NewzIntel.com

Category: United States of America

  • MIL-OSI Security: Anchorage attorney arrested, charged with drug trafficking, firearm offenses

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    The FBI is seeking additional information.

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A suspended member of the Alaska Bar was arrested today after a federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging him with maintaining a drug-involved premise for the purpose of distributing and using controlled substances, and with possessing firearms as a prohibited person and in furtherance of drug trafficking.

    According to court documents, in June 2023, law enforcement became aware of Justin Facey, 44, and his alleged facilitation of a drug trafficking organization run by a California prisoner, Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez.

    Sanchez-Rodriguez was indicted on federal drug trafficking and murder charges in October 2023, and to date, over 60 other defendants have been charged in connection with the Sanchez-Rodriquez drug trafficking organization.

    Facey allegedly continued his own drug trafficking operations after the indictment of Sanchez-Rodriguez and other co-conspirators. The indictment against Facey alleges that between April 2024 and 2025, he utilized his residence in Anchorage to distribute and use controlled substances, namely fentanyl and methamphetamine. It also alleges that on April 30, 2025, Facey possessed four firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.

    The indictment further alleges that Facey unlawfully possessed firearms knowing that he was addicted to methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.

    Court documents explain that Facey was suspended from practicing law on Feb. 24, 2025, following numerous bar complaints.

    Facey is charged with one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of firearms by a prohibited person. The defendant is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on May 22, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces between five years to life in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting U.S. Attorney William Narus of the District of Oregon, Special Agent in Charge David Reames of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Seattle Field Division and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska has been recused from this case with the exception of certain personnel. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven D. Clymer from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York has been appointed as Special Attorney to the United States Attorney General to assist with this and other recused cases.  He reports to and acts under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, or his delegee, or Acting U.S. Attorney Narus in these cases. Special Attorney Clymer supervises personnel from the District of Alaska who have been exempted from the recusal.

    The DEA Anchorage District Office and FBI Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Anchorage Police Department, are investigating the case.  If anyone has information concerning Facey’s alleged actions, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Alexander and Jennifer Ivers are prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: China urges US to abandon ‘Golden Dome’ for global strategic stability

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Wednesday urged the United States to give up developing and deploying global anti-missile system, and take concrete actions to enhance strategic trust between major countries and uphold global strategic stability.

    Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks in response to the U.S. plan to build the “Golden Dome” missile shield over the United States.

    Mao said “Golden Dome” intends to create an unconstrained, global, multi-layer and multi-domain missile defense system, adding that it plans to expand the U.S. arsenal of means for combat operations in outer space, including research and development (R&D) and deployment of orbital interception systems.

    “That gives the project a strong offensive nature and violates the principle of peaceful use in the Outer Space Treaty. The project will heighten the risk of turning the space into a war zone and creating a space arms race, and shake the international security and arms control system,” she said.

    Mao said this is yet another “America First” initiative that puts the U.S.’s absolute security above all else, adding that it violates the principle of “undiminished security for all” and will hurt global strategic balance and stability.

    “China is gravely concerned,” the spokesperson noted.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump confronts South African president with conspiracy claims

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    U.S. President Donald Trump confronted visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday with conspiracy theories on “white genocide” in South Africa, which Ramaphosa firmly denied.

    During their meeting in the Oval Office, Trump accused South Africa of “white genocide” and unfair land seizures, and then unexpectedly presented a video and a stack of printed news articles which he said proved his allegations.

    Ramaphosa, who arrived in Washington in hopes of improving trade terms and easing bilateral tensions, rejected Trump’s assertions during the meeting. He refuted the notion that white South Africans are fleeing the country due to racist policies. He said there was crime in South Africa and the majority of victims were Black.

    News outlets were shocked by Trump’s rudeness, saying most of the information that he used during the meeting to try to prove that “white genocide” was happening in South Africa had “repeatedly been disproven.”

    “Of the laundry list of conspiracy theories brought out at Trump’s meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa today, almost everything has been debunked. Some South Africans have said that they believe that the information is ‘AfriForum propaganda’ — a White Afrikaner lobby group criticized as being a White nationalist group,” the CNN reported.

    The clash came at a time of strained relations between the two countries. Since Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act into law in January, Trump has criticized the land reform law for “discriminating” against the country’s white people.

    In recent months, Trump has repeatedly criticized South Africa, most notably by canceling the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief funding and claiming that a “genocide” against white South Africans is underway, an allegation denied by the South African government.

    In March, the United States expelled then South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, further straining their relations. The expulsion came after Rasool addressed a webinar organized by the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, commenting on the Trump administration.

    “What Donald Trump is launching is an assault on incumbency, those who are in power, by mobilizing a supremacism against the incumbency at home and I think I’ve illustrated abroad as well,” Rasool said during the webinar.

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Trump would not participate in the upcoming meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) leaders in South Africa later this year.

    “We decided not to participate in this year’s G20 hosted by South Africa, either at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or at the level of the president, and this was largely due to some of these issues that they put on their agenda and which, as we think, they do not reflect the priorities of this administration,” Rubio told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

    South Africa has pushed back against the Trump administration’s accusations, saying the executive order of freezing aid “lacks factual accuracy and fails to recognize South Africa’s profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid.”

    “We are concerned by what seems to be a campaign of misinformation and propaganda aimed at misrepresenting our great nation. It is disappointing to observe that such narratives seem to have found favor among decision-makers in the United States of America,” said the country’s Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation in a statement in February. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Bellingham to miss start of season after shoulder surgery

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Real Madrid’s England midfielder, Jude Bellingham looks likely to miss the first six weeks of the 2025-26 La Liga season due to an operation to cure a longstanding shoulder injury.

    Jude Bellingham (L) of Real Madrid vies with Clement Lenglet of Atletico de Madrid during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg football match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid in Madrid, Spain, on March 12, 2025. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

    The Athletic and the BBC both reported that the 21-year-old will have the operation after the Club World Cup which will be played in the United States in June and July and where his side is the one of the favorites.

    Bellingham has struggled with his shoulder problem since 2023 when he injured it in a La Liga match with Rayo Vallecano and has had to play with a strapping to prevent further damage.

    The midfielder scored only 14 goals in 52 games this seaon, compared with 23 goals in 43 appearances in his debut campaign with the Spanish giant.

    If Bellingham has the operation in the middle of July, he will miss the pre-season and around six weeks of the next La Liga campaign. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Congressman Krishnamoorthi Speaks with Illinois Food Distributors and Farmers on Reckless Trump Tariffs

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

    SCHAUMBURG – This weekend, the Chicago Sun-Times highlighted Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s (D-IL) recent tour of Illinois food distributors and farms, where he spoke to business leaders, farmers, and distributors who are feeling the negative impacts of President Donald Trump’s reckless trade war. During his April 24 tour, Congressman Krishnamoorthi visited Testa Produce in Chicago and Kindred Farms in Atlanta, Illinois, to speak about how President Trump’s tariff policies are causing higher prices for families and stretching the bottom lines of small and local agricultural and business producers.

    “We’re not going to grow bananas in the U.S. or coffee. But it feels like food is being used as a weapon,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “It shouldn’t be used as a weapon, especially when everybody needs it.”

    Congressman Krishnamoorthi’s comments were echoed by local agricultural and business leaders, who spoke in detail about how the tariffs are shrinking margins, inflating input costs, and throwing a wrench into supply chains.

    “Many customers are wondering how this will all end. I don’t have answers for them,” Peter Testa, CEO of Testa Produce, said. “There’s mass confusion.”

    “We’re just out here, caught in the crossfire,” Ron Kindred, owner of Kindred Farms and chairman of the Illinois Soybean Association, said. “[Tariffs] drive the price of everything up.”

    Illinois is the number one soybean-producing state in the country, with over 60 percent of the soybeans exported to countries such as China and Taiwan. However, price volatility and retaliatory tariffs put in place during President Trump’s first term cost U.S. agricultural producers $27 billion worth of lost exports in 2018 and 2019 alone, according to reporting by the Sun-Times.

    Congressman Krishnamoorthi has continued to call attention to the issues agricultural producers are facing in the wake of President Trump’s trade war since his state tour in April, using his position in Congress to help lead efforts to have these dangerous and irresponsible policies reversed for the betterment of small businesses and working families in Illinois.

    WHAT THEY’RE READING:

    Chicago Sun-Times: Illinois food businesses in the crosshairs of trade war Trump says will boost U.S. manufacturing

    • President Donald Trump says his tariffs will reshore U.S. manufacturing, yet food businesses, including those in Illinois, are especially hard hit by his trade war since supply chains are tied to local agricultural conditions and can’t easily be shifted, say business leaders and officials.

    • Food buyers such as Testa Produce are unsure whether to buy now or to wait, in case Trump rolls back his tariffs. That makes planning and budgeting very difficult, Testa said during Krishnamoorthi’s visit to the food distributor.

    • “Fresh produce trade is uniquely complex, shaped by seasonal and regional factors that require a well-functioning market for year-round availability,” the International Fresh Produce Association said last month in a statement. Broad application of tariffs as a “blunt tool disrupts markets, raises consumer costs and places unnecessary strain on growers and producers across the supply chain,” the association added.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Support of His Amendments to Reimburse Working Parents Up to $8,000 for Child Care,

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

    Testimony of Congressman Danny K. Davis (As Prepared) 

    In Support of His Amendments to Reimburse Working Parents Up to $8,000 for Child Care, 

    Help Cost-Burdened Renters Earning Up to $100,000, Ensure Foundations Fund Charitable Giving Rather Than Tax Cuts for the Wealthy, and Give Tax Cuts to Workers Who Are Single, Noncustodial Parents, Aged 19 and Older, Seniors, Foster Youth, or Homeless

    Committee on Rules Meeting on H.R. 1 – May 21, 2025

    The Good Book teaches us to care for the least among us.  My four amendments do just that. 

    For parents, child care is the work-related expense. My amendment would reimburse working parents up to $8,000 in child care costs. The meager, current maximum of $1,200 was set at the turn of this century.  Now, the cost of center-based care for two children is more than the average annual rent in all 50 states. Yet, the Republican bill fails to directly help struggling parents with the crushing burden of child care. Instead, the bill gifts $731 million to businesses and ignores the tens of millions of working parents whose employers will never offer child care.  And the small, temporary $500 bump in the Child Tax Credit excludes the poorest parents and is dwarfed by the $8,000 in relief offered by my amendment. If Republicans want parents to work, then you should accept my amendment. 

    My second amendment would provide life-changing help to hardworking, rent-burdened Americans earning up to $100,000.  Rent unaffordability is at an all-time high with about half of all renters being cost-burdened – especially extremely low-income households, seniors, and rural Americans.  My amendment would create a new tax credit for low- and middle-income renters that would cover a percentage of the gap between 30 percent of their adjusted gross income and their actual rent. For renters earning less than $25,000, the credit would cover the entire 30-percent-income-to-rent gap and then phase out.  The Republican bill offers nothing to help struggling renters.  Supporting my amendment would provide financial relief to tens of millions of Americans so they can thrive without fear of eviction. 

     

    My third amendment would provide a tax cut to tens of millions of low-income workers by enhancing the Earned Income Tax Credit. The EITC is a powerful tool to reduce poverty.  Although the Republican bill gives an increased EITC for some purple-heart recipients, it ignores the vast majority of individual workers.  Workers aged 65 and older represent one of the fastest-growing groups in our labor force. Millions of people younger than 24 serve in the labor force. My amendment gives permanent tax relief to seniors and younger workers by removing the EITC age cap and lowering the eligibility age to 19, while also enhancing the credit for all childless workers.  Further, my amendment includes important flexibilities for foster and homeless youth.  If the GOP bill can spend $211 billion on tax breaks for wealthy heirs, surely it can help vulnerable workers who are young, old, single, homeless, or foster youth. 

    My final amendment would strike the permanent tax hike on foundations that would rip $15.8 billion in charitable aid from our communities – aid that supports food banks, houses of faith, veterans, disaster relief, rural health care, emergency assistance during economic downturns, and other critical needs.  Policies that hurt foundations reduce grantmaking to charitable nonprofits across the country.  Forefront, the association of grantmakers for the state of Illinois, estimates that the proposed tax increase on private foundations would result in $168 million less in grants made to Illinois nonprofits each year.  Charitable giving represents the best of American generosity. At the exact time when charitable giving and philanthropy are needed the most to offset the cuts in federal investment, Congress must strike this charity-reducing provision. 

    Government should help people, not harm them.  My amendments would help lift the burdens of tens of millions of families and workers as well as promote charitable service.  I hope you will support them.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Pressley in Powerful Floor Speech: Republican Bill Gutting Medicaid Would Decimate Reproductive Healthcare

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

    Proposed Medicaid Cuts Would Worsen Maternal Health Outcomes, Restrict Access to Essential Care Like Prenatal Care, Contraception, and Cancer Screenings

    “I just need four Republicans – four people of conscience – to listen to their constituents, to look into the eyes of pregnant mothers praying for a safe delivery, to show a shred of humanity and oppose this horrific bill.”

    Video (YouTube)

    WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) delivered a powerful speech on the House Floor in which she slammed Republicans’ reconciliation bill that would slash Medicaid, which is necessary to ensuring safe, healthy reproductive care and maternal health nationwide. She demanded Republicans consider the mothers, babies, and families that stand to be harmed by their devastating Medicaid cuts, and urge them to oppose this cruel legislation.

