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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Historic Measles Outbreak Worsens, Murphy Blasts RFK Jr. On Vaccine Lies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    [embedded content]
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Wednesday questioned U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 skinny budget request for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Murphy pressed Kennedy on broken promises made during his confirmation hearing and accused him of misleading the Committee and the public about his support for vaccines, especially for the measles vaccine.
    “I want to talk to you about the statements that you made to the Chairman of this committee and to members of this committee during your confirmation hearing about vaccines,” said Murphy. “You did not tell the truth. I find that to be really dangerous for our relationship. If I were the Chairman, who believes in vaccines and voted for you because he believed what you said about supporting vaccines, my head would be exploding. In the hearing, you told us ‘I will not work to impound, divert, or otherwise reduce any funding appropriated by Congress for the purpose of vaccination programs.’ That is not the truth. You have canceled $12 billion in public health grants to states. Whether you know this or not, that funding is used by the states in part to be able to administer and dispense information about vaccines.”
    Murphy called out Kennedy for putting public health at risk by lying to Congress during his nomination hearing and spreading misinformation that undermines trust in vaccines: “You also promised Chairman Cassidy that the FDA would not change vaccine standards from ‘historical norms.’ But what happened as soon as you were sworn in? You announced new standards for vaccine approvals that you proudly referred to in your own press release as a radical departure from current practice. And experts say that that departure will delay approvals. You also said, specific to the measles vaccine, that you support the measles vaccine, but you have consistently been undermining the measles vaccine. You told the public that the vaccine wanes very quickly. You went on the Dr. Phil show and said the measles vaccine was never fully tested for safety. You said there was fetal debris in the measles vaccine.”
    “Just this morning, in front of the House of Representatives, you also said that you in fact would not recommend that kids get vaccinated for measles,” Murphy continued. “You said you would just lay out the pros and cons. This is the summation of everything that you have said to compromise people’s faith in the measles vaccine in particular. It is contrary to what you said before this committee. You said you support the measles vaccine, but then you have laid out a set of facts that are contested, and I will submit information for the record from experts who contest what you have said about the vaccine. And the result is to undermine faith in the vaccines. Kind of like saying ‘Listen, I think you should swim in that lake, but, you know, the lake is probably toxic, and there are probably a ton of snakes and alligators in that lake, but I think you should swim in it.’ Nobody is going to swim in that lake, if that’s what you say. And so I want you to acknowledge that when you say you support the measles vaccine and then go out and repeatedly undermine the vaccine with information that is contested by public health experts, that is not supporting the vaccine.”
    After Kennedy refused to say he supports the measles vaccine, Murphy concluded: “I think you’re answering the question, and that’s really dangerous for the American public and for families in this country. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is no longer recommending the measles vaccine.”
    As of early May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed over 1,000 measles cases across the country, making this the single largest measles outbreak in the 21st century. Those cases have led to 126 hospitalizations and three deaths.
    A full transcript of Murphy’s exchange with RFK Jr. can be found below:
    MURPHY: “Thank you very much, Madame Chair. Secretary Kennedy, I want to talk to you about your relationship with this committee and this Congress. I want to talk to you about the statements that you made to the Chairman of this committee and to members of this committee during your confirmation hearing about vaccines. You did not tell the truth. I find that to be really dangerous for our relationship. If I were the Chairman, who believes in vaccines and voted for you because he believed what you said about supporting vaccines, my head would be exploding.
    “In the hearing, you told us ‘I will not work to impound, divert, or otherwise reduce any funding appropriated by Congress for the purpose of vaccination programs.’ That is not the truth. Let me finish my question.”
    KENNEDY: “I didn’t hear what you said. I’m just asking you to repeat it so I can understand your question.”
    MURPHY: “I’ll repeat it. During the hearing you said to this committee, and to the Finance Committee, ‘I will not work to impound, divert, or otherwise reduce funding appropriated by Congress for the purpose of vaccination programs.’ That is not what happened. You have done the opposite. You canceled $12 billion in grants to the states, including my state, that are used to administer and track vaccines. You promised Chairman Cassidy– ”
    KENNEDY: “When did I do that?”
    MURPHY: “Madam Chair, would you allow me to finish my question?”
    MURKOWSKI: “Keep going with your question.”
    KENNEDY: “When did I do that?”
    MURPHY: “Let me finish my question.”
    KENNEDY: “You’re making these accusations, just tell me when I did it so I can understand what the question is.”
    MURPHY: “You have canceled $12 billion in public health grants to states. Whether you know this or not, that funding is used by the states in part to be able to administer and dispense information about vaccines. Mr. Secretary, let me give you the full panoply of things you said before this Committee that didn’t turn out to be true. You also promised Chairman Cassidy that the FDA would not change vaccine standards from ‘historical norms.’ But what happened as soon as you were sworn in? You announced new standards for vaccine approvals that you proudly referred to in your own press release as a radical departure from current practice. And experts say that that departure will delay approvals. You also said, specific to the measles vaccine, that you support the measles vaccine, but you have consistently been undermining the measles vaccine. You told the public that the vaccine wanes very quickly. You went on the Dr. Phil show and said the measles vaccine was never fully tested for safety. You said there was fetal debris in the measles vaccine. And this morning–”
    KENNEDY: “All true! All true. Do you want me to lie to the public?”
    MURPHY: “None of that is true.”
    KENNEDY: “Of course it’s true. Of course it’s true, Senator. Senator, begging your pardon, but you do not know what you are talking about.”
    MURKOWSKI: Let’s have a little bit of order so that you can get your question and that he can get his answer.
    MURPHY: “I didn’t ask for a response yet. I’d like to lay out the predicate of my question before I’m interrupted by the witness. He should have some respect for this Committee.”
    MURKOWSKI: “Go ahead.”
    MURPHY: “Just this morning, in front of the House of Representatives, you also said that you in fact would not recommend that kids get vaccinated for measles. You said you would just lay out the pros and cons. This is the summation of everything that you have said to compromise people’s faith in the measles vaccine in particular. It is contrary to what you said before this committee. You said you support the measles vaccine, but then you have laid out a set of facts that are contested, and I will submit information for the record from experts who contest what you have said about the vaccine. And the result is to undermine faith in the vaccines. Kind of like saying ‘Listen, I think you should swim in that lake, but, you know, the lake is probably toxic, and there are probably a ton of snakes and alligators in that lake, but I think you should swim in it.’ Nobody is going to swim in that lake, if that’s what you say. And so I want you to acknowledge that when you say you support the measles vaccine and then go out and repeatedly undermine the vaccine with information that is contested by public health experts, that is not supporting the vaccine. 
    “And so I guess I have two simple questions for you. One is, can you clarify what you said in the House this morning? Are you or are you not recommending that families get their children vaccinated? Or are you just giving people the pros and cons? And do you understand that when you say these things about the measles vaccine, what ends up happening is less people get the vaccine. That may be what you want, but do you understand that the result of constantly questioning the efficacy or safety of the vaccine results in less people getting the vaccine? I don’t necessarily want to spend the remaining 20 seconds in an argument over the science. But do you at least understand that that is the consequence of what you are saying? And are you actually still recommending people get the vaccine or are you not?”
    KENNEDY: “Senator, if I advise you to swim in a lake that I knew there to be alligators in, wouldn’t you want me to tell you there were alligators in it?”
    MURPHY: “So are you recommending the measles vaccine or not?”
    KENNEDY: “What I have said, and what I said in–”
    MURPHY: “It doesn’t sound like you are, if that’s–”
    KENNEDY: “Are you going to let me answer, or are you going to keep interrupting me?”
    MURPHY: “Are you, or are you not?”
    KENNEDY: “Are you going to let me answer? What I pledged before this committee during my confirmation is that I would tell the truth, and that I would have radical transparency. I’m going to tell the truth about everything we know and we don’t know about vaccines.”
    MURPHY: “Are you recommending the measles vaccine or not?”
    KENNEDY: “I am not going to just tell people everything is safe and effective if I know that there’s issues. I need to respect people’s intelligence.”
    MURPHY: “I think you’re answering the question. I think you’re answering the question, and that’s really dangerous for the American public and for families in this country.”
    KENNEDY: “The reason people have lost faith in this program is because they’ve been lied to by public officials for year after year after year.”
    MURPHY: “The Secretary of Health and Human Services is no longer recommending the measles vaccine.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Passes Tuberville-backed Resolution for National Police Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    Resolution recognizes sacrifice of Alabama’s Jesse Cooper, Timothy W. Johns, Jermyius Young, and John R. McCrary
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined 81 Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution to designate May 11-17, 2025, as National Police Week. The resolution also honors 234 fallen officers, including four from Alabama: Jesse Cooper of Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Timothy W. Johns of Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Jermyius Young of Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and John R. McCrary of Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office and Rogersville Police Office. 
    “Every day, our law enforcement officers put on their uniforms and leave their homes not knowing if they’ll return,” said Senator Tuberville. “Sadly, some of them have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our communities safe. This resolution is just a small token of our appreciation for all our brave police officers. I will continue to back the men and women in blue and champion pro-police policies here in the Senate.”
    Full text of the resolution can be found here.
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Joins Colleagues in Effort to Protect Americans Against Chinese-Infiltrated Equipment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) and other members of Congress in sending a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick urging the department to prohibit TP-Link equipment sales. This state-sponsored networking equipment company has deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party and poses a clear present danger to American national security.
    “TP-Link’s pricing practices have triggered a Department of Justice criminal antitrust probe. TP-Link’s predatory pricing, coupled with its circumvention of tariffs, imminently threatens U.S. competition in a market critical to our national security. TP-Link has rapidly captured nearly 60 percent of the U.S. retail router and Wi-Fi system market while expanding the CCP’s cyber arsenal. The CCP uses SOHO equipment for ongoing espionage and targeting of critical infrastructure to pre-position itself for destructive attacks on Americans and communication channels with our allies,” wrote the members of Congress. 
    Joining Sens. Tuberville and Cotton are U.S. Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY), Ted Budd (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Jim Justice (R-WV), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Rick Scott (R-FL). Four U.S. Representatives also joined the letter.
    Full text of the letter can be read below or here. 
    “Dear Secretary Lutnick,
    We write in support of the Commerce Department’s investigation of TP-Link, a state-sponsored networking equipment company, and urge you to take swift action to prohibit further sales of TP-Link networking products in the United States. TP-Link’s deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), use of predatory pricing to eliminate trusted U.S. alternatives, and role in embedding foreign surveillance and destructive capabilities into our networks render it a clear and present danger.
    Chinese state actors have exploited TP-Link small and home office (SOHO) networking devices — including Wi-Fi routers, cellular gateways, and mobile hotspots — to wage cyber-attacks in the United States.CCP agents commonly exploit SOHO routers because those systems have ideal bandwidth and computing power for sustained cyber activities but lack additional layers of security common in enterprise networks. TP-Link is also subject to China’s National Security Law, giving the CCP access to U.S. systems before American authorities know a vulnerability exists. In fact, TP-Link is the only router company that refuses to engage in industry efforts to remediate Chinese state-sponsored botnets. 
    TP-Link’s pricing practices have triggered a Department of Justice criminal antitrust probe. TP-Link’s predatory pricing, coupled with its circumvention of tariffs, imminently threatens U.S. competition in a market critical to our national security. TP-Link has rapidly captured nearly 60 percent of the U.S. retail router and Wi-Fi system market while expanding the CCP’s cyber arsenal. The CCP uses SOHO equipment for ongoing espionage and targeting of critical infrastructure to pre-position itself for destructive attacks on Americans and communication channels with our allies.  
    For these reasons, Commerce should immediately prohibit future sales of TP-Link SOHO networking equipment in the United States. Each day we fail to act, the CCP wins while American competitors suffer, and American security remains at risk.
    We thank you for your ongoing work to secure and safeguard America’s Information and Communications Technology and Services supply chain. This work is critical to our national security, and we commend President Trump’s Executive Order 13873 to allow the Commerce Department to prohibit transactions in our country that pose unacceptable risk to American national security.     
    Sincerely,”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Receives an Update on Guam and the Status of Golden Dome

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with LTG. Robert Rasch, Executive Officer of the Guam Defense System Joint Program Office, and LTG. Heath Collins, Director of the Missile Defense Agency during a hearing for the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. During the hearing, Sen. Tuberville received an update about the United States’ missile defense capabilities on Guam and how the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is continuing to develop Golden Dome.
    Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or watch on YouTube or Rumble.

