NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Influence of the Muslim Brotherhood in the EU – P-002185/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-002185/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Marion Maréchal (ECR), Guillaume Peltier (ECR), Laurence Trochu (ECR), Nicolas Bay (ECR), Adrian-George Axinia (ECR), Sergio Berlato (ECR), Irmhild Boßdorf (ESN), Stefano Cavedagna (ECR), Carlo Ciccioli (ECR), Alessandro Ciriani (ECR), Carlo Fidanza (ECR), Chiara Gemma (ECR), Christophe Gomart (PPE), Paolo Inselvini (ECR), Virginie Joron (PfE), Fernand Kartheiser (NI), Sarah Knafo (ESN), Rihards Kols (ECR), Lara Magoni (ECR), Giuseppe Milazzo (ECR), Tiago Moreira de Sá (PfE), Denis Nesci (ECR), Michele Picaro (ECR), Daniele Polato (ECR), Nicola Procaccini (ECR), Ruggero Razza (ECR), Volker Schnurrbusch (ESN), Diego Solier (ECR), Dominik Tarczyński (ECR), Francesco Torselli (ECR), Sebastian Tynkkynen (ECR), Ivaylo Valchev (ECR), Francesco Ventola (ECR), Kosma Złotowski (ECR), Daniel Obajtek (ECR), António Tânger Corrêa (PfE), Stephen Nikola Bartulica (ECR)

    The report ‘Muslim Brotherhood and political radical Islam in France’, commissioned by the French Government, documents the worrying rise of political radical Islam in France. It also emphasises the European dimension of the Muslim Brotherhood and the culpable naivety of the Commission.

    The report highlights the Brotherhood’s network on our continent and its lobbying of European institutions[1]. As a result, the Muslim Brotherhood has become a ‘regular partner’ of the Commission and receives copious EU subsidies. This is the case for the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations, the youth branch of the Council of European Muslims, the ‘keystone’ of the European Muslim Brotherhood, and for Islamic Relief Worldwide and other organisations.

    Worse still, the French Ministry of Higher Education is concerned about the proliferation of projects funded by Erasmus+ involving radical Islam activism in universities. Finally, the report claims that members of the European External Action Service have received training from a former adviser to Mohamed Morsi.

    Will the Commission:

    • 1.admit that the Muslim Brotherhood is pursuing a strategy of influencing and infiltrating into the EU institutions?
    • 2.carry out a full audit of subsidies granted to non-governmental organisations that are likely to be linked to radical Islam?
    • 3.work towards banning the Muslim Brotherhood in the EU, as Austria has already done?

    Supporters[2]

    Submitted: 30.5.2025

    • [1] https://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/reseaux-tentaculaires-organisation-secrete-quartiers-islamises-le-rapport-choc-sur-les-freres-musulmans-qui-veulent-instaurer-la-charia-en-france-20250520.
    • [2] This question is supported by Members other than the authors: Beatrice Timgren (ECR), Elena Donazzan (ECR), Hans Neuhoff (ESN), Alexander Sell (ESN), Kristoffer Storm (ECR), Alexandr Vondra (ECR), Charlie Weimers (ECR), Dick Erixon (ECR), Mariateresa Vivaldini (ECR), Emmanouil Fragkos (ECR), Georgiana Teodorescu (ECR), Galato Alexandraki (ECR), Anja Arndt (ESN)

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – EU’s military fuel infrastructure – E-002024/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002024/2025/rev.1
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Bart Groothuis (Renew)

    With the rise in geopolitical tensions and European armed forces’ clear dependence on civilian fuel systems, the shrinking capacity to store and refine fossil fuels in Europe could threaten military readiness. This problem is made worse by the lack of a clear strategy, contingency planning, regulatory barriers that restrict the modernisation of infrastructure, and limited coordination between the civilian and military sectors. Following a report by The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS),[1] there are doubts regarding how Mr Kubilius, the Commissioner for Defence and Space, plans to align an increasingly electrified civilian infrastructure with military fuel needs in order to ensure military readiness.

    • 1.Does the Commission agree with the findings of the HCSS report and support its recommendations?
    • 2.Has NATO ever asked the Commission to develop a liquid fuels strategy and, if so, when can we expect the Commission to present such a strategy?
    • 3.Has NATO asked the Commission to improve its military fuel infrastructure and, if so, what concrete steps did the Commission take to meet these demands?

    Submitted: 21.5.2025

    • [1] https://hcss.nl/report/securing-european-military-fuels-in-a-tense-security-environment-supply-distribution-and-storage/.
    Last updated: 10 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Urgent activation of the EU Blocking Statute, as requested by Parliament in its 2024 annual report on human rights and democracy in the world – E-002163/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002163/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Rima Hassan (The Left), Manon Aubry (The Left), Mounir Satouri (Verts/ALE), Carola Rackete (The Left), Abir Al-Sahlani (Renew), Ana Miranda Paz (Verts/ALE), Leila Chaibi (The Left), Marc Botenga (The Left), Irene Montero (The Left), Rudi Kennes (The Left), Özlem Demirel (The Left), Thijs Reuten (S&D), Arash Saeidi (The Left), Damien Carême (The Left), Marina Mesure (The Left), Cecilia Strada (S&D), Hanna Gedin (The Left), Li Andersson (The Left), Maria Walsh (PPE), Diana Riba i Giner (Verts/ALE), Lucia Yar (Renew), Sirpa Pietikäinen (PPE)

    On 6 February 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The broad and ambiguous scope of these sanctions seriously undermines the ICC’s ability to deliver on its mandate to end impunity for the most serious crimes of international concern. Asset freezes and targeted sanctions against ICC staff have a chilling effect on companies and civil society organisations that might otherwise engage with the ICC.

    At a time when victims of international law violations are growing in number – in Ukraine, Palestine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan – these sanctions obstruct access to justice for all those affected by crimes within the ICC’s jurisdiction. Yet the EU has a legal instrument to counter such extraterritorial measures: the EU Blocking Statute, designed to neutralise the effects of sanctions imposed by non-EU countries.

    In its 2024 annual report on human rights and democracy in the world[1], Parliament called on the Commission to ‘urgently activate the Blocking Statute’.

    • 1.What concrete steps has the Commission taken to respond to this request?
    • 2.Has the Commission assessed the impact of these sanctions on the Member States and on European actors cooperating with the ICC?

    Submitted: 28.5.2025

    • [1] Texts adopted, P10_TA(2025)0059.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Closure of the Monastery of St Catherine in Sinai and violation of religious freedoms by the Egyptian authorities – E-002164/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002164/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Afroditi Latinopoulou (PfE)

    According to recent reports, the Egyptian authorities have obtained a court ruling that provides for the suspension of the operation of the historic Monastery of St Catherine in Sinai, the confiscation of its property and the removal of the monks. The Monastery in question, which was founded in the 6th century by the Emperor Justinian, is the oldest functioning Christian monastery in the world and is globally recognised as a place of significant cultural and religious heritage.

    This ruling contradicts the public commitments of the Egyptian President to the Greek Government, while raising serious questions regarding the protection of religious freedom, cultural heritage and the rights of the monks who have resided there for centuries.

    Given the EU’s close relations with Egypt and the fundamental values that the Union upholds:

    • 1.How does the Commission intend to react to this blatant violation of religious freedom and the property rights of the monks of the Monastery of St Catherine?
    • 2.Does the Commission intend to raise the issue in EU-Egypt political dialogue and demand the lifting of the restrictive measures on the Monastery?
    • 3.What actions, including financial and/or political sanctions, does the Commission intend to take to protect the Monastery’s cultural heritage and prevent it from being turned into a tourist attraction, against the will of the religious community?

    Submitted: 29.5.2025

    Last updated: 10 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – ‘Resilience Tax’ – E-002183/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002183/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Yannis Maniatis (S&D)

    The tourism industry, whose contribution in Greece exceeds 30 % of national GDP, certainly also has negative impacts on local communities, leading to environmental degradation, traffic congestion and a general burden on local infrastructure. To address these negative impacts, many European countries have adopted bespoke local ‘accommodation taxes’ with remunerative features. The aim is to address issues and improve the operation of the tourism sector at the local level (cleanliness, infrastructure maintenance, tourist promotion, etc.).

    Unfortunately, Greece recently renamed the ‘accommodation tax’ the ‘resilience tax’, increased its revenues by up to 700 % and legislated for the management of these hundreds of millions by central government. The revenue is supposed to finance climate change and disaster recovery actions, despite the fact that all such actions are provided for from other sources, such as, for example, the Recovery and Resilience Fund. Thus, local authorities are left to face their daily problems without help and without their own resources.

    In view of this:

    • 1.Is the Greek model compatible with best practices in terms of reciprocity for the financial support of local governments?
    • 2.What European tools can the Government use to finance climate and disaster actions, to take the place of the revenue from the ‘resilience tax’ and leave that with the municipalities?

    Submitted: 1.6.2025

    Last updated: 10 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Changes to Commissioner Jørgensen’s mission letter – E-000416/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The communication on the 2040 climate target[1] and its Impact Assessment confirm that all zero and low carbon solutions, including renewables and nuclear, are necessary to decarbonise the energy system by 2040.

    A greater share of renewables in 2040 is thus necessary to meet our climate goals in the most cost-effective way, while enhancing energy independence and affordability.

    During his hearing on 5 November 2024, the Commissioner for Energy and Housing set out his intention to propose a renewable energy target for 2040, which has been reflected in his Mission Letter[2].

    The Commission will then work on this proposal with all the energy stakeholders and in close cooperation with all Member States, in view of supporting investor predictability, innovation and market growth for clean technologies.

    As reaffirmed by the Commissioner for Energy and Housing[3], it is also important to ensure technology-neutrality when decarbonising our economy, in line with the Treaty.

    As announced in the Affordable Energy Action Plan[4], the Commission will assess investment needs in an updated Nuclear Illustrative Programme and the possibility of streamlining permitting and licensing practices for the deployment of new nuclear technologies such as Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

    The European Industrial Alliance on SMRs was launched to facilitate the deployment of the first SMRs in the EU by early 2030s. The Commission will continue to support the work of the Alliance.

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52024DC0063.
    • [2] https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/1c203799-0137-482e-bd18-4f6813535986_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20JORGENSEN.pdf.
    • [3] https://hearings.elections.europa.eu/documents/jorgensen/jorgensen_verbatimreporthearing-original.pdf.
    • [4] https://energy.ec.europa.eu/publications/action-plan-affordable-energy-unlocking-true-value-our-energy-union-secure-affordable-efficient-and_en.
    Last updated: 10 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Need for a permanent ceasefire and the escalation of violence in the West Bank – E-000985/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Council in March 2025[1] deplored the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza, and called for an immediate return to the full implementation of the ceasefire-hostage release agreement.

    It stressed the need for a ceasefire leading to the release of all hostages and a permanent end to hostilities. Joint statements by the High Representative/Vice-President, the Commissioner for the Mediterranean and the Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management on the importance of lifting the blockade on humanitarian aid into Gaza were issued on 12 April 2025[2] and 7 May 2025[3].

