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  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Young Kim Secures Historic Tax Cuts for Working Families

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Young Kim (CA-39)

    Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) voted in favor of the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1, which secures historic tax cuts for working families in California’s 40th District and across the nation.

    Rep. Kim stood up to the White House and House leadership to secure an increase of the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions to $40,000 for individuals and families making less than $500,000 a year, allowing working Californians and Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money. She also fought to remove the cap on SALT deductions for small businesses, preventing a 2% tax increase. 

    In addition to increasing the SALT cap, the bill makes life more affordable for working Americans, middle-class families, and small businesses by:

    • Extending middle-class tax cuts signed into law through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017 to avoid a 17% tax hike for the average CA-40 family;
    • Permanently increasing the Child Tax Credit to $2,200 per child;
    • Exempting individuals from a tax on qualified tips for up to $25,000 for the next four years; 
    • Providing relief to seniors by increasing the Social Security tax deduction to $6,000 per individual;
    • Creating a $12,500 overtime pay deduction; and,
    • Supporting financial literacy by creating a pilot program to give newborns a $1,000 tax-advantaged investment account.

    “For too long, middle-class Americans, working families, and small businesses I represent have been hurting from high taxes, rising prices, and skyrocketing living costs made worse by out-of-touch policies from Sacramento and Washington,” said Rep. Young Kim. “This bill lowers taxes and provides relief to put money back in the pockets of everyday Americans. I will keep fighting to make life affordable for California’s 40th District and ensure our communities are great places to live, raise families, and start businesses.”

    “This bill takes important steps to ensure federal dollars are used as effectively as possible and to strengthen Medicaid and SNAP for our most vulnerable citizens who truly need it. I will keep working to get our country back on the right track and protect the American dream for future generations,” she continued.

    “Over the last seven years, the 20% Small Business Tax Deduction has helped America’s small businesses grow and hire,” said NFIB California State Director John Kabateck. “Rep. Young Kim understands the importance of the Small Business Deduction and has been a leading voice in Congress to make it permanent.”

    According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, nearly 25,000 small and pass-through businesses across Rep. Kim’s district will see an increase of approximately $21,906,300 in their qualified business income deduction through the bill’s passage.

    The bill also invests in America’s future by:

    • Modernizing our air traffic control system to ensure safe and efficient air travel;
    • Boosting our shipbuilding capabilities, investing in our military, and improving quality of life for troops;
    • Bolstering border security funding to increase border technologies and support our border patrol and CBP officers; and,
    • Supporting educational opportunities by protecting access to the Pell Grant program.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ actor Michael Madsen dies at 67

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Michael Madsen, an actor who appeared in dozens of films including “Reservoir Dogs” and “Thelma & Louise,” has died at age 67, his representatives said on Thursday.

    Madsen died of cardiac arrest at his home in Malibu, California, his manager, Ron Smith, said.

    Born in Chicago, Madsen began acting in the early 1980s in projects that included the TV show “St. Elsewhere” and the movie “The Natural” on his way to racking up more than 300 on-screen credits.

    He played Mr. Blonde in 1992 film “Reservoir Dogs” and appeared in several other movies from director Quentin Tarantino including “Kill Bill,” “The Hateful Eight” and “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.”

    “In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent film,” said a statement from Smith along with fellow manager Susan Ferris and publicist Liz Rodriguez.

    He also was preparing to release a book called “Tears For My Father: Outlaw Thoughts and Poems,” which is currently being edited, they said.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scholten Statement on House Passage of Republicans’ ‘Big Ugly Bill’

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Hillary Scholten – Michigan

    After Republicans finally broke a historically long stalemate on the House Floor, they passed their Big Ugly Bill that will rip health care away from millions of Americans and raise costs on working families. On behalf of West Michiganders, Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI-03) voted no.

    “I just voted no on H.R. 1 for the good people of West Michigan—for our health care, for our children, for our farmers, for our seniors, for our veterans, and for each and every one of you. You need no further evidence of how disastrous this bill will be than the narrow margin by which it passed and the hours upon hours that it took House Republicans to be convinced that this bill was good for their constituents,” said Rep. Scholten.

    “Our work is not over. As I told my neighbors at my town hall last night, I will fight the provisions of this bill tooth and nail in the days ahead. There is nothing more important to me than ensuring our community is set up for success by the federal government – from access to quality health care, to affordable housing, to a fair tax system. This bill accomplishes none of those things. Today is a disappointing day for our nation, but we will continue to work towards the future that West Michigan deserves,” concluded Rep. Scholten.

    This betrayal of a bill:

    • Cuts roughly $1.3 trillion from health care and food assistance for families and gives roughly $1.3 trillion in tax breaks to people making over $500,000—a historic wealth transfer from middle-class Americans to the wealthiest few.
    • It makes the largest cut to health care in American history and will cause approximately 425,000 Michiganders to lose their health care.
    • It jeopardizes SNAP for the 34,000 MI-03 residents who participate in the program.
    • Increases household energy costs by an average of $400 and will lead to millions of jobs lost, $197 billion in lost wages, and $290 billion in economic investment that will be ceded to countries like China.
    • Will add $4 trillion to the national debt, including $700 billion in interest.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scholten Statement on House Passage of Republicans’ ‘Big Ugly Bill’

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Hillary Scholten – Michigan

    After Republicans finally broke a historically long stalemate on the House Floor, they passed their Big Ugly Bill that will rip health care away from millions of Americans and raise costs on working families. On behalf of West Michiganders, Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI-03) voted no.

    “I just voted no on H.R. 1 for the good people of West Michigan—for our health care, for our children, for our farmers, for our seniors, for our veterans, and for each and every one of you. You need no further evidence of how disastrous this bill will be than the narrow margin by which it passed and the hours upon hours that it took House Republicans to be convinced that this bill was good for their constituents,” said Rep. Scholten.

    “Our work is not over. As I told my neighbors at my town hall last night, I will fight the provisions of this bill tooth and nail in the days ahead. There is nothing more important to me than ensuring our community is set up for success by the federal government – from access to quality health care, to affordable housing, to a fair tax system. This bill accomplishes none of those things. Today is a disappointing day for our nation, but we will continue to work towards the future that West Michigan deserves,” concluded Rep. Scholten.

    This betrayal of a bill:

    • Cuts roughly $1.3 trillion from health care and food assistance for families and gives roughly $1.3 trillion in tax breaks to people making over $500,000—a historic wealth transfer from middle-class Americans to the wealthiest few.
    • It makes the largest cut to health care in American history and will cause approximately 425,000 Michiganders to lose their health care.
    • It jeopardizes SNAP for the 34,000 MI-03 residents who participate in the program.
    • Increases household energy costs by an average of $400 and will lead to millions of jobs lost, $197 billion in lost wages, and $290 billion in economic investment that will be ceded to countries like China.
    • Will add $4 trillion to the national debt, including $700 billion in interest.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Andrea Salinas Statement on House Passage of Republican Tax Scam

    Source: US Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

    Today, U.S. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) released the following statement following the House Passage of Republicans’ Tax Scam

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) released the following statement following the House Passage of Republicans’ Tax Scam:

    “I voted no on this big, ugly betrayal because it increases costs for working families and hurts seniors, veterans, and children in Oregon and across the country. At a time when Americans are already struggling to make ends meet, this bill will increase costs, strip away health care, take food off the table of working families and increase energy costs for all Americans—all to give tax breaks to large corporations and billionaires. I was proud to stand up for hardworking Oregonians and vote against this bill.

    “For Oregonians, the damage is immediate and severe. The bill slashes hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid, known in our state as the Oregon Health Plan. These cuts could shutter rural hospitals, nursing homes, and health centers, leaving all Oregon families with higher health care costs and rural patients with little to no access to care.

    “This package also threatens nutrition assistance for the almost 800,000 people in our state who count on SNAP to put food on the table. The cuts would make this the single largest rollback of food aid in American history and would hurt Oregonians who rely on SNAP as well as local farmers and grocers. And the cuts would extend beyond SNAP to threaten food assistance programs like Meals on Wheels. This is cruel, plain, and simple.

    “Not only does this bill increase costs for families, it’s also a fiscal disaster. It adds $5 trillion to our national debt, further jeopardizing our bond rating and our children’s future. For a party that claims to care about cutting the debt, it’s clear Republicans care more about kicking working families when they’re down.

    “This bill is a betrayal of the values we hold in Oregon. I will never support legislation that asks our working families to sacrifice, for the sole purpose of enriching the wealthiest Americans. This bill isn’t about fiscal responsibility – it’s a tax giveaway to the ultra-wealthy, paid for by gutting healthcare and SNAP programs that our communities rely on to survive and thrive.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Andrea Salinas Statement on House Passage of Republican Tax Scam

    Source: US Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

    Today, U.S. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) released the following statement following the House Passage of Republicans’ Tax Scam

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) released the following statement following the House Passage of Republicans’ Tax Scam:

    “I voted no on this big, ugly betrayal because it increases costs for working families and hurts seniors, veterans, and children in Oregon and across the country. At a time when Americans are already struggling to make ends meet, this bill will increase costs, strip away health care, take food off the table of working families and increase energy costs for all Americans—all to give tax breaks to large corporations and billionaires. I was proud to stand up for hardworking Oregonians and vote against this bill.

    “For Oregonians, the damage is immediate and severe. The bill slashes hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid, known in our state as the Oregon Health Plan. These cuts could shutter rural hospitals, nursing homes, and health centers, leaving all Oregon families with higher health care costs and rural patients with little to no access to care.

    “This package also threatens nutrition assistance for the almost 800,000 people in our state who count on SNAP to put food on the table. The cuts would make this the single largest rollback of food aid in American history and would hurt Oregonians who rely on SNAP as well as local farmers and grocers. And the cuts would extend beyond SNAP to threaten food assistance programs like Meals on Wheels. This is cruel, plain, and simple.

    “Not only does this bill increase costs for families, it’s also a fiscal disaster. It adds $5 trillion to our national debt, further jeopardizing our bond rating and our children’s future. For a party that claims to care about cutting the debt, it’s clear Republicans care more about kicking working families when they’re down.

    “This bill is a betrayal of the values we hold in Oregon. I will never support legislation that asks our working families to sacrifice, for the sole purpose of enriching the wealthiest Americans. This bill isn’t about fiscal responsibility – it’s a tax giveaway to the ultra-wealthy, paid for by gutting healthcare and SNAP programs that our communities rely on to survive and thrive.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Strickland Statement on Greatest Scam in History

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland released the following statement after voting against the Republican-led bill that resulted in the greatest, most cruel, scam in history:

    “President Trump and House Republicans continue to lie to the American people. They promised to lower costs on ‘day one’. Instead, they have championed the greatest scam in American history.

    Trump and House Republicans have stripped healthcare from 17 million Americans. They will have closed one in four nursing homes, shut down over 300 rural hospitals, and ripped food from the mouths of five million SNAP recipients – including children.

    It is clear now, more than ever before – that Trump and these spineless House Republicans do not care for the American people. They only care about themselves.”

    Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She is Whip of the New Democrat Coalition, Secretary of the Congressional Black Caucus, and is one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Strickland Statement on Greatest Scam in History

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland released the following statement after voting against the Republican-led bill that resulted in the greatest, most cruel, scam in history:

    “President Trump and House Republicans continue to lie to the American people. They promised to lower costs on ‘day one’. Instead, they have championed the greatest scam in American history.

    Trump and House Republicans have stripped healthcare from 17 million Americans. They will have closed one in four nursing homes, shut down over 300 rural hospitals, and ripped food from the mouths of five million SNAP recipients – including children.

    It is clear now, more than ever before – that Trump and these spineless House Republicans do not care for the American people. They only care about themselves.”

    Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She is Whip of the New Democrat Coalition, Secretary of the Congressional Black Caucus, and is one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tonko: Republicans Have Abdicated Their Duty & Betrayed the American People

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Paul D. Tonko released the following statement on the House passage of President Trump’s budget, the so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” that exacts the largest cut to health care and food assistance in American history, all to bring massive tax breaks to the wealthiest 0.1 percent.

    “This bill will go down as one of the most egregious betrayals of the American public in history. At a time when we should be celebrating the birth of our nation and a celebration of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” the President and rubber-stamp Republicans have condemned millions to a harder, less free, less joyous life.

    “Republicans spent these past few weeks hemming and hawing about this legislation: from the devastating cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, to the eradication of countless manufacturing and clean energy jobs, to the massive increase in our debt. But after that whining, they went ahead and voted to pass all those disastrous provisions anyway.

    “Republicans had one job: to vote no on a bill that their constituents don’t like, that hospitals don’t like, that businesses don’t like, that unions don’t like, that they themselves don’t like. Instead, they voted yes all to appease one man.

    “It’s clear that Republicans would rather lie about the contents and consequences of this bill and bow down to wannabe king Donald Trump than protect the lives and livelihoods of their constituents. Regardless of what they believe, they are still beholden to their constituents and the American people. When they go home to their districts, they’ll have to explain why they voted to make more people slide into poverty, more kids go to bed hungry, and more patients die without the care they need.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tonko: Republicans Have Abdicated Their Duty & Betrayed the American People

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Paul D. Tonko released the following statement on the House passage of President Trump’s budget, the so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” that exacts the largest cut to health care and food assistance in American history, all to bring massive tax breaks to the wealthiest 0.1 percent.

    “This bill will go down as one of the most egregious betrayals of the American public in history. At a time when we should be celebrating the birth of our nation and a celebration of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” the President and rubber-stamp Republicans have condemned millions to a harder, less free, less joyous life.

    “Republicans spent these past few weeks hemming and hawing about this legislation: from the devastating cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, to the eradication of countless manufacturing and clean energy jobs, to the massive increase in our debt. But after that whining, they went ahead and voted to pass all those disastrous provisions anyway.

    “Republicans had one job: to vote no on a bill that their constituents don’t like, that hospitals don’t like, that businesses don’t like, that unions don’t like, that they themselves don’t like. Instead, they voted yes all to appease one man.

    “It’s clear that Republicans would rather lie about the contents and consequences of this bill and bow down to wannabe king Donald Trump than protect the lives and livelihoods of their constituents. Regardless of what they believe, they are still beholden to their constituents and the American people. When they go home to their districts, they’ll have to explain why they voted to make more people slide into poverty, more kids go to bed hungry, and more patients die without the care they need.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Newhouse Statement on Passage of H.R. 1

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)

    Headline: Newhouse Statement on Passage of H.R. 1

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement upon final House passage of the Senate-amended H.R. 1. The legislation, which passed 218-214 now goes to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law. 

    “At the start of this Congress, we made a commitment to reduce government spending, keep taxes low for hard working Americans, and make reforms to federal assistance programs to ensure their long-term sustainability. This is by no means a perfect bill, but it delivers on our commitment while benefiting farmers, families, and small business owners across central Washington. 

    H.R.1 prevents the largest tax hike in American history, increases the Child Tax Credit, and unleashes American energy production to lower costs and reduce inflation. It makes the largest-ever investment in border security and makes our nation safer by strengthening our military. I was able to secure continued investment in our current and future nuclear energy fleet, which is vital to the Tri-Cities and the surrounding region. 

    We include major portions of the Farm Bill to deliver critical assistance for our farmers and ranchers, including my long-time priority of doubling the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program to open new markets for our ag exports. I worked with House Leadership not once, but twice, to successfully prevent the sale of our public lands in this bill. 

    We are protecting Medicaid and SNAP for those who truly need it by requiring part-time work requirements for able bodied adults without dependents and establishing a $50 billion fund for our rural hospitals. By reducing improper payments to deceased individuals and defunct providers, we are ensuring there are more funds for the low-income individuals, families, and seniors who rely on the program. I am committed to keeping our rural hospitals open, and I will utilize my position on the House Appropriations Committee to do just that. 

    Working families, small businesses, rural hospitals, and farmers across Central Washington have been at the top of my mind throughout this process. For weeks since we first passed H.R. 1, I have heard from my constituents about the legislation’s benefits and downsides, and I have truly given serious thought to the legislation. This was a hard, thoroughly considered vote that I believe will benefit the people of my district.” 

    The following are provisions in H.R. 1 that Rep. Newhouse worked to secure.  

    Market Access for Farmers and Ranchers 

    • Doubles funding for the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program to give Central Washington producers the upper hand in global markets.

    Nuclear Energy Tax Credits Preservation 

    • Protects the small nuclear reactor project in Richland.
    • Allows advanced nuclear projects to utilize the Production Tax Credit (45Y) and Investment Tax Credits (48E) once they have commenced construction.
    • Maintains the Nuclear Power Production Tax Credit (45U) through 2031 for existing nuclear reactors. 

    Protections for Rural Hospitals 

    • Commitments that funds from the Rural Health Transformation program will support rural hospitals in Washington state. 

    H.R. 1 delivers an economy that is pro-growth, pro-worker, pro-family, and pro-business:  

    • Makes the 2017 tax cuts permanent, preventing the largest tax hike in American history on the middle class.
    • Removes taxes on tips, overtime pay, and Social Security for seniors.
    • Makes permanent the 20 percent Small Business Tax Deduction, delivering $250 million in GDP growth and 5,000 jobs to Washington’s Fourth District annually.

    H.R. 1 makes historic investments into the agriculture industry:  

    • Increases the coverage level and affordability of certain crop insurance policies used by specialty crop producers.
    • Provides more affordable crop insurance for beginning farmers and ranchers for the first ten years of farming.
    • Expands access to standing disaster programs and conservation programs.
    • Improves the livestock programs to be more responsive to drought and predation and expands producer eligibility for the tree assistance program.

    H.R. 1 makes the largest investment into border security in American history: 

    • Funds over 700 miles of border wall at the southwest border.
    • Funds 3,000 new Border Patrol agents and 5,000 new Customs and Border Protection officers.
    • Invests in cutting-edge technology to combat the flow of fentanyl across the border.

    H.R. 1 makes common-sense reforms to Medicaid to ensure the program’s long-term sustainability: 

    • Work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents to work, volunteer, or pursue further education 80 hours per month to receive benefits.
    • Prevents illegal immigrants from receiving taxpayer-funded benefits.
    • Ensures the program will continue to efficiently serve eligible participants who truly need it.
    • Establishes the Rural Health Transformation Program at $50 billion to states and to covered facilities including a wide array of small, rural, and Medicare-dependent hospitals, rural health clinics, community mental health centers, opioid treatment programs, and more.

    H.R. 1 reforms the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to support recipients and end abuse of the program: 

    • Saves taxpayers nearly $200 billion through reforms to SNAP that ensure the program works the way Congress intended by reinforcing work, rooting out waste, and instituting long-overdue accountability incentives to control costs.
    • Implements modest state cost-share for SNAP to ensure states manage program resources responsibly.
    • Incentivizes correcting error rates in SNAP payments by allowing states with an error rate below six percent to be exempt from paying the cost-share for benefits.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ‘Shameful, Dangerous, and Unforgivable’ | Pingree Statement on Final Passage of Trump’s Megabill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

    Today, after the U.S. House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act without any Democratic support, Maine First District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree released the following statement:

    Today, the House passed the most harmful, heartless, and regressive bill I’ve seen in my time in Congress. It’s difficult to overstate the scale of devastation this legislation will unleash on families across the country.

    This bill represents one of the largest wealth transfers in American history—cutting more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and putting health care for millions of people at risk. It slashes SNAP benefits by nearly $300 billion, threatening food security for working families and children. The burden this will put on states, whose budgets are already strained—particularly with respect to health care and food security—is enormous and will almost certainly lead to higher state and local taxes. And they’re doing it all to hand more than $1 trillion in tax breaks to billionaires and corporations, adding $3.3 trillion to the national deficit. They’re willing to sacrifice the health and wellbeing of hardworking Americans, struggling families, and marginalized communities to make the rich ever richer. It’s deeply immoral and needlessly cruel.

    And let’s not forget the absurd political vendettas and pet projects tucked in the bill, like raising taxes on clean energy, showering the oil and gas industry with subsidies, building the President’s so-called ‘Garden of Heroes’, and moving the Space Shuttle Discovery to Texas. It hands ICE over $75 billion—more than we spend in a year on the Marine Corps or medical research–to create a sprawling, secretive deportation force and a vast network of detention centers, enriching private prison companies while subjecting immigrant communities to unfathomable fear and suffering.

    The impact of this legislation here in Maine will be devastating. Tens of thousands could lose access to health care and food assistance. We’re already seeing the closure of hospitals and clinics across the state. This bill puts even more pressure on our state’s already strained health infrastructure. And immigrants in our communities—many of whom have already survived unimaginable hardship and who contribute actively to our communities and local economies—will be forced to live in even greater fear of being detained or disappeared.

    That Speaker Johnson chose to keep the procedural rule vote open for hours last night while holdouts made backroom deals with the President on their own pet issues, forcing debate on the bill into the dead of night, underscores the chaos that has defined this process from the very beginning. 

    Leader Jeffries’ extraordinary floor speech today laid bare just how dangerous and damaging this bill truly is, and how Republicans are betraying the people they represent. Meanwhile, it’s clear from the President’s own comments that he doesn’t even know what’s in his signature legislation, or that it will kick 17 million people off their health care. The ignorance and apathy on display is staggering.

    This bill is not about helping everyday Americans. It’s an assault on the working class, a gift to the ultra-wealthy, a climate disaster, and a ticking time bomb for the economy. 

    It’s shameful. It’s dangerous. And it’s unforgivable.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: REP LIEU VOTED NO ON TRUMP BILL TO CUT MEDICARE AND MEDICAID

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ted Lieu (33 District of California)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after voting against Donald Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, H.R. 1. The bill passed the House 218-214 and will now be signed into law. In California, more than 2.3 million people will lose health insurance and 368,000 could lose access to food assistance because of this bill. 