    A transcript of the Congresswoman’s opening remarks, as delivered, is available below, and the full video is available here.

    Transcript: Pressley in Powerful Floor Speech: Republican Bill Gutting Medicaid Would Decimate Reproductive Healthcare
    House of Representatives
    May 20, 2025

    Mr. Speaker,

    This Republican Administration claims to care about babies and families – claims.

    But I cannot hear the words they speak because I see the things that they do.

    The birth of every baby should be a joyful transition defined by compassion and whatever healthcare is required for the baby and the mother.

    America’s broken, for-profit healthcare system denies far too many this basic dignity.

    But Medicaid has been a lifeline.

    Today, 42 percent of births in America are funded by Medicaid.

    Republicans who claim to be pro-family are coming for Medicaid with a sledgehammer.

    And what would this mean for families across America?

    Even worse maternal health outcomes.

    States rescinding policies that improve access to reproductive care.

    Decimating access to prenatal care, contraception, and cancer screenings.

    This big, shameful, unconscionable bill is unacceptable, but it is not inevitable.

    I just need four Republicans – four people of conscience – to listen to their constituents, to look into the eyes of pregnant mothers praying for safe a delivery, to show a shred of humanity and oppose this horrific bill.

    If you aren’t here to fight for the people who sent you, give up your damn seat.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Champions the Benefits of Community Colleges During HELP Committee Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) participated in a hearing today on the state of higher education in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP).
    As someone who attended a community college, Senator Marshall spoke about his own experience that allowed him to receive an excellent education while making smart financial decisions. Senator Marshall touched on the importance of financial literacy and using high school years to obtain college credits to get ahead.
    Senator Marshall’s firsthand experience is one of the many success stories of Americans attending a community college. The Senator was the first in his family to attend college and worked part-time jobs throughout his education to pay his own way instead of borrowing money. After graduating from Butler County Community College, he went on to receive his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and his Medical Doctorate from the University of Kansas, spending more than 25 years practicing medicine as an OB-GYN.
    Senator Marshall also questioned Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, Chancellor of the Austin Community College District, about how community colleges compare to traditional universities and Pell Grant flexibility.
    [embedded content]
    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full line of questioning.
    Highlights from the hearing include:
    On Senator Marshall’s higher education story:
    Senator Marshall: “I was the student that graduated first in a class of 200; had ACT scores that were really good. I applied to Kansas State, Kansas University, thinking this is where I’m going to go, but I would have had to borrow money to do it. So instead, I chose a community college. Near as I could tell, calc one was calc one. Comp one was comp one. And you know, my point I’m trying to make is everybody makes decisions, and part of it should be financial…
    “… You know, I made decisions through my whole life on whether to borrow money or to work. So, I worked part-time jobs in high school, community college, college, med school, and even residency. I worked part-time jobs rather than borrow money. When we had our first child in medical school, I chose to join the Army Reserve as opposed to borrowing money. And I understand that… some people are going to do better in a private college. You know, knock your socks off. Some people are going to do better. I just can’t imagine that a student… couldn’t do just as good at a community college. And somehow, financial literacy should be important to making that decision.”
    On the cost of community colleges versus traditional universities:
    Senator Marshall: “… The tuition at a community college on average, $5,000 a year. A State University, $12,000. If you’re going to an out-of-state university, it’s $30,000 and a private school is $43,000. So that first year in community college… today you’d spend $5000 versus $43,000, and I would note that the cost of living, typically in community college cities, is a lot less than the big university cities as well. So, I think the question is, at what point should the federal government reward people for making financial decisions that they should be responsible for?
    “But it’s a lot more than just choosing the school. Students today, they’re told to take five years to go to college, when it should easily be done in four years. One way you can do that is to rack up some credits in high school. It’s why we support the Perkins grants as well… a lot of students today had the opportunity to enter that first year of college and already have a semester underneath their belt. So, I think that’s a false narrative out there that it should take five years.” 
    On the advantages of attending a community college:
    Senator Marshall: “Dr. Lowery Hart, you’re my community college person here. Do your kids struggle when they go on to universities and on to med school, or was it okay that they started there at a community college? How much money did they save?”
    Dr. Lowery-Hart: “Well, depending on where they went, the level of savings will vacillate, but they all saved money, starting at a community college, and the data is pretty clear. My colleagues will affirm, if they go back to their [Institutional Research] IR shops, community colleges that transfer to universities, perform at or better than students that originated in those universities, they’re well prepared, and it’s because of what you just mentioned, Calc, one, comp, one, are the same. The difference at a community college is they’re being taught by a Master’s or PhD-prepared, experienced teacher, not a graduate assistant. I think the instructions in those basic courses are better at a community college because our faculty are more experienced in teaching in those areas.
    “The dual enrollment piece, Senator Marshall, is really critical. It can be a solution for making college more affordable. It was for my own three kids, all of which went to a community college before University. The challenges for the millions of adults that need to come back and up-skill … and how they can afford it while still working, is why I think Pell eligibility is particularly important.”
    On Pell Grant flexibility:
    Senator Marshall: “Just speak a little bit more about the flexibility of a Pell Grant. More and more, the great-paying jobs. If we can just get them in the door for six or eight hours at a time, how important would that be to you?”
    Dr. Lowery-Hart: “Really important. There are level-one certifications that can lead to a family-sustaining wage. Those students can enter that profession, whether it’s at Tesla or Samsung, work for six months, come back, and get the next level of certification.
    “Those stackable credentials are what will change their families’ generations to come but also ensure that our communities are able to meet the moment that we’re in, an economic challenge that we have.” 
    Senator Marshall: “… You see time and time again, the story of a person that came back in a year or two and continued that education, and that particular person ends up being just a superstar on the job site.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray Slams Secretary Burgum’s Plans to Fire National Park Staff, Sell Off Public Lands, & Slash Funding for Tribes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Murray: “Our public lands are not for sale. Protecting our wilderness, living up to our tribal obligations, keeping our communities safe—it’s just not negotiable. It’s actually a core reason your Department does exist—and these have been places with strong, bipartisan support.”
    NEW REPORT: President Trump’s Attacks on National Park Service are Hurting Communities Across Washington State
    ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks and questioning***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Department of Interior (DOI), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, slammed Secretary Doug Burgum’s efforts to fire staff across the Department, sell off our public lands and abandon the National Park Service’s conservation mission, and betray the United States’ obligation to Tribes with devastating proposed funding cuts. Also today, Senator Murray released a new report on how President Trump’s attacks on the National Park Service are hurting communities in Washington state.
    In opening comments, Vice Chair Murray said:
    “Washington state is home to a number of pristine public lands—people travel from all over the world to experience my state, and Oregon.
    “Secretary Burgum, our public lands are not for sale. Protecting our wilderness, living up to our tribal obligations, keeping our communities safe—it’s just not negotiable. It’s actually a core reason your Department does exist—and these have been places with strong, bipartisan support.
    “So, I’m really concerned that one of the first things you did was make deep, painful cuts at our national parks, and start talking about our public lands kind of like they are a piggy bank.
    “I do not want to tell future generations: ‘See that that river of sludge—it used to be clear, it used to have salmon. See that charred mountainside—it used to be a forest with campgrounds and trails. See that smokestack? That used to be a National Park.’
    “I worry because it feels to me like your vision could lead to that with your budget cuts, and mass firings, and reorganization.
    “And I’m deeply concerned about the proposed cuts to programs and funding that our Tribes rely on, the mass firing of park rangers—they’re the people who help visitors, they clear trails, they clean the bathrooms, and they respond to emergencies.
    “As I watch this and hear from folks, and see what’s happening, on top of gutting bedrock environmental protections, I just don’t see how your Department can execute the law without staff in place.”
    [HURRICANE RIDGE REBUILD]
    Senator Murray began by her questioning by discussing the rebuild of Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge in Washington State: “I wanted to start by touching briefly on Hurricane Ridge, a place that as you know is very special to people in my home state of Washington and visitors who come from all over the world. I know that you visited Olympic National Park last week—and you saw how scenic it is, and a hint of how brutal the weather can be. It’s called Hurricane Ridge for a reason. The Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge burned down in a tragic fire two years ago. Congress delivered the emergency funding necessary to rebuild it last year. In the execution report that you delivered to the Committee in February—the disaster funding spend plan—you included the money for Olympic National Park, which I understand is for Hurricane Ridge. Do you have any updates on the next steps for that project?”
    Secretary Burgum said, “No, but I did have an opportunity with a park superintendent and some of the lead people who actually work at hurricane ridge and thankfully there was not 70 mile-per-hour wind, it was beautiful, sunny, calm, gorgeous. But I got to see the site where the fire had happened and was able to meet with them regarding the plans they have. It looks like a great project.”
    “Good, and can you just keep my staff and me updated on that project as it moves forward, it’s really important to all of us,” Senator Murray replied.
    [SWEEPING STAFF CUTS AT NATIONAL PARKS]
    Senator Murray turned her questioning to the sweeping staffing reductions taking place under Secretary Burgum’s leadership at DOI, “In your short tenure, you have overseen significant staffing reductions—over 10 percent—and reorganization efforts across the Department of the Interior, with I understand more firings to come. The National Park Service has lost 18 percent of its staff. You managed to fire the only plumber at Mount Rainier National Park. There is just nothing efficient about that kind of management. You’ve also decided that what few staff remain at our National Parks will focus solely on visitor services—that really abandons the conservation mission, which no doubt will lead to the degradation of our natural resources and our parks. On May 8th, five former NPS directors—from Republican and Democratic administrations alike—raised really grave concerns about these decisions. They wrote that the National Park Service’s founding statute requires conservation at our parks so they will be ‘unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.’ We need trail guides and biologists. We need EMTs and geologists. We need snow plow drivers and historians. Mr. Secretary, do you acknowledge that you have a statutory obligation to conserve our national parks? A simple yes or no here please.”
    Secretary Burgum responded, “Yes.”
    “Well, it just feels to me watching this that you are abandoning that obligation with your staffing cuts. Your job is to carry out the laws that Congress has passed, not as you wish they were written. Let me ask you, how many people do you plan to fire from the National Park Service?” Senator Murray pressed.
    “Let me respond by saying I’m going to repeat myself, that there is an opportunity to have more people working in our parks in all the positions that you described, Senator, and to have less people working for the National Park Service. We just have to accept that this math, that if you have a situation where slightly less than 50% of the people actually work in the park, that everything you said, I can increase the number of people in the park but still decrease the number of people on payroll at the National Park Service because we are eliminating overhead back office, IT, and HR roles,” answered Secretary Burgum in part.
    Senator Murray pushed back, “It’s huge cuts. The people you’re talking about are actually the support staff, and when you cut support staff, that’s not efficient. How does someone drive a snowplow if you don’t have a staffer that makes sure that the government gets the best deal to buy that snowplow? There is many, many detailed people that you are talking about that actually make sure that the spending is efficient, that the people are efficient. We all know how important staff is, you can’t survive without them. Those are the people that you are letting go. We can’t be efficient if they are not there.”
    Secretary Burgum tried to change the subject, “Are you suggesting that the National Park Service today is operating at peak efficiency?”
    “I would suggest that I welcome any suggestions to us about how to be efficient, but just mass across-the-board cuts and firing is really going to not increase efficiency at our parks. And that, I think, we all should be very concerned about,” Senator Murray responded, emphasizing that mass firings are not the answer.
    “But if the goal is for us to have more people working in the parks, you’re comfortable if I could get to a spot where I have more people working—” Secretary Burgum again avoided the question.
    Senator Murray said, “You show me what employees you are leaving behind that don’t support someone that makes sure that they have the equipment that they need that is up to date, it is running. Those kinds of things, you can’t just cut those people and expect people to be out in the national park without somebody who is making sure that their equipment is safe, that their hours are maintained, all the things that it takes to run a place. Our national parks are huge. They take a lot of people to run.”
    Secretary Burgum again dodged, failing to state the number of employees he expects to lose at NPS.