    ON GUAM UPDATES:
    TUBERVILLE: “[…] General, how are we doing on Guam? We get the Aegis System started about what three years ago, maybe a little less. How are you doing? Getting better?”
    RASCH: “Senator, getting better. Lots of teamwork across the services and with Missile Defense Agency. And my hat goes off to General Collins and his team who really led the Department of Defense in early implementation [in] all the legwork for laying the ground efforts for the military construction that will occur there. […] MDA demonstrated this last year early Aegis Guam capability with a flight test that was executed there very successfully. That work was really the starting point. That equipment has stayed on-site. It offers a credible deterrence against potential adversaries while the Army then does its planning to come in the [20]27 time frame with the next, what we call, tranche one of capability for Guam. It is a lot of consensus building. It is a lot of teamwork across the Department of Defense. This is the homeland. So, in in several ways, we’re learning a lot of lessons that we believe can also apply to the Golden Dome team as they continue that mission set. But [I am] very optimistic that the Army is going to meet its mission that will have a credible capability on [the] island in the time frame we lay out.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Have we decided who is going to operate it?”
    RASCH: “Well, that decision, as we build out the overall command and control capability, the C2 for the defense of Guam would typically fall to the Air Force to conduct that overall coordination. But it will be manned jointly as we have both Navy systems, Air Force systems, [and] Army systems on the ground. We’ll have, you know, servicemen and women from all of those services operating it typically under an Air Force leadership who will then report to the Combatant Commander on the plane.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Does that includes Reserve[s or the] National Guard?”
    RASCH: “Sir, it absolutely can. And we’ve—even with the small footprint the Army has had on [the] island today with the Task Force Talon—which is the THAAD battery, we’ve relied heavily on the Guam National Guard who provides a security force for that unit that’s operating away from a typical Army base. A great job of those soldiers, supporting that mission truly defending the homeland. And within the Army, there’s talk about potentially expanding that mission set for the guard members on Guam. [This is] still under discussion, so I can’t get ahead of those decisions as they play out. But I believe all things are on the table at this point.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. I know it’s a long process, […] long process. I mean, how many years do you think we’ve got left [to be] fully operational?”
    RASCH: “Senator, I believe we will be improving this capability forever, and defense never rests because offensive threat never rests. So, we will continually evolve. The point of our effort is to try to get as much capability as soon as possible. And capability isn’t just a thing. It’s not just, you know, a launcher. It’s not just a radar. It’s not even just a command and control. It’s soldiers, you know, airmen, you know, all the folks actually manned this equipment, ensuring they’re properly trained. It’s ensuring that we have the proper sustainment tail on [the] island to support it, that we can sustain it not just for a day, but for years in time. So, we’ll be at this for a while.”
    TUBERVILLE: “I defended a different offense every week, if you’re a football coach. You gotta change, don’t you?”
    RASCH: “Absolutely, Senator.”
    ON MDA DEVELOPMENTS:
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.
    General Collins, thank you for the footprint you have in my state of Alabama [at] Redstone Arsenal. We’re proud of all the work you’re doing. How much of MDA’s effort and investment in Golden Dome do you expect to take place in Huntsville? And do you expect to request any additional resources for maintenance or buildings or anything like that in the future?”
    COLLINS: “Well, Sir, [the] Missile Defense Agency is really proud of being part of the Tennessee Valley at Redstone Arsenal. Certainly, a large contingent of our workforce is at Redstone Arsenal. And as well as many of our industry partners are in that area as well. And so, I can’t give you an exact percentage, but certainly the engineers, the program managers, the contracting officers, the entire workforce of Missile Defense Agency and the associated industry members are gonna be very busy and very devoted to making any of the parts of Golden Dome real.”
    TUBERVILLE: “You’re building things right now too, right? You’ve got things under construction—I think the last time I was there.”
    COLLINS: “Yes, Sir. We’re doing them. We’re in the middle of a ground test facility infrastructure update, which is a fairly large renovation and construction project that’s going on. And that’s going on right now to help get us ready for the ground test infrastructure we need to support next gen[eration] missile defense. And as we start digesting and dissolving the Golden Dome requirements, there may be additional requirements that we need to make sure we’re ready to go.”
    ON THE ROLE SPACE PLAYS IN GOLDEN DOME:
    TUBERVILLE: “I got one more question. If we got time here. General Collins, I wanna ask you about our space sensors, which is [an] absolutely critical component of any effort to develop the next generation missile defense capability. Last year, the U. S. put a new hypersonic and ballistic tracking space sensor satellite in orbit. Do we have any plans, either as part of the Golden Dome architecture [or] independently, to expand that capability?”
    COLLINS: “Yes, sir. We as well believe that a very effective and resilient space layer is going to be critical to the future missile defense requirements of the homeland as well as our deployed forces. We rely on space assets today as part of our kill chain for initial tip-off, and we will continue to do that. The Space Force, Space Development Agency, will operationalize the HBTSS capability. The relationship we have with Space Force is we may prototype technology that is required and prove it out for missile defense. The Space Force will operationalize that capability as we move forward, and HBTSS will be foundational. That type of technology will be foundational to hypersonic missile defense in the future. And we’re working on future prototyping space sensor capabilities, in particular, discriminating space center to help improve ballistic missile defense in the future as well. We’ll prototype and space force will operationalize. And so, space will be very key to protecting the homeland and our deployed forces in the future. Thanks, Senator.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Mr. Chairman.”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed, Crapo Unite in Bipartisan Push to Improve Disabled Veteran Housing Access

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to better serve military members who selflessly served our nation and address the unique housing challenges veterans face, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Jack Reed (D-RI) are teaming up to advance the Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act (S.1714).  This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would help cut red tape and better ensure veterans can receive the housing support they need.  Specifically, the bill exempts payments to veterans for a service-connected disability from being included as income when applying for housing that uses Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding.
    “Veterans disabled in combat have laid their lives on the line in defense of this nation,” Senator Crapo said.  “The benefits they earned for injuries sustained fighting for liberty should not be used to deny them housing assistance they would otherwise qualify for following their service.  This act would help more disabled veterans receive the housing and dignity they deserve for their sacrifices for the United States.”
    “Our disabled veterans deserve a safe place to call home,” Senator Reed said.  “This bill will help open up more affordable housing opportunities by ensuring that disabled veterans’ earned benefits do not impact their eligibility to find housing.”
    This common-sense solution would ensure America’s disabled veterans can participate in federal housing programs they would otherwise qualify for were they not receiving disability payments.
    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides CDBG funding to states and local governments to assist low- and moderate-income people with housing and other community resources.  Generally, states and municipalities must use CDBG dollars to help individuals and families who earn less than 80 percent of the Area Median Income.
    The legislation also directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress in one year on how individuals with service-connected disabilities are treated in determining their eligibility for HUD programs and provide recommendations for how the department could improve its service to veterans and other underserved communities.
    Companion legislation  was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (R-TX) and Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA).  The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved the Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act on February 10, 2025.  The full U.S. Senate must now act before the bill can be sent to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: May 9th, 2025 Heinrich, Luján, Vasquez Call on Trump Administration to Crack Down on U.S. Firearms Flowing to Latin American Drug Cartels

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the core bipartisan group of senators who negotiated and passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), joined U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) to urge the Trump Administration to use its recent designation of Latin American cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) to take aggressive action to stop the illegal trafficking of American firearms across the Southern Border.
    In a letter addressed to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, the lawmakers called for a coordinated federal response to stem the flow of hundreds of thousands of American firearms that arm violent drug cartels, fuel lawlessness along the Southern Border, and bring drugs into communities across the United States.
    “We were pleased that President Trump agreed to address the outflow of hundreds of thousands of American-made firearms across the southern border when he initially postponed the implementation of tariffs on our ally Mexico. Accordingly, we urge you to utilize the FTO designation to take aggressive action to stem the flow of American guns to the cartels,” the lawmakers wrote.
    Anywhere between 200,000 and 500,000 American firearms are smuggled across U.S. borders into Mexico every year, arming Latin American criminal organizations that have used them to undermine domestic law enforcement and assert control over fentanyl and human trafficking operations back into the United States. 
    “The new FTO designation for these cartels provides additional legal tools to bolster interagency coordination, disrupt their financial networks, and impose stricter penalties on those who provide material support to these criminal enterprises. Specifically, under current statute, it is unlawful to knowingly provide material support or resources to a Foreign Terrorist Organization and those who do so can be fined or imprisoned for up to 20 years,” the lawmakers continued.
    The members urged the administration to effectively and strategically employ the full suite of legal options this new designation enables and offered their assistance to empower it to specifically address the “Iron River” of American firearms that are fueling violence and destruction in communities across the United States and Mexico. 
    “We hope that you move swiftly and use these new legal authorities to combat southbound arms trafficking. We stand ready to assist in this effort in any way we can, including through legislation that expands your programmatic authorities to address this critical issue,” the lawmakers concluded.
    The letter was led by Luján and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) in the Senate and U.S. Representatives Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) and Rob Menendez (D-N.J.) in the House. Alongside Heinrich and Vasquez, the letter was signed by U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), J. Luis Correa (D-Calif.), Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Timothy Kennedy (D-N.Y.), and Nellie Pou (D-N.J.).
    The full text of the letter is here. 
    Background on Heinrich-Led Gun Trafficking and Straw Purchase Provisions:
    Heinrich-led provisions in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act increased criminal penalties for straw purchasers and made it a crime, for the first time ever, to traffic firearms out of the United States. Straw purchasers are people who buy guns for those who cannot buy them directly themselves due to their age, felony criminal convictions, or other limitations. By increasing penalties for straw purchasing, Heinrich’s provision is helping to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and those who would use them against our communities. By making it illegal to traffic firearms out of the country, Heinrich’s provision gave law enforcement the tools needed to prosecute and disrupt the flow of firearms to Mexico and the Northern Triangle, fueling the violence that has driven so many to flee their home countries.  
    To date, the Department of Justice has charged more than 600 defendants using BSCA’s gun trafficking and straw purchasing laws, removing hundreds of firearms off the streets in the process. These cases are significant, often preventing and prosecuting highly dangerous activity, such as crimes linked to organized trafficking rings and transnational criminal organizations.  
    For example, in March 2024, the Justice Department charged several defendants with trafficking and straw purchasing over 100 firearms, including many military-grade weapons, that were allegedly intended to be smuggled to a Mexican drug cartel. In April 2024, a defendant was sentenced to 276 months in prison for firearms trafficking and straw purchasing, as well as distribution of fentanyl, where the evidence showed that two of the trafficked firearms had been used in gang-related shootings. In 2o23, a defendant was sentenced to two years in prison for running an illegal gun trafficking enterprise, repeatedly taking money to lie on firearm purchase forms and obtain weapons for convicted felons. 
    In New Mexico, the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico has charged 11 defendants with BSCA violations. 
    Heinrich’s Longtime Leadership to Tackle Gun Violence:
    A gun owner and father, Heinrich has long worked to advance and pass bipartisan policies that save lives, protect public safety, and reduce gun violence.
    Heinrich recently co-sponsored the Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act, legislation to protect communities from gun violence by requiring federal law enforcement to coordinate efforts to prevent the importation and trafficking of machinegun conversion devices including ‘auto-sears’ — illegal gun modification devices that can convert semi-automatic weapons into fully-automatic weapons — and seize all profits that come from the illegal trafficking of these devices.
    Last month, Heinrich introduced his Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act and bipartisan Banning Unlawful Machinegun Parts (BUMP) Act, commonsense legislation designed to protect communities from gun violence, while safeguarding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes.
    Heinrich also convened a press conference in Albuquerque with New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, Everytown, community leaders, and students to announce the introduction of his GOSAFE Act. For photos and videos of that event, click here.
    In October 2024, Heinrich secured critical funding for New Mexico law enforcement to purchase four new NIBIN machines for Las Cruces, Farmington, Gallup, and Roswell. This allows law enforcement to trace firearms used in crimes and hold criminals accountable, all while saving officers valuable time and resources.
    In July 2023, Heinrich cosponsored the bicameral Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act, legislation to require online and other sellers of gun-making kits to comply with federal firearm safety regulations.     
    In 2017, Heinrich cosponsored the bipartisan Fix NICS Act, which now requires federal and state authorities to produce background check implementation plans and holds federal agencies accountable for reporting relevant criminal records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Heinrich also led the successful call to repeal the Dickey Amendment, which had previously prevented the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from funding research on gun violence and its effects on public health.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Introduces Bill to Direct Restoration and Protection Efforts of the 5-State Connecticut River Watershed Region