    “Republicans just passed the Big Ugly Bill. The bill cuts approximately $1 trillion from Medicaid. The bill results in cuts of $500 billion to Medicare. The bill will kick 17 million Americans off their health care. The bill also cuts essential anti-hunger programs, increases utility bills, defunds Planned Parenthood, and blows a $4.5 trillion hole in the federal deficit. Why did Republicans go through all this trouble? To give tax breaks to billionaires.

    “I will not mince words: this is an absolute betrayal. A betrayal of hardworking Americans who are struggling with the high cost of living in Trump’s terrible economy. A betrayal of children, seniors, and veterans who rely on Medicaid, Medicare and anti-hunger programs.  A betrayal of everyone who believes our government should help our communities thrive, not make Americans sicker, hungrier, and poorer.

    “All 212 House Democrats voted no. We fought back against this bill every way we could. We assembled on the Capitol steps to call on four Republicans to stand up with us, I joined my colleagues to go live on social media to speak about how the American people will be harmed, and I demanded Republicans reverse their cuts to Medicaid and anti-hunger programs on the House Floor. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries broke a record by speaking on the House Floor for nearly nine hours straight to delay the vote and share real stories of Americans who will be hurt by the Republican bill.

    “All we needed was four Republicans to do the right thing and protect their constituents. Instead, they voted to betray the American people. My heart breaks for the Americans who will be harmed by this bill. What Republicans did is shameful. This is a distressing moment in our nation’s history. But I will not stop fighting for you. House Democrats are in this for the long haul – we will not be silent, and we will keep doing everything we can to fight against the Republican attacks on everyday people.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin Votes “Hell No” on the Big Ugly Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    July 03, 2025

    Washington, D.C.—Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) released the following statement after voting “Hell No” on the Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill that will kick millions of Americans off their health insurance, cut food assistance, and raise energy prices:

    “I’ve been saying it for months – this is the worst bill that the House has voted on during my time in Congress.

    “I’ve made sure my Republican colleagues know exactly what their vote in support of this legislation means. The numbers are dire. Health care coverage ripped away from 17 million Americans. Food assistance for 42 million threatened. Home electricity bills increasing over $400 dollars a year.

    “However, we must all remember the consequences of the bill go far beyond statistics. During a visit to a community health care clinic in Encinitas, I heard from a father whose children with autism will suffer when Medicaid is gutted. At one of my town halls, a single mom from Oceanside who works in our local schools shared how her children with special needs are dependent on every SNAP dollar they receive. During that same town hall, a community member involved with San Diego Community Power explained exactly how this bill’s provisions meant to boost Big Oil will drive up our electric bills, particularly as tens of millions of families across the country already struggle to keep the lights on.

    “These terrible consequences aren’t a secret; Mike Johnson and House Republicans have heard the same stories. They know that people will die just so that they can finance tax breaks for their ultrawealthy donors. It’s shameful that they’re so eager to bow to Donald Trump that they don’t care what they’re doing to working families.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin Honors Nani Love as June 2025 Constituent of the Month

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    June 30, 2025

    Nani Love

    Vista, CA–Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) recognized Nani Love, a case manager and victim’s advocate at the North County LGBTQ Resource Center, as his June 2025 Constituent of the Month.

    Born and raised on O?ahu, Hawaii, Nani moved to the mainland and volunteered at the Center for two years before joining as full-time staff. She has been recognized for her outstanding work leading the organization’s housing service program, where she has connected countless families to wrap around services, referrals, and permanent housing.

    See below for Rep. Levin’s statement recognizing Nani Love in the Congressional Record:

    “M. Speaker, I am proud to recognize Nani Love as my June 2025 Constituent of the Month

    “As a young girl born and raised on O’ahu, Nani had a passion for serving others that has guided her entire life and career. Nani has served as a local government case manager and victim’s advocate in Southern California helping individuals through the toughest times in their life.

    “Nani volunteered as a case manager at the North County LGBTQ Resource Center and was hired full time to continue her work with LGBTQ community to access affordable housing and health care.

    “Nani’s dedication to helping others has made the community a better and safe place, and I am proud to honor her as my Constituent of the Month.”

    ABOUT THE CONSTITUENT OF THE MONTH PROGRAM:

    Rep. Levin’s Constituent of the Month program recognizes outstanding North County San Diego and South Orange County residents who have gone above and beyond to help their neighbors, give back to their community, and represent the best of our country. Rep Levin’s May 2025 Constituent of the Month was Rohen Vargo, the founder of a student-run blood pressure screening clinic, and his April 2025 Constituent of the Month was Amanda Reuther, an advocate for children with disabilities.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board Completes the Second Reviews Under the Extended Credit Facility and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility Arrangements with the Republic of Madagascar

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    • The IMF Executive Board completed the Second Reviews under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement and the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangement for the Republic of Madagascar, allowing for an immediate disbursement of SDR 77.392 million (about US$107 million).
    • Madagascar’s performance under the ECF and RSF has been satisfactory. The recent adoption of a recovery plan for the public utilities company (JIRAMA) and the continued implementation of the automatic fuel price adjustment mechanism will release space for critical development needs while helping improve energy supply.
    • Recent weather-related events, reduction in official development assistance (ODA) and the U.S tariff hike risk setting Madagascar back; they constitute a wakeup call.

    The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed today the Second Reviews under the 36-month Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement and under the 36-month Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangement. The ECF and RSF arrangements were approved by the IMF Executive Board in June 2024 (see PR24/232). The authorities have consented to the publication of the Staff Report prepared for this review.[1]

    The completion of the reviews allows for the immediate disbursement of SDR 36.66 million (about US$50 million) under the ECF arrangement and of SDR 40.732 million (about US$56 million) under the RSF arrangement.

    Madagascar has been hit by a myriad of shocks this year, including weather-related events and the dual external shock of ODA reduction (by about 1 percent of GDP) and U.S. tariff hike (47 percent initially). These developments would take a toll on growth, considering the country’s high dependence on external financial support and the exposure of its vanilla sector and textile industry to the U.S. market. Growth in 2025 would be lower-than-previously expected at 4 percent.

    The current account deficit widened to 5.4 percent of GDP in 2024, due to continued weak performance in some mining subsectors; it is expected to widen further (to 6.1 percent of GDP) this year, amidst challenging prospects in the textile industry and the vanilla sector.

    Program performance has been satisfactory, with all end-December 2024 quantitative performance criteria and three out of four indicative targets having been met. M3 growth was within the bands of the Monetary Policy Consultation Clause. All but one structural benchmark for the review period were also met. On the RSF front, a new forest carbon framework that promotes private sector participation in the reforestation was adopted and the National Contingency Fund for disaster risk management was operationalized.

    At the conclusion of the Executive Board discussion, Mr. Nigel Clarke, Deputy Managing Director, and Acting Chair, made the following statement:

    “Performance improved gradually over the first half year of the program, following delays related to mayoral elections; all but one of the end-December 2024 quantitative targets were met, and notable progress was achieved in the structural reform agenda. Recent weather-related and external shocks call for spending reprioritization, deliberate contingency planning in budget execution, and letting the exchange rate act as a shock absorber.

    “The recent adoption of a recovery plan for the public utilities company (JIRAMA) is a step in the right direction. Its swift implementation will help address pervasive disruptions in the provision of electricity to households and businesses, while limiting calls on the State budget. The continued implementation of the automatic fuel pricing mechanism will also help contain fiscal risks with targeted measures to support the most vulnerable.

    “Pressing ahead with domestic revenue mobilization efforts and enhancing public financial management and the public investment process remain key to fiscal sustainability. Early preparations for the 2026 budget will allow for stronger buy-in from domestic stakeholders; the budget should be anchored in a well-articulated medium-term fiscal strategy that accounts for the implementation of JIRAMA’s recovery plan and creates space for critical development spending.

    “While inflation has receded slightly from its January peak, the central bank (BFM) should not loosen monetary policy until inflation is on a firm downward path. Further improvements in liquidity management, forecasting and communication will strengthen the implementation of the BFM’s interest-based monetary policy framework. Maintaining a flexible exchange rate will help absorb external shocks.

    “A swift implementation of the authorities’ anti-corruption strategy (2025-2030), together with a homegrown action plan for implementing key recommendations from the IMF Governance Diagnostic Assessment (GDA), will improve transparency and the rule of law, support the authorities fight against corruption and protect the public purse.

    “The authorities’ continued commitment to their reform agenda under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) will support climate adaptation in Madagascar and complement the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) in fostering overall socio-economic resilience.”

    Table. Madagascar: Selected Economic Indicators

    2022

    2023

    2024

    2025

    2026

    Est.

    Proj.

    (Percent change; unless otherwise indicated)

    National Account and Prices

    GDP at constant prices

    4.2

    4.2

    4.2

    4.0

    4.0

    GDP deflator

    9.6

    7.5

    7.6

    8.3

    7.0

    Consumer prices (end of period)

    10.8

    7.5

    8.6

    8.3

    7.3

    Money and Credit

    Broad money (M3)

    13.8

    8.6

    14.6

    13.7

    8.7

    (Growth in percent of beginning-of-period money stock (M3))

    Net foreign assets

    0.8

    18.2

    9.8

    1.5

    1.4

    Net domestic assets

    13.0

    -9.7

    4.8

    12.2

    7.4

    of which: Credit to the private sector

    9.8

    0.7

    5.6

    6.0

    6.2

    (Percent of GDP)

    Public Finance

    Total revenue (excluding grants)

    9.5

    11.5

    11.4

    11.2

    12.0

    of which: Tax revenue

    9.2

    11.2

    10.9

    10.7

    11.7

    Grants

    1.3

    2.3

    2.3

    0.7

    0.4

    Total expenditures

    16.2

    17.9

    16.2

    15.7

    16.5

    Current expenditure

    10.8

    10.9

    9.6

    9.7

    9.5

    Capital expenditure

    5.4

    7.0

    6.6

    6.0

    7.0

    Overall balance (commitment basis)

    -5.5

    -4.2

    -2.6

    -3.9

    -4.1

    Domestic primary balance1

    -1.8

    -0.3

    1.3

    0.3

    1.4

    Primary balance

    -4.9

    -3.5

    -1.9

    -2.9

    -3.0

    Total financing

    4.7

    4.2

    2.7

    4.3

    4.3

    Foreign borrowing (net)

    2.4

    3.0

    2.6

    3.5

    3.7

    Domestic financing

    2.2

    1.2

    0.1

    0.8

    0.5

    Fiscal financing need2

    0.0

    0.0

    0.0

    0.0

    0.0

    Savings and Investment

    Investment

    21.8

    19.9

    22.2

    23.1

    24.2

    Gross national savings

    16.8

    15.9

    16.9

    17.0

    18.2

    External Sector

    Exports of goods, f.o.b.

    23.0

    19.5

    14.8

    13.5

    13.2

    Imports of goods, c.i.f.