    The EU has been consistently calling for the immediate resumption of humanitarian aid at scale into Gaza and encouraged all similar appeals.

    The EU remains committed to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution in accordance with the international law and relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

    The EU continues its efforts promoting a political process through the Global Alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution. The EU also continues to support the Palestinian Authority[4] to address its most pressing needs, build institutional capacities, and implement its reform agenda.

    At the EU-Palestine High-Level Political Dialogue, which took place on 14 April 2025 in Luxembourg, the Commission proposed a multiannual Comprehensive Support Programme[5] worth up to EUR 1.6 billion, to foster Palestinian recovery and resilience for 2025-2027.

    It is structured around three pillars: 1) Support to services for Palestinian people (EUR 620 million in grants of direct assistance); 2) Support to recovery and stabilisation of the West Bank and in Gaza (EUR 576 million in grants, including EUR 82 million per year for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East); and 3) Support for the private sector (up to EUR 400 million of European Investment Bank in loans).

    • [1] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/viyhc2m4/20250320-european-council-conclusions-en.pdf.
    • [2] https://north-africa-middle-east-gulf.ec.europa.eu/news/joint-statement-high-representative-kallas-and-commissioners-suica-and-lahbib-humanitarian-situation-2025-04-12_en.
    • [3] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/de/statement_25_1155.
    • [4] This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.
    • [5] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1055.
    Last updated: 10 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – On the dangers of Greek ports and EU policy – E-002178/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002178/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos (NI)

    The state of Greek ports is worrying, with another dangerous incident involving a ship’s cable that broke during boarding at the port of Alonissos.

    This is not an isolated incident. At the end of April, a catapult was repaired at sea by a crew on the Syros-Piraeus route. A deceased dock worker has also been recovered during loading and unloading at the port of Piraeus.

    Port infrastructure is old, incomplete and poorly maintained, and with intensified use and the deteriorating labour rights of seafarers, constitutes an explosive mix for the life and safety of crew and passengers.

    The policy of governments and the EU shields and strengthens the profitability of the shipowners and business groups that control the ports. Notorious ‘competitiveness’, military mobility and poorly maintained, dangerous port infrastructure lead to accidents.

    Meanwhile shipping capital enjoys voluntary taxation and tax exemptions with constitutional protection, as well as recently being awarded a reduction in port fees.

    What is the European Commission’s position on the fact that:

    • 1.on the basis of Regulation 2017/352, unacceptable port services, from infrastructure to staff training, aim to boost the profits of business groups, as demonstrated by the reduction of port fees for shipowners in Greece at the expense of the safety of passengers, crew and port workers?
    • 2.on the basis of the EU’s strategy of promoting so-called ‘military mobility’, workers and passengers in these poor port infrastructures are exposed to additional major risks to their lives, health and safety?

    Submitted: 30.5.2025

    Last updated: 10 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Universities – Bones to pick: New Aussie animal database comes to life with modern 3D tech – Flinders

    Source: Flinders University

    For the first time, the remarkable features of Australia’s unique wildlife – from platypus, bilby, kangaroo and emu to mammals gone extinct – are available for all to see, via their bones and skeletons in a new free online collection.

    Using 3D imaging technology, Flinders University and partners have launched the ‘Ozboneviz’ virtual database,  which goes ‘inside’ the anatomy of dozens of Australia’s most famous animals for the public, schools, researchers, artists, nature-lovers and others to access.

    Described in a new article published in the journal BioScience, the new collection of more than 1600 specimens has been collated and uploaded on to the high-tech MorphoSource repository, by Flinders University Associate Professor Vera Weisbecker’s ‘Bones and Biodiversity Lab’ and colleagues around Australia.

    “We are all fascinated by bones and this new database is a way to go behind the glass cases at the museum, see specimens up close and understand their special features,” says Associate Professor Weisbecker, who hopes Ozboneviz will fuel better scientific and public appreciation of Australia’s amazing mammals around the world.

    “Australia leads the world in mammal extinctions, but we are losing far more than a few fluffy rat-like critters. Our mammals have evolved in isolation for nearly 40 million years – there is simply nothing like them anywhere else.

    “Victorian-era scientists deemed Australian wildlife ‘primitive’, but now we can marvel at the elongated leg bones that make the kangaroo the largest hopping animal ever, or the bizarre shovel-like arms of the marsupial mole, and chances are that you will change your mind!

    “3D models of skeletons are a charismatic way to engage adults and children alike with Australia’s precious fauna, making it a key asset in science communication and school education.”

    Now Australia’s largest open-access library of 3D biodiversity data, the project was funded by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), with support from the Australian Museum, SA and NT museums, the Australian National Wildlife Collection, and several universities.

    “Our core team spent three years travelling to four Australian museums and three universities. We mostly used surface scanners to digitise ten key bones of 189 iconic Australasian species: the skull, shoulder blade, pelvis and limb bones,” explains CABAH and Flinders archaeologist Dr Erin Mein.

    Jacob van Zoelen, PhD candidate at Flinders University and digitisation manager, says: “We used a structured light scanner to image the outside of most bones. But for particularly rare species, like the presumed-extinct ngudlukanta or desert rat-kangaroo, we opted for computed tomography, because it also images the internal structure of the bones at resolutions of 10-50 micrometers.”

    The resulting 3D files are deposited on the MorphoSource platform, which is important for scientists because it has the same rigorous cataloguing as any physical museum. But the files are open access, with anyone able to download them for non-commercial use.

    To facilitate public access, Dr Mein also built a Sketchfab site with more than 500 of the most precious and informative bones, with examples including the skull of an extinct marsupial tiger, or thylacine, the pig-footed bandicoot, desert-rat kangaroo and rare marsupial mole.  

    “This means the public can compare the cranium of a fox to a thylacine and dingo, for example, and compare the size and shape of limb bones of common marsupials,” adds Dr Mein. “There are also plenty of annotations to help non-specialist users learn about vertebrate anatomy and compare anatomical attributes between species.”

    As well as the focus on large native mammals such as kangaroos, possums, and bandicoots, the database includes some non-native mammals that people tend to come across, like goats and sheep, as well as a selection of large birds, lizards and frogs.

    The MorphoSource collection includes a number of specimens with interesting features or stories, including:

    • The skeleton of Billie, the Port River dolphin well known to Adelaide residents.
    • An Attenborough’s long-beaked Echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi)- previously considered extinct but was reobserved in the wild around the time the specimen was scanned
    • The extinct pig-footed bandicoot (Chaeropus ecaudatus), the only marsupial with something like hooves.
    • CT scan of two whole marsupial moles (genus Notoryctes), which is Australia’s “weirdest skeleton,” according to Associate Professor Weisbecker.

    Associate Professor Weisbecker says there is no Australian precedent for open-access databases of this kind.

    “Hopefully this will lead the way to an even wider use of digitisation to make Australia’s unique local biodiversity accessible to the global public.”

    The article, ‘Ozboneviz: An Australian precedent in FAIR 3D imagery and extended biodiversity collections’ (2025) by Vera Weisbecker (Flinders University), Diana Fusco (Flinders), Sandy Ingleby (Australian Museum), Ariana BJ Lambrides (James Cook University), Tiina Manne (University of Queensland), Keith Maguire (South Australian Museum), Sue O’Connor (ANU), Thomas J Peachey (Australian Museum), Sofia C Samper Carro (ANU), David Stemmer (SA Museum), Jorgo Ristevski (Griffith University and Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology), Jacob D van Zoelen (Flinders), Pietro Viacava (CSIRO), Adam M Yates (Museum and Art Gallery of the NT) and Erin Mein (Flinders) has been published in Bioscience (Oxford University Press) DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf064

    First published: 10 June https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf064

    Acknowledgements: Ozboneviz was funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (grant CE170100015). VW was, in addition, supported by an ARC Future Fellowship (FT180100634). We gratefully acknowledge the support of Duke University’s MorphoSource team,  MAGNT experts and Flinders University Medical Device Research Institute imaging, and imagery and segmentation experts.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Stillwater to Relocate

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today the relocation of its Stillwater Disaster Loan Outreach Center (DLOC) from the City of Stillwater Community Center to the Meridian Technology Center beginning Thursday, June 12 at 8:00 a.m.

    SBA opened the DLOC to provide personalized assistance to Stillwater residents, small businesses and private nonprofit organizations affected by wildfires and straight-line winds occurring March 14-21.

    “When disasters strike, SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Centers perform an important role by assisting small businesses and their communities,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the U.S. Small Business Administration. “At these centers, our SBA specialists help business owners and residents apply for disaster loans and learn about the full range of programs available to support their recovery.”

    Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov. The City of Stillwater Community Center DLOC will permanently close Wednesday, June 11 at close of business. The Meridian Technology Center DLOC will open Thursday, June 12 with the location and hours of operation as indicated below.

    PAYNE COUNTY

    Disaster Loan Outreach Center
    Meridian Technology Center
    Rooms 127 and 129
    1414 South Sangre Rd.
    Stillwater, OK  74074

    Mondays – Fridays, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
    Opens Thursday, June 12 at 8:00 a.m.

    The following DLOC locations are also open and continue to serve survivors:

    CREEK COUNTY

    LINCOLN COUNTY

    Disaster Loan Outreach Center
    First Baptist Church of Mannford
    105 Greenwood Ave.
    Mannford, OK  74044

    Mondays – Tuesdays, 
    9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

    Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

    Thursdays – Fridays, 
    9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

    Disaster Loan Outreach Center
    Carney High School
    203 Carney St.
    Carney, OK  74832

    Mondays – Fridays, 
    9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

     

     

     

    LOGAN COUNTY

    PAWNEE COUNTY

    Disaster Loan Outreach Center
    Logan County Courthouse Annex
    (Across the street north of the 
    courthouse in the old 
    Girl Scout room)
    312 E. Harrison Ave.
    Guthrie, OK  73044

    Mondays – Fridays, 
    9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

    Disaster Loan Outreach Center
    First Baptist Church Cleveland
    201 W. Crestview Rd.
    Cleveland, OK  74020|

    Mondays – Fridays, 
    8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

    Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.

    Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.

    Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.

    The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and private nonprofit organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to these disasters. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.62% for nonprofits, and 2.75% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA determines eligibility and sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is July 22, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Feb. 23, 2026.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer Highlights Trump Administration’s Cruelty Toward Veterans During Appropriations Markup

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered opening remarks at the House Appropriations Full Committee Markup of the FY26 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Bill and Subcommittee Allocations. Below is a video and transcript of his remarks:

    Click here to watch a full video of his remarks.

    “Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, unfortunately, this bill has been a bipartisan bill. As a matter of fact, many of the bills that we did do, in the past, have been bipartisan bills. And very frankly, in that respect, I think they were better bills. Not only that, but I think they were more likely to be adopted, not only by the Senate, but by the Congress and signed by the president. These bills are not going to go anywhere, and they’re not going to be passed.