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) is reintroducing the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership Act (CRWPA), which would formalize a partnership between federal, state, local and private entities to promote conservation, restoration, education and recreation efforts in the Watershed and establish a voluntary grant program to facilitate these activities. This collaborative effort will benefit fish and wildlife habitats, protect drinking water sources, enhance flood resilience and help promote access to the Watershed’s public spaces, particularly for excluded and marginalized communities. U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (MA-02) leads a companion bill in the House of Representatives.
    “The Connecticut River and its watershed are a vibrant part of New England’s landscape, providing habitat for fish and wildlife, supplying safe drinking water for our communities and spurring tourism that contributes to the whole region’s economy,” said Senator Shaheen. “Only by working together at the federal, state and local level can we effectively protect and preserve this critical environmental and economic resource—and that’s just the kind of partnership this legislation would create.”
    The Connecticut River, New England’s longest river, drains a 7.2-million-acre watershed across five New England states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. The Watershed is home to 396 communities and provides multiple environmental and economic benefits to diverse stakeholders and industries, including fisheries, farming, hunting, recreation, boating and tourism. The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge encompasses the entire Watershed and is the only refuge of its kind in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
    Specifically, the CRWPA would:
    Require the Secretary of Interior to establish a non-regulatory Watershed Partnership Program intended to identify, prioritize and implement restoration and protection activities within the Watershed in consultation with federal, state, local and non-profit stakeholders;
    Create a grant and technical assistance program for state and local governments; tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations; institutions of higher education; and other eligible entities for activities in the Watershed;
    Implement a 75% Federal cost share for the grant program, except where the Secretary determines a larger cost share is appropriate; and
    Ensure other activities conducted by the Secretary in the Watershed would supplement, not supplant activities carried out by the partnership program.
    The legislation is supported by a broad coalition of more than 50 public and private organizations throughout New England, including the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership. Along with Shaheen, the legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Peter Welch (D-VT).
    Full bill text is available here.
    Shaheen has led efforts to safeguard our natural environment and invest in climate resiliency while boosting New Hampshire’s recreation economy. Shaheen led the bipartisan Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act into law to require the federal government to measure the impact of the outdoor recreation on the economy. In November 2024, Shaheen applauded the release of an annual report showing a $1.2 trillion economic contribution by the outdoor recreation sector in 2023, including $3.9 billion in New Hampshire. Shaheen also helped reintroduce the Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development (SHRED) Act to fuel investment in outdoor recreation in national forests that benefits mountain communities.
    Shaheen has also led efforts to help secure full funding and permanent authorization for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which has helped protect more than 2.5 million acres of land and supported tens of thousands of state and local outdoor recreation projects throughout the nation. In 2020, Shaheen helped lead the Great American Outdoors Act into law to permanently fund the LWCF and provide mandatory funding for deferred maintenance on public lands. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray, WA Broadband Office, Digital Equity Advocates Slam Trump for Ripping Away Resources to Close Digital Divide

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI: Senator Murray Blasts Trump’s Attack on Resources to Close Digital Divide: “Republicans Will Have to Explain Why Middle Schoolers in Rural Districts Shouldn’t Get Laptops”
    Murray first authored and introduced the Digital Equity Act in 2019 and got it passed into law as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
    ***WATCH FULL PRESS CONFERENCE HERE; DOWNLOAD HERE***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and author of the Digital Equity Act, held a virtual press conference in response to President Trump illegally blocking funding from the Digital Equity Act after falsely attacking the law as “racist” and “unconstitutional.” Murray first authored and introduced the Digital Equity Act in 2019 and got it passed into law as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Joining Senator Murray for the call were Aaron Wheeler, Director of the Washington State Broadband Office, and Angela Siefer, Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA).
    Senator Murray’s Digital Equity Act passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2022 and provides $2.75 billion to help cities, states, and Tribes close the digital divide by providing individuals and communities with the skills, supports, and technologies necessary to take full advantage of a broadband internet connection—from helping seniors get online to ensuring students in every classroom have the tools they need to succeed.
    “A President cannot overrule a law—period. And certainly not through a tweet. But that hasn’t stopped this administration from illegally blocking the funding from the Digital Equity Act to all 50 states. I passed this law in 2021 as a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—and I actually first introduced the bill in 2019 to help close the digital divide, even before COVID,” said Senator Murray. “I worked hard and built a massive coalition of support for the Digital Equity Act and I worked really hard to make sure Republicans would be on board too—Senator Portman from Ohio co-led the bill with me. And guess what? Digital Equity passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. And that’s because my Republican colleagues have heard the same stories as I have—like kids in rural communities forced to drive to McDonalds parking lots for Wi-Fi to do their homework… It is insane—absolutely nuts—that Trump is blocking resources to help make sure kids in rural school districts can get hotspots or laptops, all because he doesn’t like the word equity! This administration’s deranged obsession with forcing extremist right-wing culture wars on all of us is not an acceptable or legal reason to deny states access to these funds.”
    “Canceling contracts related to Washington State’s $15.9 million Digital Equity Capacity Grant will severely hinder our efforts to close the digital divide,” said Aaron Wheeler, Director of the Washington State Broadband Office. “Cutting this vital program will expose millions of Washington residents to cyber risks, weaken the economic framework of Washington’s communities, and set back educational and workforce opportunities. And the long-term costs of security breaches, cyber theft and public trust will outweigh any short-term budget savings… Our team had just awarded our Advanced Cybersecurity Literacy Program grant to begin the state’s efforts to develop a curriculum that would have rolled out across the state to help educate and protect vulnerable individuals who are often targets of online scams. Then we got the federal notice that our grant had been canceled. We have all seen stories about victims of these complex online crimes and the impact they can have when they fall victim to online fraud. Our cybersecurity work would have helped prevent this by providing education about the online risks everyone faces. The program would have provided the tools people need to avoid these scams.”
    “The Digital Equity Act passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress to help close the digital divide in rural, urban, and Tribal communities. Fifty states and six territories are counting on these funds to implement essential programs, and that work is already underway. NDIA is one of 65 projects recommended for award, and our subgrantees were prepared to launch 13 programs in 11 states beginning on March 1. NDIA’s shovel-ready projects alone would have supported over 30,000 people in applying for jobs, talking to their doctors, completing homework assignments, and learning to avoid online scams. We are grateful to Senator Murray for standing up for this vital work and the communities that cannot afford to be left behind,” said Angela Siefer, Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA).
    Senator Murray first introduced the Digital Equity Act in 2019 and worked hard to build a robust coalition of 100+ organizations to secure strong bipartisan consensus and support for her legislation, ultimately passing it into law as a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Senator Murray’s Digital Equity Act provided $2.75 billion to establish three federal grant programs, administered by the NTIA, to promote digital equity nationwide by:
    Building Capacity within States through Formula Grants: Creates a five-year $300 million per year formula grant program for all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to fund the creation and implementation of comprehensive digital equity plans in each State.
    Spurring Targeted Action through Competitive Grants: Creates a five-year $250 million per year competitive grant program to support digital inclusion projects undertaken by individual groups, coalitions, and/or communities of interest.
    Supporting Research and Evidence-Based Policymaking: Tasks NTIA with evaluating digital equity projects and providing policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels with detailed information about which projects are most effective.
    Digital equity funds can be used in all kinds of ways to support Washington state families and our economy:
    Workforce: supporting the work of local workforce boards, community and technical colleges, and community-based organizations by increasing access to devices across underserved populations, increasing the digital skills of Washington’s current and future workforce, and by increasing the accessibility of state and local resources to workers.
    Education: supporting Washington’s public schools, community and technical colleges, and community-based organizations as they work to integrate technology literacy and fluency in their curriculum, reducing barriers and advancing access to technology, including digital devices, internet connection, and digital skills training.
    Health Care: supporting the Washington Department of Health and the Washington State Health Care Authority in expanding opportunities for Washingtonians to access telehealth services, reducing the need to travel long distances in rural areas for preventative and specialist care. Additionally, the digital equity funds could be used to work with partner organizations to expand the availability and awareness of culturally sensitive and linguistically accessible online healthcare resources and services.
    And much more.
    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below and HERE:
    “Thank you everyone for joining. I wish we didn’t need to have this call today, but as usual President Trump is spouting off about something he has no clue about—and he’s making it everyone else’s problem.
    “Last week, on a Thursday afternoon President Trump suddenly decided to ‘declare’ the Digital Equity Act, a bipartisan law that I wrote, unconstitutional. Needless to say, a President cannot overrule a law—period. And certainly not through a tweet. But that hasn’t stopped this administration from illegally blocking the funding from the Digital Equity Act to all 50 states.
    “I passed this law in 2021 as a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—and I actually first introduced the bill in 2019 to help close the digital divide, even before COVID.
    “I remember being in Forks Washington back in 2019, a very remote part of my state on the Olympic Peninsula talking about this bill. A local math teacher told me when it came to high-speed internet and digital resources, they felt like Port Townsend in the 1890s waiting for rail—for anyone who’s not familiar, the train never did make it over the mountains to Port Townsend. But I was determined to not let history repeat itself with high-speed internet. 
    “So, I worked hard and built a massive coalition of support for the Digital Equity Act and I worked really hard to make sure Republicans would be on board too—Senator Portman from Ohio co-led the bill with me.
    “And guess what? Digital Equity passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. And that’s because my Republican colleagues have heard the same stories as I have—like kids in rural communities forced to drive to McDonalds parking lots for Wi-Fi to do their homework. That shouldn’t happen in America!
    “Everyone agrees the federal government has a role to play in closing the digital divide. This isn’t a partisan issue. That’s why we saw public statements of support for Digital Equity dollars from Democrats and Republicans.
    “Every single state—all 50 of them—submitted a plan to the Biden administration to qualify for Digital Equity dollars, outlining exactly how they would use these funds and why they needed them.
    “Not a single Republican governor in 2024 felt the law was unconstitutional then—certainly none of them thought it was ‘racist’ or ‘illegal’ like the President is saying.
    “That’s why people as conservative as the Republican governors of Montana and Ohio were touting Digital Equity dollars. Even Kristi Noem’s administration made certain to plaster her name all over the digital equity plan they submitted to the Biden administration.
    “Everyone wanted Digital Equity dollars—and listen, call it digital equity or digital opportunity, the money does the same thing! So why is the President all of a sudden doing this?
    “It is insane—absolutely nuts—that Trump is blocking resources to help make sure kids in rural school districts can get hotspots or laptops, all because he doesn’t like the word equity!
    “This administration’s deranged obsession with forcing extremist right-wing culture wars on all of us is not an acceptable or legal reason to deny states access to these funds.
    “Whether it’s helping veterans in Ohio navigate the VA benefits available to them online or making sure seniors in rural Texas can access telehealth resources—Trump is stealing from every state in America.
    “Democrats will fight this every step of the way, but my Republican colleagues will need to explain to their constituents why middle schoolers in rural districts shouldn’t get laptops.
    “With that, I’m glad to turn it over to Aaron Wheeler who knows better than anyone that Digital Equity dollars will help everyone—in every community, in every part of Washington state.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine on Nomination of Erik Siebert for Eastern District of Virginia

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement on the President’s nomination of Erik Siebert to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District (EDVA):
    “Mr. Siebert has dedicated his career to protecting public safety, from his work with the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department to his handling of violent crimes and firearms trafficking as a line Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. With his experience and dedication to service, Mr. Siebert is equipped to handle the challenges and important obligations associated with this position. We look forward to voting in favor of his confirmation.”
    Earlier this year, Sens. Warner and Kaine sent a letter to the White House recommending Mr. Siebert, who currently serves as the Interim United States Attorney for the EDVA. His nomination is subject to confirmation by the full Senate.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: “NIH Cuts Will Hurt” RFK Jr. Admits When Pressed by Senator Murray On Harm to NIH Clinical Care, Confronted with Constituent’s Personal Story

