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  • MIL-OSI USA: News 05/14/2025 Blackburn, Blumenthal, Thune, and Schumer Introduce the Kids Online Safety Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal(D-Conn.) were joined by U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in introducing the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Last July, the Senate approved KOSA – the first major reform to the tech industry since 1998 – in an overwhelming 91-3 bipartisan vote. 

    “Big Tech platforms have shown time and time again they will always prioritize their bottom line over the safety of our children, and I’ve heard too many heartbreaking stories to count from parents who have lost a child because these companies have refused to make their platforms safer by default,” said Senator Blackburn. “We would never allow our children to be exposed to pornography, sexual exploitation, drugs, alcohol, and traffickers in the physical space, but these platforms are allowing this every single day in the virtual space. Congress must not cave to the wills and whims of Big Tech, and we must not be bullied into submission. Now is the time to stand up and protect future generations from harm by passing KOSA.”   

    “Senator Blackburn and I made a promise to parents and young people when we started fighting together for the Kids Online Safety Act – we will make this bill law. There’s undeniable awareness of the destructive harms caused by Big Tech’s exploitive, addictive algorithms, and inescapable momentum for reform,” said Senator Blumenthal. “I am grateful to Senators Thune and Schumer for their leadership and to our Senate colleagues for their overwhelming bipartisan support. KOSA is an idea whose time has come – in fact, it’s urgently overdue – and even tech companies like X and Apple are realizing that the status quo is unsustainable. Our coalition is bigger and stronger than ever before, and we are committed to seeing this measure protecting children on the internet signed into law.”

    “I have been a longtime advocate for holding Big Tech accountable for its manipulative algorithms,” said Majority Leader Thune. “Consumers deserve more transparency about how these platforms amplify and suppress content, which is why I’m proud to support the Kids Online Safety Act. Senator Blackburn has done a tremendous amount of work to deliver a bill that takes real steps to empower families and mitigate the harm social media can do to children, and I’m grateful for her leadership on the issue.”

    “I am proud to support this bipartisan legislation which provides necessary guardrails to protect our kids. Too many kids have had their personal data collected and used nefariously. Too many families have lost kids after they took their own lives because of what happened to them on social media,” said Minority Leader Schumer. “I thank these brave parents and families for sharing their stories. Keeping our kids safe from online threats should not be a partisan issue, I thank my Senate colleagues for championing these bills and I look forward to swift passage.”

     BACKGROUND

    • Last month, bombshell reporting revealed Meta’s latest failure to protect minors from harm after AI-powered digital chatbots engaged in sexually explicit discussions with underaged users on its platforms. Following this report, Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal sent a letter demanding accountability. 
    • Earlier this month, an additional report revealed Instagram’s automated software systems recommended child groomers connect with minors on the app and made it easier for them to find victims, according to a 2019 internal document presented by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The report noted that minors made up 27% of the follow recommendations that the social media app surfaced to groomers, and about one-third of the reports flagging inappropriate comments to the company came from minors.
    • The bill text introduced today was first announced in December and is the same language approved by the Senate with several changes to further make clear that KOSA would not censor, limit, or remove any content from the internet, and it does not give the FTC or state Attorneys General the power to bring lawsuits over content or speech.
    • KOSA is strongly supported by a broad coalition of parents who have tragically lost their children or whose kids have been severely harmed by Big Tech, young people who want to regain control over their online lives, and hundreds of advocacy groups and experts who study and see the negative effects of social media firsthand in their communities.

     ENDORSEMENTS 

    This legislation has been endorsed by more than 250 national, state, and local organizations. Today, Appleannounced its endorsement of the legislation, and the bill has also garnered broad conservative support from key advocates like Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr., Kellyanne Conway, Harmeet Dhillon, Richard Grenell, Sebastian Gorka, and more.

    “Apple is pleased to offer our support for the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Everyone has a part to play in keeping kids safe online, and we believe [this] legislation will have a meaningful impact on children’s online safety,” said Timothy Powderly, Senior Director, Government Affairs, Americas, Apple.

    “I lost my 16-year-old son Mason in November of 2022 when he took his own life. This was only after he was inundated for several weeks by TikTok videos promoting suicide. There are no words to express the pain my family now lives with every single day. Big Tech will always put their profits over the safety of American children and it is my hope that this bipartisan legislation will quickly pass through the current Congress. Unlike Big Tech there is nothing more important to American families than our children and we need help to protect them from these dangerous platforms.” said Jennie Deserio, mother of Mason James Edens, forever 16. 

    “We are so grateful to Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal for reintroducing the Kids Online Safety Act as the need for this bill remains profound. . We have waited and fought long enough, yet our children continue to face severe harms in online spaces where they should feel safe. This legislation is a collective plea from parents, like me, and in remembrance of my daughter Annalee, for meaningful social media reform. Another Mother’s Day and another full year has passed without my daughter and with our children’s futures at stake. It’s past time for change. Children deserve to have their voices heard, their rights protected, and their well-being prioritized by Congress,” said Lori Schott, mother of Annalee Schott, forever 18.

    “I am so relieved today that Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal have reintroduced the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Yet, it’s only a small victory – we still desperately need Congress to actually act on this popular, bipartisan bill and make it law. My daughter, Emily, died by suicide after a year of intense cyberbullying when she was only 17. Last year, we were so close to protecting other children from the same unthinkable fate when the Senate passed this bill and it was heartbreaking when it later stalled in the House. Too many parents like me have paid the ultimate price because of Big Tech’s greed and recklessness towards children’s lives. Our lawmakers must no longer allow this to continue unchecked. This must end now by passing KOSA,” said Erin Popolo, mother of Emily Michaela Murillo, forever 17.

    “I am so thankful for brave leaders like Senator Marsha Blackburn and Senator Richard Blumenthal who are willing to stand-up to Big Tech and support the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a popular bipartisan bill that will provide important protections for youth online. My 17-year-old son, Alex Peiser, died by suicide after he was bullied online and sent pro-suicide memes on his private Instagram account, three days after a break-up.  If KOSA had been in effect, protections would have been in place that might have prevented his death.  Congress had a remarkable opportunity last year to make KOSA law and implement the first reforms of social media in more than 25 years. They can stand together now for children’s online safety by passing KOSA this session without delay,” said Sharon Winkler, mother of Alex Peiser, forever 17.

    “I lost my son Walker December 1, 2022, to suicide after he became  a victim of sextortion. Walker was attacked through Instagram where a man from Nigeria was able to extort him over a sexually explicit video. Today, I attended Walker’s school where we honored the  seniors. Walker’s classmates are graduating this week and he should be there. As long as tech companies have the ability to self-regulate we will continue to lose other teens just like Walker. Thank you Senator Blackburn and Blumenthal for standing up to this industry,” said Brian Montgomery, father of Walker Montgomery, forever 16. 

    “For years, grieving parents have shown up to tell their stories, and Congress has promised to act. The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) has been vetted, revised, and supported by both parties—and it would give families the tools they desperately need to protect their children. After coming so close last year, there’s no excuse for letting this moment slip away, KOSA’s reintroduction is a second chance we cannot afford to waste,” said Maurine Molak, mother of David Molak, forever 16, co-founder of David’s Legacy Foundation & ParentsSOS.

    “Thank you Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal for your leadership with the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Our son, Devin Norring, died at the age of 19 to fentanyl poisoning after a drug dealer connected with him on Snapchat. Devin was just trying to manage his pain during the COVID lockdown from a cracked molar, but instead he was targeted and lost his life. No parent should ever have to endure this immense pain that we are now forced to live with every day. KOSA is a vital step toward giving families the tools they need to protect their children online while also holding tech companies accountable. Your efforts mean more than we could ever express to families like ours who are fighting every single day to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” said Bridgette & Tom Norring, parents of Devin Norring, forever 19.

    “We are so proud of and encouraged by Senator Blumenthal’s and Senator Blackburn’s reintroduction of KOSA. This legislation is timely and needed for America’s children and families. We still feel the loss of our son, Matthew E. Minor, every day. Matthew was a bright and loving child who, at age 12 was exposed to a viral online challenge sent to him by social media’s relentless algorithms. Tragically, he tried it, and accidentally asphyxiated himself. Every delay in passing this bill means putting more of our precious children’s lives at risk. We live with the overwhelmingly tragic memories of losing our child constantly and want to keep other families from experiencing the same pain . As a nation, we are as complicit as Big Tech if we do nothing to improve the safety of social media. Regulations, like those required in KOSA, should be in place to help mitigate online harms.  It’s time that Congress says yes to keeping our children safe online. Pass KOSA Now!!” said Todd & Mia Minor, Parents of Matthew E. Minor, forever 12, co-founders of the Matthew E. Minor Awareness Foundation.

    “The shattering loss of my joyful daughter Grace thirteen years ago compelled me to repeatedly speak out about social media dangers to anyone who would listen. Smartphones and social media were new then and I felt I had an alarm bell to ring. That bell is still clanging and though risk and harm to our children is now clear, rescue has failed to arrive and children are still dying. Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn bring hope with the reintroduction of Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Last year, Senators of all stripes sat down with parents, shared our grief, learned about the many and varied harms our children suffered, and then passed KOSA by a resounding 91 to 3 vote. It should have been smooth sailing through the U.S. House as well, but Leadership wouldn’t even meet with parents or bring this lifesaving legislation to the floor for a vote. If they fail once more, it won’t be for lack of evidence. It will be because they chose Big Tech’s money over the lives of American children again,” said Christine Pfister McComas, mother of Grace, forever 15, Grace McComas Memorial.

    “I lost my son, Erik Robinson to accidental asphyxiation 15 years ago when he was just 12-years-old because of a viral challenge that others had promised was “safe.” Back then we had no idea that algorithms targeted kids with such dangerous material. However, we now know that these platforms are only out to make money and do not care how their platforms target and affect children. It breaks my heart that thousands of other kids have also died since Erik’s death as a result of an immense menu of harms that target kids online. Legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) would help mitigate many of these harms and save lives. I urge Congress to say “yes” and help keep kids safe with KOSA,” said Judy Rogg, mother of Erik Robinson, forever 12, Co-founder and Director of Erik’s Cause.

    “It’s been more than four years since I lost my son, Riley, to suicide when he was only 15 years old after a sinister stranger found him on Facebook and sextorted him. One of the few ways I’ve found to cope since then is to advocate for social media reforms that will protect other children from the abuse Riley experienced. Which is why the reintroduction of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is so critical. This transformative legislation will finally hold Big Tech accountable for the algorithms and designs they use to prey on the most vulnerable among us simply because it adds to their hefty bottom line. It’s unconscionable and Congress must step in now to require they create a safer product, because we know they can. KOSA will do just that,” said Mary Rodee, mother of Riley Basford, forever 15. 

    “My world imploded in May 2019 when my 15-year-old son Mason died of accidental asphyxiation. The cause? The ‘blackout challenge,’ a viral social media trend. No child should die because they were innocently scrolling online and no product manufacturer, in this case Big Tech, should be allowed to peddle such harmful products. Cars have to have seat belts. Milk has to have an expiration date. Social media platforms should be required to have meaningful, effective, safety features as well. The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) includes those necessary guardrails by mandating a change to the algorithms that send kids such destructive content unsolicited. If Congress would finally pass this bill and make it law, it would be a complete game-changer for children and families across America.” said Joann Bogard, mother of Mason Bogard, forever 15.

    “There’s a lie going around that vigilant parents – the ones who regularly check their children’s phones, read their texts, are “friends” on their feeds – can keep their kids safe online. I learned in the absolute worst way how untrue this is. I lost my daughter Coco, just 17, after an Instagram drug dealer sold her counterfeit Percocet laced with fentanyl. We parents are no match for Big Tech and their multi-million-dollar lobbying arm working tirelessly to keep their products unregulated so they can earn billions off of our kids, no matter the harm caused along the way. The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), would finally put an end to this uncontrolled greed and I know it would have saved Coco’s life. It came so close to passage last year and I am so grateful to Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal for not giving up and reintroducing it again now. I can only hope this time around their Congressional colleagues will see fit to choose kids over Big Tech’s profits and make KOSA law once and for all,” said Julianna Arnold, mother of Lucienne “Coco” Konar, forever 17.

    “My daughter McKenna was an accomplished athlete and scholar, kind to her core, and deeply loyal to those she loved. She had such a promising, rich, life ahead of her. But three years ago she died by suicide after being horribly cyberbullied on social media. She was only 16. Had the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) been law, I am certain she would still be with us today. This bill requires that social media platforms take a safety-by-design approach, which is the precise opposite of their profits-at-any-cost approach right now. KOSA would make sure that too-often lethal harms like cyberbullying are no longer allowed to run rampant, ruining children’s and family’s lives forever. Thank you to Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn for reintroducing this life-saving bill. I urge every lawmaker in D.C. to pass KOSA without delay,” said Cheryl Brown, mother of McKenna Brown, forever 16. 

    “My son Bubba was just 13 years old when he died by accidental asphyxiation after trying a so-called viral ‘challenge’ he saw online. He was a brilliant student, full of promise, and he never should have been exposed to content that could cost him his life. That responsibility lies with Big Tech CEOs who have built business models that exploit our children’s attention with no regard for their well-being. Last year, the Senate overwhelmingly passed KOSA, proving that protecting kids online is not a partisan issue. But the House failed to act. That’s why I’m incredibly grateful to Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn for reviving this critical bill. KOSA is long overdue. I truly believe my son would still be here today if these safeguards had been in place. My plea to lawmakers is simple: Congress hasn’t passed a single meaningful law to protect kids online in 25 years. How many more children have to die before you finally hold Big Tech accountable?” said Annie McGrath, mother of Griffin “Bubba” McGrath, forever 13.