    Senator Murray then followed up to state: “One thing that I’m really concerned about, and everyone should be, is our national wildland firefighting efforts and countless staff who provide the necessary support there. For example, firefighters put their lives at risk. Without the support they need in many different roles, it just gets more dangerous. Those are the kinds of people I’m extremely concerned about, that without thought or really smart moves, that we are going to be putting our parks at risk.”
    [DEVASTATING PROPOSED FUNDING CUTS FOR TRIBES]
    Senator Murray then asked about proposed budget cuts at DOI, such as cuts of $617 million from core programs at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, $107 million from the BIA’s law enforcement office, and $187 million—nearly eliminating—funds to build Tribal schools, “You have a role in fulfilling the Federal Government’s trust and treaty responsibilities to our Tribes. I see numerous cuts across the budget that defunds Tribal police, the Bureau of Indian Affairs. How many Tribes have you personally consulted with on your budget request?”
    “I’ve been meeting with tribes every week since I’ve been here. I’ve got a deep understanding of our challenges and shortage in law enforcement,” replied Secretary Burgum.
    “There’s 574 Tribe—which ones have you consulted or met with?” Senator Murray asked again.  
    Secretary Burgum said, in part: “I’m happy to provide you a list, but I just recently had the Interior Secretary Tribal Advisory Committee, we had 24 representatives from tribes from across the country actually meeting in my office just a couple weeks ago.”
    Senator Murray and Secretary Burgum discussed the funding, and Murray concluded: “I just want to say that my tribes in Washington state are deeply concerned, they’re telling us that these layoffs will eliminate natural resource management, basic social services and they are horrified. So, I hope that in your list you will provide me, that I see some of their names.”
    [NEW MURRAY REPORT ON NATIONAL PARK SERVICE]
    Also today, Senator Murray released a new report on how the Trump administration’s cuts and planned cuts of National Park staff will reduce access to our public lands, harm Washington state’s gateway communities, jeopardize natural resources, and make National Parks less safe for visitors.
    The full report is available HERE and below:
    Report: President Trump’s Attacks on National Park Service are Hurting Communities Across Washington State
    This report is part of a series detailing the harm President Trump and Elon Musk’s reckless and devastating attacks on the federal workforce are causing on the ground in Washington state. The Trump administration’s mass firings and harmful actions have real consequences for Washington state residents and their communities.
    This report focuses on how the Trump administration’s cuts and planned cuts of National Park staff will reduce access to our public lands, harm Washington’s gateway communities, jeopardize natural resources, and make National Parks less safe for visitors.
    National Park Service is Critical to Ensuring All Americans Can Safely Visit Our Most Iconic Public Lands This Summer and Beyond
    Across the country, National Park Service rangers work hard to keep visitors safe, protect natural resources, and create an inspiring and educational experience for visitors. For over a decade, the National Park Service has had to operate at low staffing levels, despite significant increases in visitation.[1] Yet, under the Trump Administration, the National Park Service has frozen hiring, rescinded seasonal employment offers, pushed employees to resign, and laid off 1,000 permanent employees.[2] The National Park Service has also been ordered to submit a restructuring plan, and the Department of the Interior plans “additional massive layoffs” in the coming months. Without sufficient staff, visitor centers and campgrounds may close, bathrooms will not be properly maintained, emergency response times will drop, and important ranger services from interpretation to providing safety advice will be unavailable.
    Layoffs at the National Park Service Will Reduce Access to Washington’s National Parks.
    The National Park Service has a significant footprint in Washington, home of the iconic Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks, along with historically significant sites across the state—like Fort Vancouver, the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial, and more. At the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, Sam Peterson was one of the National Park Service staff fired on February 14, after accepting a promotion to become a park ranger just three months prior.
    “Americans aren’t getting what they’ve paid for—they’re not operating under a new budget. The Park Service is supposed to have a park ranger in my position at Lake Roosevelt, so there’s going to be fewer visitors who get important safety messaging, fewer visitors who can have their questions answered, and fewer kids that can go on a field trip led by a ranger. There may be safety impacts during the busy season, if we aren’t able to get out safety messaging as effectively. There’s supposed to be a team of nine interpreters at Lake Roosevelt—now there are only three,” said Peterson.
    In response to court orders, the National Park Service offered many fired employees, including Peterson, their positions back.[3]
    “I want to return to the Park Service someday, but right now, it doesn’t feel stable for either myself or my family, because we just don’t know what the next couple of months—and certainly the next couple of years—will bring. I turned down my job when it was offered back to me, because I was living in government housing at the time of my termination—I was given 60 days to leave. I signed a new lease and started a new job six hours away just before I was offered my job back. Even though it was tempting to accept my job back, I couldn’t do it,” said Peterson.
    Washington state’s outdoor recreation community has a front row seat to the local impacts of cutting staff at the National Park Service. Last year, the Mountaineers—an outdoor recreation group—led 727 trips, activities, and courses in Washington’s National Parks, serving 3,456 students.
    “We got word that the only plumber at Mount Rainier National Park was fired. That’s the kind of thing that you don’t see when you’re visiting the parks. But if a wastewater system goes down then they’re going to have to close bathrooms, that’s a public safety issue. You can’t have people visiting our parks if there are no sanitary facilities,” said Betsy Robblee, Conservation and Advocacy Director for the Mountaineers.
    “We’re also concerned about campgrounds opening up. There’s a lot of staff that are needed to open campgrounds, whether that’s removing hazardous trees from areas near campsites or opening up and testing the water system. If you don’t have staff to do that, that’s going to either delay or maybe prevent many campsites from opening. Hurricane Ridge, in Olympic National Park, lost one of their road crew members as part of the firing of probationary employees. If you don’t have enough road crew members to clear the road up to Hurricane Ridge, that area just can’t open,” said Robblee.
    In addition to the critical work conducted by National Park Service staff, Washington state has a uniquely strong volunteer community. The Washington Trails Association contributes thousands of volunteer hours to critical trail maintenance projects in places like Mount Rainier National Park.
    “We have had a decades-long relationship with Mount Rainier, but it’s built on working with National Park Service staff to plan projects so that we can leverage volunteers and bring them to the Park to help steward those places. The fear is that the public side of that public-private partnership is being eroded. We won’t be able to complete our mission to take care of these places without the Park Service being there as our partner,” said Michael DeCramer, Policy and Planning Manager for the Washington Trails Association.
    DeCramer is keenly aware of how reduced staffing will impact visitor experience.
    “There are just enough people at Mount Rainier National Park in the winter to keep the roads open and if somebody calls out sick, the gate doesn’t open,” said DeCramer, highlighting how vital staff are for providing access to our public lands.
    Following public outcry, the National Park Service proposed expanding their hiring of seasonal workers to meet the needs of increased visitation during the high season.
    “While that’s great in theory, a lot of parks haven’t been allowed to repost seasonal job postings, so they’re having to use the candidate pool from when the job was posted in October or November of last year. That’s now almost six months ago—a lot of the people who applied have already moved on,” said Peterson.
    “Seasonal employees do great work, and they’re absolutely necessary, but you also need stability year-over-year through permanent employees to train those seasonal employees and maintain institutional integrity, especially in the off season. Even though we think of parks as places we go to in the summer, staff are still needed for visitors during the off season and shoulder season. The off season is also when a lot of maintenance and repair work takes place, so that parks are ready for their high season. It’s not efficient to just say, ‘oh, we will fire all of these people and then hire a bunch of part time workers instead,’” said Peterson.
    Reduced Park Access Will Hurt Local Economies in Washington’s Gateway Communities
    In 2023, outdoor recreation contributed $22.5 billion to Washington’s economy and made up 3.2% of the state’s total jobs.[4] This economic impact is particularly important for gateway communities—those located closest to Washington’s National Parks. 
    The American Alpine Institute is a mountain climbing school and guide service with 60 employees and a significant presence in Washington state. Executive Director Jason Martin is also a mountain rescue volunteer, a former president of the Bellingham Mountain Rescue Council, and has worked extensively with the American Mountain Guides Association. After the initial round of layoffs, he reached out to people working in the National Park Service to try to understand how the layoffs may impact outdoor recreation.
    “Throughout the outdoor industry—which I represent in a couple of different ways: as a commercial operator, as a volunteer rescuer, and as an outdoor recreationalist—in many cases, we just don’t know what’s going on right now. We don’t know who to talk to. We don’t know who to ask about things,” said Martin.
    The Mount Rainier Business Alliance is a coalition of local business owners in Ashford, Elbe, Alder, and Mineral, Washington, whose members deeply understand the economic impacts of staffing cuts to the National Park Service.
    “In Ashford, which is the main town right outside of Mount Rainier National Park, everything is closely tied to the National Park—from our economy to our safety. So these cuts, while perhaps just seen as being cuts to the National Park, in some ways are really cuts to our community,” said Nickolas Neville, President of the Mount Rainier Business Alliance.
    For small business owners near Mount Rainier National Park, reductions in staffing at the National Park Service could make it impossible for them to keep their doors open.
    “This whole part of our county relies entirely on the people that decide to make the trip out to Mount Rainier. Making that more difficult, especially with how challenging access to the mountain has been because of lack of staffing—I could see causing businesses to shut down, businesses that are already struggling. I could see it impacting how often we get tourists here renting out properties and short-term rentals. This part of Pierce County is already on life support,” said Cat Larrow, head of the Community Advocacy Committee of the Mount Rainier Business Alliance.
    Layoffs at the National Park Service Will Reduce Emergency Services at Washington’s National Parks
    In addition to maintaining the parks and educating visitors, park rangers ensure that visitors are safe and serve as first responders when emergencies arise. 
    “The Golden West Visitor Center at North Cascades National Park on Lake Chelan has struggled to stay open because they just haven’t had the staff they need to operate. That’s a key entry point for the Steven Mather Wilderness and the southern end of North Cascades National Park. My fear is that there’s just no slack at the Park Service. These folks are already doing everything they can. And you’re still going to have people wanting to visit the parks, but services are going to suffer,” said Michael DeCramer, Policy and Planning Manager for the Washington Trails Association. 
    “If there is a search and rescue operation needed, they might not be able to provide the staff for the level of service that we expect. Things might have to close if there’s a wildfire in the Park. We may not have the staff with the skills needed to respond in the way that we’re used to. And I see a lot of potential risk to the public. Not to be dire, but these cuts will be felt both in terms of loss of services but also decreased safety for the public, because park rangers are first responders,” said DeCramer.
    In addition to search and rescue and wildfire response, park rangers provide valuable safety information to visitors to prevent emergencies from happening in the first place.
    “Even just the rangers who sit at Artist Point handing out information to people about mountain rescues are important. I’ve done dozens and dozens of rescues in that area, mostly people who have broken bones. But if there’s nobody sitting there to warn someone that they’re actually walking into the wilderness. There’s a lot of concern,” said Jason Martin, the Executive Director of the American Alpine Institute, and a mountain rescue volunteer.
    Across Washington’s Parks, decreased staff creates safety concerns for visitors.
    “We are a very outdoor engaged state and people just go up to visit the woods constantly. I love that people are engaged, but the Park Service is putting people at risk on any given day by not having enough staff to maintain these parks,” said David Beard, Director of Policy & Government Affairs for the Children & Nature Network.
    Layoffs at the National Park Service Will Harm Washington’s Natural Resources for Future Generations
    Washington’s National Parks contain some of America’s most precious natural resources and iconic landscapes. When people visit these special places, it often has a lasting impact.
    “We all have memories of a visit to our National Parks. My three kids have more than 50 Junior Ranger badges they have earned over the years. Are there going to be people there to raise their hand and swear in the six-year-old to be a Junior Ranger? All those things are likely going to be in question,” said Tom Uniack, Executive Director for Washington Wild.
    “If people aren’t able to visit our Parks, or they have negative experiences, then we’re losing out on those amazing connections that people have to the natural world that can change their lives. They develop a stewardship ethic. They want to care for these places, and they want to advocate to protect these places. And looking towards future generations, if this continues, future generations may not get to have the same experiences in these places as we are fortunate to have today,” said Betsy Robblee, Conservation and Advocacy Director for the Mountaineers.
    “Washington is a beautiful state. I was born and raised here. My dad was a climber. I really worry that whether it’s the National Park Service or the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management, not having the funding and staff to clean bathrooms, keep the gates open, and haul out trash. Garbage piling up can have lasting impacts on wildlife like bears and ravens and mountain lions,” said Jonathan Spitzer, Director of Operations for Alpine Ascents.
    As the summer season approaches, cuts to the National Park Service will be acutely felt across Washington state—from small businesses in gateway communities to the safety and quality of visitor experiences in Olympic, North Cascades, and Mount Rainier National Parks. Washingtonians understand that these iconic public lands belong to the public, and that it takes a strong National Park Service to steward them for visitors today and tomorrow.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Opening Remarks at Hearing on the Department of Energy’s Budget

