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  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Press Briefing Transcript – Julie Kozack

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    February 6, 2025

    INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND PRESS BRIEFING

    Washington, D.C. Thursday, February 6, 2025

    P R O C E E D I N G S

    1. KOZACK: Good morning, everyone. It’s great to see you all, here in person and online. Welcome to the first IMF press briefing for 2025. I’m Julie Kozak, Director of the Communication Department. As usual, this briefing is embargoed until 11:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time. I’ll start with a few announcements and then I’ll move to take your questions in person, on WebEx, and via the Press Center.

       First, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva will travel to Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. The Managing Director will visit Ethiopia on February 8th and 9th to meet Prime Minister Abiy and his team, and this visit will take stock of the economic reforms and progress that is being made by the country. She will also meet with stakeholders, including representatives of the private sector.

    The Managing Director will also travel to the United Arab Emirates to participate in the Arab Fiscal Forum on February 10th and the World Government Summit on February 11th where she will deliver keynote remarks. On February 16th and 17th, the Managing Director will participate in a two-day conference in Saudi Arabia on building resilience of emerging market economies. The conference is co-organized by the IMF and the Saudi Finance Ministry.

    The First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath will travel to Japan to join the Article IV mission. She will participate in meetings with the authorities and hold a press conference on February 7th at 10:30 a.m. Tokyo time.

    Finally, Deputy Managing Director Okamura will travel to Japan to participate in a jointly organized IMF-JICA conference on Economic and Fiscal Policy Challenges and Prospects for Asia. And this is scheduled for February 12 and 13.

    And with that I will now open the floor for your questions. For those connecting virtually, please do turn on both your camera and the microphone when speaking. Let’s get started.

    QUESTIONER: Hi,I was just wondering, you mentioned Ethiopia. How concerned are you about sort of countries with large IMF programs which also receive a substantial amount of support from USAID, considering the recent executive order, countries like Ethiopia and Ukraine, for example. Thanks.

    KOZACK: Thanks very much. So with respect to your question, you know we are closely following the announcements and developments regarding USAID. At this stage it’s too early to gauge the precise impact on the countries that it supports. We’ll wait for clarity on the next steps, including any changes to the scope of the work of USAID.

    QUESTIONER: So, the IMF mission is going to start working in Ukraine this month. Could you specify please what main issues will the Fund plan to focus on during the Seventh Review of the EFF program. And the second question is about the pension reform in Ukraine. Ukrainian government committed to starting this reform this year. Could you elaborate on what key changes the IMF expects from Ukraine on this area? Thank you.

    KOZACK: Are there any other questions on Ukraine?

    QUESTIONER: So, according to latest information, the review of the EFF is scheduled to begin this month. When the decision on the disbursement is going to be made and what amount of funds are going to be provided with this fund? And the follow-up, how much money is left in the EFF according to the current situation? Are there any plans to expand this program? Thank you.

    QUESTIONER: Just to follow up on the question about Ethiopia. Obviously, the USAID cuts also affect Ukraine pretty significantly. And I wonder, you know, both in those cases and in all cases involving USAID funding, whether you are working with the US ED here and sort of sending a message about the impact. So, whether you’ve kind of figured it out across the enterprise and across all the countries that the IMF works with as well. Thanks.

    KOZACK: Anything else on Ukraine online? Okay. So, on Ukraine, just to remind everyone of the context. So, on December 20th, the IMF’s Executive Board approved the Sixth Review of the EFF program. That enabled the disbursement of $1.1 billion and that brought total disbursements under the program to $9.8 billion. And the total size of the program, I believe, was $15.6 billion. So, the difference between those two is what would be remaining. At that time, the Board assessed that program performance remained strong. The authorities had met all of the benchmarks and prior actions for the review.

    With respect to the next mission, the technical work for the upcoming review is underway. The mission dates are in the process of being finalized, and once we have them, we’ll be sure to communicate that. During this upcoming mission, the IMF staff will engage with the authorities on fiscal policy, including progress on revenue mobilization, monetary policies for 2025, and also progress in ensuring that debt sustainability and fiscal sustainability are restored. Staff will also be reviewing governance reforms, which remain a key pillar for the program. Based on the approved calendar of disbursements, subject to completion of the next review and, of course, subject to Board approval, Ukraine would have access to about $900 million for that next review.

    With respect to pension reform, the government has committed to launch pension reforms this year in 2025, and they would be spearheaded by the Ministry of Social Policy. And those reforms are supported by external partners, notably the World Bank. What I can also add is that the authorities are in the process of developing a comprehensive set of proposals for pension reforms, but it’s too early to tell exactly what will be included in those proposals and what the changes may be.

    And on the second question, I don’t really have much to add to what I already said, other than obviously we’re paying close attention and we’re awaiting further details.

    QUESTIONER: Hi, good morning. Thank you for taking my question. Just on Syria, can you give us an update if the IMF has made any contact with the new government and if there are any plans to provide a loan package to the country? Thank you.

    KOZACK: We’re closely monitoring, obviously, the situation in Syria, and we stand ready to support the international community’s efforts to assist Syria’s reconstruction as needed and when conditions allow. With respect to our engagement, we have not had a meaningful engagement with Syria since 2009, which was the time of the last Article IV Consultation, and this has been due to the difficult security situation in the country.

    QUESTIONER: I have two questions, and they’re Caribbean-related questions. Can you provide a breakdown of the growth projections for the Caribbean region, more specifically, focusing on St. Kitts and Nevis, and what factors are driving the projected growth or decline outlook for the region, more specifically, the Caribbean region?

    KOZACK: Okay. All right, let me step back and give a little bit of an overview of where we stand, what our view is on the Caribbean. So, following the rapid recovery after the Pandemic, real GDP growth in the region has normalized in recent years. Average GDP growth for the region, and this is excluding Guyana and Haiti, is estimated at 2.2 percent for 2023, 2.4 percent for 2024. And growth, our projection is for growth to remain relatively stable at 2.4 percent in 2025.

    Broadly speaking, there are sort of two groups of countries in the Caribbean. So, we look at tourism-dependent economies, and there we see that growth in tourism economies has slowed as tourism arrivals have returned to pre-Pandemic levels. And then for commodity-exporting countries, they have faced challenges in the energy sector but have overall benefited from robust performance in their non-energy sector, and that has been driven by supportive and economic policies.

    I can also add that inflation in most Caribbean countries has moderated significantly over the past few years, and the decline was due to lower global commodity prices and easing of supply chain disruptions. And we expect inflation to remain moderate in the years to come.

    QUESTIONER: My question is on the comment by Managing Director Georgieva in Davos. MD mentioned in Davos clearly that more cooperation in the regional levels might be needed in the future in such a fragmented world and IMF would support such a movement. And could you give me some more detailed plans?

    KOZACK: Thanks very much for the question. What the Managing Director noted in Davos is that we are seeing shifting patterns in global cooperation, in trade, and in other areas, including financial and capital flows. And of course, as a global institution, what will be important for us is as we engage with our membership, right, to take all of this into account to ensure that we can give our members the best policy advice within our mandate of economic and financial stability.

    QUESTIONER: Thanks so much, Julie. I wanted to ask you very broadly about the changes that are happening in the United States and the tariffs that President Trump has announced. Now the implementation of the tariffs on Canada and Mexico has been delayed to March 1st. And, you know, it’s not clear what will happen there exactly. But one of the, you know, the tariffs on China have stayed in place. China has now announced tariffs that will kick in on February 10th. The IMF has warned repeatedly against rising protectionism and also kind of cataloged the thousands of trade restrictions that have been put in place and growing over time since COVID. Can you just walk us through what your perception is right now? The markets have been really all over the place, you know, sort of up and down depending on the day’s mood. Do you see this period of trade uncertainty that you warned about in the WEO, kind of really affecting and dampening global growth prospects? Thanks.

    KOZACK: Thanks very much. Let me see if anyone else has questions on this broad topic.

    QUESTIONER: Thank you. Yeah, I was just wondering, just to follow on the previous question, how you sort of think about the unpredictability of of these tariffs or the discussions around the tariffs, the uncertainty that that kind of brings up, and potentially how that could affect monetary policy. We’ve seen a lot of analysts talking about how they no longer expect the Fed to cut, or they expect the Fed to cut maybe only once this year. I’m just sort of wondering how you’re kind of in real time or as close to real time as you can, sort of taking on board that unpredictability when you think about the U.S. economy and the impacts for global growth. Thanks.

    KOZACK: Great. And you also had a question.

    QUESTIONER: Yes. Just following up with my colleagues. What sort of study, if any, has the IMF undertaken to better understand the global ramifications of these tariffs? We know they’re on pause for another 30 days or so or less. And what sort of impact would small states that are heavily dependent on the United States feel going forward?

    KOZACK: And let me go online to see if anyone online has a question along these lines.

    QUESTIONER: It is very similar. Just wondering the fact that it’s not just tariffs that have imposed on China, but the threat of tariffs on countries across the EU, Canada, and Mexico, and what effect that has on the global outlook. Thank you.

    KOZACK: Okay. Thank you. Anyone else online want to come in on this topic? Okay. So, what I can say on this issue is we’re following the announcements by the U.S. with respect to tariffs on Chinese goods and potentially Canadian and Mexican goods. We’re following these announcements. We believe that it’s in the interest of all to find a constructive way forward to resolve this issue.

    With respect to the assessment, assessing the full impact of these measures of tariffs, it’s actually going to depend on several factors, and let me lay those out. One of those factors is going to be the responses of the countries concerned. Another factor will be how firms and consumers react. And finally, how the measures evolve over time will also have an impact.

    So, at this stage, that’s what I can share with you. We will, of course, have more information over time and in due course as the situation evolves.

    QUESTIONER: Julie, I’m sorry, I think the question is, like, can you say something about what uncertainty does to the global economy? I mean, you’ve talked about this in WEO’s before, but do you see this as a period of heightened uncertainty now that Trump has taken office? And, you know, what is the impact of that uncertainty on things like investment and all this, you know, the sort of categories of economic indicators that we look at?

    KOZACK: So, I think what I can say is, of course, I would refer you to the WEO for some of those analysis. And again, assessing the full impact of this will include all of the factors that I just laid out. And we would take into account issues related to uncertainty, market reactions, et cetera, in an assessment that we will ultimately undertake as the situation evolves and once we have more information.

    Let me now go online. I see a couple of hands up. So, if you’re online, please go ahead and jump in.

    QUESTIONER: Hi, good morning. Thank you for taking my question. Well, has the letter of intent between the IMF and Argentina been prepared? Or let me ask in a different way. Are the negotiations between Argentina and the IMF already in the final stage?

    KOZACK: Thanks. Other questions on Argentina?

    QUESTIONER: Could you give me any updates on the negotiations of the new agreement and what are the most challenging issues they are facing right now? And also yesterday, Minister Luis Caputo said a new agreement will not imply a devaluation of the peso or the exit of the exchange restrictions the next day. Does the IMF agree with this statement?

    KOZACK: Thanks. Others on Argentina?

    QUESTIONER: Hi, Julie. I was wondering also if you could give some input regarding the meetings that the mission in Buenos Aires had, if they have only been talking to government officials or if they are also contacting unions and other opposition representatives. And also, the new crawling peg of 1 percent has started this February. I was wondering if that was a matter of discussion between the staff and the government.

    KOZACK: Thanks, other questions?

    QUESTIONER: Yes, thank you, Julie. So, my question is also on the crawling peg. So, is the IMF concerned about the greater exchange rate delay generated by this reduction of the crawling peg from 2 percent to 1 percent started the 1st of February?

    KOZACK: Any other questions on Argentina? Okay, I hear two more. Please go ahead.

    QUESTIONER: Hi, Julie, I wanted to know if Argentina has already paid a debt due on February 1st or when is it expected to do so? And if there is a meeting plan between Argentina authorities and the IMF network staff in Washington.

    KOZACK: Thank you. Next.

    QUESTIONER: Good morning. The question is if Argentina and the IMF comes to a new agreement, should it be like we are talking here in Argentina about $5 million? It will be for anything special, for example, to leave what we call cepo, or it depends on the Argentine authorities.

    KOZACK: Any other questions on Argentina? Okay, I do not see anyone coming in.

    So, on Argentina, what I can share is first that, as the Managing Director highlighted after her meeting with President Milei last month, we recognize Argentina’s tremendous progress in reducing inflation, stabilizing the economy, returning to growth, and with poverty finally starting to decline. We continue to engage constructively with the Argentine authorities. And a staff mission did recently visit Buenos Aires to advance discussions on a new program. The new program will aim to build on the gains that have been achieved so far, while also addressing the remaining challenges that the country faces. Constructive and frequent discussions continue, and we will provide further details on next steps when we have them.

    I can also just add that to sustain early gains, there is a shared recognition between the Fund staff and the Argentine authorities about the need to continue to adopt a consistent set of fiscal, monetary, and foreign exchange policies while furthering growth-enhancing reforms. I also know that you have a lot of interest, and there were a lot of detailed questions here, but given that the discussions are continuing and there has been good progress so far, we do want to ensure that there is space for staff and the authorities to continue these constructive discussions. And of course, we will communicate more when we have further details.

    Okay, let us go online because I see a few hands up.

    QUESTIONER: My question is, when do we expect Board of Directors to discuss Egypt Fourth Review?

    KOZACK: Do we have other questions on Egypt?

    QUESTIONER: Hi, I’d like to ask, in addition to that, when the board does discuss Egypt’s Fourth Review, will it also be discussing an additional RSF for Egypt? There have been some reports that Egypt is in line to receive as much as $1 billion.

    KOZACK: Other questions?

    QUESTIONER:  I just wanted to ask, in terms of the assessment of Egypt, but also other countries in the region, to what extent you are calculating additional costs and spending needs that have to do with Gaza and with the potential absorption of Palestinian refugees that has been proposed.

    KOZACK: Okay, any other questions on Egypt? I see I have two questions that have come through the press center, which I will read aloud. So, the first is when will the IMF’s Executive Board complete the Fourth Review of the Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility for Egypt?

    The second question is regarding the Executive Board’s approval of the Fourth Review of Egypt’s program, could it be this month? Does the IMF have updates on your projections for Egypt’s economy in light of regional updates?

    Let me share with you where we are on Egypt. On December 24, the IMF staff and the Egyptian authorities reached a staff-level agreement on the Fourth Review of the EFF. This review is subject to approval of our Executive Board and subject to that approval, Egypt would have access to about $1.2 billion. Preparations for Board consideration are underway, and the Board meeting is expected to take place in the coming weeks.

    In light of the difficult external conditions and challenging domestic environment, the IMF staff and the Egyptian authorities agreed to recalibrate the fiscal consolidation path, and this was agreed in December, I would highlight, to create fiscal space for critical social programs benefiting vulnerable groups and the middle class while ensuring debt sustainability.

    Looking forward, reform priorities comprise lowering inflation, sustaining exchange rate flexibility, and liberalized access to foreign exchange. In addition, the program aims to boost domestic revenues. It aims to improve the business environment. It aims to accelerate disinvestment or divestment rather and leveling [of] the playing field between state-owned enterprises and the private sector. And of course, it also aims to enhance governance and transparency.

    With respect to the question on the RSF, a policy package of reforms will be considered by the Fund’s Executive Board along with the Fourth Review of Egypt’s program.

    And lastly, there is no connection at the moment between some of the announcements in Gaza and the and the Egypt program.

    QUESTIONER: Hi, I wonder if I can just clarify. On the RSF, you say a policy package of reforms that also presumably comes with some additional funding. Can you confirm whether the amount of up to $1 billion is accurate?

    KOZACK: I can’t confirm now the precise amount of the RSF, but of course as we have more information, we will provide that.

    QUESTIONER: Thank you so much.

    KOZACK: Let us go online. I see another hand online and then we will come back. Just one follow up, a follow up. Go ahead.

    QUESTIONER: You cannot confirm the amount of the RSF. So just so we are clear, are you confirming that there are discussions around an RSF? Thanks.

    KOZACK: Yes, there’s discussions on an RSF and the intention is to present the RSF with its package of reforms to our Executive Board at the same time as we present the Fourth Review of the EFF.

    QUESTIONER: Question about Rwanda and Eastern Congo. I wanted to know, I know that the IMF has programs with both Rwanda and the DRC. And I wanted to know, you know, given the M23 incursion, the fall of Goma, how the programs can react to it, if there is anything you can say about that. And also, obviously, in El Salvador, they changed their cryptocurrency law, but it is also reported that they recently bought 50 bitcoins. So, some people are for the kind of national treasury. Some people are confused in terms of what the contours of the limitations put on. And I wonder if you could comment on that. Thanks a lot.

    KOZACK: Okay, thank you. Any other questions on these countries? DRC, Rwanda, El Salvador?