    “And there is a disturbing discrepancy, Mr. Chairman, between how this administration praises our veterans and military families, and how it actually treats them. Earlier this year, I met with a veteran from my district, Albert Ostering, who works in cybersecurity. He served in the Air Force back in the 90s. He later spent six years as a federal contractor for the Department of Defense and then eight years as a civilian employee with the Marine Corps, tasked with supporting critical cyber security missions. In 2023, he got [a] promotion to work at [the] Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. He helped defend America and our allies from cyber-attacks and hacking operations perpetrated by foreign adversaries like Russia.

    “The job wasn’t easy. Albert often spent Christmas and other holidays apart from his family while on assignments abroad. In that job, throughout his career, however, Albert consistently, consistently exceeded expectations and received outstanding reviews from his superiors. He excelled under both Republican and Democratic administrations. He told me, and I quote him, ‘Not once would I ask is this a Republican mission or a Democratic mission. It’s an American mission. It’s what we need to do.’ That was his premise and his action.

    “On February 14th – Valentine’s Day, this year, Albert received an email that he had been terminated for performance issues. That was a lie. That was a ruse. That was a made-up reason for removing him for no cause. Neither he nor his supervisor had been warned in advance. A decade of service, health care for his family, his entire livelihood, all brought to an end with a single email. The rhetoric that we use for veterans was not displayed in that action toward that veteran. Is that really how we want to treat our veterans?

    “Sadly, Albert’s story, as so many of you know, is not unique. I’m sure every one of you has heard from somebody in your district about how they received a summarily dismissal without cause, without reason, and without notice. That number will surely grow, given the veterans represent some 30% of our federal workers whom the Trump Administration has deemed ‘villains.’ You know the quote from Mr. Vought, who heads up OMB. He wanted them to be perceived as villains. Every one of our federal employees. How sad.

    “Trump’s plan to fire 80,000 – to fire 80,000 VA employees – and privatize medical services for our vets will only increase costs, diminish the quality of care, and reduce access to vital programs. That’s why, Mr. Chairman, thousands of veterans took to the National Mall last week to protest this administration. These were not my words. These were not Democratic words. These were people who had fought for our country, displayed valor in battle, committed to America’s freedom and democracy, summarily told, ‘We don’t need you anymore.’ Frankly, they don’t want a parade. They want their country to honor its commitment to them, just as they honored their commitment to their country.

    “This bill is another example, Mr. Chairman, of our government falling short of our sacred duty to care for our veterans and military families. It advances the Trump Administration’s VA overhaul. However, it hurts our military readiness and the quality of life of our servicemen, members and military families by underfunding military construction. Therefore, I must oppose this bill and urge a No Vote in each and every member who cares deeply about serving our veterans and our country.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Ahead of 13th Anniversary of DACA, Rosen Slams Trump’s Attacks on Dreamers, Calls for Permanent Protections on Senate Floor

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    Senator Rosen Urged Her Colleagues to Pass a Bipartisan Solution That Gives DACA Recipients a Pathway to Citizenship and Keeps Families Together
    Watch Senator Rosen’s Full Remarks HERE.
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) took to the Senate floor to mark the thirteenth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and deliver a forceful defense of Nevada’s Dreamers in light of the Trump Administration’s attacks on immigrant communities across the country. Senator Rosen reaffirmed her commitment to do everything in her power to protect the more than 12,000 DACA recipients in Nevada who know no other home but the U.S., and she condemned Donald Trump’s repeated efforts to dismantle the program.
    Senator Rosen also criticized Washington’s long-standing failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform, calling it unacceptable that DACA recipients continue to live in fear and uncertainty. She urged her colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stop using Dreamers as a political football and take immediate action to pass legislation that provides permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship.
    Below are excerpts of Senator Rosen’s floor remarks:
    As we approach the thirteenth anniversary of DACA, I rise today in strong support of this program and the thousands of Nevadans who rely on it.
    My state of Nevada is home to more than twelve thousand DACA beneficiaries who know of no other country as their own. 
    They grew up in our communities and contribute to our nation and our economy.
    They are our neighbors, our friends, and our family members. 
    Many of them are now even raising their own families here – sending their kids to school, taking them to soccer practice, and going to the park on weekends.
    But Washington has failed them. 
    What started out as a temporary program – meant to protect Dreamers while Congress worked to pass a more permanent solution – has turned into a decades-long lifeline for so many. 
    Washington’s gridlock and its inability to pass comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers has left them to depend on DACA.
    It has also opened the door to attacks from the Trump Administration and right-wing extremists…
    During his first term, Donald Trump rescinded DACA and threw this critical program into a tail-spin… leaving the future of Dreamers and their families to depend on court case after court case.
    Can anyone in this chamber imagine the stress, the fear, the uncertainty they have had to endure all of these years not knowing if they’d be separated from their families or not?
    In his second term, Trump has been relentless in attacking and separating hardworking, law-abiding immigrant families… increasing fear and worry in our immigrant communities, including DACA recipients. 
    If DACA were to end, millions of Dreamers across our nation would be at risk of having to leave the only country they’ve ever known… the only place they’ve ever called home.
    Parents would face separation from their children, leaving families forever traumatized.
    And our economy and communities would gravely suffer.
    And just imagine the message we would be sending….
    Nevadans who have done everything right since they arrived in our state… Nevadans who were brought here as kids through no fault of their own, and who followed the rules when the government asked them to, followed the rules… Nevadans who have graduated college, Nevadans who have served in the military, and started businesses in our communities… Nevadans who are currently protected… could now lose the only life they have ever known.
    So, Mr. President, it’s past time that politicians in Washington stop using Dreamers as a political football and finally pass a law that permanently protects them.
    These hardworking Americans deserve to have peace of mind… and they deserve a life without fear.
    I want Dreamers to know they have allies in their corner. 
    As Nevada’s Senator, I’ll do everything in my power to protect all of our communities and keep families together.
    Since Day One in the Senate, I’ve been pushing my colleagues to come together in a bipartisan way to pass a permanent solution… one that gives Dreamers permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship. A pathway to citizenship now, while we continue to work on comprehensive immigration reform that this country so surely needs. 
    This shouldn’t be a partisan issue… and as long as I’m in the Senate, I won’t stop fighting for it.  
    I want everyone to know that in the meantime, I will continue to do everything in my power to protect DACA and the thousands of Nevadans who rely on it. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 06.10.2025 Sens. Cruz, Rosen Introduce Bill Expanding Fellowship Opportunities for Servicemembers Leaving Active Duty