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s opening remarks***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, kicked off a hearing on the fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Department of Energy (DOE), emphasizing in her opening remarks how important the Department’s work is—and how this administration’s illegal funding freeze, mass reductions in staffing, and steep proposed budget cuts jeopardize essential efforts to drive innovation, reduce dependence on foreign energy sources, and lower Americans’ monthly energy bills.
    Senator Murray’s opening remarks, as delivered, are below:
    “Thank you, Chair Kennedy. I am pleased to serve as Ranking Member of this important Subcommittee, and I hope we can continue our track record of writing bipartisan spending bills that make crucial investments in our communities that we need.
    “DOE’s work is far reaching with major implications for how much families spend on their energy bills, the reliability of our energy grid, whether we lead the world in clean energy, AI, and quantum computing, and our national security and nuclear waste cleanup program. In my home state of Washington, we see this firsthand at the Bonneville Power Administration, which provides power to families across the region. At the Pacific Northwest National Lab, which is pioneering cutting edge research, and at Hanford, where we have the biggest nuclear clean-up site in the country—a moral and legal obligation we must never shortchange.
    “So, we must give the programs DOE manages their due in terms of funding, and in terms of the oversight necessary to ensure that funding actually gets to our communities. But these goals are in jeopardy because of your actions over the last few months like a truly sweeping funding freeze, unprecedented contract cancellations, mass staffing reductions, and uncertainty that is hurting communities across our country.
    “Now, Secretary Wright, my colleagues and I have been pressing you for information on staffing, funds signed into law you are holding up or straight up cancelling, and more. I’ve only received two responses so far, both of them yesterday—clearly to get ahead of today’s hearing. And ‘response’ is being charitable, since you failed to provide any real answers. Last week, you told the House you have ignored basic inquiries from lawmakers because you are apparently too busy, and you mentioned you don’t want to spend time on false premises. So, I thought we could save some time today by debunking a few false premises.
    “It is false for you to say less than a thousand people have left since you took over when we know over 3,500 DOE employees have taken the so-called buyout you offered and we know you fired 500 more. It is false for you to say no contracts have been cancelled when you have plainly cancelled electric vehicle and low-income energy assistance grants in Colorado, to give one example. And it is false for you to say there are no unpaid invoices when we have heard from organizations still waiting on payments—including Hydrogen Hubs, which have unpaid invoices.
    “Now, in addition to ignoring requests from Congress, your FY25 spend plan which is required by law is completely inadequate. That is a critical document for us to understand how you are spending—or illegally blocking and cancelling—billions of dollars Congress has provided for critical projects across the country. I’ve heard you say you are merely conducting a review as if that magically makes it okay. Call it whatever you want, the bottom line is the money isn’t moving. And as a former businessman, you know perfectly well that uncertainty alone has a massive cost.
    “Jobs are already being lost because of your actions. Private investment in critical energy projects is being cancelled, delayed, or threatened to the tune of $71 billion so far this year. And as electric prices hit record highs, you are halting progress on investments that would lower people’s bills. Meanwhile, you are letting thousands of critical staff go—encouraging folks to leave—with no regard for if they do their work well, or if the work is important.
    “I still don’t know how you could do something as crazy as try to fire Bonneville Power Administration workers, in the name of efficiency! I mean these are literally the people who keep the lights on and they aren’t even paid by taxpayer dollars! Eventually, you reversed those firings, but the fact they happened at all was the first in a parade of red flags.
    “Now, we are here to talk about another red flag—a budget that completely guts the non-defense half of your mission. Overall, you want to slash $20 billion from DOE’s science and energy programs. Your budget proposes ripping 75% out of the energy efficiency and renewable energy program and shuttering important clean energy and manufacturing programs. I don’t know who is telling you people want to pay higher electric bills?
    “Your budget slashes $1.1 billion from the Office of Science. Who is telling you we should cede ground to China in the race for innovation, and layoff scientists at our national labs? Your budget cuts $15 billion from programs we created in the bipartisan infrastructure law—hydrogen hubs, battery storage, advanced manufacturing and supply chains, and other programs to lower energy costs. Who told you we don’t want those manufacturing jobs? Who told you we don’t want to strengthen our energy production and reduce our dependence on foreign oil?
    “Here is what I will tell you, if you were to follow through with this disaster of a budget the only energy you are going to save is from the lights that go out at factories across the country. Those lights are going to go off, as China swoops in to take the lead in the technologies that will define the 21st century. I don’t see any efficiency in this budget—but there is a heavy cost.
    “There is the cost you are going to pass on to our constituents in the form of higher electric bills, higher gas bills, more power outages. Not to mention the cost when manufacturing moves elsewhere, and we have to pay Trump’s absurd tariffs for technology we could, and should, be making right here. Or the cost to our country. Discoveries we could be making here, jobs we could be creating here, goods we could be making here and selling across the world. Instead, it feels like you want to gift wrap the future and hand it to China.
    “Your budget also flat-funds the Hanford clean-up. That has serious repercussions. They recently finalized milestones they have to meet on the High Level Waste mission. Flat funding means the only way to hit those targets is to pull funding from other priorities which would have ripple effects for workers carrying out critical projects across the site and ultimately would delay remediation along the Columbia River. That is unacceptable. We cannot rob Peter to pay Paul.
    “Secretary, I know you talk about energy abundance, but talk is cheap. Doing this work takes investments—investments you are ripping to shreds. So, I want to see less talk and more money getting out the door the way Congress wrote and intended. There is common ground in this space. I know because we have found it before. The very last bill Chair Kennedy and I wrote together passed out of this committee unanimously, and I want to see us do it again. Because this is genuinely important work.
    “Now, before I conclude, I would be remiss if I did not address the outrageously corrupt news we got last week on the Army Corps work plan. This administration is ripping away hundreds of millions of dollars from projects that were in the House bill and Senate Energy and Water FY25 bills and funding other projects which were not funded in any bill that we approved!
    “This includes scrapping funds for the Howard Hanson Dam in Washington state. This is a vital project that has to get done and I will keep working with you Mr. Chairman to get this done because this Committee and this Subcommittee have long come together to fund projects vital to communities across this country and I know no member appreciates any administration playing games with our communities for political reasons—as is the case with the work plan released last week. It’s brazen abuse—pure and simple. I am going to keep digging into how that decision was made, demanding answers, speaking out about this, and fighting for my state of Washington.
    “Thank you, and now I will turn it back to Chair Kennedy.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Presses Trump’s Small Business Administrator on Canceled Grants, Immense Costs of Trump’s Trade War for Small Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s Q&A with SBA Administrator Loeffler***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler at a Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government (FSSG) Subcommittee hearing on the president’s fiscal year 2026 budget request for SBA. Murray pressed Administrator Loeffler on the Trump administration’s cancellation of SBA grants and how Trump’s trade war is imposing serious costs on small businesses in Washington state.
    [GRANT TERMINATIONS]
    Senator Murray began by pressing Loeffler on funding she terminated: “I’ve been hearing from small businesses in my state about the SBA grants that have been cancelled and frozen. One example is you canceled a $2.5 million Regional Innovation Cluster contract in Washington state that would have supported small businesses that were working on carbon capture and utilization and storage. It’s not an isolated case but that is a program that Congress historically funded with strong bipartisan support. I wanted to ask you today: why have you canceled funding for a program that has both bipartisan support and really drives small business growth in emerging sectors?”
    Administrator Loeffler refused to answer the question directly but stated in part: “I have broad authority in this administration to reshape the Regional Innovation Clusters, and we are undertaking a review of those programs to right-size them and form them to where the needs are most urgent right now.”
    Senator Murray countered: “I would just say this is a regional need, and I would just ask you to go back and look at that one. Happy to provide you information, but it really is a critical one for our region.”
    [TRUMP’S TRADE WAR]
    Senator Murray then asked about the steep cost of Trump’s trade war on small businesses: “I met with small business owners in Seattle, one of them runs a coffee shop and imports green tea. Like a lot of small business owners that I am talking to, and you know, they operate on thin margins so even the current tariffs are hitting them really hard. We don’t grow much green tea in the United States. I doubt we ever will. Given that the increased costs imposed by these tariffs could really—he told me—shutter his business. What should they do in this situation?”
    Administrator Loeffler replied: “This period of negotiation, you know, is not one where we don’t acknowledge their near-term effects, but for the long term, we want—”
    Senator Murray interjected: “This is a small business. They can’t last much longer.”
    Avoiding the question of how a small business is supposed to cope, Loeffler replied: “We’re focused on is ensuring that we never get in the position again of having unfair trade. And that’s what President Trump’s fighting for. That’s what we’re fighting for. We, just yesterday, put out our Make Onshoring Great Again directory to ensure that small businesses have access to millions—a million suppliers across this country that can offer alternatives—”
    Senator Murray again interjected: “But this country doesn’t produce green tea, and this small business is not going to last more than a few months. I hear your bigger scheme is that someday this will all pay off. This small business won’t be there. I’m just asking you: what are they supposed to do? Are you going to – do you have anything drafted? Are you looking at anything that can help these small businesses who are on the verge of closing right now? They can’t wait 2, 3, 5, 6 months from now.”
    Offering SBA loan financing to cover turbulent times thanks to Trump’s tariffs, Secretary Loeffler replied in part: “Well, what the SBA is offering is certainly the capital, the counseling that they need, as well as import and export loan financing to deal with these times of uncertainty.”
    Senator Murray replied: “I appreciate that you have an optimistic view. I’m just telling you, having sat down and met with these small businesses, whether it’s shutting the regional SBA office or canceling these grants to support our entrepreneurs, or these tariffs that are having impact, there are small businesses that will not make it based on your optimism.”
    ______________________
    Senator Murray has been a vocal opponent of Trump’s chaotic trade war from the very start and has been lifting up the voices of people in Washington state harmed by this administration’s approach to trade and calling on Republicans to end Trump’s trade war—which Congress has the power to do—and take back Congress’ Constitutionally-granted power to impose tariffs. Earlier last month, Senator Murray brought together leaders across Washington state who highlighted how Trump’s ongoing trade war is already a devastating hit to Washington state’s economy, businesses, and our agriculture sector. Senator Murray also took to the Senate floor to lay out how Trump’s chaotic trade war is seriously threatening our economy, American businesses, families’ retirement savings, and so much else.
    Murray has also been sounding the alarm on Trump’s tariffs across Washington state. Recently, Senator Murray held a roundtable discussion in Tacoma with local businesses and ports, met with farmers in Yakima to discuss the consequences of Trump’s tariffs, and held a roundtable discussion in Vancouver at a local metal fabrication company to highlight how Trump’s trade war is hurting businesses and our economy Washington state. Just last week, Senator Murray met with small business owners in Seattle’s University District to hear how Trump’s tariffs and the broader economic uncertainty are affecting them, and later she met with farmers in Skagit County to discuss tariffs, and visited Blaine near the Canadian border to highlight the impacts of Trump’s trade war. Earlier this month, Senator Murray rallied her West Coast colleagues and ports from Washington state and California to sound the alarm on how Trump’s tariffs will mean bare shelves, higher prices, and painful layoffs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: At Hearing on Murray’s Bill to Expand Menopause Research at VA and DOD, Senator Murray Presses VA Witness on Resources for Women Veterans, Harmful Pause on Clinical Trials at VA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI: Murray Calls Out VA for Stonewalling Congress, Grills VA Secretary Collins on How Trump Administration Mass Firings are Increasing Wait Times for Veterans, Further Jeopardizing EHR Rollout & VA Research
    ***VIDEO of Senator Murray’s Q&A HERE***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing to consider pending legislation, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, spoke with Dr. Thomas O’Toole, Acting Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Clinical Services for the Veterans Health Administration at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), about her bipartisan Servicewomen and Veterans Menopause Research Act that would require VA and the Department of Defense (DoD) to coordinate on research studying the effects of menopause and perimenopause on women servicemembers and women veterans to close treatment gaps and help ensure women veterans receive appropriate, high-quality gender-specific health care throughout their lives.
    Senator Murray also questioned Dr. O’Toole about VA’s 90-day pause on clinical trials—which is delaying important research right now—and on progress toward establishing permanent in-house mammography services for veterans in VISN-20, which covers veterans in Washington state, Oregon, Alaska, most of Idaho, and parts of Montana and California.
    “Women veterans, particularly those who have suffered from PTSD or sexual assault, tend to experience menopause much earlier than women who did not serve in the military. One VA study found that 15 percent of women veterans experience menopause before the age of 40—that is 10 years earlier than most women,” Senator Murray said. “It is really important that we strengthen menopause research at the VA and DoD so we can provide better care for women servicemembers and our veterans. That is why I was very proud to join Representative Houlahan and Senator Ernst in introducing the Servicewomen and Veterans Menopause Research Act last month to do that.”
    “Can you tell me today what resources are available right now, at the VA, for women veterans who are experiencing menopause? Are there any plans to expand that—what do you have right now?” SenatorMurray asked.
    “I acknowledge and fully appreciate and agree with what you’re saying there,” said Dr. O’Toole. “I do not have that information readily available in terms of what resources are currently being dedicated. I would have to get it for the record.”
    “How long will that take you to get to me?” SenatorMurray asked.
    “We will get it as quickly as we can,” Dr. O’Toole replied. “We strongly support the bill.”
    SenatorMurray continued her questioning: “During a hearing earlier this month, I actually asked Secretary Collins about the Trump administration’s 90-day ‘pause’ on VA clinical trials, which is right now delaying planned trials and putting a halt to ongoing clinical trials at VA, everything from predicting stroke risks to addressing substance abuse. Now, Secretary Collins said at the time, there was no decision regarding what would happen to VA researchers and trials when that pause ended.”
    “Do you have an answer to the question I asked a few weeks ago—what will happen after this this 90-day ‘pause’ ends?,” Murray asked. “Where will you direct the patients whose clinical trials were canceled or delayed?” asked Senator Murray.
    “I do not have that information available to me, I would have to take it for the record,” Dr. O’Toole replied.
    SenatorMurray followed up: “Can you provide my office with a list of clinical trials that were canceled?”
    “I don’t have that available, but we can get that information to you,” Dr. O’Toole responded.
    Senator Murray pushed back, “Well, the VA has to have this information. Certainly, if you care about transparency, which we keep hearing, I see no reason why this information would be secret. When can you get that information to us? These are people who were in trials, these are researchers, they—just for the next 10 years, they’re not supposed to know? When are you going to get that to us?”
    “We will get it to you as soon as we can,” said Dr. O’Toole.
    “What does that mean? I’ve heard that from so many people in the last couple weeks,” SenatorMurray said.
    Dr. O’Toole said, “I would, obviously, defer to our legislative team and our research office on those specifics, but—”
    “It’s a disappointing response, I have to tell you,” SenatorMurray interjected.
    “I would imagine we would be able to get it to you within the next few weeks, 1-2 weeks, hopefully,” Dr. O’Toole finally answered.
    Murray continued by asking about services for women veterans, in particular the lack of in-house mammography services for veterans at Puget Sound VA—an issue Senator Murray has taken up with VA before. “In my home state of Washington, Puget Sound VA saw a seven percent increase in women veterans utilizing their services over the past two years. I am appreciative of the mobile mammography centers that were made available for our Puget Sound veterans, but it’s  a temporary fix. Can you provide me any update today on the progress in establishing permanent in-house mammography services for veterans in VISN-20? Or a timeline?” SenatorMurray asked.
    Dr. O’Toole replied that he did not have the specifics but would get back to Senator Murray with a response to her questions.
    “I would appreciate answers to those questions as soon as you can, this is critical information we need,” Senator Murray said.
    Senator Murray was the first woman to join the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the first woman to chair the Committee—as the daughter of a WWII veteran, supporting veterans and their families has always been an important priority for Murray. Advocating for women veterans in particular has been a longtime focus for Senator Murray. As Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee in 2010, Senator Murray passed her landmark Women Veterans Health Improvement Act into law. Murray has worked to permanently authorize the VA child care pilot program to increase access to free, quality child care for veterans during their appointments, make much-needed improvements to the women veterans call center, and fix a loophole that left veterans footing the bill for medically-necessary emergency newborn transportation that VA should be covering. Murray introduced and helped pass the Deborah Sampson Act, legislation to address gender disparities at VA that established a dedicated Office of Women’s Health at VA and required every VA health facility to have a dedicated women’s health primary care provider, among other things. Murray also helped to pass the MAMMO Actto expand access to high-quality breast cancer screening and treatment services for veterans. Last year, as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray delivered a record $900 million investment in women veterans’ health care.