    33.8

    28.0

    26.4

    25.7

    25.5

    Current account balance (exc. grants)

    -6.6

    -6.3

    -8.1

    -6.8

    -6.4

    Current account balance (inc. grants)

    -5.4

    -4.1

    -5.4

    -6.1

    -6.0

    Public Debt

    50.0

    52.7

    50.3

    50.9

    52.2

    External Public Debt (inc. BFM liabilities)

    36.1

    37.8

    36.7

    38.5

    40.4

    Domestic Public Debt

    13.9

    14.8

    13.6

    12.4

    11.7

    (Units as indicated)

    Gross official reserves (millions of SDRs)

    1,601

    1,972

    2,189

    2,297

    2,337

    Months of imports of goods and services

    4.2

    5.7

    6.2

    6.2

    6.0

    GDP per capita (U.S. dollars)

    529

    533

    569

    596

    621

    Sources: Malagasy authorities; and IMF staff estimates and projections.

    1. Primary balance excl. foreign-financed investment and grants.

    2. A negative value indicates a financing gap to be filled by budget support or other financing still to be committed or identified.

    [1] Under the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, publication of documents that pertain to member countries is voluntary and requires the member consent. The staff report will be shortly published on the www.imf.org/MDG page.

    – on behalf of International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amidst Increased ICE Activity in California, Attorney General Issues Alert: Housing Discrimination Against Immigrant Communities is Illegal

    Source: US State of California

    Californians can send complaints or tips related to housing to housing@doj.ca.gov 

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a consumer alert reminding Californians that it is against the law for landlords to discriminate against tenants, retaliate against tenants, or influence tenants to move out by threatening to disclose a tenant’s immigration status to ICE or law enforcement. Especially as the federal administration carries out its inhumane campaign of mass deportation and creates a culture of fear and mistrust, it is crucial that landlords and tenants understand their obligations and rights under California law. 

    “Families across the country are experiencing fear and uncertainly as a result of President Trump’s inhumane immigration agenda. Today, I remind landlords that it is illegal in California to discriminate against tenants or to harass or retaliate against a tenant by disclosing their immigration status to law enforcement,” said Attorney General Bonta. “California tenants — no matter their immigration status — have a right to safe housing and to access housing documents in a language they can understand. I will use the full force of my office to go after those who seek to take advantage of California tenants during an already challenging time.” 

    Housing discrimination is illegal in California. It is illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants based on race, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity or expression, disability status, familial status, source of income (including rental assistance such as Section 8 vouchers), veteran status, or certain other protected characteristics (Gov. Code § 12955.)

    Private housing providers cannot inquire about a tenant’s or applicant’s citizenship or immigration status and cannot discriminate on the basis of immigration status, citizenship, or primary language. For example, landlords cannot refuse to rent to a potential tenant, say that a rental is not available for rent when it is available, charge a tenant more rent, target a tenant for eviction, or provide a tenant with less favorable rental terms based on these characteristics (Civil Code § 1940.3(b); Gov. Code § 12955(d); Civil Code § 51.)

    Landlords are never allowed to harass or retaliate against a tenant by disclosing their immigration status to law enforcement (Civil Code §§ 1940.3(b), 1942.5.) Landlords also cannot threaten to disclose a tenant’s immigration status in order to pressure a tenant to move out. (Civil Code § 1940.2.)  In most cases, landlords are not allowed to ask a tenant or potential tenant their immigration or citizenship status.

    Tenants have the right to housing documents in a langauge they can understand. Under California law, if a residential lease for longer than one month is negotiated primarily in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or Korean, the landlord must provide the tenant with a written translation of the lease in that language before the lease is signed. (Civil Code § 1632(b).) Later documents making substantial changes to the lease, such as notices of rent increases or fee increases, must also be translated. (Civil Code § 1632(g)(1).)

    Landlords who violate these laws may be required to pay tenants for damages, penalties, and attorney’s fees. For example, a landlord who discloses a tenant’s immigration status to any immigration authority may be ordered to pay the tenant statutory damages equal to 6 to 12 times the monthly rent (Civil Code § 1940.35(b).) Tenants have an array of other rights and protections under California law. Some cities and counties also have additional renter protections, including limitations on evictions and rent increases. For more information, please visit https://oag.ca.gov/tenants. 

    Attorney General Bonta is committed to ensuring the rights of tenants in California are respected. Attorney General Bonta has held landlords accountable for violating California laws in Bakersfield, Marysville, and across California. Last month, Attorney General Bonta sued a group of property management and real estate holding companies owned by Mike Nijjar and members of his family. The Nijjar family and their related companies own and manage over 22,000 rental housing units statewide, primarily in low-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Kern Counties — but also spanning up to Sacramento and San Joaquin Counties. The lawsuit alleges Nijjar’s companies egregiously violated numerous California laws by subjecting tenants to unsafe units, discriminating against applicants with Section 8 housing vouchers, overcharging some tenants for rent, using leases that deceive tenants about their legal rights, and refusing to provide Spanish translations of these leases despite intentionally soliciting Spanish-speaking tenants. 

    Anyone — including current or former tenants — who has information that might be relevant to this case are encouraged to share their stories with our office by going to oag.ca.gov/report. To learn more about your rights as a tenant, please visit here.  

    Californians who are facing eviction or believe their landlord has violated their tenant rights should seek legal help immediately. If you cannot afford a lawyer, you may qualify for free or low-cost legal aid. To find a legal aid office near where you live, visit lawhelpca.org and click on the “Find Legal Help” tab. If you do not qualify for legal aid and need help finding a lawyer, visit the California State Bar webpage to find a local certified lawyer referral service, or visit the California Courts’ webpage for tenants facing evictions. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Surgent CPE Announces First-to-Market CPE Webinars Covering One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) Tax Reform

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Industry-leading courses provide timely analysis of major new tax law for accounting and finance professionals

    RADNOR, Pa., July 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Surgent CPE, a recognized leader in continuing professional education for accounting and finance professionals, announced today the immediate availability of two new CPE webinars providing in-depth coverage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) just moments after the House’s passage of the bill and its advancement to the president’s desk.

    OBBBA represents the most sweeping tax law since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and Surgent’s new offerings give professionals a practical, expert-led opportunity to understand both the individual and business tax impacts of the legislation.

    “We know that timely, practical CPE is mission-critical when landmark legislation like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act changes the tax landscape,” said Elizabeth Kolar, executive vice president and managing director of Surgent. “Our new webinars ensure professionals can quickly get up to speed, confidently advise clients, and earn valuable CPE credits at the same time.”

    Two Distinct, In-Depth OBBBA CPE Webinars

    Each live, instructor-led session is worth four CPE credits and may be taken independently. Both webinars are included in Surgent’s Unlimited PLUS subscription or are available for purchase individually.

    “OBBBA will affect tax planning for years to come. Practitioners need more than just the basics—they need real-world insight into how the provisions will impact their clients,” said Nick Spoltore, vice president of tax and advisory content at Surgent. “Our expert team is committed to going beyond the surface, delivering first-to-market, actionable content as new laws become reality.”

    Webinar Details

    Surgent will continue to provide practitioners with timely updates and clarifications as additional guidance and regulations emerge.

    For more information or to register for the new OBBBA CPE webinars, visit SurgentCPE.com.

    About Surgent Accounting & Financial Education
    Surgent Accounting & Financial Education, a division of KnowFully Learning Group, is a provider of high-impact education that accounting, tax, and financial professionals need throughout their careers. For most of the company’s 40-year history, Surgent has been a trusted provider of continuing professional education (CPE), continuing education (CE), and skill-based training that professionals need to maintain their credentials and stay current on industry changes. More recently, Surgent became one of the fastest-growing certification exam review providers, offering predictive AI-based courses that help learners pass accounting and finance credentialing exams faster. Learn more at Surgent.com.

    About KnowFully Learning Group
    The KnowFully Learning Group provides continuing professional education, exam preparation courses and education resources to the accounting, finance and healthcare sectors. KnowFully’s suite of learning solutions helps learners become credentialed, satisfy required credit hours to maintain credentials and stay informed on the latest trends and critical changes in their industries over the course of their careers. The company provides exam preparation and continuing education for accounting, finance and tax professionals headlined by the Surgent Accounting & Financial Education brand. KnowFully’s healthcare education brands include American Fitness Professionals & Associates, ChiroCredit, freeCE, Impact EMS Training, Online CE, PharmCon, Rx Consultant and Psychotherapy.net. For more information, please visit KnowFully.com.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/08e065d2-75f9-41cd-a539-706963db7ed9

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Linkage Global Inc Announces First Half 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TOKYO, July 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Linkage Global Inc (“Linkage Cayman”, or the “Company”), a cross-border e-commerce integrated services provider headquartered in Japan, today announced its unaudited financial results for the six months ended March 31, 2025.

    First Half 2025 Selected Financial Metrics

    • Total revenues decreased by approximately $1.30 million to approximately $3.50 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025, compared to approximately $4.80 million for the same period of 2024.
    • Gross profit increased by approximately $1.99 million to $2.70 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025, from approximately $0.71 million for the same period of 2024. Cross-border sales margin improved from 12.70% to 21.31%, while integrated e-commerce services margin rose from 50.67% to 93.56% during the same period.
    • Net loss increased from approximately $1.41 million for the six months ended March 31, 2024 to approximately $3.09 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025.

    First Half 2025 Financial Results

    Revenues

    Total revenues declined by approximately $1.30 million, or 27.02%, from approximately $4.80 million for the six months ended March 31, 2024, to approximately $3.50 million for the same period of 2025, mainly due to a sharp drop in cross-border sales.

    Revenues from cross-border sales fell by approximately $3.74 million, or 82.35%, from approximately $4.54 million for the six months ended March 31, 2024 to approximately $0.80 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025. EXTEND, our Japanese subsidiary, contributed $0.43 million or 12.32% of total revenue, down 87.66% year-over-year. This decline was driven by poor market response to its 3C electronics product strategy. In response, the Company shifted focus to higher-margin, fully managed e-commerce services and reallocated staff accordingly. The cross-border business is now being restructured, with new product selections and the Company plans to explore TikTok store and livestream sales in Japan.

    Revenues from Integrated e-commerce services surged by $2.44 million, or 930.08%, from approximately $0.26 million to $2.70 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025, largely due to the launch of fully managed e-commerce operations in 2025. This new model, contributing $2.59 million in revenue and $2.46 million in gross profit, involves end-to-end store management for merchants, with fees based on gross merchandize volume (GMV).

    Revenues from digital marketing dropped from approximately $0.13 million for the six months ended March 31, 2024 to approximately $0.08 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025, after ending the Google partnership in January 2025 and beginning deregistration in April. Revenues from training and consulting, TikTok agent services declined by $0.10 million, or 75.25%, from $0.13 million to $0.03 million.

    Cost of Revenues

    Cost of revenues fell 80.34%, from approximately $4.09 million for the six months ended March 31, 2024, to approximately $0.80 million for the same period in 2025. This was mainly due to a sharp drop in cross-border sales costs, which declined $3.33 million, or 84.09%, from $3.96 million to $0.63 million, reflecting reduced procurement in line with lower sales. In contrast, costs for integrated e-commerce services rose $0.04 million, or 34.55%, from $0.13 million to $0.17 million. Of this, $0.13 million was related to the new fully managed e-commerce business, primarily covering staff salaries. Commission costs declined due to the termination of related services.