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    In response to question about Trump’s proposal to nearly halve the NIH’s budget, Kennedy concedes “I think the cuts that are now proposed by NIH are gonna hurt.”
    ICYMI: In Seattle, Senator Murray Highlights Consequences of Trump & Elon’s Cuts & Layoffs at NIH—Hears from Leading Researchers, Patients, and Early Career Scientists
    ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks and questioning of Secretary Kennedy***
    ***WATCH: Senator Murray rebuts Secretary Kennedy’s claims about her constituent, Natalie***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the HELP Committee, grilled Secretary Kennedy on how the Trump administration is endangering Americans’ health and safety by slashing staff and blocking funding at the National Institute of Health (NIH) and firing nearly 90 percent of staff at the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), including nearly 100 staff in Spokane.
    In their unprecedented and reckless effort to gut HHS—including pushing out 20,000 HHS employees and defunding critical research—President Trump and Secretary Kennedy are creating total chaos, delaying funding and stalling research for lifesaving treatments and cures, weakening our biomedical workforce, cancelling vital ongoing studies and delaying clinical trials, and threatening to undo decades of hard-won progress.
    Senator Murray began by sharing the story of her constituent, Natalie Phelps of Washington state: “One of my constituents, Natalie Phelps—a mom of two from Bainbridge Island in Washington state. She has been fighting aggressive Stage Four colorectal cancer for nearly five years now. Her best hope now is a clinical trial at the NIH Clinical Center. She flew out to the NIH just a few weeks ago for her first appointment, and her care team wanted her to come back in four weeks to start treatment. But because of the thoughtless, mass firing of thousands of critical employees across NIH and HHS that you have carried out, Natalie’s doctors at that clinical center have told her that they have no choice but to delay her treatment by an additional four weeks. Now, an extra four weeks may not sound like a long time but, I will tell you, for Stage Four cancer patients like Natalie, this could mean the difference between life and death.”
    Senator Murray asked Secretary Kennedy, “How many staff have been cut from the NIH’s Clinical Center? I want a specific number.”
    “I can’t tell you that now, Senator Murray. What I can tell you is that if you contact my office tomorrow, I’ll look specifically into that,” replied Secretary Kennedy.
    Senator Murray pressed, “Well, that is not acceptable. I want an answer back [on] that. She deserves it. She doesn’t have much time. She deserves an answer back.”
    Secretary Kennedy demurred, again saying Murray should contact his office, and eventually stated: “I don’t think that should happen to anybody.”
    Senator Murray then pressed: “What have you—and I mean you personally—done to assess how these staff cuts are impacting patient care? She is one of many. What have you done to assess that?” Senator Murray
    Secretary Kennedy responded, “I’ve revised the guidelines and said we shouldn’t—no, no clinical trials should be affected by the cuts.”
    Senator Murray made clear: “Mr. Secretary, I just have a short amount of time. They [your cuts] are impacting clinical trials. … I want to tell you, you need to know this. Natalie, is sitting there waiting.”
    Secretary Kennedy then repeatedly interrupted. Senator Murray reclaimed her time and pressed further: “I am asking you a question and it is critical. You are here to defend cutting NIH by half. Do you genuinely believe that that won’t result in more stories like Natalie’s?”
    Secretary Kennedy responded: “I think the cuts that are now proposed by NIH are gonna hurt. I think President Trump – you know, there’s no agency head in government like myself who wants to see their budget cut.”
    After more back and forth, Senator Murray stated: “Well, I will just say that it is my job to be a voice for people like Natalie and countless other patients who are like her. So you’ve got to fix this. I want to know, and I want a personal update on Natalie’s case, and you’ve offered that, please give that to me in the next 24 hours, and I expect details and transparency about the state of NIH clinical care.”
    Senator Murray continued her questioning by pressing Secretary Kennedy on the decimation of NIOSH and mass firings, including at the NIOSH Spokane Research Laboratory in Eastern Washington, which is the largest NIOSH facility west of the Mississippi River. Senator Murray has slammed the Trump administration for eviscerating the NIOSH Laboratory in Spokane as part of their mass layoffs. “I’m alarmed by your decision to essentially eliminate the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,” said Senator Murray. “You have already fired nearly 90 percent of staff. That includes the staff in my state at the Spokane Research Lab. Those are experts who do essential work to protect miners and firefighters and farm workers and people who are working in dangerous conditions. I am told that after backlash, you are reinstating some of those, mainly in the West Virginia office … nobody in the Western United States, and there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason as to how you’ve made these decisions. And how do you explain this to my constituents in Spokane, who are out of a job, and the workers that are being impacted by that.”
    Secretary Kennedy confirmed that he has brought back some of the workers he’d fired after facing backlash, but did not provide a rationale for the cuts in Washington, stating in part: “The work at NIOSH will not be interrupted. We’re going – I brought back 328 workers, mainly in the Cleveland office and the Morgantown office, and for the World Trade Center site. And that work will continue. The work on mine safety will continue.” However, critical mine safety research occurred at the Spokane lab—and Secretary Kennedy failed to provide any explanation for those cuts—or a commitment to rehire those workers. (Secretary Kennedy also misstated the number of fired workers that have since been rehired and where they work: 313, not 328, have been rehired, and the office in question is Cincinnati, not Cleveland.)
    Senator Murray concluded: “Mr. Chairman, I would just say you can’t fire 90 percent of the people and assume the work gets done.”
    Later in the hearing, Secretary Kennedy asserted that Natalie was ineligible for her clinical trial and called her story a “canard,” saying: “Senator Murray had raised the issue of a constituent of hers who she said had been denied a place in a clinical trial in Washington due to the RIF. We’ve been able to run down that case. The patient was medically ineligible for that trial. It had nothing to do with the RIF. And NIH has been trying to get her into another clinical trial, but none of our clinical trials have been shut down because of the RIF. That was a canard.”
    Senator Murray returned to the hearing to respond directly to Secretary Kennedy: “Secretary Kennedy came back and said my constituent, who I spoke about earlier, [her care] was not delayed by staffing cuts. First off, she is already enrolled in that clinical trial. It’s not a question of eligibility—the issue, as I stated clearly, was the delay in care that she got. And what you stated, Secretary Kennedy, is not true.”
    “I spoke with Natalie, actually, last night. She asked her NIH doctor directly why, when she was informed of the delay, and her doctor at NIH said very plainly TWICE: her care was delayed because of staffing cuts. And Mr. Chairman, I think it’s important for the record to show, my staff has put in inquiries with HHS leadership and they’ve been unresponsive so far.And, just to make clear, this is just one case of many. But those are the facts,” Senator Murray said.
    ___________________________________
    Senator Murray has been a leading voice in Congress raising the alarm over HHS’ unilateral reorganization plan and slamming the closure of the HHS Region 10 office in Seattle and the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Spokane Research Laboratory. Senator Murray has sent oversight letters and hosted numerous press conferences and events to lay out how the administration’s reckless gutting of HHS is risking Americans health and safety and will set our country back decades, and lifting up the voices of HHS employees who were fired for no reason and through no fault of their own.
    In particular, Senator Murray has been leading the charge against the Trump administration’s efforts to gut lifesaving research at NIH and pushed out nearly 5,000 NIH skilled scientists, grants administrators, and other employees at the agency. When the Trump administration attempted to illegally cap indirect cost rates at 15 percent, Senator Murray immediately and forcefully condemned the move, led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in a letter decrying the proposed change, and introduced amendments to Senate Republicans’ budget resolution to reverse it, which Republicans blocked. Murray has led Congressional efforts to boost biomedical research. Previously, over her years as Chair of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murray secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at NIH, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments. 
    Senator Murray forcefully opposed the nomination of notorious anti-vaccine activist RFK Jr. to be Secretary of HHS, and she has long worked to combat vaccine skepticism and highlight the importance of scientific research and vaccines. Murray was also a leading voice against the nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon to lead CDC, repeatedly speaking up about her serious concerns with the nominee immediately after their meeting. In 2019, Senator Murray co-led a bipartisan hearing in the HELP Committee on vaccine hesitancy and spoke about the importance of addressing vaccine skepticism and getting people the facts they need to keep their families and communities safe and healthy. Ahead of the 2019 hearing, as multiple states were facing measles outbreaks in under-vaccinated areas, Murray sent a bipartisan letter with former HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander pressing Trump’s CDC Director and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health on their efforts to promote vaccination and vaccine confidence.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Cantwell, Baldwin, Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Hold Press Conference Slamming Republican Effort to Defund Planned Parenthood, Pass Largest-Ever Cut to Medicaid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on House Republicans’ Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood, Slash Medicaid
    KFF Explainer: How Will the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Affect the ACA, Medicaid, and the Uninsured Rate?
    ***WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE HERE***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Alexis McGill Johnson and Planned Parenthood advocates in holding a press conference on the Republicans’ partisan reconciliation bill that includes provisions to “defund” Planned Parenthood and make the largest-ever cut to Medicaid in history.
    Republicans’ reconciliation bill, which only requires a simple majority to pass in each chamber of Congress, would result in at least 13.7 million people losing health insurance by 2034, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO)—this figure is a result of Republican cuts to Medicaid combined with Republicans’ refusal to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits and the Trump administration’s sabotage of the ACA marketplace. CBO estimates that the provision in House Republicans’ legislation defunding Planned Parenthood would increase the deficit by $300 million.
    “Republicans are gearing [up] to kick more than 8.6 million people off their health insurance, and while they are moving heaven and earth to extend tax cuts for the richest people on the planet, they are not so much as lifting a finger to save the health plan tax credits for working families—something that will push yet another 4 million people off their insurance… Because the brutal reality is that Republicans are not just taking away people’s health coverage, they also want to shut the doors on one of the biggest health care providers in the country. They want to defund Planned Parenthood,” said Senator Murray.“About three in four people say they oppose defunding Planned Parenthood health centers. But Republicans do not care—they need to appease their far-right, anti-choice fringe. Now this is going to hurt their own constituents, seeing as one in three women have been to a Planned Parenthood health center for care. But Republicans don’t care—after all, billionaire tax cuts won’t pay for themselves! Although the irony is, in this case, defunding Planned Parenthood would actually cost our country more money in the long term. CBO estimated yesterday that one provision in House Republicans’ bill would actually increase the deficit by $300 million dollars! And, defunding Planned Parenthood will cut off millions of patients from basic health care like cancer screenings, pap tests, birth control. But Republicans just don’t care—whatever Donald Trump wants, comes first for them. Well, I want everyone to know, Democrats do care. And we are not going to let Republicans blow past all the warning signs. Saving people’s access to basic health care—saving Planned Parenthood—is just too important.”
    One in three women have been to a Planned Parenthood health center for care and for many people, Planned Parenthood health centers are their only source of health care. Planned Parenthood is more popular than any elected official or party, and nearly three-quarters of voters, including more than half of Trump voters, oppose Congress taking away funds from Planned Parenthood health centers for providing birth control, wellness exams, and cancer screenings.
    “Make no mistake: The House’s reconciliation bill is targeting Planned Parenthood. By moving full steam ahead to push a dangerously unpopular agenda, House Republicans have shown they aren’t concerned about their constituents or cutting costs. This effort to ‘defund’ Planned Parenthood will threaten Americans’ health and futures, and leave a gap in care no other provider can fill. We cannot allow these lawmakers to play politics with health care. Planned Parenthood Action Fund is showing up every day with reproductive freedom champions like Sen. Patty Murray until we defeat this outrageous attack,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, President, Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
    “In the State of Washington, Planned Parenthood serves about 100,000 patients annually. So that just tells you, where are those 100,000 people going to go if you don’t have Medicaid as a reimbursement mechanism? About half of those patients rely on Medicaid,” Senator Cantwell said. “Small communities like Pullman, Washington, and other parts of Eastern Washington — where there are no other choices to deliver this kind of care — you’re asking people then to either do without care that might tell us something about a very pressing health care condition, or make you have to give up job time, or drive miles and miles and miles and miles, just to get the care you deserve.”
    “Plain and simple: Republicans are putting health care further out of reach for Americans, all because they need to give tax handouts to their rich friends. Planned Parenthood is a health care provider – they do cancer screenings, regular checkups, and so much more, but Republicans refuse to accept that and would rather try to score political points, so they are going to take that essential health care away from American families. It’s wrong and we are going to fight it,” said Senator Baldwin.
    Senator Murray is a longtime leader in the fight to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and abortion rights and is widely credited with holding the line against any budget deal that would cut funding for Planned Parenthood in 2011 and leading the fight to uphold President Obama’s policy requiring insurers to cover birth control as part of the Affordable Care Act. Murray has led Congressional efforts to fight back after the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision overturning Roe v. Wade, introducing more than a dozen pieces of legislation to protect reproductive rights from further attacks, protect providers, and help ensure women get the care they need; Murray has led efforts to push for passage of these bills on the floor multiple times. Last year, on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Murray led her colleagues in hosting a “State of Abortion Rights” briefing with women who have suffered firsthand from Republican abortion bans, and last June, she chaired a HELP Committee hearing titled “The Assault on Women’s Freedoms: How Abortion Bans Have Created a Health Care Nightmare Across America.” Murray helped lead efforts to force Republicans on the record on votes to protect access to contraception and access to IVF (twice), and led her colleagues in raising the alarm about the threat a second Trump administration poses to reproductive rights and abortion access in every state, as outlined in Project 2025.
    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below and HERE:
    “Well, thank you all so much for joining us. We are here to raise the alarm as Republicans are now moving heaven and earth to gut health care in this country.
    “You know the saying ‘women and children first?’ Well for Republicans, billionaires go first—and women and children go overboard.
    “That’s essentially the principle they are writing into their reconciliation bill right now.
    “Despite all the warnings from families across the country—despite warnings from themselves, Republicans are gearing [up] to kick more than 8.6 million people off their health insurance.
    “And while they are moving heaven and earth to extend tax cuts for the richest people on the planet, they are not so much as lifting a finger to save the health plan tax credits for working families, something that will push yet another 4 million people off their insurance.
    “But it gets worse—much worse—and that’s what I want to remind everyone here today now.
    “Because the brutal reality is that Republicans are not just taking away people’s health coverage, they also want to shut the doors on one of the biggest health care providers in our country.
    “They want to defund Planned Parenthood.
    “That is wildly unpopular—about three in four people say they oppose defunding Planned Parenthood health centers. But Republicans do not care—they need to appease their far-right, anti-choice fringe.
    “Now this is going to hurt their own constituents, seeing as one in three women have been to a Planned Parenthood health center for care. But Republicans don’t care—after all, billionaire tax cuts won’t pay for themselves!
    “Although the irony is, in this case, defunding Planned Parenthood would actually cost our country more money in the long term. CBO estimated yesterday that one provision in House Republicans’ bill would actually increase the deficit by $300 million dollars!
    “And, defunding Planned Parenthood will cut off millions of patients from basic health care like cancer screenings, pap tests, birth control. But Republicans just don’t care—whatever Donald Trump wants, comes first.
    “Well I want everyone to know, Democrats do care. And we are not going to let Republicans blow past all the warning signs. Saving people’s access to basic health care—saving Planned Parenthood—is just too important.
    “We don’t have to guess at the stakes here—we already know from experience. We have seen exactly what has happened when Republican states have defunded Planned Parenthood: health care outcomes—worse, fewer patients receive care.
    “The fact of the matter is, if Republicans get their way—if they succeed in shutting the doors of Planned Parenthood clinics across the country—millions of women will have nowhere else to turn.
    “After all, two-thirds of Planned Parenthood health centers are in rural and medically underserved areas—places where there’s already a shortage of clinics and health care professionals. And for a lot of these patients, Planned Parenthood is literally the only provider in reach and in budget. They literally can’t afford to lose this care.
    “So, we are not going to stand by as Republicans try to cut off this lifeline, just so they can cut a massive check to billionaires like Trump and Elon Musk.
    “We are here today to put a bright and burning spotlight on the full extent of the destruction Republicans are planning. And to lift up the voices Republicans are most afraid of—the patients who they are trying to cut off from health care.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Following Grassley Oversight, CMS Takes Action on Rural Hospital Demonstration Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed an action by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to fill 10 available spaces in its Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD) program. Citing the program’s efficacy and qualifying hospitals’ interest, Grassley has spent years pushing CMS to open RCHD applications and fill empty slots.  
    At a Senate Finance Committee nomination hearing in March, Grassley pressed Dr. Mehmet Oz, then-nominee to be CMS Administrator, to protect and support access to rural health care, including a specific request to fill RCHD slots. 
    “I’m glad to see CMS fill these slots and give more rural hospitals a chance to thrive. Through this program, rural hospitals will have a better opportunity to keep their doors open and continue providing needed services for their local communities. This fight is not over, and Congress must continue pushing to support rural health care in America,” Grassley said. 
    Background:
    The RCHD program boosts financial viability for rural hospitals that are too large to be Critical Access Hospitals and too small to benefit from Medicare’s hospital inpatient prospective payment system. Congress created the RCHD in 2003 and has reauthorized it three times. Currently, there are four Iowa hospitals participating in RCHD.
    Grassley’s Continued Advocacy:
    In 2023, Grassley secured a commitment from then-Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra that his agency would “do more” to support struggling rural hospitals. Grassley followed up by urging CMS to open RCHD spots. At Grassley’s request, CMS spoke with Iowa facilities looking to participate in the RCHD program. 
    However, after months of inaction by the Biden administration, Grassley questioned Secretary Becerra about his failure to fill program openings and penned a letter with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) reminding CMS it should be wielding every tool available to help rural hospitals. 
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: EPA Administrator Zeldin to Fischer: Congressional Action on Year-Round E15 Most Durable and Easiest Solution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Fischer’s Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act the only permanent, nationwide solution to unleash power of year-round E15
     Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin on the need for a permanent legislative solution for the nationwide sale of year-round E15, who confirmed that Congressional action is the “most durable and easiest solution to this issue.”
    Fischer’s legislation, the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, is the only permanent, nationwide solution to unleash the power of year-round E15.
    Click the image above to watch a video of Fischer’s questioning
    Click here to download audioClick here to download video
    On Securing a Permanent Nationwide Solution for Year-Round E15:
    Fischer: Administrator, a couple of months back, you and Secretary Rollins met with me and several of my colleagues about the importance of Congress passing a permanent, nationwide solution to allow for the year-round sale of E15, and I thank you.
    I thank you for acting on the emergency summertime waivers to allow for the year-round sale of E15 again this year. But certainly, this yearly exercise, it needs to be done permanently. We need to pass a solution, a permanent solution, and not have your agency have to go through this product every single year. 
    On President Trump’s Support of Nationwide Year-Round E15: 
    Fischer: The President tried to get E15 done permanently through regulation back in 2019, and he has maintained strong support for it since. I want people to understand the history here, Mr. Zeldin.
    We have effectively been operating under year-round E15 for the last six years through President Trump’s regulation and then yearly emergency waivers. Is that correct?Zeldin: Yes. 
    On Congressional Action to Make Permanent Year-Round E15:
    Fischer: Is it true that, despite President Trump’s best efforts, if we want real certainty here for consumers, Congress has to act. Is that correct?Zeldin: That is the most durable and easiest solution to this issue. 
    On Improving EPA Efficiency by Passing Fischer’s Year-Round E15 Legislation: 
    Fischer: Thank you. And lastly, having that permanent, nationwide legislative solution for the year-round E15 would certainly be a more efficient and effective use of EPA’s time and resources. Is that correct?Zeldin: Yes, Senator, as the Chair pointed out, I’ve been in the position a little over 100 days, and I have had many, many, many meetings about this topic. And a lot of passionate advocacy from, including you, Senator, and your colleagues and your constituents. If Congress was to finalize a long-term, durable solution, so much of that advocacy on your part, all of your time can be better spent fighting for other priorities of your constituents.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Honors Vermont Law Enforcement During National Police Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and 78 bipartisan senators this week in welcoming the Senate’s unanimous passage of their resolution designating May 12 through 17 as National Police Week. During National Police Week, Americans pay special tribute to the service and sacrifice of courageous officers and their families, especially our nation’s fallen heroes. 
    Every year, for more than six decades, Congress has passed a resolution in honor of law enforcement officers. The National Police Week resolution reiterates the Senate’s unwavering support for law enforcement officers across the United States.   
    “National Police Week is a time to reflect on the service of the men and women in Vermont—and across the country—who put their lives on the line to protect our communities. We are thankful everyday for Vermont’s law enforcement. We also honor the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty,” said Senator Welch. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in passing this bipartisan resolution, which renews our commitment to providing law enforcement officers and personnel with the resources needed to uphold their oath to serve our communities with valor and respect.” 
    “Law enforcement officers in Iowa and across the nation work tirelessly to protect and serve our communities. This week, and every week, we should give our thanks to the brave men and women in blue, who have sacrificed so much to ensure our safety,” said Senator Grassley. “As always, I’m proud to back the blue and will continue my efforts in Congress to protect and support our courageous officers.”  
    “Every day, our country’s law enforcement officers put their lives at risk to keep us safe. Officers and their families make great sacrifices in the name of service, including the tragic cases of those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. We’re grateful for their heroism, and we must make sure that officers serving with dignity and integrity have the support and resources they need to do their jobs,” said Senator Durbin. 
    Senators Welch, Grassley and Durbin are joined by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Christopher Coons (D-Del.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Thomas Tillis (R-N.C.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Margaret Hassan (D-N.H.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.).   
    Read and download the full text of the resolution. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Joins Colleagues to Applaud Passage of Resolution Recognizing National Police Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and 79 of their Senate colleagues in welcoming the Senate’s unanimous passage of a resolution designating May 12 through 17 as National Police Week.
    This resolution is an annual tradition going back more than 60 years and reiterates the unwavering support for law enforcement officers across the nation who keep our communities safe, our borders secure, and drugs and criminals off our streets. 
    “My dad was the chief of police in my hometown, and I grew up watching him put his life on the line every day to protect our community,” said Senator Marshall. “Law enforcement officers in the state of Kansas – and across the United States – work tirelessly every day to protect our country and uphold the rule of law. America’s law enforcement officers deserve the highest level of recognition. I am proud to support this resolution alongside my Senate colleagues and see its unanimous passage.”
    “Law enforcement officers in Iowa and across the nation work tirelessly to protect and serve our communities. This week, and every week, we should give our thanks to the brave men and women in blue, who have sacrificed so much to ensure our safety,” said Senator Grassley. “As always, I’m proud to back the blue and will continue my efforts in Congress to protect and support our courageous officers.” 
    The resolution:
    Recognizes the need to ensure that law enforcement officers have the equipment, training, and resources that are necessary in order to protect the health and safety of the officers while the officers protect the public.
    Acknowledges that police officers and other law enforcement personnel, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, should be remembered and honored.
    Expresses condolences and solemn appreciation to the loved ones of each law enforcement officer who has made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
    Encourages the people of the United States to observe National Police Week by honoring law enforcement personnel and promoting awareness of the essential mission that law enforcement personnel undertake in service to their communities and the United States.
    Read the full resolution here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Joins The Daily Signal to Discuss Justice for Angel Families Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington, – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined Tony Kinnett with The Daily Signal yesterday to discuss the Justice for Angel Families Act, legislation that would amend the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) to expand financial coverage for Angel Families – the immediate relatives of victims killed by illegal aliens, including in drunk driving accidents. This legislation would allow federal funds to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and funeral costs, easing the financial burden on grieving families.
    You may click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview with Tony Kinnett
    Highlights from the interview include:
    On why we need to support Angel Families:
    Senator Marshall: “You know, for every Laken Riley, there’s dozens of other people that have been murdered by violent, illegal criminal aliens. A lot of them, again, is the DUI issue as well.
    “Those loved ones are often left with… funeral bills, with large hospital bills, as well. And this just helps a little bit of a bridge for that family. And to your point, to take responsibility that we didn’t keep our families safe.”
    On what’s next for immigration reform:
    Senator Marshall: “I think that the emphasis, to me, right now is ‘Promises made, promises kept.’ If President Trump was in this conversation today, right now, he would say, and he has looked at me more than once, said, ‘Roger, I campaigned – No. 1 – more than anything else, more than the economy, was securing the border and making your family safe.’
    “Now, we need legislation, and I have confidence in President Donald Trump. Maybe in the third or fourth year we could go back and fix our broken immigration system. But in the meantime, part of this big, ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ is $50 billion to finish the wall. And then beyond that there’s another $50 billion for raises for our Border Patrol and bonuses… as well.”
    On codifying President Donald Trump’s executive orders:
    Senator Marshall: “We rescinded… major orders, regulatory orders of Joe Biden, rolling back regulations, helping set American energy free, help setting American business free as well.
    “So, that’s one thing that we have done. Rescission packages are the other opportunity…. What the Department of Government Efficiency work has done here, to turn that into law, it takes a rescission package. The White House has to initiate it. It only takes 50 votes as well. And then beyond that, let’s see.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Scott, Coons Reintroduce Legislation to Remove Unnecessary Burdens on Nuclear Licensing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
    WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) reintroduced the Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act, which would boost the efficiency and effectiveness of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) by eliminating outdated processes currently required of the NRC when reviewing new nuclear reactor applications. More specifically, the bill removes the NRC’s mandatory hearing requirement created by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 without limiting opportunities for public engagement.
    “As we work to address efficiency and remove burdensome red tape, refining the NRC’s nuclear reactor license process will ensure South Carolina remains a leader in domestic nuclear energy production while also paving the way for other states to follow our lead,” said Senator Scott. “Our efforts will move us in the right direction for a more secure and robust energy future.”
    “To lower costs for consumers and combat climate change, we have to deliver reliable sources of clean and abundant power, including nuclear energy,” said Senator Coons.“The U.S has only opened a handful of new units in the last three decades, and with electrification and new data centers for artificial intelligence driving tremendous increases in demand for power, we need to remove unnecessary barriers to deploying our world-class nuclear energy technology. This bill takes an important step in cutting red tape that limits the expansion of nuclear construction.”
    “NIA applauds Senators Tim Scott and Chris Coons for introducing the Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act. This bill removes the duplicative requirement for Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearings on uncontested reactor license applications. The legislation builds on NRC’s ongoing improvements in effectiveness and efficiency, while allowing for robust public engagement. Timely licensing is important to the successful commercialization of new nuclear technologies,” said Judi Greenwald, Executive Director of Nuclear Innovation Alliance. 
    “An efficient and predictable licensing process is key for companies considering new nuclear technologies,” said Niko McMurray, ClearPath Action’s Managing Director of International and Nuclear Policy. “Removing duplicative processes that do not limit opportunities for public engagement or negatively impact public health and safety allows the NRC staff to focus on what is important. The Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act strikes that balance.”
    “Mandatory hearings increase NRC Staff hours by 5-15% beyond the necessary safety and environmental reviews. Since many of these hearings are uncontested, they often involve merely rehashing already-examined topics and do not result in new findings or improve the protection of the public or the environment. This legislation will provide the NRC with the flexibility it previously requested, allowing it to focus resources on critical efforts while maintaining public engagement and retaining the option to hold a hearing when necessary,” said Adam Stein, Director of Nuclear Energy and Innovation of the Breakthrough Institute.
    “Nuclear energy is a key component to an all-of-the-above strategy. The process to build new nuclear power plants is outdated and must be rethought to ensure rapid deployment,” said Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) President Heather Reams. “CRES is proud to support Sen. Tim Scott’s bipartisan Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act, a commonsense improvement that will streamline the approval process for nuclear reactors and save taxpayer dollars while still upholding the high licensing standards of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.”
    The Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act is also supported by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), Third Way, The Nuclear Company (TNC), and Conservatives for Clean Energy.
    The full text of the bill can be found here.
    Background:
    The NRC is currently required by law to hold a mandatory public hearing on every reactor license application towards the end of the licensing process, even after the NRC conducts statutorily required environmental and safety reviews that leave ample room for public engagement by stakeholders and interested citizens. 
    While these “mandatory hearings” provide the public with an opportunity to petition the NRC to intervene and contest the application, in many cases, the hearings are noncontroversial and go uncontested. In these situations where the applications go uncontested, the NRC is still required by statute to hold the hearing, devoting thousands of manhours to provide a public hearing with negligible impacts on the actual public.
    The original justification for an uncontested mandatory hearing was to provide an open forum in which the details of reactor project applications were aired publicly and debated. In 1957, when the mandatory hearing was created in statute, nuclear energy was undoubtedly in a “developmental” period, as the United States had zero commercial nuclear power reactors in operation. Today, the U.S. has over 90 commercial reactors operating in 54 nuclear power plants in 28 different states.
    Getting rid of this duplicative hearing requirement will create more efficiency at the NRC at a time when the agency’s resources should be streamlined by Congress in order to bring its licensing processes into the 21st century.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton to Lutnick: Chinese Networking Equipment Risks National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
     