    Okay, let me start with DRC and I want to start by saying that, you know, we are deeply saddened by the loss of lives and the humanitarian crisis in the Eastern part of DRC. We are closely monitoring the situation, including its potential impact on neighboring countries and the region. And of course, we are also closely monitoring with respect to potential impact on our program.

    With respect to Rwanda, what I can say on Rwanda is simply that the country continues to demonstrate a robust commitment to advancing policy reforms. And In December of 2024, our Executive Board concluded the Fourth Review of Rwanda’s programs.

    With respect to El Salvador, just to step back and remind, IMF staff and the Salvadorian authorities reached a staff-level agreement on December 18th for a new arrangement, a new EFF arrangement. The arrangement would be for about $1.4 billion to support the government’s reform agenda, and this agreement is subject to approval by the IMF’s Executive Board.

    I can also add that as explained in the press release that we issued following the staff-level agreement, the new Fund supported program aims to reduce the potential risks of the bitcoin project. Once in place, purchases of bitcoin will be confined under the program as agreed.

    QUESTIONER: Thank you, Julie. Good morning, everyone. A few things. In Zimbabwe, when you expect a deal for the Staff Monitored Program? And on Lebanon, have you had any contact with the new government? Are there any signs that you are going to be able to work with them? Also on Senegal, can you give us any update on the resolution of the suspension of the financing program there? And lastly, are there any concerns of a drop in the commitment of funding from the U.S.? The 2025 project calls for the U.S. to stop putting money into the World Bank and the IMF. So, are you guys concerned about that?

    KOZACK: Okay, thanks. Starting with Zimbabwe, I do not have an update for you for today on Zimbabwe, but we will come back to you bilaterally.

    On Lebanon, what I can share is that, you know, we welcome the election of General Aoun as president of Lebanon, and we look forward to working with him and his new government to address the challenges facing the Lebanese economy. And just to remind, Lebanon continues to face profound economic challenges, and the conflict had exacerbated an already fragile macroeconomic and social situation. The election of the president, the formation of a new government, as well as the ceasefire, are critical to support policy actions and reforms that would allow the gradual return to the normalization of economic activity in Lebanon.

    And what I can share on Senegal is that we are actively engaged in discussions with the authorities on addressing the misreporting case. Senegal’s Court of Auditors is expected to issue its final report this month. In parallel, IMF staff are working closely with the authorities to identify their capacity development needs and to implement corrective measures needed to address the root causes of the misreporting. These efforts are aimed at enhancing transparency, strengthening accountability, and preventing a recurrence of similar misreporting in the future.

    And I think, on your final question, all I can say here is that the United States is the IMF’s largest shareholder, and it plays an extremely valuable role in helping ensure global financial stability. We have a long history of working with successive U.S. administrations, and we look forward to continuing to do so.

    QUESTIONER: Thanks, Julie. Thank you for taking my question. When do you think we can expect the Executive Board’s approval on the next tranche for the Island Nation? And if there is any delay, what sort of reason is there? Is there more for the government to do? And secondly, the budget for the country is expected in a few weeks. Has the IMF given any input on preparing this budget, given the fact that the country is still in the EFF program?

    KOZACK: Thanks. So, your question was on Sri Lanka? And yes, I see you nodding. So, if anyone else has questions on Sri Lanka, I can take them now. Okay. If not, let me go ahead with Sri Lanka.

    So, on Sri Lanka on November 23rd, IMF staff and the Sri Lankan authorities reached a staff-level agreement on the Third Review of Sri Lanka’s EFF program. Once approved by the IMF’s Executive Board, Sri Lanka will have access to about $333 million in financing. And we expect the Board meeting to take place in the coming weeks.

    Here, I would also just like to take the opportunity to emphasize that Sri Lanka’s ambitious reform agenda is delivering commendable outcomes. The economy expanded by 5.5 percent in the fourth — third quarter of 2024. Average headline and core inflation remain contained well below the target during the fourth quarter of 2024. And international reserves increased to $6.1 billion at the end of 2024.

    With respect to the specific question on the budget, what I can share is that the staff-level agreement that I mentioned, which was reached in November, will be presented to the Executive Board or is subject to Executive Board approval, but it’s also contingent upon, among other things, implementation by the authorities of prior actions, including submission of the 2025 budget that is consistent with parameters identified under the program.

    QUESTIONER: Most of the questions we had have been touched upon, and I would just reinforce as well what colleagues had said earlier about trying to get a sense of what all this uncertainty around tariffs will mean. I know there is a tendency to talk about the policies once they are implemented and the impact. But given the fact that policies get announced and withdrawn and swung around, it seems like the uncertainty has more of the impact than the actual policy. But all that seems to be covered. I will get to — actually, the only outstanding question we have now is if you could update us on the status of the Mozambique program and if there is a risk to that program’s existence right now, given what is going on. That is for our Africa colleagues. Everything else was covered. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

    1. KOZACK: Thank you very much. So, on Mozambique, what I can share is that the Article IV Consultation and the Fourth Review of the Extended Credit Facility, or ECF, were completed back in July of 2024. An IMF team will visit Maputo in the coming weeks to engage with the new government. We do remain engaged to support the country’s efforts toward remaining macroeconomic stability, accelerating growth and making growth more inclusive, in line with the arrangements. But given that there is a mission in the coming weeks, we will have more to report toward the end of that engagement.

    QUESTIONER: Julie, regarding Russia, are there any developments concerning the postponed mission to Russia to evaluate progress in economy that was stopped in September due to necessity to gather additional information and make additional analysis. Anything we should expect this year, probably? Thank you.

    KOZACK: Unfortunately, I don’t yet have an update for you or a timeline for the Article IV.

    QUESTIONER: One final question. Thank you. Sorry, Julie, I’m going to try again with a sort of a similar question. But, you know, we are seeing a fundamental shift in the global and potentially in the support that is available for developing countries. The United States has ended foreign assistance. It has frozen funding for the World Food Program. It is pulling out of and talking about pulling out of the World Health Organization. These are institutions that are part, writ large, of the Bretton Woods system in which the IMF is such a key player.

    So, I do not think it’s unfair of us to be asking for some guidance from you about how you at an institution like the IMF are approaching this period of time that is marked by uncertainty, not just for the markets or for global trade, but also for the institutions themselves. And, you know, we have seen some initial reports that Elon Musk’s DOGE employees or people who work with DOGE are starting to look at the World Bank and other institutions.

    And I, you know, so I guess we want to hear something from you that is a little bit broader about the time that we’re in and what it means, because it obviously has implications for other countries, too, if they’re going to fill the gap in the developing thing. And, you know, you have been warning for years that the developing economies face a kind of perfect storm of different difficult circumstances. This seems like it adds to, to it. Thanks.

    KOZACK: Thanks very much. Look, what I can say now is really what I’ve been saying. I really do not have much to add other than that we are a global institution. We have a clearly defined mandate to support economic and financial stability globally and just ultimately support growth and employment in the world economy. We are continuing as an institution to remain laser-focused, of course, on that mandate. And we, as a global institution, take our responsibility to serve our membership very, very seriously. And we will continue to do everything that we need to do to serve our membership in the best possible way. You know, we do, as I said, have a long history of working with successive U.S. administrations, and we look forward to continuing to do so as an institution for which the U.S. is our largest shareholder.

    And with this, I’m going to bring this press briefing to an end. Thank you all for your participation today. As a reminder, this briefing is embargoed until 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time today. A transcript will be made available later on IMF.org, and as usual, in case of clarifications, additional queries, or anything else, please reach out to my colleagues at media@mf.org.

    This does conclude our first press briefing of the year. I wish everyone a wonderful day and I do look forward to seeing you next time. Thank you all so much for joining, and please be safe given the weather outside here in D.C. Thank you, everyone.

    * * * * *

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    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/06/020625-tr-imf-press-briefing-julie-kozack

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Minns Labor Government releases draft legislation to protect gig workers

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 7 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Industrial Relations

    The Minns Labor Government is seeking industry and stakeholder input as it looks to legislate protections for gig workers and other precarious workers in the transport sector to modernise the NSW Industrial Relations Act.

    Consultation on the draft bill will inform the development of the reforms which were a pre-election commitment. This will help ensure the changes are fit-for-purpose for the gig economy and the modern transport sector.

    The proposed changes will extend to gig workers the same legal protections already offered to owner driver truck drivers, couriers and taxi drivers under Chapter 6 of the Industrial Relations Act.

    The reforms will allow platform companies, employers and unions to apply to the Industrial Relations Commission for binding determinations on the workers’ pay and conditions of employment.

    The Commission is required to consider what is fair and reasonable while promoting efficiency and productivity in the economy of NSW.

    The NSW Government’s proposed changes will:

    • Allow the Commission to determine what is fair and reasonable pay and conditions for rideshare and other gig workers in the transport industry.
    • Correct the historical exemption that prevented milk, cream and bread delivery drivers from having the same protections.
    • Explore new offences of accessorial liability for those who break the law in a supply chain.
    • Ensure there are enforceable standards across road transport supply chains to make sure everyone, no matter how big or small, can recover their costs.

    Consistent with the approach of the Commonwealth Government, the existing exemptions for transport of livestock and produce will remain in place.

    The proposed changes will be complementary to the Federal Government’s gig workers reform.

    Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis said:

    “We need to ensure our Industrial Relations system is fit for purpose.

    “The public relies on gig workers in the transport industry every day, and workers can rely on us for the same legal protections.

    “This is an important step in supporting the thousands of gig workers to ensure they have the same industrial rights to access the industrial relations commission.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Free breakfast for 88,000 additional public school students

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 7 February 2025

    Released by: Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Early Learning

    At least 88,000 additional public school students can start their school day right, with a nutritious, free breakfast, as the Minns Labor Government continues its work to double the number of schools participating in Foodbank’s School Breakfast 4 Health program.

    The Minns Labor Government made a commitment in the lead up to the last state election to increase the number of participating public schools to 1,000 by 2027.

    It is investing $8 million in partnership with Foodbank to give public school children the best possible start to their day, with the program having grown by over a third from 500 to 676 schools in less than two years.

    New schools to take on the program in the last two years include Blacktown Girls High School, Birrong Public School, Melonba High School, Villawood North Public School, Whalan Public School, Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School, Narellan Public School, Miller Public School and Maryland Public School.

    Every day Foodbank staff and volunteers undertake a huge logistical exercise to supply high-quality breakfast foods including milks, juices, breakfast cereals, fruits and breads, so that every child enters the classroom well-fed, energised, focused and ready to learn.

    Foodbank data indicates:

    • 80 per cent of schools in the program reported an increase in attendance and;
    • 89 per cent saw an increase in class engagement

    The program improves students’ nutrition, eating habits, boosts their mental and physical health and can increase learning. Schools have also reported improvements in school attendance and engagement.

    The program runs in schools across NSW, including rural and regional areas, and as the cost-of-living continues to affect many, this is one way Minns Labor Government is helping families make ends meet.

    As work continues to grow the program further, the Minns Labor Government has been working closely with Foodbank to simplify and accelerate the onboarding process for schools, so they can access the program as quickly and seamlessly as possible. 

    Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

    “Parents and families are continuing to struggle with the cost-of-living, which is why this program has been so important, particularly over the past two years.

    “Across NSW, thousands of students are benefitting from free breakfasts at their school every day and starting the day full of energy, and ready to learn, thanks to the hard work of Foodbank staff and volunteers.

    “The Foodbank program helps ensure children are given the best chance to be ready to learn when they enter the classroom while helping families with cost-of-living pressures.”

    Federal Member for Greenway Michelle Rowland said:

    “Knowing your child will have a healthy breakfast at school is a fantastic thing for all families, and sets our public school children up for success.

    “It is fantastic to see this simple and effective program continue to be so successful at so many schools across NSW.”

    Chief Executive Officer, Foodbank NSW and ACT John Robertson said:

    “We know that children learn their best when they have full bellies. We thank the Minns Labor Government for their continued support to help us get this vital program into more schools around NSW to ensure our future leaders have the best possible start to the day.”

    Lalor Park Public School principal Dee Taylor said:

    “We’re really grateful for our strong partnership with Foodbank. We have students from Preschool to Year 6 who know they can come to school and start the day with a nourishing breakfast.

    “I can’t overstate the positive impact breakfast has on our students’ positive behaviour and ability to stay focused and engaged in the classroom throughout the morning. 

    “The program also helps teach life skills at Lalor Park – clearing your own plate, using manners and helping those around you are key values of breakfast club.” 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King to Senate Colleagues: “Now is the Time to Establish a Redline—the Constitution Itself”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    To watch the floor speech click here or download here

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today spoke on the Senate floor to share his growing concerns over the Trump Administration’s largely unconstitutional and unprecedented overreach — adding historical perspective to the decisions facing the Senate. In the speech, King also shared his position on Russell Vought, the nominee to become Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):

    “We began our careers here with the following words, ‘I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the constitution of the united States against all enemies foreign and domestic.’ 

    “When each of us arrived here in the senate, we took this oath to support and defend the constitution and as it says against all enemies foreign and domestic. I think it’s interesting that the framers concede that there might be domestic enemies to the constitution. Our oath was not to the Republican Party, not to the Democratic Party, not to Joe Biden, not to Donald Trump, but our oath was to defend the constitution. 

    “And right now — right now literally at this moment that constitution is under the most direct and consequential assault in our nation’s history. An assault not on a particular provision but on the essential structure of the document itself. It’s hard to grasp what is happening because of all the events that are swirling around us over the last several weeks. It’s coming from so many different quarters and so many different actors. It’s hard to get a picture of what’s really happening fundamentally. 

    “But this is an assault, and how we respond to it will define our life’s work, our place in history, and the future of our country. None of us will ever face a greater challenge. 

    “Before we get to the challenge, however, I think it’s important to ask why we have a constitution in the first place, why ours has so far stood the test of time. 

    “The answer to the first question, why have a Constitution in the first place, is contained in the preamble — we the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, there’s number one, establish justice, number two, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this constitution of the United States of America.’

    “You want to know what the Constitution is for? There it is. There’s the list — ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, ensure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. 

    “But there’s a paradox at the heart of the creation of any government, whether it’s here or anywhere else on Earth, and anywhere else in history. There’s a paradox built in, because the essence of creating government is to give it power, give it our power, in order to look after us, in order to provide for the common defense, to ensure domestic tranquility, to provide justice to our people. 

    “In other words, we’re giving our power to this separate entity. But we have to do so with the realization that the power that’s being given has the potential to be abused. In other words, how do we give power to this entity, this government, and ensure that the government itself doesn’t use that power to abuse us as citizens? This is a question at the heart of all political discussion throughout history. 

    “The Romans even had a question that captured it. The question was, “quis custodiet, ipsos custodes?” It means who will guard the guardians? Who will guard those who we have given power to guard us? It’s a fundamental question that’s confronted every society and every government throughout history. 

    “Madison put it this way, and by the way he used a gender-specific term. I suspect if he were writing today it would be more broadly phrased. In the 51st federalist, ‘if men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to cover govern men, neither internal nor external controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this — you must first enable the government to control the governed.’ That’s the function. And in the next place, oblige it to control itself. 

    “Our framers understood this. They were deep students of history and also human nature. And they had just won a lengthy and brutal war against the abuses inherent in concentrated governmental power, George III. The universal principle of human nature they understood was this — power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That’s a universal principle, all over the world throughout history. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. 

    “So how did they answer the question? How did they answer the question who will guard the guardians? They answered it by building into the basic structure of our government two essential safeguards. One was regular elections. In other words, returning the control of the government to the people on regular scheduled elections. By the way, this is what we learned in sixth grade, checks and balances. But the other piece that’s built into our system that’s the other essential safeguard is the deliberate division of power between the branches and levels of government.

    “This is important, Mr. President. The cumbersomeness, the slowness, the clumsiness is built into our system. The framers were so fearful of concentrated power that they designed a system that would be hard to operate. And the heart of it was the separation of power between various parts of the government. The whole idea, the whole idea was that no part of the government, no one person, no one institution had or could ever have a monopoly on power. 

    “Why? Because it’s dangerous. History and human nature tells us that. This division of power as annoying and inefficient as it can be, particularly to the executive, I know because I used to be a governor, is an essential feature of the system, not a bug. It’s an essential, basic feature of the system, designed to protect our freedoms. 

    “Now, this contrasts with the normal structure of a private business, where authority is purposefully concentrated, allowing swift and sometimes arbitrary action. But a private business does not have the army, and the President of the United States is not the CEO of America. 

    “Power is shared, principally between the President and this body, this Congress, both houses. In fact, this herky-jerkiness, the two houses, the war power divided between the President and Congress, this unwieldy structure is the whole idea. No one has or should ever have all the power. 