    Gross Profit        

    Gross profit increased by approximately $1.99 million, or 280.57%, from approximately $0.71 million to approximately $2.70 million, mainly driven by the new fully managed e-commerce business, which contributed $2.46 million in profit with a 95.12% margin. The high margin was due to low operating costs, mostly staff salaries, with no enterprise resource planning development expenses in the current period as they were previously recognized. Cross-border sales margin improved from 12.70% to 21.31% due to a shift toward higher-margin products. Integrated e-commerce services margin rose from 50.67% to 93.56%, also driven by the new business model.

    Operating Expenses

    Operating expenses rose by 91.01%, from approximately $2.27 million to approximately $4.34 million, mainly due to higher general and administrative expenses, which increased 123.94%, from $1.74 million to $3.90 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025, which was primarily attributable to the allowance for credit loss, stock-based compensation and post-IPO financial and legal consulting fees.

    Selling and marketing expenses dropped 31.15%, from approximately $0.23 million to approximately $0.16 million, due to lower freight and advertising costs, as well as lower marketing and promotion expenses.

    Research and development expenses declined 7.87%, from approximately $0.30 million to approximately $0.27 million, as ERP development staff shifted to operational roles and their salaries were reclassified under business costs.

    Other Expenses

    Other expenses mainly include non-operating income and interest expenses, net. Non-operating income rose from $998 to approximately $0.39 million. Net interest expenses increased significantly from approximately $0.06 million to approximately $1.50 million, mainly due to the issuance of $10 million in convertible bonds in October 2024, with an actual interest rate of 42.52%, generating $1.56 million in interest expenses during the reporting period.

    Income Tax (Provision)/Benefit

    Income tax (provision) /benefit decreased by approximately $0.56 million, from approximately $0.02 million of tax benefit for the six months ended March 31, 2024 to approximately $0.34 million of tax expenses for the six months ended March 31, 2025. This decrease was primarily attributable to net profit for the fully managed e-commerce operation services with a tax rate of 16.5%.

    Net Loss

    As a result, net loss increased by approximately $1.68 million, or 119.62%, from approximately $1.41 million to approximately $3.09 million.

    About Linkage Global Inc

    Linkage Global Inc is a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with no operations of its own. Linkage Cayman conducts its operations through its operating subsidiaries in Japan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. As a cross-border e-commerce integrated services provider headquartered in Japan, through its operating subsidiaries, the Company has developed a comprehensive service system comprised of two lines of business complementary to each other, including (i) cross-border sales and (ii) integrated e-commerce services. For more information, please visit www.linkagecc.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “approximates,” “assesses,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s annual reports on Form 20-F and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

    For more information, please contact:

    Investor Relations

    WFS Investor Relations Inc.

    Connie Kang, Partner

    Email: ckang@wealthfsllc.com

    Tel: +86 1381 185 7742

       
    Linkage Global Inc
    UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    AS OF MARCH 31, 2025 AND SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
    (In U.S. dollars, except for share and per share data, or otherwise noted)    		  
       
        As of
    March 31,
    2025    		     As of
    September 30,
    2024    		  
        USD  
    ASSETS            
    Current assets            
    Cash and cash equivalents     328,081       2,000,732  
    Accounts receivable, net     6,405,486       6,302,696  
    Inventories, net     35,675       66,331  
    Deposits paid to media platforms     —       482,650  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets, net     1,625,517       2,689,581  
    Amount due from related parties     1,243,450       —  
    Short-term loan to third party     8,993,306       410,000  
    Interest receivable from loan to third party     386,261       —  
    Total current assets     19,017,776       11,951,990  
                     
    Non-current assets                
    Property and equipment, net     50,594       85,807  
    Right-of-use assets, net     516,167       653,730  
    Total non-current assets     566,761       739,537  
    TOTAL ASSETS     19,584,537       12,691,527  
                     
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                
    Current liabilities                
    Accounts payable     324,069       624,723  
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities     303,413       236,813  
    Short-term debts     —       32,810  
    Current portion of long-term debts     243,557       428,702  
    Contract liabilities     208,483       533,625  
    Amounts due to related parties     —       314,544  
    Lease liabilities – current     203,600       231,978  
    Convertible notes     7,884,325       964,865  
    Interest payable of convertible notes     1,555,689       —  
    Income tax payable     850,866       1,017,619  
    Total current liabilities     11,574,002       4,385,679  
                     
    Non-current liabilities                
    Long-term debts     734,023       839,560  
    Lease liabilities – non-current     334,973       441,504  
    Total non-current liabilities     1,068,996       1,281,064  
    Total liabilities     12,642,998       5,666,743  
                     
    Commitments and contingencies (Note 21)                
                     
    Shareholders’ equity                
    Class A ordinary shares (par value of US$0.0025 per share; 998,000,000 ordinary shares authorized, 3,080,000 and 2,150,000 ordinary shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025 and September 30, 2024, respectively) *     7,700       5,375  
    Class B ordinary shares (par value of US$0.0025 per share; 2,000,000 ordinary shares authorized, 700,000 and nil ordinary shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025 and September 30, 2024, respectively) *     1,750       —  
    Additional paid in capital     8,564,021       5,591,596  
    Treasury Shares     (500 )     —  
    Statutory reserve     11,348       11,348  
    Retained earnings     (1,474,142 )     1,613,217  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (168,638 )     (196,752 )
    Total shareholders’ equity     6,941,539       7,024,784  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY     19,584,537       12,691,527  
       
    Linkage Global Inc
    UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
    FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2025 AND 2024
    (In U.S. dollars, except for share and per share data, or otherwise noted)    		  
       
        For the six months ended
    March 31,    		  
        2025     2024  
        USD  
    Revenues     3,501,947       4,798,363  
    Cost of revenues     (804,142 )     (4,089,486 )
    Gross profit     2,697,805       708,877  
                     
    Operating expenses                
    General and administrative expenses     (3,904,027 )     (1,743,309 )
    Selling and marketing expenses     (157,637 )     (228,956 )
    Research and development expenses     (274,371 )     (297,811 )
    Total operating expenses     (4,336,035 )     (2,270,076 )
    Operating loss     (1,638,230 )     (1,561,199 )
                     
    Other expenses                
    Interest expenses, net     (1,496,504 )     (60,726 )
    Other non-operating income     387,816       998  
    Total other expenses     (1,108,688 )     (59,728 )
                     
    Loss before income taxes     (2,746,918 )     (1,620,927 )
    Income tax (provision)/ benefit     (340,441 )     215,161  
    Net loss     (3,087,359 )     (1,405,766 )
    Net loss attributable to the Company’s ordinary shareholders     (3,087,359 )     —  
    Other comprehensive income/(loss)                
    Foreign currency translation adjustment     28,114       (10,107 )
    Total comprehensive loss attributable to the Company’s ordinary shareholders     (3,059,245 )     (1,415,873 )
                     
    Loss per ordinary share attributable to ordinary shareholders                
    Basic and Diluted*     (0.90 )     (0.67 )
    Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding                
    Basic and Diluted*     3,415,533       2,084,890  
       
    Linkage Global Inc
    UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
    FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2025 AND 2024
    (In U.S. dollars, except for share and per share data, or otherwise noted)    		  
       
        For the six months ended
    March 31,    		  
        2025     2024  
        USD  
    CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:            
    Net loss     (3,087,359 )     (1,405,766 )
                     
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:                
    Effect of exchange rate changes     202,551       1,184  
    Allowance for credit loss     1,344,218       568,229  
    Interest payable of convertible notes     1,555,689       —  
    Interest receivable from loan to third party     (386,261 )     —  
    Stock-Based Compensation     1,209,000       —  
    Depreciation     22,205       40,959  
    Amortization of lease right-of-use assets     114,791       110,229  
    Inventory provision     4,328       2,203  
    Deferred tax benefits     —       (216,713 )
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:                
    Accounts receivable, net     (1,649,559 )     (725,166 )
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets, net     (261,232 )     (3,233,957 )
    Inventories, net     26,328       539,517  
    Accounts payable     (300,654 )     (320,628 )
    Contract liabilities     (325,142 )     25,350  
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities     66,600       (5,188 )
    Amounts due from related parties     341,426       —  
    Amounts due to related parties     (314,238 )     (16,189 )
    Tax payable     (166,753 )     928,135  
    Operating lease liabilities     (134,909 )     (103,326 )
    Net cash used in operating activities     (1,738,971 )     (3,811,127 )
                     
    Cash flow from investing activities                
    Repayments of loan to a related party     (99,876 )     —  
    Loan to third party     (8,640,000 )     —  
    Net cash used in investing activities     (8,739,876 )     —  
                     
    Cash flow from financing activities                
    Proceeds from issuance of Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of IPO     —       5,356,792  
    Proceeds from Issuance of convertible notes     9,002,368       —  
    Proceeds from short-term debts     —       132,258  
    Repayments of short-term debts     (32,810 )     (33,726 )
    Repayments of long-term debts     (124,959 )     (179,420 )
    Repayments of other long-term debts     (108,037 )     (878,962 )
    Payments of listing expenses     —       (150,606 )
    Net cash provided by financing activities     8,736,562       4,246,336  
    Effect of exchange rate changes     69,634       (58,969 )
    Net change in cash and cash equivalents     (1,672,651 )     376,240  
    Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period     2,000,732       1,107,480  
    Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period     328,081       1,483,720  
                     
    Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:                
    Income tax paid     —       150,124  
    Interest expense paid     33,056       65,901  
                     
    Supplemental disclosures of non-cash activities:                
    Obtaining right-of-use assets in exchange for operating lease liabilities     155,160       147,083  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Linkage Global Inc Announces First Half 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TOKYO, July 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Linkage Global Inc (“Linkage Cayman”, or the “Company”), a cross-border e-commerce integrated services provider headquartered in Japan, today announced its unaudited financial results for the six months ended March 31, 2025.

    First Half 2025 Selected Financial Metrics

    • Total revenues decreased by approximately $1.30 million to approximately $3.50 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025, compared to approximately $4.80 million for the same period of 2024.
    • Gross profit increased by approximately $1.99 million to $2.70 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025, from approximately $0.71 million for the same period of 2024. Cross-border sales margin improved from 12.70% to 21.31%, while integrated e-commerce services margin rose from 50.67% to 93.56% during the same period.
    • Net loss increased from approximately $1.41 million for the six months ended March 31, 2024 to approximately $3.09 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025.

    First Half 2025 Financial Results

    Revenues

    Total revenues declined by approximately $1.30 million, or 27.02%, from approximately $4.80 million for the six months ended March 31, 2024, to approximately $3.50 million for the same period of 2025, mainly due to a sharp drop in cross-border sales.

    Revenues from cross-border sales fell by approximately $3.74 million, or 82.35%, from approximately $4.54 million for the six months ended March 31, 2024 to approximately $0.80 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025. EXTEND, our Japanese subsidiary, contributed $0.43 million or 12.32% of total revenue, down 87.66% year-over-year. This decline was driven by poor market response to its 3C electronics product strategy. In response, the Company shifted focus to higher-margin, fully managed e-commerce services and reallocated staff accordingly. The cross-border business is now being restructured, with new product selections and the Company plans to explore TikTok store and livestream sales in Japan.

    Revenues from Integrated e-commerce services surged by $2.44 million, or 930.08%, from approximately $0.26 million to $2.70 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025, largely due to the launch of fully managed e-commerce operations in 2025. This new model, contributing $2.59 million in revenue and $2.46 million in gross profit, involves end-to-end store management for merchants, with fees based on gross merchandize volume (GMV).

    Revenues from digital marketing dropped from approximately $0.13 million for the six months ended March 31, 2024 to approximately $0.08 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025, after ending the Google partnership in January 2025 and beginning deregistration in April. Revenues from training and consulting, TikTok agent services declined by $0.10 million, or 75.25%, from $0.13 million to $0.03 million.

    Cost of Revenues

    Cost of revenues fell 80.34%, from approximately $4.09 million for the six months ended March 31, 2024, to approximately $0.80 million for the same period in 2025. This was mainly due to a sharp drop in cross-border sales costs, which declined $3.33 million, or 84.09%, from $3.96 million to $0.63 million, reflecting reduced procurement in line with lower sales. In contrast, costs for integrated e-commerce services rose $0.04 million, or 34.55%, from $0.13 million to $0.17 million. Of this, $0.13 million was related to the new fully managed e-commerce business, primarily covering staff salaries. Commission costs declined due to the termination of related services.

    Gross Profit        

    Gross profit increased by approximately $1.99 million, or 280.57%, from approximately $0.71 million to approximately $2.70 million, mainly driven by the new fully managed e-commerce business, which contributed $2.46 million in profit with a 95.12% margin. The high margin was due to low operating costs, mostly staff salaries, with no enterprise resource planning development expenses in the current period as they were previously recognized. Cross-border sales margin improved from 12.70% to 21.31% due to a shift toward higher-margin products. Integrated e-commerce services margin rose from 50.67% to 93.56%, also driven by the new business model.

    Operating Expenses

    Operating expenses rose by 91.01%, from approximately $2.27 million to approximately $4.34 million, mainly due to higher general and administrative expenses, which increased 123.94%, from $1.74 million to $3.90 million for the six months ended March 31, 2025, which was primarily attributable to the allowance for credit loss, stock-based compensation and post-IPO financial and legal consulting fees.

    Selling and marketing expenses dropped 31.15%, from approximately $0.23 million to approximately $0.16 million, due to lower freight and advertising costs, as well as lower marketing and promotion expenses.

    Research and development expenses declined 7.87%, from approximately $0.30 million to approximately $0.27 million, as ERP development staff shifted to operational roles and their salaries were reclassified under business costs.

    Other Expenses

    Other expenses mainly include non-operating income and interest expenses, net. Non-operating income rose from $998 to approximately $0.39 million. Net interest expenses increased significantly from approximately $0.06 million to approximately $1.50 million, mainly due to the issuance of $10 million in convertible bonds in October 2024, with an actual interest rate of 42.52%, generating $1.56 million in interest expenses during the reporting period.

    Income Tax (Provision)/Benefit

    Income tax (provision) /benefit decreased by approximately $0.56 million, from approximately $0.02 million of tax benefit for the six months ended March 31, 2024 to approximately $0.34 million of tax expenses for the six months ended March 31, 2025. This decrease was primarily attributable to net profit for the fully managed e-commerce operation services with a tax rate of 16.5%.

    Net Loss

    As a result, net loss increased by approximately $1.68 million, or 119.62%, from approximately $1.41 million to approximately $3.09 million.

    About Linkage Global Inc

    Linkage Global Inc is a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with no operations of its own. Linkage Cayman conducts its operations through its operating subsidiaries in Japan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. As a cross-border e-commerce integrated services provider headquartered in Japan, through its operating subsidiaries, the Company has developed a comprehensive service system comprised of two lines of business complementary to each other, including (i) cross-border sales and (ii) integrated e-commerce services. For more information, please visit www.linkagecc.com.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “approximates,” “assesses,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s annual reports on Form 20-F and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

    For more information, please contact:

    Investor Relations

    WFS Investor Relations Inc.

    Connie Kang, Partner

    Email: ckang@wealthfsllc.com

    Tel: +86 1381 185 7742

       
    Linkage Global Inc
    UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    AS OF MARCH 31, 2025 AND SEPTEMBER 30, 2024
    (In U.S. dollars, except for share and per share data, or otherwise noted)    		  
       
        As of
    March 31,
    2025    		     As of
    September 30,
    2024    		  
        USD  
    ASSETS            
    Current assets            
    Cash and cash equivalents     328,081       2,000,732  
    Accounts receivable, net     6,405,486       6,302,696  
    Inventories, net     35,675       66,331  
    Deposits paid to media platforms     —       482,650  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets, net     1,625,517       2,689,581  
    Amount due from related parties     1,243,450       —  
    Short-term loan to third party     8,993,306       410,000  
    Interest receivable from loan to third party     386,261       —  
    Total current assets     19,017,776       11,951,990  
                     
    Non-current assets                
    Property and equipment, net     50,594       85,807  
    Right-of-use assets, net     516,167       653,730  
    Total non-current assets     566,761       739,537  
    TOTAL ASSETS     19,584,537       12,691,527  
                     
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                
    Current liabilities                
    Accounts payable     324,069       624,723  
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities     303,413       236,813  
    Short-term debts     —       32,810  
    Current portion of long-term debts     243,557       428,702  
    Contract liabilities     208,483       533,625  
    Amounts due to related parties     —       314,544  
    Lease liabilities – current     203,600       231,978  
    Convertible notes     7,884,325       964,865  
    Interest payable of convertible notes     1,555,689       —  
    Income tax payable     850,866       1,017,619  
    Total current liabilities     11,574,002       4,385,679  
                     
    Non-current liabilities                
    Long-term debts     734,023       839,560  
    Lease liabilities – non-current     334,973       441,504  
    Total non-current liabilities     1,068,996       1,281,064  
    Total liabilities     12,642,998       5,666,743  
                     
    Commitments and contingencies (Note 21)                
                     
    Shareholders’ equity                
    Class A ordinary shares (par value of US$0.0025 per share; 998,000,000 ordinary shares authorized, 3,080,000 and 2,150,000 ordinary shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025 and September 30, 2024, respectively) *     7,700       5,375  
    Class B ordinary shares (par value of US$0.0025 per share; 2,000,000 ordinary shares authorized, 700,000 and nil ordinary shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025 and September 30, 2024, respectively) *     1,750       —  
    Additional paid in capital     8,564,021       5,591,596  
    Treasury Shares     (500 )     —  
    Statutory reserve     11,348       11,348  
    Retained earnings     (1,474,142 )     1,613,217  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (168,638 )     (196,752 )
    Total shareholders’ equity     6,941,539       7,024,784  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY     19,584,537       12,691,527  
       
    Linkage Global Inc
    UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
    FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2025 AND 2024
    (In U.S. dollars, except for share and per share data, or otherwise noted)    		  
       
        For the six months ended
    March 31,    		  
        2025     2024  
        USD  
    Revenues     3,501,947       4,798,363  
    Cost of revenues     (804,142 )     (4,089,486 )
    Gross profit     2,697,805       708,877  
                     
    Operating expenses                
    General and administrative expenses     (3,904,027 )     (1,743,309 )
    Selling and marketing expenses     (157,637 )     (228,956 )
    Research and development expenses     (274,371 )     (297,811 )
    Total operating expenses     (4,336,035 )     (2,270,076 )
    Operating loss     (1,638,230 )     (1,561,199 )
                     
    Other expenses                
    Interest expenses, net     (1,496,504 )     (60,726 )
    Other non-operating income     387,816       998  
    Total other expenses     (1,108,688 )     (59,728 )
                     
    Loss before income taxes     (2,746,918 )     (1,620,927 )
    Income tax (provision)/ benefit     (340,441 )     215,161  
    Net loss     (3,087,359 )     (1,405,766 )
    Net loss attributable to the Company’s ordinary shareholders     (3,087,359 )     —  
    Other comprehensive income/(loss)                
    Foreign currency translation adjustment     28,114       (10,107 )
    Total comprehensive loss attributable to the Company’s ordinary shareholders     (3,059,245 )     (1,415,873 )
                     
    Loss per ordinary share attributable to ordinary shareholders                
    Basic and Diluted*     (0.90 )     (0.67 )
    Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding                
    Basic and Diluted*     3,415,533       2,084,890  
       
    Linkage Global Inc
    UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
    FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2025 AND 2024
    (In U.S. dollars, except for share and per share data, or otherwise noted)    		  
       
        For the six months ended
    March 31,    		  
        2025     2024  
        USD  
    CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:            
    Net loss     (3,087,359 )     (1,405,766 )
                     
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:                
    Effect of exchange rate changes     202,551       1,184  
    Allowance for credit loss     1,344,218       568,229  
    Interest payable of convertible notes     1,555,689       —  
    Interest receivable from loan to third party     (386,261 )     —  
    Stock-Based Compensation     1,209,000       —  
    Depreciation     22,205       40,959  
    Amortization of lease right-of-use assets     114,791       110,229  
    Inventory provision     4,328       2,203  
    Deferred tax benefits     —       (216,713 )
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:                
    Accounts receivable, net     (1,649,559 )     (725,166 )
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets, net     (261,232 )     (3,233,957 )
    Inventories, net     26,328       539,517  
    Accounts payable     (300,654 )     (320,628 )
    Contract liabilities     (325,142 )     25,350  
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities     66,600       (5,188 )
    Amounts due from related parties     341,426       —  
    Amounts due to related parties     (314,238 )     (16,189 )
    Tax payable     (166,753 )     928,135  
    Operating lease liabilities     (134,909 )     (103,326 )
    Net cash used in operating activities     (1,738,971 )     (3,811,127 )
                     
    Cash flow from investing activities                
    Repayments of loan to a related party     (99,876 )     —  
    Loan to third party     (8,640,000 )     —  
    Net cash used in investing activities     (8,739,876 )     —  
                     
    Cash flow from financing activities                
    Proceeds from issuance of Class A ordinary shares upon the completion of IPO     —       5,356,792  
    Proceeds from Issuance of convertible notes     9,002,368       —  
    Proceeds from short-term debts     —       132,258  
    Repayments of short-term debts     (32,810 )     (33,726 )
    Repayments of long-term debts     (124,959 )     (179,420 )
    Repayments of other long-term debts     (108,037 )     (878,962 )
    Payments of listing expenses     —       (150,606 )
    Net cash provided by financing activities     8,736,562       4,246,336  
    Effect of exchange rate changes     69,634       (58,969 )
    Net change in cash and cash equivalents     (1,672,651 )     376,240  
    Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period     2,000,732       1,107,480  
    Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period     328,081       1,483,720  
                     
    Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:                
    Income tax paid     —       150,124  
    Interest expense paid     33,056       65,901  
                     
    Supplemental disclosures of non-cash activities:                
    Obtaining right-of-use assets in exchange for operating lease liabilities     155,160       147,083  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Triumph Announces Schedule for Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Release and Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, July 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Triumph Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: TFIN) today announced that it expects to release its second quarter financial results and management commentary after the market closes on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. Upon filing, the financial results and commentary will be available on the Company’s IR website at ir.triumph.io.

    Aaron P. Graft, Vice Chairman and CEO, and Brad Voss, CFO, will review the financial results in a conference call with investors and analysts beginning at 9:30 a.m. central time on Thursday, July 17, 2025.

    The live video conference may be accessed directly through this link, https://triumph-financial-q2-2025-earnings.open-exchange.net/ or via the Company’s IR website at ir.triumph.io through the News & Events, Events & Presentations links. An archive of this video conference will subsequently be available at the same location, referenced above, on the Company’s website.

    About Triumph

    Triumph (Nasdaq: TFIN) is a financial and technology company focused on payments, factoring, intelligence and banking to modernize and simplify freight transactions. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, its portfolio of brands includes Triumph, TBK Bank and LoadPay.    

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Investors are cautioned that such statements are predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. Triumph Financial’s expected financial results or other plans are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” and the forward-looking statement disclosure contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 11, 2025. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and Triumph Financial undertakes no duty to update the information.

    Source: Triumph Financial, Inc.

    Investor Relations:
    Luke Wyse
    Executive Vice President, Head of Investor Relations
    lwyse@tfin.com
    214-365-6936

    Media Contact:
    Amanda Tavackoli
    Senior Vice President, Director of Corporate Communication
    atavackoli@tfin.com
    214-365-6930

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Landmark decision on the human right to a healthy climate delivered by the highest court in the Americas

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Amsterdam, Netherlands – The Inter-American Court of Human Rights just delivered a landmark decision on the obligations of States in the face of the climate emergency.[1] The Court established that governments must take “urgent and effective actions” to safeguard the right to a healthy climate, and that companies have obligations with regard to climate change and its impacts on human rights. This decision unequivocally puts the rights of people and nature above the interests of polluters.

    In an unprecedented move, the Court also recognised the right to nature and ecosystems to maintain their essential ecological processes, as a crucial part in the effort to address the triple planetary crisis [2] and to achieve a truly sustainable development model that respects planetary boundaries and guarantees the rights of present and future generations. 

    Pablo Ramírez, Climate Campaigner, Greenpeace Mexico, said: “This is a life-changing decision for thousands of communities that are impacted by climate change on our continent. The highest court in the Americas is providing us with a pathway to climate justice, obliging States to guarantee human rights, address climate impacts and force polluting industries to repair the damage they have caused.”

    The Court’s decision puts powerful legal tools to secure climate accountability and justice in the hands of more than 300 million people in 20 states that are party to the American Convention on Human Rights, including Indigenous Peoples, civil society organisations and individuals. 

    The advisory opinion was requested in January 2023 by the governments of Chile and Colombia. [3] It was followed by the most participatory process in the history of the Court, with 150 oral interventions from States, international organisations, Indigenous Peoples, and civil society, as well as 265 written submissions, including from Greenpeace International.

    Latin America and the Caribbean are highly affected by air pollution,[4] rising sea levels and extreme weather events,[5] fuelled by emissions from oil and gas corporations and other polluting industries.[6] 

    The Court’s decision is grounded in clear scientific evidence that attributes large emissions from corporations to impacts such as loss of life and livelihoods from climate disasters. This Court decision will directly assist individuals and communities in pushing back against corporate polluters and corporate violations of human rights.

    Maria Alejandra Serra, Legal Counsel, Greenpeace International, said: “For too long, politicians and corporations have gotten away with profiting from the destruction of our environment and from harming the lives of ordinary people. This decision marks the beginning of the era of corporate accountability and a big step towards dismantling the colonial legacy of systemic impunity in our region.”

    The decision builds on the growing global momentum in courts tasked with interpreting international law facing the climate crisis.[7] It is expected to be used by governments to present more ambitious climate action plans and shape future decisions by other international human rights courts, setting the stage for a forthcoming historic advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice – the world’s highest court – on the responsibilities of States to mitigate climate impacts. 

    ENDS 

    Notes:

    Photos and videos of Greenpeace International and its allies in the process at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on the Greenpeace Media Library. 

    [1] The Inter-American Court of Human Rights, one of three regional human rights courts in the world, has the role to interpret and clarify the obligations of States. Its decisions inform national governments and courts. Read the full decision in Spanish here.

    [2] As established by the United Nations, “[t]he triple planetary crisis refers to the interconnected challenges of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss”. See here 

    [3] Read the Advisory Opinion Request here. 

    [4] A review on the impact of climate change and air pollution in the region, particularly in the Caribbean, is detailed in a Columbia University publication authored by Muge Akpinar-Elci and Olaniyi Olayinka.

    [5] As recently as 2024, the Americas region faced devastating effects from multiple extreme weather events, which continued to impact lives, livelihoods, and food supply chains long after the events had passed, according to a publication by the World Meteorological Organization. 

    [6] Written observation on the request for an advisory opinion on the climate emergency and human rights by Greenpeace International, the Center for International Environmental Law, the NYU Climate Law Accelerator, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Open Society Justice Initiative.

    [7] Some examples are the recent decisions from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which classified greenhouse gas emissions as marine pollution, and the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights against Switzerland, a State failing to set adequate climate targets.

    Contacts:

    Tal Harris, Greenpeace International, Global Media Lead – Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign, +41-782530550, [email protected]

    Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]Follow @greenpeacepress on X/Twitter for our latest international press release

    Follow @greenpeacepress on X/Twitter for our latest international press release

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bacon Votes Yes on One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

    Bacon Votes Yes on One Big Beautiful Bill

    Washington – Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) issued the following statement after voting yes on the “One Big Beautiful Bill”:

    “Stopping tax increases of approximately $141 a month on Middle Class Nebraskan families and making the tax code permanent is critical, which is why I voted yes on the bill. In addition, this bill invests in servicemember pay, housing, healthcare, and quality of life. It also helps America grow its naval power, improve DoD systems, and gives the Pentagon the tools to pass a full audit. Furthermore, it enforces work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependent children, which is supported overwhelmingly by Americans. I think the House bill had better provisions for Medicaid and Renewable Energy, but the benefits outweigh the drawbacks overall.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Griffith Statement on Appointment to Health Subcommittee Chair

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

    Griffith Statement on Appointment to Health Subcommittee Chair

    U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie selected U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) to serve as Chairman of the Committee’s Health Subcommittee. Congressman Griffith issued the following statement:

    “I am excited to take on the role as the Health Subcommittee Chairman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee! I look forward to continuing the work of former Chairman Buddy Carter and wish him well in all his endeavors. Further, I am committed to advancing Chairman Guthrie’s priorities. 

    “I have had the pleasure of working closely with Chairman Guthrie on many health care related issues, particularly while I chaired the Oversight Subcommittee.

    “I will remain on the Environment Subcommittee, where I will support Chairman Palmer as we look for reauthorization of numerous important environmental programs.”

    BACKGROUND

    As part of the July 3 announcement, Congressman Gary Palmer will take over as Chairman of the Environment Subcommittee.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Rep. Castor Statement on Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill That Will Inflict Outsized Harm & Raise Costs on Floridians

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) blasted the House Republican “Big Ugly Bill” that will rip health care coverage, food and Pell grants away from tens of millions of Americans, including children, seniors, Veterans and people with disabilities – all to give massive tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporations. The Big Ugly Bill is fiscally irresponsible and morally wrong, as it will also add trillions of dollars to the national debt, leading to higher interest rates and inflation. The Big Ugly Bill is the deepest rollback in health care coverage in history – wiping away gains made over the past decade to cover families under Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It’s an abominable transfer of wealth from the working class to the wealthy that will weaken America and hurt millions of families.

    As American families struggle with the high cost of living, President Trump and Congressional Republicans are looting the Treasury and leaving families in the lurch with higher health care premiums, food costs and electric bills.

    “The billionaire tax giveaway will hit Floridians harder than any other state, as 3.9 million rely on Medicaid and over 4.7 million rely on Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage. The GOP bill takes health care away from children, seniors, pregnant and postpartum women, and people with disabilities to fund a massive tax break for billionaires and big corporations. The Big Ugly, no-good, horrible bill will result in an estimated 1.9 million Floridians losing their health care altogether, and soaring premiums for many more. President Trump and Congressional Republicans stick it to working-class Floridians while their wealthiest donors can buy more vacation homes, private jets and luxury vacations. The bill is chock full of special interest side deals and carve-outs – including giveaways for Big Oil and Gas, sweetheart deals for gun manufacturers and their lobbyists, all while cutting Pell Grants and student loans for millions of students,” said Rep. Castor. 

    “Medicaid, the ACA and SNAP are a lifeline for my neighbors in Florida. Slashing essential care and nutrition assistance means more Floridians will struggle to afford doctor visits, medications, long-term care and critical treatments, or to keep food on the table – essentials needed to stay healthy, keep their heads above water and our country strong.”

    Trump and Republicans in Congress did not deviate from the political payback to the oil and gas industry as the Big Ugly Bill slashes initiatives that are lowering costs for American families, including cost-saving clean energy investments from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). 

    “It’s the worst bill I’ve seen in my years in Congress as Tampa Bay’s Congresswoman. Families and hardworking Americans will be left to deal with the harsh economic fallout. I will be there for them and will do everything in my power to repair the damage and fight for an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Rep. Castor Statement on Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill That Will Inflict Outsized Harm & Raise Costs on Floridians

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) blasted the House Republican “Big Ugly Bill” that will rip health care coverage, food and Pell grants away from tens of millions of Americans, including children, seniors, Veterans and people with disabilities – all to give massive tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporations. The Big Ugly Bill is fiscally irresponsible and morally wrong, as it will also add trillions of dollars to the national debt, leading to higher interest rates and inflation. The Big Ugly Bill is the deepest rollback in health care coverage in history – wiping away gains made over the past decade to cover families under Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It’s an abominable transfer of wealth from the working class to the wealthy that will weaken America and hurt millions of families.

    As American families struggle with the high cost of living, President Trump and Congressional Republicans are looting the Treasury and leaving families in the lurch with higher health care premiums, food costs and electric bills.

    “The billionaire tax giveaway will hit Floridians harder than any other state, as 3.9 million rely on Medicaid and over 4.7 million rely on Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage. The GOP bill takes health care away from children, seniors, pregnant and postpartum women, and people with disabilities to fund a massive tax break for billionaires and big corporations. The Big Ugly, no-good, horrible bill will result in an estimated 1.9 million Floridians losing their health care altogether, and soaring premiums for many more. President Trump and Congressional Republicans stick it to working-class Floridians while their wealthiest donors can buy more vacation homes, private jets and luxury vacations. The bill is chock full of special interest side deals and carve-outs – including giveaways for Big Oil and Gas, sweetheart deals for gun manufacturers and their lobbyists, all while cutting Pell Grants and student loans for millions of students,” said Rep. Castor. 

    “Medicaid, the ACA and SNAP are a lifeline for my neighbors in Florida. Slashing essential care and nutrition assistance means more Floridians will struggle to afford doctor visits, medications, long-term care and critical treatments, or to keep food on the table – essentials needed to stay healthy, keep their heads above water and our country strong.”

    Trump and Republicans in Congress did not deviate from the political payback to the oil and gas industry as the Big Ugly Bill slashes initiatives that are lowering costs for American families, including cost-saving clean energy investments from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). 

    “It’s the worst bill I’ve seen in my years in Congress as Tampa Bay’s Congresswoman. Families and hardworking Americans will be left to deal with the harsh economic fallout. I will be there for them and will do everything in my power to repair the damage and fight for an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Rep. Barragán Slams Final Passage of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill as a “A Cruel Betrayal of the American People”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    July 3, 2025

    Contact: jin.choi@mail.house.gov

    Rep. Barragán Slams Final Passage of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill as a “A Cruel Betrayal of the American People”

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass Donald Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, a massive budget package that rips essential safety-net programs away from working families, children, seniors, and veterans to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. The bill passed 218 to 214. Every single House Democrat voted against the bill.

    House Democrats fought until the very last minute to stop the bill’s passage. Leader Hakeem Jeffries took to the floor and delivered the longest “magic minute” speech in House history, stretching his leadership-privileged one-minute speech to nearly 9 hours to shine a national spotlight on the devastating impact this bill would have on American families and to make one last plea for Republicans to choose the well-being of their constituents over the demands of a want-to-be king and their billionaire donors .

    The Big Ugly Bill now heads to President Trump’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law. Once signed, it will mark the largest Medicaid cut in American history and one of the most aggressive redistributions of wealth from poor and working families to the ultra-rich.

    “This bill is a moral failure. It’s an assault on the American people — on children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. It strips away health care, food assistance, and basic dignity from those who need it most to hand nearly $1.3 trillion in tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk. Republicans didn’t just fail our families today, they betrayed the American people,” said Rep. Nanette Barragán.

    “House Democrats fought like hell to stop this bill. We held events in every corner of the country to raise the alarm. I held town halls and community conversations across my district — and heard story after story from families terrified of losing their health care, food banks warning they won’t be able to meet growing demand, and clinic directors worried they’ll have to close their doors. We introduced amendment after amendment and stayed up all night in committee hearings to expose Republican lies and cruelty and demanded better for the American people. But in the end, Republicans in Congress chose to serve Trump and their donors over their country and constituents.”

    The numbers are staggering:

    • $1.3 trillion slashed from Medicaid, the ACA exchanges, Medicare,  and food assistance.
    • 17 million Americans will lose their health care.
    • 40 million people — including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, and 1.2 million veterans — will have their food assistance put at risk.
    • $4 trillion added to the national debt — including $700 billion in interest — to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.
    • $900 billion in Medicaid cuts alone.
    • Cuts that could close 1 in 4 nursing homes nationwide.
    • $500+ billion in cuts to Medicare.
    • 760,000 manufacturing and clean energy jobs will be lost.
    • $400 increase in average household energy bills.
    • $96,400 average tax break for Americans making over $1 million — compared to just $247 for families earning less than $50,000 a year.

    In California, the damage is severe:

    • 2.4 million Californians will lose health insurance.
    • Families in California’s 44th District covered under the Affordable Care Act will see an average premium hike of $2,060.
    • 28 rural hospitals are at risk of shutting down.
    • At least 368,000 Californians may lose some or all of their food assistance.
    • 110,000 jobs in manufacturing and clean energy will disappear.
    • $670 average yearly increase in energy bills for California families.
    • Over 623,000 students in California could lose Pell Grant support for college.

    “This bill is theft in plain sight,” Barragán added. “It steals from the poor and middle class to gift the rich. And for what? A few billionaire tax breaks and a cruel vision of America where working families are left behind. House Democrats will never stop fighting to reverse this damage and protect the people we were sent here to serve.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Rep. Barragán Slams Final Passage of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill as a “A Cruel Betrayal of the American People”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    July 3, 2025

    Contact: jin.choi@mail.house.gov

    Rep. Barragán Slams Final Passage of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill as a “A Cruel Betrayal of the American People”

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass Donald Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, a massive budget package that rips essential safety-net programs away from working families, children, seniors, and veterans to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. The bill passed 218 to 214. Every single House Democrat voted against the bill.

    House Democrats fought until the very last minute to stop the bill’s passage. Leader Hakeem Jeffries took to the floor and delivered the longest “magic minute” speech in House history, stretching his leadership-privileged one-minute speech to nearly 9 hours to shine a national spotlight on the devastating impact this bill would have on American families and to make one last plea for Republicans to choose the well-being of their constituents over the demands of a want-to-be king and their billionaire donors .

    The Big Ugly Bill now heads to President Trump’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law. Once signed, it will mark the largest Medicaid cut in American history and one of the most aggressive redistributions of wealth from poor and working families to the ultra-rich.

    “This bill is a moral failure. It’s an assault on the American people — on children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. It strips away health care, food assistance, and basic dignity from those who need it most to hand nearly $1.3 trillion in tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk. Republicans didn’t just fail our families today, they betrayed the American people,” said Rep. Nanette Barragán.

    “House Democrats fought like hell to stop this bill. We held events in every corner of the country to raise the alarm. I held town halls and community conversations across my district — and heard story after story from families terrified of losing their health care, food banks warning they won’t be able to meet growing demand, and clinic directors worried they’ll have to close their doors. We introduced amendment after amendment and stayed up all night in committee hearings to expose Republican lies and cruelty and demanded better for the American people. But in the end, Republicans in Congress chose to serve Trump and their donors over their country and constituents.”

    The numbers are staggering:

    • $1.3 trillion slashed from Medicaid, the ACA exchanges, Medicare,  and food assistance.
    • 17 million Americans will lose their health care.
    • 40 million people — including 16 million children, 8 million seniors, and 1.2 million veterans — will have their food assistance put at risk.
    • $4 trillion added to the national debt — including $700 billion in interest — to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.
    • $900 billion in Medicaid cuts alone.
    • Cuts that could close 1 in 4 nursing homes nationwide.
    • $500+ billion in cuts to Medicare.
    • 760,000 manufacturing and clean energy jobs will be lost.
    • $400 increase in average household energy bills.
    • $96,400 average tax break for Americans making over $1 million — compared to just $247 for families earning less than $50,000 a year.

    In California, the damage is severe:

    • 2.4 million Californians will lose health insurance.
    • Families in California’s 44th District covered under the Affordable Care Act will see an average premium hike of $2,060.
    • 28 rural hospitals are at risk of shutting down.
    • At least 368,000 Californians may lose some or all of their food assistance.
    • 110,000 jobs in manufacturing and clean energy will disappear.
    • $670 average yearly increase in energy bills for California families.
    • Over 623,000 students in California could lose Pell Grant support for college.

    “This bill is theft in plain sight,” Barragán added. “It steals from the poor and middle class to gift the rich. And for what? A few billionaire tax breaks and a cruel vision of America where working families are left behind. House Democrats will never stop fighting to reverse this damage and protect the people we were sent here to serve.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Road closed, Aorangi

    Source: New Zealand Police

    State Highway 54/Waughs Road, Aorangi is closed following a serious crash.

    The crash involving a car and a pedestrian happened around 7:50am, near the Feilding Golf Club.

    Indications suggest serious injury to the pedestrian.

    Motorists are asked to take alternate routes if possible and expect delays.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Q&A: Medicaid Reforms Strengthen Safety Net

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    Q: Why did Congress seek fiscal integrity changes to the Medicaid program?
    A: Six decades ago, Congress added Title XIX to the Social Security Act that created a health care safety net for low-income individuals and families, with primary emphasis on dependent children and their moms, individuals with disabilities and low-income seniors. Since 1965, state governments administer the public health insurance program with cost-sharing from the federal government. Over the years, eligibility expansions and loopholes accelerated expenditures that placed a greater burden on the federal budget. The federal share of Medicaid spending has increased from 60 percent in 1991 to about 74 percent in 2023. Throughout my service on the Senate Finance Committee, which has legislative and oversight jurisdiction of the Medicaid program, I’ve led bipartisan efforts to ensure the most vulnerable populations are served, particularly child and maternal care  — including families with children with complex medical conditions — as well as foster and adopted youth. I’ve also supported efforts to strengthen fiscal accountability measures in this federal safety net, such as the passage of my bipartisan Right Rebate Act. Without robust fiscal integrity, the strings of this safety net would unravel at the seams and put an unsustainable and unfair burden on the taxpayer. Just consider, between 2015 and 2024, the amount of improper federal Medicaid payments reached $560 billion. Some estimates suggest that figure exceeds $1 trillion. Americans deserve better fiscal stewardship over their tax dollars and the program’s intended and most vulnerable recipients deserve to know this safety net is strong enough to meet their health care needs. Every dollar lost to waste and mismanagement is one less health care dollar for nursing home residents, low-income moms and foster youth.
    Q:  How does the Senate-passed budget bill strengthen the Medicaid program?
    A:  With fiscal responsibility top of mind, the Senate bill includes integrity measures to help ensure Medicaid continues to serve vulnerable Americans in our local communities. Specifically, common sense measures are designed to reduce duplicate enrollment; ensure deceased individuals and health care providers don’t remain enrolled; reduce payments for erroneous excess provider payments; and require states to check twice yearly if an individual is eligible to be on Medicaid, instead of screening once a year. In addition, stronger oversight will save billions by establishing robust verification for individuals receiving premium tax credits through the federal marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act. If a recipient gets more subsidies than allowed, that excessive subsidy must be returned. Through my oversight of taxpayer dollars, I advised the U.S. Treasury Inspector General last year that excessive payments weren’t being recouped to the federal treasury. I discovered more than 40 percent of excessive federal marketplace subsidy payments ran to the tune of more than $10 billion going back a decade. Clawing back these payments will save tens of billions of dollars.
    Also, the bill establishes a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program to ensure hospitals, nursing homes, community health care centers and other rural providers can continue serving their communities and improve care. The Rural Health Transformation Program will improve access to care and health outcomes. It also establishes Medicaid work requirements for able-bodied adults age 64 or under, with reasonable exemptions for individuals with disabilities, seniors, pregnant women, children, caregivers and others. Able-bodied adults will have to complete a minimum of 80 hours of work a month by working, job training, going to school or volunteering. In addition, the bill allows states to offer home and community-based services (HCBS) to a broader range of individuals, such as those with developmental disabilities, while ensuring it doesn’t negatively impact those already eligible, and it enables interim HCBS coverage while newly eligible individuals develop their full care plan.
    The Senate also prioritizes Medicaid for Americans, not people who broke our laws to enter the country illegally. Our bill ends federal financial support under Medicaid for those who don’t have verified citizenship, nationality or legal immigration status. These program integrity provisions for Medicaid and other health care programs will save over $500 billion, according to a non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate. Despite orchestrated efforts to mischaracterize our program integrity measures with fearmongering and misinformation, the Senate took a big step to save Medicaid for people the program is intended to serve.

    MIL OSI USA News –