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353May 14, 2025
    Cotton to Lutnick: Chinese Networking Equipment Risks National Security
    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick urging the department to prohibit TP-Link equipment sales. This state-sponsored networking equipment company has deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party and poses a clear present danger to American national security.
    Additional signers of the bicameral letter are Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), James Risch (R-Idaho), Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), Rick Scott (R-Florida), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama). In the House, the letter was led by Congressman Riley Moore (West Virginia-02) and the signatories are Congressmen Gus Bilirakis (Florida-12), Abraham Hamadeh (Arizona-08), and John Rose (Tennessee-06).
    In part, Senator Cotton wrote: 
    “TP-Link’s pricing practices have triggered a Department of Justice criminal antitrust probe. TP-Link’s predatory pricing, coupled with its circumvention of tariffs, imminently threatens U.S. competition in a market critical to our national security. TP-Link has rapidly captured nearly 60 percent of the U.S. retail router and Wi-Fi system market while expanding the CCP’s cyber arsenal. The CCP uses SOHO equipment for ongoing espionage and targeting of critical infrastructure to pre-position itself for destructive attacks on Americans and communication channels with our allies.  
    For these reasons, Commerce should immediately prohibit future sales of TP-Link SOHO networking equipment in the United States. Each day we fail to act, the CCP wins while American competitors suffer, and American security remains at risk.”Full text of the letter may be found here and below. 
    The Honorable Howard LutnickSecretaryDepartment of Commerce1401 Constitution Avenue, NWWashington, D.C. 20230
    Dear Secretary Lutnick,
    We write in support of the Commerce Department’s investigation of TP-Link, a state-sponsored networking equipment company, and urge you to take swift action to prohibit further sales of TP-Link networking products in the United States. TP-Link’s deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), use of predatory pricing to eliminate trusted U.S. alternatives, and role in embedding foreign surveillance and destructive capabilities into our networks render it a clear and present danger.
    Chinese state actors have exploited TP-Link small and home office (SOHO) networking devices — including Wi-Fi routers, cellular gateways, and mobile hotspots — to wage cyber-attacks in the United States. CCP agents commonly exploit SOHO routers because those systems have ideal bandwidth and computing power for sustained cyber activities but lack additional layers of security common in enterprise networks. TP-Link is also subject to China’s National Security Law, giving the CCP access to U.S. systems before American authorities know a vulnerability exists. In fact, TP-Link is the only router company that refuses to engage in industry efforts to remediate Chinese state-sponsored botnets. 
    TP-Link’s pricing practices have triggered a Department of Justice criminal antitrust probe. TP-Link’s predatory pricing, coupled with its circumvention of tariffs, imminently threatens U.S. competition in a market critical to our national security. TP-Link has rapidly captured nearly 60 percent of the U.S. retail router and Wi-Fi system market while expanding the CCP’s cyber arsenal. The CCP uses SOHO equipment for ongoing espionage and targeting of critical infrastructure to pre-position itself for destructive attacks on Americans and communication channels with our allies.  
    For these reasons, Commerce should immediately prohibit future sales of TP-Link SOHO networking equipment in the United States. Each day we fail to act, the CCP wins while American competitors suffer, and American security remains at risk.
    We thank you for your ongoing work to secure and safeguard America’s Information and Communications Technology and Services supply chain. This work is critical to our national security, and we commend President Trump’s Executive Order 13873 to allow the Commerce Department to prohibit transactions in our country that pose unacceptable risk to American national security.     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Honors Arkansas Law Enforcement Amid National Police Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
    WASHINGTON––The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan resolution backed by Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and 78 of their colleagues designating May 11-17 as National Police Week. The National Police Week resolution reiterates the Senate’s unwavering support for law enforcement officers across the United States.
    “Arkansans are eternally grateful to the men and women in blue who willingly put their lives on the line to protect us and our loved ones. We must always display our deep admiration and appreciation to these heroes who run towards danger to keep us safe and uphold law and order. I am proud to stand with my colleagues and show our support for law enforcement officers across our country,” Boozman said.
    “Law enforcement officers in Iowa and across the nation work tirelessly to protect and serve our communities. This week, and every week, we should give our thanks to the brave men and women in blue, who have sacrificed so much to ensure our safety. As always, I’m proud to back the blue and will continue my efforts in Congress to protect and support our courageous officers,” Grassley said. 
    “Every day, our country’s law enforcement officers put their lives at risk to keep us safe. Officers and their families make great sacrifices in the name of service, including the tragic cases of those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. We’re grateful for their heroism, and we must make sure that officers serving with dignity and integrity have the support and resources they need to do their jobs,” Durbin said.
    Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Angus King (I-ME), Ashley Moody (R-FL), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Kennedy (R-LA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tim Scott (R-SC), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jim Risch (R-ID), Peter Welch (D-VT), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rand Paul (R-KY), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jim Justice (R-WV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Barrasso (R-WY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Rick Scott (R-FL), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jim Banks (R-IN), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ted Budd (R-NC), Gary Peters (D-MI), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Mark Warner (D-VA), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Steve Daines (R-MT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Jon Husted (R-OH), James Lankford (R-OK), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Todd Young (R-IN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) joined Boozman, Grassley and Durbin as cosponsors of the resolution.
    The resolution names the 234 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty during 2024, including Stone County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Smith. Boozman and Cotton paid tribute to the fallen lawman on the Senate floor in January 2024.
    Earlier this year, Boozman joined nearly a dozen colleagues in introducing the Thin Blue Line Act to increase penalties for criminals who target law enforcement. The measure is supported by multiple law enforcement groups including the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, National Sheriffs’ Association and Fraternal Order of Police.
    Read the full resolution here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Chairs Hearing That Exposes Insurance Fraud by Major Corporations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)
    During a disaster management subcommittee hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) highlighted victims of recent natural disasters and the insurance companies that defrauded them.  
    “This isn’t charity that we’re talking about. [Americans] turn to their insurance companies because they pay premiums to those insurance companies. It’s a contract,” said Senator Hawley. “And unfortunately, time after time they find when disaster strikes–in their moment of utmost need–the insurance companies come back to them and they delay, and they deny, and they offer excuses, and they send out two adjusters and three adjusters and 15 adjusters and 25 adjusters, and they constantly change the estimates. And at the end of the day, they just won’t pay what is due. What is required. What is just.”
    The hearing featured homeowners whose property was severely damaged by recent storms, insurance adjuster whistleblowers who were pressured by companies to doctor reports to cut payouts, and the executive director of the American Policyholder Association, a consumer advocacy group that investigates fraud by insurance companies. 
    “When we needed Allstate the most, they failed us,” one disaster victim noted.
    “This is no longer about just a roof,” said another. “It’s about the failure of a system that leaves families vulnerable after catastrophic events.”
    Senator Hawley concurred.
    “It’s not like it’s happened to just one family,” he said. “It is a deliberate strategy to maximize profits.” 
    Senator Hawley also called out Allstate and State Farm for defrauding their policyholders and intimidating whistleblowers.
    “We’ve just heard testimony here–sworn testimony from multiple adjusters–that your company ordered them to delete or alter damage estimates to reduce payouts and to make you profits,” Senator Hawley said. “It sounds to me like you’re running a system of institutionalized fraud.”
    Senator Hawley has been drawing attention to insurance company victims since President Trump shed light on the issue during his January visit to North Carolina where he met with those impacted by Hurricane Helene. 
    Watch the full subcommittee hearing here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Skewers Trump’s Trade Policy in Senate Finance Committee Hearing 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today skewered the Trump Administration’s misguided trade policy, which has slowed economic growth, interrupted supply chains, and threatened access to markets for Vermont businesses, farms, and manufacturers. 
    “We’re getting hammered. Dairy is our big product, but we have a lot of vegetable growers. Our farmers get a lot of fertilizer from Canada and it’s going to go up like 25%. And I don’t care what the politics are of the farmer, whether they voted for Trump or voted for Harris—that’s a real hit, right?” asked Senator Welch. “Some of the issues, or the justification for tariffs, is to get the supply chain back here and I have some appreciation for that. But it’s not like, ‘the more we grow here, the better,’ right? We’re already doing that. We get higher costs, and that will make the markets more vulnerable. More farms will go out of business.”  
    Watch more here: 
    The Senate Finance Committee’s hearing featured testimony from representatives of the American Soybean Association, the Center for Strategic International Studies, the Semiconductor Industry Association, and AdvaMed. 
    This week, President Trump announced a new trade agreement with China that will temporarily reduce tariffs from 145% to 30%, while retaining several other newly imposed tariff categories. Even with this temporary reprieve, Americans still face an overall effective tariff rate of 17.8% —the highest since 1934.    
    Senator Welch has blasted Trump’s tariffs and trade war and shared stories from constituents about how President Trump’s economic policies have impacted their businesses, farms, and communities. Senator Welch has hosted roundtables in Stowe, Newport, St. Albans, and virtually, where he heard concerns and first-hand stories from Vermont and Canadian business leaders impacted by the trade war. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Urges Defense Health Agency Not to Downgrade Fort Leonard Wood’s Community Hospital