    “I have sat across from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and told Becca’s story time and again. And still, there are no meaningful protections in place to prevent this from happening to another child. That is why the Kids Online Safety Act is so important. KOSA would finally require companies to design for safety instead of profit and give parents a fighting chance to protect their kids. I urge every member of Congress: do not let another year pass without action. Our children deserve better,” said Deb Schmill, mother of Becca Schmill, forever 18, Founder of the Becca Schmill Foundation. 

    “Selena was just 11 when she died by suicide after being exploited and overwhelmed on social media. I tried everything to protect her, but social media platforms like Snapchat were designed to pull her in and shut me out. KOSA would give parents a fighting chance. It would force companies to put safety first, and finally make them answer for the harm they’ve caused to families like mine through exposure to harmful cyberbullying. The reintroduction of KOSA represents a vital opportunity for Congress to finally implement necessary safeguards, ensuring that no other child falls victim to the same preventable dangers that took Selena from us,” said Tammy Rodriguez, mother of Selena Rodriguez, forever 11. 

    “My son Alexander was 14 when he died from fentanyl poisoning after a drug dealer on Snapchat sold him counterfeit oxycontin that had enough fentanyl to kill four adults. There should have been social restrictions in place to prevent his death and there should be such restrictions in place now. Congress had an opportunity to stop further online harms from happening by passing KOSA in 2024, the Senate prevailed and the House failed us and America’s children. I commend Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal for stepping up to the plate again and only hope that House Leadership will follow suit this time around and stop making profits a priority over children’s lives,” said Amy Neville, mother of Alexander Neville, forever 14. 

    “My son Ethan was 13 when he died as a result of accidental asphyxiation after participating in the online ‘Blackout Challenge.’ Had KOSA been in place, there is no doubt that my son would still be alive. Congress had an opportunity to save more children’s lives last year by passing KOSA, the Senate stepped up, but the House failed to do so. Now is the time for Congress to redefine the narrative and to stop allowing Big Tech to win and to stop them from killing more children. It is time for Congress to do the right thing and pass KOSA this year,” said Jeff Van Lith, father of Ethan Burke Van Lith, forever 13.

    “KOSA is the first bill that would make these companies, like iFunny and Snapchat, responsible for preventing the kinds of harm that took my son from me. Congress has a second chance to do something real. We need them to take it,” said Michelle Servi, mother of Jack Servi, forever 16.

    “The Kids Online Safety Act gives parents the tools they need—and have long pleaded for—to effectively oversee their children’s social media use. The legislation rightfully requires platforms to prioritize the well-being of young users over algorithms and design features that maximize user engagement. While some platforms have elected to implement varying degrees of safeguards, the Kids Online Safety Act creates consistency, fosters transparency, and critically, holds platforms accountable for profiting from addictive features and child exploitation,” said Annie Chestnut Tutor, Policy Analyst, Center for Technology and the Human Person, The Heritage Foundation.

    “Our children need online protection plain and simple. The amount of victimization that occurs online is staggering.  Law enforcement cannot protect our children in the current online environment, that is why KOSA is so important to our children,” said John Pizzuro, CEO of Raven.

    “Every day, catastrophic numbers of children are exploited on social media platforms that have no protective guardrails. The proliferation of adult content and bad actors make the internet a perilous place for kids. The Kids Online Safety Act would introduce basic, commonsense protection that make these platforms safer for minors. Internet protections have not been updated by Congress since 1998, long before many of these platforms existed. It’s imperative that Congress act now to protect America’s kids,” said Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee.

    “I’m pleased the Senate has re-introduced the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). There is indisputable harm happening to children at an industrial scale—reaching literally millions of children. KOSA would begin to address those harms. Parents say this is the #1 issue, above school violence, drugs, and bullying. Free speech protections are enshrined in explicit language in the bill. I look forward to lauding the efforts of all who see this bill through,” said Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation.

    “The reintroduction of KOSA is a test of whether Congress will finally stand with families instead of Big Tech. This bill has withstood years of scrutiny, has enormous bipartisan support, and is the only federal legislation that addresses the wide range of design-caused harms experienced by children every day online. Lawmakers must seize this moment and finally deliver the protections children need,” said Josh Golin, Executive Director of Fairplay.  

    “Protecting children is the most basic human decency. The technology world that has come into being over the last 20+ years has been strip-mining the minds of our next generation for profit. They have been darkening their souls. They have been playing to their fears and walling them up in their anxieties. And their vision is now to use the very isolation and instability that they have created and catalyzed to create dependence on them through AI. The Kids Online Safety Act will stop this. It will turn the page on the harms many kids have suffered and protect the next generation. It will hold the companies that have done this accountable,” said Tim Estes, Founder & CEO of AngelQ.

    “The Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action remains committed to the passage of KOSA. We are encouraged to see the bill being reintroduced in the Senate and look forward to working with Congressional members to protect vulnerable young people against online harms,” said Christine Peat, PhD, FAED, LP, President of the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy, & Action.

    “Street Grace is honored to support KOSA. We envision a world where no child is exploited and KOSA puts America on that path by adding transparency and accountability to the sites and platforms which are currently advertising to children with zero safeguards in place,” said Bob Rodgers, CEO of Street Grace.

    “The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) represents a vital and overdue step toward protecting our children from the growing threat of online exploitation. These predators are not abstract threats – they are in our homes, on our children’s phones, in their games, and across every digital platform they use daily.  We need KOSA because our current system is failing our children.  This legislation provides essential guardrails to ensure tech companies are accountable for the safety of minors and are required to design their platforms with the well-being of children in mind – not profit,” said Tammy Sneed, Director of Engage Together.

    “This bill is a critical step toward holding tech companies accountable for designing online platforms with child safety in mind. For too long, predators have exploited the internet’s blind spots to target children for grooming and trafficking. By requiring platforms to proactively mitigate these harms and provide greater transparency and control to families, this legislation puts the safety of children first. We urge lawmakers to swiftly pass this bill and send a clear message: protecting children online is not optional—it’s a responsibility,” said Linda Smith (U.S. Congress 1995-99, Washington State Senate/House 1983-94), Founder & President of Shared Hope International.

    “Parents have been left on their own to try to fend off a massive tech-induced crisis in American childhood from online platforms that are engineered to be maximally addictive. And the tech companies face zero accountability for how their products harm children, like how their algorithms help connect predators with child victims online. KOSA offers a needed solution by making social media platforms responsible for preventing and mitigating certain objective harms to minors, like sexual exploitation, in their product design and empowering authorities to hold them accountable if they don’t. It’s time to end Big Tech’s total impunity,” said Clare Morell, Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. 

    “In this digital age, the number of cybertips has skyrocketed from 1 million in 2012 to 36 million in 2023. Now more than ever, it is crucial to protect our children by ensuring they receive online safety training and by enacting legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act to hold tech platforms accountable and implement necessary safeguards,” said Ashlie Bryant, CEO of the 3Strands Global Foundation.

    “Count on Mothers fully endorses KOSA. After surveying mothers across the political spectrum and all U.S. regions, and conducting a nationally representative focus group, we found overwhelming support for KOSA’s protections. Mothers are demanding accountability and a clear duty of care from tech companies. Across backgrounds and beliefs, they agree: it’s time for the federal government to require social media platforms to offer minors the tools to protect their privacy, safety, and mental health from addictive and harmful product designs,” said Count on Mothers. 

    “The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) demands that the sanctity of family and the sacredness of childhood be treated as national priorities. American families cannot withstand this digital crisis without real protections and accountability for an industry that has gone unchecked for far too long. KOSA offers an indispensable shield for children, guarding them against corporate greed and reckless harm through a commonsense approach to online safety,” said Jason Frost, CEO of Wired Human.

    “KOSA supports Digitally Intentional’s mission by prioritizing protection over profit, empowering families and safeguarding children from the manipulative corporate practices of Big Tech. Passing KOSA renews our nation’s commitments to another generation and for our country’s future,” said Harrison Haynes, Founder of Digitally Intentional and Chair of End OSEAC Survivors Council.

    “We are grateful to the United States Senators that they are unflagging in their efforts to get the Kids Online Safety Act passed. This is no time for politics. America’s children are suffering from the worst mental health crisis in recorded history, and the literature is increasingly clear that the main driver is digital addiction. Social media are rife with abusive environments for children who get swept down dark rabbit holes by opaque algorithms. To make matters worse, the rise of A.I. chatbots that trick kids into friendships and romantic relationships with artificial corporate products that are perfectly attuned to their shifting moods, will only make it more critical than ever that we pass the Kids Online Safety Act. The time is now,” said Michael Toscano, Director of the Family First Technology Initiative. 

    “Passing KOSA is a significant step forward toward protecting kids from the harms of Big Tech.KOSA’s targeted, bipartisan approach ensures that parents have the ability to protect their kids online from those features and designs that hurt their development and mental health. This is simply a win for parents, children, and consumers all around,” said Joel Thayer, President of the Digital Progress Institute. 

    “When companies like Meta enable a new AI chatbot to have sexually explicit conversations with child accounts, or when TikTok provided a platform for adults to pay teens to strip on its LIVE feature, it is clear that it is past time to hold Big Tech accountable. Congress has a major role in ensuring tech platforms prioritize child safety by reintroducing and passing the Kids Online Safety Act,” said Melissa Henson, Vice President of Parents Television and Media Council.

    “We strongly support the Kids Online Safety Act as a critical step toward protecting the health, safety, and well-being of children and teens in the digital age. Online platforms play an increasingly central role in the lives of young people, it is imperative that we hold technology companies accountable for the environments they create and maintain. We commend the bipartisan leadership behind the Kids Online Safety Act and urge lawmakers to pass this legislation without delay. Protecting children online is not a partisan issue—it is a moral imperative,” said the Paving The Way Foundation.

    “Social media companies continue to abjectly fail the most basic test of any society: protecting children. Big Tech has consistently shown that it cares more about its profit margins than about child safety. The harm needs to stop. It’s past time that Congress pass the Kids Online Safety Act,” said Chris Griswold, Policy Director of American Compass. 

    “Online exploitation is a borderless crime that transcends jurisdictions and preys on the most vulnerable—our children. KOSA is a critical step towards safeguarding digital spaces and setting an example for other governments to combat this global threat. Protecting children online is not just a policy imperative; it is a moral obligation,” said Anne Basham, Chair of the Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking.

    “In light of the disturbing reality that some social media services and platforms have become increasingly addictive and even toxic to kids, The Kids Online Safety Act is common sense and necessary  legislation that when enacted, will hold platforms accountable to restrict targeted advertising to children, disable addictive online platform features, provide the option to opt out of algorithmic recommendations, and enforce the highest privacy settings for accounts used by minor children. Enough Is Enough applauds the leadership of KOSA cosponsors Senator Blackburn and Senator Blumenthal for reintroducing this critical bill and the overwhelming bi-partisan support of the U.S. Senate last session. We join our allies in urging both the Senate and the House to prioritize the passage of KOSA soonest. The human cost of delay is severe. Kids are dying. Protecting the lives, innocence and dignity of children online is a non-partisan issue with wide bi-partisan support,” said Donna Rice Hughes, CEO/President, Enough Is Enough. 

    “These platforms fail to disclose their addictive nature or the harms associated with their use. Our children deserve transparency, safety measures, and tools, not exploitation, by default. Why is this so hard? Thank you, Senator Blackburn, for consistently standing in the gap with parents. This time, let’s get it done!” said Chris McKenna, Founder of Protect Young Eyes. 

    Click here for bill text.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Welch, Klobuchar, Wyden, Merkley, Oregon Governor Kotek Fight Back Against Republicans’ Attack on SNAP, Nutrition Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Nutrition and Specialty Crops, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, and nutrition advocates hosted a press call on Republicans’ efforts to gut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a critical anti-hunger program that helps more than 41.6 million Americans.  

    Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, the House Agriculture Committee held a markup on the Republican tax bill, which will cut $290 billion in SNAP benefits.

    “Something that we all know to be true is everyone deserves to have access to affordable, healthy, nutritious food, and make sure it’s on the table. In my state, 1 in 4 people rely on SNAP, many of whom are children. If this program is cut at that level, it devastates it,” said Senator Luján. “Republicans are not looking out for their constituents who depend on federal programs—they’re looking out for the wealthiest Americans and corporate interests, plain and simple.” 

    “We’re at the moment of truth—it’s the time for action and no longer just talk. Here’s the truth: Republicans’ plan is about taking things away from people who need them and depend on them. In Vermont, about 1 in 10 Vermonters are receiving SNAP benefits. And that is our poorest Vermonters, low-income folks, kids—it makes a huge difference in their life that they can have access to SNAP,” said Senator Welch. “Now, our Republican colleagues are talking about taking about $290 billion out of the SNAP program. This is really about taking away basic nutritional security that is so absolutely essential to the wellbeing of our families and our kids in Vermont and in every single state across the nation.” 

    “Instead of working with Democrats to lower costs from President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs, House Republicans have decided to pull the rug out from under families by cutting the SNAP benefits that 42 million Americans rely on to put food on the table – all to fund a tax cut for billionaires. That’s shameful,” said Ranking Member Klobuchar. 

