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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Announces Over $1.5 Million in Federal Funding to Address Substance Use Epidemic in Kentucky

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will allocate $1,501,532 to Kentucky for the Recovery Housing Program. This program was created by Senator McConnell’s Comprehensive Addiction Recovery through Effective Employment and Reentry (CAREER) Act. 
    In 2018, Senator McConnell and Congressman Barr introduced the CAREER Act into the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, and the legislation was signed into law as part of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. In February, they introduced the CAREER Act of 2025 to enhance the workforce reentry and recovery housing programs created in the 2018 law. Since becoming law, the CAREER Act has directed nearly $12.5 million to the Commonwealth, helping hundreds of Kentuckians recovering from substance use disorder. 
    The CAREER Act addresses the devastating impact of substance abuse on America’s workforce, connecting individuals recovering from substance use with career services and temporary, stable housing opportunities. The Recovery Housing Program, established within this legislation, is a transitional housing pilot program to help states increase access to safe transitional housing for individuals in addiction recovery while they rehabilitate and reenter the workforce. 
    “Our nation’s substance abuse epidemic has claimed countless lives in communities across the Commonwealth. The CAREER Act is a crucial tool in our fight to end this crisis, targeting resources into lifesaving organizations that support Kentuckians’ recovery and their reentry into the workforce. I’ve been proud to champion CAREER Act funding over the years, and support these organizations’ heroic efforts as they help Kentuckians break free from addiction,” said Senator McConnell. 
    HUD will allocate today’s funding to the Commonwealth of Kentucky Department of Local Government, which will then select specific funding recipients. In past years, these federal funds have gone toward building out capacity and access to effective recovery housing across the Commonwealth.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch on Trump’s Drug Pricing Order: “Pass our bipartisan bill so we can lower prescription drug prices for good.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) released the following statement on President Trump’s drug pricing Executive Order: 
    “President Trump and I agree—prescription drugs are too expensive in America, and we’re getting ripped off. There is no reason pharmaceutical companies should charge American patients more than what they charge in other countries. I spoke with President Trump about this concern in his first term and he tried a similar order to lower drug costs, but ultimately it wasn’t durable.  Senator Hawley and I have a bill to lower drug prices through international reference pricing—the Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act. I encourage the President to get on board with our bipartisan bill so we can lower prescription drug prices for good.” 
    Senators Welch and Hawley recently introduced the Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act, bipartisan legislation to lower drug prices for Americans. This bill prohibits pharmaceutical companies from selling drugs in the United States at higher prices than an international average, ending the practice of forcing Americans to pay the world’s highest prices for medications. Welch and Hawley’s legislation would correct decades of policies that benefited pharmaceutical companies but left American patients holding the bag. Americans pay substantially more than patients in other developed nations for the same prescription drugs. The bill would also impose stiff civil monetary penalties on pharmaceutical companies that violate this rule.  
    Senator Welch has been a longtime champion of lowering prescription drug prices.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Colleagues Fight To Protect Head Start, Meals On Wheels, Social Services From Republican Budget Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    May 12, 2025

    HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined the Senate Democratic Caucus in sending an open letter to the public exposing the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans’ plan to gut Meals on Wheels, Head Start, and other essential social services.
    Republican Senators are currently writing legislation that will give a tax break to the wealthiest by ripping away programs American seniors, children, and working families rely on. Republicans have targeted two essential funding sources for social services programs, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), putting nearly 25 million children, seniors, and families at risk across the country.
    “We write to make our position on this legislation perfectly clear: Congress should not give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans by ripping away programs that almost 25 million Americans – close to 50% of whom are children – rely on for basic needs,” the senators wrote. 
    “Earlier this month, Congressional Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate passed a budget that sets the stage for existential cuts to the safety net. Republican leaders claim they have no plans to eliminate essential services, but tens of billions in catastrophic cuts to these programs appeared on Republicans’ published wish list, alongside cuts to Medicaid and SNAP,” the senators continued. “State and local leaders confirm that eliminating SSBG and TANF would reduce programs that serve our most vulnerable as states and localities are already operating under tight budget constraints.”
     “Right now, Republicans are writing the most consequential legislation contemplated in decades entirely behind closed doors. That’s because Trump and Congressional Republicans must hide the ugly truth – their legislation feeds corporate and wealthy individuals’ greed by abandoning vulnerable children, starving seniors, and cutting off families in need. You, your family, and your neighbors deserve far better. Democrats are fighting to protect your communities from Republican cuts. Join us and keep up the fight,” the senators concluded.
    U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) also signed the letter.
    The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    An open letter to the public:
    The Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans are planning to give another round of tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy and corporations that are paid for by gutting funding that supports Meals on Wheels, Head Start, and other essential programs that seniors, children, and working families rely on. While Republicans maintain that they are not cutting benefits for people, they have zeroed-in on two essential funding sources for these programs – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) – putting children, seniors, and families at risk across the country.
    We write to make our position on this legislation perfectly clear: Congress should not give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans by ripping away programs that almost 25 million Americans – close to 50% of whom are children – rely on for basic needs.
    Earlier this month, Congressional Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate passed a budget that sets the stage for existential cuts to the safety net. Republican leaders claim they have no plans to eliminate essential services, but tens of billions in catastrophic cuts to these programs appeared on Republicans’ published wish list, alongside cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. State and local leaders confirm that eliminating SSBG and TANF would reduce programs that serve our most vulnerable as states and localities are already operating under tight budget constraints.
    These devastating cuts will rip away access to child care and early education for close to 40,000 children, taking away programs that help set them up for successful lives. This will force working parents to walk an even tighter economic tightrope and make impossible choices about whether to cut back their hours or leave their jobs altogether to take care of their children. Moreover, these funding cuts will disproportionately impact kinship families – families in which grandparents or other family members raise children – as TANF is often their sole federal support outside of Social Security and the foster care system.
    Along with children, seniors will bear the brunt of these cuts. For example, in South Carolina, the state’s adult protective services is funded entirely by SSBG, raising questions about how the state will be able to effectively identify and prevent elder abuse without these dollars. SSBG is also a critical funding source for Meals on Wheels programs across the country. If Congressional Republicans get away with eliminating SSBG, the local Meals on Wheels program in Abilene, Texas will be forced to cut services for over half of the 1,700 seniors and people with disabilities across 15 rural communities it currently feeds. It doesn’t get crueler than going after a program that seniors rely on to eat what is often their only meal of the day, and there are programs like these in every community.
    Right now, Republicans are writing the most consequential legislation contemplated in decades entirely behind closed doors. That’s because Trump and Congressional Republicans must hide the ugly truth – their legislation feeds corporate and wealthy individuals’ greed by abandoning vulnerable children, starving seniors, and cutting off families in need. You, your family, and your neighbors deserve far better.
    Democrats are fighting to protect your communities from Republican cuts.
    Join us and keep up the fight.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy To Block Arms Sales To Nations Engaging In Bribery Of The Trump Administration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    May 12, 2025

    WASHINGTON–Following reports of Qatar gifting a $400 million superluxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet to President Trump, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Monday announced that he will seek to block any arms sale to a nation whose government is directly enriching Trump and his family.
    Click HERE to read Murphy’s announcement on X.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER – WITH CAPITAL REGION RELIGIOUS LEADERS, FOOD BANKS & FARMERS – SOUNDS ALARM THAT UNDER GOP PLAN TO CUT SNAP – AMERICA’S LARGEST ANTI-HUNGER PROGRAM – THOUSANDS OF KIDS, SENIORS, & FAMILIES…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Already 27 Tractor Trailers, Nearly 1 Million Pounds Of Food, For The Regional Food Bank Of Northeastern NY Has Been Canceled Due To Trump’s Cruel USDA Cuts – Now GOP Wants To Steal Up To $230 Billion From SNAP To Fund Trump’s Tax Breaks For Corporations & Billionaires

    Schumer, With Church Leaders & Advocates, Say This Double Whammy Could Hurtle Families To A Hunger Crisis, Impacting 112,000+ In Capital Region, Millions Nationwide; Demands GOP Block Cruel Cut To SNAP And Protect Anti-Hunger Programs

    Schumer: No Child Should Go To Bed Hungry. This Is Not A Partisan Issue; This Is A Moral Issue

    As Congressional Republicans look to advance the largest potential cut to the anti-hunger program SNAP in American history this week, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer stood with Capital Region religious leaders, food banks, & farmers to issue a stark warning and demand action against the devastating proposed $230 billion SNAP cut to fund Trump’s tax cuts for corporations & billionaires, that would leave thousands of seniors, families and children hungry. The senator joined with church leaders and hunger advocates to say how this is a moral issue that we should all unite to stop, and Schumer called on the administration to reverse its hunger program cuts and for the NY House Republicans to stand against stealing from SNAP, which over 112,000 in the Capital Region rely on for food.

    “No child should ever go to bed hungry. But Trump’s slashing of anti-hunger programs at the USDA has already cancelled 27 tractor trailers, nearly 1 million pounds of food, for the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY. Now, House Republicans are trying to rush through the budget process and make the largest cut to SNAP in history. With food insecurity on the rise, this is a double whammy that could hurtle families to a hunger crisis,” said Senator Schumer. “Stealing from SNAP to pay for Trump’s tax breaks for corporations & billionaires is as backwards as it gets, and will result in thousands of kids, seniors, and families going hungry. It is not a partisan issue, it is a moral issue. That is why I am here to show what these cuts mean for the nuns, priests, and food banks on the frontlines of fighting against hunger. Together we are demanding a stop to this all-out assault on our federal anti-hunger programs and to protect SNAP for our children, veterans, seniors, and families.”

    Sister Betsy Van Deusen, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany said, “SNAP is a lifeline for so many people in our communities and across the country. Working people who are trying to feed their families depend on this critical resource. The vast and draconian cuts that have been discussed will send children to bed hungry, our elders without basic nutrition and our veterans without dignity. the lives of wealthiest people in our country will not be substantially changed by another tax cut, but the millions on whose backs those cuts come, will be devastated.”