    “So the concern I’m raising today isn’t some academic exercise or manifestation of political jealousy or abstract institutional loyalty. It’s the guts of the system, designed to protect us from the inevitable. And I mean inevitable abuse of an authoritarian state, the inevitable abuse of an authoritarian state. It’s the guts of our protection. In fact, this clumsy system is the main spring of our freedom. By the way, it’s worked so far, so far, and distinguishes us from the historical norm.

    “We have to understand, we are an anomaly in history. The historical norm is pharaohs, kings, dictators, emperors, presidents for life. But the fact that we’re such an anomaly, and we’ve seen in our lifetimes other governments, other systems based upon ours slip into authoritarianism and dictatorship tells us how fragile what we have is. What we have in this country is an anomaly in history and it’s fragile, and it needs to be, must be, protected from generation to generation. This makes this moment all the more urgent and portentous. 

    “Now, the nominee before us today is one of the ring leaders of this assault, one of the ring leaders of the assault on our Constitution. He believes in a presidency of virtually unlimited powers. He’s written extensively about this. And explicitly rejects, for example, the exclusive power of congress to authorize and appropriate funds for the operation of the government. He espouses the discredited and illegal theory that the president has the power to selectively impound funds appropriated by congress, thereby rendering the famous power of the purse a nullity. I am not talking about the specifics and I will touch on A.I.D and other issues, but what I’m really worried about are the implications, the structural implications for our freedom and government of what’s happening here. 

    “We have to keep our eye on the big picture. Not all the confusion and smoke that’s going on over the last couple of weeks. Mr. Vought is one of the principal authors of the infamous Project 2025 which the President strangely hadn’t heard of during the campaign but now seems to be the essential guideline for his presidency. Project 2025 is nothing less than a blueprint for the shredding of the constitution and the transition of our country to authoritarian rule. He’s the last person who should be put in the heart of the operation of our government.

    “Again, this isn’t about politics. This isn’t about policy. This isn’t about Republican versus Democrat. This is about tampering with the structure of our government, which will ultimately undermine its ability to protect the freedom of our citizens. If our defense of the Constitution is gone, there’s nothing left to us. 

    “So Thomas Moore said, ‘I expected you to betray me, Richard, but for Wales?’ We should not betray the constitution for temporary expedient because we don’t like this or that agency. 

    “Now I want to speak to my Republican colleagues. It is your constitutional prerogative to confirm this nominee and any others. I do not question that right, only its wisdom. And this nominee is a place to say no to the undermining and destruction of our constitutional system. 

    “But don’t stand aside in the midst of these confirmations, ill-considered foreign policy pronouncements, flood of executive orders, none of which will do a thing about the price of eggs, cost of housing or availabilities of child care. Don’t get caught up in all of that and ignore the steady and not-so-slow usurpation of congressional authority and fundamental alteration of the framers’ scheme. 

    “My colleague who preceded me, speaking from the Republican side, bemoaned Congress’ lack of oversight and praised Elon Musk for doing what congress should have done. Maybe she’s right and Congress should have done it, and we should do it, but not give away that power, which will never come back. Once this door is open, it’s going to be very difficult to close it again, no matter who the president is. No matter who’s in charge. 

    “To my colleagues, are there no red lines? Are there no limits? 

    “Just in the past ten days, we’ve seen the literal destruction of a statutorily, I emphasize that word, statutorily established and funded federal agency by people ostensibly working for the president understand vague authority, no transparency, and no guidance from the congress. Did they come to the Foreign Relations Committee and say what do you think about A.I.D.? Are there parts to work with or be reformed? No, zero. 

    “This small group, and we don’t know who they are, but this small group apparently it’s reported in their 20’s have no experience with government, no experience with foreign aid, no experience with the operation of the United States government, but they’re making basically policy decisions and constitutional decisions. 

    “The Constitution does not give to the President or his designee the power to extinguish a statutorily established agency. I can think of no greater violation of the strictures of the Constitution or usurpation of the power of this body. None. I can think of none. Shouldn’t this be a red line? 

    “By the way, I find it especially galling to read the sneering comment from the richest man in the world that, quote, ‘we spent the weekend feeding said into the chipper.’ Describing an action that will literally take food from the mouths of starving children. Forget red lines. Do we have no decency? 

    “And then there is the executive order freezing funding, again, selectively, for programs the administration doesn’t like or understand. I mentioned that I was a former governor and I would have loved to have had this power, but it’s a fundamental violation of the whole idea of the Constitution, the separa[tion] of powers. 

    “To say that the executive, you can pick and choose which laws you like, which funding programs, the level of funding, you can impound if you don’t want to spend it. Richard Nixon tried to do that. He was rebuffed by the Congress who passed a specific statute, no impoundments. 

    “In addition to the chaos, the uncertainty and demonstrable damage which my colleagues have been outlining all day brilliantly, there’s nothing theoretical about cutting off funding to a rural health clinic, for example, or support for small farmers or grants to your fire department. But getting away from those specifics, it’s easy to get pulled into those, and my office is hearing calls every day, we can hardly handle the volume, this again, to underline, is a frontal assault of our power, your power, the power to decide where public funds should be spent. 

    “Isn’t this an obvious red line? Isn’t this an obvious limit? 

    “Or finally, and I picked a few examples, but my final example is the power seemingly assumed by DOGE to burrow into the treasury’s payment system, and now CMS for undefined purposes, zero oversight and raises questions up to and including threats to national security. Do these people have clearance? Are the doors closed? Are they going to leave open doors into these? What are the opportunities for our adversaries to hack into the systems? 

    “We’re already under unprecedented cyberattack and we’re opening doors, although it’s impossible to determine what they’re taking. Remember there’s no transparency or oversight. Access to social security numbers seem to be in the mix. All the government’s personnel files, personal financial data, potentially everyone’s tax returns and medical records. That can’t be good. That can’t be good. That’s data that should be protected with the highest level of security and consideration of Americans’ privacy. And we don’t know who these people are. We don’t know what they’re taking out with them. We don’t know whether they’re walking out with laptops or thumb drives. We don’t know whether they’re leaving back doors into the system. There is literally no oversight. The government of the United States is not a private company. It is fundamentally at odds with how this system is supposed to work. 

    “Shouldn’t this be an easy redline? 

    “In short, Mr. President, we’re experiencing in real time exactly what the framers most feared. When you clear away the smoke, clear away the DOGE, the executive orders, foreign pronouncements, more fundamentally what’s happening is the shredding of the constitutional structure itself. 

    “And we have a profound responsibility it seems to be based on that pesky oath that we all took, to stop it, to stop it. […] But stop what’s going on in terms of altering how our government is supposed to fundamentally function to protect our people. 

    “The power of the majority is with you, my Republican colleagues. Together, together we have the power to right the balance, to reclaim the authority we thought was inherent in our jobs, and in the process save our country. 

    “At a prior time of crisis, Abraham Lincoln defined the stakes for each of us, “Fellow-citizens, we cannot escape history. We, of this Congress, and this administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation.

    “Now is the time to establish a redline—the Constitution itself.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: “We’re Experiencing in Real Time Exactly What the Framers Most Feared,” King says to Republican Colleagues

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) shared his growing concerns over the Trump Administration’s largely unconstitutional and unprecedented overreach. In a speech on the Senate floor, King cited the Founding Fathers to add historical perspective to the decisions facing the Senate including the importance of keeping a separation of powers between the branches of government.

    “The framers were so fearful of concentrated power that they designed a system that would be hard to operate. And the heart of it was the separation of power between various parts of the government. The whole idea, the whole idea was that no part of the government, no one person, no one institution had or could ever have a monopoly on power,” King said. “Why? Because it’s dangerous. History and human nature tells us that. This division of power as annoying and inefficient as it can be, particularly to the executive, I know because I used to be a governor, is an essential feature of the system, not a bug. It’s an essential, basic feature of the system, designed to protect our freedoms. Now, this contrasts with the normal structure of a private business, where authority is purposefully concentrated, allowing swift and sometimes arbitrary action. But a private business does not have the army, and the President of the United States is not the CEO of America.”

    King then discussed the critical vulnerability of Congress relieving its duties to the administration in charge – an abdication that would be hard to reverse no matter what administration is next elected into office.

    “But don’t stand aside in the midst of these confirmations, ill-considered foreign policy pronouncements, flood of executive orders, none of which will do a thing about the price of eggs, cost of housing or availabilities of child care,” King continued. “Don’t get caught up in all of that and ignore the steady and not-so-slow usurpation of congressional authority and fundamental alteration of the framers’ scheme. My colleague who preceded me, speaking from the Republican side, bemoaned Congress’ lack of oversight and praised Elon Musk for doing what congress should have done. Maybe she’s right and Congress should have done it, and we should do it, but not give away that power, which will never come back. Once this door is open, it’s going to be very difficult to close it again, no matter who the president is. No matter who’s in charge. To my colleagues, are there no red lines? Are there no limits?”

    Lastly, he emphasized the ‘profound responsibility’ each member of the Senate has to respect the Oath they swore to the Constitution.

    “In short, Mr. President, we’re experiencing in real time exactly what the framers most feared. When you clear away the smoke, clear away the DOGE, the executive orders, foreign pronouncements, more fundamentally what’s happening is the shredding of the constitutional structure itself,” King concluded. “And we have a profound responsibility it seems to be based on that pesky oath that we all took, to stop it, to stop it. […] But stop what’s going on in terms of altering how our government is supposed to fundamentally function to protect our people.”

    Senator King has been continuously sounding the alarm on President Donald Trump’s existential threat to the Constitution: he declared that the proposal to halt all federal grant and loan disbursement was illegal and a direct assault on the Constitution. More recently, he joined 36 Senators in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sharing the detrimental effects of  the Trump Administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He also joined fellow Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) colleagues in writing a letter to the White House about the risks to national security by allowing unvetted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff and representatives to access classified and sensitive government materials.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Rand Paul Introduces REINS Act to Put Power Back in the People’s Hands

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    February 6, 2025

     Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

     

     

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act to help put power back in the people’s hands instead of the administrative state.

    “The whims of an unaccountable administrative state should never rule our lives. For too long, an ever-growing federal bureaucracy has piled regulations and red tape on the backs of the American people without any approval by Americans’ elected representatives. By making Congress more accountable for the most costly and intrusive federal rules, our REINS Act would give Kentuckians and all Americans a greater voice in determining whether these major rules are truly in America’s best interests,” said Dr. Paul. 

    Cosponsors in the Senate include U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), James Risch (R-WI), Rick Scott (R-FL), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO).

    Background:

    Under the REINS Act, once major rules are drafted, they must then be affirmatively approved by both chambers of Congress and then signed by the President, satisfying the bicameralism and presentment requirements of the Constitution. Currently, regulations ultimately take effect unless Congress specifically disapproves.

    The bill defines a “major” rule as one that the Office of Management and Budget determines may result in an economic impact of $100 million or greater each year; “a major increase in costs or prices” for American consumers, government agencies, regions, or industries; or “significant adverse effects” on the economy.

    The REINS Act also includes the following changes from the original bill which has been introduced every Congress since Dr. Paul has been in office:

    • New Defense for Individuals: Individuals can argue that the average person would not have known their actions violated federal law if the statute did not clearly state it.
    • Right to Sue: People can sue to stop enforcement if an agency implements a major rule without getting congressional approval.
    • LIBERTY Act: Agency guidance with an economic impact of $100 million or more needs congressional approval just like major rules.
    • Deregulatory Actions Exempted: Agencies do not need congressional approval to withdraw costly or burdensome rules

    You can read the REINS Act HERE.

    The REINS Act also has wide support:

    “Four years of unprecedented executive branch spending and a record-setting stream of new rules from unelected bureaucrats in Washington have caused the price of everything to go up at the same time the value of every dollar has gone down. American families are left paying more for less in a broken economy that was roaring just a few short years ago,” said Tarren Bragdon, President and CEO of the Foundation for Government Accountability. “The REINS Act would empower Congress to free working families from the suffocating weight of the Biden-Harris bureaucracy and cure the cost-of-living crisis dimming the American Dream. The REINS Act cuts to the core of the fundamental question facing our nation at this critical moment in history: Do we want our future determined by unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., or the elected representatives closest to the people?”

     “For years, the executive branch has grown its power and subverted the will of the people by imposing expensive rules and regulations that should require the consent of Congress. No administration should have the authority to place sweeping regulations on every facet of Americans’ daily lives without giving them the chance to weigh in through their elected representatives and fight back when the executive branch skirts the law. Sen. Paul’s updated REINS Act will help restore the legal rights of Americans and the balance of power laid out in the Constitution,” said Ryan Walker, Executive Vice President of Heritage Action. 

    “For too long, bureaucrats in the administrative state have imposed trillions of dollars in regulatory costs onto American citizens and businesses as they embark on their personal crusades – all without needing the support of a single member of the legislative branch. Now that the Supreme Court has overturned the Chevron Doctrine, leaders on Capitol Hill must pass the REINs Act to return Article 1 lawmaking authority to its rightful home in Congress and end the delegation of power to unelected regulators,” said Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh. “We applaud Sen. Rand Paul for his work to introduce and champion this bill in the Senate. Every member of Congress should support this commonsense plan to create a more representative approach to how the Federal Government imposes the hidden tax of regulation,” said David McIntosh, President of Club For Growth.

    “Senator Paul’s updated version of the REINS Act is an essential government reform bill that would strengthen congressional oversight, put a brake on administrative state power, and reinstate accountability in the rulemaking process. Building upon all the good the preexisting REINS Act would do, Senator Paul’s updated REINS Act includes a number of new provisions that would further empower Congress to check big government. Importantly, the bill would require that guidance documents and other forms of “regulatory dark matter” be subject to congressional approval. The bill would also address the concern that rules and guidance documents are not properly submitted to Congress or the Government Accountability Office. Together, these provisions would help give greater scrutiny to the regulatory process – a move especially important now since the Biden administration has dismantled President Trump’s guidance portals and rewrote the rules of rulemaking with their Modernizing Regulatory Review directive (Executive Order 14,094). These updates are vitally important as the Supreme Court’s recent rejection of the Chevron Doctrine still leaves progressives with many tools in their toolbox to work around Congress and pursue their regulatory pursuits. Ultimately, Senator Paul’s updated REINS Act is a vital step in restoring accountability to the administrative state and in ensuring that the American people are governed by their duly elected representatives, rather than by unaccountable bureaucrats,” said Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Fred L. Smith Jr. Fellow in Regulatory Studies at Competitive Enterprise Institute.

    “Regulatory agencies seem to think they can make any rules they want. The REINS Act was already an important reminder that Congress has lawmaking powers, and executive agencies do not. The new version’s expanded protections make REINS even more urgent to pass,” said Ryan Young, Senior Economist at Competitive Enterprise Institute.

    “Federal regulation is out of control.  It’s time for Congress to REINS it in,” said James Carter, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Treasury (2002-06), America First Policy Institute.

    “The REINS Act is desperately needed.  We hear a lot about defending democracy today, but we don’t see much real effort from the administrative state to honor the principles of democracy. Senator Paul’s updated REINS Act will make sure that the people’s representatives in Congress will have to approve of any major rules proposed by an unelected administrative agency. If the economic impact of a rule is $100 million or more, it must have congressional approval. This guarantees that we the people have a voice in the regulatory state that has the impact of being law. It would also guarantee individuals the right to use as an affirmative defense that the regulation they are accused of violating do not logically follow from the statute. It would also allow citizens to seek judicial relief when an agency fails to seek or obtain congressional approval. Any who opposes the REINS Act is clearly not a fan of democracy, but rather prefers a system of unelected oligarchy,” said George Landrith, President, Frontiers of Freedom Institute.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Speakers Call for Culture of Collaboration, Renewed Solidarity to Achieve Sustainable Development, as Economic and Social Council Begins Coordination Segment

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Note: Full coverage of today’s meetings of the Economic and Social Council will be available Friday, 7 February.

    The United Nations must celebrate its many successes as much as it acknowledges its failures, the Economic and Social Council heard today as speakers at its 2025 Coordination Segment called for a culture of collaboration and renewed solidarity.

    This year, the two-day Segment, which includes panel discussions and interactive dialogues, will focus on the theme of “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for leaving no one behind.” 

    The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent the “common sense of humanity”, and people around the world care about them, Bob Rae (Canada), President of the 54-member Council, said in his opening remarks.  Stressing the need to build on previous successes, he hailed the many partnerships between Member States and various multilateral institutions, such as the Spotlight Initiative, which has protected over 21 million girls and women from gender-based violence; the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, which engages over 130 stakeholders to tackle abandoned fishing gear to reduce marine pollution; and the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States initiative, which aims to strengthen resilience against climate and disaster risks. 