    “The combination of less food assistance for seniors and kids and Republican cuts in Medicaid is a prescription for a sicker America. This is health care 101: you need access to food to be healthy, and you need access to timely health care when you’re ill. Under the Republican program, more people are going to get sicker,” said Senator Wyden. “We are all in on this battle—we’ll be damned if we’re going to see access to nutrition and health care lost in order to give tax breaks to people at the top.” 

    “This Republican reconciliation bill is clear: families lose, billionaires win,” said Senator Merkley. “Millions of children will lose health care and go hungry—there’s a good chance that lots of kids won’t even be able to study in school. Nobody learns anything when they’re hungry. It’s pretty outrageous—we need to say, ‘hell no’ to this.” 

    “SNAP is one of the most effective anti-poverty and pro-health programs we have in America. It helps over 700,000 Oregonians, more than half of them children, seniors, or people with disabilities, put food on the table. When you cut SNAP, you’re not cutting bureaucracy—you’re cutting a child’s breakfast, their dinner, and their family’s dignity,” said Governor Tina Kotek. “These changes are not just unsustainable cost shift to states – they are an attack on the food security of millions of hard-working Americans. They make it harder for states like mine to do our jobs, to meet urgent needs, and to plan responsibly. Instead of this shortsighted plan, we need to invest in American families and the food security that we know strengthens communities, supports our economies, and reflects the basic decency we owe one another.” 

    In Congress, Senator Luján has long fought to protect and improve SNAP, leading legislation to protect local grocers from transaction fees that would make it harder for them to accept SNAP benefits, championing legislation that would support merit staff and protect SNAP integrity, and fighting to protect access to SNAP in the Farm Bill.

    Watch a livestream of the press call here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Budd, Nehls Introduce Legislation to Allow Flight of Supersonic Civil Aircraft

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Congressman Troy Nehls (R-Texas-22), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, introduced the Supersonic Aviation Modernization (SAM) Act, to require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator to issue regulations to legalize civil supersonic flight in the United States.

    For the past fifty-two years, the United States has had a speed limit in the sky. The SAM Act would permit operators to fly aircraft at supersonic speeds within the National Airspace System if no sonic boom reaches the ground.

    “The race for supersonic dominance between the U.S. and China is already underway and the stakes couldn’t be higher. To maintain our global leadership in aerospace innovation, we must modernize air travel by lifting the outdated ban on civil supersonic flight. The Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act paves the way to lift decades-old restrictions, allowing for faster air travel. This is a critical step to ensure America leads the next era of aviation,” said Senator Budd.

    “The United States is home to many ground-breaking innovations and should welcome these innovations so long as public safety isn’t threatened. Our nation’s laws and regulations should encourage these innovations and uplift companies that are leading in industries, including the aviation industry. My legislation cuts regulatory red tape without minimizing safety, and incentivizes further innovation in the aviation industry, helping America remain competitive and the envy of the world,” said Congressman Nehls.

    “Supersonic flight without an audible sonic boom should obviously be allowed. The ban on supersonic has held back progress for more than half a century. I urge Congress to pass the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act supersonically, so we can all enjoy faster flights and maintain American leadership in aviation,” said Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic.

    “This commonsense legislation maintains safety while clearing the way for innovative technologies to flourish, enabling the United States to keep its competitive edge and remain the global leader in aviation. I commend Sen. Budd, a pilot and recognized aviation champion, for his smart solution to help advance what will be a revolutionary technology,” said Ed Bolen, President and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association.

    Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) joined Senator Budd in introducing the bill.

    Congresswoman Sharice Davids (D-Kan.-3) joined Congressman Nehls in introducing the bill in the House.

    Read the full bill text HERE.

    Background

    14 CFR § 91.817, enacted in 1973, dictates that no person may operate a civil aircraft in the United States at a true flight Mach number greater than 1. This rule prohibits non-military related supersonic flight over the United States, setting an artificial speed limit in the national airspace.

    American companies like Boom Supersonic, have developed quiet supersonic technologies and have already demonstrated that their aircraft can operate above Mach 1 without a sonic boom reaching the ground.

    This is due to a well-known phenomenon called Mach cutoff, in which a sonic boom refracts in the atmosphere and never reaches the ground.

    Despite these innovations, FAA regulations continue to restrict supersonic operations.

    The SAM Act would provide a 12-month window for the FAA to re-examine the existing ban on supersonic flight.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy touts Louisiana successes in education, backs Pres. Trump’s call to return power to states

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    Watch Kennedy’s comments here.
    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) welcomed President Trump’s plan to return the issue of education to the states and argued that Louisiana provides a strong example of how states can improve education throughout the country in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.
    Key excerpts of the speech are below:
    “I am not saying Louisiana’s scores are perfect. I am not saying that, but it is undeniable that we are on the right track. We are. We stayed open, for the most part, during the pandemic. We have trained our teachers. We have established standards. You can’t go to the fourth grade until you can read. We have implemented parental choice.”
    . . .
    “The key to Louisiana’s future is not the price of oil. It is not what the unemployment rate is. It is not who the senator is or who the governor is. It is education.
    “The status quo in America isn’t working. We didn’t make it any better as a result of our behavior with respect to the pandemic, and we are behind, but we can catch up if we just do the right things. One of those things is returning education to the states. 
    “I hope we do dismantle the Department of Education. It is basically a conduit for money—except that money goes through the Department of Education and the 4,000 employees there, and they all put a condition on the money as if they knew what was best for each state. They don’t. We ought to dismantle the Department of Education and send that money directly to the states.”
    Watch Kennedy’s speech here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch Names Kimberling Insurance as May Small Business of the Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch, senior member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, announced the selection of Kimberling Insurance in Moscow as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for May 2025. Kimberling Insurance will be recognized for its contribution to Idaho in the Congressional Record of the U.S. Senate. 
    “Kimberling Insurance goes beyond selling insurance and policy plans,” said Risch. “This family business actively serves the Moscow region, enhancing the quality of life in their community. I’m proud to recognize Kimberling Insurance as the May Small Business of the Month.”
    Idaho is consistently ranked on the best places in the country to do business. Each month, Senator Risch selects an Idaho small business that exemplifies the Idaho values of hard work, entrepreneurial spirit, and exceptional commitment to community.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Statement at Hearing on Trade in Critical Supply Chains

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) delivered the following remarks at a hearing entitled, “Critical Supply Chains.”
    As prepared for delivery:
    “Trade has the ability to increase productivity, incomes and the availability of goods.  While we talk often about how the increased supply and choice of goods that come from international trade benefit our consumers, we sometimes forget that this also benefits our producers. 
    “In fact, a majority of what we import each year is reinvested into more manufacturing, processing and farming activity.  Efficient and reliable supply chains help American businesses, farmers and workers expand their production and focus their resources on the high-value aspects of an industry.
    “The issue we must be wary about is when supply chains turn unreliable, in particular because they are controlled by countries that refuse to follow free-market rules, such as China.  As we are all aware, China continues its march toward expanding control over key resources and goods, and thus over the world’s supply chains.   
    “For example, advanced semiconductors increasingly rely on the rare earths mineral dysprosium.  Ninety-nine percent of dysprosium comes from China. 
    “This is not an isolated case where China has dominance over a strategic resource.  China controls over ninety percent of global processing for rare earths minerals and seventy percent for cobalt, which is used in batteries for electric cars, smartphones and other components.
    “The way China uses trade and investment to expand its control over resources outside its own borders is particularly concerning.  Indonesia has 40 percent of the world’s reserves for nickel, the largest of any single country.  Yet, Chinese firms control about 75 percent of Indonesia’s nickel refining capacity. 
    “We need to take a hard look at the reality of our situation and develop an aggressive strategy to counter China. 
    “Our domestic policies are at fault in some instances.  There are things we can produce efficiently here, but burdensome and unnecessary regulation stalls development of many important projects. 
    “We should not have to learn from another economic shock, like the oil embargo of the 1970s—to realize that where we have resources or potential for investment, it must be unleashed. 
    “Both sides of the aisle agree that we need a strong semiconductor industry.  In Asia, new semiconductor fabs are being built and deployed in under three years. 
    “In the United States, the semiconductor industry—one of the safest manufacturing sectors for workers—must contend with a myriad of permitting measures that provide only marginal, if any, benefit.  These permits, however, guarantee increased delays and costs, often adding years to projects. 
    “As part of its economic policy, the Trump Administration has prioritized deregulation as a means to drive economic growth, and I look forward to working with them to rationalize our regulatory system.  
    “In many other cases, geography and geology do not provide the United States with all the natural resources that we require.  Here, the fault rests mainly with the failure to develop an affirmative trade policy.  An affirmative trade policy ensures our consumers and manufacturers have access to the resources that our nation needs to be secure and independent. 
    “Here, for example, the Trump Administration was correct to exempt Canadian potash—a key nutrient for our corn and soy farmers, from recent tariffs.
    “Another key to the Administration’s economic approach is to renegotiate global trade deals, including deals that reclaim America’s lead over China.
    “Critically, these deals will be particularly useful in strengthening supply chains, if they improve market access opportunities.  Our trading partners must respect American investment and afford it the same treatment given to their own companies. 
    “Our partners must also realize that it bolsters their security when they do not inhibit access to cutting-edge American technology, like our state-of-the-art medical devices. 
    “Unfortunately, a number of trading partners use price controls, technology theft, weak intellectual property protections or unreasonable government procurement policies to keep these devices out of their markets.  Such actions only undermine the health of their own citizens, while leaving a strategic opening for China.
    “Today, we have an opportunity to consider these issues carefully.  Our four witnesses are experts on industries critical to America’s economic security.  We should encourage thoughtful debate on how to advance a trade policy that strengthens the security of our supply chains and creates opportunities for all Americans.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Unanimously Passes Grassley-Durbin Resolution Recognizing National Police Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and 79 bipartisan senators welcomed the Senate’s unanimous passage of their resolution designating May 12 through 17 as National Police Week. The National Police Week resolution reiterates the Senate’s unwavering support for law enforcement officers across the United States. 

    “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,” Grassley said. “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,” Durbin said. 

    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), 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.). 

    Read the resolution HERE. 

    Background:

    Every year, for more than six decades, Congress has passed a resolution in honor of law enforcement officers. 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. 

    Grassley is a long-time law enforcement advocate. This Congress, he’s introduced legislation to boost investment in local police departments, combat retail theft and violent crime, safeguard first responders from narcotics exposure and protect officers from ambush-style attacks. 

    On Thursday, May 15, at 10:15 a.m. ET, Grassley will chair a Senate Judiciary Committee executive business meeting to consider eight bills to support law enforcement. 

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Mullin Applauds President Trump’s Trip to the Middle East, Slams Democrat Senator Chris Murphy for his Hypocrisy on Fox Business

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)

    ICYMI: Senator Mullin Applauds President Trump’s Trip to the Middle East, Slams Democrat Senator Chris Murphy for his Hypocrisy on Fox Business

    Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joined Fox Business’ “Varney & Company”  to discuss President Trump’s visit to the Middle East and Democrat Senator Chris Murphy’s (D-CT) blatant hypocrisy. Highlights below.