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)
    Yesterday, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Acting Director of the Defense Health Agency Dr. David J. Smith urging him not to downgrade Fort Leonard Wood’s newly built hospital, citing readiness and training issues.
    Senator Hawley wrote, “I write with great concern over reports that the Defense Health Agency (DHA) is considering downgrading the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital to a clinic. I urge you to reconsider this and ensure that Fort Leonard Wood keeps its newly built hospital.”
    He continued, “As you are no doubt aware, the DHA also moved to downgrade Fort Leonard Wood’s hospital under the previous Administration. I demanded Secretary Austin reverse course then, and have continued to remain engaged on the issue. Downgrading this hospital would seriously harm soldiers, their families, and the broader community. It would jeopardize Fort Leonard Wood’s critical role as a major Army training center, including for Basic Combat Training and numerous advanced specialties.”
    Senator Hawley concluded, “The DHA has previously considered downgrading this hospital as a cost savings measure, but in point of fact such a move would represent the abandonment of over $400 million in recent investments to upgrade Fort Leonard Wood’s medical facilities. It would also impose additional costs on servicemembers assigned to Fort Leonard Wood, who would have to travel long distances to receive anything more than outpatient services. A downgrade of this facility should not happen. I urge you to reconsider and reverse any determinations that have been made to do so. You must act to protect a hospital that is critical to servicemembers and constituents in my state.”
    Read the full letter here or below. 
    Dr. David J. SmithActing Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and Acting Director, Defense Health Agency7700 Arlington Blvd., Suite 5101Falls Church, VA 22042
    Dear Dr. Smith,
    I write with great concern over reports that the Defense Health Agency (DHA) is considering downgrading the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital to a clinic. I urge you to reconsider this and ensure that Fort Leonard Wood keeps its newly built hospital.
    As you are no doubt aware, the DHA also moved to downgrade Fort Leonard Wood’s hospital under the previous Administration. I demanded Secretary Austin reverse course then, and have continued to remain engaged on the issue.
    Downgrading this hospital would seriously harm soldiers, their families, and the broader community. It would jeopardize Fort Leonard Wood’s critical role as a major Army training center, including for Basic Combat Training and numerous advanced specialties.
    The DHA has previously considered downgrading this hospital as a cost savings measure, but in point of fact such a move would represent the abandonment of over $400 million in recent investments to upgrade Fort Leonard Wood’s medical facilities. It would also impose additional costs on servicemembers assigned to Fort Leonard Wood, who would have to travel long distances to receive anything more than outpatient services.
    A downgrade of this facility should not happen. I urge you to reconsider and reverse any determinations that have been made to do so. You must act to protect a hospital that is critical to servicemembers and constituents in my state.
    Sincerely,
    Josh HawleyU.S. Senator