    Schumer added, “It only takes a few NY House Republicans to join us to stop this cruel cut to SNAP. We need NY Republicans to show us which side they are on with their actions. For feeding corporate & billionaires’ greed or for feeding hungry families here in the Capital Region. We need them to join us in demanding the USDA reverse all of Trump’s cuts to our farmers, food banks, and anti-hunger programs and keep their hands off SNAP to fund Trump’s tax breaks.”

    Schumer explained how Trump’s USDA has already cruelly canceled $1 billion in food assistance, hurting the Capital Region’s Food Bank of Northeastern NY, and if these SNAP cuts move forward it would be a double whammy, hurtling us to a hunger crisis. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a lifeline for nearly 3 million NY seniors, veterans and families who rely on the critical funding to purchase groceries. Schumer said that we should be investing more not less in anti-hunger programs, but under the Republican proposal, the average family would be reduced to just $5.00 per day per person. A breakdown of SNAP recipients in the Capital Region from the Center for American Progress can be found below:

    County

    SNAP Recipients

    % of County on SNAP

    SNAP Retailers

    Albany

    34,556

    10.9%

    281

    Columbia

    5,546

    9.1%

    82

    Greene

    4,504

    9.5%

    54

    Rensselaer

    15,022

    9.4%

    148

    Saratoga

    13,847

    5.8%

    163

    Schenectady

    22,196

    13.9%

    166

    Schoharie

    3,671

    12.2%

    34

    Warren

    6,726

    10.3%

    75

    Washington

    6,556

    10.8%

    61

    TOTAL

    112,624

    		  

    1,064

    Schumer explained the Republican proposal to cut up to $230 billion from SNAP would inevitably mean costs of feeding families shift to states, who simply do not have the capacity to absorb this massive increase in expenses, risking families going hungry. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, mandating New York State to cover even a modest share of SNAP benefits would shift astronomical costs to the state with even just 5% increasing New York State’s costs by nearly $3.5 billion from FY2026 to FY2034. The senator said it is impossible to cut this much from federal SNAP funding without ripping food away from hungry children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and more.

    These agonizing decisions would be amplified even further at the local level, with non-profits, many of whom have already had their funding cut, unable to fill in the gap. Counties could even be forced to shoulder the burden of increased costs in SNAP, using more local dollars to provide coverage because less federal funding will be coming in.

    According to New York’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, in New York’s 20th Congressional District – which represents all of Albany, Saratoga, and Schenectady counties, and portions of Montgomery and Rensselaer counties – nearly 45,000 households receive an estimated $185 million in annual benefits. 34% of SNAP recipients are children, 15% are elderly, and 12% are people with disabilities. In New York’s 21st Congressional District – which represents all of Clinton, Franklin, St. Lawrence, Lewis, Hamilton, Essex, Warren, Washington, Fulton, Herkimer, Montgomery, and Schoharie counties, and portions of Jefferson, Oneida, and Saratoga counties – more than 52,000 households receive as estimated$194 million in annual benefits. 30% of SNAP recipients are children, 18% are elderly, and 14% are people with disabilities.

    Schumer said, “SNAP is a lifeline that helps uplift everyone, from the NY farms who get direct assistance from the program to the Capital Region families’ kitchen tables. NY Republicans are tying themselves in knots to try to justify these SNAP cuts, but the math shows you cannot make the massive cuts the House’s tax bill proposes without risking the food security for thousands of families. I’m all for reducing any waste or fraud to make the program more efficient, but rushing to pass these massive damaging cuts with no plan while they slash our food banks is a recipe for disaster.”

    The proposed SNAP cuts would be a blow to Capital Region food banks which have already been hit hard by Trump’s funding freezes and canceled payments. Earlier this year, the USDA canceled $1 billion in food assistance for organizations to purchase locally grown food. USDA programs provide food banks, schools, and other organizations with federal support to purchase local food products from NY farms.

    The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York has already had 27 tractor-trailers of food canceled, which is nearly 1 million pounds meant to feed Capital Region families. That’s nearly 800,000 meals, and the food bank expects to lose over 200 tractor-trailers over the next year. 80% of this food goes to pantries and soup kitchens like CONSERNS-U in Rensselaer. The food bank also works with religious leaders like Catholic Charities to distribute food to those who need it most.

    Schumer said these proposed cuts will limit food banks’ ability to keep shelves stocked as more people have been forced to rely on food banks to feed their families. Food bank workers and religious leaders across Upstate New York are concerned about the impact of potential cuts to SNAP on the people they serve, and farmers are worried there will be nowhere to sell their food if SNAP funding levels drop.

    “No matter which way you slice it, this Congressional Republican plan will screw Capital Region families, food banks and farmers from farm to table. We need everyone to stand up to these cuts that would take away food from our neighbors in need,” added Schumer.

    “When federal nutrition programs are cut, it’s not just a single plate that goes empty — it’s millions,” said Tom Nardacci, CEO of the Regional Food Bank. “Without federal support, community organizations simply can’t fill the growing gap. Slashing SNAP or canceling USDA food deliveries doesn’t just reduce access — it clears the table entirely for seniors, children, veterans, and families in every community in this country. We appreciate Senator Schumer fighting to save these important programs.”

    “Cutting or reducing budgets for food safety net programs is the exact opposite of what is needed to ensure New Yorkers don’t go hungry,” said Natasha Pernicka, Executive Director for The Food Pantries for the Capital District. “Any reductions to current SNAP will continue to exacerbate the growing strain on our food pantry system. We should be doing much more to help our food-insecure communities, not less.”

    Proposed rollbacks to the country’s most widely utilized nutrition assistance program would strain budgets for Capital Region families. Schumer said decimating funding for SNAP right as costs at grocery stores across the country are skyrocketing will hit the Capital Region hard. According to the New York State Community Action Association, more than 12% of people in Rensselaer County live in poverty, including nearly 20% of children. According to No Kid Hungry, over half of New Yorkers reported going into debt in the past year due to rising food costs, with over 60% of families with children.

    SNAP not only supplements families’ food budgets, it has also generated great economic benefits for New York State and NY-20 specifically. According to the National Grocers Association, grocery stores across New York State sold over $2.1 billion in groceries to people using SNAP benefits, including $99.3 million in NY-20. This created more than 18,500 New York jobs in the grocery industry, including 876 in NY-20, and generated more than $820.8 million in grocery industry wages, including $38.7 million in NY-20.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Op-Ed: Don’t Cut Medicaid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)
    By U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) | May 12, 2025 | The New York Times
    Polls show Democrats down in the dumps at their lowest approval level in decades, but we Republicans are having an identity crisis of our own, and you can see it in the tug of war over President Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill.” The nub of the conflict: Will Republicans be a majority party of working people, or a permanent minority speaking only for the C suite?
    Mr. Trump has promised working-class tax cuts and protection for working-class social insurance, such as Medicaid. But now a noisy contingent of corporatist Republicans — call it the party’s Wall Street wing — is urging Congress to ignore all that and get back to the old-time religion: corporate giveaways, preferences for capital and deep cuts to social insurance.
    This wing of the party wants Republicans to build our big, beautiful bill around slashing health insurance for the working poor. But that argument is both morally wrong and politically suicidal.
    Let’s begin with the facts of the matter. Medicaid is a federal program that provides health care to low-income Americans in partnership with state governments. Today it serves over 70 million Americans, including well over one million residents of Missouri, the state I represent.
    As for Missouri, it is one of 40 Medicaid expansion states — because our voters wanted it that way. In 2020, the same year Mr. Trump carried the Missouri popular vote by a decisive margin, voters mandated that the state expand Medicaid coverage to working-class individuals unable to afford health care elsewhere. Voters went so far as to inscribe that expansion in our state constitution. Now some 21 percent of Missourians benefit from Medicaid or CHIP, the companion insurance program for lower-income children. And many of our rural hospitals and health providers depend on the funding from these programs to keep their doors open.
    All of which means this: If Congress cuts funding for Medicaid benefits, Missouri workers and their children will lose their health care. And hospitals will close. It’s that simple. And that pattern will replicate in states across the country.
    One of my constituents, a married mother of five, contacted me to explain why Medicaid is vital to her 8-year-old daughter, who depends on a feeding tube to survive. Formula, pump rentals, feeding extensions and other treatments cost $1,500 a month; prescriptions nearly double that cost. These expenses aren’t covered by private insurance. The mother wrote to me, “Without Medicaid, we would lose everything — our home, our vehicles, and eventually, our daughter.”
    Congress should be doing everything possible to aid these working families, to make their health care better and more affordable. We should cap prescription drug costs, as I have recently proposed. We should give every family in America with children a hefty tax cut. What we should not do is eliminate their health care.
    Mr. Trump himself has been crystal clear on this point. Since taking office he has repeatedly rejected calls for Medicaid benefit cuts. Just the other week, he said, “We are doing absolutely nothing to hurt Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. Nothing at all.” And for good reason. The president understands who his voters are. Recent polling shows that 64 percent of Republicans hold a favorable view of Medicaid. About one in six have personally been on the program. Meanwhile, more than 80 percent of Americans oppose significant cuts to Medicaid and over half — half — have a personal or family connection to the Medicaid program.
    It’s safe to say the Trump coalition was not pulling the lever for Medicaid cuts in November. Mike Johnson, the House speaker, finally woke up to this fact last week, when he withdrew his support from one of the most aggressive reductions to Medicaid on the table. But many of my House and Senate colleagues keep pushing for substantial cuts, and the House will begin to hash out its differences in negotiations this week.
    My colleagues have cited the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal, which has been pushing that line for months, including in a recent editorial that inveighed against my opposition to Medicaid benefit cuts. But following The Journal’s prescriptions would represent the end of any chance of us becoming a working-class party.
    Republicans need to open their eyes: Our voters support social insurance programs. More than that, our voters depend on those programs. And there’s a reason for this that Republicans would do well to ponder. Our economy is increasingly unfriendly to working people and their families.
    For the better part of 50 years, working wages have been flat in real terms. Working people cannot afford to get married when they want to, have the number of children they want to or raise those children as they would like. These days, they can barely afford to put a roof over their kids’ heads, to say nothing of health care.
    Both Democrats and Republicans share the blame for this state of affairs, which is one big reason Mr. Trump got elected. He promised to shake up the status quo. Republicans in Congress should pay attention. Our voters not only want us to protect the social insurance they need to get by; they also want us to fight for a better life — for a better economy with the kinds of jobs and wages that allow working people to get married and start families, to buy homes and have a stake in their towns and neighborhoods.
    That’s the promise of American life. If Republicans want to be a working-class party — if we want to be a majority party — we must ignore calls to cut Medicaid and start delivering on America’s promise for America’s working people.
    Read Senator Hawley’s full op-ed here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Statement in Support of Reining in Prescription Drug Prices