    Sen. Mullin’s full interview can be found here.
    On President Trump possibly attending the upcoming meeting between Russia and Ukraine:
    “The President is being recognized around the world as the chief dealmaker, and Zelensky is very smart by saying he wants him at the table. However, there’s some real differences in what the proposal for a peace deal that Zelensky has put on the table and what Putin has put on the table, and unless there’s actually a path forward to possibly getting a peace deal, I don’t see President Trump getting there. However, if President Trump showed up, I would say that there’s probably a 90% chance that a peace deal would be part of the deal before he left.”
    On Senator Chris Murphy’s hypocrisy:  
    “First of all, I have to address Chris Murphy here, because Chris Murphy is a man that lacks integrity at this point. I could understand if Chris was willing to call out the Bidens when they set up 20 plus shell companies to funnel millions, literally over $25 million through, which had no assets coming from foreign entities, just simply to have access to then, at that time, the Vice President Biden and President Biden when he was in office.”
    “If Chris Murphy wants to actually show that he has integrity, then call it for what it is. The fact is, he’s willing to do and say whatever it takes to actually get the nod from the Democrats to run for President in 2028. That’s all Chris Murphy is doing. He’s auditioning right now. And what can he talk about, right? He can’t talk about the successes of President Trump. He can’t talk the fact that President Trump is actually restructuring the tariff deals that’s going to put our economy and our future workers in the driver’s seat again, which we’ve been neglecting for the last 30 years. He can’t talk about the rally of the stock market. He can’t talk about the foreign affairs that President Trump is taking by peace through strength instead of Biden’s, peace through appeasement.”
    On American leadership returning to the Middle East:
    “And what is happening right now with President Trump going to the Middle East, is the Middle East is begging for a leader. We saw a lackluster leader in Biden when he was president, and after the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, we left a lot of our partners in the Middle East holding a bag saying, ‘Where is the United States?’ Remember, UAE was the only country in the Middle East that actually fought along with us in Afghanistan… And what did the Biden administration do when they got in office? They pulled out of the F-35 bill that President Trump put in place. What did we do to Saudi Arabia? Instead of negotiating with Saudi Arabia with arms deals, we started negotiating with Iran and gave them billions of dollars on a, literally, pallet that we flew there in an Air Force plane. It is absurd.”
    “President Trump, right now is restructuring that order, saying our friends and allies in the Middle East, we’re here for you, and we want to show our gratitude and appreciation for what you’ve done for us and hopefully normalize relationships inside the Middle East, with Israel and Saudi Arabia.”
    On the 747 jet from Qatar:
    “The way the Left is blowing this up is just to distract from the success that President Trump has had in his 120 days in office. This is an absolute nothing burger, as we would say, and the fact that they’re making a big deal out of this is absurd. I want to point out something too that a lot of people isn’t talking about the negotiation on the 747 was actually started underneath the Biden administration, but they couldn’t close the deal. There’s a whole lot more to the story that we can get to at a different point but the fact that they’re wanting to gift it to the United States, we would be absolutely absurd not to take the gift.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Welch, Oregon Governor Kotek, Sens. Klobuchar, Luján, Wyden, and Merkley Host Press Call on Republicans’ Attack on SNAP, Nutrition Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on Nutrition and Specialty Crops, Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, and Hunger Free Vermont this week hosted a press call on Republicans’ efforts to gut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a critical anti-hunger program that helps more than 41.6 million Americans.  
    Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, the House Agriculture Committee held a markup on the Republican tax bill, which will cut $290 billion in SNAP benefits  
    “We’re at the moment of truth—it’s the time for action and no longer just talk. Here’s the truth: Republicans’ plan is about taking things away from people who need them and depend on them. In Vermont, about 1 in 10 Vermonters are receiving SNAP benefits. And that is our poorest Vermonters, low-income folks, kids—it makes a huge difference in their life that they can have access to SNAP,” said Senator Welch. “Now, our Republican colleagues are talking about taking about $290 billion out of the SNAP program. This is really about taking away basic nutritional security that is so absolutely essential to the wellbeing of our families and our kids in Vermont and in every single state across the nation.” 
    Watch a livestream of the press call here. 
    “Instead of working with Democrats to lower costs from President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs, House Republicans have decided to pull the rug out from under families by cutting the SNAP benefits that 42 million Americans rely on to put food on the table – all to fund a tax cut for billionaires. That’s shameful,” said Ranking Member Klobuchar. 
    “Something that we all know to be true is everyone deserves to have access to affordable, healthy, nutritious food, and make sure it’s on the table. In my state, 1 in 4 people rely on SNAP, many of whom are children. If this program is cut at that $230 billion level, it devastates it,” said Senator Luján. “Republicans are not looking out for their constituents who depend on federal programs—they’re looking out for the wealthiest Americans and corporate interests, plain and simple.” 
    “The combination of less food assistance for seniors and kids and Republican cuts in Medicaid is a prescription for a sicker America. This is health care 101: you need access to food to be healthy, and you need access to timely health care when you’re ill. Under the Republican program, more people are going to get sicker,” said Senator Wyden. “We are all in on this battle—we’ll be damned if we’re going to see access to nutrition and health care lost in order to give tax breaks to people at the top.” 
    “This Republican reconciliation bill is clear: families lose, billionaires win,” said Senator Merkley. “Millions of children will lose health care and go hungry—there’s a good chance that lots of kids won’t even be able to study in school. Nobody learns anything when they’re hungry. It’s pretty outrageous—we need to say, ‘hell no’ to this.” 
    “SNAP is one of the most effective anti-poverty and pro-health programs we have in America. It helps over 700,000 Oregonians, more than half of them children, seniors, or people with disabilities, put food on the table. When you cut SNAP, you’re not cutting bureaucracy—you’re cutting a child’s breakfast, their dinner, and their family’s dignity,” said Governor Tina Kotek. “These changes are not just unsustainable cost shift to states – they are an attack on the food security of millions of hard-working Americans. They make it harder for states like mine to do our jobs, to meet urgent needs, and to plan responsibly. Instead of this shortsighted plan, we need to invest in American families and the food security that we know strengthens communities, supports our economies, and reflects the basic decency we owe one another.” 
    “Every day, one in ten Vermonters—85% of which are children, older adults, or people with disabilities—rely on SNAP not only to afford groceries but to build better lives. Even the possibility of SNAP cuts is creating real harm, and we’re hearing worries from Vermonters who are already budgeting every dollar about losing this vital support. Proposals to make deep, devastating cuts to SNAP can’t be justified ever, and even less so now, when food prices are rising and families are already stretched thin. SNAP is a lifeline that must be protected, not slashed,” said Ivy Enoch, SNAP Policy & Training Lead, Hunger Free Vermont. 
    Senator Welch has been a leading advocate for protecting and expanding access to nutrition programs in the Senate. Last week, Senator Welch joined Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in introducing the Improving Access to Nutrition Act of 2025, legislation to help more Americans access SNAP by lifting Republicans’ punitive time limits on SNAP eligibility requirements. Learn more about the bill here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Releases New Report Finding Job Loss, Economic Slowdown if Congressional GOP Restricts Medicaid Access

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock Releases New Report Finding Job Loss, Economic Slowdown if Congressional GOP Restricts Medicaid Access

    Senator Reverend Warnock’s new report, “Healthy People, Healthy Economy” finds that placing bureaucratic red tape between working people and their health care will lead to hospital closures, job loss, and economic slowdown
    The report finds that investing in Medicaid, as opposed to adding bureaucratic and ineffective work reporting requirements, leads to economic growth that creates jobs and gets Americans to work
    The Senator’s report found 458 counties across the U.S. where working Medicaid recipients are extremely vulnerable to losing access under these reporting requirements because of lack of internet access, other factors
    New legislation marked up yesterday in the U.S. House of Representatives would require onerous reporting requirements that do not get people working, and instead kicks working people off their health care
    The House legislation would kick over 7 million Americans off Medicaid and 13.7 million Americans off their health care in total
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) released a new report titled “Healthy People, Healthy Economy.” The Senator’s report is the first publication that analyzes by county which Americans are at risk of losing their health care if Washington Republicans restrict Medicaid access through bureaucratic and ineffective work reporting requirements. The report also analyzes how much it would cost each state in job loss, GDP, and devastating administrative costs.
    The report finds that the best way to get the most Americans working is to invest in Medicaid, making health care accessible to eligible Americans. On the other hand, work reporting requirements do nothing to bring people into the workforce and kick working people off their health care, making those working Americans more likely to stop working if they cannot access preventative care or manage chronic illness.
    “My parents raised me to have a fierce work ethic, I support getting people to work,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.“The data shows that the best way to create jobs and grow the economy is to remove bureaucratic red tape that keeps working people from accessing health care. Instead, Washington politicians are ignoring clear data and forcing reporting requirements on working Americans as a cynical ploy to kick working people off their health care. All of this so they can fund a tax cut for the ultra-wealthy.”
    Nowhere have work reporting requirements failed more than in the state of Georgia, where the state has spent a shocking $91 million in taxpayer dollars to create a slow, glitchy, bureaucratic system to track work reporting requirements. The state of Georgia spent $13,000 per enrollee on administrative costs, roughly five times more than the cost of actual health services, during the program’s first year. If other states follow Georgia’s failed model, millions of Americans will lose their health care access, government bureaucracy will grow, hospitals will close, jobs will be lost, and the economy will slow.  
    A full copy of the report can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Cornyn Celebrates Unanimous Passage of Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) celebrated the Senate unanimously passing his Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge Act, which would codify President Trump’s Executive Order renaming the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge near Houston to the Jocelyn Nungaray National Refuge. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks prior to him calling up the bill for passage are below, and video can be found here.
    “Jocelyn Nungaray was a 12-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted and murdered just north of Houston last June.”
    “To commemorate Jocelyn’s life, I’ve introduced the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge Act, which would permanently rename the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Texas in her memory.”
    “This bill would actually codify President Trump’s executive order and ensure that future generations will remember Jocelyn for years to come.”
    Background:
    On June 17, 2024, 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was brutally murdered in Houston, Texas. Two illegal aliens who were allegedly members of the Tren de Aragua gang have been charged with her murder. Jocelyn loved animals and, given the close proximity of her hometown of Houston, it is fitting that the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge be renamed in her honor.
    Located along the Texas Gulf Coast, the 39,000-acre refuge is a sanctuary for migratory birds and diverse wildlife. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System and plays a vital role in coastal conservation, public recreation, and environmental education. Now, it will also stand as a solemn tribute to Jocelyn’s memory and a symbol of the Trump administration’s commitment to protecting American communities. On March 4, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14229 to officially change the name from Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge to Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge. On March 7, 2025, the refuge was officially renamed after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s implementation order was signed.
    Introduced by Sen. Cornyn earlier this month, the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge Act would ensure that this renaming cannot be overturned by a future administration by codifying the refuge’s new name into law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray, Reps. Pocan and Stefanik Reintroduce Bicameral, Bipartisan Bill to Improve Training for School Food Service Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, reintroduced the Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act, legislation to improve training for food service employees in schools. The legislation would assist in the implementation of existing professional standards for these workers by ensuring that training occurs during work hours and at no cost, and if training is unable to occur during scheduled work hours, the bill makes clear that employees must be informed in advance and compensated appropriately. Representatives Mark Pocan (D, WI-02) and Elise Stefanik (R, NY-21) are introducing companion, bipartisan legislation in the House.
    “School food service workers do the essential work of making sure our kids are fed at school and can focus on their learning instead of an empty stomach,” said Senator Murray. “Our commonsense bipartisan bill would make sure those workers get the training they need during work hours at no cost to them—and that if training happens after work hours, food service workers are fairly compensated for their time. This is about fairness and making sure our schools can recruit and retain skilled food service employees.”
    “Nutritious meals are as important to a child’s development as learning to read, and school food service workers play a vital role in guaranteeing every child gets the healthy food they deserve,” said Rep. Mark Pocan. “The Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act will make it easier for workers to complete needed training and ensure food service workers have the skills to safely serve our kids. I’m proud to sponsor this critical bill with colleagues from across the aisle and in the Senate because good food and good jobs should be a part of 21st-century schools.”
    “School meals support learning and student success. Every day, dedicated food service professionals prepare and serve school meals to all of our students, providing the nutrition that is essential for learning and participation. Our food service professionals need appropriate support and training for the expertise required to feed our students,” said Becky Pringle, President of the National Education Association. “The Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act will help ensure that our food service professionals have access to training sessions during their paid work days or are compensated if the training has to occur outside of work hours. I am proud to support this legislation that will help ensure our students receive the healthy, nutritious meals they need to thrive.”
    The reauthorization of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 enacted professional standards for food service workers. These standards worked to ensure that school meals are as healthy as possible for students. The Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act builds on these standards and would:
    Ensure that training sessions occur primarily during regular, paid working hours;
    Compensate workers for training sessions that must occur outside of work hours;
    Make every effort to inform workers of training sessions that must take place outside of work hours;
    Ensure that school food service workers are not penalized if they are unable to attend training sessions outside of work hours; and
    Promote in-person, hands-on training whenever possible and appropriate.
    The text of the Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Van Hollen, Tillis, Murkowski Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter Calling on DHS to Reinstate Disaster Mitigation Program Critical to Local Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) led a bipartisan, bicameral letter with over 80 of their colleagues urging Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to reinstate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which supports local efforts to protect and harden our communities from natural disaster. The BRIC program provides grants for hazard mitigation planning and projects that reduce risks posed by natural hazards to communities, tribal nations, and territories requesting assistance. The lawmakers’ letter emphasizes the urgent need to continue investing in pre-disaster mitigation and community resilience and calls on the Administration to work with Congress to improve the program’s accessibility and efficiency.
    “We are writing to urge the Administration to reinstate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant (BRIC) program within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). BRIC funds are spurring communities across the country to strengthen their resilience to extreme weather, and forgoing these critical investments will only make it harder and more expensive for communities to recover from the next storm,” the lawmakers began.
    “The BRIC program was established by Congress in the 2018 Disaster Recovery Reform Act and signed into law by President Trump with bipartisan support. In the years since, this program has catalyzed community investments in resilient infrastructure, saving federal funds by investing in community preparedness before a disaster strikes,” they continued. “According to research, one dollar invested in disaster mitigation can save up to $18 in response and recovery expenditures.”
    “We urge the Administration to take swift action to reinstate the BRIC program, and to work with Congress to identify and implement reforms to strengthen our nation’s resilience for decades to come,” the lawmakers concluded.
    In addition to Senators Murray, Van Hollen, Tillis, and Murkowski, the letter was led on the House side by U.S. Representatives Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.-11), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas-29), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.-01), and Ed Case (D-Hawaii-01). The letter was also signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Representatives Alma Adams (D-N.C.-12), Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.-33), Donald Beyer (D-Va.-08), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.-08), Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.-13), Greg Casar (D-Texas-35), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.-20), Judy Chu (D-Calif.-33), Angie Craig (D-Minn.-02), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.-03), Donald Davis (D-N.C.-01), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.-03), Lois Frankel (D-Fla.-22), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.-10), Chuy García (D-Ill.-04), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.-07), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-04), Bill Keating (D-Mass.-09), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.-17), Jen Kiggans (R-Va.-02), Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-Northern Marina Islands), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.-08), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07), Sarah McBride (D-Del.-01), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Mich.-08), Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.-03), Dave Min (D-Calif-47), Blake Moore (R-Utah-01), James Moylan (R-Va.-09), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.-15), Richard Neal (D-Mass.-01), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash-04), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.-01), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.-03), Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine-01), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.-07), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.05), Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-American Samoa), John Rutherford (R-Fla.-05), Linda Sánchez (R-Calif.-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.-05), Kim Schrier (D-Wash.-08), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.-07), Thomas Suozzi (D-N.Y.-03), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii-02), Norma Torres (D-Calif-35), David Valadao (R-Calif-22), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.-07), Eugene Simon Vindman (D-Va.-07), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.-24), and Robert Wittman (R-Va.-01).
    The full letter is available here and below:
    Dear Secretary Noem and Acting Administrator Richardson,
    We are writing to urge the Administration to reinstate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant (BRIC) program within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). BRIC funds are spurring communities across the country to strengthen their resilience to extreme weather, and forgoing these critical investments will only make it harder and more expensive for communities to recover from the next storm. We acknowledge that the BRIC program, like all grant funding programs, has room for improvement, and we urge you to couple the reinstatement of the program with an opportunity for Congress and FEMA to improve the application review and funding distribution process to more effectively reduce the costs disasters pose to our communities, economies, and livelihoods.
    The BRIC program was established by Congress in the 2018 Disaster Recovery Reform Act and signed into law by President Trump with bipartisan support. In the years since, this program has catalyzed community investments in resilient infrastructure, saving federal funds by investing in community preparedness before a disaster strikes.
    According to research, one dollar invested in disaster mitigation can save up to $18 in response and recovery expenditures. BRIC funds are making communities safer in the next storm through projects like upgrading and protecting wastewater and drinking water plants after the facilities suffered repeated flooding, or bridge upgrades and road drainage improvements to improve driver safety. Because of its benefits, the demand for BRIC grants continues to increase, and our states and communities benefit from the reliability of the funding cycles.
    The BRIC program also plays an essential role in helping Tribal Nations and rural communities strengthen their defenses against natural disasters and safeguard critical infrastructure. Through BRIC, Tribes and rural communities can access dedicated funding to strengthen community resilience by investing in hazard mitigation projects—such as flood protection, fire prevention, and infrastructure hardening—that are otherwise difficult to finance in rural or remote settings. Importantly, FEMA supports Tribal sovereignty by allowing Tribes to apply directly for funding, reserving a dedicated Tribal set-aside, and providing direct technical assistance—ensuring Tribes can lead their own planning and mitigation efforts. These investments not only strengthen community resilience but also honor the federal trust responsibility to support the safety, self-determination, and well-being of Tribal Nations.
    At the same time, we acknowledge that the BRIC program should be evaluated for opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce the complexities for recipients to access the critical resources. The benefits of the program should not be concentrated in or limited to jurisdictions with dedicated offices and the staff necessary to navigate the grant application requirements. Additionally, the program should be updated with a strategic approach that empowers states and local governments to address degraded and vulnerable infrastructure based on their localized priorities and understanding of risk.
    We urge the Administration to take swift action to reinstate the BRIC program, and to work with Congress to identify and implement reforms to strengthen our nation’s resilience for decades to come.
    Respectfully,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Hears Testimony of Trump Defense Nominees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with Adam Telle, President Trump’s nominee to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and Richard Anderson, President Trump’s nominee to be Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs during their Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) confirmation hearing. Sen. Tuberville spoke with Mr. Telle about how the Army Corps of Engineers can improve dams and waterways in Alabama so that businesses can continue utilizing them to efficiently transport goods. Sen. Tuberville spoke with Mr. Anderson about improving morale in the Air Force, and how he will support President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s mission for the Air Force Academy, if confirmed. 
    Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or watch on YouTube or Rumble. 