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Jacky Rosen (D- Nev.) introduced the SkillBridge Congressional Fellowship Act of 2025. This legislation allows servicemembers transitioning out of active duty to complete congressional fellowships through the Department of Defense’s (DoD) SkillBridge program, allowing them to begin exploring post-service careers in public service and policy. 
    Sen. Cruz said, “Each year, thousands of servicemembers leave active duty with a desire to continue serving their country outside of military service. Meanwhile Congress would benefit greatly from individuals with firsthand military and operational experience. This bill provides opportunities for those servicemembers to evaluate a legislative career path, and more broadly what a career in politics or policy would entail, while allowing them to serve in Congress. I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation swiftly.”
    Sen. Rosen said, “Our service members sacrifice so much to keep us safe, and it’s our duty to do everything possible to help them transition back to civilian life. I’m proud to help introduce this bipartisan bill to expand opportunities for service members to continue in public service after their military career by making it easier to take part in congressional fellowships. I’ll always support our nation’s service members and veterans.”
    Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. John McGuire (R-Va.-05).
    Read the full text of the bill here.
    BACKGROUND
    This bill will:
    Grant eligibility for service in member offices, leadership offices, and committees.
    Limit participation to one fellow per office.
    Require approval from both the servicemember’s chain of command and the congressional host.
    Standardize onboarding covering ethics, Hill procedures, and the legislative process.
    Mandate formal notification procedures to DoD legislative affairs.
    Allow for a maximum fellowship duration of 180 days.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine: New Report Shows Over 302,000 Virginians Will Lose Health Insurance Under GOP Tax Plan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement after a new Joint Economic Committee (JEC) report found that an estimated 302,608 Virginians would lose their health insurance under President Trump and Republicans’ tax plan:
    “This new report estimates that the Trump tax plan would cause over 302,000 Virginians, including low-income children and people with disabilities, to lose their health insurance—all to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. That’s over 302,000 Virginians who will be forced to forgo a trip to the doctor’s office or get the critical medication they need. These cuts will have long-term, negative consequences for the health and wellbeing of our communities and our already overburdened health care system. We are committed to doing everything we can to stop this bill that will do real harm to communities across Virginia and the country.”  
    According to the JEC, an estimated 136,583 Virginians would lose coverage under the Affordable Care Act, and 166,025 Virginians would lose coverage under Medicaid. This JEC report is based off of the latest numbers available, including from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s recent analysis of the Republican tax bill.
    Warner and Kaine have been sounding the alarm about the effects of the GOP plan on Virginia families if Republicans in Congress continue to insist on gutting vital programs in order to pay for tax breaks for the richest Americans. The senators have noted that the GOP bill would cut SNAP benefits for more than 204,000 people in Virginia, raise energy costs for Virginia households, and jeopardize more than 20,000 Virginia jobs. The bill would also explode the deficit, eliminate a program allowing Americans to file federal taxes for free, raise taxes on minimum-wage workers while giving the richest 0.1% a $188,000 tax cut, eliminate gun safety measures, and make it harder for federal judges to hold government officials accountable when they act lawlessly.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Navy Secretary Declares Support for Legislation to Guarantee the Military’s Right to Repair Its Own Equipment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    June 10, 2025
    Secretary Phelan: “I am a huge supporter of right to repair.”
    Chairman Wicker: “I look forward to working with my two colleagues on a workable solution.”
    Video of Exchange (YouTube)
    Washington, D.C. – At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Navy Secretary John Phelan told U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) that he is a “huge supporter of right to repair” and expressed support for a bill guaranteeing the military can repair its own equipment and requiring contractors to offer repair materials for a fair and reasonable price.
    Defense contractors have a history of sneaking fine print into contracts that limits troops’ ability to repair equipment at crucial moments. These restrictions also mean that the U.S. government often has to cover the cost of sending a contractor to the field to perform even minor fixes or has to ship equipment back to the U.S. for repairs. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that flying a contractor out for maintenance can add up to as much as $1.2 million in travel costs. In Okinawa, Japan, Marines were forced to send engines in need of repair back to contractors in the U.S., turning the repair into a lengthy process that could have been completed more quickly on-site by Marines. 
    Secretary Phelan stated that the Navy’s current repair rules “make no sense” and agreed the money wasted on travel costs for contractors could be better spent training service members on how to fix equipment themselves. Secretary Phelan highlighted additional examples of instances in which contractor-imposed repair restrictions have hurt readiness: in one instance, six out of eight ovens on a 5,300-person aircraft carrier were not working, and instead of having a service member fix them, they had to wait for a contractor to fly out. Secretary Phelan also noted that, because of repair restrictions, an elevator outage requires five contractors to fly out just to diagnose the issue.
    “It is crazy. We should be able to fix this,” said Secretary Phelan.
    Asked by Senator Warren, Secretary Phelan said he supports a bill to help the services better negotiate for repair rights at a fair and reasonable price. Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) expressed interest in the bill, stating, “I look forward to working with my two colleagues on a workable solution, particularly since the Secretary is so supportive of that concept.”
    “This is an opportunity to stand up for our sailors and Marines as well as for the taxpayers, and I look forward to working with [Secretary Phelan]…[t]o make sure that our service members have the tools they need to be able to repair their own equipment,” concluded Senator Warren.
    In a recent Fox News op-ed, Senators Warren and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) underscored how right to repair restrictions imposed by defense contractors hurt the military’s ability to respond to threats and called for every service of the military to follow Army Secretary Dan Driscoll’s lead and ensure the military has the right to repair the equipment it owns. The senators also announced an upcoming new bipartisan bill to make securing the right to repair at a fair and reasonable price the policy across all of the military services. During the hearing, Secretary Phelan expressed support for this legislation.
    Transcript: Hearings to examine the posture of the Department of the Navy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2026 and the Future Years Defense ProgramSenate Armed Services CommitteeJune 10, 2025
    Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, for years, giant defense contractors have been sneaking fine print into contracts that prevent sailors and Marines from maintaining their own equipment. These restrictions increase costs, they hurt readiness, and they make a lot of money for the contractors. 
    During your confirmation process, Secretary Phelan, you committed to explore how to “best leverage right to repair and technical data rights within acquisition contracts to enable organic repair capacity.” I wrote it down. So, I want to make sure that that maintains as a priority. 
    Marines in Okinawa, Japan, had to send back engines to contractors in the U.S. for repairs, a process that took months, when the Marines could have done it themselves onsite, but they had to do that because that is what the contract said, and when it’s a ship, the United States government actually foots the bill to send the contractor out to sea. GAO found that travel costs to have a contractor complete repairs for one order on the USS Montgomery in Singapore would cost about $1.2 million. That’s just for the travel costs. 
    So, Secretary Phelan, would you agree that the Navy could be using those millions of dollars to train service members on the skills they need so they can fix their own equipment, rather than spending that money to fly contractors to provide tech support?
    Secretary John C. Phelan: Senator, thank you for the question. I know it’s very important to you. What we do makes no sense to me. Okay, and so I am a huge supporter of right to repair. I went on the Ford carrier. They had eight ovens. This is a ship that serves 15,300 meals a day. Only two were working. Six were out. And I said, “You’ve got 5300 people on the ship. You’re telling me someone can’t fix an oven. We got a lot of engineers.” We can, but we need to wait for the contractor to get out. I asked the question about our elevators. If an elevator goes out, what happens? We’ve got to call Huntington. They’ve got to call the four other people. They have to come out and diagnose the problem, and then they’ll fix it. It is crazy. We should be able to fix this. And my other hot button, which I know is another one of yours and this committee’s, is IP and our intellectual property rights. We end up paying for a lot of things that we don’t control, and we need to change that. And so contracting in general is something we’re looking at very hard, and we need to really try to ensure going forward we control our IP and we have the ability to fix things, because if we’re in a fight, how do we not? How do we fix it then?
    Senator Warren: You have this so right. The importance, not only of doing it on a day-by-day basis, but you need all of that muscle memory of how to fix things in case you’re under much more adverse circumstances and don’t have time to let something lie there unused while you try to fly in somebody from halfway around the world. 
    So, let me just make sure I’ve got you on the record here. Do you agree that the Navy needs to negotiate for comprehensive repair rights so that contractors cannot find shady ways both to insist on their ability to do the repairs, but also to keep the data that you need away from you so that you can’t do it yourself?
    Secretary Phelan: Senator, I agree, we need to repair the right to repair our ships. How we specifically go about that, I need to look at and understand better. But trust me, you and I are simpatico on this.
    Senator Warren: Okay, and then I will ask you, while we’re being so simpatico here, let me ask you one more: Do you support Congress passing a law that will help you negotiate repair rights at a fair and reasonable price? 
    Secretary Phelan: Yes, I do. 
    Senator Warren: Okay. I really do appreciate this, you know, and so do 70% of voters, according to recent polling. And this is why Senator Sheehy and I are introducing the Warrior Right to Repair Act to make sure that every service follows the Army’s lead of securing repair rights and requiring contractors to offer those rights at fair and reasonable prices. This is an opportunity to stand up for our sailors and Marines as well as for the taxpayers, and I look forward to working with you. I know that Senator Sheehy does as well. And we want to work with all of our colleagues to make sure that our service members have the tools they need to be able to repair their own equipment. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Chairman Roger Wicker: Thank you, Senator Warren. Secretary Phelan, have you had a chance, or has your team had a chance, to look at the specifics of the language of the Warren-Sheehy bill that has been referred to?
    Secretary Phelan: I have not, Senator. 
    Chairman Wicker: Okay, will you please do that, and comment about the specifics on the record? It would be very helpful to us.
    Secretary Phelan: Absolutely. 
    Chairman Wicker: Thank you. And I look forward to working with my two colleagues on a workable solution, particularly since the Secretary is so supportive of that concept.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Slams Trump Administration’s Request to Rescind Over $9 Billion in Federally Appropriated Funds

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) tonight took to the Senate floor to slam the Trump Administration’s reckless request to rescind $9.4 billion in Fiscal Years (FY) 2024 and 2025 Congressionally-appropriated funds, which provide vital support to Americans through public broadcasting and radio networks and promote U.S. global leadership.  
    In his remarks, Senator Welch emphasized how rescinding these funds will put American lives at risk, damage security alliances and global partnerships, and erode Congress’s constitutional authority over appropriations. 
    “The President likes to talk about his historic mandate. He did win—it was 2 million votes out of 152 million cast. It was a small margin of victory, the smallest by a Republican presidential candidate since the 1900s. My point here is not so much the size of the ‘mandate.’ Whatever the ‘mandate,’ a President should embrace the responsibility that he or she has to the entire country, and that includes folks who didn’t vote for him,” said Senator Welch.  
    “I do not believe even those who did were voting to risk their lives and their children’s lives by cutting funds to stop the spread of Ebola, or measles, or West Nile virus. This wasn’t a mandate to shut down programs to defend democracy where it’s under assault. This was not a vote to withdraw from UNICEF. This was not a vote, necessarily, to turn our back on the world’s refugees, including in particular, Afghan refugees who saved lives of our men and women in uniform.” 
    Senator Welch concluded: “Of course, Article I gives to the Congress the power to tax and the power to spend. And it is absolutely essential we do that carefully and wisely because our constituents are the ones who are going to pay the bill through taxes we assess, and they are the ones who are going to receive the benefits through appropriations we make. But to abdicate that power—which is essentially what this rescission would accommodate for the executive—is to turn over that power to the President. And it’s not just a matter of it being this President—it’s any President. In order for us to meet our responsibilities, we have to adhere to our constitutional responsibility under Article I. We are the ones who are subject to the will of the people—in the House every two years, in the Senate every six years—to account for how we tax and how we spend. Let’s not dodge by delegating that power to the executive.” 
    Watch Senator Welch’s full speech below: 
    The following programs would be eliminated or drastically reduced if the Trump Administration’s request for recissions are approved: 
    A cut of $1.1B for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 
    A cut of $500 million for Global Health Programs, for activities to protect child and maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, and other infectious diseases.  
    A cut of $800 million for assistance for refugees, like those fleeing genocide in Darfur and Burma. 
    A cut of $83 million for programs to support democracy, through organizations like the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, and Freedom House, which have always received strong bipartisan support.  
    A cut of $1.65 billion for the Economic Support Fund, which funds economic assistance for Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Lebanon, and scores of other programs that combat corruption, transnational money laundering and terrorist financing, human and wildlife trafficking, and that build markets for U.S. exports.     
    A cut of $460 million for assistance for Georgia, Armenia, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the other former Soviet Republics.  
    A cut of $496 million for international disaster assistance that provides life-saving aid for victims of natural and man-made disasters, from earthquakes and hurricanes to armed conflicts. 
    A cut of $202 million for specialized agencies, including for the United States’ contribution to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 
    Senator Welch has been a leading voice in pushing back against the Trump Administration’s unlawful efforts to dismantle vital programs and terminate billions of dollars in life-saving aid. Following the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE’s, unlawful firings of over 5,500 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees, Senator Welch demanded answers from the State Department on DOGE’s actions that directly violate funds appropriated by Congress through the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act.   
    In April, Senator Welch spoke on the Senate Floor on how President Trump’s January 20th Executive Order suspending admission to the United States for Afghan refugees has left vulnerable families stranded and abandoned thousands who face persecution. In his remarks, the Senator urged Congress to expedite the resettlement of Afghan refugees, many of whom worked with, and for, the U.S. government, our diplomats, and our intelligence officers.   
    Learn more about Senator Welch’s work by visiting his website or by following him on social media.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Warren and Colleagues Demand Investigation After Uncovering DOGE Employee Gained Access to Sensitive Education Department Data