    The people who created the Organization were living with war, depression, tariff wars, economic protectionism and poverty, he added.  The vision of the United Nations was not only political but also economic and social.  Commitment to a multilateral organization like the UN — whose budget in 2024 was $75 billion — does not take away a State’s freedom; rather, it broadens the sovereignty of each country, he stressed. 

    “The stakes could not be higher,” said Guy Ryder, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Policy, who noted that only 17 per cent of the Goals are on course, while many critical targets are regressing.  Meanwhile, conflicts are intensifying, inequalities are widening, the climate crisis is escalating, and unregulated technology continues to disrupt societies. The international community must unlock the scale and quality of financing needed to drive investments, alleviate the debt burden that stifles many countries, and protect economies from the external shocks, he stressed.  The Pact for the Future provides a blueprint for this, he said, adding that reform of the international financial architecture is crucial to fulfil the promise of the SDGs.

    Also addressing the Segment was Anatolio Ndong Mba (Equatorial Guinea), Council Vice-President, who said:  “The United Nations cannot do more than what we allow it to do.”  Progress on the SDGs has stagnated, or even reversed course, with only 17 per cent of assessed targets on track for achievement by 2030. “We cannot afford to let this trend continue,” he said, calling on the international community to “bridge divides, mobilize resources and implement transformative solutions”.  Highlighting the role of the Economic and Social Council and its many subsidiary bodies, he noted that the Segment has the valuable role of leveraging their insights. 

    Conversation with Regional Commissions, Functional Commissions and Expert Bodies

    Following opening remarks, the Council held a conversation with the Executive Secretaries of the regional commissions and Chairs of functional commissions and expert bodies, which focused on “Accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, including by leveraging the outcomes of the Summit of the Future”.

    …

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gang Member Sentenced To 144 Months In Prison For Racketeering And Drug Charges

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang was sentenced on Wednesday to 144 months in prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy and the sale of cocaine, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Kareem Green, a/k/a “Try Me”(“Green”), 32, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to a superseding indictment that charged him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (“RICO”) conspiracy and a separate indictment charging him with distribution of cocaine. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence on February 5, 2025 in Newark federal court. 

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    From 2015 through Sept. 22, 2022, Green was a member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, a criminal enterprise responsible for acts of violence and the distribution of controlled substances in the District of New Jersey and elsewhere. On April 5, 2021, Green worked with other members of the gang to shoot a victim. On April 11, 2021, Green worked with other members of the gang to shoot another victim. On March 5, 2021, Green worked with another member of the gang to distribute cocaine.

    In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Green to three years of supervised release.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr., as well as investigators of the U.S. Marshals Service, under Marshal Juan Mattos’ direction; the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Police Division Director Tracy Bowers, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, Sr., the Bloomfield Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Samuel A. DeMaio, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under Sheriff Amir D. Jones’ direction, the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis L. Bindi, the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Earl J. Graves, the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan, the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel, the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Philip Corbisiero, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Fugitive and Missing Person Task Force, which includes members of the FBI, for the investigations leading to the charges in the Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips investigation.

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. 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 investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the Health Care Fraud Unit.

                                      ###

    Defense Counsel:

    William Strazza, Esq., Chester, NJ 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lockheed Martin Corporation Agrees to Settle False Claims Act Allegations of Defective Pricing

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMC) has agreed to pay $29.74 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations of defective pricing on contracts for F-35 military aircraft. This payment is in addition to $11.3 million that LMC previously paid to the Department of Defense (DOD) for the same undisclosed cost and pricing data on some of the same contracts. LMC, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is one of the world’s largest defense contractors.

    According to court documents, between 2013 and 2015, LMC inflated pricing proposals it submitted to obtain contracts for the F-35 by failing to provide to DOD’s F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) accurate, complete, and current cost and pricing data during the negotiations leading to the award of five contracts for the production or sustainment of the F-35. The United States alleged that LMC had knowledge of suppliers’ cost or pricing data that it did not disclose to the JPO in violation of the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA). Congress enacted TINA in 1962 to help level the playing field in sole source contracts — where there is no price competition — by making sure that government negotiators have access to the cost or pricing data that the offeror used when developing its proposal. The United States alleged that had LMC provided accurate, complete, and current cost and pricing data, JPO would have awarded the contracts in lower amounts.

    “Those who do business with the government must do so fairly and honestly,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will pursue contractors that knowingly misuse taxpayer funds.”

    “The United States relies on contractors such as Lockheed Martin to provide accurate, complete, and current information, including pricing data, when negotiating contracts with the government,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr, for the Eastern District of Texas. “If a contractor fails to do so, and that failure affects the value of its contract with the government, the Eastern District of Texas will take steps to ensure that the contractor is held accountable.”

    “The F-35 program is at the heart of our nation’s defense,” said Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt, Director and Program Executive Officer, F-35 Joint Program Office. “The F-35 Joint Program Office will continue to insist on integrity and honesty in all business transactions. We demand 100% accountability for every dollar spent on this program on behalf of U.S. taxpayers and international customers and taxpayers.”

    “The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) will methodically pursue all alleged violations of the False Claims Act and Truth in Negotiations Act,” said Principal Deputy Director James R. Ives of DCIS. “Today’s outcome reflects the unwavering commitment of DCIS and our investigative partners to hold accountable those who bilk the American taxpayer by perpetrating fraud against the DOD.”

    “Overinflation of production and sustainment costs for an aircraft critical to our national defense undermines operational readiness and erodes the trust placed in the Department of Defense by the American people,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our investigative partners remain steadfast in our commitment to investigating entities that compromise the integrity of government contracts.”

    The settlement derives from allegations originally brought in a lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Texas by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties, known as relators, to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Patrick Girard v. Lockheed Martin Corp., No. 4:17-CV-147 (EDTX). The relator’s share of the settlement has not yet been determined.

    This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section of the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas with assistance from JPO, DCIS, NCIS, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.

    Trial Attorney Arnold M. Auerhan of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Gillingham for the Eastern District of Texas handled the matter.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fast-track to accelerate economic growth starts today

    Source: New Zealand Government

    • www.fasttrack.govt.nz open now for project applications
    • Listed projects can apply now for consideration by an expert panel
    • Other projects can also apply to enter the Fast-track process
    • >Retired Environment Court Judge Jane Borthwick appointed as Convener of expert panels

    Today marks the official start of the Fast-track Approvals regime to make it quicker and easier to build the projects New Zealand needs to grow its economy, Infrastructure and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones say.

    “The Fast-track Approvals Act, part of the coalition agreement between National and NZ First, was signed into law just before Christmas. The new Act helps cut through the thicket of red and green tape and the jumble of approvals processes that has, until now, held New Zealand back from much-needed economic growth,” Mr Bishop says.

    “From today, the Fast-track one-stop shop approvals regime is officially open for project applications. That means we can at last begin to get moving on growing New Zealand’s economy and sorting out our infrastructure deficit, housing crisis, and energy shortage, instead of tying essential projects up in knots for years at a time.”

    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says the Fast-track Approvals Act lists 149 projects with significant national or regional benefits which were recommended for inclusion by an independent advisory group and agreed to by Cabinet.

    “The list of projects spans housing, renewable energy, transport, mining, quarrying, and the primary sector – everything we need more of to grow our economy and provide much-needed new jobs for the regions,” Mr Jones says.

    Listed project applications

    “The owners of the 149 listed projects can now go to www.fasttrack.govt.nz and lodge substantive applications for their projects to be considered by expert panels facilitated by the Environmental Protection Authority,” Mr Bishop says.

    “Before lodging an application, projects must consult with the relevant administering agencies (including local government); any relevant iwi authorities, hapū, and Treaty settlement entities; and others.

    “Expert panels will consider these applications, decide whether or not each project receives approval, and attach any necessary conditions to those approvals.”

    Other projects

    “Projects not listed in the Act can also apply for referral to an expert panel through the same Fast-track website from today. Their applications will first go to the Minister of Infrastructure for consideration, which includes inviting written comments from the Minister for the Environment and any other Ministers with relevant portfolios, before the Infrastructure Minister decides whether to refer the project for Fast-track,” Mr Jones says.

    Expert panels conveners

    “The conveners who appoint the expert panels to consider applications must be either a former (including retired) Environment Court or High Court Judge, or senior lawyers with expertise in resource management,” Mr Bishop says.

    “As well as appointing expert panels, the panel convener and associates will be able to request reports from relevant agencies and individuals and will set timeframes for panels to consider applications.

    “The Government has appointed retired Environment Court Judge Jane Borthwick as Panel Convener, and Helen Atkins and Jennifer Caldwell as Associate Panel Conveners.

    “Judge Borthwick has a wealth of experience in environmental and resource management litigation. She has worked with multiple industry stakeholders where there has been considerable public interest.”

    Mr Jones says the associate panel convenors also bring significant experience from the private and public sectors.

    “Ms Atkins and Ms Caldwell have both had oversight and leadership on a mixed range of complex projects,” Mr Jones says.

    “The EPA is currently running an Expressions of Interest process to identify a pool of potential expert panel members with knowledge, skills, and expertise relevant to the variety of approvals being handled through the Fast-track Approvals process. Information about the EOI process and the skills and experience needed can be found on the new Fast-track website.”

    Judge Jane Borthwick is approaching her 30th year post-admission to the bar. She has experience in environmental and resource management litigation throughout New Zealand. She has been a lawyer and judge in the environment court and has worked in policy and plan development, resource consents, designations, and land acquisitions. She has been a judge for 15 years and has recently had a particular focus on freshwater management in public policy and consenting domains. She has worked closely with the energy sector, local authorities, the farming sector, and iwi.

    Helen Atkins has been a practicing lawyer in environmental, local government, and public law for over 30 years. She has vast experience in the legal sector and managing roles in different organisations both domestically and internationally.

    Jennifer Caldwell has over 30 years’ experience in environmental law and litigation, including strategic management, oversight and leadership of complex consenting projects. She has held many leadership positions within the legal sector both domestically and internationally and has previously worked with the Environmental Protection Authority as an Expert Panel Chair.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Appointment of acting Commissioner NT Fire and Emergency Services

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Ms Collene Bremner has been announced as the Acting Commissioner of NT Fire and Emergency Services (NTFES), while current Commissioner Andrew Warton embarks on a sabbatical overseas.

    Ms Bremner who has served as the Executive Director of Bushfires NT since 2016, brings over 20 years of experience in the Northern Territory Public Service. Her extensive background in emergency management has seen her lead the response to numerous significant events locally and interstate.

    Throughout her career, Ms Bremner has held numerous senior roles, including as Chair of the Australian and New Zealand Emergency Management Recovery Sub-Committee, the NT representative on the Australian and New Zealand Emergency Management Committee, and as a board member of the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC). She is also a member of NAFC’s Strategic Committee under the Australian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC).

    Ms Bremner will bring a wealth of knowledge to the role and is committed to leading the service and protecting Territorians during times of crisis.  Chief Minister and Minister for Fire and Emergency Services, Lia Finocchiaro directly appointed Ms Bremner to act in the role from 15 February 2025.

    Mr Warton is taking leave to embark on a once in a lifetime experience as Station Leader at Australia’s Casey Research Station in Antarctica. There he will lead a team of expeditioners and support crucial scientific research through the Antarctic winter.

    Casey Station is one of three Australian research stations in Antarctica and the selection process is long and comprehensive with roles like Station Leader highly sought after and very competitive. Due to the length of the selection process and how far in advance applications are taken, this sabbatical was a known factor when Mr Warton was appointed Commissioner NT Fire and Emergency Services in 2024.

    During his sabbatical, Mr Warton will remain in contact with NTFES staff and volunteers and will provide regular updates to his team during his time away.

     Acting arrangements will remain in place until Commissioner Warton’s return later in the year. His return will depend on the logistics of accessing Casey Research Station, which becomes generally inaccessible during the Antarctic winter.

    The recent formation of the NT Fire and Emergency Services, which combines the NT Fire and Rescue Service, NT Emergency Service, and Bushfires NT into one agency, enhances our ability to respond to emergencies while prioritising community resilience. For more information on the service, visit Welcome | NT Police, Fire & Emergency Services

    For more information on Casey Research Station, visit Antarctic operations – Australian Antarctic Program

    Quotes from Commissioner, Andrew Warton:

    “Leading an emergency services organisation and an Antarctic station may seem worlds apart, but both rely on teamwork, resilience, recognition of community and a commitment to something bigger than ourselves. Whether facing emergencies or keeping a remote station running, success comes down to ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It is an honour to lead the Northern Territory Fire and Emergency Services and I’m grateful for the opportunity to undertake this short-term experience, and to bring new perspectives on leadership back to the Northern Territory.”

    “I am pleased to announce Ms. Collene Bremner as Acting Commissioner of NTFES today. Collene’s leadership experience and involvement in both local and national emergency management efforts will ensure that the service continues to operate effectively. I am confident that NTFES staff and the community are in capable hands.

    Quotes from Collene Bremner:

    “I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead the NT Fire and Emergency Services.  I have a long association with the operational arms of the Northern Territory Fire and Emergency Services and am excited to continue to lead the ongoing development of the new agency during Andrew’s time in Antarctica.”

    Media contact:

    Rickie Abraham

    0400 814 524

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Van Hollen, Castro Lead House and Senate Democrats in Push to Protect Military, National Security Families from Forced Attrition

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20) led House and Senate Democrats in a letter asking the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to explicitly exempt military and national security families from the Trump administration’s new restrictions on telework and remote work for federal employees.

    Spousal employment challenges are a major cause of forced attrition in both the military and the national security community. While OPM has issued limited guidance exempting military spouses from the termination of remote work opportunities, advocates for these families have expressed frustration about the lack of clarity surrounding full implementation of this exception. Additionally, OPM has not announced exemptions for the families of other national security professionals, such as those in the State Department and the intelligence community.

    “We write to express our deep concerns about the unintended consequences of the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) January 22, 2025, implementation guidance regarding a recent Presidential Memorandum on remote and telework arrangements for federal employees. The broad implementation overlooks the economic security and well-being of America’s military families, diplomatic spouses, and other national security professionals who are stationed away from home in service of the U.S. government. The impacted personnel are less than one percent of the federal workforce, but their ability to work from their families’ duty stations for limited periods of time (typically 2-3 years) is essential to recruitment for hard-to-fill assignments, family unity, and retention of their valuable experience and contributions to national security. We urge you to revise OPM’s guidance to explicitly exempt the small number of affected spouses and dependents and avoid attrition issues that could negatively impact American military readiness and national security, “the lawmakers wrote.

    “It is commonly said that when one person joins the military, the whole family serves. This maxim is no less true for diplomats, intelligence professionals, federal law enforcement officers, and other national security professionals who are routinely required to relocate to postings across the world. As a result of these relocations, spouses and dependents often struggle to find consistent employment, creating personal and financial strains that have been cited as a major cause of attrition,” the lawmakers continued.  

    Booker, Van Hollen, and Castro are senior members of the House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over foreign affairs and international relations.

    The letter is cosigned by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Johnny Olszewski, Jr. (D-MD-02), Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), Jonathan L. Jackson (D-IL-01), and Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51).

    To read the full text of the letter, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Urges Colleagues to Include Paid Family Leave Bill in Upcoming Tax Package

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    During a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) called on her colleagues to make American families’ lives better by including her Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act in the upcoming tax package.

    Yesterday, Senator Fischer reintroduced her legislation with Senator King (I-Maine) to make the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Employer Tax Credit permanent. The Senators first passed their PFML tax credit as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but it is set to expire soon if not extended by the PFML Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act.

    In her remarks, Senator Fischer emphasized the bipartisan support her legislation has received, as well as its role in fulfilling Republican promises to create a more prosperous and affordable future for American families.

    Click the image above to watch a video of Senator Fischer’s remarks.

    Click here to download audio 

    Click here to download video


    Following is a transcript of Senator Fischer’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

    M. President,

    In America, our news cycle is often fraught with controversy and dispute. From watching the news or scrolling social media, it might seem like there are few issues Americans agree on.

    It may be true that we disagree on some big issues—important issues. But behind the headlines and social media posts, there are many things Americans still agree on.

    One of those is paid family and medical leave.

    The Pew Research Center found that the vast majority of Americans support paid parental leave—up to 82 percent. That’s a broad consensus.

    85 percent of Americans say people should receive paid leave to deal with their own serious health conditions. 67 percent say they should receive leave to care for a family member with a serious health condition.

    We rarely see Americans so united on other issues. But it’s for good reason that Republicans and Democrats come together on paid family leave.

    The reality is that Americans shouldn’t have to choose between their paychecks and caring for their families.

    That’s why I spearheaded our nation’s first-ever federal family leave policy in 2017 with Senator King.