    ON ADDRESSING ALABAMA’S WATER INFRASTRUCTURE:
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, gentlemen. Mr. Telle, I enjoyed visiting you in my office, recently, about Alabama’s inland waterways. And last year, we had three of our locks fail in one year. That’s unacceptable.
    Our waterways infrastructure is operating past [its] expected lifespan and will continue to break. We’re having huge problems. Businesses depend upon our waterways to move goods, all the way down to the Port Mobile. What’s your plan to cut bureaucratic red tape and rapidly repair critical infrastructure across the system? Even though we just passed—a couple years ago—trillions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure money. We didn’t see any of that.”
    TELLE: “Senator Tuberville, thank you for the question. And as someone who grew up on the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa County, one of your waterways, I understand their importance. They deliver American commerce to the globe. It’s true in Alabama and it’s true throughout the country. It’s unacceptable that our infrastructure is not meeting our current demands. We have got to work across government agencies to make sure we remove red tape, coordinate, [and] communicate with you [and] stakeholders here in Congress who have the ability to help deliver some of these projects. And I look forward to working with you on the locks and other navigation and flood control infrastructure within Alabama.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. We do have a lot of red tape within the [Army] Corps of Engineers—I’ll let you know that. I look forward to working with you. I’ll [let you] know that we gotta get stuff done. We just can’t sit back…”
    TELLE: “Thank you, Senator. Couldn’t agree more.”
    ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE AIR FORCE:
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Mr. Anderson, thank for your service. As [a] career officer in the Air Force, I’m sure you’ve had your share of both good and bad base facilities, housing units, [and] commissaries. And I believe that what happens outside of work is just as important as work itself. [Your] quality of life, family, stability, and all those things that go along with it.
    Do you believe that having a lower quality of life leads to decreased morale, readiness, and retention?”
    ANDERSON: “Absolutely, Senator.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. And how do you plan on working with your colleagues in the Air Force staff to address all these issues, because we do have problems?”
    ANDERSON: “Senator, you are correct. […] If confirmed, I intend to delve into this issue immediately. My intention is to remain at the headquarters for a period of time in order to come up to speed on these issues, and then to get into the field, if confirmed, and to see these things firsthand. I’ve read about them, and I look forward, if confirmed, by this Committee [to] working with you and with all members of the Committee in addressing these [issues].”
    ON NEW ADMISSIONS POLICY AT THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY:
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. You know, last week, Secretary Hegseth signed a memorandum requiring our service academies to adapt admission standards based solely on merit. Thank God. You know, […] recently, the President put me on the Air Force Academy Board [of Visitors], which I’m looking forward to. I’m also Chairman of the Subcommittee that oversees our academies. I welcome that change in policy. Under the previous administration we saw our nation’s premier leadership laboratories cower to woke ideologies.
    If confirmed, you will have oversight over the Air Force Academy. How do you plan on ensuring that this memorandum is thoroughly put [into effect at] our Air Force Academy?”
    ANDERSON: “Senator, based on my reading of the public media, the Air Force and specifically the organization that I hope to lead, if confirmed, has already moved aggressively on this. My understanding is that there is a certification required back by the end of the month from the superintendent of the academy. But if confirmed, I intend to delve into this completely to ensure fullest compliance with the Executive Orders, direction of the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of the Air Force as well as the existing law.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. [I] look forward to working with you too, on some things I have in mind for the Academy that possibly we could change. Number one, […] saving money, but also enhance some leadership in the Academy there. I think that we can all get together and make it better. It hasn’t changed in years. We could still go by the same old models. And again, we’re looking for leadership. That’s what the Air Force Academy and all of our academies. Represent, you know, for our military.
    I do have some more questions, but I’m out of time, but I’ll give them to you for the for the record.
    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: Tuberville Calls Out Democrats for Trying to Distract from President Trump’s Wins

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    “To my Democrat colleagues, instead of wasting our time objecting every time President Trump breathes, maybe you should get outside of D.C. and go connect with the American people. I can promise you they don’t give a rip about an airplane.”
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) went to the Senate floor to object to Senate Democrats’ attempts to distract from the numerous wins President Trump has delivered for the American people in the past 72 hours.
    Read excerpts from the speech below or watch on YouTube or Rumble.

    “Reserving the right to object. As usual, our Democrat colleagues are losing their minds over this situation. But let’s just talk about the facts.
    First of all, this is not a done deal. It’s not happened yet. It’s all talk. But, if reports are accurate, the government of Qatar is considering gifting the United States Department of Defense with an American-made Boeing 747—I’ll repeat that—an American-made Boeing 747 plane for temporary use as Air Force One. It is not for the President’s personal use and he will not be using it after he leaves office. It is customary and totally normal for foreign countries to give our government gifts. The DOJ has already said that this does not violate any law.
    So, why are my colleagues and the woke media having a full-blown meltdown over this situation? Perhaps this is because in the past 72 hours, President Trump has delivered so many wins you can’t count them all. 
    On Sunday, he negotiated a deal with China, [resulting in China] dropping tariffs [by] 50%. On Monday, he secured the release of the last remaining American hostage in Hamas. Edan Alexander has been through hell the past 584 days, and it took President Trump to bring him home. Today, President Trump just announced hundreds of billions of dollars in new investment from the Middle East. And on Thursday, he is forcing a face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky to end this brutal war in Ukraine.
    You’d think the media would be celebrating all these wins, along with my colleagues, but as usual, the Trump Derangement Syndrome is getting in the way. I’m convinced that the media and some of my colleagues would rather President Trump lose on everything and our country lose on everything than [see President Trump] be successful. 
    Whether you are a Republican or Democrat, we are all Americans. Sometimes I think we forget that. And we should all be able to celebrate any time a president delivers a win for the American taxpayers.
    And by the way, we are $37 trillion dollars in debt. If another country wants to give us a free plane, saving the taxpayers of this country $400 million dollars, the only thing we should say is ‘thank you.’
    Democrats are rudderless right now. They’re looking for something to hang their hats on. They see that President Trump has done more in four months than President Biden did in four years. So, they wanna make a plane gift from Qatar the next so-called ‘perfect phone call.’
    To my Democrat colleagues, instead of wasting our time objecting every time President Trump breathes, maybe you should get outside of D.C. and go connect with the American people. I can promise you they don’t give a rip about an airplane. They care about their lives and this economy and the things that have been destroyed for the past four years that President Trump is trying to put back together.
    For these reasons, Mr. President, I object.”
    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: Defense Officials to Fischer: If DOD is Forced to Vacate Spectrum Frequencies, U.S. Would Assume High Level of Risk for Homeland Defense

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Today, during a hearing on the Senate Armed Services’ Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) questioned Commander of United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command Gen. Gregory Guillot and Director of Missile Defense Agency Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, who confirmed that if the Department of Defense (DOD) were forced to vacate frequencies in the lower 3 or key portions of the 7/8 GHz spectrum bands, the United States would assume an extraordinarily high level of risk for homeland defense.
    Click the image above to watch a video of Fischer’s questioning
    Click here to download audio
    Click here to download video
    TRANSCRIPT:Fischer: General Guillot, I’ve appreciated our past conversations about the need for increased domain awareness, for we cannot shoot what we cannot see. As we look towards Golden Dome and the future of missile defense, what additional improvements need to be made with respect to domain awareness?
    General Guillot: Madam Chair, I think that what I call the domain awareness layer of Golden Dome is the most critical that we need to have first, for the reasons that you just mentioned. Any chance of using advanced interceptors or defeat capabilities would not be possible if we can’t detect and track these threats. I think that it’s a seabed-to-space approach. We need to have undersea sensors to detect submarines that can now get closer to North America than they could before, based on improved stealthiness of those ships. And then a ground layer that can see much further out because of the advanced standoff weapons that our adversaries can now employ. We need an air layer, like the E-7, to close the kill chain with fighter aircrafts or surface-to-air systems, and then a space layer. The space layer would both track airborne moving targets or aircrafts, but also systems like the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) that could track hypersonics, as well as the warning capability that we need to detect the launches to begin with.
    Fischer: Is there anything you can tell us in this setting about Golden Dome and the options that may be available on the sensors and the radar systems that would be used?General Guillot: Madam Chair, I don’t know what the Golden Dome will look like, but I suspect that it would be able to use a lot of the systems that are already in place and currently in development, which would give us a full capability in probably something closer to zero to five years, as opposed to something, you know, a decade out into the future. A couple of those systems would be the HBTSS that I just mentioned for the hypersonics, space-based AMTI, which we have a number of prototype systems on orbit now, over-the-horizon radars which are also operational in, not in the United States, but elsewhere. And then for instance, the E-7 which many other countries operate.
    Fischer: So given that, how much risk would Golden Dome incur if the department was forced to vacate the lower 3GHz or a portion of the 7-8GHz spectrum that it now has?
    General Guillot: Madam Chair, it’s my assessment that we would assume an extraordinarily high level of risk if we lose control of those portions of the spectrum. Many of the systems that we rely on every day today, much less in the future, for Homeland Defense, reside in that spectrum range.
    Fischer: Thank you. General Collins, can you provide us with an update on the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, or the HBTSS system?
    Lt. Gen. Collins: Yes, Madam Chair, thank you. So, the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor is a prototype program that the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) pursued to prove out the technology such that from space we could close the kill chain on a hypersonic weapon. And the focus of that was to prove out that the space system could have the accuracy, the track quality, and get that data into the command-and-control system fast enough to be able to close that fire control loop. Those two systems, launched in February of last year, have gone through two test bed launches where we had a test bed target launch fly a hypersonic profile, and we have collected data from the sensors during that. So far, we have proven out the timeliness, latency of the fire control loop with those systems, as well as the sensitivity of those systems to close the loop. We’re going back with some algorithm updates into the payload to improve on the track quality. But we see that closing as well. It’s been a very successful prototype program, and all along, we’ve worked in parallel with the Space Force and Space Development Agency. They now have our HBTSS-like requirements as part of their proliferated warfighting space architecture. And in the tranches to come in the following years, they will slowly be building up an operational hypersonic tracking layer for us.
    Fischer: Thank you. Perhaps in another setting we can talk about a more definitive timeline when that would be available. Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders on Trump’s ‘Disastrous’ Reconciliation Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, May 13 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today  gave remarks on the floor of the Senate opposing Trump’s “big, beautiful” budget reconciliation bill which will cut Medicaid, nutrition, education, and other programs for working families. 