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    June 09, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and fellow Senate Democratic colleagues in calling on the Acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to open an investigation into new information obtained by her office revealing that DOGE may have gained access to “two of [Federal Student Aid] FSA’s internal systems: Financial Management System (FMS) and Partner Connect,” in addition to sensitive borrower data. Following DOGE’s “takeover” of ED, the Senators opened an investigation into the matter. In response, ED disclosed that DOGE supported a review of FSA’s contracts, and to conduct this review, ED granted “one employee [] read-only access” to two of FSA’s internal systems, which both hold sensitive personal information for people on Title IV loan and grant programs. 
    “Because of the Department’s refusal to provide full and complete information, the full extent of DOGE’s role and influence at ED remains unknown,” wrote the Senators. “This lack of clarity is not only frustrating for borrowers but also dangerous for the future of an agency that handles an extensive student loan portfolio and a range of federal aid programs for higher education.”
    ED also disclosed that it had since “revoked” that employee’s access to both of those systems. Alarmingly, ED did not indicate why the DOGE employee’s access had been revoked, whether this employee has retained access to any other ED databases and what actions the Department has done to ensure that student loan borrowers’ sensitive information would not be released or misused. The Senators are requesting that the ED OIG conduct a review to determine whether ED adhered to the Privacy Act and also determine the impact of DOGE’s new plans to consolidate Americans’ personal information across government databases.
    In addition to Duckworth and Warren, the letter was cosigned by U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
    Full text of the letter is available below and on Senator Duckworth’s website:
    Dear Acting Inspector General Rocque:
    Earlier this year, we opened an investigation into the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) infiltration of the Department of Education (ED or the Department). Our investigation revealed some new information about the scope of DOGE’s access to the Department’s internal databases. For example, ED informed us that “one employee had read-only access to two of [Federal Student Aid] FSA’s internal systems:” Financial Management System (FMS) and Partner Connect. However, ED refused to provide us other key information, including which DOGE employees had access to sensitive Education Department data, whether access to borrowers’ data, in particular, was granted, and what safeguards had been implemented to protect this sensitive ED data.
    We write to refer these findings to your office and, given the Department’s failure to provide full information in response to our inquiries, request that the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General (ED OIG) conduct a review to determine whether DOGE and ED may have compromised sensitive data or violated the agency’s procedures and responsibilities to protect sensitive data from misuse and unauthorized access. Furthermore, given new reporting that DOGE plans to consolidate Americans’ personal information across government databases, we request that you evaluate the impact this action will have on students’ and educators’ privacy and provide recommendations for safeguarding this data in light of these new threats.
    In Response to Congressional Requests, ED Has Refused to Provide Key Information About DOGE’s Takeover
    In February 2025, DOGE initiated a “takeover” of the Education Department, “gain[ing] access to federal student loan data, which includes personal information for millions of borrowers.” Initial reporting raised potential privacy concerns given the federal student loan database stores borrowers’ Social Security numbers, income information, and other personally identifiable information. Indeed, one ED employee worried that DOGE would “use information from the national student loan database to target Americans, push career employees out and hamper the federal government’s ability to collect on federal loans.” Soon afterwards, we opened an investigation into the matter. Throughout the course of this investigation, ED revealed a limited set of new information about the extent of DOGE’s access to ED’s internal databases, but refused to disclose whether and to what extent DOGE had access to student loan borrowers’ data, specifically.
    In its February 18, 2025 response, the Department disclosed that DOGE “support[ed] a review of the Department and Federal Student Aid (FSA) contracts to identify possible efficiencies.” To conduct this review, ED granted “one employee [] read-only access” to two of FSA’s internal systems, FMS and Partner Connect, which both hold information on Title IV loan and grant programs. ED also disclosed that it had since “revoked” that employees’ access to both systems. However, the Department did not indicate why the DOGE employee’s access had been revoked, whether this employee has retained access to any other ED databases, and what actions the Department has done to ensure that sensitive information would not be released or misused. ED refused to answer any of these questions in our February 26, 2025 follow-up letter, citing “ongoing litigation.”
    ED further refused to disclose any information about the scope of DOGE’s access to sensitive student borrower data, including whether or not DOGE was granted access to the National Student Loan Data System or any other database that holds sensitive federal student loan borrower data. ED also did not answer any of our questions about how it intends to safeguard personal student loan borrower data or other financial data, given DOGE’s interventions. The Department refused to provide any identifying information about or an exact number of employees “who have been granted access to Department information technology and data systems,” potentially including student borrower data. And, when pressed about discrepancies in how these employees were reportedly onboarded, ED remained silent. In short, these responses failed to diminish our concerns about borrowers’ privacy and whether the Department may have violated the law or the federal government’s procedures in handling this data.
    Request for a Review by the ED OIG
    Because of the Department’s refusal to provide full and complete information, the full extent of DOGE’s role and influence at ED remains unknown. This lack of clarity is not only frustrating for borrowers but also dangerous for the future of an agency that handles an extensive student loan portfolio and a range of federal aid programs for higher education.
    Additionally, DOGE is now reportedly “leading an effort to link government databases” across federal agencies, consolidating all of Americans’ segregated records in one large “data trove.” This consolidation threatens the privacy of millions of students, educators, and student loan borrowers across the country whose information is on file at ED. Furthermore, this initiative “would break a longstanding covenant between the federal government and the U.S. public rooted in privacy laws — that Americans who share their personal data with official agencies can trust that it will be secured and used only for narrow purposes.”
    Accordingly, we request that you conduct a review as to whether ED adhered to the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, and “all applicable laws and regulations concerning management of borrower data” and institutional data when it allowed DOGE access to its databases. We are concerned that ED undermined its own mission to “protecting student privacy” in its collaboration and arrangements with DOGE. This review would be consistent with your office’s mission to promote “integrity of the Department’s programs and operations” and “identify[] … abuse[] and criminal activity involving Department funds, programs, and operations.”
    Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
    Sincerely,
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin Join Van Hollen, Klobuchar and Colleagues in Pressing Administration for Answers on Cancelled Protected Status for Afghans Living in U.S.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    June 10, 2025
    Decision could endanger thousands of Afghans, including many who supported U.S. efforts during the war in Afghanistan
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Glenn Ivey (D-MD-04) in leading 96 of their colleagues in pressing for answers from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State around the decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan nationals living in the United States. The lawmakers’ letter, sent to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, notes the devastating impact of this decision, including on the many Afghans who supported the U.S. military during the war in Afghanistan and who face significant danger upon their return.
    “We write with deep concern about the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, which is scheduled to take effect on July 14, 2025. This decision is devastating for resettled Afghan nationals in the United States who have fled widespread violence, economic instability, challenging humanitarian conditions, and human rights abuses in their home country. Many of these Afghans fearlessly served as strong allies to the United States military during the war in Afghanistan, and we cannot blatantly disregard their service. We respectfully ask that you redesignate Afghanistan for TPS to ensure Afghan nationals in the U.S. are not forced to return to devastating humanitarian, civic, and economic conditions,” the lawmakers wrote.
    They go on to note, “The Secretary of Homeland Security ‘may designate a foreign country for TPS due to conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country’s nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately.’  This is why, following the withdrawal of American troops and the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan, in May 2022 the U.S. designated Afghanistan for TPS.”
    “The grave conditions that forced Afghan nationals to flee and seek refuge in the U.S. following the return of the Taliban to power remain. Because of this harsh reality, forcing Afghan nationals in the U.S. to return to Afghanistan would be reckless and inhumane, and would threaten the safety and well-being of thousands of individuals and families, especially women and girls,” they stress.
    The lawmakers close the letter urging the Administration to reverse course and seeking the following information:
    Any reports that credibly determine that conditions have improved in Afghanistan since 2023. 
    Details on how the Administration made the determination that “there are recipients who have been under investigation for fraud and threatening our public safety and national security” and how widespread these allegations of fraud and threats are.
    A description the collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to reach the determination that Afghanistan no longer meets the conditions for designation for TPS.
    Any reports that indicate the Taliban is no longer a threat to Afghan nationals that assisted the United States military during the war in Afghanistan.
    The steps being taken to ensure that Afghan nationals who previously had TPS will not be sent back to persecution or torture in Afghanistan
    Duckworth has been an outspoken leader in calling for the protection of our Afghan allies who’ve aided the United States during the war in Afghanistan. During July of 2021, after learning of and encountering problems with the efficiency of employment verification for applicants in the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, Duckworth wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin asking them to take immediate action to fix the problem. By the fall, DoD responded to Duckworth’s request to confirm they have taken steps to in line with her suggestions to improve the process through Project Rabbit, a program designed to simplify the employment verification process for Afghan employees who have applied for a SIV.
    In addition to Duckworth and Durbin, U.S. Senators Van Hollen (D-MD), Klobuchar (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Ivey (D-MD-04), the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Alsobrooks (D-MD), Baldwin (D-WI), Blumenthal (D-CT), Booker (D-NJ), Coons (D-DE), Cortez Masto (D-NV), Fetterman (D-PA), Gillibrand (D-NY), Heinrich (D-NM), Hirono (D-HI), Kaine (D-VA), Kelly (D-AZ), Kim (D-NJ), King (I-ME), Markey (D-MA), Padilla (D-CA), Reed (D-RI), Rosen (D-NV), Sanders (I-VT), Schiff (D-CA), Smith (D-MN), Warner (D-VA), Warnock (D-GA), Welch (D-VT) and Wyden (D-OR) and U.S. Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Ansari (D-AZ-03), Balint (D-VT-At-Large), Bell (D-MO-01), Beyer (D-VA-08), Budzinski (D-IL-13), Carbajal (D-CA-24), Carter (D-LA-07), Casten (D-IL-06), Castro (D-TX-20), Chu (D-CA-28), Clarke (D-NY-09), Cleaver (D-MO-05), Courtney (D-CT-02), Dean (D-PA-04), DeGette (D-CO-01), DelBene (D-WA-01), Elfreth (D-MD-03), Evans (D-PA-03), Fields (D-LA-06), Garcia (D-CA-42), García (D-IL-04), Garcia (D-TX-29), Goldman (D-NY-10), Gomez (D-CA-34), Gonzalez (D-TX-34), Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Hayes (D-CT-05), Jackson (D-IL-01), Jayapal (D-WA-07), Johnson (D-GA-04), Johnson (D-TX-32), Kaptur (D-OH-09), Keating (D-MA-09, Kelly (D-IL-02), Kennedy (D-NY-26), Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Landsman (D-OH-01), Larson (D-CT-01), Latimer (D-NY-16), Levin (D-CA-49), Lieu (D-CA-36), Lofgren (D-CA-18), Lynch (D-MA-08), McClain Delaney (D-MD-06), McClellan (D-VA-04), McCollum (D-MN-04), McGovern (D-MA-02), Meeks (D-NY-05), Mfume (D-MD-07), Moulton (D-MA-06), Norton (D-DC-At-Large), Olszewski (D-MD-02), Pallone (D-NJ-06), Panetta (D-CA-19), Peters (D-CA-50), Raskin (D-MD-08), Sánchez (D-CA-38), Scanlon (D-PA-05), Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Sherman (D-CA-32), Sorensen (D-IL-17), Subramanyam (D-VA-10), Swalwell (D-CA-14), Titus (D-NV-01), Tlaib (D-MI-12), Tokuda (D-HI-02), Tonko (D-NY-20), Vargas (D-CA-52), Veasey (D-TX-33) and Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12).
    The full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below.
    Dear Secretary Noem and Secretary Rubio:
    We write with deep concern about the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, which is scheduled to take effect on July 14, 2025. This decision is devastating for resettled Afghan nationals in the United States who have fled widespread violence, economic instability, challenging humanitarian conditions, and human rights abuses in their home country. Many of these Afghans fearlessly served as strong allies to the United States military during the war in Afghanistan, and we cannot blatantly disregard their service. We respectfully ask that you redesignate Afghanistan for TPS to ensure Afghan nationals in the U.S. are not forced to return to devastating humanitarian, civic, and economic conditions.
    The Secretary of Homeland Security “may designate a foreign country for TPS due to conditions in the country that temporarily prevent the country’s nationals from returning safely, or in certain circumstances, where the country is unable to handle the return of its nationals adequately.” This is why, following the withdrawal of American troops and the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan, in May 2022 the U.S. designated Afghanistan for TPS. In September 2023, the U.S. extended and redesignated TPS for Afghanistan. The Administration’s decision to terminate TPS for Afghanistan negatively impacts approximately 9,000 Afghan nationals.