    As part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we passed a Paid Family and Medical Leave tax credit that encourages businesses to offer leave to their employees.

    Employers are able to receive the tax credit if they voluntarily offer up to 12 weeks of paid leave.

    Our credit increases access to paid leave without penalizing small businesses with limited resources, like a government entitlement program or a mandate would.

    Almost eight years later, this tax credit is about to expire. And Congress is set to work on another tax package.

    Now is the perfect time to pass my bill with Senator King to make our tax credit permanent and improve it.

    Yesterday we introduced the PFML Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act. Representative Feenstra is leading the introduction of companion legislation in the House.

    Our bipartisan, bicameral bill supports additional options for financing paid leave, such as paid family leave insurance. It also allows employers to begin offering paid leave to workers sooner after being hired.

    The legislation includes a strategy for educating employers and employees about the option to receive this credit. It requires the Small Business Administration and the IRS to provide targeted outreach and assistance to those who need it, which will raise awareness of the credit and expand the number of Americans who have paid leave.

    Passing this bill in our upcoming tax package will deliver on the promises Republicans made to the American people this November.

    We promised to make families’ lives better, more prosperous and more affordable. More access to family leave will contribute to that goal.

    Our tax credit is a tried-and-true method, one with a bipartisan track record of success. It’s the paid family leave solution that will do the most good with the smallest price tag.

    I urge my colleagues to join me in pushing for this legislation’s inclusion in this year’s tax package.

    This is how we expand paid family and medical leave for employees across the country. This is how we deliver for the American people. I’m determined to get this done, and I hope my colleagues will join me. 

    Thank you, M. President, I yield the floor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Demands Answers from U.S. Trade Representative Nominee on the Impact of Trump Trade War on Vermonters 

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today questioned Jamieson Greer, President Trump’s nominee to be the United States Trade Representative (USTR), at his confirmation hearing. Senator Welch demanded that Mr. Greer answer for the impact of the Trump Trade War on American businesses and consumers and outlined the cost of Trump’s new proposed tariffs for Vermont industries. Tariffs on imports from Canada, and subsequent retaliatory tariffs, could result in higher costs and layoffs for Vermonters. 
    Watch the exchange between Senator Welch and Jamieson Greer, President Trump’s pick for U.S. Trade Representative: 

    Read excerpts of their exchange below: 
    Sen. Welch: My view is that trade policy has failed the average American. We’ve exported jobs in return for importing cheap goods, and it’s hollowed out a lot of communities. It’s something that President Trump did talk about…What role do you see tariffs playing in our trade policy? 
    Mr. Greer: So, with respect to tariffs and trade policy, we need to create incentives to produce in America, and we need to create incentives to get market access overseas. Our average tariff rate in the United States is 3.5%, which is substantially lower than many markets— 
    Welch: So, you see tariffs as a tool for market access and for onshoring jobs here?   
    Greer: Exactly. It can be used as a tool for revenue— 
    Welch: Wait. That’s a whole new thing. Your job is trade policy, and if what we’re talking about is tariffs for revenue, would you agree with me that that’s a tax? That’s raising—the tariffs are ultimately paid by the consumers.  
    Greer: Taxes, Senator, are an assessment on foreign goods, on the value of foreign goods, made by foreign workers in foreign countries. And then that exporter has to decide— 
    Welch: I want to stop here a minute. When you’re using your responsibility on trade policy, I get that. But if a tariff is being used essentially as a negotiating tool on a one-off situation— as these recent tariffs on Mexico and Canada were—that’s a tax and it’s beyond trade policy. It’s the president trying to use that power for leverage. Do you think that the proper use of the congressionally extended authority to the president in national emergencies to impose tariffs apply to a national emergency that we have with Canada? 
    Greer: Yes. 
    Welch: I don’t.  
    ••• 
    Welch: This has a huge impact on Vermont. You know, we do most of our trade with Canada. And we had a roundtable, and I just asked various businesses—we had over 150 businesses on this call. And it was everyone from a large, very successful construction company, PC Construction, to a woman who gets yarn and does weaving, and organic farmers. Every one of these people was just stunned at the implications that these out-of-the-blue threats of tariffs were going to have on their businesses. I mean, don’t people deserve a heads up in Vermont before they get whacked with what appears to be a tariff for an individual objective of President Trump?  
    Greer: So, Senator, the president was very transparent about this for several months that he was contemplating doing this specifically because of the fentanyl and illegal migration issues. And so, I think it is very important for people to understand what might be coming, especially when the president’s going to use his congressionally delegated responsibilities to execute the laws.  
    Welch: I appreciate you and your candor. But, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, I do have concern about the delegation, the abuse of the delegation of tariff authority to a President, to be used in national emergencies. To be used in one-off negotiating tactics. And I do believe that’s a tax. And I don’t think that any President should be able to unilaterally impose a tax. And one of the things I’m increasingly worried about is the abdication of our own Article I authority, and weakening this branch of government, for any President to totally disregard the people’s branch. 
    On Tuesday, Senator Welch took to the Senate floor to blast the proposed tariffs, which would be a tax on Vermonters. Senator Welch shared stories from Vermonters about how President Trump’s economic policies will impact their family, farm, and community. Watch his speech on the Senate Floor here and read his remarks as delivered here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Raise Alarm Over Chaos at Critical National Security Agencies Hurting National Security, Placing U.S. Citizens at Risk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Raise Alarm Over Chaos at Critical National Security Agencies Hurting National Security, Placing U.S. Citizens at Risk

    Senator Reverend Warnock, Senators: “Blanket stop-work orders… are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work.”

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and 36 of his colleagues pushed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to answer for the growing chaos and dysfunction at the U.S. Department of State following the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

    USAID is a critical pillar of U.S. national security strategy, providing lifesaving aid and development support around the world to help ensure stability. Yesterday, personnel at USAID were not permitted to enter the agency’s headquarters, and Elon Musk announced that President Donald Trump agreed to close the agency and move it under the State Department. The Trump Administration, led by Musk, has also furloughed thousands of senior career civil servants, including two top security officials who denied Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency access to classified documents and systems.

    “We are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners,” wrote the senators.

    The senators continued, “The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.”

    They continued, “Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.”

    In addition to Senator Warnock, the letter was authored by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), and cosigned by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Angus S. King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI),

    The letter can be viewed HERE and the text is below.

    Dear Secretary Rubio:

    The effective administration of U.S. foreign assistance is critical to advancing core U.S. national security priorities, including countering the influence of China, Russia and Iran. As you acknowledged at your confirmation hearing, pushing back on China in particular is a top bipartisan priority. 

    As such, we are deeply concerned by reports of not only growing chaos and dysfunction at the Department of State, but the Administration’s brazen and illegal attempts to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Mass personnel furloughs of dubious legality and abrupt, blanket stop-work orders without regard to relevant appropriations laws are causing immediate harm to U.S. national security, placing U.S. citizens at risk, disrupting life-saving work and breaking the U.S. government’s contractual obligations to private sector partners.

    The Administration’s failure to consult with Congress prior to taking these steps violates the law and impedes Congress’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel and the nation’s foreign policy. The Administration’s failure to expend funds appropriated on a bipartisan basis by Congress would violate the Impoundment Control Act.

    Foreign assistance is critical to supporting U.S. strategic interests around the world. Foreign assistance protects U.S. national security, advances U.S. values, and ensures the U.S. is the partner of choice for everything from defense procurement to cutting edge scientific research. China, Russia and Iran are already moving rapidly to exploit the vacuum and instability left by the U.S.’s sudden global retreat.

    Every Administration has the right to review and adjust ongoing assistance programming. However, attempting to arbitrarily turn off core functions of a critical U.S. national security agency, without Congressional consideration or any metric-based review and absent legal authority to do so, is unprecedented and deeply disturbing.

    We request immediate clarification on the following:

    Status of USAID:

    1. Confirmation of your understanding that any effort to abolish USAID or merge USAID into the Department of State absent Congressional consultation and approval is illegal.
    2. Confirmation of your understanding that adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran are quickly moving into the vacuum left by suspended USAID programs. 
    3. The Department of State’s assessment of Mr. Elon Musk’s financial ties to China and the impact of these ties to the decision-making process of Mr. Musk and his employees.
    4. Confirmation that neither you nor any member of your leadership team are taking direction from Mr. Musk with regards to the work of the Department of State or USAID, personnel or financial decisions for either agency, or any other matters relevant to U.S. national security. 
    5. Confirmation of the names and employment status of individuals directed by Mr. Musk to engage with USAID staff, the qualifications of these individuals, and the level of their security clearances – if any.

    Personnel:

    1. Confirmation of your understanding that any unauthorized access by or disclosure of classified information to individuals without appropriate security clearance could be considered a criminal offense.
    2. The legal authority and rationale under which, on January 28, more than 50 senior career civil and foreign service USAID officials were placed on administrative leave. This move was not only unprecedented, but also inconsistent with the Office of Personnel Management’s own guidelines for the use of administrative leave.
    3. The legal authority under which, on January 28, approximately 390 USAID Institutional Support Contractors (ISCs) were given stop-work orders, and clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this termination.
    4. Whether any Department of State career civil and foreign service or contractors have been placed on administrative leave or removed from their roles as a result of or relating to the assistance freeze or any directives from the Office of Foreign Assistance.
    5. Clarification of which Administration official directed the implementation of this mass furlough.
    6. Clarification of whether these individuals were directed to be terminated without cause.
    7. Confirmation that personnel will not face retaliation or retribution for performing their duties under the previous Administration’s policy direction.
    8. Under what authorities and by which official’s directive career civil service, foreign service, and Personal Services Contractors (PSC), and those under other hiring authorities have been removed from their roles or limited in their ability to execute their work.
    9. Confirmation that further career civil service, foreign service and USAID contractors will not be removed from their roles without cause or receive stop work orders.
    10. Whether, upon full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities, the Administration intends to re-hire contractors who have been removed from their roles.
    11. Any additional guidance provided to State and USAID staff regarding the foreign assistance freeze, including confirmation of whether direct hires, contractors, or implementing organizations have been directed not to speak publicly about the foreign assistance freeze.
    12. Public identification of the individual currently serving as the Director or Acting Director of the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance and as Acting Deputy Administrator of USAID, and the dates upon which this individual was appointed to each position.
    13. Confirmation of your understanding that the State Department’s Director of Foreign Assistance has no authority to issue personnel directives for USAID.

    Resumption of Foreign Assistance:

    1. The specific process and anticipated timeframe for activities to receive exemptions or waivers, as referenced in your January 28, 2025 directive to State and USAID staff.
    2. The mechanisms and metrics established for this waiver process.
    3. The timeline for full resumption of legally mandated foreign assistance activities.
    4. Clarification of what risk assessment or analysis of potential risk to U.S. national security interests were conducted prior to the decision to freeze foreign assistance activities.
    5. Confirmation of the Department of State’s obligation to comply with U.S. contract law and your responsibility as Secretary of State ensure the Department honors its commitments to contracting partners.

    We welcome your urgent attention to these questions. We and our staff stand ready to work with you to ensure U.S. foreign assistance funding continues to be deployed effectively to protect American citizens, at home and abroad.

    Respectfully,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: David Gillers to Step Down as Chief of Staff

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced that David Gillers will step down as Chief of Staff to Commissioner Behnam on February 7. From 2021 until January 20, 2025, Mr. Gillers served as Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer of the agency, in which capacity he was the lead advisor to then-Chairman Rostin Behnam on legal, policy and administrative matters, and was responsible for the commission’s daily operations and its 1,000 personnel. Mr. Gillers joined the agency in July 2019 as Commissioner Behnam’s Chief of Staff, and has not announced plans. 
    “David has been my trusted Chief of Staff for over five and half years, and a key part of everything I have done at the Agency. He has led efforts to engage, negotiate and coordinate with members of Congress, fellow regulators, the White House and industry on all matters of the agency’s pressing needs and ably oversaw all agency operations,” said Commissioner Behnam. “He’s directed the most sensitive policy and legal conversations, while still delivering on our priorities. I wish him well as he turns to new opportunities in his career.”
    “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with such a talented team at the CFTC,” said Mr. Gillers. “Our division directors and staff, Chairman’s Office staff, and the other Commissioners and their staff have been second to none, and have made my time at the agency memorable. I am deeply grateful to former Chairman Behnam for making this job so rewarding, and I wish Acting Chairman Pham all the best in her new role.”   
    During Mr. Gillers’ tenure, he oversaw a host of novel derivatives markets policy engagements regarding digital assets, artificial intelligence, event contracts, market structure, cybersecurity and environmental derivatives products, as well as the end of the COVID era work posture and return to office. He led the agency’s review of voluntary carbon credit derivatives and directed the development and finalizing of guidance on voluntary carbon credit derivative contracts. Mr. Gillers was instrumental in expanding the agency’s engagement in the digital asset regulatory evolution, working with policy and enforcement divisions at the agency, other regulators and departments in the federal government, as well as helping Congressional committees to develop a legislative framework. 
    Prior to joining the CFTC in 2019, Mr. Gillers spent a decade on Capitol Hill focused on financial services, energy, and energy markets matters on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. He worked for Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, and Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia. He worked extensively on the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, and the energy provisions of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015. While in Congress, he oversaw programs at the Department of the Treasury, Department of Energy, and the Small Business Administration. Mr. Gillers was a corporate attorney prior to his time in Congress.  He holds a BA from Columbia College and a JD from Boston College Law School, where he was a Weinstein Scholar.     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: United States Seizes Venezuelan Aircraft Involved in Violations of U.S. Export Control and Sanctions Laws

    Source: US State of California

    The Dassault Falcon 2000EX Aircraft Was Used by Venezuela’s State-Owned Oil and Natural Gas Company and Illegally Maintained and Serviced Using Parts from the United States

    The Justice Department announced today that Dominican Republic authorities seized a Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft used by Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the sanctioned Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural-gas company, at the request of the U.S. government based on violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

    “The use of American-made parts to service and maintain aircraft operated by sanctioned entities like PdVSA is intolerable,” said Devin DeBacker, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with its federal law enforcement partners, will continue to safeguard our national security by identifying, disrupting, and dismantling schemes aimed at procuring American goods in violation of our sanctions and export control laws.”

    “Today’s announcement — the seizure of a sanctioned aircraft used by the Maduro regime — clearly shows that sanctions and export control laws have teeth,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Kevin J. Kurland of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “BIS will continue to aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who violate our regulations.”

    “The seizure of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft provides yet another example of this office’s commitment to enforcing America’s export control laws against Venezuelan-owned PdVSA and other sanctioned entities,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Asset forfeiture is a powerful law enforcement tool, which we will continue to use aggressively to deter, disrupt, and otherwise combat criminal activity.”

    “This seizure demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. export control and sanctions laws around the globe,” said Edwin F. Lopez, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Santo Domingo Country Attaché. “By working closely with our partners in the Dominican Republic and across the U.S. government, we successfully prevented the violation of U.S. laws designed to protect national security and foreign policy interests. HSI will continue to use its global reach and investigative expertise to target those who seek to evade justice and undermine the rule of law.”

    In August 2019, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 13884, which, among other things, prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of PdVSA. Pursuant to the EO, on Jan. 21, 2020, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified 15 aircraft as blocked property of U.S. law that generally prohibit transactions by U.S. persons within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in blocked property.

    According to the U.S. investigation, in July 2017, PdVSA purchased the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft from the United States and exported it to Venezuela where it was registered under tail number YV-3360. Following the imposition of sanctions on PdVSA and identification of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft as blocked property of PdVSA, the aircraft was serviced and maintained on multiple occasions using parts from the United States. The servicing included a brake assembly, electronic flight displays, and flight management computers: all in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

    According to a public statement issued by OFAC, since at least January 2019, the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft has transported Venezuelan Oil Minister Manuel Salvador Quevedo Fernandez, who is also sanctioned by the U.S. government, to an Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in the United Arab Emirates and has been used to transport senior members of the Maduro regime in a continuation of the regime’s misappropriation of PdVSA assets.

    The Justice Department previously announced in September 2024 the seizure of a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft in the Dominican Republic that was owned and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro Moros and persons affiliated with him in Venezuela.

    The BIS Miami Field Office is investigating the case with assistance from HSI Santo Domingo.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jorge Delgado and Joshua Paster for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and Ajay J. Alexander for the Southern District of Florida also provided assistance.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and HSI El Dorado Task Force Miami provided significant assistance. The United States thanks the Dominican Republic for its assistance in this matter.

    The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nurse Practitioner Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for $11.2 Million Disability Loan Fraud Scheme

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CATHERINE SEEMER, a nurse practitioner who stole the identities of 12 medical doctors and orchestrated an $11.2 million disability loan fraud scheme, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel to five years in prison. 