    US Senate News:

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

    Monday, May 12, 2025

    Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) released the following statement in support of President Trump’s executive order to lower prescription drug prices. Last week, Senator Hawley introduced the bipartisan Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act, which would offer relief for millions of patients while ensuring Americans are no longer financing lower drug costs for foreigners.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Hawley Leads Missouri Delegation in Supporting Governor’s Request for Disaster Relief

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)
    U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) led members of the Missouri congressional delegation — including Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and U.S. House Members Ann Wagner, Robert Onder, Mark Alford, Jason Smith, Sam Graves, and Eric Burlison — in support of Governor Mike Kehoe’s request for President Donald Trump to issue a disaster declaration following devastating storms that hit the southern part of the state March 30 to April 8. These storms left over 50,000 Missourians without power in Springfield alone. “This declaration is critical to ensuring Missouri communities receive the immediate resources, technical assistance, and long-term recovery support they need to repair vital infrastructure, assist displaced families, and rebuild communities in the aftermath of these devastating storm,” the Missouri lawmakers wrote.   “We respectfully request your swift action to ensure that these communities receive the necessary support to respond to the disaster,” they continued.  Senator Hawley has also joined his Missouri colleagues in supporting Governor Kehoe’s request for a disaster declaration following the devastating tornadoes in eastern Missouri earlier this year.  Read the full letter here or below. 
    May 9, 2025 The Honorable Donald J. TrumpPresident of the United StatesThe White House1600 Pennsylvania AvenueWashington, DC 20500 Dear President Trump,  We write in support of Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe’s request to approve a major presidential disaster declaration, as authorized by the Stafford Act, for public assistance in 25 of Missouri’s 114 counties, individual assistance in 20 Missouri counties, and hazard mitigation statewide. This declaration is critical to ensuring Missouri communities receive the immediate resources, technical assistance, and long-term recovery support they need to repair vital infrastructure, assist displaced families, and rebuild communities in the aftermath of these devastating storms. On April 30, 2025, Governor Kehoe requested a major disaster declaration following widespread damage caused by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that impacted Missouri from March 30 to April 8. The storms resulted in at least six confirmed deaths. Recovery efforts are ongoing, with many communities still focused on rebuilding infrastructure and restoring normalcy. Federal assistance is crucial to support these efforts. A major presidential disaster declaration would allow qualified individuals and families, local governments, and qualified nonprofits to seek federal assistance for reimbursement of emergency response and recovery costs. Importantly, this declaration would help ensure that Missourians have access to the critical assistance needed to begin rebuilding after these devastating storms. We respectfully request your swift action to ensure that these communities receive the necessary support to respond to the disaster. Along with our fellow Missourians, we appreciate your immediate attention to this request and stand ready to assist.                                               Sincerely, Josh HawleyUnited States Senator
    Eric SchmittUnited States Senator
    Ann WagnerMember of Congress
    Robert OnderMember of Congress
    Jason SmithMember of Congress
    Mark AlfordMember of Congress
    Sam GravesMember of Congress
    Eric BurlisonMember of Congress

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Booker, Nadler Press Pepsi on Potentially Illegal Price Discrimination Against Small, Independently-Owned Grocery Stores

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    May 12, 2025
    “Charging discriminatory, high prices to smaller, independent retailers harms those retailers’ ability to compete, and often forces consumers to endure unfair price increases.”
    “American families across the country continue to struggle to afford groceries, and enforcement of the [Robinson-Patman Act] is part of the solution to help promote competition throughout the food supply chain and ease their financial burden.”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), along with Representative Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) wrote to Ramon Laguarta, CEO of PepsiCo, Inc. (Pepsi) demanding an explanation for the company’s potentially illegal price discrimination against small and independent grocery stores. The lawmakers are the top Democrats on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, and House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrate State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust, respectively. 
    Representatives Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Andre Carson (D-Ind.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Nikema Williams (D-Ga.) joined in signing the letter. 
    In recent months, Pepsi has faced legal action from convenience stores and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a regulator charged with enforcing federal consumer protection laws and antitrust laws. In January 2025, the FTC sued Pepsi, accusing it of violating the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA), which prohibits sellers from engaging in anticompetitive price discrimination. The FTC claimed that for years, Pepsi has disadvantaged retailers – including local convenience stores – by consistently giving benefits and advantages, such as promotional payments, to a big-box store, while denying those same benefits to the store’s competitors.
    In February 2025, two small, family-owned convenience stores accused Pepsi and its subsidiary Frito-Lay of violating the RPA, claiming the corporation charged independent retailers more “for identical bags of snack chips” compared to what it charged chain stores. The plaintiffs claimed they were charged as much as 50 percent more for those goods, and that the “discriminatory pricing” forced them to pass on the higher costs to consumers. 
    “The Robinson-Patman Act is an important tool for the FTC to combat illegal price discrimination and concentration, and to provide a level playing field to all businesses…Charging discriminatory, high prices to smaller, independent retailers harms those retailers’ ability to compete, and often forces consumers to endure unfair price increases,” wrote the lawmakers. 
    The RPA forbids sellers from charging competing buyers different prices for the same goods when the price discrimination may lessen or harm competition. The law also prohibits special promotional payments, discounts, rebates, allowances, or services to one buyer unless they are made available to all competing buyers.
    “As food prices remain sky-high, the FTC should continue to enforce the RPA to promote fair competition in the food industry,” urged the lawmakers. 
    The bicameral coalition asked Pepsi to explain, by May 25, 2025, its pricing strategies, any discrepancies between what it charges chain retailers and small, independent retailers, how these price discrepancies affect shopping options for consumers, and the company’s lobbying efforts to refute price discrimination allegations.  
    As a champion for American consumers and a secure and healthy economy, Senator Warren has engaged in oversight of corporations for unfairly increasing prices for consumers. She has also been calling for more competition and stronger enforcement of antitrust laws to bring down prices for families: 
    In May 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) applauded the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into potential anticompetitive practices by major egg producers and urged the agency to continue its thorough investigation as egg prices continue to rise.
    In January 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) led 19 of their colleagues, writing to President Donald Trump, pushing him to take meaningful steps to lower the prices of eggs and other groceries—a problem he largely ignored during his entire first week in office.
    In November 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) led their colleagues in writing to Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, Lina Khan, and Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Thomas Vilsack, urging them to investigate Albertsons and other major grocery chains for predatory practices that could have violated federal laws.
    In October 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren led a letter to President and Chief Executive Officer of McDonald’s, Chris Kempczinski, pushing for more information on McDonald’s pricing decisions as fast food prices continue to increase, outpacing inflation and squeezing customers.
    In October 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, along with Representatives Jim McGovern and Ayanna Pressley, sent a letter to Frans Muller, CEO of Ahold Delhaize—parent company of Stop & Shop—demanding an explanation for its potential use of pricing algorithms is leading to price gouging, resulting in higher prices in minority and working class communities in Massachusetts.
    On May 3, 2024, during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs, Senator Warren called out food industry price gouging and urged action to combat unfair pricing practices.
    On March 28, 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Penn.) led a group of 14 lawmakers in a letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan urging the agency to revive enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA), a critical tool to promote fair competition in the food industry. 
    On February 28, 2024, Senator Warren joined Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) in introducing the Shrinkflation Prevention Act to crack down on corporations that deceive consumers by selling smaller sizes of their products without lowering prices.
    On February 15, 2024, Senators Warren, Baldwin, Casey, and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) reintroduced the Price Gouging Prevention Act of 2024, which would protect consumers and prohibit corporate price gouging by authorizing the FTC and state attorneys general to enforce a federal ban against grossly excessive price increases.
    In December 2023, Senator Warren urged the FTC to block the Kroger-Albertsons merger, which would give the five largest food retail companies control of 55 percent of all grocery sales, allowing them to further control and ultimately raise consumer prices, while also reducing job competition, decreasing wages, and decreasing the bargaining power of organized labor.
    In November 2023, Senator Warren called out TransDigm for its refusal to provide cost and pricing information needed to prevent price gouging of taxpayers and the Department of Defense.
    Senator Warren repeatedly urged the Biden administration to closely scrutinize other potentially anticompetitive mergers that could lead to higher prices for consumers and accelerate industry consolidation. She has led letters about the proposed mergers of Frontier and Spirit airlines, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines, Sanderson-Wayne, WarnerMedia-Discovery, and Amazon-MGM.
    In March 2022, Senator Warren introduced the Prohibiting Anticompetitive Mergers Act to help stomp out rampant industry consolidation that allows companies to raise consumer prices and mistreat workers. The bill would ban the biggest, most anticompetitive mergers and give the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission the teeth to reject deals in the first instance without court orders and to break up harmful mergers.
    In February 2022, at a hearing, Senator Warren called out corporations for abusing their market power to raise consumer prices and boost profits.
    That same month, Senator Warren requested the Department of Justice to take aggressive action against corporations violating antitrust laws to hike prices for consumers.
    In January 2022, Senator Warren questioned Federal Reserve nominee Lael Brainard about market concentration and price gouging driving inflation.
    At a January 2022 hearing, Senator Warren pressed Fed Chair Jerome Powell on the role of corporate concentration in driving up prices for consumers during his renomination hearing to be Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
    In a New York Times op-ed published in April 2020, Senator Warren urged Congress to focus on cracking down on price gouging in its ongoing effort to address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
    In March 2020, Senator Warren joined her colleagues in urging the FTC to use its full authority to prevent abusive price gouging on consumer health products during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: “A Common Sense Budget Reconciliation Bill”

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie makes the case in The Wall Street Journal for President Donald J. Trump’s top legislative priorities in the One Big, Beautiful Bill — slashing waste, strengthening Medicaid, and giving Americans a massive tax cut, to name a few.
    Rep. Guthrie writes:“When President Trump took the podium for his Second Inaugural Address, he promised a ‘revolution of common sense’ that would launch a generation of growth, health and prosperity. Today, our country faces numerous threats to that goal. Medicaid waste and abuse threatens the well-being of America’s most vulnerable as the looming expiration of important 2017 tax reforms throws a shadow over U.S. industry. Republicans’ best chance to secure the president’s inaugural promise is this year’s reconciliation bill.”Read the full op-ed here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Coons, Schatz, Murphy, Booker Joint Statement on Qatar Luxury Jet Gift to Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following joint statement on reports that President Trump will accept a luxury jet valued at $400 million from the royal family 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 Constitution is clear: elected officials, like the president, cannot accept large gifts from foreign governments without consent from Congress.