    In your announcement, you state that “there are notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions.” But you also concede that threats of violence and terrorism, as well as humanitarian concerns, remain. The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS), continues to launch attacks against ethnic and religious minorities and against the Taliban, leading to innocent civilian casualties. If Afghan nationals are forced to return to Afghanistan, they will be caught in the crossfire between the Taliban and ISKP. According to Human Rights Watch, in 2024, Taliban authorities intensified their crackdown on human rights, especially against women and girls. Women and girls are banned from attending secondary school or university and are unable to move freely. The Taliban also continues to detain and torture journalists, curtailing free speech and media. The 2023 U.S. State Department Human Rights Report covering Afghanistan found that women’s rights rapidly declined and restrictions on freedom of expression increased. The horrific human rights conditions in Afghanistan are unsafe for Afghan nationals to return to and returning would put their personal safety at immediate risk.
    We are also deeply concerned about the State Department Human Rights Report finding that widespread arbitrary and unlawful killings against officials associated with the pre-August 2021 government have occurred. Afghan nationals who assisted the U.S. military should not be put in harm’s way because they supported the U.S. in its fight against the Taliban. This would be a betrayal of those who bravely served alongside our servicemembers for nearly two decades.
    Afghan civilians still face devastating humanitarian and economic conditions. Over half of the population in Afghanistan needs urgent humanitarian assistance. Human Rights Watch reports that in 2024, 12.4 million people were facing food insecurity and 2.9 million were at emergency levels of hunger. The World Bank also found that in Afghanistan, as of May 2025, “per capita income has stagnated, while poverty and food insecurity remain pressing challenges, exacerbated by high unemployment and restrictions on women’s economic participation.” 
    The grave conditions that forced Afghan nationals to flee and seek refuge in the U.S. following the return of the Taliban to power remain. Because of this harsh reality, forcing Afghan nationals in the U.S. to return to Afghanistan would be reckless and inhumane, and would threaten the safety and well-being of thousands of individuals and families, especially women and girls.
    In August 2021, Americans welcomed Afghan nationals at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia with open arms, and we refuse to turn our backs on them now. We strongly urge you to reconsider your decision to terminate TPS for Afghanistan and ask that you respond to the following requests no later than two weeks of receipt of this letter:
    Please provide any reports that credibly determine that conditions have improved in Afghanistan since 2023.
    The TPS termination announcement stated that “there are recipients who have been under investigation for fraud and threatening our public safety and national security.” Please provide additional details on how the Administration made this determination and how widespread these allegations of fraud and threats are.
    Describe the collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to reach the determination that Afghanistan no longer meets the conditions for designation for TPS.
    Please provide any reports that indicate the Taliban is no longer a threat to Afghan nationals that assisted the United States military during the war in Afghanistan.
    What steps are you taking to ensure that Afghan nationals who previously had TPS will not be sent back to persecution or torture in Afghanistan?
    Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter and we hope to receive your responses soon.
    Sincerely,
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth at Unite for Veterans Rally: “Veterans Keep This Nation Strong, and We Deserve Better than Trump”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    June 10, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – At today’s “Unite for Veterans” rally on the National Mall, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered impassioned remarks slamming Donald Trump for using our nation’s heroes as political pawns, firing them by the thousands and making it harder for them to access the quality care and benefits they’ve earned. In her speech, the Senator drew from her personal experience serving in the military to call on her fellow Veterans to continue their lifelong mission of keeping this nation strong by pushing back against Trump’s cruel, anti-Veteran agenda. Photos of the event can be found on Duckworth’s website, and video of Duckworth’s remarks can be found in the rally’s livestream.
    Key Quotes:
    “America is what it is today because of the blood our brothers and sisters shed in combat zones. Our children grow up with the rights they deserve because of the sweat that’s poured down our faces, everywhere from the dust of Fallujah to the jungles of Vietnam. Our sacrifices were the currency we paid to defend America’s freedoms. And even as I stand here on titanium legs, with my wheelchair by my side, I wouldn’t take back those sacrifices for a second. Because America is worth it. As flawed as she may be, she is worth it.”
    “We’re here because we refuse to see the democracy that we fought so hard for get dismantled. Because we refuse to let the health care that our buddies earned be gutted. And because we refuse to let thousands of Veterans who chose to continue serving this nation as federal workers be fired for no apparent reason…It’s a middle finger to our heroes. It’s a slap in the face to the sacrifices they’ve made. It’s bullshit, frankly…We’ve come together this afternoon because even if we’re no longer wearing the uniform, we are always wearing the flag on our shoulder, facing forward. We’re here because we’re not afraid to call out wrongs that need to be righted—or to call out wannabe kings that need a history lesson.”
    “Personally, I’m tired of a guy who was never brave enough to serve claiming that the America that some of our buddies died for isn’t already great. And it pisses me off that a man who cried “bone spurs” when his nation need him the most—a five-time-draft-dodging coward who calls fallen servicemembers “suckers and losers”—it pisses me off that that guy would use our heroes as political pawns to get elected, then screw them over so badly once he took office. If you’re pissed off too…if you think Veterans deserve better than to be fired by the thousand…if you think our buddies deserve more than to have their health care ripped away because Trump wants to put another dollar in a rich guy’s pocket…Well then I need you by my side.”
    Senator Duckworth’s remarks as prepared can be found below:
    Hello everyone!
    First off, let me say a huge thank you to everyone who made this afternoon possible.
    I’m honored to get the chance not only to speak today in my capacity as a Senator, but also to listen, as one of you, as a Veteran.
    Because I may currently be a Member of Congress, but in my heart, first and foremost, I will always be an Army grunt. And I’m damn proud of that.
    I’m here today because I love this nation. I know the same is true for all of you.
    But I’m also here because I’m sick of politicians promising to look out for Veterans when they’re on the campaign trail, then abandoning them when they take office. I’m sick of military families being treated like props.
    And I’m sick of people in power wrapping themselves in the flag with their left hand, then with the other, signing off on orders that sell out our heroes to line their own pockets. You deserve better. You’ve earned better.
    After all, since the first shots rang out at Lexington and Concord…Since the Tuskegee Airmen took to the skies to defend a nation that still wouldn’t let them sit at the same lunch counter as their white peers…Since our warriors landed on the beaches of Normandy, on this very day, 81 years ago…Those who’ve worn the uniform have defied the odds to define America at its best.
    America is what it is today because of the blood our brothers and sisters shed in combat zones.
    Our children grow up with the rights they deserve because of the sweat that’s poured down our faces, everywhere from the dust of Fallujah to the jungles of Vietnam. Our sacrifices were the currency we paid to defend America’s freedoms.
    And even as I stand here on titanium legs, with my wheelchair by my side, I wouldn’t take back those sacrifices for a second.
    Because America is worth it. As flawed as she may be, she is worth it.
    I know some of us here hung up our uniforms long ago. But looking out at you all, I see a group who recognizes that in this perilous moment for our country, our mission today is not too different than what it was when we served: To protect our democracy. To defend our freedoms. To keep our nation as strong as she should be.
    That is why each of you took off work… travelled from every pocket of this country… and showed up in this heat today. Not because it was easy—it’s never easy. But because we love this country enough to try to shape it for the better, even when the road ahead is hazy. Even when the task ahead is daunting.
    We’ve come together this afternoon because even if we’re no longer wearing the uniform, we are always wearing the flag on our shoulder, facing forward. We’re here because we’re not afraid to call out wrongs that need to be righted—or to call out wannabe kings that need a history lesson.
    We’re here because we refuse to see the democracy that we fought so hard for get dismantled. Because we refuse to let the health care that our buddies earned be gutted. And because we refuse to let thousands of Veterans who chose to continue serving this nation as federal workers be fired for no apparent reason.
    Employees who include folks working at the Veterans Crisis Line, for God’s sake…The Veterans working there are doing some of the toughest work imaginable to support our heroes in their absolute darkest hour.
    These are the people this Administration has kicked to the curb over the past few months. That should tell you everything you need to know about how the guys in power actually feel about our Vets.
    Let’s be clear: The only reason they’re doing all this is to try to find enough loose change behind the couch cushions so that they can give even bigger tax breaks to the rich guys they pal around with on the golf course.
    Let me say that another way: They care more about making sure billionaires can buy yet another private jet than ensuring our Veterans have access to the benefits and care they’ve earned. They care more about stroking Donald Trump’s ego to the tune of a 30-million-dollar birthday parade than spending that money to provide child care for military families. Or to save Veterans’ jobs. Or to better their health care.
    So let’s call this what it is: It’s a middle finger to our heroes. It’s a slap in the face to the sacrifices they’ve made. It’s bullshit, frankly. And every one of us who has served should feel insulted. I certainly do. I’d bet some of you do, too.
    But the important thing now is to channel our outrage into action.
    A couple months after my Black Hawk was shot down in Iraq, a U.S. Senator named Dick Durbin walked into my Walter Reed hospital room and gave me his phone number, saying to call him any time if I or any of the other patients around me needed some help.
    He…well, I’m not sure he thought I would take his words quite so literally. I called him…a lot. I called him way, way too much. I was the highest-ranked amputee on the ward at the time, so I felt responsible for the men and women around me.
    So I kept on ringing up a United States Senator to help me help these folks get their pay… get their benefits… even to help get that one elevator in the hospital working better. At that point, I was so early in my recovery that I could barely sit up for 15 minutes at a time. But when Dick looked at me, he saw past the wounds…saw past the wheelchair.
    He saw a Soldier in search of her next mission. Recognizing long before I did that just because I could no longer fly Black Hawks for the Army didn’t mean that I couldn’t find a new way to serve my nation.
    And he said the words that changed my life. He told me that I could best help the Veterans around me by running for Congress myself.
    I thought he was nuts. But it turns out, he was right. So all these years later, I’m asking each of you to take on a new mission, too.
    Because personally, I’m tired of a guy who was never brave enough to serve claiming that the America that some of our buddies died for isn’t already great.
    And it pisses me off that a man who cried “bone spurs” when his nation need him the most—a five-time-draft-dodging coward who calls fallen servicemembers “suckers and losers”—it pisses me off that that guy would use our heroes as political pawns to get elected, then screw them over so badly once he took office.
    If you’re pissed off too…if you think Veterans deserve better than to be fired by the thousand…if you think our buddies deserve more than to have their health care ripped away because Trump wants to put another dollar in a rich guy’s pocket…Well then I need you by my side.
    I need you to think of today not just as a singular moment, but as the start of our new collective mission: A mission to stand up for the buddies we served with. To do right by the warriors who came before us.
    And to look out for all those men and women still serving.
    Those young Soldiers and Sailors, those Marines and Airmen and Coasties, who are ready to sacrifice everything at the drop of a hat if the drums of war start beating again like they did for many of us when we were still in uniform.
    Look, I get how in this moment, it’d be easy to feel defeated…to want to tune out rather than turn on the news. But now more than ever, we can’t let ourselves become disengaged. Because there’s too much at stake to get discouraged. The reality is, there will always be people in big fancy buildings who try to use their power to only look out for themselves.
    But there are three things I know: First, the power of the people is always greater than the people in power. Second, those of us here today have never been too scared to take on a tough mission, especially when it means protecting the democracy we’ve fought so long to defend. And third, we Veterans sure as hell would never leave a comrade behind—whether that was one of our buddies on the battlefield or, now, one of the folks getting fired or left without care from the VA.
    So if we want tomorrow to be better than yesterday, we have to come together. We have to recognize that our voices do still matter. Then we’ve got to use those voices to speak out. Even if—especially when—anyone tries to silence us.
    Because we Veterans have always been the ones helping keep this nation as strong as she should be. This moment is no exception.
    And along the way, you have my word that I’ll be right there with you. That I am one of you. And that I will always live by the Soldier’s Creed: never, ever leaving you behind.
    It’s an honor to call myself part of this team—and to have you as my partners on the front lines.
    Thank you.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Fighting Discrimination Against U.S. Workers

