 1099-K threshold to the time-tested standard of $20,000 and 200 transactions by including my Saving Gig Economy Taxpayers Act in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill. Can you shed some light on how this policy and others being produced from your Department will make life easier for taxpayers?” asked Congresswoman Carol Miller.
     
    “Representative, thank you for discussing these very important issues. As I said, I believe the underappreciated part of President Trump’s economic plan is the deregulation and what you were describing, the cutting back on paperwork that putting thresholds at proper level, is indeed deregulation, lower paperwork. And I think you correctly pointed out that the previous administration, I’m not sure that anyone ever signed […] the front of a paycheck or the back of a paycheck. I think they mostly received direct deposit from the US government because they’re always government employees. So, if you have never made payroll, if you were not processing paperwork, you don’t understand the costs that are inherent in this. If you are a small business person, if you or someone with a lawn care business. [… A]s you said, we have a completely new economy today with the gig economy, whether it is Uber drivers, delivery people, the contract workers who work from home […] in programming fields. So I think that it was tone deaf, completely tone deaf for the nature of the new economy,” replied Secretary Bessent.

    Congresswoman Miller concluded by sharing her support for President Trump’s ongoing trade negotiations and requested Secretary Bessent’s support to secure fairness for America’s domestic steel industry.
     
    “I also want to voice my support for the ongoing trade negotiations that the President and you are working on. For too long, our trusted trade partners have quietly taken advantage of the United States. I am a firm believer that trade truly is the great equalizer and a powerful tool to bring the world together. However, that tool can’t be used effectively if there isn’t fairness within trade deals. I am particularly interested in the domestic steel industry. West Virginia has been producing quality steel for decades, some in my hometown of Huntington, and my district is currently ramping up steel production even further with addition of new mills in Mason County. I am very supportive of the Section 232 tariffs on steel that the President has pursued and am eager to work together with the administration to ensure that a level playing field is also applied to the U.S.-U.K. Economic Prosperity Deal. The U.K. has a history of subsidizing its steel industry – which in turn often undercuts our domestic steel producers. Secretary Bessent, can you commit to continuing working to secure fairness for our domestic steel industry across trade deals?” asked Congresswoman Carol Miller.

    “Representative Miller, I had the privilege of being with the President at the U.S. steel factory in Pittsburgh a week ago Friday, and I can tell you that the President’s commitment to the U.S. steel industry is unwavering [and] that we are bringing back domestic production. And that what we have seen, and one of the previous questions about ‘is China a reliable partner?’, what we have seen during COVID since then is that there are strategic industries, strategic industries in the United States where we must have an industrial base, and I would put steel in the top three,” replied Secretary Bessent. 
     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Cohen Introduces the National Emergencies Reform Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, today introduced the National Emergencies Reform Act. The measure would rebalance the power dynamic between Congress and the Executive branch by permitting a president to declare a national emergency for 30 days and require a vote of Congress to extend it beyond that time.

    Congressman Cohen held hearings in 2019 on the National Emergencies Act of 1976 when he served as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. He continues to partner with Congressman Chip Roy on the Assuring Robust, Thorough, and Informed Congressional Leadership is Exercised Over National Emergencies (ARTICLE ONE) Act which also requires Congress to vote and affirmatively extend an emergency.  The ARTICLE ONE Act passed out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in September 2024.

    Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

    “A ‘national emergency’ that goes on for years or even decades is not an emergency; it’s the new normal. Congress must reclaim the significant legislative power it surrendered and establish a mechanism for authorizing the extension of these declarations, or for shutting them down. Particularly when the rationale for declaring a national emergency appears patently baseless or dubious, Congress must have the power to end the lawlessness.”

    The National Emergencies Reform Act would limit the President’s emergency powers, automatically ending emergencies unless Congress extends them. Further, it includes provisions that require the President to disclose Presidential Emergency Action Documents (PEADs) to Congress.  The National Emergencies Reform Act was included in the Protecting Our Democracy Act, which passed the House on December 9, 2021.  

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Cohen Says Budget Proposal is a “Big Deadly Bill”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) went to the House floor this evening to deliver a speech on the budget bill the House passed last week and the Senate is considering. In his remarks, he said in part:

    “My father was a physician. One of the things he was taught in medical school, as part of the Hippocratic Oath, was ‘Do No Harm.’ Our budgets are doing a great deal of harm to our health care system. The Association of Medical Colleges came out with a statement yesterday that our heath care is in ‘existential crisis’ because of the cuts to research and the cuts to graduate medical education; that our medical schools will suffer, the number of doctors that are produced will suffer. And that’s not even to mention the needs of the people by taking away their Medicaid, their ACA, taking away that health care. Do No Harm. This bill is a big, deadly bill. People will die because of it. We’re not putting money to the NIH that does the research to protect us from cancer, from Alzheimer’s, from Parkinson’s, heart disease and diabetes – the diseases that kill us. The NIH is our Department of Defense. Francis Collins did a great job; left it in good hands. Do No Harm”

    See the speech here.

    # # # 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scalise Talks FBI Politicization

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Newsmax ahead of tonight’s Congressional Baseball Game to discuss the FBI falsely classifying the 2017 shooting as ‘suicide by cop’ and how Kash Patel has worked to release information around the incident to correct the record. Leader Scalise also outlined how the One Big Beautiful Bill unlocks economic growth by preventing a $4.5 trillion tax hike on American families and secures the border by funding more ICE agents.

    Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview. 
    On this year’s Congressional Baseball Game:“Well, feeling really good. Tonight, I drop all the titles, and I’m the leadoff batter for the team. And you know, we’re focused. We’ve been practicing. We want to win the game. We’re going to raise over two and a half million dollars for charity. So it’s a lot of fun. It’s a really good cause, but we’re competitive people, so we play to win, and we’re in the big league ballpark. We already are halfway there.”  On the transparency of Kash Patel’s FBI:“Well, I’m really glad and appreciative that Kash Patel got the facts out, because there were a lot of things not only suppressed, there were inaccuracies, deliberate inaccuracies, in the original report. They tried to call it suicide by cop. The gunman came out there, and he wasn’t only trying to kill all of us. He tried to kill the two cops that were with me once he found out they were cops because they were [dressed in] plain clothes, he didn’t know they were cops. And then he tried to kill them as he was trying to kill us. So, where the FBI got that original classification, we were furious about that. Kash and others changed it to what it was – domestic terrorism. But he’s also getting other facts out that I didn’t even know about the shooter. And so I think it’s good for the public to really see the full picture. You know why? The original FBI, back then in 2017 tried to change the narrative, tried to suppress facts, to say it wasn’t even politically motivated when it was clearly politically motivated. You know, call it what it is. I mean, their job should be to get the facts out wherever the facts lead. They didn’t do that in 2017. Kash Patel is getting them back to their original mission, and I appreciate it.”On securing President Trump’s agenda through reconciliation: “Look, I mean, we had a lot of internal conversations. Once Democrats walked away and said, because it’s President Trump’s signature achievement, Democrats decided they didn’t want to be a part of it, and that’s a shame, because this bill prevents a four-and-a-half trillion dollar tax hike on American families. So we came together as Republicans and said, if this is going to get done, and it has to get done, then it’s going to be us who does it. And so we put coalitions together. We built a really good coalition of members when we can only lose two votes or three votes at certain points, and then we got it done and sent it to the Senate.“You know, this is a really, really important bill. It’s One Big Beautiful Bill, but it has all of President Trump’s priorities – no tax increases, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime. You know, you think about producing more energy in America. President Trump ran on it. We deliver. Having border security. You look at what’s going on in LA right now. You know, they’re waving foreign flags in American cities. President Trump said, I’m securing the border, and he’s done most of it, but he needs more money from Congress now to build the wall, to hire more Border Patrol and ICE agents. That’s in this bill, by the way, that’s another reason every Democrat voted no, is because we hire more ICE agents. They want to defund ICE. Does any American want to literally turn the streets of America over to hardened criminals from foreign countries? So all of that is in this bill. It will get our economy moving again. We’ve got to get it done. I don’t think the Senate is going to make a lot of big changes just because they have the same dynamics on their side. No Democrats will vote for it, so only Republicans are going to get it done. They just need to keep it moving, get it to his desk by July 4th so we can turn America around.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS AND SENATOR DURBIN INTRODUCE CLASS ACT TO GIVE STUDENTS CHEATED BY FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES THEIR DAY IN COURT

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (43rd District of California)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) today reintroduced bicameral legislation designed to strengthen students’ ability to hold for-profit colleges accountable in court for their misconduct.  The Court Legal Access and Student Support (CLASS) Act would enhance accountability for for-profit colleges and safeguard taxpayer dollars by prohibiting an institution of higher education from receiving Title IV federal student aid if the school’s enrollment agreement requires mandatory arbitration or otherwise restricts students’ ability to pursue claims against the school in court.

    “For decades, for-profit colleges have used the fine print in student enrollment agreements to force students to give up their rights to go to court over the predatory behavior of these institutions,” said Durbin.  “Students should have the right to hold for-profit colleges responsible for defrauding them in court.  I’m reintroducing the CLASS Act with Congresswoman Waters to end the for-profit college industry’s ability to use this shady practice to evade accountability.”

    “I am proud to reintroduce the CLASS Act with Senator Durbin to hold predatory for-profit colleges accountable when they defraud students,”said Waters, the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee.  “The for-profit college industry is rife with bad actors that lure potential students into expensive academic programs, while knowingly and fraudulently misrepresenting the quality of the programs.  These unscrupulous schools then use mandatory arbitration clauses to prevent students from taking them to court, thereby shielding themselves from being held responsible for wrongdoing.  Our legislation will ensure that defrauded students retain the right to sue predatory schools and have their day in court.”

    Specifically, the CLASS Act would enhance the accountability of for-profit colleges and safeguard taxpayer dollars by:

    1. Prohibiting an institution of higher education from receiving federal student aid if the school’s enrollment agreement requires mandatory arbitration or restricts students’ ability to pursue claims against the school in court; 
       
    2. Ensuring that the Federal Arbitration Act, which governs the enforcement of arbitration proceedings, would not apply to student enrollment agreements;
       
    3. Taking effect one year after enactment to allow schools to make any necessary changes; and
       
    4. Exempting legitimate non-profit colleges and universities because these institutions do not include mandatory arbitration clauses in their enrollment agreements.  The CLASS Act thus squarely focuses on schools that might seek to profit off of students while hiding from accountability in a court of law.

    Along with Durbin, the CLASS Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Fetterman (D-PA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).  

    The bill has earned the endorsement of Consumer Action; The Institute for College Access and Success; National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients); National Association for College Admission Counseling; Veterans Education Success; National Association of Consumer Advocates; American Association for Justice; Center for Justice and Democracy; Woodstock Institute; Public Justice; Earthjustice; Public Citizen; The National Employment Lawyers Association; Americans for Financial Reform; National Consumers League; Consumer Federation of America; Young Invincibles; and Center for Responsible Lending.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –