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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Trump, Congressional Republicans Side With NCAA Bosses, Murphy, Sanders, Warren Reintroduce Legislation to Strengthen College Athletes’ Collective Bargaining Rights

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    July 24, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Wednesday reintroduced the College Athlete Right to Organize Act (CARO), legislation that affirms college athletes are employees under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). While the SCORE Act, recently introduced in the House, would put the power in the hands of the NCAA and roll back some of the progress and protection college athletes have already won, CARO would ensure college athletes have the right to organize and collectively bargain for fair compensation and better working conditions. U.S. Representative Summer L. Lee (D-Pa.-12) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “The multibillion-dollar college sports industry would not exist without the labor of college athletes. Between grueling two-a-day practices, cross country travel, and primetime game days, it’s absurd to claim these athletes are amateurs who doesn’t deserve a seat at the negotiating table,” said Murphy. “While the NCAA is cozying up to the Trump administration to try to protect its profits at the expense of these athletes, our bill would empower them to form unions and negotiate for better revenue-sharing agreements, working conditions, and health and safety protections.”

    “Fair pay and the right to unionize are the bare minimum universities and the NCAA should offer the college athletes that make them billions of dollars each year. Our bill protects the students powering this industry and gives them the rights they deserve as workers,” said Warren.

    “Pittsburgh is and always will be a union town—and our college athletes deserve the same rights as any other worker who generates revenue through their labor,” said Lee. “From early morning workouts to grueling travel schedules, these athletes put their bodies and futures on the line for their schools while bringing in millions for athletic departments and universities. Yet the NCAA continues to deny them the fundamental right to organize and fight for fair treatment. That’s why I’m proud to partner with Senator Murphy on the College Athlete Right to Organize Act—to ensure that student athletes from Pitt, Duquesne, and CMU to my own alma mater Penn State can stand together, form a union, and demand the dignity, protections, and compensation they’ve long been denied.”

    The legislation is endorsed by the major professional players associations including the Major League Baseball Players Association, Major League Soccer Players Association, National Basketball Players Association, National Football League Players Association, National Hockey League Players Association, and United Soccer League Players Association. AFL-CIO, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, American Federation of Teachers, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and United Steelworkers (USW) also endorsed the bill.

    “Collective bargaining has immeasurably benefitted the athletes we represent and professional sports as a whole. Our members enjoy elevated health and safety standards, medical benefits, more equitable compensation, and other rights both on and off the field. Leagues and teams can negotiate roster construction, roster stability, and other competitive regulations. And fans receive the most compelling entertainment product in the world. The same result is achievable at the collegiate level, and we applaud Sen. Murphy for his continued efforts to ensure the option to organize and collectively bargain is safeguarded,” said the Major League Baseball Players Association, Major League Soccer Players Association, National Basketball Players Association, National Football League Players Association, and National Hockey League Players Association.

    “The USW applauds Sen. Chris Murphy’s efforts to protect college athletes. The NCAA is a massive business kept afloat by more than half a million players in the United States. Our union has advocated on behalf athletes for more than 60 years, and we’re proud to once again back common-sense measures like the College Athletes Right to Organize Act that ensure college athletes receive the fair compensation, just treatment and safe workplaces all workers deserve,” said USW International President David McCall.

    With Division I college football programs raking in hundreds of millions a year and paying their coaches in the tens of millions, it’s unconscionable and unacceptable that the workers who create that immense value are barred from bargaining over safety, compensation, and schedules. “Student-athletes” is a legal fiction used to justify rampant exploitation of disproportionately Black and brown workers. Every worker who puts in a physically and mentally grueling day of work should have the right to advocate for their collective interests. We should not have sectors of our economy, whether they are hidden from view, or live in prime time, where workers lack basic rights. The College Athlete Right to Organize Act recognizes the plain reality that the NCAA and its supplicants would prefer to cover-up and deny. The Senate should pass it swiftly,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation for Teachers.

    U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-Mo.-5), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.-10), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-4), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.-14), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.-5), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.-3), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.-13), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12) co-sponsored the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    Murphy also reintroduced the College Athlete Economic Freedom Act, legislation that would establish an unrestricted federal right for college athletes to market their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Murphy Introduce New Legislation To Improve Wages, Operations Transparency For Rideshare Drivers, Delivery App Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) today introduced the Empowering App-Based Workers Act, new legislation to improve transparency on how app companies operate and help boost wages for rideshare drivers and delivery app workers.

    “Every day rideshare drivers and delivery app workers work long hours and travel many miles to make a living, often without knowing how much money they’ll make. Our bill would shed some light on how apps determine work assignments and pay, ensuring workers are treated and paid fairly,” said Senator Schatz.

    Millions of workers across multiple industries, report to work by turning on an app. These platforms collect data from both workers and consumers to shape working conditions, evaluate workers, and make work-related decisions, including decisions on how much to pay a worker, which workers get which assignments, and whether, when, or for how long a worker will be suspended or ‘deactivated.’ All this is done with systems that are not transparent to workers, consumers, or regulators, creating information imbalances that mask wage theft, discrimination, and price-gouging.

    The Empowering App-Based Workers Act would create a level playing field for workers managed by digital labor platforms by:

    • Requiring disclosure of electronic monitoring and automated decision systems uses, including how they are used to determine pay and other work decisions;
    • Providing itemized receipts to workers and consumers after every work assignment;
    • Providing workers receive weekly pay statements with relevant information on their compensation;
    • Ensuring rideshare workers receive at least 75 percent of the amount paid by consumers; and
    • Stopping platforms from using interfaces that contain unfair or deceptive information on compensation.

    “We applaud Senators Schatz and Murphy for listening to workers’ demands and introducing the Empowering App-Based Workers Act,” said Rebecca Dixon, President and CEO of NELP. “App-based workers have long sought better pay and greater accountability from corporations that use hidden algorithms to determine pay, work assignments, and discipline. This legislation is an important step forward in building a good-jobs economy where all workers have expansive rights and thrive in good jobs.”

    “Senator Schatz’s bill is a great first step toward protecting app-based workers from hidden fees, undue surveillance, and algorithms that violate their civil rights. It also creates mechanisms to hold Big Tech accountable when their greed harms workers,” said Jody Calemine, AFL-CIO Director of Advocacy.

    The bill is supported by the ACE Collaborative of New Virginia Majority, Action Center on Race and Economy, AFL-CIO, Athena, Center for Law and Social Policy, Color Of Change, Colorado Independent Drivers United, Connecticut Drivers United, Coworker, Data & Society, Drivers Union Washington/Teamsters Local 117, Economic Policy Institute, Fair Work Center, Groundwork Collaborative, Hawai‘i Workers Center, Los Deliveristas Unidos, Minnesota Uber/Lyft Drivers Association, Make the Road New Jersey, National Women’s Law Center, National Employment Law Project (NELP), New York Taxi Workers Alliance, New School Center for NYC Public Affairs, NLAN/GLOW, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Open Markets Institute, Portland Drivers United, Rideshare Drivers United, PowerSwith Action, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Tech Equity Collaborative, Tennessee Drivers Union, The People’s Lobby, Towards Justice, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, and Working Washington.

    The text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Leads SASC Confirmation Hearing on Chief of Naval Operations Nominee Admiral Daryl Caudle

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    Watch Video Here
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing to consider the nomination of Admiral Daryl Caudle to be Chief of Naval Operations.
    In his opening remarks, Chairman Wicker praised Admiral Caudle’s extensive experience and highlighted the challenges facing the Navy amid rising demands in the maritime domain.
    Read Senator Wicker’s hearing opening statement as delivered.
    I welcome Admiral Daryl Caudle, and his family are here, thank you for being here today.  As Commander of United States Fleet Forces Command for the past four years, Admiral Caudle has been responsible for the readiness, training, and deployment of naval forces.  He is uniquely suited to guide the Navy through today’s complex challenges.
    The U.S. Navy handles critical maritime missions that no other nation could shoulder. Our Navy is unmatched in its capabilities. No other navy can operate complex naval exercises in the Pacific, defend Israel from Iranian ballistic missile attacks, and prosecute a campaign against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen – executing all of these missions nearly simultaneously.
    Accomplishing all these objectives is no easy feat.  Admiral Caudle has championed a ready fleet, targeting a goal of 80 percent surge combat readiness to ensure forces are prepared for rapid deployment.  He also started the important task of rethinking force generation models to consider how we can more efficiently generate combat power.  We must start addressing the global demand for United States naval presence by increasing the supply of ready ships, personnel, and equipment.
    Last week, this committee released the text of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026.  In addition to reforms proposed by the FORGED Act, our bill seeks to address maintenance challenges faced by the Navy’s surface fleet. The Senate’s plan adjusts the contracting strategy for ship repair.  We would like to see the Navy give a clear demand signal to each shipyard and bring them into the planning process much earlier. Additionally, we proposed authorities that are meant to reverse inefficiencies in current processes by empowering the fleet to oversee maintenance.  I would like to hear from our witness about these reforms and his strategies for boosting readiness to meet global demands.
    The committee’s NDAA would help correct serious deficiencies in the Navy’s budget by proposing additional support for the service.  Billions of dollars are misaligned between the Navy’s budget request and the recently enacted reconciliation law.  If confirmed, Admiral Caudle must navigate these fiscal realities in order to keep readiness and modernization on track.  I am hopeful that Congress will unite to raise the defense topline, closing these gaps to ensure our Navy remains the world’s preeminent maritime force.
    Fortunately, the reconciliation law gives the Navy a transformative opportunity.  It includes $18 billion for shipbuilding, $5 billion for unmanned systems, $5 billion for rebuilding the maritime industrial base, $5 billion for munitions and missiles, and $2 billion for ship spare parts.
    These investments are necessary, but they are no substitute for good management.  Leadership starts at the top, and I hope that our nominee and Secretary Phelan will build an immediate partnership.  The next Chief of Naval Operations will lead our Navy into the most dangerous threat window our country has faced in generations.
    Let me quote Admiral Hyman Rickover, “In everything we do, we must ask ourselves: Does this directly advance our preparation for war?”  We all seek peace, but the surest path to preserving peace is by building unmatched strength.  I look forward to hearing from our witness how he will strengthen our Navy to meet the challenges we need.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren on Trump Administration Approving Paramount Megamerger: “Bribery Is Illegal No Matter Who Is President”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    July 24, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – Today, in response to the news that the Trump administration approved Paramount Global’s (Paramount) $8 billion merger with Skydance Media (Skydance), U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released the following statement:
    “Bribery is illegal no matter who is president. It sure looks like Skydance and Paramount paid $36 million to Donald Trump for this merger, and he’s even bragged about this crooked-looking deal. I’ve been ringing the alarm bell for months, launching a Senate investigation into possible corruption, and this merger must be investigated for any criminal behavior. It’s an open question whether the Trump administration’s approval of this merger was the result of a bribe.”
    Senator Warren has led the charge to determine if Paramount bribed President Trump in exchange for approval of its multi-billion-dollar megamerger with Skydance, and has fought relentlessly against President Trump’s corruption:
    On July 23, Senator Warren published an op-ed in Variety: “Elizabeth Warren on Colbert ‘Late Show’ Cancellation: Is the Paramount Trump Payoff a Bribe?”
    On July 21, Senators Warren, Sanders (I-Vt.), and Wyden (D-Ore.) pressed David Ellison, CEO of Skydance, about reports of a secret deal between Skydance and President Trump — and how it may be related to Paramount’s recent multi-million-dollar settlement agreement with Trump.
    On July 17, Senators Warren and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), along with Representatives Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Melane Stansbury (D-N.M.), and lawmakers in Congress unveiled the Presidential Library Anti-Corruption Act to close loopholes that allow presidential libraries to be used as tools for corruption and bribery.
    On July 2, Senator Warren called for an investigation into Paramount’s settlement with Trump.
    On May 19, Senators Warren, Sanders, and Wyden wrote to Shari Redstone, Chair of Paramount, with concerns regarding whether Paramount may be engaging in potentially illegal conduct involving the Trump Administration in exchange for approval of its megamerger with Skydance.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Thune Reintroduce Legislation to Expand Seniors’ Options for Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and John Thune (R-SD) today reintroduced the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services (ECAPS) Act, bipartisan legislation that would ensure seniors can continue to access important clinical services from their pharmacist. The bill would allow Medicare to reimburse for certain pharmacist-administered tests, treatments, and vaccinations for illnesses like influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and strep throat, in accordance with state scope-of-practice laws. 
    “Seniors across South Dakota rely on the care and support they receive from their community pharmacists,” said Thune. “I am proud to lead this commonsense legislation that would allow these services and other important treatments to remain a reliable option for seniors, particularly in our rural communities.” 
    “During the pandemic, we saw firsthand how pharmacists stepped up to meet urgent health care needs, especially in underserved and rural communities,” said Warner. “This bill builds on that progress by making sure seniors can continue to count on their local pharmacists for routine tests, vaccines, and treatments for common illnesses like flu and COVID. This is a practical step to improve access to care, reduce the burden on hospitals and clinics, and make our health system work better for seniors.”
    “In rural states like South Dakota, pharmacists are often the most accessible – and sometimes the only – health care provider available to patients,” said Amanda Bacon, executive director of the South Dakota Pharmacists Association. “The ECAPS Act recognizes the vital role pharmacists play on the front lines of care, especially in areas where access is limited by geography, provider shortages, or both. The South Dakota Pharmacists Association strongly supports this legislation and the critical role it plays in strengthening our rural health care system. The ECAPS Act helps keep care close to home – and in South Dakota, that makes all the difference.” 
    “We applaud Senator Warner and Senator Thune for championing the reintroduction of the ECAPS Act,” said Jamie Fisher, executive director of the Virginia Pharmacy Association. “This bipartisan legislation recognizes what patients across Virginia already know – pharmacists are vital, trusted, and accessible members of the health care team. By ensuring Medicare beneficiaries can receive essential services like flu, COVID-19, RSV, and strep testing and treatment from their local pharmacist, the ECAPS Act will improve health outcomes, particularly in rural and underserved communities where access to care is often limited. We strongly support this effort to expand access and equity in health care.” 
    “The Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition commends Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senator Mark Warner for championing the ECAPS Act to ensure seniors, including those living in rural areas and vulnerable communities, can turn to their local pharmacists for testing and treatment services that can protect them from certain common respiratory conditions,” said the Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition. “Congress must move with urgency to provide seniors with Medicare coverage in states where pharmacists can offer testing and treatment services for conditions that, although common, can quickly become life-threatening if not properly managed.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, 28 Senators Call on Administration to Conduct Independent, U.S.-Led Investigation into Death of American Citizen in West Bank

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and 27 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi calling on the Administration to conduct an independent investigation into the death of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, an American citizen recently killed near the West Bank town of Sinjil. The Senators point to the repeated lack of accountability in the deaths of other American citizens killed in the West Bank since January 2022, including Shireen Abu Akleh, Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, and Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee. Given that, the Senators also ask for an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of these six other Americans.
    The Senators wrote, “We write with grave concern regarding the brutal killing of a Palestinian-American, Saifullah Kamel Musallet, near the West Bank town of Sinjil, on July 11, 2025. The U.S. government must conduct a credible and independent investigation into his death and hold all perpetrators accountable. Protecting and supporting U.S. citizens abroad is one of the foremost responsibilities of the U.S. government. The United States Government has failed to secure accountability for the killing of respected Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, or any of the other five American citizens – Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, and Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee – killed in the West Bank since January 2022. Following the Trump Administration’s sudden revocation of all U.S. sanctions against extremist settlers in the West Bank, the first five months of 2025 have seen the highest rate of settler attacks in years and the killing of another American. We urge you to pursue a different approach.” 
    “Saifullah Kamal Musallet is the seventh American citizen killed in the West Bank since January 2022 — and the fifth in just the last nineteen months. The killings of these Americans in the West Bank have been met by a lack of accountability from the Netanyahu government and an inability to secure justice by the U.S. government. These failures have contributed to an unacceptable culture of impunity when it comes to incidents where civilians have been killed in the West Bank, including Americans,” they continued. 
    The Senators noted, “The Netanyahu government has failed to hold anyone accountable for any of these seven killings of Americans and the United States government has failed in its responsibility to protect American citizens overseas and demand justice for their deaths.”  
    “It is long past time for the U.S. government to demand accountability in these killings of Americans. To that end, we urge you to immediately launch an independent investigation into the brutal killing of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, including the circumstances that blocked ambulances from reaching him. We also ask that you provide us with an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of the six other Americans who have been killed since January 2022, and provide us with a briefing on actions you are taking to ensure accountability for their deaths and to prevent future killings of Americans in the West Bank,” the Senators closed. 
    In addition to Sen. Warner, the letter was signed by Senators Van Hollen, Murray, Kaine, Durbin, Reed, Shaheen, Schatz, Merkley, Sanders, Warren, Cantwell, Welch, Smith, Baldwin, Markey, Warnock, Lujan, Ossoff, Kim, Heinrich, Duckworth, Klobuchar, Whitehouse, Hirono, Booker, Alsobrooks, Blunt Rochester, and Murphy. 
    The full text of the letter is available here and below.
    Dear Secretary Rubio and Attorney General Bondi, 
    We write with grave concern regarding the brutal killing of a Palestinian-American, Saifullah Kamel Musallet, near the West Bank town of Sinjil, on July 11, 2025. The U.S. government must conduct a credible and independent investigation into his death and hold all perpetrators accountable. Protecting and supporting U.S. citizens abroad is one of the foremost responsibilities of the U.S. government. The United States Government has failed to secure accountability for the killing of respected Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, or any of the other five American citizens – Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, and Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee – killed in the West Bank since January 2022. Following the Trump Administration’s sudden revocation of all U.S. sanctions against extremist settlers in the West Bank, the first five months of 2025 have seen the highest rate of settler attacks in years and the killing of another American. We urge you to pursue a different approach.
    Saifullah Kamal Musallet is the seventh American citizen killed in the West Bank since January 2022 — and the fifth in just the last nineteen months. The killings of these Americans in the West Bank have been met by a lack of accountability from the Netanyahu government and an inability to secure justice by the U.S. government. These failures have contributed to an unacceptable culture of impunity when it comes to incidents where civilians have been killed in the West Bank, including Americans.
    Saifullah Kamel Musallet, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen from Florida, was visiting family in the West Bank when he was beaten to death by extremist Israeli settlers during a settler attack on the town of Sinjil. Reports indicate that ambulances could not reach the injured for more than two hours, with eyewitness accounts stating that settlers and Israeli forces impeded ambulance access. In April of this year, a 14-year-old boy from New Jersey, Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee, was also killed in the West Bank. Amer was reportedly shot at the entrance to Turmus Ayya by Israeli security forces. Reports suggest that Amer was shot a total of 11 times and two other Americans were also shot in the incident. 
    Last year, three other U.S. citizens were killed in the West Bank, including two teenagers. Tawfic Abdel Jabbar and Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour were both 17-year-old U.S. citizens visiting their families in the West Bank when they were shot and killed in separate incidents. In both cases they were shot in the head while they were traveling in vehicles. The third U.S. citizen killed in the West Bank last year was Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American citizen raised in Seattle who, according to reports, was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier from a distance of 200 meters. 
    The Netanyahu government has failed to hold anyone accountable for any of these seven killings of Americans and the United States government has failed in its responsibility to protect American citizens overseas and demand justice for their deaths.
    It is long past time for the U.S. government to demand accountability in these killings of Americans. To that end, we urge you to immediately launch an independent investigation into the brutal killing of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, including the circumstances that blocked ambulances from reaching him. We also ask that you provide us with an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of the six other Americans who have been killed since January 2022, and provide us with a briefing on actions you are taking to ensure accountability for their deaths and to prevent future killings of Americans in the West Bank.
    We respectfully ask for a response within two weeks.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Urges President Trump to Protect Whistleblowers While Cutting Federal Waste, Fraud and Abuse

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – In a letter to President Donald Trump, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), co-founder and co-chair of the Whistleblower Protection Caucus, praised the president’s efforts to eliminate waste and fraud and requested that the administration ensure whistleblowers are not terminated or retaliated against after making legally protected whistleblower disclosures.
    “For decades, my oversight work has exposed bloated government that’s broken faith with the American taxpayer. Trillions of dollars of taxpayer money have been lost to waste, fraud and abuse … However, I write today because it’s important that federal agencies aren’t using this downsizing initiative as an excuse to retaliate against federal workers who have made protected whistleblower disclosures. If that has happened, this would not only be unlawful but also have a severe chilling effect on federal employees who would otherwise blow the whistle,” Grassley wrote.
    Grassley asked the administration to identify potential federal employees who were terminated after making a legally protected whistleblower disclosure and whose firing was not part of the administration’s overall Reduction in Force initiative. In the letter, Grassley requested each case be individually reviewed to ensure the termination, or pending termination, was not done because of the protected disclosure.
    “Whistleblowers are the government’s most powerful tool to root out waste, fraud, and abuse … In many circumstances, the misconduct and wrongdoing these patriotic whistleblowers risk their careers, livelihoods, and reputations to bring to light would have never been known to Congress, the federal government, or the American people if they didn’t have the guts to come forward. Yet, in many instances, they aren’t thanked for coming forward; rather, they’re treated like skunks at a picnic,” Grassley continued.
    The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblowers who made legally protected disclosures about misconduct in the handling of the Hunter Biden investigation faced retaliation by the Biden IRS and several attempts to discredit their reputations and ruin their careers. After President Trump returned to office, Grassley worked with the Trump administration to secure the whistleblowers’ promotions at the Treasury Department.
    Grassley also worked with the Trump administration to secure promotions and back pay for three Customs and Border Protection employees: Mark Jones, Mike Taylor, and Fred Wynn. At Grassley’s urging, the Trump administration also restored law enforcement credentials, badges and firearms for Jones and Taylor after they were revoked by the Biden administration. All three were retaliated against by the Biden administration for blowing the whistle on that administration’s failure to secure the border.
    Background:
    Grassley has consistently worked to ensure federal agencies treat whistleblowers fairly and are held accountable for whistleblower retaliation. He coauthored and helped lead the introduction of the original Whistleblower Protection Act, which passed Congress unanimously and was signed into law by then-President George H.W. Bush.
    He also helped get the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 signed into law, which included a Grassley-authored “anti-gag” provision. This makes federal agency nondisclosure policies, forms and agreements unenforceable unless they contain a provision notifying the employee that the agreement doesn’t prohibit them from making whistleblower disclosures to Congress, the Office of Special Counsel or an Inspector General.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    July 24, 2025
    VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION
    The Honorable Donald J. TrumpPresident of the United StatesThe White House1600 Pennsylvania AveWashington D.C. 20500
    Dear President Trump:
    I applaud your efforts to eliminate waste and fraud within the federal government. For decades, my oversight work has exposed bloated government that’s broken faith with the American taxpayer. Trillions of dollars of taxpayer money have been lost to waste, fraud and abuse while some within the federal workforce ride the gravy train without actually doing the job for which they’re on payroll. As you work to eliminate government waste and fraud, it is necessary to reduce the federal workforce and federal building footprint. However, I write today because it’s important that federal agencies aren’t using this downsizing initiative as an excuse to retaliate against federal workers who have made protected whistleblower disclosures. If that has happened, this would not only be unlawful but also have a severe chilling effect on federal employees who would otherwise blow the whistle.
    Accordingly, I write to you concerning a potential subset of federal employees: federal employees outside of your administration’s Reduction in Force initiative who have been fired or otherwise retaliated against because they made legally protected whistleblower disclosures. If a federal employee fits within that category, it’s critically important that any individual personnel action and the federal agency’s investigation into allegations of reprisal are fair and comply with constitutional and statutory whistleblower protections. As a first step, I strongly encourage your administration to identify the universe of federal employees who were terminated outside of any Reduction in Force initiative and who made legally protected whistleblower disclosures. If federal employees within that universe do, in fact, exist, I further request that their case be individually reviewed to ensure that their termination, or pending termination, was not done because of that protected disclosure.
    Whistleblowers are the government’s most powerful tool to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. Indeed, our Founding Fathers recognized the significant importance of whistleblowers by enacting the first whistleblower protection legislation in our nation’s history in 1778 during the Second Continental Congress. In many circumstances, the misconduct and wrongdoing these patriotic whistleblowers risk their careers, livelihoods, and reputations to bring to light would have never been known to Congress, the federal government, or the American people if they didn’t have the guts to come forward. Yet, in many instances, they aren’t thanked for coming forward; rather, they’re treated like skunks at a picnic.
    For example, the brave Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblowers who made legally protected disclosures about misconduct in the handling of the Hunter Biden investigation faced retaliation by the IRS and several attempts to discredit their reputations and ruin their careers. I was glad to see that your administration has done right by the IRS whistleblowers and promoted them, where the Biden administration retaliated against them. The same can be said of the Department of Homeland Security/Customs and Border Protection whistleblowers who faced years of retaliation for blowing the whistle on the government’s failure to collect DNA at the border. Your administration gave them their guns, badges, and retirement back. Many other whistleblowers from all over the federal government have done and continue to do the same, putting everything on the line to expose waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct. These patriotic whistleblowers ought to be rewarded for their courage and sacrifices, not subjected to retaliation.
    Throughout my career I’ve committed to ensuring that federal agencies treat whistleblowers fairly and are held accountable for whistleblower retaliation. I coauthored and helped lead the introduction of the original Whistleblower Protection Act, which passed Congress unanimously and was signed into law by then-President George H.W. Bush. I also cosponsored and worked to get the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2012 signed into law, which included language I authored, known as the “anti-gag” provision. This provision makes federal agency nondisclosure policies, forms, and agreements unenforceable unless they contain a provision notifying the employee that the agreement doesn’t prohibit them from making whistleblower disclosures to Congress, the Office of Special Counsel, or an Inspector General.
    Further, I’ve championed laws and legislation to expand whistleblower protections to employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Intelligence Community. But just because we’ve passed good laws does not mean we can stop paying attention to the issue. I founded the bipartisan Whistleblower Protection Caucus to encourage my Senate colleagues to further strengthen protections for whistleblowers and to recognize the sacrifices they make for our country. Those who fight waste, fraud, and abuse in government should be lauded for their patriotism. Accordingly, I strongly urge federal agencies to ensure all allegations of whistleblower retaliation are given fair and appropriate review, investigation, and consideration.
    And, finally, I kindly remind you of my outstanding request that you hold a Rose Garden ceremony for whistleblowers.
    Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
    Sincerely,
    Charles E. GrassleyChairmanCommittee on the Judiciary

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Judiciary Committee Advances Three Public Safety Bills, Seven U.S. Attorney Nominations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee today unanimously voted to advance three bipartisan public safety bills to support law enforcement’s efforts to combat crime and protect vulnerable populations.
    The Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act, led by Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), would assist local law enforcement in identifying and tackling drug abuse trends. The CHILD Act of 2025, led by Grassley and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), would ensure all child care workers are authorized to receive a nationwide background check. The TRACE Act, led by Judiciary Committee members Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), would help locate missing persons on public land.
    “The three bills advanced out of the Judiciary Committee today will help equip local law enforcement with the resources needed to safeguard their communities. I was glad colleagues on both sides of the aisle worked together to advance these bills out of our committee, and I look forward to moving these bills on the Senate floor,” Grassley said.
    The Senate Judiciary Committee additionally voted to advance the following nominations:
    Kurt Alme, to be United States Attorney for the District of Montana, by a voice vote;
    Nicholas Chase, to be United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota, by a voice vote;
    Lesley Murphy, to be United States Attorney for the District of Nebraska, by a voice vote;
    Jeanine Pirro, to be United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, by a vote of 12-10;
    Daniel Rosen, to be United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota, by a voice vote;
    Erik Siebert, to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, by a voice vote;
    Kurt Wall, to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, by a voice vote.
    Watch the executive business meeting HERE.
    Read Chairman Grassley’s opening statement HERE.
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Reintroduced Bill To Combat Alarming Rise In Domestic Terrorism Threats

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    July 24, 2025
    As the Trump Administration reallocates resources away from domestic terrorism prevention efforts to fund an illegal mass deportation campaign, the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act would codify and bolster key tools and resources to combat domestic terrorist threats
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, reintroduced legislation to address the growing domestic terrorism threat. The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2025 would enhance the federal government’s efforts to prevent domestic terrorism by establishing offices dedicated to combating this threat; requiring federal law enforcement agencies to regularly assess this threat; and providing training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement in addressing it, among other things.
    “There is zero justification for discrimination and hate in our country—regardless of ideology. Tragically, we’re witnessing the Trump Administration reallocate resources away from domestic terrorism and hate crimes prevention efforts across the government, which are meant to protect Americans of all backgrounds against discrimination.
    “With the alarming rise in domestic terrorism threats in America, we need to bolster our government’s capabilities to detect, curb, and prevent potential attacks. I believe—and the American people believe—that’s a central responsibility of our government: to keep us safe, secure, and free. This should be a bipartisan solution, and I will again push for it to become law,” said Durbin.
    The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2025 authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offices that are responsible for monitoring, analyzing, investigating, and prosecuting domestic terrorism. The bill also requires these offices to issue joint biannual reports to the House and Senate Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Intelligence Committees that assess the domestic terrorism threat posed by white supremacists; analyze domestic terrorism incidents that occurred in the previous six months; and provide transparency through a public quantitative analysis of domestic terrorism-related assessments, investigations, incidents, arrests, indictments, prosecutions, convictions, and weapons recoveries. DHS, DOJ, and FBI offices would be required to focus their limited resources on the most significant domestic terrorism threats, as determined by the number of domestic terrorism-related incidents outlined in the joint report.
    The legislation also:
    Codifies the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee (DTEC), an interagency task force, which was originally created by the Department of Justice in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing;
    Provides additional clarity regarding which federal law enforcement officials shall serve on the DTEC authorized by the bill; and
    Requires that the Executive Committee meet with local community groups to foster greater collaboration and dialogue to help combat domestic terrorism.
    Additionally, the bill requires DOJ, DHS, and the FBI to provide training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement in understanding, detecting, deterring, and investigating acts of domestic terrorism. Finally, the legislation would establish an interagency task force to combat white supremacist and neo-Nazi infiltration of the uniformed services.
    In May 2022, Senate Republicans filibustered the House-passed Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act.
    Bill text is available here.
    During his tenure as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Durbin held a hearing entitled “A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America.” The hearing examined the threats facing marginalized communities and how the federal government can better protect the civil rights and safety of all Americans, including Jewish, Arab, and Muslim Americans. Durbin also raised the issue in a March 2025 hearing on combatting antisemitism.
    Additionally, under Durbin’s leadership as Chair, the Committee held several other hearings to examine the issue of hate crimes and domestic terrorism, including a hearing on “Combating the Rise in Hate Crimes” shortly after the January 15, 2022, synagogue attack in Colleyville, Texas, and a hearing examining the “Metastasizing’ Domestic Terrorism Threat After the Buffalo Attack,” which explored the continued threat posed by violent white supremacists and other extremists, including those who have embraced the so-called “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, after a mass shooting by a white supremacist in Buffalo on May 14, 2022. The white supremacist who murdered 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018 also embraced this conspiracy theory.
    Durbin first held a hearing on domestic terrorism threats in 2012, after a white supremacist murdered seven Sikh worshipers in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
     
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin On Trump’s Extreme Judicial Nominees: The Only Qualification That President Trump Looks For In His Nominees Is Loyalty To Him And His MAGA Agenda

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    July 24, 2025
    Durbin took to the Senate floor to denounce President Trump’s extreme and unqualified judicial nominees
    WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, criticized the Trump Administration’s unqualified and extreme judicial nominees. In his remarks, Durbin spoke out against the nomination of Emil Bove to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, pointing toward Bove’s unwavering loyalty to President Trump. During his remarks, Durbin also denounced the confirmation of Joshua Divine to serve as a judge on the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri.
    “The first Trump Administration put forward some of the most extreme and unqualified judicial nominees ever considered by the Senate. Several Trump nominees had little or no experience in a courtroom, no litigation experience,” Durbin said. “Three district court nominees—Kathryn Mizelle, Justin Walker, and Sarah Pitlik—won unanimous support from Committee Republicans, despite having never tried a case.”
    “Many Trump nominees took some unusual, if not controversial, if not just plain wrong [positions]. [Take] Lawrence Van Dyke, [a] Ninth Circuit nominee. We asked him to affirm that he would be fair to LGBTQ individuals. He wouldn’t say it, just couldn’t get the words [out] of his mouth,” Durbin continued. “Michael Truncale, an Eastern District of Texas nominee, said of President Obama, he was ‘an un-American imposter.’ Those are the words of this man seeking the federal bench, about the former president. He said he [Obama] would ‘bow to Arab sheikhs and other world leaders.’ Where did you find that nominee?”
    During his first term, President Trump put forward ten judicial nominees who were found to be “Not Qualified” by the American Bar Association. Despite strong objections from Senate Democrats, eight of the ten unqualified nominees were confirmed by Senate Republicans.
    “Historically, the American Bar Association did its own background check on nominees for the federal bench. Where would they go? Well, they would go into the community. They would go to the judges that this person has appeared before. They would go to the fellow attorneys. They would try to find character references. And they would dig deep. They had some basic rules. You had to have [12] years of experience as an attorney to even be considered for the federal bench. Then they rated people ‘Qualified,’ ‘Not Qualified,’ ‘Well Qualified,’ and such… Even when the American Bar Association says you’re unqualified to serve on the bench, it didn’t discourage the [Trump Administration],” Durbin said.
    “President Trump seems intent on outdoing himself by putting forth nominees who are even more extreme, partisan, and fundamentally unqualified [than his first Administration]. Instead of finding more qualified judicial nominees, Attorney General Bondi ordered the Justice Department to stop cooperating with the American Bar Association in rating nominees,” Durbin continued.
    “She didn’t want to run into the embarrassment that they did in the first Trump term, with ten of them being found unqualified. She said the way to solve that is to not find a better nominee, but to get rid of the American Bar Association. If they’re not going to give a grade to these nominees, we don’t have to worry about their being unqualified. She overturned a practice in place nearly 70 years, going back to Dwight Eisenhower. Both Republican and Democratic presidents had followed the rule. Now the only qualification that President Trump looks for in his judicial nominees, he says as much, is loyalty,” Durbin said.
    Durbin then spoke out against Emil Bove’s nomination, laying out his troubling record as an insurrection apologist and his belief that he does not need to abide by federal court rulings, both of which disqualify him from serving on the federal bench.
    “As a senior official in the Justice Department, Mr. Bove has done nothing but cater to President Trump’s every whim… Mr. Bove personally ordered the termination of federal prosecutors who put violent January 6 rioters in prison… When asked to justify his actions in firing the attorneys who prosecuted these insurrectionists, Mr. Bove claimed ‘heavy-handed tactics’ by prosecutors were ‘equally unacceptable’ as physical violence against law enforcement. That is an outrageous and offensive statement by a man who wants to be a federal judge for life,” Durbin said.
    “Mr. Bove also led the Justice Department’s efforts to strike a corrupt bargain with New York City Mayor Eric Adams. This is an outrage, what he did. Mr. Bove stated that charges would be dropped without prejudice so that Adams could ‘devote full attention and resources to…illegal immigration and violent crime.’ In other words, President Trump needed Mayor Adams to do his bidding on his deportation policy,” Durbin continued. 
    “If that was not enough, Mr. Bove has shown utter disdain for our courts. A whistleblower stepped forward, gave his name, risked his future to tell us what Mr. Bove had told to the attorneys working on cases [at the Justice Department]… According to this credible whistleblower who provided ample documentation to back up his claims, Mr. Bove told Department of Justice attorneys that they might need to say, ‘f— you’ to federal courts that issue orders this Administration doesn’t agree with,” Durbin said. “That is the most dangerous comment that a person in the position of authority can make in the executive branch, that they will ignore the court orders that are issued against them.”
    Durbin also decried Joshua Divine’s confirmation to serve as a judge on the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri. Divine, who has litigated for only five years, has repeatedly peddled extreme positions on women’s right to health care and voting rights, hearkening back to deeply racist Jim Crow laws.
    “Yesterday, the Senate confirmed Joshua Divine to the federal bench. [He’s] 34 years old, received his law degree nine years ago, litigated for five years. Beyond his troubling lack of experience, Mr. Divine has taken extreme positions,” Durbin said. “He calls himself a ‘zealot’ when it comes to [being] anti-choice.”
    “He has challenged women’s ability, in his state, to access the abortion drug mifepristone and has undermined the decision of Missouri voters to codify abortion access in their state constitution,” Durbin said.
    “Also deeply troubling, Mr. Divine argued in favor of literacy tests at the ballot box, stating that people who ‘aren’t informed about issues or platforms…have no business voting.’ Now where does that come from in America? Literacy tests, where does that come from? It comes from the era of Jim Crow,” Durbin continued. “It turns out, Mr. Divine believes that literacy tests should be restored. It shouldn’t be controversial for anyone to say that the nominee has disqualified himself. The fact that the Senate confirmed Mr. Divine is outrageous.”
    Durbin concluded his floor speech by calling on his Republican colleagues to put aside their unbridled loyalty to President Trump and prevent extreme, unqualified nominees from sitting on the federal bench.
    “These nominees are just the tip of the iceberg. President Trump will continue to nominate extreme and unqualified individuals unless the Senate takes a stand,” Durbin said.
    “I urge my colleagues to vote against Mr. Bove and all future nominees whose only loyalty is to the President, and not to the Constitution,” Durbin concluded.
    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
     
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 24th, 2025 Heinrich Criticizes Trump Administration for Working to Stall Energy Projects and Raise Costs on Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — During a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on energy demand growth, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Committee, pressed Jeff Tench, Executive Vice President of Vantage Data Centers and Rob Gramlich, CEO and Founder of Grid Strategies LLC, on Trump Administration actions that are impacting grid reliability and driving up families’ energy costs.

    VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M), Ranking Member of the U.S. Energy and Natural Resources Committee questions Jeff Tench, Executive Vice President of Vantage Data Centers and Rob Gramlich, CEO and Founder of Grid Strategies LLC.

    On the Trump Administration Adding Burdensome Red Tape to Clean Energy Project Approvals

    Senator Heinrich began by asking Jeff Tench, Executive Vice President of Vantage Data Centers, how the Trump Administration adding additional reviews and red tape impacts businesses and grid reliability, “So Mr. Tench, you may be aware, the Department of the Interior recently released a memo that’s going to require the Secretary to review all wind and solar projects on federal lands. It adds just one more layer of red tape. Do you have opinions on what the potential business impacts of energy projects just being delayed in that regulatory process? How that further delays impact the business prospect?”

    Tench responded, affirming that new directives from the Trump Administration will negatively impact business and adding new generation to the grid, “Our observation and our requirement is for more electrons, as you called out in your opening remarks, Vantage is relatively agnostic as to the source of those electrons. So, in the case of rule making or regulatory action that slows down the process of approving new generation or new transmission, would definitely be a negative for our business.”

    Heinrich followed up, “Should in the, in the sort of five-year window like 2025 to 2030, shouldn’t we be focused on putting as many electrons, agnostic of generation source, on the grid as possible to be able to meet the kind of demand that you represent?”

    Tench answered, “Yes, our position is that efforts to move electrons around through enhanced transmission is important, necessary, but insufficient relative to the overall demand. We need more energy, more generation, and more generation, and we need more transmission independent of source. That said, it does need to be a reliable, grid dispatchable source, which I believe, you know, can be accomplished with the right combination of energy source for generation and energy storage.”

    Heinrich responded, alluding to the Trump Administration’s recent reckless actions that stall projects despite growing energy demands, “You know, one of my concerns is we have we have an existing pipeline that is the result of decisions that have been made over the course of the last decade. That pipeline is 95% clean energy plus storage. It’s about 5% gas. You know, a year or two ago, we had a couple of nuclear plants come online, which are great. I support that, but that’s kind of a one off. You know, in the next five years, if we start building new nuclear today, whether that’s SMRs or traditional light water reactors, that’s going to take longer than the five-year window. If I order a combined cycle natural gas turbine today, it’s probably going to come on the grid in 2032 2033 if we’re lucky. So, if you don’t allow the existing projects that are in the queue today, that are our renewables plus storage. What does that do to the price pressure on the grid? What’s the impact of that?”

    Tench answered, “As it relates to price pressure, I’ll probably defer to Rob on that question as more of a grid expert, but in the broader context, our goals are to encourage speed of change in regulatory process, to bring more electrons on the grid. And again, depending upon the site in which we’re developing, our access to proximate energy sources varies, and we are being very pragmatic about how we approach that and make available to ourselves whatever we can in order to meet the demand.”

    Heinrich followed, “Mr. Gramlich, do you want to address the price pressure issue?”

    Gramlich, CEO and Founder of Grid Strategies LLC, answered, confirming that the Administration’s actions to limit new generation is raising costs on consumers, “Sure. I mean, basically it’s supply and demand. There’s scarcity of generation. So, anything that is limiting new generation from coming on, whether it’s interconnection queues, permitting hold ups that Interior, or anything else that’s cutting off supply, and that is definitely raising prices. And we are seeing prices go up wholesale power prices are going up. That is required. Those higher costs are required to be incorporated by state public utility commissions into retail bills. So, retail consumers…”

    Heinrich intervened, “Are there places where prices have actually come down in recent years that you can point to and what was the reason why those prices came down?”

    Gramlich answered, “Sure. Well, I mean, if you just look at, say, the supply stack for some places like Texas. Texas, just over the last couple of days, has had a majority of their peak demands, not just, you know, overnight, not just winter peak, afternoon air conditioning, driven demand served by a majority renewables plus storage.”

    Heinrich pressed, “And were there rolling blackouts?”

    Gramlich answered, “There were not. Reliability. Reliability is better? Yeah, you probably heard about rolling blackouts in California, like five years ago. Honestly, they got behind on resource adequacy. But what did they do? They built a lot of solar and batteries. So same dynamic there. I’m sure we’re seeing a majority renewable energy. Any hour now it’s going to kick in, and then when the air conditioning load this afternoon is high, there’s going to be solar and then the sun will set, air conditioning load will still be high, but the batteries will then kick in and serve through the evening. So again, they don’t do everything.”

    On How the Trump Administration is Raising Families’ Electricity Costs

    Heinrich asked Gramlich, “One of the things we have to deal with here is these agencies and the role that they play in permitting new generation and transmission. So Mr. Gramlich, if, if our permitting agencies, for example, the Department of the Interior, which has added this new level of red tape stall or slow walk permits for generation projects, which we’re currently seeing, and those permit projects, as a result, don’t get on the grid, or they get on the grid slower. What’s the impact to people who pay retail electric prices?”

    Gramlich replied, testifying to how the Trump Administration is raising energy costs on consumers as a result of recent directives, “Sure. Well, obviously that will raise prices. And what’s happening is, you know, love it or hate it, many utilities with their state regulators have put in place plans for the next few years how they’re going to meet load. There might be retirements. There might be load growth. They routinely go through these plans. And just the reality is, it’s largely wind, solar and storage that are in those plans.”

    Heinrich followed, “About 95% in most cases.”

    Gramlich agreed, “Right.”

    Heinrich continued, “So if you take that 95% out, even some portion of it, say a third, what are you going to replace it with in year one, two or three, nothing.”

    Gramlich replied, “Curtailment.”

    Heinrich followed, “Curtailment, exactly. Exactly. Why I say capacity factors is because I’m an engineer, and I don’t remember a lot of the terms, the buzzwords that we get thrown at around a lot here now: firm, baseload, dispatchable. What I remember from my education is capacity factors, right? And if you look at generation today, you know, I have wind in my state that has a 40% capacity factor. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty darn good. You know, what else has a 40% capacity factor, Mr. Gramlich? Coal today in the United States of America. Everybody says it’s firm and base load, and it’s not. It’s not because it’s expensive and it’s unreliable, and when you have a coal fire generating station go down, the whole thing goes down. Doesn’t go down 3%, it doesn’t go down 10% — you lose that generation until that thermal plant is back up and running. So, in your testimony, you talked about the increase in demand over time. DOE also is predicting a similar amount, about 2% a year, but they’re also claiming that there is somehow 100-fold increased risk of outage, and this relates to capacity factor issue. If forecasted retirements occur between now and 2030, as predicted, what were the assumptions that went into that, that were baked into that claim?”

    Gramlich answered, “Yeah, I think the Department of Energy, I mean, they provided useful analysis with this, this report, but I think they’ve vastly overstated the retirements of generation. And as I said earlier, we have processes, either through utility planning or market to you know, to discourage or prevent retirements, and that’s happening. But also on the supply addition side, there’s a lot more generation out there that could come onto the grid, and I think the Department of Energy study understated that new supply. So, if you understate supply, overstate retirement, suddenly you have a reliability crisis. But it might just be manufactured by those numbers.”

    Heinrich continued, “Yeah, we certainly haven’t seen that in New Mexico, and we haven’t seen that next door in Texas, where they have a totally separate grid from ours, but they’re bringing on lots of new sources of generation, lots of new solar and batteries in particular. You know, transmission lines are such an important piece of all this, because they do help us wield power around the country, and it’s hard to build transmission. It’s why we need to actually do permitting reform, which this Committee did last Congress but hasn’t done this Congress yet. You know, I worked on one transmission line for 17 years of my life, and today it is has facilitated, you know, tens of billions of dollars of economic output. It’s facilitated the largest renewable project in the continent’s history. But it wasn’t easy to get that done if you create a system where the politics can change overnight, where, for example, a loan from the Loan Program Office can be decided by politics rather than by metrics. What is the impact of that on reliability and on price pressure?”

    Gramlich answered, “Well, I mean, so many utilities have testified before this Committee over the years about the need for stability. They’re making 60-year investments, six zero, and if the policies change 180 degrees every four years, they simply can’t do that. So the point is well taken. We need some stability. I do think FERC is a great place for a lot of these orders as a bipartisan, non-partisan agency for permitting. They could do more in that regard, and but we need, we need to get that regulatory stability for investment.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 24th, 2025 N.M. Delegation Demands Trump Release Illegally Withheld Funds for New Mexico Students and Teachers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    Lawmakers cite direct consequences to New Mexico as a result of Trump illegally withholding education funding

    Delegation to Trump: “New Mexico’s educators and students have always done more with less. Diverting funds meant for our children is unconscionable and schools deserve better”

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) sent a letter to President Donald Trump demanding the immediate release of nearly $5.6 billion in federal education funding withheld from New Mexico’s students, educators, and schools.

    After the N.M. Delegation sent the letter last Thursday, the Administration announced it would release $1.3 billion in funding for the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. This key investment supports afterschool programs that strengthen literacy, STEM skills, mental health, and violence prevention. In 2021, almost 90 percent of students who participated in a 21st Century Community Learning program saw better homework completion rates, increased classroom participation, and improved in-class behavior. While releasing this funding is critical to ensuring parents and students have access to after school and summer learning programs, the Administration must follow suit with the rest of the funding.

    “We write to demand the immediate release of the nearly $7 billion in federal education funding your Administration is unlawfully withholding. Your actions jeopardize New Mexico’s students, educators, and schools, and directly violate the U.S. Constitution’s Appropriations Clause, which grants Congress the power to control public funds,” the lawmakers begin.

    “You personally signed these funds into law as part of the FY 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act on March 15, 2025. Then, on June 30th, you informed state and local education agencies that you are withholding these critical funds indefinitely. Withholding these funds beyond the end of the fiscal year would violate the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Further, the law mandates that the president submit a formal message to Congress justifying any deferral of funds,” the lawmakers continue.

    For New Mexico, the funding freeze is devastating. It impacts programs that provide after-school care, English language instruction, and adult literacy classes, to name a few. Without these funds, schools cannot pay for teacher training, afterschool programs, adult literacy classes, or support multilingual learners. These dollars are not luxuries; they are essential investments in our children’s futures.

    New Mexico will lose $5.8 million in funding for English Language Acquisition programs that support multilingual learners. These programs help English learners attain English proficiency, achieve high levels of academic success, and strengthen family engagement. The funding also improves educator training and provides essential resources to support students both inside and outside the classroom. In a state where so many students come from diverse linguistic backgrounds, this funding is vital to helping students thrive and supporting their families.

    Additionally, the funding freeze jeopardizes critical adult education programs in New Mexico, which stand to lose more than $4.7 million in support. These funds are essential for GED programs, English language proficiency classes, literacy and math instruction, and workplace readiness training. By providing adults with opportunities to join the workforce, continue their education, and improve their quality of life, these programs strengthen entire communities. Just last year, Doña Ana Community College enrolled 1,431 students in its adult education program, and last month alone, nearly 100 students graduated with their GED. Cutting these investments threatens to set back thousands of New Mexicans who are working to build a better future for themselves and their families.

    Citing these devastating consequences to the education and well-being of New Mexico students, the lawmakers conclude, “Your illegal freeze threatens to force staff layoffs, increase class sizes, and cut student services at schools across New Mexico. Every teacher let go, every tutor lost, and every child left behind is a direct consequence of this reckless decision. New Mexico’s educators and students have always done more with less. Diverting funds meant for our children in unconscionable and schools deserve better. We call on you to do your constitutional duty and release these funds without delay.”

    Public officials across the country have raised strong concerns about the freeze in funding. Earlier this month, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez joined 21 states across the country to sue the Trump Administration for withholding the education funds.

    Read the full text of the letter here and below:

    President Trump:

    We write to demand the immediate release of the nearly $7 billion in federal education funding your administration is unlawfully withholding. Your actions jeopardize New Mexico’s students, educators, and schools, and directly violate the U.S. Constitution’s Appropriations Clause, which grants Congress the power to control public funds.

    You personally signed these funds into law as part of the FY 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act on March 15, 2025. Then, on June 30th, you informed state and local education agencies that you are withholding these critical funds indefinitely. Withholding these funds beyond the end of the fiscal year would violate the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Further, the law mandates that the president submit a formal message to Congress justifying any deferral of funds.

    For New Mexico, the funding freeze is devastating. It impacts programs that provide after-school care, English language instruction, and adult literacy classes, to name a few. Without these funds, schools cannot pay for teacher training, afterschool programs, adult literacy classes, or support multilingual learners. These dollars are not luxuries; they are essential investments in our children’s futures.

    The Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program supports afterschool programs that strengthen literacy, STEM skills, mental health, and violence prevention. New Mexico was set to receive more than $9 million this year and now more than 10,000 children in New Mexico risk losing access entirely. In 2021, almost 90 percent of students who participated in a 21st Century Community Learning program saw better homework completion rates, increased classroom participation, and improved in-class behavior.

    New Mexico will also lose $5.8 million in funding for English Language Acquisition programs that support multilingual learners. These programs help English learners attain English proficiency, achieve high levels of academic success, and strengthen family engagement. The funding also improves educator training and provides essential resources to support students both inside and outside the classroom. In a state where so many students come from diverse linguistic backgrounds, this funding is vital to helping students thrive and supporting their families.

    Additionally, the funding freeze jeopardizes critical adult education programs in New Mexico, which stand to lose more than $4.7 million in support. These funds are essential for GED programs, English language proficiency classes, literacy and math instruction, and workplace readiness training. By providing adults with opportunities to join the workforce, continue their education, and improve their quality of life, these programs strengthen entire communities. Just last year, Doña Ana Community College enrolled 1,431 students in its adult education program, and last month alone, nearly 100 students graduated with their GED. Cutting these investments threatens to set back thousands of New Mexicans who are working to build a better future for themselves and their families.

    Your illegal freeze threatens to force staff layoffs, increase class sizes, and cut student services at schools across New Mexico. Every teacher let go, every tutor lost, and every child left behind is a direct consequence of this reckless decision. New Mexico’s educators and students have always done more with less. Diverting funds meant for our children in unconscionable and schools deserve better.

    We call on you to do your constitutional duty and release these funds without delay.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy debunks Big Beautiful Bill myths: ‘Unless your soup of the day is gin, you know that is a lie’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    Watch Kennedy’s comments here. 

    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) delivered the following remarks on the U.S. Senate floor:

    “Let me start with the reconciliation bill, which President Trump and others called the One Big Beautiful Bill.

    “I continue to go through the bill, and every time I do, I’m impressed. This is a breathtaking bill in the sense that it covers so many subjects. I think each of us could spend hours talking about this bill. I’ll just hit the highlights. This is one of the most far-reaching pieces of legislation that this body will ever pass.

    “We extended the 2017 tax cuts—no small feat in itself. Had we not done that, the American people would have suffered under a $4.3 trillion tax increase. So, we stopped that tax increase. And some of my friends and colleagues talk about, ‘Well, all you did was stop a tax increase on the billionaires.’ That is nonsense. That is nonsense on a stick.

    “Unless your soup of the day is gin, you know that is a lie.

    “Half of that tax increase would have hit working men and working women and working families in this country. The other half would have hit our small businesses. And, yes, some of our large businesses. We stopped that. We made some of those tax cuts permanent.

    “We cut taxes on tips. In this bill, we cut taxes on overtime. We cut taxes on Social Security. We cut taxes on car loans. We expanded a tax credit for childcare to help moms and dads pay for the childcare so they can work. We increased the child tax credit. We increased the standard deduction—and that’s going to take effect immediately. 

    “We funded school choice. For years and years and years, I have tried—we all have tried, many of us have tried—to provide the American people, moms and dads, with school choice. This bill did it.

    “I went to a public school. I’m proud of that, but competition makes all of us better. I can go to my overpriced Capitol Hill apartment or Capitol Hill grocery store and choose from six or seven types of mayonnaise. Why shouldn’t we give parents, moms and dads, choices for their education? We’re doing that with the school choice portion of this bill. 

    “We increase money for the border, and we increased money for defense.

    “Now, we also addressed the problem in Medicaid. And I’ve been very disappointed because some commentators have said that we’re going to throw off from the Medicaid rolls, I read, anywhere from 10 to 12 million people. And the implication in some of these articles and some of these comments is that we’re just going to look at the Medicaid rolls and go through and say, ‘You’re gone. We can’t afford you.’ And that’s not what this bill does. 

    “The first thing you have to realize is that actually Medicaid is not going to be cut at all under this bill. Under our bill that we just passed, our spending on Medicaid over the next 10 years is going to go up 20%. So, nobody is cutting Medicaid.

    “There are some people, as a result of the new provisions that we have put into law, who will no longer be eligible for Medicaid and will no longer get Medicaid, but they weren’t entitled to get it in the first place. So, when you say, ‘Well, you’re throwing people off from Medicaid.’ They weren’t entitled to it in the first place. 

    “You’re not entitled to Medicaid if you’re making $200,000 a year, and you didn’t tell the truth when you signed up for the Medicaid in your state, and your state didn’t verify your statements.

    “But let me give you one example. CMS just put out a report. . . . 2.8 million of those Americans who will lose Medicaid are double dippers. They signed up twice. We have 1.2 million people on the Medicaid rolls who are signed up in two states. And the American taxpayer is paying twice. . . . Most states use Managed Care, and they pay per Medicaid patient. So, if a state is paying—let’s say, I’ll pick a number—$18,000 per Medicaid patient per year to the health care organization to provide their care, and that person is signed up in two states, they’re double dipping, and it’s costing the American taxpayer two $8,000 payments a year. That’s cheating.

    “So, from one perspective, ‘You’re throwing these people off Medicaid.’ They weren’t entitled to double-dip in the first place. CMS also came out with a report—by CMS, I mean the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is the federal agency that administers Medicare and Medicaid.

    “CMS has also found that there are 1.6 million people who are on Medicaid today who are receiving both Medicaid and Obamacare.

    “Well, what’s Obamacare? I’ll refresh everyone’s memory. Medicaid is supposed to be for the poor and disabled. And Medicare is for the elderly. And a lot of other Americans have health insurance through their job. But there are certain numbers of Americans who don’t have health insurance because they’re not old enough for Medicare, and they’re not poor enough for Medicaid, and maybe their employer doesn’t offer health insurance. So, they can go to an exchange—we call them the Obamacare exchange—and buy health insurance. 

    “Now, President Obama and some of my colleagues—I wasn’t here then—but when we passed Obamacare, the Obamacare exchanges, the Affordable Care Act, we were told health insurance would be cheaper. And we were told it would be more accessible. It’s been neither. We were also told, ‘If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.’ That wasn’t true either. But the point is that we have a number of Americans who—if they don’t qualify for Medicare, they don’t qualify for Medicaid, they don’t get insurance through their employer—they go to the Obamacare exchanges. 

    “But CMS found we’ve got 1.6 million people who are getting both health insurance through the Obamacare exchanges, which we subsidized, taxpayers do, and through Medicaid. That’s called double dipping. It’s illegal. And CBO [Congressional Budget Office] can put out all the reports that they want to, saying, ‘Oh, you’re throwing all of these people off Medicaid.’ Technically, they’re right, but they’re not eligible to be on Medicaid.

    “I just gave you an example: 2.8 million people who are double-dipping. It’s illegal to double-dip. It’s immoral to double-dip. It’s unfair to taxpayers to double-dip. All our bill does is say, ‘You can’t double-dip.’ Cheating is wrong.

    “Is that throwing people off Medicaid? Technically, yes, but once again, as the other provisions in this bill also do, we’re taking people off Medicaid who weren’t eligible for it in the first place. As a result of these 2.8 million people, I think CMS—I’m looking for their figure—I think it costs the American taxpayers, because of these 2.8 million folks who are double dipping, $14 billion a year over a ten-year window, which is the horizon we used. That’s $140 billion that we’re going to save, and that savings is going to go back into Medicaid to make it even stronger.

    “That’s just one example of how much of the reporting on our bill is misleading.”

     Watch Kennedy’s speech here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven, Cramer: Senate Judiciary Committee Approves Nomination of Nick Chase to Be U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    07.24.25

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer today announced that the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has approved the nomination of Nicholas W. Chase to serve as United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota. The senators recommended that President Trump nominate Chase to the position and have been working to secure his confirmation. Chase’s nomination now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

    “Nick Chase has the right background and experience to serve as the U.S. Attorney for North Dakota,” said Senators Hoeven and Cramer. “He’s tried cases ranging from trafficking and child exploitation to narcotics to fraud and money laundering, helping to make our state safer and more secure. We appreciate the Senate Judiciary Committee for approving his nomination and will continue working to secure his confirmation by the full Senate.”

    Currently, Chase serves as a North Dakota District Court Judge for the East Central Judicial District, having been appointed by Governor Doug Burgum. He previously served for 20 years in the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of North Dakota, including as Acting U.S. Attorney and First Assistant U.S. Attorney. A North Dakota native, Chase has worked in private practice and as a federal judicial law clerk.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Magic Valley Times-News: The One Big Beautiful Bill Will Help Idaho’s Rural Hospitals

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has been signed into law, providing significant benefits to Idahoans, including cutting taxes for working families, promoting American manufacturing and energy dominance, and strengthening health care programs to support our most vulnerable populations.

    Nevertheless, the “politics of fear” have continued and disinformation misleads Idahoans about the law’s impact on Idaho’s health care system. In reality, this law represents the largest investment in rural health care in decades.

    The OBBBA ensures a more responsible use of taxpayer dollars by ending loopholes certain states use to get higher Medicaid payments from the federal government. There are two main tools states use to draw down more funds: state-directed payments and provider taxes.

    However, it is important to know that Idaho is not one of the states playing games with federal funding. Idaho does not use state-directed payments and does not have non-nursing home provider taxes above 3.5 percent.

    A responsible steward of taxpayer dollars, Idaho will not be affected by these reforms. Instead, Idaho’s rural hospitals will benefit from a new Rural Health Transformation Program that allocates money to all states, not just those using gimmicks to draw down more federal money.

    This $50 billion rural hospital fund is available to all states and 50 percent will be divided equally among states. This means Idaho stands to gain at least $100 million per year for five years.

    This is arguably the single largest investment in rural health care in more than 20 years. While it provides a way for states that do rely disproportionately on federal funding to make a financial plan, states like Idaho can provide immediate relief to rural hospitals and establish the tools necessary to be successful in the future.

    To understand how the bill’s reforms will save taxpayer dollars, it is important to understand how state-directed payments and provider taxes work.

    State-directed payments are used with Medicaid managed care and allow states to increase rates to providers over the base reimbursement rate. The Biden Administration expanded these payments to reach as high as the average commercial rate, much higher than those routinely paid by federal health programs. The OBBBA prohibits new state-directed payments over Medicare rates immediately and gradually phases down existing payments beginning in 2028. Again, Idaho does not currently use state-directed payments, but there is nothing in the law to prevent it from using these payments in the future.

    For provider taxes, states levy these fees on hospitals and other entities, then use that revenue to collect more federal dollars. For every dollar states spend on Medicaid, the federal government matches at a higher rate. The match is nine-to-one for the Obamacare expansion population, which gives states an incentive to spend more on healthy, able-bodied individuals than on vulnerable patients.

    The OBBBA stops provider tax gaming immediately and incrementally lowers states’ maximum rate beginning in 2028 until it reaches 3.5 percent. Because Idaho does not currently have a non-nursing home provider tax above 3.5 percent, it is ahead of the curve. Recognizing nursing homes overwhelmingly serve vulnerable patients, Congress exempts those provider taxes from the phase down.

    Curbing waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program provides past-due and desperately needed improvement to the program and does not jeopardize rural hospitals. The states that have relied on financing gimmicks have necessary budgetary decisions to make in the years ahead. However, the reality is for states like Idaho, this bill represents a reward for the wise stewardship of taxpayer dollars and a historic investment in rural health care.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Moran Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Cut Taxes for Veterans Opening Small Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) introduced a bipartisan bill to cut taxes for veterans who start a small business in underserved communities. The bipartisan Veterans Jobs Opportunity Act would create new tax credits to provide veterans who are starting a small business with a 15 percent tax credit on the first $50,000 of the startup costs. 
    “Our veterans deserve to have every resource available as they transition into civilian life,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to work across the aisle to cut taxes for Nevada veterans who start small businesses in our state and create jobs. As long as I’m in the Senate, I’ll continue working to ensure our veterans have all of the resources they need.”
    “By offering support to veteran entrepreneurs, we can help bolster local economies and channel the military work ethic into local communities,” said Senator Moran. “Veteran-owned small businesses play an important role in rural communities and underserved areas, and this legislation will empower veterans to start their own businesses while benefiting the communities they invest in.”
    Senator Rosen has been leading bipartisan efforts to ensure that Nevada veterans have federal support. Last year, she secured funding to increase access to affordable housing for veterans, continue building Nevada’s first national veterans cemetery in Elko, and increase funding for veterans’ access to telehealth. She also helped pass bipartisan legislation to increase veterans’ awareness of the VA home loan program. Additionally, Senator Rosen pushed to build a new veterans hospital in Reno, which she successfully convinced the white house to include in the 2024 budget.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Helps Introduce Bill to Protect Access to Birth Control

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined Senate colleagues in introducing the Access to Birth Control Act. This legislation would guarantee women timely access to birth control at pharmacies nationwide—including by requiring pharmacies to provide patients with their preferred form of birth control medication.“When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, it opened the floodgates to extreme attacks on reproductive freedoms across our nation. Anti-choice extremists have now made it clear that they will target women’s access to birth control and the ability to make their own family planning decisions,” said Senator Rosen. “Women, not anti-choice politicians, should decide what happens with their own bodies. I’m proud to have helped introduce this bill to protect women’s right to access birth control, and I’ll continue standing up to protect women’s ability to make decisions over their own bodies.”
    Senator Rosen continues fighting back against efforts to restrict women’s reproductive freedoms. She helped introduce the Right to Contraception Act, which was blocked by anti-choice Republicans last Congress. She also helped introduce the Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act to protect doctors and other health care professionals from being prosecuted for providing reproductive care to their patients, as well as the Women’s Health Protection Act to protect reproductive freedoms in federal law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Advances Over $18 Million for Nebraska Water Infrastructure Projects

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced she advanced over $18 million in funding for critical Nebraska water infrastructure projects.
    The funding was included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which now awaits consideration on the Senate Floor.“Strong, reliable water infrastructure is an essential part of our daily lives. I’m proud to advance this funding for these critical projects, which will improve the lives of Nebraskans for years to come. I look forward to supporting this bill through to final passage and returning more taxpayer money back to our state,” Fischer said.Fischer advanced funding to support critical water infrastructure projects:
    $8.25 million to improve the Santee Sioux Tribe’s water source
    $3.2 million to repair and upgrade the water treatment plant in McCook
    $2.3 million to construct a retention lagoon, lift station, and sanitary sewer extensions in Greeley
    $1.4 million for watershed and stream improvements in the Middle Niobrara Natural Resources District
    $776,000 for reconstruction of water and storm sewer facilities in Gothenburg
    $696,000 to replace an aging well and renovate the sanitary water storage tank in Farwell
    $620,000 to construct a new well and transmission line in Genoa
    $600,000 to construct an additional lagoon cell in Shelby
    $468,000 to line the sewer mains in Valparaiso
    $100,000 to renovate an existing lagoon cell and install a depth mark in Ong

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Introduces the Streamlining Rural Housing Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), along with Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), introduced the Streamlining Rural Housing Act.  The bill directs the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a memorandum of understanding to evaluate the feasibility of joint environmental review and inspection processes.  By streamlining the review and inspection processes between HUD and USDA, this bill would make rural housing development more efficient for home builders, affordable housing non-profits, and state housing finance agencies.

    “Duplicative red tape and burdensome regulations create additional costs and deter much-needed investments in rural affordable housing,” said Ricketts.  “The Streamlining Rural Housing Act is the first step to enhance efficiency and eliminate conflicting requirements that delay approvals so that we can build more housing in rural Nebraska.  When I was Governor of Nebraska, our state created a rural workforce housing fund to help administer support to communities for rural housing needs, like construction costs, down payment assistance, and technical assistance.”

    “Across Kansas, the demand for rural housing has been on the rise, and it’s important that we find innovative solutions to address this issue,” said Moran.  “Streamlining rural housing regulations between HUD and USDA will simplify the regulatory process for developers, allowing them to more efficiently address the growing housing needs in Kansas and across the country.”

    “To address the shortage of quality, affordable housing in rural areas, federal regulations need to work for communities rather than against them,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m glad to join my colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation that would improve and streamline environmental reviews and housing unit inspections so that we can build more homes and lower costs where it’s needed most.” 

    “Americans are facing an affordable housing crisis.  We need to build more housing and build it fast to bring down costs and get more people into homes,” said Gallego.  “Government should be part of the solution, but right now it’s part of the problem.  By reducing red tape and streamlining redundant processes, this bipartisan bill will accelerate construction, lower costs, and get more desperately needed homes on the market.”

    The Streamlining Rural Housing Act would direct the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to:

    • Create a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to evaluate categorical exclusion under the environmental review process for housing projects that use combined funding;
    • Create an MOU to develop a process for designating a lead agency.
      • This process will streamline adoption of Environmental Impact Statements and Environment Assessments approved by the other Department to construct housing projects funded by both agencies;
    • Create an MOU to evaluate the feasibility of a joint inspection process for housing projects that use combined funding;
    • Establish an advisory working group to consult on the MOUs consisting of:
      • Affordable housing non-profits;
      • State housing and housing finance agencies;
      • Non-profit and for-profit home builders and housing developers;
      • Property management companies;
      • Owners of multifamily properties;
      • Public housing agencies;
      • Residents in housing assisted by HUD and USDA;
      • Housing contract administrators.

    “The Council for Affordable and Rural Housing (CARH) applauds the efforts of Senators Moran, Ricketts, Shaheen, and Gallego in introducing this important legislation which will help streamline program requirements at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development (RD) programs,” said Colleen Fisher, Executive Director of the Council for Affordable and Rural Housing (CARH).  “Many times when housing developers and owners are operating a property here is a need to have multiple sources of funding so that the property can cash flow and rents are at levels that low-income residents can afford.  When this occurs, the agencies require separate if not identical inspections, somewhat negating the purpose of having the multiple layers of funding, thus increasing regulatory costs.  By requiring one inspection, operating costs will be reduced or redirected toward services on properties.  The approach envisioned in the bill has been supported by several different Administrations, with the goal of reducing regulatory burdens and improving the delivery of affordable housing programs.”

    BACKGROUND

    Often, when a housing project draws federal funding from Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, one has to follow separate processes for environmental review and housing inspections for both agencies.   This can incur more costs, lead to delays in project completion, and present challenges in getting over excessive bureaucratic procedures. This is burdensome especially at a time when housing needs in rural America are growing and existing housing supply is aging.  Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) are an effective way to address duplicative compliance requirements and regulatory misalignment across different federal, state, and local agencies.

    Full text of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Purpose and Policy.  Endemic vagrancy, disorderly behavior, sudden confrontations, and violent attacks have made our cities unsafe.  The number of individuals living on the streets in the United States on a single night during the last year of the previous administration — 274,224 — was the highest ever recorded.  The overwhelming majority of these individuals are addicted to drugs, have a mental health condition, or both.  Nearly two-thirds of homeless individuals report having regularly used hard drugs like methamphetamines, cocaine, or opioids in their lifetimes.  An equally large share of homeless individuals reported suffering from mental health conditions.  The Federal Government and the States have spent tens of billions of dollars on failed programs that address homelessness but not its root causes, leaving other citizens vulnerable to public safety threats.
    Shifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment will restore public order.  Surrendering our cities and citizens to disorder and fear is neither compassionate to the homeless nor other citizens.  My Administration will take a new approach focused on protecting public safety.
    Sec. 2.  Restoring Civil Commitment.  (a)  The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall take appropriate action to:
    (i)   seek, in appropriate cases, the reversal of Federal or State judicial precedents and the termination of consent decrees that impede the United States’ policy of encouraging civil commitment of individuals with mental illness who pose risks to themselves or the public or are living on the streets and cannot care for themselves in appropriate facilities for appropriate periods of time; and
    (ii)  provide assistance to State and local governments, through technical guidance, grants, or other legally available means, for the identification, adoption, and implementation of maximally flexible civil commitment, institutional treatment, and “step-down” treatment standards that allow for the appropriate commitment and treatment of individuals with mental illness who pose a danger to others or are living on the streets and cannot care for themselves.
    Sec. 3.  Fighting Vagrancy on America’s Streets.  (a)  The Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the Secretary of Transportation shall take immediate steps to assess their discretionary grant programs and determine whether priority for those grants may be given to grantees in States and municipalities that actively meet the below criteria, to the maximum extent permitted by law:
    (i)    enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use;
    (ii)   enforce prohibitions on urban camping and loitering;
    (iii)  enforce prohibitions on urban squatting;
    (iv)   enforce, and where necessary, adopt, standards that address individuals who are a danger to themselves or others and suffer from serious mental illness or substance use disorder, or who are living on the streets and cannot care for themselves, through assisted outpatient treatment or by moving them into treatment centers or other appropriate facilities via civil commitment or other available means, to the maximum extent permitted by law; or
    (v)    substantially implement and comply with, to the extent required, the registration and notification obligations of the Sex Offender Registry and Notification Act, particularly in the case of registered sex offenders with no fixed address, including by adequately mapping and checking the location of homeless sex offenders.
    (b)  The Attorney General shall:
    (i)    ensure that homeless individuals arrested for Federal crimes are evaluated, consistent with 18 U.S.C. 4248, to determine whether they are sexually dangerous persons and certified accordingly for civil commitment;
    (ii)   take all necessary steps to ensure the availability of funds under the Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance program to support, as consistent with 34 U.S.C. 50101 et seq., encampment removal efforts in areas for which public safety is at risk and State and local resources are inadequate;
    (iii)  assess Federal resources to determine whether they may be directed toward ensuring, to the extent permitted by law, that detainees with serious mental illness are not released into the public because of a lack of forensic bed capacity at appropriate local, State, and Federal jails or hospitals; and
    (iv)   enhance requirements that prisons and residential reentry centers that are under the authority of the Attorney General or receive funding from the Attorney General require in-custody housing release plans and, to the maximum extent practicable, require individuals to comply.
    Sec. 4.  Redirecting Federal Resources Toward Effective Methods of Addressing Homelessness.  (a)  The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall take appropriate action to:
    (i)    ensure that discretionary grants issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery fund evidence-based programs and do not fund programs that fail to achieve adequate outcomes, including so-called “harm reduction” or “safe consumption” efforts that only facilitate illegal drug use and its attendant harm;
    (ii)   provide technical assistance to assisted outpatient treatment programs for individuals with serious mental illness or addiction during and after the civil commitment process focused on shifting such individuals off of the streets and public programs and into private housing and support networks; and
    (iii)  ensure that Federal funds for Federally Qualified Health Centers and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics reduce rather than promote homelessness by supporting, to the maximum extent permitted by law, comprehensive services for individuals with serious mental illness and substance use disorder, including crisis intervention services.
    (b)  The Attorney General shall prioritize available funding to support the expansion of drug courts and mental health courts for individuals for which such diversion serves public safety.
    Sec. 5.  Increasing Accountability and Safety in America’s Homelessness Programs.  (a)  The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall take appropriate actions to increase accountability in their provision of, and grants awarded for, homelessness assistance and transitional living programs.  These actions shall include, to the extent permitted by law, ending support for “housing first” policies that deprioritize accountability and fail to promote treatment, recovery, and self-sufficiency; increasing competition among grantees through broadening the applicant pool; and holding grantees to higher standards of effectiveness in reducing homelessness and increasing public safety.  
    (b)  The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall, as appropriate, take steps to require recipients of Federal housing and homelessness assistance to increase requirements that persons participating in the recipients’ programs who suffer from substance use disorder or serious mental illness use substance abuse treatment or mental health services as a condition of participation.
    (c)  With respect to recipients of Federal housing and homelessness assistance that operate drug injection sites or “safe consumption sites,” knowingly distribute drug paraphernalia, or permit the use or distribution of illicit drugs on property under their control:
    (i)   the Attorney General shall review whether such recipients are in violation of Federal law, including 21 U.S.C. 856, and bring civil or criminal actions in appropriate cases; and
    (ii)  the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall review whether such recipients are in violation of the terms of the programs pursuant to which they receive Federal housing and homelessness assistance and freeze their assistance as appropriate.
    (d)  The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall take appropriate measures and revise regulations as necessary to allow, where permissible under applicable law, federally funded programs to exclusively house women and children and to stop sex offenders who receive homelessness assistance through such programs from being housed with unrelated children. 
    (e)  The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall, as appropriate and to the extent permitted by law:
    (i)   allow or require the recipients of Federal funding for homelessness assistance to collect health-related information that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development identifies as necessary to the effective and efficient operation of the funding program from all persons to whom such assistance is provided; and
    (ii)  require those funding recipients to share such data with law enforcement authorities in circumstances permitted by law and to use the collected health data to provide appropriate medical care to individuals with mental health diagnoses or to connect individuals to public health resources.
    Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
    (d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
                                  DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        July 24, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Purpose and Policy.  Endemic vagrancy, disorderly behavior, sudden confrontations, and violent attacks have made our cities unsafe.  The number of individuals living on the streets in the United States on a single night during the last year of the previous administration — 274,224 — was the highest ever recorded.  The overwhelming majority of these individuals are addicted to drugs, have a mental health condition, or both.  Nearly two-thirds of homeless individuals report having regularly used hard drugs like methamphetamines, cocaine, or opioids in their lifetimes.  An equally large share of homeless individuals reported suffering from mental health conditions.  The Federal Government and the States have spent tens of billions of dollars on failed programs that address homelessness but not its root causes, leaving other citizens vulnerable to public safety threats.
    Shifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment will restore public order.  Surrendering our cities and citizens to disorder and fear is neither compassionate to the homeless nor other citizens.  My Administration will take a new approach focused on protecting public safety.
    Sec. 2.  Restoring Civil Commitment.  (a)  The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall take appropriate action to:
    (i)   seek, in appropriate cases, the reversal of Federal or State judicial precedents and the termination of consent decrees that impede the United States’ policy of encouraging civil commitment of individuals with mental illness who pose risks to themselves or the public or are living on the streets and cannot care for themselves in appropriate facilities for appropriate periods of time; and
    (ii)  provide assistance to State and local governments, through technical guidance, grants, or other legally available means, for the identification, adoption, and implementation of maximally flexible civil commitment, institutional treatment, and “step-down” treatment standards that allow for the appropriate commitment and treatment of individuals with mental illness who pose a danger to others or are living on the streets and cannot care for themselves.
    Sec. 3.  Fighting Vagrancy on America’s Streets.  (a)  The Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the Secretary of Transportation shall take immediate steps to assess their discretionary grant programs and determine whether priority for those grants may be given to grantees in States and municipalities that actively meet the below criteria, to the maximum extent permitted by law:
    (i)    enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use;
    (ii)   enforce prohibitions on urban camping and loitering;
    (iii)  enforce prohibitions on urban squatting;
    (iv)   enforce, and where necessary, adopt, standards that address individuals who are a danger to themselves or others and suffer from serious mental illness or substance use disorder, or who are living on the streets and cannot care for themselves, through assisted outpatient treatment or by moving them into treatment centers or other appropriate facilities via civil commitment or other available means, to the maximum extent permitted by law; or
    (v)    substantially implement and comply with, to the extent required, the registration and notification obligations of the Sex Offender Registry and Notification Act, particularly in the case of registered sex offenders with no fixed address, including by adequately mapping and checking the location of homeless sex offenders.
    (b)  The Attorney General shall:
    (i)    ensure that homeless individuals arrested for Federal crimes are evaluated, consistent with 18 U.S.C. 4248, to determine whether they are sexually dangerous persons and certified accordingly for civil commitment;
    (ii)   take all necessary steps to ensure the availability of funds under the Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance program to support, as consistent with 34 U.S.C. 50101 et seq., encampment removal efforts in areas for which public safety is at risk and State and local resources are inadequate;
    (iii)  assess Federal resources to determine whether they may be directed toward ensuring, to the extent permitted by law, that detainees with serious mental illness are not released into the public because of a lack of forensic bed capacity at appropriate local, State, and Federal jails or hospitals; and
    (iv)   enhance requirements that prisons and residential reentry centers that are under the authority of the Attorney General or receive funding from the Attorney General require in-custody housing release plans and, to the maximum extent practicable, require individuals to comply.
    Sec. 4.  Redirecting Federal Resources Toward Effective Methods of Addressing Homelessness.  (a)  The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall take appropriate action to:
    (i)    ensure that discretionary grants issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery fund evidence-based programs and do not fund programs that fail to achieve adequate outcomes, including so-called “harm reduction” or “safe consumption” efforts that only facilitate illegal drug use and its attendant harm;
    (ii)   provide technical assistance to assisted outpatient treatment programs for individuals with serious mental illness or addiction during and after the civil commitment process focused on shifting such individuals off of the streets and public programs and into private housing and support networks; and
    (iii)  ensure that Federal funds for Federally Qualified Health Centers and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics reduce rather than promote homelessness by supporting, to the maximum extent permitted by law, comprehensive services for individuals with serious mental illness and substance use disorder, including crisis intervention services.
    (b)  The Attorney General shall prioritize available funding to support the expansion of drug courts and mental health courts for individuals for which such diversion serves public safety.
    Sec. 5.  Increasing Accountability and Safety in America’s Homelessness Programs.  (a)  The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall take appropriate actions to increase accountability in their provision of, and grants awarded for, homelessness assistance and transitional living programs.  These actions shall include, to the extent permitted by law, ending support for “housing first” policies that deprioritize accountability and fail to promote treatment, recovery, and self-sufficiency; increasing competition among grantees through broadening the applicant pool; and holding grantees to higher standards of effectiveness in reducing homelessness and increasing public safety.  
    (b)  The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall, as appropriate, take steps to require recipients of Federal housing and homelessness assistance to increase requirements that persons participating in the recipients’ programs who suffer from substance use disorder or serious mental illness use substance abuse treatment or mental health services as a condition of participation.
    (c)  With respect to recipients of Federal housing and homelessness assistance that operate drug injection sites or “safe consumption sites,” knowingly distribute drug paraphernalia, or permit the use or distribution of illicit drugs on property under their control:
    (i)   the Attorney General shall review whether such recipients are in violation of Federal law, including 21 U.S.C. 856, and bring civil or criminal actions in appropriate cases; and
    (ii)  the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall review whether such recipients are in violation of the terms of the programs pursuant to which they receive Federal housing and homelessness assistance and freeze their assistance as appropriate.
    (d)  The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall take appropriate measures and revise regulations as necessary to allow, where permissible under applicable law, federally funded programs to exclusively house women and children and to stop sex offenders who receive homelessness assistance through such programs from being housed with unrelated children. 
    (e)  The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall, as appropriate and to the extent permitted by law:
    (i)   allow or require the recipients of Federal funding for homelessness assistance to collect health-related information that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development identifies as necessary to the effective and efficient operation of the funding program from all persons to whom such assistance is provided; and
    (ii)  require those funding recipients to share such data with law enforcement authorities in circumstances permitted by law and to use the collected health data to provide appropriate medical care to individuals with mental health diagnoses or to connect individuals to public health resources.
    Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
    (d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
                                  DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        July 24, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Saving College Sports

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Purpose and Policy.  College sports are a uniquely American institution that provide life-changing educational and leadership-development opportunities to more than 500,000 student-athletes through almost $4 billion in scholarships each year.  College athletics also provide substantial support to local economies and form an indelible part of family activities, pastimes, and culture in many communities. 
    While major college football games can draw tens of millions of television viewers and attendees, they feature only a very small sample of the many athletes who benefit from the transformational opportunities that college athletics provide.  Sixty-five percent of the 2024 United States Olympic Team members were current or former National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) varsity athletes, and approximately seventy-five percent were collegiate athletes.  The 2024 United States Olympic Team earned 126 total medals, leading the overall medal count for the eighth consecutive Summer Olympic Games. 
    Beyond driving our unrivaled success in international competition, college athletes are more likely to report better outcomes in important respects during college and after graduation.  A substantial majority of female executives at the largest American companies participated in sports during adolescence, many at the high school or collegiate level, and examples of business leaders and former Presidents who played college sports are legion.  It is no exaggeration to say that America’s system of collegiate athletics plays an integral role in forging the leaders that drive our Nation’s success.
    Yet the future of college sports is under unprecedented threat.  Waves of recent litigation against collegiate athletics governing rules have eliminated limits on athlete compensation, pay-for-play recruiting inducements, and transfers between universities, unleashing a sea change that threatens the viability of college sports.  While changes providing some increased benefits and flexibility to student-athletes were overdue and should be maintained, the inability to maintain reasonable rules and guardrails is a mortal threat to most college sports.
    To illustrate, following a 2021 antitrust ruling from the United States Supreme Court striking down NCAA restrictions, the NCAA changed its rules to permit players to receive compensation for their name, image, and likeness (NIL) from third parties.  But guardrails designed to ensure that these were legitimate, market-value NIL payments for endorsements or similar services, rather than simply pay-for-play inducements, were eliminated through litigation.  Other limits on player transfers among schools were also taken down through litigation. 
    This has created an out-of-control, rudderless system in which competing university donors engage in bidding wars for the best players, who can change teams each season.  Meanwhile, more than 30 States have passed their own NIL laws in a chaotic race to the bottom, sometimes to gain temporary competitive advantages for their major collegiate teams.  As a result, players at some universities will receive more than $50 million per year, mostly for the revenue-generating sports like football.  Entering the 2024 season, players on the eventual college football national champion team were being paid around $20 million annually.  By the 2025 season, football players at one university will reportedly be paid $35-40 million, with revenue-sharing included. 
    This not only reduces competition and parity by creating an oligarchy of teams that can simply buy the best players — including the best players from less-wealthy programs at the end of each season — but the imperative that university donors must devote ever-escalating resources to compete in the revenue-generating sports like football and basketball siphons away the resources necessary to support the panoply of non-revenue sports.  Absent guardrails to stop the madness and ensure a reasonable, balanced use of resources across collegiate athletic programs that preserves their educational and developmental benefits, many college sports will soon cease to exist.
    A national solution is urgently needed to prevent this situation from deteriorating beyond repair and to protect non-revenue sports, including many women’s sports, that comprise the backbone of intercollegiate athletics, drive American superiority at the Olympics and other international competitions, and catalyze hundreds of thousands of student-athletes to fuel American success in myriad ways.
    Attempting to create some guardrails and shelter from litigation, colleges have adopted a new regime, deciding to pay athletes directly and simultaneously limit the total number of athletes on their campuses.  Given that the new roster limits, by exceeding the scholarship limits they replace, will increase the potential number of scholarships available in many sports, this opportunity must be utilized to strengthen and expand non-revenue sports.  Simultaneously, the third-party market of pay-for-play inducements must be eliminated before its insatiable demand for resources dries up support for non-revenue sports.  Otherwise, a crucial American asset will be lost.
    It is the policy of my Administration that all college sports should be preserved and, where possible, expanded.  My Administration will therefore provide the stability, fairness, and balance necessary to protect student-athletes, collegiate athletic scholarships and opportunities, and the special American institution of college sports.  It is common sense that college sports are not, and should not be, professional sports, and my Administration will take action accordingly.
    Sec. 2.  Protecting and Expanding Women’s and Non-Revenue Sports and Prohibiting Third-Party Pay-for-Play Payments.  (a)  It is the policy of the executive branch that opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women’s and non-revenue sports must be preserved and, where possible, expanded, including specifically as follows with respect to the 2025-2026 athletic season and future athletic seasons:
    (i)    collegiate athletic departments with greater than $125,000,000 in revenue during the 2024-2025 athletic season should provide more scholarship opportunities in non-revenue sports than during the 2024-2025 athletic season and should provide the maximum number of roster spots for non-revenue sports permitted under the applicable collegiate athletic rules;
    (ii)   college athletic departments with greater than $50,000,000 in revenue during the 2024-2025 athletic season should provide at least as many scholarship opportunities in non-revenue sports as provided during the 2024-2025 athletic season and should provide the maximum number of roster spots for non-revenue sports permitted under the applicable collegiate athletic rules; and
    (iii)  college athletic departments with $50,000,000 or less in revenue during the 2024-2025 athletic season or that do not have any revenue-generating sports should not disproportionately reduce scholarship opportunities or roster spots for sports based on the revenue that the sport generates.
         (b)  It is the policy of the executive branch that any revenue-sharing permitted between universities and collegiate athletes should be designed and implemented in a manner that preserves or expands scholarships and collegiate athletic opportunities in women’s and non-revenue sports.
    (c)  To preserve the critical educational and developmental benefits of collegiate athletics for our Nation, it is the policy of the executive branch that third-party, pay-for-play payments to collegiate athletes are improper and should not be permitted by universities.  This policy does not apply to compensation provided to an athlete for the fair market value that the athlete provides to a third party, such as for a brand endorsement. 
    (d)  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Education, and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, shall develop a plan to advance the policies set forth in subsections (a)-(c) of this section through all available and appropriate regulatory, enforcement, and litigation mechanisms, including Federal funding decisions, enforcement of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, prohibiting unconstitutional actions by States to regulate interstate commerce, and enforcement of other constitutional and statutory protections, and by working with the Congress and State governments, as appropriate. 
    Sec. 3.  Student-Athlete Status.  The Secretary of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board shall determine and implement the appropriate measures with respect to clarifying the status of collegiate athletes, including through guidance, rules, or other appropriate actions, that will maximize the educational benefits and opportunities provided by higher education institutions through athletics.
    Sec. 4.  Legal Protections for College Athletics from Lawsuits.  (a)  The Attorney General and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission shall work to stabilize and preserve college athletics through litigation, guidelines, policies, or other actions, as appropriate, by protecting the rights and interests of student-athletes and the long-term availability of collegiate athletic scholarships and opportunities when such elements are unreasonably challenged under antitrust or other legal theories.
    (b)  Within 60 days of the date of this order, to advance the purposes of subsection (a) of this section, the Attorney General and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission shall:
    (i)   review, and as necessary revise, litigation positions, guidelines, policies, or other actions; and
    (ii)  develop a plan to implement appropriate future litigation positions, guidelines, policies, or other actions.
    Sec. 5.  Protecting Development of the United States Olympic Team.  The Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and the Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison shall consult the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and other appropriate organizations of American athletes about safeguarding the integral role and competitive advantage that American collegiate athletics provide in developing athletes to represent our Nation in international athletic competitions.
    Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
         (d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Education.
                                  DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        July 24, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Let’s Honor the 1980 ‘Miracle on Ice’ US Olympic Team with Congressional Gold Medals

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Forty-five years ago, at the Lake Placid Olympic Games, a team of young American hockey players took the ice and achieved the impossible, winning against the seemingly unbeatable Soviet Union National Team. The Soviets were four-time defending Olympic gold medalists, stacked with seasoned professionals. Team USA, both the youngest-ever U.S. national team and the youngest in the tournament, stunned the world with a 4-3 victory in what became known as the “Miracle on Ice.”

    Now, a congressional effort is underway to recognize these players with a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) introduced and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) cosponsored legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal earlier this year. In April, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the legislation, with over 300 cosponsors.

    Together, Senators Cramer and Klobuchar penned an op-ed in The Hill urging their Senate colleagues to pass the legislation to honor this historic team.

    Let’s Honor the 1980 ‘Miracle on Ice’ US Olympic Team with Congressional Gold Medals

    The Hill – July 24, 2025

    In 1980, the world was fraught with political division, economic shifts, and global conflict. The Cold War loomed large, American hostages were being held in Iran, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan had stoked international anxiety, and the United States was in the midst of a painful recession at home.

    Yet at this time of uncertainty, a single hockey game brought us together as Americans. On February 22, 1980, a team of young athletes, mostly college students, took the ice in Lake Placid and achieved the impossible against the seemingly unbeatable Soviet Union National Team.

    The Soviets were four-time defending Olympic gold medalists, stacked with seasoned professionals. Team USA, both the youngest-ever U.S. national team and the youngest in the tournament, stunned the world with a 4-3 victory in what became known as the “Miracle on Ice.”

    Two days later, the team secured the gold medal with a third period comeback win against Finland. Their improbable run gave Americans a renewed sense of pride and unity during a time of deep division and uncertainty.

    To commemorate the 45th anniversary of this iconic moment, we introduced the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team.

    It is only fitting that we honor this team’s achievement. It had a lasting impact on American history and the game of hockey in the United States. Once enacted, three medals will be displayed at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado, the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota, and the Lake Placid Olympic Center in New York, commemorating this greatest sports moment of the 20th century.

    As National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman once said, “The most special moments in sports actually transcend the playing surface.” In 1980, the Miracle on Ice was one such moment—when, for one night, there were no partisan divides or regional differences, only a shared celebration of what Americans can achieve together. That night, the Lake Placid Olympic hockey games transcended the sheet of ice where the 20 amateur hockey players battled for victory.

    The House of Representatives has already passed this bipartisan legislation unanimously, with the support of nearly 300 cosponsors. We now ask our colleagues in the Senate to join us in honoring this historic team and the spirit of unity that the 1980 U.S. Men’s Hockey Team inspired at the Olympics in Lake Placid. We urge swift, bipartisan passage of the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Under Cantwell Pressure, Admin Releases Critical Wildfire Funds

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    07.24.25

    Under Cantwell Pressure, Admin Releases Critical Wildfire Funds

    Trump’s Office of Management and Budget had been withholding $20 million already allocated to WA state to prepare for and respond to wildfires

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the Spend Plan for the over $280 million in overdue FY 2025 U.S. Forest Service State, Private and Tribal Forestry (SPTF) funding, including approximately $20 million for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to use for firefighting training and equipment, forest management, and landscape restoration.

     

    “The State of Washington is in the middle of an active and dangerous wildfire season. After questioning the Chief of the Forest Service and the Secretary of Agriculture, I am pleased that Washington — and all states — are finally receiving the funding they need to prepare for and respond to wildfires this summer and in the future,” said U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

    “Thank you, Senator Cantwell, for your leadership in securing the release of fiscal year (FY) 2025 Forest Service funding for the State, Private, and Tribal Forestry programs,” said George Geissler, State Forester for Washington. “This critical funding was at risk of being included in a recission by the Trump Administration, but because of your efforts will now be put to work in support of forest health protection, private forest landowners, urban and community forests, and wildfire preparedness and response efforts across the State of Washington. On behalf of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), we thank you for your tireless advocacy in support of our work.”

    SPTF funding is typically released to states months prior to the start of wildfire season to be used to train and equip state, local, and volunteer emergency responders and firefighters. This includes funding for fire academies, personal protection equipment, fire pumps, hoses, nozzles, and other safety gear. Delays risked the funding being rescinded by the Trump Administration and could degrade state and local efforts to prepare for and respond to wildfires this summer and in the future.

    On July 10, Sen. Cantwell questioned U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz about why the Trump Administration was withholding the SPTF funding.

    “It’s a budget that’s already been approved. So why aren’t we releasing the funds that go to the community so that they can best prepare for this fire season?” Sen. Cantwell asked during the July 10 Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing.

    “We have not made a determination yet, but that’s something that is being evaluated,” Schultz responded. “We can’t commit that that’s for sure going to go out yet.”

    Video of Sen. Cantwell’s questioning of Schultz is HERE; a transcript is HERE.

    On July 16, Sen. Cantwell participated in a virtual briefing hosted by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins outlining the current wildfire situation and outlook across the western United States. During the briefing, she questioned Rollins on why OMB continued to withhold $280 million in SPTF funds.

    Nationally, state, local, and volunteer fire departments respond to roughly 80% of all wildfires each year. Last year DNR, along with local first responders, successfully kept over 93% of fires in Washington state at 10 acres or less. Funds from the SPTF can also be used for hazardous fuels work on non-federal land in the wildland urban interface (WUI), to recover land that has been burned, and for forest health management.

    The National Interagency Fire Center outlook predicts high wildfire risk across the entirety of Washington state from July through September 2025, and a high risk in Eastern and Central Washington in October. Six wildfires are currently burning in the state, and as of July 22, more than 37,000 acres have burned in the State of Washington this year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Intros Bipartisan Bill to Help Tribes Combat MMIWP Crisis and Fentanyl Trafficking

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    07.24.25

    Cantwell Intros Bipartisan Bill to Help Tribes Combat MMIWP Crisis and Fentanyl Trafficking

    Bipartisan legislation would boost federal benefits to help recruit and retain tribal law enforcement officers; This week – local, federal, and tribal law enforcement indict 12 individuals in major drug trafficking operation on Yakama Nation lands

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Representative Dan Newhouse (R, WA-04) and Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03) introduced the Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act of 2025. The legislation would help tribal police departments hire and retain tribal law enforcement officers by providing access to federal retirement, pension, death, and injury benefits on par with law enforcement officers from non-tribal jurisdictions.

    “Tribes need more law enforcement officers to fight both the fentanyl and murdered and missing indigenous people epidemics and to respond to emergencies in their communities,” said Sen. Cantwell. “The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act will help tribal communities get the law enforcement resources they need to keep their communities safe.”

    “Tribal police departments work tirelessly to protect and serve our communities in Oklahoma and around the nation,” said Sen. Mullin. “Tribal police should receive equal treatment and resources needed for the safety of their communities without going through excessive red tape. I’m proud to join with my colleagues on this and support our Tribal law enforcement.”

    “As the missing and murdered indigenous women crisis continues to plague tribal communities across the country, tribal law enforcement agencies are facing serious challenges with recruiting and retaining officers and resources,” said Rep. Newhouse. “This bipartisan legislation empowers tribal law enforcement to build and maintain strong, well-trained forces who will be far better equipped to address the MMIW crisis, counter illicit drug flow, and protect tribal communities in Central Washington. I thank members of the House and Senate on both sides of the aisle who understand the scale of these challenges and are helping to lead towards a solution.”

    According to the Department of Interior, public safety and justice at the Bureau of Indian Affairs is funded at just 13% of need and over 25,600 personnel are needed to adequately serve Indian Country. This includes at least 13,000 more tribal law enforcement officers to meet FBI Community Safety Standards.

    “The Colville Tribes strongly supports the ‘Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act.’ The bill would implement long overdue reforms and remove administrative barriers to tribal law officers enforcing federal laws on their reservation lands. It will also assist the Colville Tribes and other tribes in recruiting and retaining officers, which is critical for rural tribes that have large land bases and not enough officers to adequately patrol.” – Jarred-Michael Erickson, Chairman, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation

    “Bolstering support for Tribal law enforcement recruitment and retention is crucial to addressing the many serious and systemic public safety issues in Indian Country. The issue is particularly pressing for the Yakama Nation and other tribes with large-land bases and a severe lack of resources to adequately patrol such a vast area. At Yakama we are facing an overwhelming confluence of public safety crises. We have experienced a surge in violent and property crimes, the highest rate of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women/People in the region, and a terrifying rise in outside gang and cartel-related drug activity coming onto our lands, including the pervasive and deadly fentanyl epidemic. The recent coordinated, multi-agency drug trafficking interdiction “Operation Overdrive” that dismantled a large drug distribution network operating on the Yakama Reservation shows what is possible when all levels of government work together to make our communities safer. The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act will help give the Yakama Nation and other tribes the tools and funding necessary to protect our communities and people who live, work, and raise their families on our lands. The Yakama Nation appreciates Senator Cantwell and Congressman Newhouse’s partnership with us and their continued work to address long-standing impediments to Tribal sovereignty and our public safety efforts.” – Jeremy Takala, Law & Order Committee Chairman, Yakama Nation Tribal Council

    “The Chehalis Tribe strongly supports the bill. Our Tribe is fortunate in that we are able to pay our law enforcement officers competitive salaries but competitive retirement benefits are currently out of reach for Chehalis and most other tribes around the country. If enacted, this will allow Chehalis and other tribes to take care of the officers that patrol and keep our communities safe.” – Dustin Klatush, Chairman, Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation

    “Many tribal police departments are chronically understaffed and massively underfunded. The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act would level the playing field for tribal police benefits, retirement, and pension, allowing tribes to improve retention and recruitment of officers on tribal lands. Ultimately, passage of the act would help improve overall safety in tribal communities. We are grateful to Senator Cantwell, Congressman Newhouse, Congresswoman, Gluesenkamp Perez, and their colleagues for championing this act and hope the overwhelming tribal support will ensure its approval.” – Chairman Glen Nenema, Kalispel Tribe of Indians

    “As a tribal law enforcement officer and an elected tribal leader, I know firsthand how hard it is to recruit and retain law enforcement officers. This bill will make it so much easier to achieve that objective by ensuring tribal law enforcement officers have access to proper retirement benefits. This bill will make our community safer.” – Vice-President Everett Ekdahl, Jr. Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

    “The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act will provide tribal nations with the tools necessary to recruit and retain law enforcements officers. It shows Congress’s commitment to public safety on tribal lands and the fair treatment of tribal law enforcement officers. We are grateful for Senator Cantwell, Congressman Newhouse, and Congresswoman Gluesenkamp Perez for their leadership on this important issue.” – Chairman Leonard Forsman, Suquamish Tribe

    “The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act represents a crucial advancement in ensuring that tribal law enforcement agencies, such as Hopi Law Enforcement Services, have the support they need to protect those that live and work on the Hopi Reservation. The Hopi Tribe is grateful to Senator Cantwell, Congressman Newhouse, Congresswoman Gluesenkamp Perez, and their colleagues for their leadership strengthening recruitment, retention, and public safety across tribal nations.” – Chairman Timothy Nuvangyaoma, Hopi Tribe

    “Access to resources is critical to improving the recruitment and retention tribal law enforcement officers. The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act removes administrative barriers and provides the necessary reforms to protect our community. The Nisqually Tribe thanks Senator Cantwell and Representative Newhouse for their leadership in strengthening safety and security across tribal communities.” – Chairman Ken Choke, Nisqually Tribe

    “Jurisdictional gaps in Indian Country have allowed far too many criminals to fall through the cracks. We appreciate Senator Cantwell’s leadership in taking meaningful action to close these gaps. By allowing qualified Tribal officers operating under 638 contracts to enforce federal law and receive federal protections, this bill strengthens our ability to respond to serious criminal activity on our reservation.” Chairman Anthony Hillaire, Lummi Nation

    Combatting the Fentanyl Epidemic

    Sen. Cantwell is a strong advocate for increasing the presence of tribal law enforcement officers on reservations to help combat the fentanyl epidemic and Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) crisis among Native communities.

    Sen. Cantwell first introduced the Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act in July 2023. The bipartisan bill was first considered at a U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on May 1, 2024. During a hearing on the fentanyl crisis in Indian Country later that month, Sen. Cantwell pressed federal officials about the need to help tribes hire and keep more tribal law enforcement officers and highlighted several tribes in Washington state that urgently need more resources to improve chronic understaffing issues.

    In October 2023, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to the leaders of the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee requesting that the committee hold an oversight hearing on how to address the fentanyl crisis in Indian Country. Soon after, the committee announced two hearings on the topic. At the November 2023 hearing titled: “Fentanyl in Native Communities: Native Perspectives on Addressing the Growing Crisis,” Sen. Cantwell invited Lummi Nation Chairman Anthony Hillarie to testify.

    In December 2023, Vanessa Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, and Glen Melville, Deputy Bureau Director at the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services and member of the Makah Tribe, participated in the second hearing titled: “Fentanyl in Native Communities: Examining the Federal Response to the Growing Crisis.” At the hearing, both Waldref and Melville commented that fentanyl traffickers often target tribal lands due to lack of tribal law enforcement.

    A background document on Sen. Cantwell’s legislative track record and advocacy to combat the fentanyl crisis is available HERE.

    Fighting Against MMIWP Crisis

    In 2020, Sen. Cantwell’s Savanna’s Act was signed into law to help federal, state, and tribal law enforcement agencies better respond to cases of missing and murdered indigenous women and people by improving coordination among all levels of law enforcement, increasing data collection and information sharing, and providing tribal governments with vital resources.

    In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell announced she sent a letter to the Biden Administration urging them to prioritize funding to assist Tribes and organizations working to combat the MMIWP crisis.

    Following Sen. Cantwell’s urging, in June 2023 the U.S. Department of Justice announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach Program, which dedicated five Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five coordinators to the task of resolving the cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. This included dedicated personnel based in Eastern Washington.

    In October 2024, Sen. Cantwell announced $6.9 million in federal funding for state and municipal law enforcement agencies, tribal justice departments and programs, and medical examiner offices to help fight the fentanyl crisis, gun violence, and violence against women and children.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito, Warnock Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Boost Child Care Workforce, Increase Access to Early Head Start Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) last week introduced the bipartisan Head Start Education and Development Workforce Advancement and Yield (HEADWAY) Act. The legislation would address early child care workforce shortages by allowing Early Head Start classroom teachers to teach and earn their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential simultaneously. As of February 2023, nearly 20% of Head Start and Early Head Start staff positions remained vacant nationwide.

    The HEADWAY Act would also help pave the way for greater hiring flexibility, attract more qualified candidates to the profession of early childhood education, and ensure that Early Head Start classrooms are fully staffed.

    “Workforce shortages in child care centers, including in Head Start and Early Head Start, can be particularly challenging for families and communities because so many parents rely on consistent childcare to be able to work. I am proud to help introduce the HEADWAY Act, which will add staff to Early Head Start classrooms, and give early-career child care workers the skills, mentorship, and experience they need to thrive,” Senator Capito said.

    “I’m where I am today because of programs like Head Start,” Senator Warnock said. “Ensuring our nation’s children have access to quality child care and excellent teachers is crucial, which is why I am so pleased to work across the aisle with Senator Capito on this effort. As the father of two young kids, I know how crucial education is during those formative years to their continued growth.”

    The HEADWAY Act will allow Head Start to fulfill its commitment to providing high-quality, early childhood education for children from vulnerable families, laying the foundation for their future success. The HEADWAY Act will support Early Head Start professionals and give program directors the flexibility they need to respond to employment trends, while still maintaining the high standards and professionalization of the field.

    A copy of the bill text can be found here.

    The one-pager can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Increase Hospital Transparency for New and Expecting Parents

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    July 24, 2025

    Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Increase Hospital Transparency for New and Expecting Parents

    Washington, DC — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), and Rick Scott (R-Florida) today introduced the Neonatal Care Transparency Act, legislation that would require hospitals to publicly disclose at what life-saving care will be provided to an infant.

    “When faced with an early birth parents should be able to ensure that the delivery hospital is equipped and prepared to provide care for their child. This bill will provide parents with the information needed to welcome their child into the world safely,” said Senator Cotton.

    “Children are God’s greatest gift to the world, and expecting parents deserve peace of mind knowing their delivery hospital is fully prepared to care for their newborn. I am proud to join my colleagues in ensuring hospitals are transparent on how life-saving care will be provided to premature infants,” said Senator Lummis.

    “Families shouldn’t face uncertainty during early labor about whether their premature baby will receive life-saving care from a hospital or not. When a baby’s survival is on the line, parents deserve clear information. I’m proud to support this legislation that requires hospitals to be transparent about their policies. It’s a commonsense measure that protects vulnerable infants and supports families in critical moments,” said Senator Hyde-Smith.

    “Becoming a parent is one of the great things in this life, and parents deserve complete transparency throughout the process. This bill will ensure hospitals are upfront about the care they can provide so they’re giving families all the information they need to make the most informed decisions to protect their child,” said Senator Scott.

    Bill text is here.

    The Neonatal Care Transparency Act would:

    • Require hospitals to publicly disclose:
      • The minimum gestational age at which life-saving care will be provided to an infant in the case of a premature birth; and
      • The process by which the hospital would transfer the infant and mother to the nearest neonatal ICU if the hospital does not have the capacity to provide life-saving care to a preemie.
    • Require health care practitioners to disclose the policies above during an initial consultation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Increase Hospital Transparency for New and Expecting Parents

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    July 24, 2025

    Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Increase Hospital Transparency for New and Expecting Parents

    Washington, DC — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), and Rick Scott (R-Florida) today introduced the Neonatal Care Transparency Act, legislation that would require hospitals to publicly disclose at what life-saving care will be provided to an infant.

    “When faced with an early birth parents should be able to ensure that the delivery hospital is equipped and prepared to provide care for their child. This bill will provide parents with the information needed to welcome their child into the world safely,” said Senator Cotton.

    “Children are God’s greatest gift to the world, and expecting parents deserve peace of mind knowing their delivery hospital is fully prepared to care for their newborn. I am proud to join my colleagues in ensuring hospitals are transparent on how life-saving care will be provided to premature infants,” said Senator Lummis.

    “Families shouldn’t face uncertainty during early labor about whether their premature baby will receive life-saving care from a hospital or not. When a baby’s survival is on the line, parents deserve clear information. I’m proud to support this legislation that requires hospitals to be transparent about their policies. It’s a commonsense measure that protects vulnerable infants and supports families in critical moments,” said Senator Hyde-Smith.

    “Becoming a parent is one of the great things in this life, and parents deserve complete transparency throughout the process. This bill will ensure hospitals are upfront about the care they can provide so they’re giving families all the information they need to make the most informed decisions to protect their child,” said Senator Scott.

    Bill text is here.

    The Neonatal Care Transparency Act would:

    • Require hospitals to publicly disclose:
      • The minimum gestational age at which life-saving care will be provided to an infant in the case of a premature birth; and
      • The process by which the hospital would transfer the infant and mother to the nearest neonatal ICU if the hospital does not have the capacity to provide life-saving care to a preemie.
    • Require health care practitioners to disclose the policies above during an initial consultation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Exempt Small Businesses from Trump Tariffs on Canada

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a top member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, joined U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ed Markey (D-MA) in introducing the Creating Access to Necessary American-Canadian Duty Adjustments (CANADA) Act, bipartisan legislation that would exempt United States-owned small businesses from the sweeping tariffs imposed on Canadian products.

    “President Trump’s tariffs are increasing prices on everyday goods and making it harder for businesses and working families to get by,” said Senator Shaheen. “Canada is New Hampshire’s northern neighbor and largest trading partner, meaning Granite State small businesses are especially hard hit by these blanket tariffs. By shielding small businesses from rising costs incurred by the President’s trade war, our legislation would give Main Street some much-needed relief and certainty to plan for the future and keep their businesses afloat.”

    The Trump administration has made more than 60 different tariff announcements already this term. These tariffs have been difficult to navigate for small businesses across the United States—especially in New Hampshire, where Canada is the state’s largest trading partner. Tariffs lead to supply chain disruptions, increased costs of goods and materials, smaller profits and higher costs for consumers.

    You can find the full bill text here.

    Senator Shaheen is helping lead efforts in Congress to mitigate the harmful impacts of President Trump’s tariffs. Last month, Shaheen led 30 Senators in filing an amicus brief in a key case, Oregon v. Department of Homeland Security, challenging the Trump Administration’s abuse of emergency powers to impose tariffs. In January, Shaheen introduced the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act which would limit the president’s ability to leverage sweeping tariffs that increase costs for American consumers and families. Her effort to pass this bill by unanimous consent was blocked by Senate Republicans.

    In recent months, Shaheen has traveled across the Granite State to discuss the impact of tariffs on New Hampshire’s tourism industry and to visit businesses impacted by President Trump’s trade war including Colby Footwear, Chatila’s Bakery, C&J, DCI Furniture, Mount Cabot Maple, American Calan Inc. and NH Ball Bearings. In May, Shaheen led U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) on a bipartisan delegation visit to Ottawa, Canada where they met with Prime Minister Mark Carney, members of his cabinet, the Business Council of Canada and other leading Canadian companies and business groups to reaffirm the strong U.S.-Canada partnership and support for our bilateral relationship among Congress and the American people.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Helps Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Streamline Housing Regulations, Increase Supply of Affordable Housing in Rural Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) in introducing bipartisan legislation to streamline rural housing regulations between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by requiring the two agencies to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to align housing standards. The Streamlining Rural Housing Act would simplify the process to build housing, lowering the cost and shortening project timelines for developers.

    “To address the shortage of quality, affordable housing in rural areas, federal regulations need to work for communities rather than against them,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m glad to join my colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation that would improve and streamline environmental reviews and housing unit inspections so that we can build more homes and lower costs where it’s needed most.”

    “The Council for Affordable and Rural Housing (CARH) applauds the efforts of Senators Moran, Ricketts, Shaheen, and Gallego in introducing this important legislation which will help streamline program requirements at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development (RD) programs,” said Colleen Fisher, Executive Director of CARH. “Many times when housing developers and owners are operating a property here is a need to have multiple sources of funding so that the property can cash flow and rents are at levels that low-income residents can afford. When this occurs, the agencies require separate if not identical inspections, somewhat negating the purpose of having the multiple layers of funding, thus increasing regulatory costs. By requiring one inspection, operating costs will be reduced or redirected toward services on properties. The approach envisioned in the bill has been supported by several different Administrations, with the goal of reducing regulatory burdens and improving the delivery of affordable housing programs.”

    Specifically, the Streamlining Rural Housing Act would:

    • Require HUD and USDA to enter into a memorandum of understanding to align housing standards.
    • Require the creation of an advisory group to consult with the agencies on the MOU’s implementation. This group would include rural affordable housing nonprofit organizations, state housing agencies, home builders, property management companies, multifamily property owners and housing contract administrators.
    • Require HUD and USDA to report to the appropriate committees on recommendations for legislative, regulatory or administrative actions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of combined funding housing projects.

    The full text of the legislation can be found here.

    As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies (Ag-FDA) Subcommittee, Shaheen has continually worked to ensure rural communities have the federal funding needed to tackle the housing affordability crisis. In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Ag-FDA Appropriations bill, Shaheen fought to fully fund the Rental Assistance program so that participating families can remain housed, provides funding to preserve the existing affordable housing portfolio and makes $1 billion in financing available for very low-income homebuyers, many of whom are first-time homeowners. In the FY24 Ag-FDA bill, Shaheen two Shaheen-led provisions were signed into law to help to preserve existing rural housing, build new housing in rural areas and protect low-income renters in rural areas from losing their homes.

    MIL OSI USA News –