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Epik Solutions, a California technology recruiting company, to resolve Epik Solutions’ violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by preferring to recruit foreign H-1B visa holders over U.S. workers.

    This settlement is the first since the department re-launched its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative to enforce the law against companies that unlawfully discriminate against American workers in favor of foreign visa workers. The company will pay $71,916 in civil penalties to the United States, undergo training, revise its employment policies, and refrain from placing job advertisements that unlawfully exclude U.S. workers from employment opportunities.

    “A top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is protecting American workers from unlawful discrimination in favor of foreign visa workers,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Companies engaging in such discrimination are on notice that the days of the federal government looking the other way on American workforce protection are over.”

    The public can call Immigrant and Employee Rights (IER) Section free hotline at 1-800-255-7688 for workers or at 1-800-255-8155 for employers (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired) for informal assistance; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email IER@usdoj.gov; or visit www.justice.gov/ier.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev: The harvesting campaign has started in Russia – the grain harvest will amount to at least 135 million tons

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    “Almost 20 million hectares of winter crops were sown for the current year’s harvest, 93% of which remained in normal condition. This figure is higher than last year. Russian farmers began spring field work in 2025 a week earlier than the average long-term dates. By now, spring sowing has already been carried out on an area of more than 52 million hectares. In accordance with the approved forecast structure, the area under grain, oilseeds, and sugar beet should be increased this year. I would like to emphasize separately that the area under vegetables and potatoes will increase, which should have a positive impact on providing the domestic market with these products,” said Dmitry Patrushev.

    The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the systemic measures taken by the Government have created a basis for high-quality preparation for seasonal field work. Thanks to this, they are completed without interruptions.

    “The necessary measures to support farmers are maintained. A significant amount of federal funds are allocated for this. Including subsidies for the purchase of seeds, fertilizers and fuel. A set of tools is provided for the development of domestic selection and stimulation of the use of Russian seeds in production. Thanks to this, we have already made significant progress in terms of self-sufficiency in this category,” added Dmitry Patrushev.

    Preferential lending remains available. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the dynamics of short-term loan issuance is ahead of last year. In addition, the Government has additionally allocated more than 4 billion rubles to Rosagroleasing this year, which will allow increasing the supply of equipment to farmers. Non-financial support measures aimed at ensuring the availability of fertilizers and fuels and lubricants are also maintained.

    “The harvesting campaign is beginning in the Russian Federation. Farmers in the Republic of Crimea are gradually starting to harvest grain. I ask the regional leadership to make sure that people on the ground are provided with everything necessary for the regular harvesting. Based on the current situation, we can count on decent harvests of the main crops. According to available estimates, the grain harvest will be at least 135 million tons. This is more than a year earlier,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

    If the weather is favorable, work will soon begin in other regions of the Southern and North Caucasian Federal Districts. First of all, this is the Republic of Dagestan, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories. In addition, the Astrakhan Region, the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and Krasnodar Territory are starting to harvest potatoes and vegetables. The passage of this period is directly related to ensuring food security of the country.

    Following the meeting, the Ministry of Agriculture was instructed to continue the practice of holding headquarters meetings and off-site meetings, as well as to monitor the dynamics of the delivery of state support funds to farmers.

    Dmitry Patrushev emphasized the importance of observing fire safety measures and monitoring the phytosanitary condition of crops.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: About 11 thousand new rooms in modular hotels will appear in 55 regions of the country

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The moderators of the plenary session were Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov. The main topic was the changes that tourism brings to regions and cities, and economic sectors.

    The Deputy Prime Minister read out a greeting from Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which the head of state, in particular, noted: “In recent years, tourism in our country has been developing dynamically, its infrastructure has been improving, new routes and popular, creative tourism products aimed at people of different ages have been developed. And of course, the tourism industry serves as an important factor in strengthening the socio-economic potential of cities and entire regions, opens up opportunities for creating modern jobs, increasing entrepreneurial activity in related areas – trade and construction, public catering and folk crafts. It contributes to the preservation and revival of historical, architectural and cultural monuments.”

    A video greeting from Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was also shown at the event.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko noted that for the first time at one site, at VDNKh, the tourism potential of the entire country is presented to citizens and foreign guests of Russia: “89 entities, 140 exhibition objects, more than 400 organizations and 4 thousand participants from 30 countries of the world, who from June 10 to 15 will be immersed in the world of tourism and Russian hospitality. An extensive business program is planned within the framework of the forum, more than 50 sessions, where the most important issues of the industry development will be discussed with the participation of 350 speakers.”

    He emphasized that the Government is carrying out extensive and systematic work to develop domestic tourism.

    “Without investments in the industry, there would not be such rapid growth of the industry. It is important to maintain a positive trend and the desire of businesses to invest in domestic tourism. One of the most effective mechanisms of the national project is the preferential lending program. 367 hotels with a total of 78 thousand rooms are being created under this program. The cost of the projects is almost 2 trillion rubles,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    In 2024, Moscow was visited by 26 million people, which is 2 times more than the official population of the capital. The city provides 14% of the tourist flow from the all-Russian one, and in terms of foreign trips, the figure is approaching 50%.

    Another popular measure of the national project is the creation of modular accommodation facilities. Under this program, 13 thousand rooms have already been introduced. Taking into account the demand for the program, the Government decided to extend its validity, and a selection of projects was conducted for the next three years. And just now the Ministry of Economic Development summed up the results of the next selection of projects, within the framework of which it is planned to create about 11 thousand rooms in modular hotels in 55 regions of the country.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko added that the Government has launched programs to support the development of large ski resorts. Currently, the creation of 17 new resorts from the Leningrad Region to Sakhalin is supported with a total investment of 76 billion rubles.

    Also, as part of the national project, a separate federal project “Industrial Support for Tourism” is being implemented to support domestic manufacturers. Demand for equipment has been formed: cable cars, snow cannons, snow groomers, buses, and attractions.

    The government has supported the development of Suzdal in preparation for the millennium since its foundation. This includes the construction of a road from Vladimir, and the modernization of utilities and the urban environment. Suzdal is an example of private capital participating in the formation of a unique environment for tourists and local residents.

    “Our joint goal is to make travel around Russia not just an opportunity, but a natural part of the life of every citizen,” the Deputy Prime Minister concluded.

    Maxim Reshetnikov also focused on measures to support the tourism business. He emphasized the role of a single subsidy for regions, which allows for the creation of in-demand tourism products locally.

    “We provide a significant part of the national project resources to the regions in the form of a single subsidy, giving a fairly large degree of freedom in how to use it. For three years, this is 27 billion rubles, a considerable amount. It can be used to develop the city center, create a new tourist route, navigation or tourist information center. In general, to make travel more comfortable and interesting. The growth potential of the domestic tourism market is large, there will be enough tourists for everyone. But the ability to competently and unconventionally present your local features, flavor, “tricks” comes to the fore in the competition,” noted Maxim Reshetnikov.

    Representatives of small tourism businesses from the regions shared their success stories. Among them are the founder of the Leto-Leto complex from Tyumen, which is implementing the concept of an urban resort, Vladimir Shevchik, the founder of the camping and glamping for active recreation Vetreno from the Yaroslavl region Ksenia Radchenko, the creator of the Russian gastronomic guide GreatList Alexander Sysoev, the director of the Ural design bureau Ratrak-Ural, which is engaged in the production of equipment for ski resorts, Alexander Pashnin, the general director of the ceramics factory from Suzdal Dymov Keramika Vadim Dymov, the general director of the company for the development of high-speed shipping Vodolet from Nizhny Novgorod Nikita Italyantsev.

    The Governor of Krasnodar Krai, Veniamin Kondratyev, spoke about how tourism is developing in one of the most popular holiday destinations.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko and Maxim Reshetnikov presented the Ministry of Economic Development’s badges “For Contribution to Tourism Development” for the first time.

    The Deputy Prime Minister and the guests of the forum also assessed the exhibition area of the updated route “Golden Ring of Russia”. This route received national status on the opening day of the forum. The new status cemented its role as one of the key elements of the country’s cultural and historical heritage, and also opened up new opportunities for the development of tourism infrastructure. The exhibition area of the route unites exhibits from Moscow, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Kostroma, Yaroslavl and Moscow regions. The stands present the new brand of the Golden Ring.

    The Deputy Prime Minister also inspected the exposition of the national tourist route “Silver Necklace” and the stands of the Altai Republic, Crimea, Zaporozhye Region, and Krasnodar Region.

    Among the foreign expositions, the tour program included stands of Cuba and Venezuela, where guests were greeted with Latin American songs and dances. At the stand presented by the ANO “National Priorities”, patriotic routes were discussed with the participation of the Deputy Prime Minister, and at the exposition of the state corporation “Tourism.RF” – promising investment projects for the creation of new Russian resorts and tourist clusters.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko and his delegation assessed the exposition of Russian manufacturers. They participate in the program of import substitution of equipment and machinery for the tourism industry. This is one of the areas of the national project “Tourism and Hospitality”.

    The organizer of the International Tourism Forum “Travel!” is the Roscongress Foundation together with the Ministry of Economic Development with the support of the Government of Russia and the Moscow City Tourism Committee.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Minister Meets with Foreign Ministers of Several African Countries

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    CHANGSHA, June 10 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday held separate meetings with a number of African counterparts who arrived in China to attend the ministerial meeting of the coordinators of the implementation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FCAC) to be held in Changsha, capital of central China’s Hunan Province.

    The African foreign ministers Wang Yi met with included Kenya’s Musalia Mudavadi, Senegal’s Yassine Fall, Tanzania’s Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Namibia’s Selma Ashipala-Musawya, Botswana’s Penyo Butale and Angola’s Tete Antonio.

    At the meeting with Mudavadi, Wang Yi, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, said that China is willing to work with Kenya to implement the consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries, firmly support each other, strengthen mutual trust, consolidate the political foundation of China-Kenya relations, and continuously inject strong impetus into bilateral cooperation.

    Noting that the ministerial meeting is a gathering of Chinese and African countries, the Chinese Foreign Minister expressed confidence that it will certainly strengthen the unity of the countries of the Global South.

    He added that China attaches great importance to Kenya’s role and influence and is willing to strengthen strategic communication and coordination to jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries and the fundamental norms of international relations.

    M. Mudavadi, for his part, assured that strict adherence to the one-China principle is the cornerstone of Kenya’s foreign policy, and the Kenyan side will continue to firmly stand by China. The diplomat added that Kenya expects to further deepen Kenyan-Chinese cooperation for mutual benefit and common gain.

    During the meeting with Yi Fal, Wang Yi said that China is willing to continue to share new development opportunities with African countries, including Senegal, and promote the modernization of African countries.

    Wang Yi added that China is willing to work with Senegal to uphold the concept of multilateralism and the fundamental norms of international relations, as well as the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, international fairness and justice.

    For her part, Ya. Fall assured that Senegal firmly adheres to the one-China principle and will defend the strong friendship between the two countries, as well as between Africa and China.