    U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “Today, Catherine Seemer has been held accountable for defrauding a federal loan forgiveness program created to help ease the financial burden of those who suffer from permanent physical or mental disabilities, including military veterans who endure service-related disabilities.  Seemer used the stolen identities of a dozen medical doctors to falsify disabilities and cause more than $11.2 million in loans to be fraudulently discharged.  This Office remains dedicated to rooting out fraud and abuse of taxpayer-funded government programs.”

    According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, Information, and statements made in court:

    From June 2017 through March 2022, SEEMER orchestrated a scheme to cause the fraudulent discharge of millions of dollars’ worth of student loans for borrowers who did not qualify for relief under the federal Total and Permanent Disability Discharge Program and its private analogue.  As part of the scheme, SEEMER deceived over 125 borrowers into believing they qualified for various forms of student loan relief and charged them fees to facilitate their loan discharge process.  She then used the personal identifying information of the unsuspecting borrowers to submit fraudulent applications for student loan discharge on the basis of non-existent permanent physical and mental disabilities.  In support of these applications, SEEMER used the stolen identities, medical license numbers, and forged signatures of over a dozen medical doctors to falsify medical diagnoses and disability certifications.  The scheme resulted in the wrongful discharge of over approximately $11.2 million in loans under the disability-based relief programs.  

    *               *                *

    In addition to the prison term, SEEMER, 44, of Elmsford, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $635,352.

    Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General. 

    The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Qais Ghafary is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Structural change, supply shocks and hard choices

    Source: Bank of Canada

    Good afternoon. I’m pleased to be able to join you virtually to talk about the challenges that lie ahead for central banks. There’s a lot to discuss.

    But my first order of business is to congratulate and thank Agustín Carstens for his leadership as General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). Your term, Agustín, has been marked by significant global upheaval—from pandemic shutdowns to war in Europe and double-digit inflation. These past few years have not been easy.

    Through it all, you have been a source of unwavering wisdom. Your clear thinking in the face of the unknown, your long view and your deep understanding of our global interdependence—all combined with the experience and pragmatism of a former minister of finance and then central bank governor—have made you an invaluable leader.

    More than that, through the BIS, you’ve brought us together with your friendship and your ability to get directly to the heart of the issue. You’ve helped us learn from each other. And you’ve made us better together.

    I know there will be an opportunity to celebrate you in Basel as your retirement in June approaches. But I wanted to recognize your exceptional leadership in your home country. For those of us in the Americas, your special interest in our region has been deeply appreciated. Whatever you do next, I know Mexico and the Americas will be an important part. Thank you, my friend.

    Now, let me turn to the challenges ahead. We are facing a global economic landscape that has shifted in recent years, and this shift has important implications for central banks.

    As Agustín has highlighted in a series of insightful speeches, the structural tailwinds of peace, globalization and demographics are turning into headwinds—and the world looks increasingly shock-prone.

    Higher long-term interest rates, elevated sovereign debt, slower economic growth and lagging productivity make all of our economies more vulnerable. Compounding these vulnerabilities are war, rising trade protectionism and economic fragmentation. In addition, new technologies—including artificial intelligence—are set to disrupt existing industries and create new ones. And we are seeing more frequent catastrophic weather events as the impacts of climate change become more pervasive.

    As 2025 begins, we are facing new uncertainty with a shift in policy direction in the United States. President Donald Trump’s threats of new tariffs are already affecting business and household confidence, particularly in Canada and Mexico. The longer this uncertainty persists, the more it will weigh on economic activity in our countries.

    If significant broad-based tariffs are indeed imposed, they will test the resilience of our economies in the short run and reduce long-run prosperity. Tariffs mean economies work less efficiently. There will be less investment and lower productivity. That means our countries will produce less and earn less. Monetary policy can’t change that.

    What monetary policy can do is help with the short-run adjustment. But even here, monetary policy has to strike a balance. Significant, broad-based tariffs will sharply reduce demand for our exports. At the same time, a weaker exchange rate, retaliatory tariffs and supply chain disruptions will raise import prices, putting upward pressure on inflation.   

    With a single instrument—our policy interest rate—central banks can’t lean against weaker output and higher inflation at the same time. So we will need to carefully assess the downward pressure on inflation from weaker economic activity, and weigh that against the upward pressures from higher input prices and supply chain disruptions.

    Other structural headwinds pose similar challenges for monetary policy. They’ll impact both demand and supply, slowing growth while adding cost. Monetary policy cannot address these headwinds directly or offset their economic consequences.

    In a world with more structural change and more negative supply shocks, central banks will be faced with harder choices. And harder choices bring risks of public disappointment and frustration. We will face criticism about our decisions—and about how well monetary policy is seen to have worked when confronted with forces that are mostly out of our hands. We will be called ineffective or criticized for not doing enough. And some will challenge our independence.

    So, what can all of us do?

    First, we can be humble about what we don’t know, but also confident in the effectiveness of our frameworks. We didn’t get everything right through the pandemic. And elevated inflation and higher interest rates have been difficult for our citizens. But in Canada, as in many other countries, inflation has come down. And we restored low inflation without causing a recession or major job losses.

    Guided by our frameworks, we can maintain confidence in price stability.

    Second, we can be just as clear about what monetary policy cannot do. There will always be forces beyond our influence, and while we need to understand those forces, we should also be clear that understanding is not the same as controlling. And we need to avoid the temptation to overload monetary policy by expecting more of it than it can deliver.

    Third, we can recognize that the world has changed. Structural headwinds and supply shocks require different types of information and analysis. This means investing in richer information about the supply side of the economy and building models that can analyze sectoral shocks and their transmission. It means reaching out and listening to households and businesses. It means looking at our economies through different lenses, regularly challenging our assumptions, and using scenarios to help manage uncertainty.

    Fourth, let’s acknowledge that working together has never been easy and it’s getting harder. But let’s also remember that it’s important. We are more effective if we confront our shared challenges together. The shared resolve of central banks to fight the post-pandemic surge in inflation helped all of us bring inflation down. This was a positive international spillover and, together, we can generate other positive international spillovers.

    Finally, we need to remain evidence-based, technocratic and professional, and free of political influence. We need to be open, accountable and transparent. And we need to be learning institutions—when faced with valid criticism, we should critically evaluate our policy actions and be willing to improve. Being independent and accountable and continuously learning is how we build trust.

    The world is a tougher place today than it was a few short years ago. And facing the headwinds before us will not be easy. But that’s why we have independent central banks—we are designed for tough times.

    I look forward to hearing from my esteemed colleagues on this panel.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Feb 06, 2025 ATU: Solidarity of Workers Transcends Borders As Tensions Rise Between U.S. and Canada Governments

    Source: US Amalgamated Transit Union

    Silver Spring, MD – ATU International President John Costa and ATU Canada President John Di Nino issued the following statement on tensions between the U.S. and Canadian governments.

    “We find ourselves in difficult times and the tensions between the United States and Canadian governments are palpable and undeniable. The ATU reinforces its steadfast commitment to improving the lives of our members and all workers in both countries.

    “The solidarity of workers transcends borders. Stronger together, we form a collective force that is both powerful and necessary to push back against the forces that seek to undermine our rights and diminish our hard-earned progress. Our joint efforts across North America will continue to lay the foundation for a better tomorrow, a better future.

    “For over 150 years, Canada and the United States have stood side by side as partners, allies, friends, and neighbors. We cannot allow the actions of a single leader to cloud the relationship that has existed between our people. The bond between Canadian and American workers and our shared struggles is much stronger than any political rhetoric. We must resist the narrative that seeks to create division, especially from those who have little regard for the well-being of working people.

    “This is a moment in history when unions are more essential than ever. Workers across both of our countries need to come together and fight against the harmful agendas seeking to weaken the labor movement. Our strength lies in our collective action, and the solidarity we have generated across borders is a beacon of hope in these times of uncertainty. Together, we can continue to move forward, building a future where the needs and dignity of working people come first. Don’t let them divide us. Stay strong. Stay united. We are Stronger Together!”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Texas Man Sentenced for Role in Multi-State Drug Trafficking Operation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Anthony Allen, age 38, of Rosenberg, Texas, was sentenced today to 188 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Allen was the leader of a drug trafficking conspiracy, selling methamphetamine, cocaine base, cocaine hydrochloride, fentanyl, and heroin in Monongalia County. Allen was operating the organization from a townhouse in Morgantown and a storage unit in Star City. Allen’s drug supply came from California and was shipped via FedEx and USPS. The shipments totaled nearly 66 pounds of methamphetamine. Investigators also seized packages sent from California to Houston containing cocaine and fentanyl.

    Allen will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

    The FBI’s Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.  The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; and the Morgantown, WVU, Granville, and Star City Police Departments.  The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners:  the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office, the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department’s Multi-Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: United States Seizes Venezuelan Aircraft Involved in Violations of U.S. Export Control and Sanctions Laws

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The Dassault Falcon 2000EX Aircraft Was Used by Venezuela’s State-Owned Oil and Natural Gas Company and Illegally Maintained and Serviced Using Parts from the United States

    The Justice Department announced today that Dominican Republic authorities seized a Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft used by Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the sanctioned Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural-gas company, at the request of the U.S. government based on violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

    “The use of American-made parts to service and maintain aircraft operated by sanctioned entities like PdVSA is intolerable,” said Devin DeBacker, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with its federal law enforcement partners, will continue to safeguard our national security by identifying, disrupting, and dismantling schemes aimed at procuring American goods in violation of our sanctions and export control laws.”

    “Today’s announcement — the seizure of a sanctioned aircraft used by the Maduro regime — clearly shows that sanctions and export control laws have teeth,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Kevin J. Kurland of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “BIS will continue to aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who violate our regulations.”

    “The seizure of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft provides yet another example of this office’s commitment to enforcing America’s export control laws against Venezuelan-owned PdVSA and other sanctioned entities,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Asset forfeiture is a powerful law enforcement tool, which we will continue to use aggressively to deter, disrupt, and otherwise combat criminal activity.”

    “This seizure demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. export control and sanctions laws around the globe,” said Edwin F. Lopez, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Santo Domingo Country Attaché. “By working closely with our partners in the Dominican Republic and across the U.S. government, we successfully prevented the violation of U.S. laws designed to protect national security and foreign policy interests. HSI will continue to use its global reach and investigative expertise to target those who seek to evade justice and undermine the rule of law.”

    In August 2019, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 13884, which, among other things, prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with persons who have acted or purported to act directly or indirectly for or on behalf of PdVSA. Pursuant to the EO, on Jan. 21, 2020, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified 15 aircraft as blocked property of U.S. law that generally prohibit transactions by U.S. persons within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in blocked property.

    According to the U.S. investigation, in July 2017, PdVSA purchased the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft from the United States and exported it to Venezuela where it was registered under tail number YV-3360. Following the imposition of sanctions on PdVSA and identification of the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft as blocked property of PdVSA, the aircraft was serviced and maintained on multiple occasions using parts from the United States. The servicing included a brake assembly, electronic flight displays, and flight management computers: all in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

    According to a public statement issued by OFAC, since at least January 2019, the Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft has transported Venezuelan Oil Minister Manuel Salvador Quevedo Fernandez, who is also sanctioned by the U.S. government, to an Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in the United Arab Emirates and has been used to transport senior members of the Maduro regime in a continuation of the regime’s misappropriation of PdVSA assets.

    The Justice Department previously announced in September 2024 the seizure of a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft in the Dominican Republic that was owned and operated for the benefit of Nicolás Maduro Moros and persons affiliated with him in Venezuela.

    The BIS Miami Field Office is investigating the case with assistance from HSI Santo Domingo.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jorge Delgado and Joshua Paster for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are handling the matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and Ajay J. Alexander for the Southern District of Florida also provided assistance.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and HSI El Dorado Task Force Miami provided significant assistance. The United States thanks the Dominican Republic for its assistance in this matter.

    The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Kendrick Lamar’s big Super Bowl moment

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Christina L. Myers, Assistant Professor of Journalism, Michigan State University

    Lamar’s Super Bowl appearance marks a political reckoning for the NFL. Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images

    In the September 2024 NFL ad announcing Kendrick Lamar as the halftime performer at Super Bowl 59, the 37-year-old rapper stands before a colossal American flag, feeding footballs into a machine that launches the balls to wide receivers.

    “Will you be pulling up? I hope so,” he says, plugging his forthcoming appearance on one of the world’s biggest stages, where the cultural stakes can be as high as the athletic ones. “Wear your best dress too, even if you’re watching from home.”

    The casual yet evocative scene was classic Kendrick.

    As a world-renowned Grammy- and Pulitzer Prize-winning artist, Lamar stands in a league of his own. His unflinching critiques of racial injustice, systemic inequality and the exploitation of Black culture have made him a boundary-pushing artist and cultural visionary.

    My work examines how race and racism are constructed, represented and challenged in mass media, particularly in news, music and sports. I think the NFL’s complicated history with social justice makes his participation even more significant.

    With a discography expansive enough to eclipse the time constraints of Sunday’s game, I’m eager to see whether Lamar will weave his lyrical masterpieces into a performance that entertains, educates and challenges viewers.

    Sports, politics and backlash

    Sports have always been political, despite persistent calls to keep politics out of sports.

    The tradition of playing the national anthem before sporting events is but one example: The song is rooted in wartime sorrow and serves as a call to patriotism.

    Then there are unsanctioned acts of protests by players and fans. Whenever professional athletes go on strike, it’s political. When fans unfurl banners in support of Palestinians, it’s political.

    From Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ fist-raising at the 1968 Olympics in solidarity with Black communities during the Civil Rights Movement, to Muhammad Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War, to Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling to protest police brutality, athletes have long used their platforms to confront injustice and challenge norms.

    Yet, acts of protest often incite backlash, and the NFL has haphazardly tried to police political speech.

    Kaepernick’s protests sparked a national debate about ideas of patriotism and the appropriateness of protest on the playing field. At the same time, NFL owners appeared to effectively blacklist him from the league.

    Nick Bosa, a defensive end with the 49ers, was fined for violating a rule forbidding players from wearing clothes conveying “personal messages” when he wore a MAGA hat during a postgame interview in 2024. Meanwhile, NFL owners have donated millions to presidential campaigns, with most of those contributions given to Republican candidates.

    Kansas City Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt has donated to Republican politicians and causes, even as the league tries to muzzle players’ political speech.
    Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

    An artist and activist

    The Super Bowl halftime show has long been more than just a musical interlude. It’s a stage where cultural and political currents converge.

    During Beyoncé’s 2016 appearance alongside headliner Bruno Mars, she paid homage to the Black Panthers, Malcolm X and the Black Lives Matter movement. U2’s act during the 2002 Super Bowl provided a moment of collective mourning and hope for a country still reeling from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. More recently, Dr. Dre’s 2022 performance celebrated hip-hop’s rise from a marginalized genre to a dominant cultural force. Eminem, who also participated in that performance, took a knee on stage to critique the NFL’s treatment of Black athletes and activists.

    Rapper Eminem takes a knee as he performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl 56 on Feb. 13, 2022.
    Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

    To me, Lamar’s Super Bowl appearance symbolizes a broader reckoning with how the NFL handles the tension between politics and corporate entertainment.

    That’s because Kendrick Lamar’s artistry is more than just music. It’s activism.

    From his Grammy award-winning album “To Pimp a Butterfly” to the raw, introspective, Pulitzer Prize-winning album “DAMN.,” Lamar has consistently confronted themes of systemic oppression, racial injustice and Black life in America.

    Tracks like “DNA.” are unapologetic celebrations of Blackness and generational resilience: 

     I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA
 Quarter piece, got war and peace inside my DNA
 I got power, poison, pain and joy inside my DNA
 I got hustle, though, ambition flow inside my DNA

    “The Blacker the Berry” delves into the complexities of Black identity and confronting systemic racism:

      I said they treat me like a slave, cah me Black
  Woi, we feel whole heap of pain cah we Black
  And man a say they put me inna chains cah we Black

    And “XXX.” confronts the greed, violence and hypocrisy at the core of American life.

      Hail Mary, Jesus and Joseph
  The great American flag
  Is wrapped and dragged with explosives
  Compulsive disorder, sons and daughters
  Barricaded blocks and borders, look what you taught us
  It's murder on my street
  Your street, back streets, Wall Street

    Unlike many mainstream artists, Lamar seems to have mastered the delicate balance between commercial success and politically charged content. His genius lies in his ability to write songs that transcend race, gender and class.

    At a time when the nation grapples with efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion practices, and as corporate power continues to go unchecked, conversations about race and inequality remain at the fore.

    Lamar has never hesitated to confront uncomfortable truths through his music. He has a unique opportunity to merge art, activism and a critique of the nation. I expect this moment will be no exception.

    Will you be pulling up? I will.

    Christina L. Myers is affiliated with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

    – ref. Kendrick Lamar’s big Super Bowl moment – https://theconversation.com/kendrick-lamars-big-super-bowl-moment-247976

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Hickenlooper Calls Out Vought’s Project 2025 Agenda on Senate Floor, Vows to Use Every Tool to Fight

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado

    Hickenlooper: “It’s time to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt what Mr. Vought and his Project [2025] are trying to do.”

    Senate Democrats held the Senate floor overnight to oppose Vought’s nomination

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper spoke on the Senate floor against the nomination of Russell Vought, President Trump’s pick to lead the Office of Budget and Management (OMB). Hickenlooper’s remarks come ahead of the final confirmation vote, where he will vote “No” on Vought.

    “If confirmed, Mr. Vought and Project 2025 could have devastating consequences for Colorado,” Hickenlooper said on the Senate floor.

    “…At a time when grocery prices are rising on everything from eggs to meat, Project 2025 is going to make life harder for Colorado farmers and ranchers – and more risky,” he continued. “Project 2025 would cut safety nets for our Ag producers when they have a bad season…Hanging small farmers out to dry does nothing to lower grocery prices for [Americans].”

    “…I will oppose every nominee that poses a genuine threat to Coloradans. That’s why I’m here on the floor and will vote “No” on Mr. Vought today.”

    “…It’s time to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt what Mr. Vought and his Project [2025] are trying to do.”

    The OMB oversees the performance of federal agencies and administers the federal budget. Vought previously served as acting OMB director during President Donald Trump’s first term and was a primary architect of Project 2025, which details MAGA Republicans’ far-right agenda to dismantle the federal government under a Trump administration.

    Last week, in response to an executive order from President Trump, the OMB ordered a freeze on all federal grants and loans. The pause threatened hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, which would have impacted thousands of organizations in Colorado and hurt millions of Americans. 

    On Monday, a federal court issued a restraining order against the Trump administration, extending a temporary pause on the President’s plan.

    More information about how a freeze would impact Coloradans is available HERE.

    Yesterday, Hickenlooper posted a video to social media where he commits to use every tool at his disposal, including opposing any nominees who will harm Colorado, to disrupt the administration’s illegal actions. This morning, Hickenlooper joined Democrats in holding the Senate floor overnight to oppose Trump’s nominee.

    To download a full video of Hickenlooper’s remarks, click HERE. A full transcript of his remarks is available below:

    “Mr. President,

    “I take to the floor today to urge my colleagues to vote “No” on President Trump’s nominee to the Office of Budget and Management, Russell Vought.

    “Some remember Mr. Vought from when he served as the head of the same agency during President Trump’s first term. He is one of the very few “repeat” appointments – clearly a reflection of his loyalty.

    “You may also know him for his leadership – his authoring – of Project 2025, that far-right agenda that the President – during the campaign – swore up and down he had no idea about. 

    “And I believe that, although I think he understood many discussions, perhaps outlined the framework.  

    “Project 2025 would gut our longstanding and globally admired framework of checks and balances. It would gut them.  It would ensure civil servants would be hired and fired on the basis of political loyalty – something that this country has struggled for many decades to get rid of.

    “It would truly weaponize our system of justice. Again something that almost everyone works towards keeping nonpartisan.

    “It lays out in detail a plan to dramatically change our American system of government – perhaps for a very long time.

    “It’s really not a question of “if” anymore. The plan and the people putting it in place are disregarding laws and norms dating back to the Constitution. They are throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.

    “This means firing or pushing out vast swaths of the federal workforce of civil servants. These are career civil servants, many of whom have devoted their lives to keeping our government running – from processing social security checks, and keeping our weather systems afloat, or helping to stop waste, fraud and abuse.

    “Some would say our federal workers don’t do anything. But they are honest, hard-working Americans.

    “Project 2025 is just getting started. If confirmed, Mr.Vought and Project 2025 could have devastating consequences for Colorado.

    “Deep in Project 2025 are plans to heavily restrict access to contraceptives and abortion medication, denying women and families the freedom to make their own reproductive decisions. 

    “Plans to make health care more expensive by repealing policies that empower Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and drive down the cost of health care for seniors.

    “Plans to make Colorado less resilient to these increasingly frequent disasters caused by extreme weather.

    “And they’re already reinstating cruel immigration policies, and threatening to come after the LGBTQ+ community.

    “At a time when grocery prices are rising on everything from eggs to meat, Project 2025 is going to make life harder for Colorado farmers and ranchers – and more risky. 

    “Project 2025 would cut safety nets for our Ag producers when they have a bad season. It includes plans to gut essential crop insurance. Project 2025 even wants government to get involved in the specific techniques our ranchers use to farm.

    “Now, our Colorado farmers know their land better than anyone else. Hanging small farmers out to dry does nothing to lower grocery prices for America. 

    “We’ve been hearing in our offices from producers across the state who are very concerned about what this Project 2025 means to them. We have over 38,000 farm operations in Colorado. Some harvest wheat, some raise meat or poultry, some specialize in dairy. All of them help support our rural communities and play an essential role in feeding families really all across the country.

    “We don’t have to speculate about what Mr.Vought would do to the Office of Management and Budget – he’s really laid it all out in Project 2025. He wrote Project 2025 to a large extent himself.

    “One of his finest contributions: a section championing the Executive Branch’s ability to overreach and “impound funds.”

    “Let’s not mince words: This is, by all historic measures, blatantly unconstitutional.

    “Congress alone has the authority to decide how the government spends its money.

    “This isn’t an opinion. It says explicitly in Article I, Section 9, Clause 7: “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.”

    “Made by law, designated by Congress.

    “And again in Article I, Section 8, Clause 1: “Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States.”

    “We got a taste of how Mr. Vought would attempt to execute something like this last week.

    “In a truly chaotic late-night, two-page memo, the Trump administration halted all federal grants and loans. We’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars in federal spending for a staggering number of programs. Programs that provide Americans health care, food, nutrition, housing, child care, so much else.

    “The memo stemmed from an executive order calling on federal agencies to review and eliminate spending on “woke” ideologies or “The [Green New] Deal” – both things that aren’t clearly defined and don’t in any specific way exist. 

    “In this rush to create chaos and jumbled policy, the implementors didn’t bother to specify which programs would continue and which programs would end. 

    “Our office and staff were immediately flooded with calls. Hundreds and then thousands of calls. We heard from folks in every corner of Colorado – big cities, small towns – asking ‘what does this mean’ for them and their families. There was real fear, real worry, and for good reason.

    “The Trump administration tried to walk back the original memo to clarify that the freeze wouldn’t affect individual payments, like Social Security or food stamp benefits.

    “But that didn’t clear up too much. And it certainly didn’t help that the White House Press Secretary couldn’t answer specific questions like pertaining to specific government programs like Medicaid, whether they were going to be affected. Frustrating as it is – and I get how frustrating it is – there are reasons why government moves slowly. 

    “All of this, if implemented as requested, would’ve had a devastating impact on Colorado. A devastating impact.

    “Federal programs and funds make up roughly 25 percent of our state’s effort to build transportation and infrastructure, provide needed services for the most needy in our state. 

    “Head Start, a truly vital service for over 9,000 low-income kids in Colorado, would be forced to shutter its operations that provide for these low-income kids of all communities with the early childhood education, health, and nutrition that they need. Even as we speak, there are reports that Head Start providers around the nation are not able to access funds.

    “If implemented it would cut off 83,000+ low-income Colorado families from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps heat their homes in the cold winter. These are folks that in many cases are unable to pay their heating bills or wouldn’t be able to heat their homes without this assistance.

    “Our public safety and law enforcement would be weakened. The pause would strip funding that helps our local agencies prevent terrorism, helps them crack down on drug trafficking, and prevent crimes and provide services for those who have been victimized by crime.

    “Colorado has one of the largest veteran populations in the country, something we’re very proud of. But this funding [pause] would cut resources for those vets. It would cut resources for community-based suicide prevention efforts, organizations that provide care for veterans experiencing homelessness, and services for veterans living with disabilities – many of them taken in the defense of our nation. Hard to be cruel to those who have given their country so much.

    “Before entering public service, I was in the restaurant business. At our brewpub in downtown Denver, we’d cook, pack, and donate meals every year to Meals on Wheels to feed seniors throughout the Metro Denver area. I’ve seen firsthand the difference this makes, the relief it provides to seniors who need it. Many of them don’t leave the house, and are so grateful to have someone come and they can talk to as they get their meal. 

    “But the federal funding freeze left Meals on Wheels in Colorado, but all across the country, unsure of how and whether they’ll be able to continue serving meals. Over 25,000 Coloradan seniors everyday rely on Meals on Wheels to access food. Why would we leave our seniors hungry and unsure of where their next hot lunch is going to come?

    “Our office also heard directly from a Colorado rural health organization about how this federal funding freeze would have life-or-death effects on Coloradans in 47 rural counties. 

    “When we’re in towns like Cortez or Hugo or Julesburg, we hear all the time about how our rural hospitals, clinics, and community health centers are already strained by workforce shortages, by rising costs. 

    “These medical providers are on the frontlines of dealing with our nation’s mental health and opioid crisis. And we’re cutting their ability to provide these services.

    “These folks in rural Colorado, and in suburbs around every city in Colorado, are watching their friends, family, and neighbors struggle with mental health issues that rose up after the pandemic.  

    “This funding freeze wouldn’t just strip funding from these programs. It would force our critical rural hospitals to lay off staff or turn away patients at a time when they need it the most.

    “We should be fighting to increase access to quality, affordable health care no matter where people live – not take it away.

    “The federal funding freeze has already been blocked by the courts several times because it is blatantly illegal. It makes no sense.

    “But make no mistake, Mr. Vought and the Trump administration will keep poking and prodding our courts and our Constitution until they get their way.  

    “All of these actions serve a sinister purpose: to completely transform our government into one that gives enormous, enormous tax cuts, largely directed at those who don’t need them – and in many cases in Colorado don’t want them – and puts working-class Americans out to pasture.

    “The federal funding freeze is just one of many chaotic actions that Mr.Vought and the administration are pushing. We see Project 2025 come into clarity in this administration’s illegal attempts to dismantle agencies without congressional approval, or their attempts to access Americans’ sensitive data.

    “Look, I’m all for cutting government waste. If you want to seriously look at how we spend money and where we can cut actual fraud, waste, and abuse – I’m game. A more efficient government will help us all, but that’s not what’s happening. 

    “I’ve worked as hard as I could to find ways to work across the aisle, and that’s not going to change. When I was Mayor of Denver, when I was Governor of Colorado, we balanced the budget every year and we worked hard to try and streamline government processes. Just like every mayor and every governor in this country.

    “You can’t just shove working families under the bus or violate the law to do it.

    “We’ll fight these attempts in the courts, on the floor of the Senate – like now – and everywhere else we can to defend Colorado and the Constitution.

    “It’s time to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt what Mr. Vought and his Project [2025] are trying to do. We’ve supported these lawsuits, opposed executive actions, and voted against nominees. 

    “But if we need to hold the Senate floor like we’re doing now, vote all night, disrupt business as usual, we’ll do that too.

    “I will oppose every nominee that poses a genuine threat to Coloradans. That’s why I’m here on the floor and will vote “No” on Mr. Vought today.

    “Coloradans sent us to Washington to solve problems, not to create more. Project 2025, it’s a brutal plan to wreak havoc on our nation, and really change the way our government operates, the way our democracy functions. 

    “I hope people all over the state emulate that old movie “Network”, that they can shout out on every corner, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to stand for it!”

    “Let’s hope they get so loud that they can’t be drowned out.

    “Mr. President, I yield back the floor.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Demands Answers from Trump Administration After Funding Blocked for Wisconsin Head Start

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is demanding answers from the Trump Administration on why half of Wisconsin’s Head Start programs, which provide childcare and preschool education to children, were unable to access previously approved federal funding, forcing at least one program to shutter. After the Trump Administration illegally ordered a pause on previously Congressionally approved federal grants and loans, half of Wisconsin Head Start programs were locked out of systems they use to pay staff and keep operations running. 

    “Head Start is a critical lifeline for families,” wrote Senator Baldwin in a letter to the Acting Secretaries of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Head Start. “Disruptions in services impact entire communities – from the children who are unable to be in the classroom, to the parents who are unable to work due to the lack of childcare, and Head Start professionals who love their jobs but are unable to be in their classrooms. I am also deeply concerned about the impact this chaos will have on the recruitment and retention of staff at Head Start centers.”

    Last week, the Trump Administration sent a letter from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directing a pause on virtually all federal grants and loans, with minimal details on what programs would and would not be impacted. While the memo was later rescinded, eight Head Start programs around the state have continued to experience issues accessing their federal funding, forcing one Head Start Center in Waukesha to close last week and leaving more than 250 families without childcare.

    “It is clear that funding issues persisted even after the Administration attempted to backtrack on the OMB memo and clarify that it did not apply to Head Start programs and following federal court orders that blocked the implementation of the memo,” wrote Senator Baldwin. “I am still hearing from Head Start grantees in Wisconsin who are continuing to have problems accessing their funds. I request your immediate attention to resolve any outstanding issues for Head Start payment systems.”

    In her letter, Senator Baldwin asked Dorothy A. Fink, M.D., Acting Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, and Tala Hooban, Acting Director of the Office of Head Start, to immediately respond with the following: 

    • A full accounting of the directives your department and agency received from the Trump Administration regarding the initial freeze of federal funds in the OMB memo. 
    • A full accounting of the directives received from the Trump Administration regarding the disbursement of federal funds after the clarification that the freeze did not apply to Head Start programs and after federal court orders were issued blocking implementation of the OMB memo.
    • The number of Head Start grantees who were unable to access or experienced difficulties in accessing the Payment Management System – the system used to access their federal funding – on or after January 28 and the dates in which they were unable to access the system.
    • Detail the reasons as to why these users were unable to access the Payment Management System.
    • Information on what resources you need, funding or otherwise, to ensure these issues do not happen in the future.

    A full version of this letter is available here and below.

    Dear Acting Secretary Fink and Acting Director Hooban:

    I write to you out of concern for what is happening at Head Start programs in Wisconsin during the first few weeks of the Trump Administration.  After the Administration ordered a pause on federal grants and loans, half of Wisconsin Head Start programs were locked out of systems they use to pay staff and keep operations running.  A Head Start Center in Waukesha closed last week and left more than 250 families without childcare.  Still today, Head Start programs in Wisconsin are having problems accessing their funds, which raises continued uncertainty about their ability to keep their doors open.  This is unacceptable and requires your immediate attention.

    There has been a long bipartisan history of providing federal funding for Head Start.  For Fiscal Year 2024, as Chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations subcommittee, I was proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to provide $12.3 billion for Head Start in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 which was signed into law by President Biden on March 23, 2024.  This carefully negotiated and bipartisan appropriation was a $275 million increase over Fiscal Year 2023 levels, which was celebrated in both red and blue states.

    Despite this history of strong bipartisan support and a clear Congressional directive, on January 28th President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a memorandum (M-25-13) ordering a halt to all federal grants and loans. This memo caused widespread chaos and confusion across the federal government and impacted every state in our nation.  While I understand the Trump Administration sought to clarify that they did not intend for Head Start to be included in the funding freeze, the reality for Head Start across the country and in Wisconsin was an inability to access funding that had already been approved by Congress.

    In the wake of this chaos, I met with and heard from Head Start programs across Wisconsin about the devastating impact the unlawful federal funding freeze had on their individual programs and in our communities.  About half of the Head Start programs in Wisconsin experienced prolonged issues in accessing their funds.  When attempting to draw down these federal dollars, these programs were met with only a response that the funding was ‘pending.’

    Head Start is a critical lifeline for families.  Disruptions in services impact entire communities –

    from the children who are unable to be in the classroom, to the parents who are unable to work due to the lack of child care, and Head Start professionals who love their jobs but are unable to be in their classrooms.  I am also deeply concerned about the impact this chaos will have on the recruitment and retention of staff at Head Start centers.  Head Start programs have continued to endure staffing shortfalls which has resulted in a reduction in slots for children and the number of families being served.  Disruption and uncertainty only serves to compound staffing recruitment challenges. 

    The years before a child reaches kindergarten are among the most critical in their life.  Research has shown participating in early childhood education programs helps better prepare children for their future and can result in better grades, higher school completion rates, reduction in the criminal justice system, and greater economic self-sufficiency as adults.  This is why programs like Head Start enjoy broad bipartisan support and are so critical in ensuring that our youngest children will be prepared to succeed later in their educational careers.  We know these long-term benefits make early childhood education programs a cost-effective way to strengthen society as a whole.