    “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. No one — not even the president — is above the law.

    “This week, we will ask the Senate to vote to reiterate a basic principle: no one should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Visits Louisiana Tech Design and Research Conference, Meets with University Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    MONROE – On Monday, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) visited the 2025 Design and Research Conference at Louisiana Tech University, which featured senior presentations from students in their College of Engineering and Science. During the conference, students made presentations featuring innovations that could help in the fields of computing, energy, medicine and transportation, among others.
    “There is so much innovation taking place on Louisiana Tech’s campus,” said Dr. Cassidy. “The students, and also Tech graduates who have stayed near the campus, are using their education to create products marketed around the world. This is impressive.”
    Cassidy is a strong supporter of Louisiana Tech University. In January, Cassidy announced that the National Science Foundation would award the Louisiana Board of Regents $8 million to expand STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) research and development, generate more scholarships and fellowships, and enhance collaboration for Louisiana’s students. Louisiana Tech is a partner in this initiative, and Cassidy wrote a letter of support for the grant.
    Additionally, Cassidy secured $7 million across Fiscal Years 2024 and 2023 specifically for Louisiana Tech to empower North Louisiana research support for domestic semiconductor technology and workforce development. He also took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Monroe Street Corridor Project last October, which will improve roads and create more space for runners and cyclists in Ruston, including at Louisiana Tech.
    While at Louisiana Tech, Cassidy also met with members of the University’s executive team, to discuss the University’s robust research portfolio and private partnerships that are benefiting the region, state and nation. In a statement, he was thanked for coming to Louisiana Tech by Mr. Jim Henderson, president of the University.
    “We appreciate Senator Cassidy taking time to visit Louisiana Tech to hear about our vision and interact with students and faculty,” said Mr. Jim Henderson. “The Senator has been a consistent supporter of Louisiana Tech and the entire higher ed enterprise. This opportunity to share our research vision, including our work in advancing the timber industry through our new Forest Products Innovation Center and our leading-edge research in traumatic brain injury, is important to showcase our faculty’s commitment to addressing enduring and emerging challenges.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Coons, Murphy, Booker Joint Statement On Qatar Luxury Jet Gift To Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following joint statement on reports that President Trump will accept a luxury jet valued at $400 million from the royal family 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 Constitution is clear: elected officials, like the president, cannot accept large gifts from foreign governments without consent from Congress.
    “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. No one — not even the president — is above the law.
    “This week, we will ask the Senate to vote to reiterate a basic principle: no one should use public service for personal gain through foreign gifts.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Statement on Trump’s Executive Order on Prescription Drugs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, May 12 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today released the following statement regarding President Trump’s executive order from this morning, which claims it will slash drug costs by tying the prices of some medicine in the U.S. to the significantly lower ones abroad:

    I agree with President Trump: It is an outrage that the American people pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. It is beyond unacceptable that we pay, in some cases, ten times more for the same exact prescription drugs than people in other major countries. But let’s be clear: The problem is not that the price of prescription drugs is too low in Europe and Canada. The problem is that the extraordinarily greedy pharmaceutical industry made over $100 billion in profits last year by ripping off the American people.

    Further, as Trump well knows, his executive order will be thrown out by the courts. If Trump is serious about making real change rather than just issuing a press release, he will support legislation I will soon be introducing to make sure we pay no more for prescription drugs than people in other major countries. If Republicans and Democrats come together on this legislation, we can get it passed in a few weeks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Purpose.  The United States has less than five percent of the world’s population and yet funds around three quarters of global pharmaceutical profits.  This egregious imbalance is orchestrated through a purposeful scheme in which drug manufacturers deeply discount their products to access foreign markets, and subsidize that decrease through enormously high prices in the United States.The United States has for too long turned its back on Americans, who unwittingly sponsor both drug manufacturers and other countries.  These entities today rely on price markups on American consumers, generous public subsidies for research and development primarily through the National Institutes of Health, and robust public financing of prescription drug consumption through Federal and State healthcare programs.  Drug manufacturers, rather than seeking to equalize evident price discrimination, agree to other countries’ demands for low prices, and simultaneously fight against the ability for public and private payers in the United States to negotiate the best prices for patients.  The inflated prices in the United States fuel global innovation while foreign health systems get a free ride.This abuse of Americans’ generosity, who deserve low-cost pharmaceuticals on the same terms as other developed nations, must end.  Americans will no longer be forced to pay almost three times more for the exact same medicines, often made in the exact same factories.  As the largest purchaser of pharmaceuticals, Americans should get the best deal.
    Sec. 2.  Policy.  Americans should not be forced to subsidize low-cost prescription drugs and biologics in other developed countries, and face overcharges for the same products in the United States.  Americans must therefore have access to the most-favored-nation price for these products. My Administration will take immediate steps to end global freeloading and, should drug manufacturers fail to offer American consumers the most-favored-nation lowest price, my Administration will take additional aggressive action.
    Sec. 3.  Addressing Foreign Nations Freeloading on American-Financed Innovation.  The Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative shall take all necessary and appropriate action to ensure foreign countries are not engaged in any act, policy, or practice that may be unreasonable or discriminatory or that may impair United States national security and that has the effect of forcing American patients to pay for a disproportionate amount of global pharmaceutical research and development, including by suppressing the price of pharmaceutical products below fair market value in foreign countries.
    Sec. 4.  Enabling Direct-to-Consumer Sales to American Patients at the Most-Favored-Nation Price.  To the extent consistent with law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) shall facilitate direct-to-consumer purchasing programs for pharmaceutical manufacturers that sell their products to American patients at the most-favored-nation price.
    Sec. 5.  Establishing Most-Favored-Nation Pricing.  (a)  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and other relevant executive department and agency (agency) officials, communicate most-favored-nation price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring prices for American patients in line with comparably developed nations.(b)  If, following the action described in subsection (a) of this section, significant progress towards most-favored-nation pricing for American patients is not delivered, to the extent consistent with law:(i)    the Secretary shall propose a rulemaking plan to impose most-favored-nation pricing; (ii)   the Secretary shall consider certification to the Congress that importation under section 804(j) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) will pose no additional risk to the public’s health and safety and result in a significant reduction in the cost of prescription drugs to the American consumer; and if the Secretary so certifies, then the Commissioner of Food and Drugs shall take action under section 804(j)(2)(B) of the FDCA to describe circumstances under which waivers will be consistently granted to import prescription drugs on a case-by-case basis from developed nations with low-cost prescription drugs;  (iii)  following the report issued under section 13 of Executive Order 14273 of April 15, 2025 (Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First), the Attorney General and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission shall, to the extent consistent with law, undertake enforcement action against any anti-competitive practices identified within such report, including through use of sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act and section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, as appropriate;(iv)   the Secretary of Commerce, and the heads of other relevant agencies as necessary, shall review and consider all necessary action regarding the export of pharmaceutical drugs or precursor material that may be fueling the global price discrimination;(v)    the Commissioner of Food and Drugs shall review and potentially modify or revoke approvals granted for drugs, for those drugs that maybe be unsafe, ineffective, or improperly marketed; and(vi)   the heads of agencies shall take all action available, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, to address global freeloading and price discrimination against American patients.
    Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or(ii.) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.(d)  The Department of Health and Human Services shall provide funding for publication of this order in the Federal Register. 
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    May 12, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ART OF THE DEAL: U.S., China Ink Initial Trade Deal

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
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    President Donald J. Trump and his administration have secured another good deal for the American people — an initial trade deal with China that reduces tariffs, ends retaliation, and sets Americans on the path for truly free, fair trade.
    It’s the second significant trade breakthrough of the past week following President Trump’s landmark trade deal with the United Kingdom — and comes as President Trump enacts his transformational vision for liberating Americans from the unfair trade practices that have gripped workers and businesses for decades.
    At a press conference in Geneva, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer laid out the details of the initial agreement:
    Secretary Bessent: “We have reached an agreement on a 90-day pause and substantially moved down the tariff levels — both sides, on the reciprocal tariffs, will move their tariffs down 115%.”
    Ambassador Greer: “Both the Chinese and the United States agreed to work constructively together on fentanyl and there’s a positive path forward there, as well.”
    Secretary Bessent: “The upside surprise for me from this weekend was the level of Chinese engagement on the fentanyl crisis in the United States. They brought the Deputy Minister for Public Safety … and he had a very robust and highly detailed discussion.”
    Ambassador Greer: “We are going to have our economy continue taking off as we put structure around these negotiations and get global trade into a better place.”
    Secretary Bessent then made the rounds on television to inform the American people of the landmark deal:
    On negotiations: “It was always respectful. We had the two largest economies in the world. We were firm — and we moved forward … We came with a list of problems that we were trying to solve and I think we did a good job on that.”
    On stopping precursors of fentanyl from China: “This is a priority for President Trump and, indeed, the whole administration … Hundreds of thousands of Americans die every year and I think that we saw here in Geneva that the Chinese are now serious about assisting the U.S. in stopping the flow of precursor drugs.”
    On non-tariff barriers: “We’ve had free trade, and as you said, that has not worked for the American people. There’s something called the ‘China shock,’ which has gutted our manufacturing sector … They subsidize labor, they subsidize capital goods, and they have exported that to us and to the rest of the world. We have put up tariffs to push back on that, so it will be a matter of what is the equilibrium level on tariffs and also getting China to open their markets for American companies.”
    On supply chains: “Bringing back our important strategic industries can be a result of tariffs, but it’s also a result of national will — so this administration is running full speed to make sure that what we saw during COVID never happens again.”
    On past agreements: “In January 2020, President Trump produced a template — we had an excellent trade agreement with China, and the Biden Administration chose not to enforce it. The Chinese delegation basically told us that once President Biden came into office, they just ignored their obligations.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Slams Trump Plan to Shutter Agency that Addresses Opioid Epidemic and Provides Mental Health Support

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and her colleagues are condemning the Trump Administration’s proposed dissolution of a core agency responsible for addressing the opioid crisis and providing mental health support to Wisconsin families. Under President Trump’s restructuring plan and the White House Office of Management and Budget’s budget proposal, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will be shut down. The Senators expressed deep concerns about the consequences of dismantling SAMHSA, outlined the impacts on the worsening behavioral and mental health crisis, and detailed why the proposal is unlawful.