    Also last Congress, Senator Murray introduced the Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act, comprehensive bipartisan legislation that would be the most expansive effort so far to boost federal research on menopause and would—for the first time—coordinate the federal government’s existing programs related to menopause and mid-life women’s health.
    Senator Murray has been a leading voice in the Senate speaking out forcefully against President Trump and Elon Musk’s mass firing of VA employees and VA researchers across the country and Elon Musk and DOGE’s infiltration of the VA, including accessing veterans’ sensitive personal information. Earlier this month in an oversight hearing with VA Secretary Doug Collins, Senator Murray pressed Secretary Collins on how the Trump administration’s mass firing of VA employees is hurting veterans’ ability to get the health care they need—from jeopardizing VA research, to creating new risks around the deployment of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system to additional VA Medical Centers—and on new policies the Trump administration recently rolled out that severely limit Congressional engagement with veterans and VA for no legitimate reason. Last month, Senator Murray released a report on how Trump’s mass firings at VA are already hurting veterans’ services and health care in Washington state and across the country.
    The full text of the Servicewomen and Veterans Menopause Research Act is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray Grills Secretary Wright on Illegal Funding Freeze, Mass Firings, Devastating Proposed Funding Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Murray highlights how DOE’s actions and proposals undermined American innovation and will raise energy costs for American families
    ***WATCH AND READ: Senator Murray’s opening remarks***
    ***WATCH: Senator Murray questioning Secretary Wright***
    ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s closing remarks***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee hearing on the fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, called out Secretary Chris Wright for creating chaos by forcing out thousands of critical employees, undermining American innovation and raising consumers’ costs by illegally blocking funds, blatantly ignoring Congress, and more.
    [MASS LAYOFFS]
    Senator Murray turned her questioning to how Secretary Wright is pushing out employees at DOE, “Secretary Wright, despite your claims to the contrary, more than 3500 employees have taken the deferred resignation offer—that’s over 20 percent of your staff. And we know that you fired several hundred probationary employees as well. This has meant some offices are now gutted, there’s nobody there, and others are in turmoil. For example, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, which manages $20 billion in grants from the bipartisan infrastructure law, has lost more than 77 percent of its staff. It will be nearly impossible for that Office to accomplish its basic functions, let alone oversee any massive and complex energy construction projects. Your firings have been really arbitrary even firing some of our grid operators and linemen at the Bonneville Power Administration—which are not paid for by taxpayer dollars. I know you scrambled to get those people back. Several weeks ago, you said no more firings will occur at Bonneville—these positions are absolutely critical to the reliability of the grid in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest. Will you commit to exempting BPA from your hiring freeze, so they can bring on mission critical staff and keep the Northwest grid running?”
    Secretary Wright refused to make that commitment but replied: “We are very concerned about the power marketing agencies. They are critical to our country, Bonneville being one of them. We have been careful that their operations have not been disrupted. They were short-staffed when I arrived in this chair, and we will continue to treat them as the critical assets they are. Headcount is one input, it’s an important input, but it’s not the only input in running a successful business or a successful agency and again you brought up people that have provisionally elected to do a deferred resignation program and many of them still have the option to decide whether they really are staying or they really are leaving, they are in transition, we are engaged with them, they are not fired, they are not gone from the Department of Energy yet—”
    “There are a lot of folks still on the payroll at the expense of the taxpayer. We were told that over $70 million worth that are on administrative leave now. They are at home, they are not working, they are not processing anything, they are not doing any work, and as a result, offices across the department are not able to function because those people are not there. Even though taxpayers are still telling them to. On BPA, in terms of that, I do look forward to DOE hiring back sufficient staff. We have got to cover these critical responsibilities,” said Senator Murray.
    [PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS]
    Senator Murray then asked about Secretary Wright’s sweeping proposed budget cuts at DOE: “President Trump’s skinny budget really doubles down on cuts DOGE has already made to the Department. You propose cutting $2.5 billion from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy—74% of its overall budget—eliminating programs that reduce energy prices for businesses and families. On the one hand: you and the President say you support U.S. dominance in emerging technologies, but then, on the other, you propose cutting over $1 billion in funding to the Office of Science—undermining critical research programs for AI, fusion, quantum computing, nuclear energy, and critical minerals. Typically, new administrations craft budget requests that actually reflect their alleged priorities. You talk a lot about lowering costs for consumers and creating the ‘next Manhattan Project’ for AI, but this budget request includes across the board cuts to the very programs that would help you achieve your stated goals. I want to get this straight, you are asking Congress to cut the budget for the Office of Science by more than a billion dollars—that will help advance AI research and quantum computing?”
    Secretary Wright responded, “It [the over $1 billion plus proposed cut] won’t inhibit them at all. In fact, I think that on the margin it will help. Cause of course all the things you listed like fusion, quantum computing, fundamental basic science, none of those things will be cut. The problem is the labs drifted into things that are not fundamental basic science—that are political science. That is just not the missions of the labs.”
    Senator Murray pressed, “Do you have examples of those that you’d like to share with us?”
    “We have a crazy range of things on climate change. There is science around climate change that I write about and have studied for two decades, there’s real science there, but it has become a political game more than a real science game. That’s not the business of the national labs, and we’re going to shrink that activity,” said Secretary Wright, in part, admitting to planning to cut projects related to critical renewable energy research and climate science.
    Senator Murray continued: “You talk about the importance of nuclear power and small modular reactors. Just yesterday, you said you were in favor of ‘every incentive we can get from the federal government to restart this industry.’ Yet, in your budget you’re proposing you cut the Office of Nuclear Energy by $408 million. How are investors and companies supposed to have confidence in partnering with you, when what you say and what your budget says are two different things?”
    Secretary Wright replied, “Each individual line item does not indicate a policy. I think the nuclear industry is quite enthusiastic and quite confident they are going to have the best environment ever for commercial nuclear power under this administration, under my leadership at the DOE. What we are doing is mobilizing tens of billions of dollars of private capital using the government—”
    “The private capital is counting on us to make that investment; otherwise, we see them pull out. We have actually seen companies in the country now pulling out of projects because of the chaos in your department. As a businessman, you said that you should know more than anyone the importance of certainty. When they see the chaos and they see them pulling back, then they’re not going to invest their private money either,” Senator Murray pushed back.
    Secretary Wright again stood by the proposed budget cut for the Office of Nuclear Science.
    [LACK OF FULL BUDGET REQUEST]
    “We are having a budget hearing today. We have not seen your full budget request. We need that in front of us. It is required. It is critical information. When are we going to see your full budget request?” inquired Senator Murray.
    Secretary Wright was unable to provide details and responded, “I’m working with OMB right now to get that out as soon as we can. I understand your urgency.”
    [CLOSING COMMENTS]
    Senator Murray concluded by saying, “You have heard from my side, one after the other, of contracts that were canceled or frozen. These are real. You said no grants are frozen, no invoices unpaid. I don’t know if you’re not paying attention or you haven’t seen it, but I just want to remind you, it is illegal to ignore the clear directions of Congress. These are programs, spending bills that we passed through this committee. They were signed into law, and if you’re canceling them or freezing them or whatever, that is impoundment, and it is illegal. And I don’t raise that concern lightly. I am deeply concerned, and we are hearing the same stories over and over again. I do have a list, you said you hadn’t seen any. I will submit it for the record of canceled and frozen grants. These are just a handful that we know about. So, we expect your office to follow through and to do it quickly.
    “Secondly, on the CR spend plan, that was required within 45 days, that’s by law. Your department still has not given that to us. And again, I don’t raise this lightly, this committee, all of our committees, need to know where that money is going, where it’s being spent. Hanford Site is on the brink of having to lay off subcontractors and restart an entire procurement process on an important project because they are being directed now to hold off on implementing projects at FY 25 spend levels. So, this is not efficient, and Congress requires that, and we need those fixed. So that is really critical, and we expect a real response, not, you know, a nice little phrase.
    “And finally, on communication, you’ve heard it from several people. I appreciate that you’re telling everybody, ‘Call my office, we’ll call you back.’ But two-way communication is two-way communication. You told me you’d pick up the phone whenever, but we’re not getting calls back. People are not getting calls back. And I think it’s really important that you know that. I know you told some people that you were too busy, but you told me to call whenever. I have tried to get in touch with you. It took us a month and a half to get a call scheduled. Communication is not someday I’ll call you back. It’s unacceptable. And I do want to enter seven letters into the record that I have sent with colleagues over the past several months requesting information about what is going on at DOE—radio silence until yesterday—that was convenient. So, we need to get responses back to those letters, and I want to be on record saying that communication is not ignoring us.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Marshall, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Improve Seniors’ Access to Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act to improve access to care for seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans by streamlining the time-consuming prior authorization process. The bill would ultimately allow healthcare providers to spend more time on patient care rather than administrative burdens.
    “Prior authorization places more importance on process than patients. As a doctor, I want that to change. Let’s make sure seniors are receiving timely care,” said Dr. Cassidy.
    “Prior authorization is the number one administrative burden facing physicians today across all specialties,” said Senator Marshall. “As a physician, I understand the frustration this arbitrary process is causing health care practices across the country and the headaches it creates for our nurses. With the bipartisan, bicameral Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, we will streamline prior authorization and help improve patient outcomes and access to quality care.”
    Cassidy and Marshall were joined by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mark Warner (D-VA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), James Lankford (R-OK), John Fetterman (D-PA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), John Boozman (R-AR), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Cornyn (R-TX), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Rick Scott (R-FL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tina Smith (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Chris Coons (D-DE). 
    “Too often, seniors have to wait to receive vital care because of administrative burdens like prior authorization. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, which will streamline prior authorization and reduce unnecessary health care delays,” said Senator Capito.
    “Seniors across the Cowboy State rely on Medicare, but too often, bureaucratic red tape gets in the way of timely care,” said Senator Lummis. “I am proud to join my colleagues across the aisle to streamline the prior authorization process and put patients over paperwork.”
    “Excessive administrative burdens within the Medicare Advantage program means too many seniors receive delayed benefits, while our health care providers are overwhelmed by paperwork. The current system isn’t working well for anyone, and it’s time we take meaningful action to fix it. This commonsense legislation is a necessary step in the right direction,” said Senator Hyde-Smith.
    “Quality, expedited medical care should always be within reach for seniors, and our providers deserve a system that helps them focus on delivering it,” said Senator Boozman. “I’m pleased to join this bipartisan effort to end the inefficient process that delays Medicare Advantage beneficiaries’ evaluations and treatments while removing an unnecessary, bureaucratic burden on clinicians.”
    “Doctors and health care providers are too often bogged down by unnecessary burdens, which can lead to delayed care and negative outcomes for patients,” said Senator Cornyn. “By streamlining the prior authorization process under Medicare Advantage, this legislation would cut red tape, improve enrollee experiences, and ensure seniors receive the timely care they deserve.”
    “Improving the prior authorization process will help seniors have quicker access to the health care they need and remove administrative hurdles for physicians,” said Senator Moran. “This legislation would make commonsense changes to better support thousands of seniors in Kansas and remove the red tape that is costing doctors and patients valuable time.”
    “North Carolina seniors shouldn’t face unnecessary delays when trying to access the care they need through Medicare Advantage,” said Senator Tillis. “I’m proud to support this bipartisan, commonsense legislation that streamlines the prior authorization process, cuts red tape for providers, and ensures patients get timely access to treatment.”
    U.S. Representatives John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA-13), Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01), Mike Kelly (R-PA-16), and Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA-06) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    This legislation is supported by the Better Medicare Alliance, Humana, and 138 other health care organizations.
    “Prior authorization helps keep health care costs low and ensures seniors are getting the most appropriate care. But the process should be easier. The changes put forth in this legislation are long overdue and will help ensure seniors can get the care they need without delay,” said Mary Beth Donahue, President and CEO of Better Medicare Alliance. “We are proud to support this bill and thank Senators Marshall and Warner, and Representatives Kelly, DelBene, Bera, and Joyce for their leadership. We look forward to continued work on this issue with Congress and the Administration.”
    “Humana’s job is to ensure our members have access to high quality, affordable healthcare.  We support efforts in the House and Senate to move the Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act forward quickly,” said Jim Rechtin, Humana CEO. “It is a common-sense approach to making healthcare easier by modernizing the prior authorization process.”
    The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act would:
    Establish an electronic prior authorization process for Medicare Advantage plans, including a standardization for transactions and clinical attachments.
    Increase transparency around Medicare Advantage prior authorization requirements and their use.
    Clarify U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) authority to establish timeframes for e-prior authorization requests, including expedited determinations, real-time decisions for routinely approved items and services, and other prior authorization requests.
    Expand beneficiary protections to improve enrollee experiences and outcomes.
    Require HHS and other agencies to report to Congress on program integrity efforts and other ways to further improve the e-prior authorization process.
    Result in a zero cost to American taxpayers.
    Codify and enhance elements of the Advancing Interoperability and Improving Prior Authorization Processes (e-PA) rule that was finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on January 17, 2024.
    Background
    Prior authorization is a tool used by health plans to reduce unnecessary care by requiring health care providers to get pre-approval for medical services. The current system often results in multiple faxes or phone calls by clinicians, which takes precious time away from delivering care. Prior authorization continues to be the number one administrative burden identified by health care providers, and nearly three out of four Medicare Advantage enrollees are subject to unnecessary delays due to the practice. 
    Last Congress, the bill was supported by a super majority of members in the U.S. Senate (60) and was unanimously passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022.
    In 2018, the HHS Office of the Inspector General raised concerns after an audit revealed that Medicare Advantage plans ultimately approved 75% of requests that were originally denied.
    In 2022, the HHS Office of Inspector General released a report finding that MA plans incorrectly denied beneficiaries’ access to services even though they met Medicare coverage rules.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Introduces Bill to Allow HSAs to Be Used for Direct Primary Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced the Primary Care Enhancement Act to increase access to affordable preventative and primary care by allowing health savings accounts (HSAs) to be used to pay for direct primary care (DPC).
    “Relying on specialists and hospital referrals is expensive and time-consuming. Access to direct primary care gives patients more control over their health care and empowers them to see the doctor they trust,” said Dr. Cassidy.
    Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), James Lankford (R-OK), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) in introducing the legislation.
    Background
    DPC is a growing model used by thousands of practices in almost every state. With DPC, care is delivered in any setting, including virtual care, telemedicine, and office visits beyond normal business hours. DPC reduces the burden on emergency rooms and clinics and encourages patients to develop personal relationships with their doctors. The bill clarifies the tax code so that a DPC agreement does not make a patient ineligible to contribute to an HSA, and that pre-tax HSA funds may be used to pay DPC fees. 
    DPC agreements replace copays and deductibles with flat, affordable monthly fees. Current tax law makes DPC incompatible with health savings account (HSA) plans because the IRS defines DPC as insurance. Over thirty states have passed laws and regulations to clarify that DPC is not insurance, but a medical service.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Senator Peters Secures Commitment from Air Force Secretary for Future Funding to Support Basing of F-15EX Fighters at Selfridge