    It is clear that funding issues persisted even after the Administration attempted to backtrack on the OMB memo and clarify that it did not apply to Head Start programs and following federal court orders that blocked the implementation of the memo. I am still hearing from Head Start grantees in Wisconsin who are continuing to have problems accessing their funds. I request your immediate attention to resolve any outstanding issues for Head Start payment systems.

    Additionally, I ask you to provide the following:

    • A full accounting of the directives your department and agency received from the Trump Administration regarding the initial freeze of federal funds in M-25-13 OMB memo. 
    • A full accounting of the directives received from the Trump Administration regarding the disbursement of federal funds after the clarification that the freeze did not apply to Head Start programs and after federal court orders were issued blocking implementation of the M-25-13 OMB memo.
    • The number of Head Start grantees who were unable to access or experienced difficulties in accessing the Payment Management System on or after January 28 and the dates in which they were unable to access the system.
    • Detail the reasons as to why these users were unable to access the Payment Management System.
    • Information on what resources you need, funding or otherwise, to ensure these issues do not happen in the future.

    I thank you for your attention to this matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Leads Colleagues on Bill to Close Tax Loophole and Make Wall Street Pay Its Fair Share

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) led thirteen of her colleagues in introducing the Carried Interest Fairness Act to eliminate a tax loophole that benefits wealthy money managers on Wall Street. The current carried interest loophole allows investment managers to often pay almost half the tax rate compared to most other Wisconsin workers.

    “Wall Street investors should not be paying less in taxes than Wisconsin firefighters, teachers, and small business owners. But right now, the wealthiest Americans are gaming our tax system to get out of paying their fair share, passing their tax burden onto working Wisconsinites,” said Senator Baldwin. “Closing the carried interest loophole will ensure super-wealthy Americans do their part, reducing the deficit and increasing fairness in our tax code. As President Trump has previously said, this loophole is ‘unfair to American workers’ and I look forward to working with him to finally close it.”

    The carried interest loophole allows investment managers to pay the lower 23.8 percent capital gains tax rate on income received as compensation, rather than the ordinary income tax rates of up to 40.8 percent that they would pay for the same amount of wage income. The Carried Interest Fairness Act requires carried interest income to be taxed at ordinary wage rates. According to the Treasury proposal, closing this loophole will raise $6.5 billion in revenue over 10 years.

    Despite President Donald Trump previously saying, “…we will eliminate the carried interest deduction and other special interest loopholes…”  during the 2016 election, his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act “failed to eliminate [the] key deduction used by wealthy investment firms that Trump had vowed to kill,” leading PolitiFact to rate this a “Promise Broken.” Senate Republicans rejected an amendment to the tax bill by Senator Baldwin to close the loophole, which all Senate Democrats supported in 2017.

    The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Peter Welch (D-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI). Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03) also introduced this bill today in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    The legislation is endorsed by Communications Workers of America, Americans for Tax Fairness, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Public Citizen, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Alliance for Retired Americans, Americans for Financial Reform, Take on Wall Street, Patriotic Millionaires, 20/20 Vision, Main Street Alliance, American Federation of Government Employees, Small Business Minority, Economic Policy Institute, and the National Women’s Law Center.

    “The carried interest loophole is an expensive subsidy of the billionaire executives who are raiding the public purse right now to pay for their next private island,” said Porter McConnell, Senior Director of Take on Wall Street at Americans for Financial Reform. “We commend Senator Baldwin for her leadership on closing this egregious loophole so that working families can stop subsidizing ultra wealthy hedge fund and private equity executives.”

    “The carried interest loophole is an unfair Wall Street tax break that enriches billionaires who end up paying lower tax rates than teachers, nurses, and firefighters.” said Oscar Valdés Viera, research manager at Americans for Financial Reform. “We applaud Senator Baldwin for her unwavering leadership in introducing the Carried Interest Fairness Act and urge the Senate to swiftly move on this legislation.”

    “The carried interest loophole gives a class of the wealthy elite – hedge fund managers and executives – an enormous and unfair advantage by allowing them to pay a significantly lower tax rate on their compensation than working- and middle-class Americans. Senator Baldwin’s Carried Interest Fairness Act would work to close this loophole, enhancing tax fairness, narrowing the growing wealth gap, and providing crucial revenue for investments in the American people,” said Casey Conroy, Senior Fiscal Policy Analyst at 20/20 Vision.

    “Small business owners work hard every day to keep their doors open, staff on payroll and shelves stocked. Meanwhile, investment managers pay a lower tax rate than Main Street because of a ridiculous loophole. Main Street Alliance and our 30,000 members strongly support Senator Baldwin’s Carried Interest Fairness Act. Our tax code should focus on supporting the 20 million new small business owners who have started since 2020, not glitzy hedge funds,” said Richard Trent, Main Street Alliance Executive Director.

    “There are a lot of economically and morally unjustifiable tax loopholes that disproportionately benefit wealthy people like me, but the carried interest loophole may just take the cake. Ultra-wealthy hedge fund managers should not receive a tax break on the income they earn managing other people’s money, as the last time I checked, nurses don’t get a tax break on the money they make ‘managing’ people’s lives with their blood, sweat, and tears. It’s time for lawmakers to pass the Carried Interest Fairness Act and close this egregious loophole once and for all,” said Morris Pearl, Chair of the Patriotic Millionaires and a former Managing Director at BlackRock.

    “The carried interest tax loophole stands as one of the most glaring examples of how the ultra-wealthy exploit and rig our broken tax system to their advantage,” said David Kass, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness. “It’s common sense—Wall Street hedge fund managers shouldn’t pay lower federal tax rates than nurses, teachers, and most working Americans. This change is long overdue and represents a critical step toward a fairer tax system that ensures these uber-wealthy individuals pay their fair share like everyone else.”

    “There is no reason that private equity managers, some of the wealthiest people in the country, should get away with paying lower tax rates than average families, especially as the care crisis continues to strain family budgets. Closing the carried interest loophole is an important step towards making sure the wealthiest are paying their fair share and that our tax code works for all of us, not just those at the top,” said Melissa Boteach, Vice President for Income Security and Child Care/Early Learning at the National Women’s Law Center.

    A one-pager on this legislation is available here. Bill text of this legislation is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Judiciary Democrats Condemn Trump’s Unfit Nominee for FBI Director Kash Patel

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Judiciary Democrats Condemn Trump’s Unfit Nominee for FBI Director Kash Patel

    WATCH: Padilla urges Republicans to reject Patel based on alarming and radical record

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined his Democratic colleagues on the Committee in speaking out against Kash Patel’s dangerous nomination to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). During this morning’s Judiciary Committee business meeting, Padilla objected to Patel’s nomination and urged his Republican colleagues to do the same ahead of the Committee’s vote next week.

    Padilla raised significant concerns regarding Patel’s lack of judgement, independence, and preparedness — flaws made clear both during his nomination hearing and throughout his career. He highlighted Patel’s troubling record, including his publication of a political enemies list, threats to prosecute journalists, and his stated plan to “shut down the FBI Hoover Building on Day 1 and reopen it the next day as a museum of the ‘deep state.’”

    Padilla also denounced Patel’s reckless actions as Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, where he put the lives of U.S. military personnel at risk by providing false information during a high-stakes hostage rescue operation. He also slammed Patel’s opposition to background checks and his apparent support for civilian ownership of machine guns.

    The Senators reiterated calls for an additional hearing to address Patel’s misleading testimony and his involvement in the removals and investigations of career FBI employees. During Patel’s nomination hearing last week, Senator Padilla raised serious concerns about his fitness to lead the FBI independently.

    Key Excerpts:

    • In addition to a lot of the specific concerns about Kash Patel and how he would be as an FBI director, I feel compelled to remind us of the moment that we are in right now in the first few weeks of the second Trump administration — the chaos that has been created.
    • In times of chaos and crisis like this, the public deserves to see trusted leaders in the most important positions of our federal government, trusted leaders who will stand up and say “no” to a president trying to blow through the very guardrails put in place by the Constitution. So it’s in that context that makes the nomination and potential confirmation of Kash Patel even more alarming.
    • When I asked him about his thoughts on what should be commonsense gun safety policies and protocols, what his position was on things like universal background checks, he either failed to answer or chose not to answer. Poor judgment, clear lack of preparation for the position of FBI director that oversees our background check system for a reason.
    • Let alone his lack of ability or lack of willingness to serve independently. It’s not just the Department of Justice. It’s been the FBI specifically that has performed at its best when it serves the people, when it honors the Constitution, and respects the rule of law. Clearly, Kash Patel puts that secondary to his loyalty to Donald Trump.
    • It’s up to the Senate to either confirm this nominee or not. It’s clear where Senate Democrats stand. I think my biggest question is, where are Senate Republicans going to stand at this important moment in history? Will they choose the rule of law? Will they choose the Constitution? Will they choose to stay loyal to the very oath of office they’ve taken and their important advice and consent role? Or will they choose loyalty to a reckless president?

    Video of Padilla’s remarks is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New legislation will accelerate B.C. renewable energy projects

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    To ensure rapid permitting and robust regulation of renewable energy projects, the Province will introduce legislation in spring 2025 allowing the regulation of renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar, to move under the authority of the BC Energy Regulator (BCER). Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, made the announcement in the presence of successful First Nations and clean-energy partners who gathered to celebrate the signing of their electricity purchase agreements (EPAs) with BC Hydro, which will generate between $5 billion and $6 billion in private capital spending throughout the province.

    The legislation will also enable the BCER to be the primary regulatory authority for authorizations associated with the construction of the North Coast Transmission Line (NCTL) and other high-voltage electricity transmission projects. This will help accelerate the expansion of British Columbia’s electricity grid and meet the demand in growth arising from critical mineral and metal mining, port electrification, hydrogen and fuel processing, and shipping projects under consideration. 

    “Along with other natural resources projects, these critical projects have been identified by the Province as priorities that are ready to move forward, with the potential to generate significant employment to support our economy in the face of potential tariffs by the U.S. government,” said Dix. “Now, with electricity purchase agreements signed by all of the wind and solar projects selected in the recent BC Hydro Call for Power and the BC Energy Regulator poised to be regulator for permitting these projects, British Columbia is on a clear trajectory to deliver the clean, affordable and reliable power people and industry need, and meaningfully grow and diversify our economy.”

    This announcement builds on the Province’s intent to exempt all future wind projects from the environmental assessment process, including the nine wind projects that are now under signed electricity purchase agreements with BC Hydro. It will create a single-window permitting process for renewable energy projects. The BC Energy Regulator will take a staged approach, focusing initially on the North Coast Transmission Line and other prescribed high-voltage transmission lines, and the wind and solar projects.

    The new legislation, to be introduced by the Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions, will extend the BC Energy Regulator’s existing legal authorities and responsibilities to the new development activities relevant to the different energy projects.

    The BC Energy Regulator is an experienced organization that has demonstrated expertise at getting projects moving quickly, while providing robust regulatory oversight through the lifecycle of projects. This is a natural evolution of the BC Energy Regulator’s role, which initially focused on oil, gas and geothermal development, then expanded to include hydrogen, ammonia and methanol, and now to renewable energy. The BC Energy Regulator will bring its expertise and capacity to the province’s broader stewardship efforts for water, land and resources.

    “The BC Energy Regulator is committed to permitting efficiency and robust regulatory oversight of B.C.’s oil, gas and other energy resources,” said Michelle Carr, commissioner and chief executive officer, BC Energy Regulator. “With our single-window approach to permitting through the full lifecycle of development, commitment to operational excellence and stewardship in the public interest, commitment to First Nation consultation and management of land-owner interests, the BC Energy Regulator is well positioned to apply that expertise to renewables and to support the province’s transition to low-carbon energy.”

    The Province is committed to working in co-operation with First Nations partners, and is engaging with Nations across the province on the approach to the proposed legislation.

    “Designating the BCER as the single regulator for renewables helps ensure B.C. can meet its growing electricity demand and bring renewable energy projects online sooner,” said Kwatuuma Cole Sayers, executive director, Clean Energy Association of British Columbia. “In the 2024 Call for Power, 11 CEBC members, including First Nations and industry leaders, were selected as successful proponents for both wind and solar projects, demonstrating how meaningful partnerships drive major projects and deliver sustainable energy solutions. An effective regulatory framework must foster investment in these collaborations, uphold Indigenous rights and title, and maintain B.C.’s world-class environmental standards. We look forward to working alongside government, First Nations and industry to shape a clean-energy future that benefits all British Columbians.”

    The BC Energy Regulator has a team of more than 300 professionals in seven offices located throughout B.C. Subject-matter experts include biologists, engineers, hydrologists, agrologists, compliance and enforcement officers, First Nations liaison officers, heritage conservation officers and archeologists. The BC Energy Regulator will hire additional staff and subject-matter experts as authorities are added. 

    Quick Facts:

    • Under the Clean Energy Act, a renewable or clean resource means biomass, biogas, geothermal heat, hydro, solar, ocean, wind (small scale) or any other prescribed resource.
    • The new act would provide an enabling framework for government to extend the various powers and authorities of the BC Energy Regulator under the Energy Resource Activities Act through new regulations that would apply to specified transmission and generation projects. 
    • Government is not contemplating other changes to the environmental assessment triggers for renewable energy projects.
    • Environmental assessments will still be required for projects that exceed thresholds identified in the Reviewable Projects Regulation.

    Learn More:

    To learn more about the BC Energy Regulator, visit: https://www.bc-er.ca/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Army breaks ground on state-of-the-art 6.8 mm ammunition production facility

    Source: United States Army

    INDEPENDENCE, Missouri – The U.S. Army’s Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition, along with the Joint Munitions Command, officially broke ground on a new 6.8 mm ammunition production facility in support of the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The 6.8 mm family of ammunition, set to be produced at the new facility, will play a vital role in advancing the Army’s modernization priorities.

    The U.S. Army’s Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition, along with the Joint Munitions Command, officially broke ground on a new 6.8 mm ammunition production facility in support of the Next Generation Squad Weapon Program at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The 6.8 mm family of ammunition, set to be produced at the new facility, will play a vital role in advancing the Army’s modernization priorities. (Photo Credit: Courtesy: Olin Corporation) VIEW ORIGINAL

    Developed collaboratively by the JPEO A&A, the U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Armaments Center, and the Army Research Laboratory, the 6.8 mm family of ammunition is specifically engineered to maximize the performance of the XM7 Rifle and the XM250 Automatic Rifle. When fired through these Next Generation Squad Weapons, 6.8 mm rounds deliver increased range, improved accuracy, and enhanced lethality, ensuring Soldiers maintain overmatch on the battlefield.

    “It is not lost on me that victory on the battlefield begins in our production facilities,” said Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, Joint Program Executive Officer for Armaments and Ammunition. “Lake City has been central to our nation’s ammunition production since 1941, and this new facility builds on that proud and historic legacy.”

    The cutting-edge facility, which will be operated by Olin Winchester, is the culmination of an 18-month design process led by JPEO A&A with support from a diverse team of U.S. government and commercial contractors.

    Spanning 450,000 square feet, the facility will feature modern manufacturing systems

    capable of producing all components of 6.8 mm ammunition. This includes cartridge case and projectile manufacturing, energetic operations for loading and charging ammunition, product packaging, process quality controls, testing laboratories, maintenance operations and administrative areas.

    With 90% of the work supported by industries in the Kansas City region and nearly 50 local businesses involved in the construction, the new facility will strengthen the defense industrial base, create well-paying jobs, and will drive economic growth in the local community.

    Once operational, the facility will have an annual production capacity of 385 million cases, 490 million projectiles and 385 million load-assemble-pack operations for 6.8 mm ammunition. This enhanced capacity will significantly bolster U.S. munitions production, ensuring the Army maintains its readiness and ability to serve as a credible deterrent to would-be adversaries.

    JPEO A&A and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Command Armaments Center are headquartered at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey. Together, they play a critical role in developing, procuring and fielding cutting-edge armaments and ammunition, ensuring the readiness and modernization of the U.S. Army and its international partners.

    For more information, please contact Joint Program Executive Office Armaments and Ammunition’s Public Affairs Office at usarmy.pica.jpeo-aa.mbx.jpeo-aa-public-affairs@army.mil.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AFSCME’s Saunders on judge blocking White House Fork Directive: ‘This is a great first step’

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after a federal judge granted AFSCME’s motion to temporarily block the Trump administration’s deferred resignation deadline for federal employees:

    “This is a great first step. We all depend on federal workers to keep our communities safe, healthy and strong, and politics should never get between them and the essential services they provide. They deserve to be treated with respect for their public service. We look forward to presenting our full case in the days to come.”

    MIL OSI USA News –