    “At a time when America is in a dual mental health and substance use crisis, a time when youth suicide is at all-time highs, a time when synthetic opioids are destroying communities and taking lives, this proposed destruction of SAMHSA will harm the American people,” wrote Baldwin and the Senators. “This proposed reorganization and your proposed cuts of over $1 billion to mental health and substance use programs threaten the lives of millions of Americans and appear to violate federal law.”

    According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 50 million Americans aged 12 and older battled a substance use disorder and 58.7 million Americans aged 18 and older experienced a mental illness in 2023. The programs administered by SAMHSA are essential to addressing this national crisis. The Trump Administration’s actions harm the operations of crucial programs, including roughly $7 billion in grant distribution, access to early intervention for mental health care, and support services for crisis care, many of which are statutorily required.

    “SAMHSA, its functions, its role, and many of its positions are clearly outlined and required by federal law. Firing most of SAMHSA’s staff and breaking up SAMHSA appear to violate these statutory requirements,” continued Baldwin and the Senators. “Downsizing SAMHSA into a new ‘division’, dismantling its functions, and firing over half its workforce puts at risk the lives of the 58.7 million Americans who experience a mental health condition and 48.5 million of those who are impacted by a substance use disorder.”

    The Senators emphasized the importance of SAMHSA’s essential work in administering programs including State Opioid Response grants, the National Survey of Drug Use and Health for crucial behavioral health data collection, the Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program for funding community-based care, and FindTreatment.gov for connecting people to mental health care resources, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

    Furthermore, the Senators stressed that Congress has passed multiple bills creating and expanding SAMHSA’s behavioral and mental health services, and that eliminating SAMHSA would violate the law. The bipartisan Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration Reorganization Act (ADAMHA), signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1992, established SAMHSA and included requirements for various grant programs and roles that the Trump Administration has proposed eliminating. The ADAMHA Reorganization Act codified additional positions and transferred numerous authorities to SAMHSA.

    Moreover, the 21st Century Cures Act established the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee through 2027, which the Trump Administration terminated, and codified SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality to administer the annual National Survey of Drug Use and Health, but the team responsible for the survey was reportedly eliminated in the mass layoffs.

    The Senators concluded by demanding answers on the Trump Administration’s plans for the continuity of SAMHSA’s statutorily required roles and programs and the impacts of HHS’ restructuring.

    “We demand that HHS not unlawfully dismantle SAMHSA, which would only serve to further exacerbate a growing mental health and substance use disorder crisis,” concluded Baldwin and the Senators.

    The full letter is available here and below.

    Dear Secretary Kennedy,

    We write in strong opposition to the proposed dissolution of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) outlined in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) fact sheet on March 27, 2025, and by the proposal from the White House Office of Management and Budget. At a time when America is in a dual mental health and substance use crisis, a time when youth suicide is at all-time highs, a time when synthetic opioids are destroying communities and taking lives, this proposed destruction of SAMHSA will harm the American people. This proposed reorganization and your proposed cuts of over $1 billion to mental health and substance use programs threaten the lives of millions of Americans and appear to violate federal law, including the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration (ADAMHA) Reorganization Act and the 21st Century Cures Act.

    President George H.W. Bush signed the bipartisan ADAMHA Reorganization Act into law in 1992. This law formed SAMHSA, a new agency to be the nation’s lead on community-based mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services. In addition to creating a variety of grant programs to be administered by SAMHSA, the ADAMHA Reorganization Act created the role of the Assistant Secretary, transferred numerous authorities to SAMHSA, and created Centers and Center Director and Associate Administrator positions. Therefore, SAMHSA, its functions, its role, and many of its positions are clearly outlined and required by federal law. Firing most of SAMHSA’s staff and breaking up SAMHSA appear to violate these statutory requirements.

    SAMHSA leads the government’s efforts to promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and advance the behavioral health of people across this country. SAMHSA’s programs provide a model for behavioral health care. Downsizing SAMHSA into a new “division”, dismantling its functions, and firing over half its workforce puts at risk the lives of the 58.7 million Americans who experience a mental health condition and 48.5 million of those who are impacted by a substance use disorder.

    The White House Office of Management and Budget HHS Budget Proposal eliminates SAMHSA and creates a new “Mental Health Division”, demotes substance use from its focus, and guts budgets focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery. Amid a dual crisis, this undoes the bipartisan work that Congress and past Administrations have worked to improve. And the federal investments, the expansion of SAMHSA’s work through grant programs and expertise, have worked – for the first time in years, the U.S. has seen a decline in opioid overdose deaths. As the mental health crisis grows, as new synthetic opioids continue to surge, restructuring the agency stands to reverse this historic decline. Now is not the time to change course and risk American lives.

    Congress has passed numerous bills expanding SAMHSA services to reach more Americans. In 2014, the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) was signed into law, creating the Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Program, which funds community-based programs for adults with serious mental illness. This program allows individuals to stay in their community and their homes while also receiving “medically prescribed mental health treatment.” For example, using SAMHSA funds, an AOT program in Montana is working to reduce homelessness and incarceration while improving health and social outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness. Because HHS is dissolving SAMHSA and firing its staff, Montana is in jeopardy of losing the ability to provide their patients with up-to-date, evidence-based services, a key SAMHSA function. Any interruption to the effective delivery of these programs has detrimental consequences.

    In 2016, Congress again prioritized SAMHSA and expanded its services and programming by passing the 21st Century Cures Act. This bill codified SAMHSA’s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ), requiring CBHSQ to perform several functions. One of these requirements was to publish an annual report on mental health and substance use disorder , also known as the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). NSDUH is the only source of behavioral health data for people 12 and older in the U.S. and is a critical tool to combat these dual crises. Without this data, states would not be able to implement State Opioid Response grants with fidelity.

    The State Opioid Response (SOR) grant was created to address the overdose crisis, which is now driven by illicit fentanyl, and is meant to help states provide a continuum of care, including prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services. Funding to support states in combating this epidemic is critical, especially as the crisis is exacerbated by other synthetic opioids. States use SOR funding to purchase and distribute naloxone, test strips, buprenorphine, and much more. SOR is proven to be effective – in 2023, the percentage of people who did not use substances increased by 29.7 percent. SOR funding and NSDUH data give states the ability to purchase these medications, implement these programs, and track outcomes. Reports suggest the entire team running NSDUH was fired on April 1, 2025. Without NSDUH data, states will have inaccurate information on how opioids are affecting their communities, which will result in a lack of resources, incomplete strategies, and an increase in deaths.

    In addition to data collection, CBHSQ is responsible for operating FindTreatment.gov, a critical tool where individuals can find treatment for mental health and substance use disorder care. Launched in 2019 under the first Trump Administration, FindTreatment.gov provides individuals with resources in their communities and connects those in crisis with helplines, including the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Without adequate staffing of FindTreatment.gov, people across this country are left stranded, not knowing where to turn to find treatment and services. The mass terminations at SAMHSA’s CBHSQ and HHS’s announced reorganization make unclear who is operating and overseeing this program that President Trump proudly launched. It is unclear how HHS can now live up to its claim of continuing “to support people who seek substance use treatment on their journey to recovery.”

    The 21st Century Cures Act not only expanded data collection but also improved interdepartmental coordination, something that you claim to prioritize. This bill established the first ever Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) to better direct mental health services for adults and children with a serious mental illness. ISMICC is tasked with evaluating the effects of federal programs, including programs for suicide prevention and overdose reduction, so they can provide “recommendations for actions that agencies can take to better coordinate the administration of mental health services.” By law, ISMICC must be operating to achieve these goals through at least September 30, 2027. However, HHS terminated ISMICC on April 9, 2025. By dismissing ISMICC, HHS is actively putting people in crisis at risk and violating a statutory requirement to protect the American people.

    We demand that HHS not unlawfully dismantle SAMHSA, which would only serve to further exacerbate a growing mental health and substance use disorder crisis. To better understand HHS’s plans and statutory compliance, we request responses to the following questions by May 16, 2025.

    1. Per the 21st Century Cures Act, SAMHSA is required to have an Assistant Secretary, a Chief Medical Officer, and a Director, with specific qualifications, at each of its four mandated Centers – the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, the Center for Mental Health Services, and CBHSQ.
      1. Who is currently serving in these roles, and what are their qualifications?
      1. Have any of the people in these roles been subject to the reduction in force that occurred on April 1, 2025? If so, please explain why these legally mandated positions were part of the reduction.
      1. What is HHS’s plan to maintain these positions and centers under the restructuring at HHS?
    1. SAMHSA is required to have Associate Administrators for Alcohol Prevention and Treatment Policy and Women’s Services.
      1. Who is currently serving in these roles, and what are their qualifications?
      1. Have any of the people in these roles been subject to the reduction in force that occurred on April 1, 2025? If so, please explain why these legally mandated positions were part of the reduction.
      1. What is HHS’s plan to maintain these positions under the restructuring at HHS?
    1. SAMHSA is required to have a National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory to coordinate policy changes, review programs, identify duplication, and more.
      1. Please provide a list of all employees in SAMHSA’s Policy Laboratory as of January 19, 2025, and as of April 15, 2025, including job title and General Schedule rank. Please indicate which staff were part of the reduction in force that occurred on April 1, 2025.
      1. How did HHS determine that the proposed restructuring will not prevent fulfilling these statutory duties?
    1. Which Centers and Branches are overseeing each of SAMHSA’s grant programs, including AOT? Please provide the number of employees currently employed for each Center and Branch, and the number of grants each employee is required to supervise.
    1. Who is overseeing each of CBHSQ’s data collection and roles, including NSDUH and FindTreatment.gov? Please provide a list of staff working on each service and provide their qualifications.
    1. Is NSDUH data still being collected through its contract with RTI International?
      1. Does HHS plan to continue its contract with RTI International and ensure all payments are received promptly?
      1. Has there been any break in data collection since January 20, 2025? If so, why, and what did HHS do to restore any missing information?
    1. Why did HHS terminate statutorily-required ISMICC?
      1. When will ISMICC be restored?
    1. What is HHS’s long-term plan with SAMHSA under the restructuring? Please explain how HHS plans to remain in compliance with all relevant statutes under this restructure.
    1. Explain how your decision to dissolve SAMHSA into a “division” will increase efficacy and improve mental health and substance use disorder outcomes for Americans.

    Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Wyden, Murray and Booker Lead Colleagues in Demanding Answers About Firings of Congressionally-Mandated CDC IVF Team Duckworth, Wyden, Murray and Booker Lead Colleagues in Demanding Answers About Firings of Congressionally-Mandated CDC IVF Team

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    May 08, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) today demanded answers from Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for eliminating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) team responsible for making sure people who are trying to become parents have the information they need to thoughtfully and safely grow their families—despite Donald Trump’s broken promise to support families seeking IVF treatments.

    “Because IVF is a complicated and expensive process, the American people deserve access to the best information possible to inform their family building journey. Unfortunately, hollowing out National Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Surveillance System capabilities and capacity is consistent with Donald Trump’s deceitful and disingenuous rhetoric on IVF,” the Senators wrote in a letter to HHS Secretary Kennedy. “Your actions threaten hopeful parents and families’ ability to access high-quality, safe, and effective fertility care. The American people deserve assurances that their rights under the [Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992] will continue to be guaranteed, as Congress intended.”

    The Assisted Reproductive Technology Surveillance and Research team (ARTS) was established following a 1992 Wyden law passed by Congress aimed at guaranteeing consumer protections for people seeking to grow their family through IVF and other assisted reproductive technology. The fired team of six deeply qualified scientists and public health practitioners were responsible for carrying out the CDC’s mandated responsibilities under the Wyden law, including conducting IVF clinic data analysis related to success rates and important clinic oversight through yearly audits and site visits and the monitoring of lab certification status.

    ARTS served as a critical source of unbiased information for patients seeking fertility treatment, collecting and maintaining data on approximately 98 percent of all IVF and assisted reproductive technology cycles performed in the United States.

    In addition to Duckworth, Wyden, Murray and Booker, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-DO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

    Full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Statement on DOT Secretary Duffy’s Plan to Modernize Our Aging Air Traffic Control System

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    May 08, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Ranking Member of the CST Aviation Subcommittee—issued the following statement after Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy announced his new plan to modernize our nation’s air traffic control system:

    “For years, I’ve sounded the alarm that we must modernize our air traffic control system in order to safeguard the flying public. After the deadly DCA crash, multiple near-misses and a terrifying equipment failure impacting Newark, it is encouraging that Secretary Duffy and the Trump Administration recognize how urgent this matter is and are calling for new funding to upgrade our nation’s aging air traffic control technology and facilities.

    “While this may be a positive development, we shouldn’t forget that these are the same officials who just months ago indiscriminately fired hundreds of FAA workers who helped keep our civilian aviation system safe. If America wants to remain the gold standard in aviation safety, we need smart investments—not canceled investments and funding cuts. I look forward to reviewing the details of the Trump Administration’s plan with my colleagues on the Commerce committee so we can ensure our air traffic controllers have the support and equipment they need to keep passengers and crew safe.”

    For years, Duckworth has been sounding the alarm that we must make these critical aviation safety investments immediately to prevent all-too-often near-misses from becoming catastrophic tragedies. Last Congress, Duckworth chaired two CST Aviation Subcommittee hearings—one last December and the other a year prior—to address our aviation industry’s chilling surge in near-deadly close calls and underscore the urgent need to improve air traffic control systems to protect the flying public.

    Last year, Duckworth helped author the landmark bipartisan FAA reauthorization that was signed into law to extend the FAA’s funding and authorities through Fiscal Year 2028. The reauthorization included several of her provisions to improve consumer safety, expand the aviation workforce and enhance protections for travelers with disabilities.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Presses Under Secretary of the Army Nominee about Army Restructuring Plans and Effects on Rock Island Arsenal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    May 09, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) this week pressed Michael Obadal, nominee for Under Secretary of the Army about Army transformation plans, securing a commitment from Mr. Obadal that—if confirmed—he would work with her on any changes, especially those that could affect critical jobs and operations across our sustainment and supply enterprise, including those at Rock Island Arsenal. Video of Duckworth’s remarks can be found on her YouTube.

    “It’s no secret that I am deeply committed to the Army and its future. I support Army modernization, but we must balance modernization with readiness today,” Duckworth said.

    During her questioning, Duckworth highlighted her specific concerns regarding cuts in Army transformation that could potentially impact vital logistics, sustainment and medical evacuation enterprises as well as equipment manufacturing operations supported by RIA.

    “I am concerned about the impacts of some proposed cuts to the Joint Force’s sustainment and supply enterprise,” Duckworth said. “I worry how the proposed ‘integration’ of Joint Munitions Command and Army Sustainment Command may impact their two critical mission sets, impacting our ability to manage the complex ecosystem required to deliver munitions to warfighters both for the Army and the Joint Force. Also, as the Army considers replacing the ‘Humvee’, I urge the Army to consider impacts to medical evacuation capabilities since the ‘Humvee’ serves as the Army’s ambulances.”

    Following Duckworth’s questioning, Mr. Obadal said that, if confirmed, he looked forward to working together on these issues. 

    Duckworth has been a fierce advocate working to protect and boost manufacturing at the Arsenal. In March, Duckworth joined U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17), along with U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA), in introducing the bipartisan Arsenal Workload Sustainment Act to boost workload at U.S. Army arsenals, including Rock Island Arsenal. The bill would incentivize private industry to partner with arsenals by giving preference to public-private partnerships in Army contracting. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of Mother’s Day, Duckworth Discusses Ways to Support Moms and Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    May 09, 2025

    Duckworth also celebrated the opening of Mothers’ Milk Bank’s new facility for which she personally secured $850,000 in federal funding

    [ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with Illinois moms and local leaders to highlight the ways our country can better support moms and families. Ahead of Mother’s Day this weekend, Duckworth—a mom of two daughters herself—met with donor and recipient moms who benefitted from the work of Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes, a nonprofit milk bank dedicated to providing safe, pasteurized donor human milk to premature and critically ill babies throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. Photos of today’s event are available on the Senator’s website.

    “Our communities—and our local economies—thrive when we invest in our families, and Mothers’ Milk Bank is a prime example of the positive impacts federal investment can have—especially compared to the damage caused by Trump and Musk’s ruthless efforts to gut federal funding and programs that support nearly every aspect of our lives,” Duckworth said. “Mothers’ Milk Bank plays an important role in the journey of many moms across the Midwest, and it’s one of the many pillars of support in the sometimes scary, often overwhelming moments of becoming a new mother.

    Duckworth continued, “Because that’s what supporting new families looks like—not a one-time $5,000 ‘baby bonus.’ That’s how out of touch the Trump Administration is, they think five grand, just once, is enough to support moms. As moms, we know what we actually need is affordable child care. It’s paid family leave. It’s maternal health research. It’s baby gear that’s not 145 percent more expensive thanks to tariffs. It’s access to reproductive care. It’s lower grocery costs.”

    Duckworth secured $850,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) for Mothers’ Milk Bank’s new facility, which celebrated its grand opening today. The new 15,000 square-foot facility houses a large walk-in freezer, two production labs, a research lab and Poppy’s Dream Bereavement Memorial–a special place to honor the babies of families who donate milk after loss. The project was funded by Duckworth’s FY2024 CDS request, an Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) grant sponsored by Illinois State Senator Laura Murphy (IL-SD-28), as well as grants from Illinois Arts Council and donor support.

    Duckworth was joined at today’s event by Mothers’ Milk Bank WGL Executive Director Summer Kelly, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Assistant Director Cameron Joost and Mothers’ Milk Bank donor and recipient moms and children.

    “The grand opening of Mothers’ Milk Bank of Western Great Lakes is a prime example of the importance of collaboration and prioritizing good public policy,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “This new state-of-the-art facility will have a positive and lasting impact on families throughout the state, ensuring Illinois continues to be the best place for families to live, work, and thrive.”

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  • MIL-OSI USA: As Trump and DOGE Destroy AmeriCorps, Duckworth Meets with Illinois Members to Discuss Impact on Local Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    May 09, 2025

    [CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today met with members of Illinois AmeriCorps to discuss the impact of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) reckless cuts, which ripped away at least $12 million from 26 of the state’s 33 grantees. Duckworth also spoke about how these cuts reduce or even eliminate so many of the essential services AmeriCorps members perform in communities around the state, including caring for Veterans, tutoring in schools and supporting efforts to curb the fentanyl epidemic. Photos from today’s roundtable with Illinois AmeriCorps can be found on the Senator’s website.

    “Trump and Elon Musk wouldn’t know the meaning of service if it hit them in the face—so it’s not surprising that two billionaires are gutting the agency that helps millions of Americans give back by serving their communities,” Duckworth said. “If Trump wants to save the government money, he should make sure the wealthy pay their fair share in taxes—not slash yet another lifeline that provides critical services to millions of Americans. Today, I met with members of Illinois AmeriCorps to hear how Trump’s latest attacks are costing them their jobs and stripping away vital community resources—and to discuss how we’re working together to fight back against his one-sided chaos.”