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    Published: 05.21.2025

    WASHINGTON, DC – During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) secured a commitment from Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink that future Air Force funding will be used to support the recapitalization of Selfridge’s retiring A-10 mission with the 21 new F-15EX fighter jets that were recently announced for the base. Peters emphasized the importance of robust Air Force funding to base the F-15EXs – a next generation fighter aircraft that will help ensure the long-term future of Selfridge. 
    “I’m certainly proud, as all Michiganders are, of Selfridge’s exceptional 108-year legacy defending our nation, and with this announcement I am certain this legacy will continue for decades to come,” Senator Peters said during the hearing.  
    When pressed by Peters to commit to supporting the recapitalization of Selfridge’s A-10s with the incoming F-15EX fighters, Secretary Meink said, “Based on the President’s decision, the Air Force is putting a plan together to execute the placement of the F-15EXs at Selfridge.”  
    Building on a $28 million investment he secured to construct a new aircraft hangar at Selfridge, Peters went on to acknowledge that additional infrastructure improvements are necessary to support the F-15EXs, as well as the KC-46A tanker mission Peters announced in January 2024. Peters reiterated his willingness to work with the Air Force to carry out these improvements in a timely manner.    
     

    To watch the full video of Senator Peters’ questioning, click here.
    Peters has made securing the long-term stability of Selfridge Air National Guard Base a top priority. Prior to last month’s F-15EX basing announcement, Peters sent a letter urging the Air Force to base a new fighter mission at Selfridge. Peters also led the Michigan delegation in meeting with and urging top Defense Department officials to replace Selfridge’s A-10 mission with a new, long-term fighter mission. Peters secured language in the most recent national defense bill encouraging the Air Force to plan for replacement of the 25 Air National Guard fighter aircraft squadrons across the country with advanced fighter aircraft – including the A-10 squadron based at Selfridge. Peters has also leveraged his position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to push for the funding needed to procure additional F-15EX fighter jets in the Fiscal Year 2025 Defense Appropriations Act, which passed committee in August 2024. In 2023, Peters urged the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee to include funding for a F-15EX Fighter Mission at Selfridge.   
    In addition to securing a new fighter mission, in January 2024, Peters announced that the U.S. Air Force selected Selfridge to host a new squadron of twelve KC-46A refueling tankers. This announcement came shortly after Peters led a bipartisan, bicameral group of Michigan delegation members in urging then-U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to select Selfridge for a new squadron of these next-generation tankers, which will be deployed by the U.S. Air Force for the next 50 years.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump Admin. Accidentally Admits It Will Hurt the Poor to Give Bigger Tax Windfall to the Ultra-Wealthy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Earlier this week the White House accidentally published proof that President Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill” increases taxes on low-income earners in order to give cut taxes for the rich.

    The White House briefly linked to – and then took down – a document from the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), the official nonpartisan committee that analyzes how different income levels will be impacted by new tax laws, after realizing the document showed Trump’s policies would financially harm working families.

    That JCT report showed that in 2029, when the permanent effects of the GOP tax plan are felt, Americans making less than $30,000 will actually pay more in taxes under the Trump plan than under current law.  Americans making less than $15,000 would be forced to pay 53 percent more in taxes than they do now as their average tax rate jumps from 3.3 percent to 5.1 percent. Meanwhile, households making over $1 million will pay 6.4 percent less in taxes (totaling an estimated $74 billion collectively), as their average rate falls from 30.8 percent to 28.7 percent.

    Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed issued the following statement condemning Trump’s partisan tax bill that would raise taxes on the lowest-income Americans while handing six-figure windfalls to the wealthiest 0.1 percent of taxpayers:

    “Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans are trying to jam through a Robin Hood in Reverse tax plan that takes from the poor to give to the rich.  The numbers are clear: Trump’s plan will make the rich richer and the poor poorer.  Families struggling to put food on the table will pay more and have less federal support while millionaires and billionaires get a bigger tax windfall.  For people just getting by, and just starting out, it will make it harder for them to afford the American Dream.  It’s going to increase the number of people living paycheck to paycheck, deepen the divide, and exacerbate the wealth gap and financial inequality,” said Reed.

    According to USA Today, the top 1 percent of households in the United States own significantly more wealth than the bottom 90 percent.

    “The American people want a tax system that is simple, fair, and encourages a strong, resilient, and prosperous economic future.  Instead of directing bigger tax windfalls to the ultra-wealthy as Trump and congressional Republicans want, I believe we must direct targeted relief to working families and help bring down costs for things like health care, housing, and child care in ways that widely benefit the vast majority instead of just the wealthy few,” said Reed.

    New analysis from the Yale Budget Lab, a nonpartisan research center, further underscores the JCT’s findings and highlights how skewed the Trump tax bill is in favor of the wealthy at the expense of working families.  The Yale Budget Lab found that nearly 80 percent of the bill’s total benefits would go to just the top 20 percent of earners.

    Reed pointed out that the numbers look even worse when factoring in the fact that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are cutting programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to save money and help pay for their tax cuts for the wealthy. When adding the impact of those cuts to low-income families, the benefits of the Trump tax bill become even more skewed towards the richest Americans.

    The New York Times reports that economists at the Penn Wharton Budget Model “found that many Americans who make less than $51,000 a year would see their after-tax income fall as a result of the Republican proposal beginning in 2026.”

    Trump and Congressional Republicans are continuing to modify their bill which also currently cuts hundreds of millions from Medicaid, SNAP and other popular programs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed: Trump Admin’s Decision to Accept Luxury Jet from Qatar is a National Embarrassment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after the U.S. Department of Defense announced it has accepted a luxury commercial aircraft donated by Qatar for use as the new Air Force One for President Donald Trump while he is in office and then plans to transfer it to Trump’s presidential library when he leaves office, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, slammed the decision, stating:

    “This is a national embarrassment that raises serious security and ethics questions.

    “President Trump is outsourcing a core symbol of American sovereignty, power, and ingenuity.  He is forcing U.S. taxpayers to shell out potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to refurbish this so-called gift which will likely only be in official service for a short time.

    “Refurbishing a Qatari-gifted plane with the responsibilities of Air Force One isn’t just costly – it’s a serious national security risk. Potentially exposing the President’s communications and safety to a foreign government is reckless and would create unacceptable vulnerabilities for our nation.

    “Today’s announcement is not the end of the story, and I expect my colleagues to join me in exercising oversight over this outrageous move. There must be transparency and accountability about the costs of retrofitting this plane, the counterintelligence risks involved, and how it will be used once President Trump leaves office.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Warns Republicans Against Their Plan To Overrule The Senate Parliamentarian

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    May 21, 2025

    Durbin: “Should my Senate Republican colleagues overrule the Parliamentarian, it will have major long-term impacts for the Senate and the legislative filibuster.”

    WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today cautioned his Senate Republican colleagues from overruling a decision by the Senate Parliamentarian and the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which would eliminate longstanding guardrails and pave the way for a future Senate majority to overrule the Parliamentarian to achieve its partisan goals.

    Last month, the Senate Parliamentarian, after analyzing the GAO’s opinion, ruled that Senate Republicans cannot use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn a waiver granted to California by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate its own vehicle emissions. Republicans are attempting to block a California law requiring all new cars sold in the State by 2035 to be zero-emission vehicles.

    “That’s right—despite claims of being the party of states’ rights, Republicans want to end this state-level regulation in the state of California. And get this: Elon Musk, the un-elected advisor to the President, previously wrote to the EPA in favor of California’s waiver. Now, he has joined the Republican majority to try to gut the rule,” Durbin said. “The Parliamentarian’s decision was not one of party loyalty. It followed decades of precedent showing that California’s Clean Air Act waivers are not subject to the Congressional Review Act. Despite the Parliamentarian’s decision, my Senate Republican colleagues want to override the GAO and the Senate Parliamentarian to advance the fossil-fuel agenda. It’s ‘burn, baby, burn,’ ‘drill, baby, drill.’”

    Durbin continued, “Now, I understand that using the CRA might be faster than agency rulemaking or even considering legislation… In fact, President Trump, in his first term, took administrative action to rescind California’s Clean Air Act waivers and could take that path again. But what Republicans are pursuing today is a procedural nuclear option—a dramatic break from Senate precedent with a profound consequence. Let me repeat: Should my Senate Republican colleagues overrule the Senate Parliamentarian, it will have a major long-term impact for the Senate and the legislative filibuster.”

    Durbin noted that this move by Senate Republicans is unprecedented—the Senate has never overruled the Parliamentarian regarding the CRA.

    “And before, when the tables were turned and the Senate Democrats were in the majority, my Republican colleagues were singing a very different tune about never breaking from the Parliamentarian,” Durbin said. “Leader Thune himself acknowledged in January of this year that overruling the Parliamentarian is ‘totally akin to killing the filibuster. We can’t go there. People need to understand that.’”

    Durbin concluded, “If Senate Republicans disregard the Parliamentarian’s decision, they would set a new precedent in the Senate: eliminating longstanding guardrails and paving the way for a future Senate majority to overrule the Parliamentarian to achieve its partisan goals. I caution my Senate Republican colleagues from toeing this line and setting the wrong precedent. And as I’ve said time and time again—there cannot be one set of rules for Republicans of the Senate and another set of rules for the Democrats. I hope my Republican colleagues will heed my warning and make the right choice—the only choice—accept the GAO and the Senate Parliamentarian’s decision.”

    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Graham, Reps. Ocasio-Cortez & Lee Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Combat Non-Consensual, Sexually-Explicit Deepfake Imagery

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    May 21, 2025

    The DEFIANCE Act would give survivors a tool to reclaim their image and freedom

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and U.S. Representative Laurel Lee (R-FL-15) today reintroduced the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act(DEFIANCE Act), bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would grant survivors the right to take civil action against individuals who knowingly produce, distribute, solicit andreceive, or possess with the intent to distribute nonconsensual sexually-explicit digital forgeries. Last July, the Senate unanimously passed the DEFIANCE Act of 2024.