    Sanders remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below and can be watched HERE:

    The American people, whether they are Democrats, Republicans or Independents, understand that we have a corrupt campaign finance system which allows billionaires and their lobbyists to play an enormously powerful role in electing candidates, defeating candidates and in crafting legislation. This is true of the Democratic Party and it is true of the Republican Party. 

    Today, with Republicans in control of the White House, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House, we are seeing how this corrupt process plays out for the priorities of the Republican party and for their billionaire campaign contributors.

    M. President: This so-called reconciliation bill, President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” that the Republicans are rushing through the House right now is a rather extraordinary piece of legislation. In many respects, given the crises facing our country, this legislation does exactly the opposite of what should be done.

    It is no secret that we have more income and wealth inequality in our country today than we have ever had.

    Today, the wealthiest man in the world, Mr. Elon Musk, who is now worth more than $400 billion, owns more wealth than the bottom 52% of American society. The top 1% owns more wealth than the bottom 93%. And CEOs of large corporations now make over 350 times what their workers make.

    Unbelievably, according to the RAND Corporation, over the past 50 years, nearly $80 trillion in wealth has been redistributed from the bottom 90% of the American people to the top 1%.

    What we have seen is the very wealthiest people in America are becoming much richer while at the same time, 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and many millions of families are struggling to put food on the table. That is the economic reality of today.

    What does President Trump and Republicans’ reconciliation bill do to address this grossly unfair and unstable situation? What are they doing when the very rich are becoming much richer while working families struggle?

    Here’s the answer: this legislation makes the rich and wealthy campaign contributors even richer while making life harder and more stressful for the working families of our country.

    This legislation provides massive tax breaks to the top 1% and large corporations in our country and pays for these tax cuts by cutting Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, nutrition, education and other programs that are life and death for working families.

    Let me give you one example of how outrageous this legislation is.

    As currently written, this bill provides a $235 billion tax break to the top two-tenths of 1% by increasing the estate tax exemption for couples to $30 million.

    The estate tax is only applicable to the very wealthiest people in this country who inherit substantial sums of money from a relative.

    Under this provision, a couple that inherits $30 million would now pay ZERO tax on that inheritance. Once again, this provision applies only to the top two-tenths of 1% of Americans – the very, very wealthiest people in this country. 99.8% of Americans would not benefit by one nickel under this provision.

    Further, M. President, this legislation would provide a $420 billion tax break to large, profitable corporations that are stashing their profits in the Cayman Islands and other offshore tax havens and who, by the way, are replacing American workers with robots.

    Bottom line: The tax provisions in the reconciliation bill provide huge benefits to the people in our country who need them the least while doing great harm to ordinary Americans. 

    M. President, whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent, you know that our current health care system is broken, it is dysfunctional, it is cruel and it is wildly expensive. 

    Despite spending almost twice as much per capita on health care as any other major nation, some 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured. And we remain the only major country on earth not to guarantee healthcare to all as a human right.

    So, given that reality, how does this reconciliation bill address the horrific health care crisis in America? Does it expand health care to more Americans and lower the number of uninsured? Does it take on the greed of the insurance companies and the drug companies who make tens and tens of billions of dollars every year by ripping off the people of our country? Is that what this reconciliation bill does? Not quite.

    What this legislation does do is cut Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by $715 billion, which the Congressional Budget Office has estimated would eliminate  health insurance for over 13.7 million Americans. In other words, this legislation makes a very bad situation, in terms of our health care crisis, catastrophically worse.

    If we were to pass this bill, the number of Americans who would be uninsured or underinsured would rise to almost 100 million Americans. In other words, instead of lowering the number of uninsured or underinsured people in this country, this bill greatly increases that number. But that’s not all that this legislation does.

    This bill forces millions of Medicaid recipients who make as little as $16,000 a year to pay a co-pay of $35 each time they visit a doctor when they get sick – up to 5% of their annual income. What will be the impact of that?

    According to a study from Yale University some 68,000 Americans die every year because they don’t get to a doctor on time.

    Now, if you’re making a couple of hundred thousand dollars a year, the odds are that a $35 co-payment will not deter you from going to the doctor. You may not like it, but you fork over the $35 to go to the doctor when you are sick.

    But M. President, if you are a low income American and you are struggling to pay the rent, or you’re struggling to buy food for your kids or pay for child care, that $35 co-pay may be just too much – and the result is that you don’t see the doctor when you should.

    M. President: When you throw almost 14 million Americans off the health insurance they have and when you force low-income people to pay a $35 co-payment that they can’t afford to pay, no one can deny that many thousands more Americans will die if this bill is signed into law.

    This bill is a death sentence for many thousands and thousands of people.

    Further, M. President, when Trump and the Republicans in the House make massive cuts to Medicaid, they are also talking about making massive cuts to community health centers which provide primary health care to over 32 million low-income and working class Americans.

    Community health centers rely on Medicaid for 43% of their revenue. When you make massive cuts to Medicaid you are significantly cutting back on the access that millions of low-income and working class Americans will have to primary health care.

    M. President, it is not just community health centers that would be devastated by this legislation. All across this country,  rural hospitals are shutting down and facing enormous financial pressure. This legislation will only accelerate those closures and bring increased hardship to rural America at a time when rural America already has enough problems.

    Here is what Rick Pollack, the president and CEO of the American Hospital Association said: “These proposed cuts will not make the Medicaid program work better for the 72 million Americans who rely on it. Instead, it will lead to millions of hardworking Americans losing access to health care and many of our nation’s hospitals struggling to maintain services and stay open for their communities.”

    Further, M. President, I hope my colleagues will listen to what Bruce Siegel, the president and CEO of America’s Essential Hospitals said in opposition to this bill: “Hospitals, which already operate on thin margins, cannot absorb such losses without reducing services or closing their doors altogether.”

    That is exactly what rural America does not need. We don’t need more hospitals shutting down. M. President, we cannot allow that to happen.

    And let’s be clear: It’s not just hospitals and community health centers that are opposed to this legislation. Physicians throughout this country have also come out in strong opposition to this legislation.

    Let me read from a statement issued today in opposition to this bill from the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians and the American Psychiatric Association: “Our organizations, representing more than 400,000 physicians who serve millions of patients, are alarmed by proposals to implement cuts or other structural changes to Medicaid during the budget reconciliation process. Cuts to Medicaid will have grave consequences for patients, communities and the entire health care system. With reduced federal funding, it will be harder for patients to access care, states will be forced to drop enrollees from coverage, and it will limit the health care services patients can access and cut payment rates … The impact of cuts to Medicaid funding is significant and wide-reaching, and it must be reconsidered.”

    That’s what medical organizations in our country representing 400,000 doctors are saying about this disastrous piece of legislation.

    Further, M. President, at a time when 22% of our seniors are trying to survive on less than $15,000 a year, this legislation will make it much harder for seniors and people with disabilities to receive the care they desperately need in nursing homes. When Medicaid provides over 60% of the revenue nursing homes rely on, slashing Medicaid will be a disaster for the seniors and disabled who need to live in nursing home care.

    And that’s not all that this legislation is doing.

    For the vast majority of Americans, including myself, who believe that women should have the right to control their own bodies, this bill essentially defunds Planned Parenthood which provides vital health care to millions of women.

    But it is not just our health care system that would be devastated under this legislation.

    While this bill provides massive tax breaks to billionaires, it would cut $290 billion from nutrition programs that would take food away from an estimated 4 million children and about half a million seniors.

    M. President: I don’t know if there is any religion in this world where it would be morally appropriate to take food out of the mouths of hungry kids and frail seniors in order to provide more tax breaks to billionaires?

    Further, M. President: For the many young people in our country struggling with student debt and others who wonder how they will ever be able to afford to go to college, this bill cuts federal funding for education by more than $350 billion.

    What does that mean? Among other things, it means that the average student loan borrower with a bachelor’s degree in America would see his or her loan payments increase by about $3,000 per year – or some $244 a month.

    At a time when college is now unaffordable for millions of young people, at a time when we desperately need a well-educated population and the best educated workforce in the world, this bill moves us in the wrong direction.

    Finally, M. President, at a time when we already spend more on the military than the next nine nations combined and when everyone knows there is massive waste and fraud in the Pentagon, this bill increases defense spending by $150 billion.

    And M. President, this is just some of what’s in this terrible bill. There are many other horrific provisions which are equally damaging that I have not touched upon.

    M. President, it seems to me that this bill reflects exactly what is wrong with our current corrupt political system. When we have massive income and wealth inequality, our job is to demand that the wealthy and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes, not give huge tax breaks to the very rich.

    When 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured, our job should be to guarantee health care to every man, woman and child in this country, not throw 13 million Americans off of the health care they currently have.

    When children and seniors go hungry here in the wealthiest country on Earth, our job should be to make sure that all Americans have the nutrition they need to lead healthy lives, not increase the level of hunger in our country. 

    M. President, in many respects, this bill represents exactly why many Americans are giving up on democracy and  have such contempt for Congress. At a time when the richest people have never had it so good, they see Republican leadership working overtime to make the billionaire class even richer. 

    At a time when a majority of Americans are struggling to put food on the table and pay for health care, they see Republican leadership making life even more difficult for average Americans.

    M. President, this is a disastrous piece of legislation. I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Introduces PORCUPINE Act to Support Taiwan’s Self-Defense

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced the Providing Our Regional Companions Upgraded Protection in Nefarious Environments (PORCUPINE) Act. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) is the lead Democrat sponsor. The PORCUPINE Act will help streamline the process for arms sales to Taiwan regulated by the Arms Export Control Act. Currently, sales to NATO member states and other close allies and partners of the United States have shorter congressional notification timelines and higher threshold values. However, Taiwan is not currently included on that list. The bill will also make it easier for our allies and partners to send U.S.-origin weapons to Taiwan. 

    “On my recent CODEL to Taiwan, I saw a partner ready and willing to provide for its own self-defense in the face of increasing aggression by Communist China,” said Ricketts. “However, our antiquated arms sales process and struggling defense industrial base have prevented Taiwan from getting the weapons it needs in a timely manner. The PORCUPINE Act will make it easier for us to send arms to Taiwan, quicker, while also creating a process for our closest allies and partners to do the same.”

    “Taiwan is on the front lines of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and defending the island and our values requires that we swiftly provide the weapons systems it needs—but in the face of Chinese greyzone pressure and the constant threat of invasion, it takes far too long to deliver these weapons,” said Coons. “China isn’t going to bide its time and wait for arms sales to be completed before launching an attack. Passing the PORCUPINE Act today is the first of many steps we need to take to update our arms sales process and ensure our Taiwanese partners have what they need to defend themselves.”

    The PORCUPINE Act would:

    • Put Taiwan in the NATO-plus category for shorter formal Congressional notification times and higher weapons value thresholds.
    • Require the Secretary of State to establish an expedited decision-making process for blanket third party transfers of defense articles and services from NATO member countries, Japan, Australia, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand or Israel to Taiwan, including transfers and re-transfers of U.S. origin grant, FMS, and DCS end-items not covered by an exemption under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

    BACKGROUND:

    Under the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), the Department of State (State) submits to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee a notification of a prospective major arms sale before the executive branch takes further formal action. This allows committees to ask questions or raise concerns prior to State initiating a formal notification. State will generally not proceed as long as one of the four corners has a hold on a sale during the informal process. 

    After the informal notification process is complete, the AECA requires the President to formally notify Congress 30 days before issuing a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for an Foreign Military Sales(FMS)-administered sale, enhancement, or upgrading of major defense equipment valued at $14 million or more; the sale, enhancement, or upgrading of defense articles or services valued at $50 million or more; or the sale, enhancement, or upgrading of design and construction services valued at $200 million or more. In the case of such sales to NATO member states, NATO, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Israel, or New Zealand, the President must formally notify Congress 15 calendar days before proceeding with the sale. The prior notice threshold values for transfers to these recipients are $25 million for the sale, enhancement, or upgrading of major defense equipment; $100 million for the sale, enhancement, or upgrading of defense articles and defense services; and $300 million for the sale, enhancement, or upgrading of design and construction services.