    Duckworth has been a longtime supporter of AmeriCorps and our country’s service organizations, including securing substantial federal funding to support local community service organizations as well as introducing legislation to help volunteers lower student debt. Last month, Duckworth joined U.S. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), along with 146 fellow Congressional colleagues, in calling out President Trump for targeting AmeriCorps and NCC AmeriCorps members—demanding he reverse cuts to the program made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Trump Administration placed a majority of AmeriCorps employees on leave in April as part of DOGE’s broader spending cuts.

    Programs such as AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors deploy more than 200,000 Americans annually to carry out results-driven projects at over 35,000 locations across the country. Working in partnership with thousands of nonprofit, faith-based and community organizations, these dedicated volunteers and workers help promote employment opportunities, strengthen the workforce and support those in need.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Announces Actions to Put American Patients First by Lowering Drug Prices and Stopping Foreign Free-riding on American Pharmaceutical Innovation

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    REDUCING DRUG PRICES FOR AMERICANS AND TAXPAYERS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to bring the prices Americans and taxpayers pay for prescription drugs in line with those paid by similar nations.
    The Order directs the U.S. Trade Representative and Secretary of Commerce to take action to ensure foreign countries are not engaged in practices that purposefully and unfairly undercut market prices and drive price hikes in the United States.
    The Order instructs the Administration to communicate price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers to establish that America, the largest purchaser and funder of prescription drugs in the world, gets the best deal.
    The Secretary of Health and Human Services will establish a mechanism through which American patients can buy their drugs directly from manufacturers who sell to Americans at a “Most-Favored-Nation” price, bypassing middlemen.
    If drug manufacturers fail to offer most-favored-nation pricing, the Order directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) propose rules that impose most-favored-nation pricing; and (2) take other aggressive measures to significantly reduce the cost of prescription drugs to the American consumer and end anticompetitive practices.
    GETTING A BETTER DEAL FOR AMERICANS: President Trump is once again taking action to keep pharmaceutical manufacturers from charging Americans high drug prices while giving steep discounts to other wealthy nations.
    According to recent data, the prices Americans pay for brand-name drugs are more than three times the price other OECD nations pay, even after accounting for discounts manufacturers provide in the U.S.
    The United States has less than five percent of the world’s population, yet funds roughly 75% of global pharmaceutical profits.
    Drug manufacturers discount their products to gain access to foreign markets and then subsidize those discounts through high prices charged in America—in essence, Americans are subsidizing drug-manufacturer profits and foreign health systems, despite drug manufacturers benefiting from generous research subsidies and enormous healthcare spending by the U.S. Government.
    In his first term, President Trump took historic action to keep Medicare and seniors from paying more for drugs than economically comparable countries, which the Biden Administration rescinded before it could take effect.
    Instead of fixing this problem, the Biden Administration’s greatest achievement was to negotiate prices that were, on average, 78 percent higher than in 11 comparable countries as part of Biden’s effort to “beat Medicare.”
    DELIVERING ON PROMISES TO PUT AMERICAN PATIENTS FIRST: President Trump is delivering on his promise to once again put America first by furthering efforts to get American patients and taxpayers a fair deal for prescription drugs.
    This Order builds on actions from President Trump’s first term to make progress on reducing price disparities at home and expands those efforts by including Medicaid in addition to Medicare. 
    President Trump recently signed an Executive Order to take additional action to lower drug prices, including by providing massive discounts to low-income patients for lifesaving medicines, facilitating importation programs, and increasing the availability of generic and biosimilar medicines.
    President Trump is also working to make drug prices radically transparent, as he recently signed an Executive Order to build on his historic price transparency efforts undertaken during his first term.
    President Trump has been relentless in his effort to address the unfair and outrageous prices Americans pay for prescription drugs:
    President Trump: “In case after case, our citizens pay massively higher prices than other nations pay for the same exact pill, from the same factory, effectively subsidizing socialism aboard [abroad] with skyrocketing prices at home. So we would spend tremendous amounts of money in order to provide inexpensive drugs to another country. And when I say the price is different, you can see some examples where the price is beyond anything — four times, five times different.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand, Warren, Wyden, Schumer Welcome Frank Bisignano To Social Security Administration With Nearly 200 Unanswered Questions, Push For Answers On Behalf Of Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Lawmakers Sent Bisignano 17 Letters Previously Sent To Acting Commissioner Dudek
    Bisignano And The Trump Administration Could Cut Benefits For 3.8 Million New Yorkers Who Rely On Social Security
    U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee, joined Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) to welcome newly-confirmed Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) Frank Bisignano to the agency with copies of 17 letters — containing nearly 200 unanswered questions — that the lawmakers had previously sent to the SSA under Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek. The push is the latest in the Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room efforts to fight back against President Trump and Elon Musk’s attacks on Social Security.
    “As ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, I am committed to protecting benefits for the 3.8 million New Yorkers and 69 million Americans who rely on Social Security to pay their bills, afford medical care, and put food on the table,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Recipients have been paying into the system their entire lives with the understanding that they will receive a return on their investment. The US government made a promise to our seniors to take care of them, and it’s our responsibility to make sure Commissioner Bisignano and the Trump administration keep that promise.”
    Since President Trump took office, Elon Musk and his team at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have worked to dismantle the Social Security Administration. Senate Democrats sent 17 letters to the SSA — helmed by then-Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek — pressing for answers and fighting back against the attack on Americans’ services and benefits.
    Following Senate Republicans’ vote to confirm Frank Bisignano last week, the lawmakers redelivered all 17 of these letters, along with a note pressing Bisignano to respond and answer for DOGE’s attacks on the SSA.  
    “We have not received responses to the vast majority of our questions. In fact, Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek has reportedly instructed staff to not respond to public or congressional inquiries. The limited answers we have received have been unsatisfactory,” wrote the lawmakers in their note to Bisignano.
    The lawmakers also highlighted their past requests for information from Bisignano — most of which went unanswered. 
    “You repeatedly claimed that, because you were not yet working at SSA, you did not have sufficient information to answer. You made these claims despite the fact that a former SSA employee whistleblower has reported that you have been participating extensively in high-level operational, management, and personnel decisions at SSA. Regardless of your previous claims, though, you have now been sworn in and have access to the information you claimed you need to provide us answers,” the lawmakers continued.
    Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room is a coordinated effort to fight back against the Trump administration’s attack on Americans’ Social Security. The War Room coordinates messaging across the Senate Democratic Caucus and external stakeholders; encourages grassroots engagement by providing opportunities for Americans to share what Social Security means to them; and educates Senate staff, the American public, and stakeholders about Republicans’ agenda and their continued cuts to Americans’ Social Security services and benefits.
    The full text of the Senators’ letters can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Works with Bipartisan Group to Strengthen Civilian Defense Workforce in Maine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), has joined a bipartisan group of colleagues and introduced legislation to strengthen the civilian defense workforce in Maine and address workforce shortages. Their bill, the Defense Workforce Integration Act would leverage existing programs and best practices within the Department of Defense (DoD) to retain the talent and motivation of those who desire to serve but are classified as “medically disqualified.”
    “The armed services and the State of Maine have worked together for generations to protect our nation and — in Maine — maintain the best built ships in the fleet for the fight,” said Senator King. “But our continued shared success relies on the many hundreds of Maine men and women that work the docks and in support of our defense. Changing Department of Defense best practices to allow more Maine people to contribute is not only good for our state’s economy, but also critical for our national security. Through the Defense Workforce Integration Act, we will continue to support our shipbuilders and civilian defense workforce so we can maintain superiority on the world stage.”
    As defense workforce shortages grow in crucial areas like manufacturing, cybersecurity and defense logistics, the Defense Workforce Integration Act would activate a pool of candidates who are ineligible for military service for reasons ranging from diseases of organs to mental health conditions:
    For applicants who cannot join the military, the legislation directs DoD to enable military personnel managers to provide individuals that are medically disqualified with information about civilian employment opportunities in the following areas: the defense industrial base, cybersecurity, intelligence, research and development of defense technologies, national emergency and disaster preparedness and any other non-military role the Secretary of Defense considers in the national security interest. 
    For servicemembers disqualified early in their careers, the legislation expands on existing Air Force best practices by establishing Army and Navy personnel management programs to execute “warm hand-offs” to DoD civilian hiring authorities for personnel who become medically disqualified during their initial accession and training pipelines. 
    For personnel leaving the military after serving honorably, the legislation leverages existing Navy transition assistance programs to expand awareness of critical civilian roles at Military Sealift Command and workforce training programs for shipbuilders to enhance our civilian maritime workforce. 
    In addition to Senator King, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the Seapower Subcommittee, Senator King has championed funding for both Bath Iron Works (BIW) and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). Recently, Senator King and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan discussed the importance of utilizing lessons from the private sector to maintain best practices for ship designing, building, and maintenance. They also discussed the top three priorities for our nation’s shipbuilding capacity: “workforce, workforce, workforce.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: TRANSCOM Reveals 30+ Missions to Guantanamo Bay, Costing Over $20 Million since January 2025, In Break from Precedent

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    May 12, 2025

    Text of QFR Response (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren released responses she received from the United States Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), one of the commands of the Department of Defense (DoD), regarding its role in sending passengers and cargo to the U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.

    The responses from TRANSCOM revealed:

    • “USTRANSCOM conducted 31 military and contract airlift missions to the U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay between January 20, 2025, and March 25, 2025. These missions transported 715 passengers and 1016.9 short tons of cargo.”

    • “As of 08 April, USTRANSCOM has flown a total of 46 flights on military aircraft in support of migrant deportation flights. The flights total 802.5 hours at an average cost of $26,277 per flight hour.”

    • Over just a couple of months, Atlas Air, Delta, Omni Air, United Airlines, and Sun Country made over $1.6 million just from flying to Guantanamo Bay to assist migrant operations.

    • “In anticipation of U.S. presence and increased capacity at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay,” DoD has increased the number of flights to the Naval Station.