    “Sexually-explicit ‘deepfake’ content is often used to exploit and harass women and girls, and no one should have their privacy and autonomy violated by someone else generating explicit AI-generated content of them,” said Durbin. “Although the imagery may be fake, the harm to the victims is very real. Victims have lost their jobs, their reputations, and many have suffered from life-altering depression or anxiety. By introducing the DEFIANCE Act, we’re giving power back to the victims; cracking down on the production, receipt, distribution, and possession of ‘deepfake’ images; and holding those responsible for the images accountable.”

    “We’re reintroducing the DEFIANCE Act to empower survivors of nonconsensual deepfake pornography with the right to take civil action so they can pursue justice for themselves,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “I’m proud to lead this legislation with Representative Lee, and Senators Durbin and Graham to provide victims with the federal protections they deserve.”

    “I am proud to co-lead the bipartisan DEFIANCE Act, which gives victims a civil right of action when predators attempt to use exploitative AI-generated intimate images—so-called deepfakes—to intimidate, shame, or harm them,” said Lee. “We’ve seen stories across the country of women and girls as young as 12 years old victimized by this new and growing form of sexual violence. The time for action is now. This legislation will complement the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which was recently signed into law. Together, they both create both accountability and recourse. I am grateful for my colleagues’ work on these issues, and look forward to moving this bill through Committee.”

    The bill text is available here. 

    In addition to Durbin and Graham, the DEFIANCE Act is cosponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Angus King (I-ME), Mike Lee (R-UT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

    In addition to Ocasio-Cortez and Lee, the DEFIANCE Act is cosponsored by Representatives Kat Cammack (R-FL-03), Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12), Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Nancy Mace (R-SC-06), Max Miller (R-OH-07), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07), and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02).

    The legislation is endorsed by the National Women’s Law Center, National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), Raven, Public Citizen, Sexual Violence Prevention Association, Democratic Women’s Caucus, UltraViolet, Joyful Heart Foundation, My Image My Choice, Reclaim Coalition, SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, American Association of University Women (AAUW), End Rape on Campus, Foundation Ra, Explain the Asterisk, Protect America’s Daughters, Sexual Assault Response Coalition (SARC), Students Against Sexual Assault, What Were You Wearing, Rooting Movements, Recognize Violence, Change Culture (RVCC), and Street Grace. Quotes from these organizations follow.

    “As a survivor of deepfake pornography, I know the trauma of having your body and identity manipulated and weaponized. It is a violation that leaves you feeling powerless. The DEFIANCE Act changes that. It empowers victims to seek justice through a civil right of action, finally giving us a path to hold perpetrators accountable. With the number of deepfakes doubling every six months—and over 98% of them being pornographic—we are in a crisis. This bipartisan bill addresses the creation, distribution, and solicitation of nonconsensual deepfake pornography. It’s not just necessary—it’s urgent. Survivors deserve justice. Congress must act swiftly to pass the DEFIANCE Act and take a meaningful stand against digital sexual violence,” said Omny Miranda Martone, Founder & CEO of the Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA).

    “Survivors of image-based sexual abuse deserve a clear path to civil justice,” said Stefan Turkheimer, VP of Public Policy at RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. “The DEFIANCE Act is the right solution — and now is the right time to build on the growing momentum to ensure survivors have real power to hold offenders accountable, including the ability to pursue civil remedies against those who use AI to create and spread sexually explicit images meant to cause harm.”

    The volume of “deepfake” content available online is increasing exponentially as the technology used to create it has become more accessible to the public. The overwhelming majority of this material is sexually-explicit and is produced without the consent of the person depicted. A 2019 study found that 96 percent of “deepfake” videos were nonconsensual pornography.

    One researcher found that:

    • The number of nonconsensual pornographic “deepfake” videos available online has increased ninefold since 2019;
    • Such videos have been viewed almost four billion times;
    • Monthly traffic to the top 20 “deepfake” sites increased by 285 percent from July 2020 to July 2023; and
    • Search engines directed 25.2 million visits to the top five most popular “deepfake” sites in July 2023 alone.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse Offer Prescription to Lower Rx Drug Prices

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to help more seniors afford their lifesaving prescription medications, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced legislation today with Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and a group of Senators to boost Medicare negotiations of drug prices to lower the cost of prescription drugs for consumers.

    The Strengthening Medicare and Reducing Taxpayer (SMART) Prices Act would give the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) enhanced authority to negotiate for Medicare Part D.  The legislation would give the Trump Administration the power to set prices for more prescription drugs. It would also lower the ceiling for prices for the drugs subject to negotiation.

    The legislation builds on a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act that allowed Medicare to negotiate prescription drugs for the first time. The SMART Prices Act would also lower Medicare Part B drug prices through negotiation two years earlier than they would under the current law and would increase the overall number of drugs that HHS can negotiate starting in 2026.

    According to preliminary estimates from a model by West Health and Verdant Research, if the SMART Prices Act was enacted in 2026, it would save 33 percent more by 2030 than current law. It would also allow Medicare to begin negotiations earlier and bring down the price of more expensive drugs.

    “One of the biggest expenses for seniors on fixed incomes is prescription drug costs.  I helped include provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act to lower the prices seniors pay at the pharmacy counter. The SMART Prices Act builds on this progress by strengthening Medicare’s ability to use bulk purchasing power to negotiate lower prices,” said Senator Reed.

    “As Republicans move to cut health care, Democrats are working to lower health care and prescription drug costs for our nation’s seniors,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “Our SMART Prices Act will build on progress made in our Inflation Reduction Act and strengthen Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices, providing welcome relief to seniors living on fixed incomes.”

    “No one should have to choose between putting food on the table and affording their medications. This bill builds on our progress to lower prescription drug costs by accelerating Medicare’s ability to negotiate prices for more drugs on behalf of the American people,” said Senator Klobuchar. “We will make prescriptions more affordable and save taxpayers more money by continuing to take on Big Pharma’s price gouging.”

    In addition to Klobuchar, Reed, and Whitehouse, the SMART Prices Act is cosponsored by Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

    The bill is also endorsed by Center for American Progress, FamiliesUSA, Patients For Affordable Drugs NOW, Protect Our Care, and Public Citizen.

    “The SMART Prices Act builds on the progress of the Inflation Reduction Act to help bring down today’s exorbitant prescription drug prices,” said Andrea Ducas, Vice President of Health Policy at the Center for American Progress. “The bill is an important step forward in holding pharmaceutical companies accountable and ensuring seniors are paying fair and affordable prices for life-saving medications.”

    “One in three Americans can’t afford their prescription drugs. We hear from patients every day who are rationing medication or skipping doses because of high drug costs. The SMART Prices Act is a welcome step that builds on the historic drug price reforms in the Inflation Reduction Act by increasing the number of drugs subject to Medicare negotiation – a proposal that has broad support from Americans on both sides of the aisle,” said Merith Basey, Executive Director of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now.

    Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach stated: “Americans across the political spectrum support Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices and want to see the program expand. Instead, Trump and his cronies in Congress are charging ahead with their budget that not only guts Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to fund billionaire tax breaks, but hands billions in give-aways over to Big Pharma. The contrast couldn’t be more clear.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Houston Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Illegal Distribution of Opioids and Tax Fraud

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    A Texas man was sentenced on Monday to 19 years in prison for unlawfully conspiring to distribute millions of opioid pills and aiding the falsification of tax records. 

    According to court documents, Christopher Obaze, 64, of Houston, Texas, was the owner and pharmacist-in-charge of Chrisco Pharmacy. Obaze and his co-conspirators operated Chrisco Pharmacy as an illegal “ghosting pharmacy,” purchasing pharmaceutical opioids and other commonly abused prescription drugs from wholesalers and then selling them in bulk to drug traffickers, without involving physicians, patients, or prescriptions. From January 2018 through October 2021, Obaze and his co-conspirators distributed at least 2,268,700 hydrocodone 10-325 mg and oxycodone 30 mg pills as part of the scheme. 

    The defendant and his pharmacy technician attempted to conceal their illegal activities by reporting no dispensing of the drugs to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy’s prescription monitoring program after July 2018, and by structuring cash deposits and submitting false documents to banks to maintain accounts to hold the proceeds of their unlawful distribution scheme. Obaze also aided and assisted in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent tax returns to the IRS by understating, among other things, the gross receipts of Chrisco Pharmacy. 

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Houston Division, and Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office made the announcement. 

    The DEA and IRS-CI investigated the case. 

    Trial Attorney Drew Pennebaker of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. 

    The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Texas Doctor Who Falsely Diagnosed Patients Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment in Connection with $118M in Fraudulent Health Care Claims

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: Texas Doctor Who Falsely Diagnosed Patients Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment in Connection with $118M in Fraudulent Health Care Claims

    A Texas rheumatologist was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for perpetrating a $118 million health care fraud scheme in which he falsely diagnosed patients with chronic illnesses to bill for tests and treatments that the patients did not need. Jorge Zamora-Quezada M.D., 68, of Mission, falsified patient records to support the false diagnoses after receiving a federal grand jury subpoena.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle Urge Samaritan Health to Keep Full Labor and Delivery Services for Oregonians