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Reverend Warnock Takes Fight to Protect Georgia’s Clean Energy Jobs to Savannah

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    ICYMI: Senator Reverend Warnock Takes Fight to Protect Georgia’s Clean Energy Jobs to Savannah

    Senator Reverend Warnock returned to his hometown to continue his public pressure campaign urging Congressional Republicans to protect clean energy tax credits fueling an expected 42,000 Georgia clean energy jobs
    Senator Warnock released a comprehensive report on how Georgia risks losing up to 42,000 good-paying jobs if Washington Republicans repeal the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Clean Energy Tax Credits

    Senator Warnock was instrumental in securing these clean energy tax credits which supercharged the clean energy economy and is expected to create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs in Georgia

    Since the tax credits were put into place, 51 clean energy projects worth over $28 billion have come to Georgia, largely centered in rural communities
    These jobs and investments are under threat from a Republican-controlled Washington

    Uncertainty over the IRA’s future and its incentives could lead to billions of lost investments and thousands of lost jobs, hurting Georgia’s workers, families, and economy

    ICYMI from Savannah Morning News: U.S. Senator Warnock takes fight for clean energy tax credits to Savannah

    Above: Senator Reverend Warnock uplifts his new report on Georgia’s clean energy economy during a press conference in Savannah
    Photo credit: Richard Burkhart, Savannah Morning News
    Savannah, GA – This week, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) brought the fight to protect up to 42,000 good-paying Georgia jobs to his hometown of Savannah, Georgia. The Senator continued to speak out against Congressional Republicans’ attempts to claw back clean energy tax credits, which would put thousands of jobs and billions in investments at risk.
    Senator Warnock held a press conference at the Georgia Ports Authority headquarters to uplift his new report that details how Georgia risks losing up to 42,000 good-paying jobs if Washington Republicans repeal the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Clean Energy Tax Credits. The report found Georgia’s clean energy economy has led the nation following the 2022 passage of these tax credits while also providing a stark warning on the risks posed to Georgia’s clean energy jobs and project investments amid the economic uncertainty being fueled by the reckless actions and threats of the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans.
    The report and Savannah press conference comes as House Republicans laid out plans on Monday to phase out clean energy tax credits, slash spending on electric vehicles and renewable energy, and claw back other climate-related funds as part of the Washington Republicans’ attempt to pass a broad tax bill that would cut federal investments in our nation’s clean energy economy, alongside other cuts across the federal government, in order to offset a tax cut for the wealthiest earners in America. 
    Senator Warnock’s leadership was critical in crafting and passing the landmark climate legislation in 2022. Since these tax credits were signed into law, clean energy jobs and investments exploded across the country, but nowhere was that growth more potent than in Georgia. In less than three years, clean energy businesses have announced 51 new projects worth over $28 billion in Georgia. Investment in clean energy manufacturing, including batteries, solar panels, and electric vehicles has increased by a factor of ten. All these gains are at risk if Washington Republicans repeal the Clean Energy Tax Credits.
    Coverage of Senator Warnock’s Savannah press conference can be found below:
    Savannah Morning News: U.S. Senator Warnock takes fight for clean energy tax credits to Savannah
    U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock took his fight to save clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act to Savannah on Monday, holding a press conference touting the impacts of IRA credits to Georgia’s economy.
    Warnock’s office released a report last week that claimed the state is at risk of losing as many as 42,000 jobs and nearly $28 billion in investment if IRA credits were cut. The senator’s push comes as the U.S. Congress works through its budget reconciliation process, where some tax credits may face repeal.
    During the press conference Monday, which was held at the Georgia Ports Authority headquarters, Warnock put the onus on Georgia’s federal Republicans to fight for the credits.
    “Now it’s up to Georgia’s congressional Republicans to protect these clean energy credits,” Warnock said. “Let’s choose the people over politics. Let’s choose jobs over the games that so often get played in Washington, D.C. Let’s protect these jobs and protect these investments.”
    Select House Republicans sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee leadership in early March advocating for “targeted and pragmatic” changes to energy-related tax code. Rep. Buddy Carter, who represents Georgia’s coast and recently announced a bid for the U.S. Senate, signed onto the letter.
    Warnock said Monday that he is fighting to retain all of the IRA’s credits, citing statistics from his office’s report that every $1 in federal investment from the IRA yields another $4.50 in private investment. “We ought to keep all of them,” Warnock said. “Who are we compromising with, ourselves?”
    Savannah Morning News: U.S. Senator Warnock’s report says manufacturing jobs at risk if IRA is repealed
    Sen. Raphael Warnock wants the entire U.S. to know that Georgia has shown that “the future is green, the future is clean.”
    Unless, that is, the U.S. republican-led Congress decides to cut clean energy tax credits created by the President Joe Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Congress is set to go through its budget reconciliation process in coming months and Warnock has sounded the alarm with a report issued last week stating Georgia could be at risk of losing as many as 42,000 jobs and nearly $28 billion in investment if IRA credits were cut.
    Warnock believes Georgia has shown his republican colleagues that the U.S. does not have to “decide between the economy and the environment, that you can work on both of those things.”
    Warnock feels that his office’s report clearly outlines the consequences if the tax credits were to go away, especially for Georgia, which he called “the big winner” from the IRA. 
    A statement from his office’s report reads, “Overall post-IRA business investment in Georgia clean energy manufacturing has totaled nearly $16.4 billion, which is over 10 times greater than clean energy manufacturing investment in the previous two years.”
    WTOC: Senator Warnock pushes back against proposed repeal of clean energy tax credit 
    Congressional Republicans are considering repealing Clean Energy tax credits as a part of their proposed budget package. According to a new report by Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, nearly 42,000 jobs could be lost statewide if this happens.
    “I‘m here in my hometown of Savannah, Georgia to speak out about efforts to eliminate up to 42,000 good-paying jobs right here in Georgia. That includes 7,400 jobs right here…,” said Senator Raphael Warnock. The Senator said that without them, Georgia workers, families, and the economy would all take a hit.
    “It’s a job killer. It’s pure and simple. And, you know, I just hope we will center the people rather than the politics because the economics is clear,” said Senator Warnock. 
    Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. It was meant to create and expand clean energy programs statewide.
    According to the senator’s report, Georgia has been the top beneficiary of the IRA’s clean energy incentives. He’s calling out his republican colleagues in Congress, who are looking to repeal these tax credits.
    “Georgia Republicans have a choice to make. These credits have benefited their districts more than blue districts. And I think the people of Georgia are waiting to see if they are going to stand up for them,” said Senator Warnock. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Reverend Warnock Delivers Commencement Address to Paine College’s Class of 2025 in Augusta

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    ICYMI: Senator Reverend Warnock Delivers Commencement Address to Paine College’s Class of 2025 in Augusta

    On Sunday, Senator Reverend Warnock delivered the keynote commencement speech to Paine College’s Class of 2025 in Augusta, Georgia
    Senator Warnock encouraged the Class of 2025 to make their life’s project longer and larger than their lifespan, give themselves over to a mission that is larger than themselves
    Paine College is one of ten Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) in Georgia; Senator Reverend Warnock is a 1991 graduate of Morehouse College and is the only sitting U.S. Senators to graduate from an HBCU
    Senator Warnock has secured $664 million for Georgia’s HBCUs to date, part of $17 billion in federal investments championed by the Senator since 2021

    Above: Senator Warnock addresses the Class of 2025 at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia
    Photo credit: Rob Davis, Augusta Chronicle
    Augusta, Georgia – On Sunday, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) delivered the commencement address for the Class of 2025 at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. Paine College is one of ten Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) across Georgia. The Senator commended Paine College for its rich history, academic excellence, and commitment to fostering Black leadership across industries. 
    During the college’s 143rd commencement ceremony, Senator Warnock, an alum of Atlanta’s Morehouse College and the only sitting U.S. Senator to graduate from an HBCU, urged the graduates to make their life’s project longer and larger than their lifespan and give themselves over to a mission that is larger than themselves. In a moment in which there are those in power trying to silence the voices of young people, Senator Warnock charged the graduates to not allow them to silence their voices or squash the activist spirit that fuels peaceful protest in pursuit of social change. 
    In recognition of his lifelong commitment to service, moral leadership, and the pursuit of social justice, Paine College awarded Senator Warnock the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters during the ceremony, as well as a plaque of appreciation for delivering the keynote address.

    Above: Senator Warnock and Paine College President Dr. Lester McCorn
    Photo credit: Rob Davis, Augusta Chronicle
    Additionally, the Senator highlighted the important role of HBCUs in helping shape the next generation of changemakers, as well as his work to successfully secure $664 million in federal funding for Georgia’s HBCUs, part of $17 billion in investments the federal government has delivered to HBCU campuses throughout the nation since the Senator came to the Senate. 
    Over the weekend, Senator Warnock also addressed the Class of 2025 at Virginia Union University, an HBCU in Richmond, Virginia. 
    Watch video of Senator Reverend Warnock’s address to Paine College’s Class of 2025 HERE.
    Key excerpts from media coverage of Senator Warnock’s commencement address can be found below:
    FOX 54: Sen. Warnock joins Paine College’s 2025 graduation ceremony
    The campus of Paine College was filled with cheers and tears Sunday as graduates turned over their tassels. […] The commencement had prominent speakers, from alumni Michael Thurmond to Senator Raphael Warnock.
    The senator was the lead commencement speaker, and emphasized the need for more funding in college education, specifically HBCUs.
    “Let’s face it, these kids are coming out of school at a difficult time in our nation, we’ve got to invest in higher education, invest in Technical and Community Schools. I’m an HBCU graduate, and what you get in these schools is a commitment to bringing head and heart to the work of community service, social change,” said Senator Warnock.
    The Augusta Press: Sen. Raphael Warnock speaks at Paine College convocation ceremony 
    Paine College’s HEAL Complex welcomed hundreds of visitors, Sunday morning, mostly the families of students, as it celebrated its 143rd Commencement Convocation.
    Sen. Warnock, a close friend of McCorn’s and a fellow Morehouse alumnus, would have normally been speaking from the pulpit in Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church on Sunday. His exhortations to graduating students during his address were delivered with comparable enthusiasm.
    “As an HBCU (historically Black college/university) graduate, I know the unique history of places like Paine College. I know what you represent, I know the sacrifice that it took to get you here,” Warnock said.
    The senator referred to his own personal history in encouraging grads to persevere amid what he called “a difficult time in our nation.”
    “I wanted to recognize that it is difficult. Many of them had to work really hard, had to push against financial and other restraints just to get this far,” he said, alluding to his own work in Washington, including his membership in the Senate’s Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. “But I hope that my own story might be an example, a model, of how you keep pushing even when you don’t have the answers, and when you’re working and doing the work very often, help comes in unexpected places, and I’m trying to do that work every single day in the United States Senate.”
    WRDW: Sen. Warnock gives keynote speech at Paine College graduation
    Despite the rainy day, Paine College still celebrated its graduates Sunday. Hundreds of students walked across the stage today to celebrate their academic achievements, and on Mother’s Day, nonetheless. Senator Raphael Warnock was the keynote speaker at commencement.
    “America is great because of its diversity, and here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to fight for that kid who was me growing up in public housing down in Savannah, GA. But I’m also going to fight for the poor, white rural kid who’s growing up in communities that have been too long forgotten about and overlooked,” said Warnock. 
    He also talked about what he has done to help schools like Paine College thrive.
    Interested media can view photos of Paine College’s commencement ceremony in the Augusta Chronicle HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate passes Kennedy-backed National Police Week resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and 78 bipartisan senators in introducing a resolution to designate the week of May 11 through May 17, 2025, as National Police Week. The Senate unanimously adopted the resolution.
    “One of the toughest jobs in the world is being a police officer, especially when so many officers don’t get the recognition they deserve. I can’t thank Louisiana’s law enforcement community enough for the good work they do to keep our communities strong, safe and free, and I am proud of the Senate for honoring our heroes,” said Kennedy. 
    “Law enforcement officers in Iowa and across the nation work tirelessly to protect and serve our communities. This week, and every week, we should give our thanks to the brave men and women in blue, who have sacrificed so much to ensure our safety. As always, I’m proud to back the blue and will continue my efforts in Congress to protect and support our courageous officers,” said Grassley.
    “Every day, our country’s law enforcement officers put their lives at risk to keep us safe. Officers and their families make great sacrifices in the name of service, including the tragic cases of those who have lost their lives in the line of duty. We’re grateful for their heroism, and we must make sure that officers serving with dignity and integrity have the support and resources they need to do their jobs,” said Durbin.
    The resolution:
    Designates the week of May 11 through May 17, 2025, as “National Police Week.”
    Honors the 234 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in 2024 and the 18 officers reportedly killed in the line of duty so far in 2025.
    Expresses unwavering support for law enforcement officers across the U.S. in the pursuit of preserving safe and secure communities.
    Recognizes the need to ensure that law enforcement officers have the equipment, training and resources they need to protect the health and safety of the officers while they protect the public. 
    Encourages the American people to observe National Police Week by honoring law enforcement personnel and promoting awareness of the essential mission they undertake in service to their communities and the U.S.
    Background: 
    In Aug. 2023, the Senate passed the Kennedy-backed Recruit and Retain Act to address the nation-wide shortage of law enforcement officers, increase recruitment and address workforce challenges.
    In Feb. 2024, Kennedy helped introduce the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act to establish a grant program at the Department of Justice to help state, tribal and local law enforcement agencies solve more crimes and improve clearance rates for homicides and firearm related violent crimes.
    In Jan. 2025, Kennedy joined Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and colleagues in introducing the Thin Blue Line Act to make the targeting, killing or attempted killing of a law enforcement officer, firefighter or other first responder an aggravating factor when determining whether capital punishment is appropriate.
    In Feb. 2025, Kennedy reintroduced the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act Reform Act to expand the concealed-carry rights of qualified law enforcement officers.
    Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Thomas Tillis (R-N.C.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Margaret Hassan (D-N.H.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) joined Kennedy, Grassley and Durbin in introducing the resolution.
    Full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch, Crapo, Lummis Introduce Bill to Protect Firefighters, Communities from Wildfire Threats