    “Every American should be outraged by Donald Trump wasting military resources to pay for his political stunts that do not make us safer,” said Senator Warren. “U.S. servicemembers did not sign up for this abuse of power.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Joint Statement on U.S.-China Economic and Trade Meeting in Geneva

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Joint Statement on U.S.-China Economic and Trade Meeting in Geneva
    The Government of the United States of America (the “United States”) and the Government of the People’s Republic of China (“China”),
    Recognizing the importance of their bilateral economic and trade relationship to both countries and the global economy;
    Recognizing the importance of a sustainable, long-term, and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationship;
    Reflecting on their recent discussions and believing that continued discussions have the potential to address the concerns of each side in their economic and trade relationship; and
    Moving forward in the spirit of mutual opening, continued communication, cooperation, and mutual respect;
    The Parties commit to take the following actions by May 14, 2025:
    The United States will (i) modify the application of the additional ad valorem rate of duty on articles of China (including articles of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macau Special Administrative Region) set forth in Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025, by suspending 24 percentage points of that rate for an initial period of 90 days, while retaining the  remaining ad valorem rate of 10 percent on those articles pursuant to the terms of said Order; and (ii) removing the modified additional ad valorem rates of duty on those articles imposed by Executive Order 14259 of April 8, 2025 and Executive Order 14266 of April 9, 2025.
    China will (i) modify accordingly the application of the additional ad valorem rate of duty on articles of the United States set forth in Announcement of the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council No. 4 of 2025, by suspending 24 percentage points of that rate for an initial period of 90 days, while retaining the remaining additional ad valorem rate of 10 percent on those articles, and removing the modified additional ad valorem rates of duty on those articles imposed by Announcement of the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council No. 5 of 2025 and Announcement of the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council No. 6 of 2025; and (ii) adopt all necessary administrative measures to suspend or remove the non-tariff countermeasures taken against the United States since April 2, 2025.
    After taking the aforementioned actions, the Parties will establish a mechanism to continue discussions about economic and trade relations. The representative from the Chinese side for these discussions will be He Lifeng, Vice Premier of the State Council, and the representatives from the U.S. side will be Scott Bessent, Secretary of the Treasury, and Jamieson Greer, United States Trade Representative. These discussions may be conducted alternately in China and the United States, or a third country upon agreement of the Parties. As required, the two sides may conduct working-level consultations on relevant economic and trade issues.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News to Discuss Trade Negotiations, Debt Ceiling, Spending Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    NASHVILLE, TN—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations, Banking, and Foreign Relations Committees and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Sunday Morning Futures on Fox News to discuss President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade negotiations, what to do about the debt ceiling, and the efforts to cut spending in the federal government via budget reconciliation.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Partial Transcript
    Hagerty on the trade negotiations with China: “I worked on trade deals extensively. Not only the two trade deals we did with the U.S. and Japan, but also with the team that negotiated the phase one China trade deal, which China did not abide by. David’s right. I’m so glad he’s going to his post now. He’s going to be a great ambassador representing the America’s interest with China. What’s happening in Switzerland right now, I’m very excited about. I think there’s great potential there. It has to get resolved. And with ambassadors or leaders like David in the field, I think we’re going to have every opportunity then to hold China to account, because that’s going to be a critical aspect of this. They have not followed through on their prior agreements with us. We need to make certain that what we strike with them today, what we strike over the weekend and in the days to come, is something that we can ascertain, we can hold them accountable to, and that we can verify.”
    Hagerty on the debt ceiling: “I have a lot [of] faith in President Trump’s ability to get long-term effect achieved here. You’ve seen the DOGE effort. There’s a massive deregulation thrust underway. Every conversation is about efficiency, cutting costs, getting more for less. It’s going to take President Trump a little bit of time, though. You know how much stimulus was unleased into this economy. We’ve got to give President Trump the headroom to sort this out. And so, President Trump has asked for an extension of the debt ceiling. I’m more than inclined to grant him what he needs to give him the time and the runway to actually get our economy to a far better place, a much more efficient and effective place. At the same time, shoring up some of the problems that have been left to us by this Biden administration. That’s been outgoing.”
    Hagerty on the need to cut wasteful, fraudulent, and abusive spending in the federal government: “From my standpoint, and certainly having been a senator who served on the executive branch in the State Department and have seen the actual dispensation of this foreign aid, there’s a tremendous amount of opportunity to clean this up. And I think if I talk to my constituents here in Tennessee, they’ve been very clear to me. We need to be fixated on and focused on America right now, shoring up what’s wrong here, rather than sending our aid dollars overseas. And when you looked at some of the specifics of where our aid dollars were going, it was absolutely disgraceful. This organization has run amok. I applaud Secretary of State [Marco] Rubio for getting his arms around this, for taking control of it. And we certainly do need to start cutting back. We need to cut back there. We need many other places where President Trump is fixated. Again, he needs a little bit of headroom to get that done. I’m willing to support that. But this is exactly the type of thing that the American public expects to see from us […] I think as more information comes out and more of my colleagues see the abject waste that has gone on in places like USAID, I think it’s going to become easier and easier for them to realize and get their arms around cutting some of these programs. Now granted, these programs have constituencies that are very vocal in Washington. They’ve been lobbying very hard. But again, transparency will make a big difference for my colleagues. I certainly hope to see even more of it. I think that’ll make it a lot easier to get to where we need to be. That takes time.”
    Hagerty on Japan’s opportunity for a trade deal: “Japan certainly has the opportunity to be next. They’re the third largest economy in the world. They have every incentive to step up and take part in what I think will be a transformative situation across the globe. Japan could be a real leader here if you think about their opportunity to join us from an economic standpoint, from a national security standpoint, again, our largest presence in Indo-Pacific region is our partnership with Japan. We have more U.S. Military station there than anywhere else in the region. Again, I can’t put myself in their shoes.”
    Hagerty on the India-Pakistan conflict: “That’s a top shelf issue. When you see two nuclear powers like Pakistan and India going at it, it’s top concern. That’s why President Trump was immediately on it. JD Vance stepped up in a remarkably admirable way to leverage his personal relationship with [Prime Minister] Modi. I’ve seen President Trump and Modi together. They have a great personal relationship, but it’s these relationships and also the gravity of the situation that, I think, has helped bring this to a quick resolve. I only wish [former President] Joe Biden had used his political capital to do the same thing with Ukraine and Russia.”
    Hagerty on the need for major spending cuts in the reconciliation package: “The Senate is actually talking more like two trillion in cuts. We’re very focused on it. The reason the threshold is lower in the Senate is because there’s certain rules there that you can’t exceed or you can’t fall below. Again, we’re leaving ourselves leeway to get it done, but every one of my colleagues that I’ve spoken with wants to see an even greater number of cuts in this package.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Sen. Markey, Rep. Pressley Welcome Rümeysa Öztürk Back to Massachusetts Upon Öztürk’s Release from ICE Detention

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Senator Markey and Representative Pressley with Rümeysa Öztürk
    Boston (May 10, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) today joined Rümeysa Öztürk and members of her legal team at a press conference after Ms. Öztürk arrived home from ICE detention in Louisiana. Yesterday, the United States District Court for the District of Vermont granted bail to Ms. Öztürk and directed the Trump administration to release her from detention.
    On March 25, 2025, Ms. Öztürk, a PhD student at Tufts University, was abducted by six plainclothes ICE agents off the streets of Somerville, Massachusetts. She was quickly moved across state lines and taken more than 1,500 miles away from her community to a detention facility in Louisiana, where she spent more than six weeks in retaliation for on op-ed she co-wrote in the Tufts Daily.
    “Today is a day of joy: We welcome Rümeysa Öztürk back to Massachusetts and back to her community in Somerville,” said Senator Markey. “Rümeysa should have never been abducted off the streets of Somerville. She should have never been taken out of Massachusetts and sent to a detention site in Louisiana more than 1,500 miles away from her community. And she should have never had to suffer intolerable living conditions and multiple and worsening asthma attacks while unlawfully detained for more than six weeks. Rümeysa’s case affects every one of us. We cannot allow this administration to trample individuals’ constitutional rights to free speech and due process. Her homecoming is only the beginning of the fight for justice – not only for Rümeysa, but for every family, for every neighbor, and for everyone who wishes to ensure they can live free.”               
    “Today we’re welcoming with open arms a beloved member of our Massachusetts 7th community, a brilliant scholar, a courageous advocate, and a survivor of a shameful injustice – Rümeysa Öztürk. And we’re sending a message to this hostile White House that their efforts to silence Rümeysa, crush dissent, and undermine our constitutional rights are being rejected,” said Representative Pressley. “While we take stock of this important progress, we know this fight isn’t over. We will not rest until Rümeysa is fully exonerated, her visa is restored, and she is free to continue her studies and her service to our community.”
    On April 22, Senator Markey and Representatives Pressley and Jim McGovern (MA-02), along with Representative Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Ranking Member of House Committee on Homeland Security, and Representative Troy Carter (LA-02), visited the Louisiana ICE facility where Ms. Öztürk was being held. Also on April 22, Senator Markey, Representative Pressley, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons to demand answers about the Trump administration’s concerning practice of detaining individuals, such as Ms. Öztürk, far from their attorneys and communities and in legal environments where their rights are more difficult to defend. The Trump administration is forum shopping to obtain a legal outcome favorable to its deportation agenda.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Delivers Commencement Address at Northern Maine Community College

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
    Published: May 10, 2025

    Click HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE for individual photos
    Presque Isle, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins delivered the keynote address at Northern Maine Community College’s (NMCC) 60th Commencement ceremony at the Presque Isle Forum. NMCC’s Class of 2025 includes more than 200 graduating students.
    “Since the first students came to class 62 years ago, this terrific school has opened doors of opportunity. Many of you came here directly from high school. Many are the first in your families to earn college degrees. Many of you came here from the workforce, seeking a brighter future. All of you are here today because you have demonstrated those County values of determination, optimism, hard work, and pitching in,” said Senator Collins during her remarks.
    “The diplomas you receive today represent a great deal of hard work on your part, but they also represent a great debt you owe those who made it possible. There are many ways you can repay this debt. I urge you to apply your talent, energy, and enthusiasm right here in Maine. Whether this is the beginning of your career or later on, Maine needs what you have to offer,” she continued.
    Senator Collins has visited more than 200 schools throughout Maine during her Senate service, in addition to speaking at dozens of high school and college commencement ceremonies, most recently at Presque Isle High School, York County Community College, and Maine Maritime Academy.

    MIL OSI USA News –