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    May 21, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04), are calling on Samaritan Health Services to maintain rural and coastal Oregonians’ full access to labor and delivery services.
    Amidst internal discussions by the Samaritan Health Service’s board, the lawmakers sent a letter to new President and CEO Marty Cahill, expressing concerns over Samaritan’s reported plan to close its labor and delivery unit in Lincoln City and consolidate those services in Newport, as well as close its labor and delivery unit in Lebanon and consolidate those services in Albany.
    “We have heard from concerned doctors and nurses that this decision would have devastating effects on the health and safety of expectant mothers, newborns, and families,” cautioned the lawmakers.
    The units in Lincoln City and Lebanon serve a wide geographic area, and closures would force patients to travel dangerously long distances—in some cases, more than an hour—to receive both routine and emergency obstetric care. This decision would create a maternity care desert for rural North Lincoln County, while also putting an undue burden on many families that could cause them to bypass necessary medical care.
    While the lawmakers deeply understand the numerous economic challenges facing rural labor and delivery units across Oregon—including low volumes of births, workforce shortages, and challenging reimbursement rates—they’ve also seen the negative impacts labor and delivery unit closures have on Oregon’s mothers and families. Together, they are calling for Samaritan Health to pursue innovative approaches and use a thoughtful, community-driven process to preserve access to all maternal health care services.
    “Physicians, nurses, and other clinicians who provide obstetric services should be part of the process and help develop recommendations that will keep birthing services open while addressing the tough financial environment for Oregon hospitals. This could include collaborating with nearby hospitals and deploying telehealth models to expand the capacity of the obstetrics workforce,” continued the lawmakers.
    As Samaritan Health’s leaders continue to navigate a path forward, Merkley, Wyden, and Hoyle will keep advocating for them to engage in a transparent process with the community they serve before making any changes to the maternal health care services they provide for the community.
    “We urge you to pursue all resources available to you to keep the labor and delivery units open in Lincoln City and Lebanon,” the lawmakers closed.
    Full text of the letter can be found by clicking HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Opening Remarks and Questions at Antitrust Subcommittee Hearing on AI-Generated Deepfakes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar
    WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS AND QUESTION HERE
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, held a hearing titled “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: AI-Generated Deepfakes in 2025.” 
    Testifying at the hearing was Country Music Singer-Songwriter, Martina McBride; CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, Mitch Glazier; Senior Legal Counsel at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), Christen Price; Director of Technology Policy at Consumer Reports, Justin Brookman; and Head of Music Policy at Youtube, Suzana Carlos.
    “AI-enabled scams have become far too common. We know that it takes only a few seconds of audio to clone a voice. Criminals can pull the audio sample and personal back story from public sources, said Klobuchar at the hearing. “We also need rules of the road to ensure that AI technologies empower artists and creators and not undermine them. Art just doesn’t entertain us. It’s something that uplifts us and brings us together.”
    “That’s why this NO FAKES Act is so important. It protects people from having their voice and likeness replicated using AI without their permission, all within the framework of the Constitution, and it protects everybody, because everyone should have a right to privacy.” 
    A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s opening remarks and questions is available below. Video is available HERE.
    Senator Klobuchar: Thank you very much, Senator Blackburn, I’m very excited about this subcommittee and the work we’ve already done together for years on this issue and similar issues when it comes to tech.
    I share your hopes for AI and see that we’re on this cusp of amazing advancements if this is harnessed in the right way, but I’m also concerned if things go the wrong way. I think it was David Brooks, a columnist, that said he has trouble writing about it because he doesn’t know if it will take us to Heaven or Hell. So it’s our job to head to heaven, and it’s our job to put some rules in place, and this is certainly one of them. 
    We want this to work for children, for consumers, for artists, and not against them. And you brought up the example Chair, of Randy Travis who was at the event that we recently had with you, and Senator Coons and myself about the bill and how he used AI in such a positive way. But then we know there are these risks. 
    And one of the things that I think is really exciting about this week is that, in fact, on Monday, the President signed my bill with Senator Cruz, the TAKE IT DOWN Act, into law. This was a bill I discussed with him and the First Lady at the inaugural lunch. 
    It’s an example of “use-every-moment-you-have” to advance a cause. And then she supported the bill and helped to get it passed in the House. Senator Cruz and I had already passed it in the Senate, and we were having some trouble getting it done over in the House. So we’re really pleased, because it actually does set some track moving forward, even though this bill, that bill, is about nonconsensual porn, both AI created and non AI created, it’s had huge harmful effects, about 20 some suicides a year of young kids who think they’re sending a picture innocently to a girlfriend or a potential boyfriend, and then it gets sent out on their school internet. It gets sent out to people they know, and basically, they believe their life is in ruins, and don’t have any other context, and take their own lives. And that’s just the most obvious and frightful part of this, but there’s others as well. So I’m hoping this is going to be a first step to some of the work that we can do, including with the bill that we’re going to be discussing today. 
    AI-enabled scams have become far too common. We know that it takes only a few seconds of audio to clone a voice. Criminals can pull the audio sample and personal back story from public sources. 
    Just last week, the FBI was forced to put out an alert about scams using AI-cloned voices of FBI agents and officials asking people for sensitive payment information.
    Jamie Lee Curtis was forced to make a public appeal to Mark Zuckerberg to take down an unauthorized, deepfake ad that included her digital replica endorsing a dental product. While Meta removed the ad after her direct outreach, most people don’t have that kind of influence. 
    We also need rules of the road to ensure that AI technologies empower artists and creators and not undermine them. Art just doesn’t entertain us. It’s something that uplifts us and brings us together. 
    When I recently met with Cory Wong, a Grammy-nominated artist from Minnesota, he talked about how unauthorized digital replicas threaten artists’ livelihoods and undermine their ability to create art. 
    So this is not just a personal issue. It’s also an economic issue. One of the reasons our country, one of our best exports to the world, is music and movies. When you look at the numbers and how we’ve been able to captivate people around the world, that’s going to go away if people can just copy everything that we do. 
    And one of the keys to our success as a nation in innovation has been the fact, and Senator Coons does a lot of work in this area, [that] we’ve been able to respect copyrights and patents and people’s own right to their own products. 
    So that’s why this NO FAKES Act is so important. It protects people from having their voice and likeness replicated using AI without their permission, all within the framework of the Constitution, and it protects everybody, because everyone should have a right to privacy. 
    I also am working in the space on AI to put some base rules in place in my role on the Commerce Committee. Senator Thune and I have a bill that we’re reintroducing on this to set some rules for NIST to be able to put out there for companies that are using AI. And then I’m always concerned about its effect on democracy, but that is for a different day and in a different committee. 
    But I do want to thank Senator Blackburn for her willingness to come out on doing something about tech, including the work she does with Senator Blumenthal, the work that we’ve done together on commerce. And if Monday is any sign with the first bill getting through and there in that Rose Garden signing ceremony, there’s more to come, and so thank you and look forward to hearing from the witnesses.
    …
    Klobuchar: All right. Thank you very much. I guess I’ll start with Mr. Brookman, the non-Grammy winner. I want to talk to you just a little bit about this consumer angle here, which I think is interesting to people. And I think at its core, all of us involved in this legislation have made it really clear that’s not just people who are well known that will be hurt by this eventually, and that getting this bill passed as soon as possible is just as important for everyone, but I do so appreciate Ms. McBride being willing to come forward, because those stories and the stories that we’ve heard from, like I mentioned, Jamie Lee Curtis, or the stories that we’ve heard from many celebrities, are very important to getting this done. So you just did a report on AI-generated voice cloning scams, including that, AI voice cloning applications, in the words of the report, presents a clear opportunity for scammers, and we need to make sure our consumer protection enforcers are prepared to respond to the growing threat of these scams. I had this happen to my state director’s husband, who their kid is in the Marines, and they got a call. They figured out that it wasn’t really him asking for stuff and money. They knew he couldn’t call from where he was deployed to. This is just going to be happening all over the place, and the next call will be to a grandma who thinks it’s real, and she sends her life savings in. So I have called on the FTC and the FCC to step up their efforts to prevent these voice cloning scams. And what are some of the tools that agencies need to crack down on these scams, even outside of this bill?
    Justin Brookman: Yeah, absolutely, so I think the first thing the Federal Trade Commission probably needed is more resources. They only have like 1200 people right now for the entire economy. That’s down from like seven, that’s down from like 100 just in the past couple of months.
    Klobuchar: Down from way down from even during like, the Nixon Era.
    Brookman: Yeah, like 1700 it used to be and the economy has grown like three or four times. Chairman Ferguson has, Chairman Ferguson has said more cuts are coming, which I think is the wrong direction. I worked for the Federal Trade Commission for a couple of years. We could not do, like, a fraction of all the things that we wanted to do to protect consumers, so more people, more capacity, more technologists. Like, there’s just not enough technology capacity in government. I was in the office of technology research and investigation there, that was like five people. That’s just not enough, obviously, with all these very sophisticated, I mean, just deep fakes alone, let alone the rest of the tech economy, the ability to get penalties and even injunctive relief, right if someone, if someone gets caught stealing something, the FTC often doesn’t have the ability to make them give the money back. I know this, under this committee has tried to restore that authority, but that would be important. And also, like again, maybe the FTC could have rule-making authority. But also this, I would like to see Congress consider legislative authority to address tools like again, if you are offering a tool that can be used only for harm, voice impersonation, deepfake pornographic images, maybe there should, there should be responsibilities to make sure it’s not being used for harm.
    Klobuchar: Okay, thank you. Ms. Carlos, can you talk about what YouTube is doing to ensure it’s not facilitating these scams?
    Suzana Carlos: Sure, and thank you for the question, Senator.
    Klobuchar: And thanks for your support for the bill
    Carlos: Of course. So, just to primarily consider, we obviously see great and tremendous opportunity coming from AI, but we also acknowledge that there are risks, and it is our utmost responsibility to ensure that it is deployed responsibly. So we’ve taken a number of efforts to protect against unharmful contact on our platform. Primarily, we have uploaded, we have updated our privacy policies last year to ensure that all individuals can now submit a notice to YouTube when their unauthorized voice or likeness has been used on our platform, and once reviewed, if it is applicable, and we’ve confirmed that that content should be removed, we will take it down. We’ve additionally implemented watermarks on our AI products. We originally began with both image and watermarks using our SynthID technology, and we’ve recently expanded it to also be applied to text generated from our Gemini app and web experience. And most recently, as part of our VO video tool. We’ve also taken the additional step to become a member of C2PA, the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, and there, we’re serving as a steering member to work with the organization to create indicators and markings that will allow the content provenance that was created off platforms to additionally be recognized, and we’re deploying those technologies across our platform.
    Klobuchar: Okay, thank you. We mentioned the TAKE IT DOWN Act, and thank you for the support for that. Mr. Glazer, you talked about how this is the first federal law related to generative AI, and that it’s a good first step. And could you talk about how, if we don’t move on from there and we just stop and don’t do anything for years, which seems to be what’s been going on, what’s going to happen here, and why it’s so important to do this.
    Mitch Glazier: I think there’s a very small window, and an unusual window, for Congress to get ahead of what is happening before it becomes irreparable. The TAKE IT DOWN Act was an incredible model. It was done for criminal activity, you know, …
    Klobuchar: Yeah, I know. 
    Glazier:  Yeah, right. You know, you wrote it, but it was a great model, but it only goes so far. But we need to use that model now, and we need to expand it carefully in a balanced way to lots of other situations, which is exactly what the NO FAKES Act does. And I think, you know, we have a very limited amount of time in order to allow people and platforms to act before this gets to a point where it’s so far out of the barn that instead of encouraging responsible AI development, instead, we allow investment and capital to go into AI development that hurts…
    Klobuchar: Stealing things…
    Glazier: So let’s encourage investment the right way to boost great AI development and be first. Let’s not be the folks that encourage investment in AI technologies that really harm us.
    Klobuchar: And Ms. Price, you’ve expressed concerns about this 10-year moratorium on state rules. I’m very concerned, having spent years trying to pass some of these things, and I think that one of the ways we pass things quickly, like Mr. Glazier was talking about, is if people actually see a reason that they don’t want to patch work, they want to get it done. But if you just put a moratorium, and you look at, like, the Elvis law coming out of Tennessee, Ms. McBride, and some of the other things that would stop all of that. Could you, my last question here before we go to another round, could you talk about why you’re concerned about what is right in front of us now, which is this 10-year moratorium?
    Christen Price: Yes, thank you for the question, Senator. We’re concerned about the moratorium because it’s basically signaling to the AI companies that they can kind of do whatever they want in the meantime, and it inhibits States’ ability to adapt their laws to this form of technology that’s changing very quickly and then has this potential to cause great harm. 
    Klobuchar: Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: South Africa Persecution: “When it gets exposed, it’ll get fixed.”

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    “This is a very serious situation. If we had a real press, it would be exposed. When it gets exposed, it’ll get fixed. But people don’t talk about it. And I’ll tell you who is talking about it, thousands of people that are fleeing South Africa right now.” –President Trump

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTyCnt2JNLw

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Foreign Aid is not charity — Secretary Rubio

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    “Foreign aid is not charity. It is designed to further the national interest of the United States.” — Secretary of State Marco Rubio

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d4gullH7U8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marshals Arrest Woman in Florida Wanted for Money Laundering in Texas Since 2015

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Corpus Christi, TX – On May 16, 2025, the Cold Case Unit of the U.S. Marshals Service, Gulf Coast Violent Offenders and Fugitive Task Force – Corpus Christi Division and the Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force (FCRFTF) joined to arrest Olga Escamilla for Failure to Appear on a Money Laundering charge originating in Kenedy County, Texas.

    On September 19, 2012, Escamilla was indicted for Money Laundering, involving a sum between $20,000 and $100,000, by a Grand Jury in Kleberg County, Texas. While on bond, Escamilla fled to Mexico.

    On June 19, 2015, the 105th Judicial District Court for Kenedy County, Texas issued a fully extraditable arrest warrant for Failure to Appear, involving the Money Laundering charge.

    Utilizing various investigative methods, along with working with multiple law enforcement partners, the Cold Case Unit was able to determine Escamilla’s location. Investigators collaborated with senior inspectors assigned to the FCRFTF, who arrested Escamilla in Florida.

    The Cold Case Unit was formed to devote specialized investigative efforts to capturing fugitives who have been on the run for several years. The United States Marshals Service is committed to expediently investigating the locations of, and ultimately apprehending, fugitives regardless of how many years they have been on the run.

    The U.S. Marshals led Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force with base in Corpus Christi, Texas, is integrated by remarkable agents from Texas Department of Public Safety, Nueces County Sheriff’s Office, Aransas County Sheriff, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Corpus Christi Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Kleberg County Attorney Office and other partner federal agencies that work together for the protection of our communities.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney’s Office recovers approximately $450,000 for victims of Missoula fraudster

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BILLINGS  — The U.S. Attorney’s Office recently recovered approximately $450,000 from a Missoula man who defrauded his victims out of almost $1 million by fraudulently inducing them to invest in his transportation and logistics companies, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said today.

    The defendant, Jason L. Matheny, was convicted of wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 on November 22, 2019. The court sentenced him to five years of probation, subject to several conditions, and ordered him to pay $994,521.16 in restitution to his victims. In late 2024, Matheny sold a commercial property in Missoula and, because of its restitution lien, the government secured $448,965.36 to be paid to his victims.

    “The collection of restitution for victims of fraud is an essential part of the criminal justice system and a priority for the Department of Justice. Collection from convicted felons can be exceedingly difficult because money is often spent, invested, and moved around. Through the dedication and hard work of the Financial Litigation Program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office was able to execute against Mr. Matheny’s business property. This allowed the proceeds of that sale to be routed to Mr. Matheny’s victims rather than to him.” U.S. Attorney Alme said.

    In September 2024, U.S. Probation requested a summons for revocation of Matheny’s term of probation, alleging he had violated the terms of his sentence by failing to provide requested financial information. Matheny admitted the violation in November 2024 and the Court extended his probation for an additional year.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Jamestown man going to prison for selling meth

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Richard S. Dean, 49, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 500 grams of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that the defendant was a drug trafficking associate of co-defendant Douglas Beardsley. During the conspiracy, Dean would go over to Beardsley’s residences on Linden and Forest Avenues in Jamestown several times a week and pick up ounces of methamphetamine and grams of heroin to sell for Beardsley. At times, Beardsley would “front” the narcotics to the defendant to sell. Dean and Beardsley would often communicate about their drug trafficking, including through their Facebook accounts.

    On January 6, 2019, local law enforcement observed a suspicious male, later identified as the defendant. Dean became evasive and ran from officers. Shortly thereafter, the defendant was taken into custody and arrested on an outstanding warrant. Dean was transported to the Jamestown City jail where a subsequent search revealed that he possessed methamphetamine, heroin, plastic baggies, a digital scale, and Dimethyl Sulfone, a common cutting agent for methamphetamine. On March 21, 2019, the defendant pleaded guilty in Chautauqua County Court to Criminal Possession Controlled Substance-5th: Intent To Sell and Criminal Sale Controlled Substance-5th Degree.

    Douglas Beardsley was previously convicted and sentenced to serve 176 months in prison.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (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.

    The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division; and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson.

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