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) led their colleagues in introducing the Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act of 2025 to safeguard firefighters, communities, and property across the west from the destructive impacts of wildfires.
    “Our response to devastating wildfires must not be delayed by extremist, activist litigants,” said Risch. “The Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act ensures timely access to fire retardant and protects Idaho’s communities, forests, and way of life.”
    “Uncontrolled wildfires wreak havoc on communities and landscapes throughout the West—burning close to one million acres in Idaho last year alone,” Crapo said. “This bill ensures the heroic men, women and agencies battling raging fires can continue deploying aerial fire retardant when people’s lives, homes, possessions and Idaho’s vast natural expanses are threatened by blazing infernos.”
    “In Wyoming and across the west, we understand all too well the devastating toll wildfires take on our communities,” said Lummis. “Without timely access to fire retardant, lives and homes are at risk. In an emergency, we cannot afford to let bureaucracy slow down our response, and this legislation ensures firefighters have the tools they need to protect lives, property, and public lands.”
    Risch, Crapo, and Lummis are joined by U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) as original co-sponsors.
    The Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act ensures that federal, state, local, and tribal firefighting agencies can continue using fire retardant to combat wildfires without being hindered by permitting delays. Specifically, it creates an exemption under the Clean Water Act, clarifying that a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is not required for the use of fire retardant in active firefighting operations.
    Currently, agencies like the U.S. Forest Service operate under longstanding EPA guidance dating back to 1993, which states that fire control qualifies as a “non-point source silvicultural activity,” and thus does not require an NPDES permit. Despite this, environmental groups have filed lawsuits seeking to halt the use of fire retardant until such permits are issued—a process that could take years.
    If the injunction is granted and fire retardant is not available for use in 2025, firefighters and individuals living in forested areas would be in greater danger and billions of dollars of infrastructure would be at risk.
    ?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, King Urge OPM to Process Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Civilian Hires to Address Shipyard Workforce Needs and Support U.S. National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Angus King, and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), are urging the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to process nearly 150 personnel that have received initial job offers from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for civilian positions that have been approved by U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan. In their letter to OPM Acting Director Charles Ezell, the Senators note that individuals who are needed to fill critical national security roles cannot be fully onboarded at the Shipyard until OPM processes their job offers. The letter follows the Senators’ recent visit to the Shipyard with Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.
    “On April 17, we held a roundtable discussion at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard with the Secretary of the Navy and leaders from both the shipyard and the submarine industrial base,” the Senators wrote. “During that meeting, we were made aware that nearly 150 personnel have received initial job offers for civilian general schedule (GS) positions at the shipyard which have been approved by Secretary Phelan but have not been processed through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). As a result, individuals who are needed to fill roles critical to our national security cannot been fully onboarded into their positions.”
    “On March 18, 2025, Mr. Jules Hurst, Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, issued guidance directing that “positions at depots, shipyards, arsenals, and maintenance facilities” would be exempt from the current civilian hiring freeze,” they continued. “In keeping with that directive and with Secretary Phelan’s approval for the hiring of these nearly 150 new shipyard workers, we request that you provide the following information no later than May 16, 2025: 1. What screening and/or processing of hiring decisions approved by Department of Defense leadership is conducted by OPM prior to final onboarding of new employees? 2. How long does OPM require to conduct its internal processing of new hires for the public shipyards? 3. How long does OPM anticipate that it will take to complete processing of the backlog of positions that have been approved by Secretary Phelan for employment at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard?
    The full text of the letter can be read here.
    The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a key economic driver in the region, supporting thousands of jobs integral to America’s national security. After calls from Senators Collins and Shaheen, and Senators King and Shaheen, the U.S. Department of Defense exempted the shipyard workforce from the civilian hiring freeze. Last month, Collins, King, and Shaheen visited the Shipyard with Navy Secretary Phelan to highlight the Shipyard’s role in supporting U.S. national security and the need to bolster the Shipyard’s workforce to meet workload demand.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Lashes Out at Administration’s Decision to Cut Critical Research Budgets

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), in a hearing of the Energy and Natural Resource (ENR) Committee, pressed Connor Prochaska, nominee to serve as the Director of Advanced Research Projects Agency within the Department of Energy, and Dr. Ned Mamula to serve as the Director of U.S. Geological Survey within the Department of the Interior, on extreme budget cuts impacting critical research programs at both departments. During his exchange with Prochaska, Senator King repeatedly asked him to justify drastic budget cuts to the Advanced Research Project Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) after he touted the value of its work, and grilled him on the Trump Administration’s attacks on renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
    “One of the sages of New England, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘what you do speak so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.’ I have never been at a hearing where what’s being done is at such variance with what is being said. Mr. Prochaska, you waxed eloquent about the talented and dedicated staff of ARPA-E and all the great work that they’ve done. Their budget’s being cut by 57%. How do you justify all this nice talk about what you’re going to do when your agency’s being cut more than in half? You can talk until you’re blue in the face, but what speaks here is 57% cut. Tell me. And you went through your entire testimony, all of your answers to your questions, until you got to Senator Cortez-Masto, and never once mentioned renewables, the fastest growing, cheapest source of electricity in the United States today. And let me read from the budget document, ‘green new scam technologies are not supported.’ That’s in the ARPA-E budget document, green new scam technology are not supported. That means no renewables, right? You’ve got an order from the President of the United States, no renewables. Is that correct,” began Senator King.
    “That is not correct,” said Prochaska.
    “So what? What does he mean? Green, new scam technologies. He’s talking about solar and wind. Everybody knows that,” replied Senator King.
    “Senator, I can’t opine on what the definition of that language is. I can commit to, if confirmed, that the ARPA-E and the portfolio that we investigate and we look into will include all technologies,” Prochaska responded.
    “So, it was just a coincidence that when you listed the technologies, the nearest you got to renewables was a mention of geothermal. You never mentioned solar and wind, and you use the code word reliable, which is a new code word for we don’t like solar and wind because they’re intermittent, but as you indicated in your answer to Senator Cortez-Masto, when you have batteries with solar and wind, it’s base load. Is that correct,” asked Senator King.
    “Senator, it very well could be. It depends on the situation. But the portfolio that we will investigate will include all technologies and reliable is important to the energy that we need for the future, to fund some of the some of the emerging technologies that we’ve talked about,” Prochaska replied.
    “I appreciate what you’re saying here. What I’m going to watch is what you do. Understood, budgets are policy, and this budget, the policy of this budget, is a drastic cut, a drastic cut, more than half in the in ARPA-E, I think, one of the most important agencies the United States government. It’s where fracking started. The shale revolution started with research funds for the Department of Energy, and we’re talking about a more than half cut. So, I’m going to watch what you do and not what you say,” concluded Senator King.
    Later in the hearing, Senator King raised his concerns to Dr. Mamula about the Trump Administration’s attempts to downsize the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) biology and hydrology research, including the stream gauge program which provides data on river and stream flow that is critical to ensure adequate water supply and safety. During the exchange, Dr. Mamula refused to provide satisfactory answers about his familiarity with the Administration’s slashes to the USGS’ budget.
    “Now, Mr. Mamula, you talked about the importance of data and science and all of those kinds of things. And yet, there have been reports in the last few weeks that biological research in the in the USGS is being cut entirely, and 25 water science centers, which are stream gages measuring storms. I get the feeling this is like, if we don’t measure anything on climate change, it will go away. Is that what’s going on here,” asked Senator King.
    “I don’t think so, Senator, thanks for the question. Let’s discuss it. Again, I’m not at the survey, but I want to take a look, if confirmed, I want to go out and look at each and every single program, its budget and cuts proposed,” replied Dr. Mamula.
    “Somebody has already done that and cut your budget 37% before you even walk in the door. Assuming Congress agrees, which I hope they won’t,” said Senator King.
    “Yeah, I don’t know about that either, but I’m not familiar. But the program, the contents of the program that has a cut associated with it, I’m not familiar. I don’t know what’s in, what’s being cut,” responded Dr. Mamula.
    “I thought you’re pretty familiar with USGS,” questioned Senator King.
    “I am, but I don’t know what —,” said Dr. Mamula.
    “Do you believe it’s appropriate to cut all of their biological research programs,” pressed Senator King.
    “Well, I have to see what they’re talking about, if they’re talking about,” replied Dr. Mamula.
    “All means all as I understand it,” finished Senator King.
    As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator King has advocated for climate solutions that deliver on the clean energy potential of the historic Inflation Reduction Act. He has repeatedly emphasized the importance of permitting reform to deliver carefully considered, timely approvals of sorely-needed clean energy projects. Senator King has also been one of the Senate’s most vocal advocates for improving energy storage technologies and development and worked to include significant storage investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Earlier this year, Senator King reiterated the importance of an “all of the above” energy policy strategy during an ENR hearing considering the nominations of Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. In a recent ENR hearing, he received agreement from two nominees to prioritize renewable energy storage technology.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Republicans Block Schatz Resolution Condemning Qatar’s $400 Million Gift To Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday called for unanimous consent on the Senate floor to adopt a resolution authored by Schatz and U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) that would condemn a luxury airplane gift, valued at $400 million, President Donald Trump announced he will receive from the government of Qatar. Senate Republicans blocked it.

    “It really should go without saying, but no president should be accepting a $400 million gift from a foreign country,” said Senator Schatz. “It is gross. It is reckless. It is corrupt. And the outrage and condemnation especially on the Republican side should be universal.”

    In addition to Schatz and Coons, the resolution is cosponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.).

    Video of Schatz’s unanimous consent request and the Senate Republican response available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Joins Ernst To Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Improve USDA Conservation Programs For Farmers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    May 14, 2025

    Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act modernizes USDA’s process for updating conservation standards

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, joined U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) to introduce bipartisan legislation, the Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act, that would remove bureaucratic barriers and better support farmers in implementing conservation practices that improve soil health and water quality.

    “Illinois ranks fourth in the nation in planted cropland, but for years, has ranked as low as 37th in farm conservation funds that USDA distributes to help farmers adopt cover crops, conservation tillage, and other critical environmental practices.  USDA’s statewide one-size-fits-all conservation practice rules do not always match the unique needs of each farm,” said Durbin. “This bill creates a process to add more flexibility to these standards, provide routine updates to keep up with the latest innovations, and ensure more academic and farmer input into developing the conservation practices.”   

    “Traveling across Iowa, I regularly hear from farmers who are eager to implement conservation practices that improve soil health, water quality, and long-term productivity — but they face real barriers when rigid USDA standards slow things down,” said Ernst. “I’m leading the Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act to modernize how USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service updates its technical standards. Ultimately, the goal is simple: let’s cut the red tape, let’s keep standards science-based and flexible, and help farmers get conservation tools in use faster.

    The Streamlining Conservation Practice Standards Act would update the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) process to:

    • Require a regular review of existing conservation practice standards,
    • Create a public process for submitting and adopting new practices, and
    • Prioritize the integration of innovative tools like nutrient efficiency technologies — biological fertilizer being one example that’s proven to improve plant growth.

    The introduction of the legislation follows yesterday’s hearing in the Senate Agriculture Committee, where Durbin spoke about improving USDA conservation programs. 

    Durbin has long-advocated for Illinois to receive USDA conservation funding that is proportionate to Illinois’ ranking as a top agricultural state.  Last August, Durbin led members of the Illinois delegation in writing to USDA, urging the agency to allocate additional conservation funds to Illinois. In her opening statement, Mrs. Dwyer shared that Illinois received an additional $15 million in EQIP funds last year due to outreach by Durbin and others members of the Illinois delegation to USDA.

    Durbin has also written about the importance of providing farmers with conservation funding, which allows farmers to plant cover crops to mitigate dangerous, and sometimes deadly, dust storms in Central Illinois.

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    MIL OSI USA News –