    A similar process for formal notification times and thresholds exists between NATO-Plus countries and other countries for Direct Commercial Sales (DCS), as well. FMS involves the U.S. government acting as an intermediary, facilitating a government-to-government transaction, while DCS allows direct contracts between US companies and foreign entities. DCS offers more flexibility in contract terms and conditions. FMS often include a “total package” approach, encompassing training, spare parts, and other support, potentially leading to higher initial costs. FMS contracts typically adhere to U.S. military standards, ensuring interoperability with US forces. DCS contracts may offer non-standard configurations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Joins Colleagues in Introducing Resolution Condemning $400 Million Airplane Gift to Trump from Qatar

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Chris Coons (D-DE), and other Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution in the Senate condemning President Donald Trump’s acceptance of a luxury airplane gift, valued at $400 million, that he announced he will receive from the government of Qatar. According to reports, Trump intends to designate the plane as Air Force One while in office and then transfer it to a foundation for personal use following the end of his term. The U.S. Constitution prohibits the President of the United States from accepting a gift from a foreign state without the consent of Congress as a way to prevent bribery and corruption.
    “Donald Trump is accepting a multimillion dollar plane from a foreign government as a personal gift, while clearly ignoring the Constitution,” said Senator Rosen. “Trump gets richer off of his position while hardworking families suffer from his reckless actions. This is corruption plain and simple, and I’m supporting this resolution to make our strong opposition clear.”
    The full text of the resolution can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been leading the fight to clean up Washington. Last year, her bipartisan No CORRUPTION Act was signed into law to ban former members of Congress from receiving a taxpayer-funded pension during their appeals process after being convicted of certain felonies related to their time in office. Following the Supreme Court decision that Presidents are immune from prosecution for “official” actions, Senator Rosen joined her colleagues in introducing a constitutional amendment to make it clear that no one, including the President, is above the law in the United States. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, Cortez Masto Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect and Expand Ground Ambulance Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the bipartisan Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act, which would ensure that all communities, particularly those in rural and underserved areas, have access to quality emergency ambulance services no matter where they live.
    “Whether an automobile accident, a fire, a health crisis, or another catastrophe, paramedics are there in those first critical minutes when courage, skill, and compassion are most needed,” said Senator Collins. “Our bipartisan bill would support these first responders, especially those in rural and underserved communities, by ensuring they are adequately reimbursed by Medicare for their services. As a Senator representing one of the most rural states in the country, I will continue to support the brave men and women who work around the clock to protect our communities.”
    “The American Ambulance Association appreciates the support for ground ambulance services that Senators Cortez Masto, Collins, Cassidy, and Welch continue to provide by reintroducing the Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act of 2025,” said Jamie Pafford Gresham, President of the American Ambulance Association. “If enacted, the legislation would prevent a gap in much-needed funding for local ground ambulance services to maintain the adjustments for providers that service rural, urban, and super-rural communities that are set to expire on October 1. Moreover, the legislation provides some relief for the substantial cost increases in labor, vehicle, equipment, and drugs and devices these local services are encountering and that current policy does not address.”
    The Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act would extend and increase Medicare payments for ambulance services in all communities to close the gap between Medicare reimbursement and the cost of providing services, helping ambulance service providers hire and retain EMT staff, update their equipment, and continue providing lifesaving medical care across the country, especially in the underserved areas where EMT services can be expensive and hard to access.
    The legislation is endorsed by the American Ambulance Association, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, and the National Rural Health Association.
    Last year, Senator Collins’ bipartisan Supporting and Improving Rural EMS Needs (SIREN) Reauthorization Act, which she coauthored with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), was signed into law. The legislation will extend funding for five additional years for SIREN Act grants to rural fire and EMS agencies nationwide, which support rural EMS agencies in training and recruiting staff, conducting certification courses, and purchasing equipment, including naloxone to address the opioid overdose epidemic.
    The full text of the bill can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Cosponsors Resolution Condemning $400 Million Airplane Gift to Trump From Qatar, Reiterating Constitutional Ban on Such Gifts

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla Cosponsors Resolution Condemning $400 Million Airplane Gift to Trump From Qatar, Reiterating Constitutional Ban on Such Gifts

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined 26 other Senators in introducing a resolution condemning President Trump’s acceptance of a luxury airplane gift, valued at $400 million, from the government of Qatar. According to reports, Trump intends to designate the plane as Air Force One while in office and transfer it to a foundation for personal use following the end of his term. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are leading the resolution.
    Senator Padilla, along with his Democratic Senate Judiciary Committee colleagues, raised concerns about the potential for Qatari influence on the Trump Administration during Attorney General Pam Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel’s committee hearings. AG Bondi was previously registered as a foreign agent for the government of Qatar and Director Patel did previous “consulting work” for the Qatari government.
    “While Republicans in Congress are working to gut Medicaid and Social Security, President Trump is brazenly accepting a luxury jumbo jet from Qatar — for his use during and after he leaves office,” said Senator Padilla. “Once again, Trump is showing us that he puts his own interests above those of the American people, benefiting himself and leaving working families behind. This foreign gift reeks of corruption, is blatantly against the law, threatens our national security, and will cost taxpayers tens of millions in retrofit costs and security upgrades.”
    “President Trump’s penchant for corruption and grift has risen to a new level with the news his presidency is for sale – if you happen to have $400 million dollars,” said Leader Schumer. “This Qatari plane deal would be the largest Presidential bribe in modern history and it’s not just naked corruption, it’s a grave national security threat. Senate Republicans may bury their heads in the sand while Trump tries to enrich himself and his billionaire buddies, but Senate Democrats are going to stand up for the American people and say enough is enough – we condemn this attempt at corruption and gross violation of the Constitution.”
    “The Constitution is clear: elected officials, like the president, cannot accept large gifts from foreign governments without consent from Congress,” said Senator Schatz. “Air Force One is more than just a plane — it’s a symbol of the presidency and of the United States itself. Any president who accepts this kind of gift, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security questions, invites foreign influence, and undermines public trust in our government. We are asking the Senate to vote to reiterate a basic principle: no president should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts.”
    “We wouldn’t trust another country to decorate the Oval Office, to set up our Situation Room, or to wire the White House briefing room, so why would we let another country build Air Force One for us, which is an airborne version of all three? This isn’t just a massive act of corruption, it’s a national security risk of the highest order,” said Senator Coons, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. “If President Trump is so willing to put his own administration in danger for the sake of a $400 million gift, imagine how much danger he’s willing to put the American people in.”
    In addition to Senator Padilla, the resolution is also cosponsored by Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    Full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer, Alsobrooks Introduce Highway Funding Transferability Improvement Act to Give Greater Flexibility to States

    US Senate News:

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

    ***Click here for video. Click here for audio.***

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Each year, roughly 90% of federal highway program dollars are distributed to states through a set formula. This approach provides funding certainty for all 50 states nationwide, rather than solely funneling money toward population hubs. Funds delivered via formula are allocated to state Departments of Transportation (DOT) across different accounts such as the National Highway Performance Program, Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, Highway Safety Improvement Program, Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Improvement Program, Carbon Reduction Program, and PROTECT Formula Program. Under current law, state DOTs can transfer up to 50% of their funding annually between these accounts to better meet the needs of their state.

    U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Subcommittee, and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Ranking Member of EPW T&I Subcommittee, introduced the Highway Funding Transferability Improvement Act, raising the cap to 75%, giving state DOTs more flexibility to direct funds to high-priority infrastructure projects in their states. The enhanced transferability allows state DOTs to make investments better reflecting local needs and deliver results for constituents.

    “This is certainly one of the shortest, simplest bills I’ve ever introduced, in fact, that I’ve ever read,” said Cramer. “But it will have one of the most significant impacts on the day-to-day lives of North Dakotans. We all know that states know their needs better than any bureaucrat in Washington, so it only makes sense to let the states determine how to maximize the federal formula funds that they receive. North Dakota, Maryland, and every state in between all have very different transportation needs and our bill recognizes that one-size-fits-all simply does not work and it lets states decide what works best for their constituents.”

    “As Ranking Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, I am committed to working with my colleagues to deliver for Maryland,” said Alsobrooks. “And I am proud to partner with Senator Cramer to give all our states more flexibility to direct funds to the infrastructure projects that matter most to our communities and to leverage as much federal funding as possible to support transportation investments.”

    “Thank you, Senator Cramer, for working to improve the effectiveness and flexibility of the federal aid highway program for all the states,” said Ron Henke, Director of the North Dakota Department of Transportation. “This proposed common sense change to increase the transferability of federal aid highway funds between eligible programs would provide more flexibility for the NDDOT to address the specific transportation needs of the state of North Dakota.”

    “As part of AASHTO’s recently adopted core policy principles for surface transportation reauthorization, we asked Congress to strengthen the federally-assisted state administered program by increasing transferability among formula program categories without federal approval,” said Jim Tymon, Executive Director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “This proposal from Senator Cramer and Senator Alsobrooks to increase federal formula funds transferability cap from the current 50 percent to 75 percent directly answers to the collective request of the nation’s state departments of transportation. We extend our gratitude to the Senators for this additional flexibility, as this bill will allow state DOTs and their local partners to increase the effectiveness of the federal highway program by ensuring that the right project will be funded at the right time.”

    Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Cramer: FAA Announces $5.8 Million for Projects at North Dakota Airports

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced an award of$5,844,554 through the Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program for projects at several airports across North Dakota. The funding will be distributed to the following:

    • $2,491,667 for the Bismarck Municipal Airport to expand the existing General Aviation Apron by adding 5,340 square yards to meet FAA standards and to reconstruct 8,090 square yards of the existing General Aviation Apron pavement.
    • $2,200,000 to the Jamestown Regional Airport Authority to expand an existing 9,450 square foot snow removal equipment and sand storage building by 1,500 square feet to bring the airport into conformity with current standards.
    • $552,962 to the Mercer County Regional Airport Authority to reseal 1,420 feet of the existing Taxiway A and B pavement and joints, reseal 13,708 square yards of the existing North and South Apron pavement and joints, and reseal 5,000 feet of existing Runway 15/33 pavement and joints, and reseal 530 feet of the existing Taxilane pavement and joints.
    • $171,000 to the Bottineau Municipal Airport Authority to rehabilitate one existing airport rotating beacon.
    • $137,000 to the Mandan Airport Authority to construct new airport underdrains for drainage and erosion control.
    • $120,000 to the Crosby Municipal Airport Authority to construct a new 4,800 square foot sponsor-owned hangar for aircraft storage and maintenance which will assist the airport in being self-sustaining.
    • $86,925 to the Glen Ullin Regional Airport Authority to reseal 2,985 square yards of the existing General Aviation Apron pavement and joints, to reseal 3,800 feet of existing Runway 11/29 pavement and joints, to reseal 488 feet of the existing Taxilane East, West, and South pavement and joints, and to reseal 550 feet of the existing Taxiway A pavement and joints.
    • $85,000 to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to rehabilitate 3,700 feet of existing paved Runway 14/32 to maintain the structural integrity and minimize foreign object debris, rehabilitate 4,700 square yards of the existing General Aviation Apron pavement to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris, and rehabilitate 550 feet of the existing paved Taxiway A to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris.

    The AIG Program was established by the fully-paid-for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide airports with funding for modernization and safety projects. Since its creation, airports in North Dakota have received over $49 million in program funding.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Senate AG Committee Hearing, Durbin Speaks About Deadly Cost Of Dust Storms, Advocates For Programs To Incentive Farmers To Plant Cover Crops

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    May 13, 2025
    At the top of the hearing, Durbin introduced witness Mrs. Megan Dwyer, Illinoisan and Director of Conservation and Nutrient Stewardship at the Illinois Corn Growers Association
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, introduced Mrs. Megan Dwyer, an Illinoisan and the Director of Conservation and Nutrient Stewardship at the Illinois Corn Growers Association, at today’s Senate Agriculture Committee hearing.  The hearing, entitled “Perspectives from the Field, Part 4: Conservation,” focused on farm conservation programs to promote soil health, water quality, air quality, and wildlife habitats. 
    “This hearing on conservation has brought some wonderful talent and resources to the Committee room this afternoon.  One of them is my special guest, Mrs. Megan Dwyer, of Coal Valley, Illinois.  A fourth-generation farmer, Megan, along with her husband Todd, run crop and livestock operations with their families in both Coal Valley and Geneseo, [Illinois],” Durbin said as he introduced Mrs. Dwyer.  “Megan also serves as Director of Conservation and Nutrient Stewardship for the Illinois Corn Growers, and her expertise in conservation makes her an especially valuable witness today.”
    “She will be sharing her expertise with the Committee – just like she has shared her knowledge with my staff, members of the Illinois delegation, farm groups, and many other on farm conservation practices,” Durbin said.
    Video of Durbin’s remarks is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s remarks is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s remarks is available here for TV Stations.
    Following the introduction of Mrs. Dwyer, Durbin asked questions of the Committee’s witnesses.  He began by recalling a deadly 72 car pile-up in Central Illinois in 2023, which was caused by a dust storm, and noted that conservation funds are critical to supporting farmers in planting cover crops that mitigate these dust storms.  He then asked Mrs. Dwyer why Illinois, despite its position as a top agricultural state, receives a disproportionately low level of conservation funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
    “Two years ago, my wife was visiting family and called me and told me that something was happening on I-55, which is just south of Springfield.  She said, ‘I’ve been diverted… Must have been an accident.’  It sure was.  In May 2023, on I-55, south of Springfield, there was a 72 vehicle pile-up that took the lives of eight people.  The reason? A dust storm.  The University of Illinois recently completed a study that concluded the lack of ground cover and dry conditions were contributing to that,” Durbin said.
    “Mrs. Dwyer… you indicated that Illinois ranks very low in conservation dollars sent by USDA.  We need more.  Can you explain why we [receive] so few [conservation funds]?” Durbin asked.
    Mrs. Dwyer agreed that Illinois should receive more conservation funds from USDA, but she advocated for more holistic support for farmers, including assistance in completing complex paperwork to request conservation funds as farmers are continually denied funding from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
    “Are we dealing with the commitment being there to move forward, but a lack of resources [for farmers]?” Durbin followed up.
    Mrs. Dwyer affirmed Durbin’s line of thinking, and she spoke about the difficult decision for farmers to convert usable land to be used for conservation programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).  Mrs. Dwyer explained that USDA must consider new and innovative programs to incentivize farmers to plant cover crops on their land.
    Video of Durbin’s remarks is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s remarks is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s remarks is available here for TV Stations.
    Durbin has 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 EQUIP 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.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Blasts Pharmacy Benefit Managers for ‘Screwing’ Patients, Calls for Breaking Up ‘Pharma Monopoly’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Tuesday, May 13, 2025

    Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) blasted pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for raising drug prices and profiting at the expense of Missourians. 