    Senegal hopes to strengthen high-level exchanges with China and promote quality improvement and renewal of bilateral cooperation, the diplomat said, adding that her country welcomes increased investment from China.

    At the meeting with M. T. Kombo, the Chinese diplomat noted that Tanzania has become one of the countries where the results of the Beijing FCAS summit are being implemented most effectively, and the Chinese side appreciates Tanzania’s understanding and support for China’s legitimate position on issues affecting its core interests.

    China hopes to work with Tanzania and Zambia to revitalize the Tanzania-Zambia railway and set a model for mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Africa, Wang said.

    M. T. Kombo, for his part, thanked China for its assistance in Tanzania’s national construction and development and for providing it with a zero customs duty regime, saying that China has become one of Tanzania’s most important trade and economic partners.

    The diplomat assured that Tanzania firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is firmly committed to friendship between the two countries.

    During the meeting with S. Ashipala-Musavi, Wang Yi expressed China’s willingness to work with Namibia to continue the fine traditions of mutual trust, mutual support and sincere attitude towards each other, and help China-Namibia friendship to radiate new vitality in the new era.

    The Chinese Foreign Minister also pointed out that the two sides need to strengthen the alignment of their development strategies, promote the improvement of quality and renew mutually beneficial cooperation so that Namibia can accelerate the industrialization process and bring more benefits to its people.

    S. Ashipala-Musavi, for her part, stated that Namibia looks forward to strengthening its engagement with China and expressed firm confidence that the current ministerial meeting of coordinators will yield significant results.

    At the meeting with P. Butale, Wang Yi recalled that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Botswana, pointing out that China supports Botswana in seeking an independent and self-sufficient development path.

    Noting that China is willing to work with Botswana to achieve more significant results in mutually beneficial cooperation, Wang Yi noted that China intends to further open its market to Botswana and explore opportunities to expand cooperation in areas such as trade and economy, energy, manufacturing and health care.

    P. Butale, for his part, assured that Botswana firmly adheres to the one-China principle and strives to deepen cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road.

    At the meeting with T. Antonio, Wang Yi said that China adheres to a consistent and stable policy towards Angola, providing assistance without any political conditions.

    Wang Yi said China supports Angola’s efforts to promote national development, encourages and supports Chinese enterprises to increase investment in Angola, and hopes that Angola will protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and employees in Angola.

    T. Antonio, for his part, expressed gratitude to hundreds of Chinese companies for their contribution to the development of Angola and the construction of infrastructure, adding that his country is ready to strengthen multilateral cooperation with China and properly carry out its duties as the Chairman of the African Union. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Marat Khusnullin: The number of documents for the implementation of an investment and construction project has been reduced to 582

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The growth in construction volumes is inextricably linked to a comprehensive approach to reducing the procedures of the investment and construction cycle. The number of administrative procedures in the industry has been reduced from 96 to 32, the number of necessary documents has been reduced by almost half, and the duration of the investment and construction cycle has been reduced by more than 900 days. This was reported by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.

    “The government continues to work actively to reduce the investment and construction cycle. This will help speed up the commissioning of socially significant facilities without reducing the requirements for safety and quality of work. Thus, citizens will be able to get new schools, kindergartens, hospitals and much more faster. We strive to ensure that the entire cycle from the idea to the commissioning of the facility takes no more than 1,000 days. This duration is based on international construction experience, takes into account the current economic situation and creates new opportunities for developers in terms of accelerated construction of facilities that people in Russia need. In this work, increasing labor productivity, digitalization and automation of construction processes, starting with the design stages and passing the examination of construction documentation, are of great importance. This work is carried out within the framework of the federal project “New Rhythm of Construction”, which is part of the new national project “Infrastructure for Life”. Thus, today, thanks to the optimization of procedures, the number of required documents has been reduced to 582,” said Marat Khusnullin.

    The stages and activities required to implement a construction project are specified in the Urban Development Code, the list is the same for each category of objects, regardless of their type and characteristics. This was facilitated by the digital registers of documents and requirements launched on September 1, 2024, allowing for the prompt updating of documents, requirements, materials, information, and approvals required to implement a construction project.

    The Ministry of Construction carries out quarterly work to measure the duration of the investment and construction cycle in the regions, based on the results of which a rating of the subjects of the Russian Federation is compiled.

    Thus, according to the results of the first quarter of 2025, the regions with the shortest project implementation time include 55 entities that received 22 to 32 points in the rating. In first place with 32 points is Moscow, followed by Novgorod, Sakhalin and Oryol regions. In the second category, there are 25 entities that received 16 to 21 points, including Kemerovo Region – Kuzbass, Vologda, Penza Regions and others.

    The monitoring measures: the timing of the project for the construction of capital construction projects, the digital maturity of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and the compliance of regional requirements with federal legislation. Data on the average duration of administrative procedures, as well as statistics obtained from the unified information system for housing construction, are analyzed. Indicators are assessed according to 64 criteria, including information on the timing of the provision of an urban development plan for a land plot, obtaining construction permits and commissioning of a facility.

    “The monitoring conducted showed a significant reduction in the time required to implement housing projects. According to the results of the first quarter of 2025, the average duration of the investment and construction cycle in the construction of apartment buildings was 1,211 days, which is 48 days less than the same indicator last year. This includes both administrative procedures, which take about 212 days, and the construction process itself,” said Minister of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities Irek Faizullin.

    In addition, the duration of construction is assessed in practice every six months. The regions send the Ministry of Construction a list of capital construction projects put into operation in various categories. From this list, 12 projects are randomly selected in each group, for which the implementation dates for all procedures are requested.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New Seasonal Drop-In Services in Saskatoon Support Youth and Individuals Experiencing Homelessness

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 10, 2025

    The Government of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Tribal Council and the City of Saskatoon are moving forward on new community services to meet emerging needs in Saskatoon. This includes a daytime drop-in centre for individuals experiencing homelessness and an overnight drop-in centre for youth aged 16 and older. Both services are anticipated to open on June 15. 

    “Together with the Saskatoon Tribal Council and the City of Saskatoon, we are working as quickly as possible to meet the emerging needs we are seeing in the community,” Social Services Minister Terry Jenson said. “Saskatoon Tribal Council has been an invaluable partner in providing Indigenous-led, culturally reflective services founded on their ability to build meaningful relationships and trusting bonds with individuals and families experiencing homelessness.” 

    Located at Station 20 West, the new daytime drop-in centre is co-funded by the Government of Saskatchewan and the City of Saskatoon and operated by Saskatoon Tribal Council. It will provide a safe space, and access to support services for individuals experiencing homelessness from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Saskatoon Tribal Council’s Sawēyihtotān project will offer outreach services including connections to emergency shelters and housing, coordinated access systems, recovery and mental health programs and services.  

    “The urgency could not be clearer — this partnership is a critical step in creating safe spaces for vulnerable people in Saskatoon,” said Mayor Cynthia Block. “The City is committed to keeping the momentum going and working closely with our partners to open centres that are Indigenous-led and grounded in community.”

    To provide a safe space for youth throughout the summer months, the Government of Saskatchewan is partnering with Saskatoon Tribal Council to provide an overnight drop-in centre for youth 16 and older. Located at the White Buffalo Youth Lodge, the centre will be open from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. and provide food and a place to rest as well as an on-site elder, shower and laundry services, case planning and referrals to programs in the community.  

    “These two new drop-in centres will offer safety, dignity and support when it is needed most,” Tribal Chief Mark Arcand said. “Homelessness disproportionately impacts Indigenous people, and we cannot ignore that reality. These facilities will help keep people safe and create opportunities for us to do what the Saskatoon Tribal Council does best: building trust and connection with our relatives. That is the first step toward linking them with the wraparound supports and services that can truly change lives. Real solutions come when governments and community partners work together, and that is exactly what we are doing.” 

    Since the announcement of the $40.2M Provincial Approach to Homelessness, the Government of Saskatchewan has collaborated with all levels of government and Indigenous and community partners to develop new emergency and complex needs shelter spaces, supportive housing spaces and street outreach, warming centres and community safety responses.  The two new services in Saskatoon build on these investments as the Government of Saskatchewan continues to work with communities to respond to arising needs.    

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Balancing drug coverage for the long-term

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Update 3: Alberta wildfire update (June 10, 3 p.m.)

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: H.R. 2139, Strengthening State and Local Efforts to Counter Transnational Repression Act

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    H.R. 2139 would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a training program to enhance nonfederal law enforcement agencies’ preparedness for and response to transnational repression and related terrorist threats. The bill also would require DHS to conduct, to the extent practicable, research and development on technology to increase participation in training offered to nonfederal law enforcement and to share information on identifying and collecting information on such threats. Lastly, the bill would require the Government Accountability Office to report to the Congress within two years of enactment on the implementation of the bill.

    Using information from DHS, CBO estimates that developing and implementing the training program would cost $5 million over the 2025-2030 period. Additionally, based on the costs of similar activities, CBO estimates that completing the report would cost $1 million. Because DHS already conducts research and development to enhance its security and intergovernmental awareness, CBO expects implementing that provision would cost less than $500,000. In total, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2139 would cost $6 million over the 2025-2030 period. Any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeremy Crimm. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.

    Phillip L. Swagel

    Director, Congressional Budget Office

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: H.R. 1508, DHS Special Events Program and Support Act

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    H.R. 1508 would codify the Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) program that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) currently administers. Under that program, state and local governments submit events to an inter-agency working group that assesses each event for potential security risks, such as terrorist attacks and other hazards. Depending on the level of risk determined by the group, DHS and other federal agencies may provide support to the state or local government in managing security operations for the event.

    H.R. 1508 also would require DHS to report to the Congress annually on the program’s activities and once every five years on the program’s effectiveness. Lastly, the bill would require DHS to engage in research and development of emerging technologies that would enhance the department’s efforts to support federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies with respect to mass gatherings.

    Based on the costs of similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1508 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period, primarily to comply with the bill’s reporting requirements. Any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

    Under current law, DHS already can conduct research and development of emerging technologies to enhance its security and intergovernmental awareness. On that basis, CBO estimates that the cost of implementing that provision and codifying the existing SEAR program would be insignificant.

    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeremy Crimm. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.

    Phillip L. Swagel

    Director, Congressional Budget Office

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: H.R. 2116, Law Enforcement Support and Counter Transnational Repression Act

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    H.R. 2116 would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct a public service outreach campaign to educate the public and international allies about transnational repression and related terrorist threats. The outreach campaign would include information on resources and ways for victims of threats and intimidation by foreign governments and related terrorism threats to anonymously contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The bill also would require DHS to engage in research and development of technologies and techniques that would help state and local governments counter transnational repression and related threats.

    Based on the costs of similar outreach campaigns, CBO expects that the required campaign would have no significant costs. Under current law, DHS can conduct research and development to enhance its security and intergovernmental situational awareness. On that basis, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2116 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period. Any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Jeremy Crimm. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.

    Phillip L. Swagel

    Director, Congressional Budget Office

    MIL OSI USA News –