    Americans pay 422% MORE than other countries for the SAME prescription drugs
    Why? Because Big Pharma & their PBM middlemen are getting rich. It’s not that they’re bad negotiators; their business is DESIGNED to screw patients pic.twitter.com/xebHKnmhYJ
    — Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) May 13, 2025

    Senator Hawley grilled Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) President J.C. Scott, questioning why Americans pay 422% more than other countries for the same brand name prescription drugs. “You’re supposed to be making drugs more affordable for consumers – would you say that you are succeeding?” Senator Hawley asked, before answering his own question: “I think the answer you are looking for is no.” “Either you’re the worst negotiators in the history of the world, or something’s wrong with your business model,” Senator Hawley continued. He then went on to list some notable statistics about Big Pharma and their PBM middlemen, including:
    The three biggest pharmacy benefit managers own 80% of the markets.
    Two counties in Missouri (Knox and Schuyler) do not have access to a single pharmacy due to lack of marketplace competition.
    In fiscal year 2023, 73 pharmacies closed down in Missouri, impacting 19 counties.
    The top three PBMs generated $7.3 billion in revenue from dispensing drugs in excess of the drugs’ estimated acquisition costs from 2017-2022.
    “Missourians are getting screwed while you’re getting rich,” Senator Hawley concluded, emphasizing the need for Congress to pass his bill to break up the alliance between insurance companies, PBMs, and pharmacies.
    Senator Hawley has been a staunch advocate for Missourians at the checkout counter; just last week, he introduced bipartisan legislation to lower drug prices, which was followed up by President Trump’s executive order taking on Big Pharma. Senator Hawley urged Congress to pass this bill also.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Finance Committee Advances CBP Commissioner Nomination

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–The U.S. Senate Finance Committee today advanced the nomination of Rodney Scott to be U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner by a vote of 14-13.  Following the vote, Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the statement below:
    “Mr. Scott’s decades of service and dedication to our nation’s security make him highly qualified to oversee CBP.  I look forward to his confirmation and working with him to ensure the agency is focused on border security, the flow of legitimate trade and enforcement of U.S. trade laws.”
    Executive session information can be found here.
    Read Chairman Crapo’s full statement at the nomination hearing here, and his statement at the executive session here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton Introduces Bill to Repeal DEI Requirements within STEM Workforce

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    May 13, 2025

    Cotton Introduces Bill to Repeal DEI Requirements within STEM Workforce

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Dismantling Ideological Policies for Semiconductors and Science Act, legislation that would restore the original intention of the Chips and Science Act to supercharge the domestic semiconductor industry and STEM workforce development by repealing requirements related to DEI ideology. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) and Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska) are cosponsors of this legislation. 

    “The United States must work at breakneck speed to build up our STEM workforce. The focus must be on excellence and innovation, rather than burdensome, divisive DEI policies. My bill ensures that we provide equal opportunities to all STEM talent driven by merit and that every talented person is invited to contribute,” said Senator Cotton.

    Full text of the bill may be found here.

    The DIPSS bill would eliminate duplicative, burdensome, or discriminatory provisions in the Chips and Science Act that are related to DEI and other left-wing priorities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, 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 New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) 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 Navy Secretary Phelan.

    The Senators wrote, in part: “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. 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.”

    They concluded: “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. 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 found 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 Shaheen and Collins, and Shaheen and King, the U.S. Department of Defense exempted the shipyard workforce from the civilian hiring freeze. Last month, Shaheen, Collins and King visited the Shipyard with U.S. Secretary of the Navy John 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: ICYMI: On CNN News Central this Morning, Shaheen Discusses Trump’s Trip to the Middle East, Slams Plan to Accept Luxury Qatari Plane as Air Force One

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined CNN News Central this morning to discuss President Trump’s trip to the Middle East this week and rebuke the President’s reported plans to accept a luxury Qatari jet to use as Air Force One, which raises clear ethical, Constitutional and national security implications. Click HERE to watch Senator Shaheen’s full interview. 

    Key quotes from Senator Shaheen: 

    • On President Trump’s trip to the Middle East, Shaheen said: “Unfortunately, while I think the economic agreement is a good thing, he seems to be missing the two biggest threats in the Middle East. One if from Iran and the terrorism that they continue to support, their effort to get a nuclear weapon. And the other is the war in Gaza – this is an opportunity to engage the other Arab nations in helping to see what the long-term future is to address Gaza and Israel.” 
    • On reports of President Trump’s plan to accept a luxury Qatari jet as Air Force One, Shaheen said: “With respect to Qatar and the plane, I think there are serious Constitutional questions about this, but there are also questions about national security. And sadly, the President doesn’t seem too concerned about national security. He’s been willing to allow his Secretary of Defense to engage in classified discussions over unclassified channels. He has, again, looking at accepting this plane without thinking about what the implications would be. […] But then there’s the other question of corruption, and I think that’s what the American people should also be concerned about. This is a President who has, between his crypto coin scheme, his investments in Qatar for a golf course, taking this plane – it all raises questions about who his commitment really belongs to. Does it belong to the American people and the United States? Or does it belong to himself and all of the dollars that he can bring in to himself and his family?” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Coons Lead Group Of 27 Senators In Introducing Resolution To Condemn $400 Million Airplane Gift To Trump From Qatar

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today introduced a resolution in the Senate condemning a luxury airplane gift, valued at $400 million, President Donald Trump announced he will receive from the government of Qatar. According to reports, Trump intends to designate the plane as Air Force One while in office and then transfer it to a foundation for personal use following the end of his term. In addition to Schatz and Coons, the resolution is cosponsored by Democratic Minority 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.).

    “Air Force One is more than just a plane — it’s a symbol of the presidency and of the United States itself,” said Senator Schatz. “Any president who accepts this kind of gift, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security questions, invites foreign influence, and undermines public trust in our government. We are asking the Senate to vote to reiterate a basic principle: no president should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts.”

    “President Trump’s penchant for corruption and grift has risen to a new level with the news his presidency is for sale – if you happen to have $400 million dollars,” said Leader Schumer. “This Qatari plane deal would be the largest Presidential bribe in modern history and it’s not just naked corruption, it’s a grave national security threat. Senate Republicans may bury their heads in the sand while Trump tries to enrich himself and his billionaire buddies, but Senate Democrats are going to stand up for the American people and say enough is enough – we condemn this attempt at corruption and gross violation of the Constitution.”

    “We wouldn’t trust another country to decorate the Oval Office, to set up our Situation Room, or to wire the White House briefing room, so why would we let another country build Air Force One for us, which is an airborne version of all three? This isn’t just a massive act of corruption, it’s a national security risk of the highest order,” said Senator Coons, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. “If President Trump is so willing to put his own administration in danger for the sake of a $400 million gift, imagine how much danger he’s willing to put the American people in.”

    “While Republicans plot to gut vital services like Social Security and Medicaid and unleash economic uncertainty onto hardworking Americans, Donald Trump is planning to accept a luxury jet, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government,” said Senator Booker. “This not only creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security concerns, and undermines public trust in our government, but is a slap in the face to the people across the country who are struggling to make ends meet. All Senators should be able to agree that no one should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts. I hope my Republican colleagues will support this resolution.”

    “The president doesn’t get to trade U.S. foreign policy and national security for a private jet,” said Senator Murphy. “This resolution sends the message Trump won’t: the Oval Office is not for sale.”

    “No, Donald Trump cannot accept a $400 million flying palace from the royal family of Qatar. Not only is this farcically corrupt, it is blatantly unconstitutional,” said Senator Sanders. “Congress must not allow this over-the-top kleptocracy to proceed.”

    “President Trump wants to accept a $400 million private jet from a foreign government, have American taxpayers pay to retrofit it as Air Force One, and then keep it for himself to jet around the world as soon as he leaves office. It’s hard to imagine more brazen corruption or a clearer violation of our Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, and there’s no question this outlandish proposal puts our country’s national security at risk,” said Senator Murray. “Every member of Congress should support this simple resolution condemning violations of the Emoluments Clause and making clear Trump cannot accept a $400 million private jet from Qatar without explicit consent from Congress.”

    “If someone came to one of my town halls in Oregon and tried to argue that getting a $400 million jet from the government of Qatar wasn’t corruption, they would be laughed out of town,” said Senator Wyden. “Instead of securing new allies against adversaries like China or opening new markets for American products, Trump is using America’s clout to get a private jet. It’s corruption plain and simple that fritters away American influence and leaves us weaker.” 

    “While Republicans in Congress are working to gut Medicaid and Social Security, President Trump is brazenly accepting a luxury jumbo jet from Qatar — for his use during and after he leaves office,” said Senator Padilla. “Once again, Trump is showing us that he puts his own interests above those of the American people, benefiting himself and leaving working families behind. This foreign gift reeks of corruption, is blatantly against the law, threatens our national security, and will cost taxpayers tens of millions in retrofit costs and security upgrades.”

    “Donald Trump is accepting a multimillion dollar plane from a foreign government as a personal gift, while clearly ignoring the Constitution,” said Senator Rosen. “Trump gets richer off of his position while hardworking families suffer from his reckless actions. This is corruption plain and simple, and I’m supporting this resolution to make our strong opposition clear.”

    “This is corruption plain and simple. The President of the United States accepting a $400 million plane from a foreign government is unheard of, and would require direct consent from Congress,” said Senator Warner. “This is just the latest act by President Trump that shows his administration has no regard for the rule of law and is ripe to be exploited by foreign actors.”

     “Trump’s brazen willingness to accept a luxury jet from Qatar raises the dangerous prospect that the president can be bought and paid for by foreign powers — putting their interests over Americans’ and our national security. Every Senator should join us in rejecting it and blocking the sale of the presidency to the highest bidder,” said Senator Van Hollen.

    “Our founding fathers knew that we must protect ourselves from corruption and foreign influence, which is exactly why we have a constitutional provision prohibiting presidents from accepting lavish gifts from foreign governments—a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, reportedly valued at $400 million, is no exception,” said Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Shaheen. “Congress and the American public have a right to know the details of any arrangement that calls into question whether the President is acting on behalf of American interests and American interests alone. Further, the security implications of taking a foreign-owned and managed plane and outfitting it with the most sensitive U.S. technology continues to demonstrate a lack of judgement in this administration when it comes to guarding U.S. intelligence.”

    “There’s no such thing as a $400 million “no-strings-attached” gift,” said Senator Duckworth. “This is the mother of all bribes. It puts our national security in jeopardy and erodes public trust—all for the President’s own personal gain. Donald Trump wants to sell our foreign policy and sell out our people.”

    “Donald Trump accepting a $400 million gift from a foreign country is corruption in plain sight,” said Senator Hirono. “Trump’s latest grift undermines our national security, flies in the face of the Constitution, and will cost American taxpayers hundreds of millions, if not billions, in retrofits.”

    “The mere notion that the President would cravenly accept a $400 million attempt to win favor from a foreign power is beyond the pale and reeks of corruption.  The White House and presidency are sacred trusts from the American people, not venues for Trump to enrich himself and his family with shady deals and influence buying,” said Senator Durbin. “Our resolution reaffirms what our Constitution makes clear – no President should receive gifts from a foreign power.”

    “While President Trump claims to target fraud and abuse, his actions continue to prove that his priorities are his own interests and those of his wealthy friends,” said Senator Bennet. “His plan to accept a $400 million luxury jet from the Qatari government for use as Air Force One is an act of blatant corruption and a violation of our Constitution that poses severe counterintelligence risks, needlessly undermining U.S. national security.”

    “This is corruption in plain sight. Under no circumstance should a sitting president be accepting luxury gifts from a foreign government, especially while negotiating an arms sale,” said Senator Blunt Rochester. “This is yet another example of President Trump focusing on enriching himself rather than improving the lives of everyday Americans. I’m joining with my colleagues on this resolution to protect national security, to stand up for our constituents, and to uphold the rule of law.”

    “If an ordinary government official accepted a gift even a fraction as valuable as this, there would be a full investigation, and potential firings due to concerns of foreign influence,” said Senator Slotkin. “Now the President is taking a $400 million foreign gift. Beyond the perception of corruption, the idea that a foreign country would have access to Air Force One, as the buyer, during production, leaves it incredibly vulnerable to bugs, tracking devices, and whatever else they or other countries may attempt to manipulate.”

    “This is corruption, plain and simple. The U.S. is not for sale, and we cannot allow the presidency to be bought by foreign interests,” said Senator Klobuchar.

    “Just when you think the Trump Administration can’t sink to a new low of ethical misconduct, he accepts a luxury jet from a foreign nation. Corruption on full display,” said Senator Merkley.

    “We’re beyond foreign interference at this point. We’re watching a President invite a foreign government to buy him off,” said Senator Alsobrooks. “American values are actively being flushed down the toiled by this corrupt President.”

    “The American public knows this is wrong—especially a gift of this size,” said Senator Kim. “It’s blatant corruption, and the President knows it. Air Force One isn’t just a plane—it’s a secure command center for national security decisions and classified communications and is hardened to ensure the President is protected. Taking a jet from a foreign government is a serious national security risk, and taxpayers will still foot the bill to make it flight ready. This is a dangerous abuse of power, plain and simple.”

    The full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –