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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Access to Mifepristone

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado

    The Stop Comstock Act would repeal an 1873 law that could be misused to limit abortion access nationwide

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper joined Tina Smith and 25 of their Senate colleagues to introduce the Stop Comstock Act to protect access to medication abortions like Mifepristone. Specifically, the legislation would repeal the outdated Comstock Act of 1873, which anti-choice extremists have threatened to invoke to effectively end access to medication abortion without a single act of Congress.

    “Extreme Republicans and dust-covered laws from 1873 have no business dictating a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions,” Hickenlooper said. “We’re fighting to take those arcane laws off the books and protect reproductive health care nationwide.”

    The Stop Comstock Act would repeal language in the Comstock Laws that could be used to ban the mailing of mifepristone and other drugs used in medication abortions, instruments and equipment used in abortions, and educational material related to sexual health. Medication abortion is the most common form of abortion care in the U.S.

    The legislation has been endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Reproductive Rights, National Women’s Law Center, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America), Take Back the Court Action Fund, Healthcare Across Borders, Expanding Medication Abortion Access (EMAA).

    A summary of the bill is available HERE. The text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Statement on Pope Leo XIV, the First American Pope

    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 the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost—now Pope Leo XIV—as the new Pope. Pope Leo XIV is the first American pope: 
    “This is an exciting and historic moment for the Church, and also for America. Pope Leo XIV has dedicated his life to helping the poor and to social justice. I am hopeful he will continue the values of Pope Francis.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Statement on Election of Pope Leo XIV

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    May 8, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), released the following statement after Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pope:
    “I am amazed by this historic moment to witness the first ever American Pope. I pray for the Holy Father Leo XIV and look forward to a long-lasting pontificate.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 05.08.2025 Sens. Cruz, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Support Veterans Pursuing Aviation Careers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) introduced theAuthorizing Vocational and Instructional Aviation Training for Eligible Veterans Act to allow eligible veterans to use their Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits for non-degree flight training programs expanding opportunities for veterans pursuing commercial aviation careers.
    Sen. Cruz said, “One of the biggest challenges I hear about from veterans in Texas is finding meaningful employment after retiring from active-duty military service. This legislation empowers those who have defended our country by enabling them to pursue commercial aviation careers.”
    Sen. Sheehy said, “As a former Navy SEAL and aviator who created many successful aviation careers for veterans at the aerial firefighting business we started, I’m proud to support veterans getting the training they need to thrive. Veterans know how to work as a team and accomplish the mission, and this bill will help us fill critical aviation workforce shortages and equip veterans with skills needed to prosper in good-paying careers.”
    Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Rep Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.-23).
    Read the full text of the bill here.
    BACKGROUND
    Current law prohibits using VR&E benefits for flight training unless offered through a degree-granting institution. This restriction limits opportunities for veterans who wish to pursue aviation careers through FAA-certified flight schools that do not offer traditional degree programs.
    The AVIATE act will: 

    Authorize the VA Secretary to approve non-degree flight training programs under the VR&E program. 
     Provide parity between Chapter 31 (VR&E) and Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill) for aviation training. 
     Expand access to FAA-certified flight schools not affiliated with degree-granting institutions. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Crapo Introduce Legislation to Modernize Short Line and Regional Railroad Tax Credit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    May 08, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he has reintroduced legislation with U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, to expand the Short Line Railroad Tax Credit that provides operators with essential resources to ensure communities and small businesses can rely on safe infrastructure. 

    The bipartisan Short Line Railroad Tax Credit Modernization Act would increase the tax credit available for track rehabilitation and maintenance from $3,500 per mile to $6,100 per mile. The bill would also make more tracks eligible for the credit. Under current law, eligibility is based on maps of track owned or leased by short line railroad operators as of 2015. The bill would expand eligibility to all tracks owned or leased as of 2025 and in accordance with modern maps. 

    “Short line and regional railroads are not just a mode of transportation, they are also a vital economic tool that connects local businesses with Oregonians and other people all across the nation,” said Wyden. “For years, Senator Crapo and I worked together to make railroad tax credits permanent, and the next step is to make these tax credits better for our operators.  Our bipartisan bill will provide railroads with much needed resources to make vital upgrades that will bring our rural, suburban and urban communities and their local economies together.”

    “Short line railroads are critical infrastructure that connect Idaho’s farmers, ranchers and manufacturers to national and global markets, supporting local jobs and driving economic growth in rural Idaho,” said Crapo. “Modernizing the Short Line Railroad Tax Credit will provide railroads with necessary certainty and resources to invest in safety, efficiency and long-term infrastructure improvements in our regional areas.” 

    Text of the bill is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman, Cortez Masto Push for Necessary Updates to Veteran Home Improvement Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced the bipartisan Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act, which would help disabled veterans and their families make accessibility and safety improvements to their homes. 
    “Arkansas veterans have sacrificed tremendously in service to our nation,” said Boozman. “One of the most important ways we can support our former servicemembers is to ensure those living with a disability feel safer in an accessible home with a greater sense of independence and quality of life. I am pleased to champion commonsense improvements that will better serve those who have worn our nation’s uniform.”
    “After making countless sacrifices in service to our country, disabled veterans deserve to live in their own home with more freedom and dignity,” said Cortez Masto. “That’s why I’m proud to work alongside Senator Boozman to provide them the resources they need to make improvements to their homes for accessibility and safety. I will continue working across the aisle to stand up for Nevada veterans and their families.”
    While the Department of Veteran Affairs’ Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) program offers funds to help eligible disabled veterans with service-related medical issues make home alterations that accommodate their medical needs, HISA grants have not been updated to meet the current costs of materials and labor. 
    Specifically, the Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act would help disabled veterans build accessible bathrooms, widen doors and install wheelchair ramps, grab bars and handrails in their homes by:
    Increasing the HISA grant from $6,800 to $10,000 for veterans with disabilities;
    Raising the grant from $2,000 to $6,800 for veterans with non-service-connected disabilities; and
    Requiring the VA to adjust the grant amounts annually based on the cost of residential construction, so the funding stays relevant as prices change.
    The Autonomy for Disabled Veterans Act has been endorsed by the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
    “VA’s Home Improvements and Structural Alterations grant program provides modifications to a veteran or service member’s primary residence. However, years of inattention have diminished the effectiveness of this program, and it is long past time to update grant rates to realistic levels. We appreciate the efforts of Senator Cortez Masto and Senator Boozman to correct that by increasing grant rates and tying them to a formula, so they remain current for years to come,” said Chief Policy Officer of Paralyzed Veterans of America Heather Ansley.
    The bill text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Reintroduces Legislation to Save Lives, Protect 2nd Amendment Rights for Law-Abiding Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – As mass shootings continue to kill or injure Americans needlessly, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) reintroduced legislation to curb these mass killings without hindering 2nd amendment gun rights. The Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act would protect communities from gun violence while safeguarding law-abiding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes by limiting the features of certain guns that allow for detachable high-capacity magazines. The legislation would also create a voluntary buyback program for individuals choosing to get rid of their weapons.
    “The constant onslaught of news coverage that features mass shootings has become all too common and has traumatized far too many communities, including the heartbreak and loss we suffered here in Maine,” said Senator King. “The Gas-Operated Semiautomatic Firearm Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act addresses the lethal capacity weapons like the one used in Lewiston and most of the deadliest mass shootings across the country by limiting the functionality that allow for rapid reloading – and rapid killing – give police and first responders a chance to neutralize the situation. While nothing can bring back the lives of our family and friends in Lewiston, responsible actions moving forward can reduce the likelihood of such a nightmare happening again.”
    Senator King previously led bipartisan, common-sense legislation to address the gun violence epidemic in the United States while protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans. The Safer Communities Act, passed in 2022, includes funding for red flag laws, enhanced background checks for buyers under 21, and increased mental health resources.
    In addition, following the Lewiston shooting, Senator King has worked to increase mental health funding. In March 2024, the entire Maine Delegation announced that the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (Maine DHHS) would receive $2,048,452 through the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Emergency Response Grant program (SERG). The funding is used for community mental health needs in the greater-Lewiston community. The delegation also sent a follow-up letter to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of the Army, Lieutenant General Donna W. Martin, to further press for a comprehensive review of the facts and events leading up to the October 25, 2023 mass shooting.
    In addition to King, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).
    Senator King’s past OpEd on the GOSAFE Act can be found here.
    +++
    More specifically, the GOSAFE Act would:
    Regulate Sale, Transfer & Manufacture of Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms
    The GOSAFE Act would regulate the sale, transfer, and manufacture of gas-operated semi-automatic weapons by: 
    Establishing a list of prohibited firearms; 
    Preventing unlawful modifications of permissible firearms; 
    Mandating that future gas-operated designs are approved before manufacture; and  
    Preventing unlawful firearm self-assembly and manufacturing.  
    Protect Americans’ Second Amendment Right
    The GOSAFE Act protects Americans’ constitutional right to own a gun based on a firearm’s established use for self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes. The bill accomplishes this by including exemptions based on maximum ammunition capacity according to a firearm’s individual class: a rifle, shotgun, or handgun.  
    This capacity must be “permanently fixed,” meaning the firearm cannot accept a detachable, high-capacity magazine that would increase the number of rounds that can be fired before reloading and make reloading easier. 
    Exemptions include:   
    .22 caliber rimfire or less firearms 
    Bolt action rifles 
    Semi-automatic shotguns 
    Recoil-operated handguns 
    Any rifle with a permanently fixed magazine of 10 rounds or less 
    Any shotgun with a permanently fixed magazine of 10 rounds or less 
    Any handgun with a permanently fixed magazine of 15 rounds or less 
    Limit High-Capacity Ammunition Devices, Outlaws Conversion Devices    
    The GOSAFE Act limits a firearm’s ability to inflict maximum harm in a short amount of time by directly regulating large capacity ammunition feeding devices.  The bill would limit the number of rounds that large capacity ammunition feeding devices are permitted to carry to 10 rounds of ammunition or fewer.  Additionally, the GOSAFE Act makes conversion devices, including bump stocks and Glock switches, unlawful. 
    Create Voluntary Buy-Back Program
    The GOSAFE Act will protect the value of firearms already owned before enactment and prevent stockpiling of these lethal firearms and large capacity magazines by establishing a voluntary buy-back program.  It would allow firearm owners to voluntarily turn over and receive compensation for non-transferrable firearms and magazines as defined by this legislation. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Introduce Bills to Protect Wilderness in Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, and Bath Counties

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced two bills to protect wilderness in Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, and Bath counties.
    “We are lucky to have such beautiful natural resources in Virginia, and we need to do more to ensure that these lands are protected for future generations,” said the senators. “We’re proud to introduce this legislation to preserve wilderness in Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, and Bath counties, protect wildlife, and support local economies that depend on tourism and outdoor recreation.”
    These additions were recommended by the U.S. Forest Service in 2014 and endorsed by members of the George Washington National Forest Stakeholder Collaborative, a group of forest users that started work together over a decade ago to agree on acceptable locations in the George Washington National Forest for wilderness, timber harvest, trails, and other uses. 
    In 2023, the tourism economy directly employed 7,562 people and generated $842.5 million in expenditures in Augusta, Rockingham, Bath, and Highland counties, as well as Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro.
    Shenandoah Mountain Act
    The Shenandoah Mountain Act would establish a 92,562-acre Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area (SMNSA) in Rockingham, Augusta, and Highland counties. National Scenic Areas protect the scenic, historic, recreational, and natural resources in specific areas and allow compatible uses such as outdoor recreation activities.
    The SMNSA encompasses four wilderness areas—Skidmore Fork, Little River, Ramsey’s Draft, and Lynn Hollow—and establishes a wilderness area at Beech Lick Knob. It also includes headwaters for the Potomac and James Rivers and watersheds that provide municipal drinking water sources for Harrisonburg, Staunton, and other communities. The NSA designation would protect these rivers and streams from industrial development and safeguard populations of at-risk species, such as the Cow Knob and Shenandoah Mountain Salamander.
    James Madison University scientists estimate that lands within the SMNSA proposal already generate $13.7 million per year in other local benefits, including the value of the water supply and energy savings, and that the designation of the SMNSA would further grow this value.
    “Friends of Shenandoah Mountain is so pleased with the reintroduction of the Shenandoah Mountain Act. For decades, we’ve worked with folks who hunt, hike, paddle, fish, and ride mountain bikes in this landscape, and everyone agrees that a National Scenic Area designation strikes the right balance between recreation and preservation,” said Lynn Cameron, Co-Chair of Friends of Shenandoah Mountain.
    Full text of the Shenandoah Mountain Act is available here.
    Virginia Wilderness Additions Act
    The Virginia Wilderness Additions Act would add 5,600 acres to the existing Rough Mountain and Rich Hole wilderness areas within the George Washington National Forest in Bath County.
    “Expanding the Rough Mountain and Rich Hole Wilderness Areas honors decades of work by dozens of stakeholders, and results in a number of ecological, economic, and recreational benefits. The Virginia Wilderness Committee is grateful to Senators Kaine and Warner for this reintroduction,” said Ellen Stuart-Haentjens, Executive Director of the Virginia Wilderness Committee.
    Full text of the Virginia Wilderness Additions Act is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner Unveils Latest Legislation in Push to Make Housing More Affordable for Virginians

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) has introduced two new pieces of bipartisan legislation to encourage new development, expand supply, and make housing more affordable for Virginians.
    “In communities across the Commonwealth, both rural and urban, too many families are struggling to find safe, affordable housing,” Sen. Warner said. “This crisis needs an all-hands-on-deck solution, and that’s why I am proud to continue to look for innovative solutions to help tackle this problem. These bipartisan bills offer commonsense solutions to help boost our housing supply by both protecting our current stock and supporting new investment.”
    The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, introduced with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), would create a new tax incentive to build and preserve more than 500,000 affordable, single-family homes for homeownership over ten years in under-resourced communities. The tax credit will cover the cost between building or renovating a home in these areas and the price at which they can be sold. The credits would only be available after the homes have been completed and sold to a homeowner – ensuring the investors, not the government, bear the risk. Full text of the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act is available here.
    The Preserving Rural Housing Investments Act, introduced with Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), will support more investment in rural and low-income housing by clarifying the tax-exempt controlled entity rules to ensure that Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs), such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are able to participate in partnerships that are crucial for low-income housing investments. Full text of the Preserving Rural Housing Investments Act is available here.
    These bills are just the latest in Sen. Warner’s longstanding efforts to expand access to homeownership and make housing more affordable for Virginians. Since January, he has introduced multiple bills to amend the federal tax code to encourage new housing construction and rehabilitation, including the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act, the Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act, and the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act – all bipartisan bills to encourage redevelopment and new construction in communities across the country. He is also the lead author of the Low-Income First Time Homebuyers (LIFT) Act to help qualified, first-generation homebuyers build equity in their homes by offering a 20-year mortgage for roughly the same monthly payment as a traditional 30-year loan. Warner has also joined his colleagues in sponsoring the Downpayment Toward Equity Act, which would provide federal grants to assist first-generation homebuyers with qualifying expenses toward purchasing their first home, including down payment costs, closing costs, and costs to reduce the rates of interest.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wicker, Gillibrand Introduce Vieques Recovery and Redevelopment Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., introduced the Vieques Recovery and Redevelopment Act. This bipartisan legislation would address the severe health inequities faced by the residents of Vieques off the coast of Puerto Rico. These severe health outcomes are a result of environmental contamination caused by the U.S. Navy’s decades-long usage of the island for military training exercises and as a bombing range.

    “The U.S. Navy left the island of Vieques over twenty years ago, but the thousands of American citizens who live there continue to suffer from contamination and high rates of illness,” said Senator Wicker. “It is time for the U.S. government to settle these victims’ claims and help improve the island’s healthcare infrastructure for the future.”

    “For too long, the people of Vieques have lived with the devastating health and environmental impacts of military testing on their island,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill delivers long overdue justice by providing compensation to those harmed, rebuilding access to healthcare, and strengthening efforts to clean up the toxic waste that continues to threaten the Vieques community. I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan effort to finally give the people of Vieques the support and resources they deserve.”

    Full text of the resolution can be found here. 

    Background:

    • From the 1940s until 2003, the U.S. Navy used the island for training exercises and as a bombing range.
    • Decades of munitions testing on the small island led to severe environmental contamination. Vieques’ residents have suffered from the health impacts of long-term exposure to this environmental contamination, including higher rates of cancer, cirrhosis, hypertension, diabetes, and heavy metal diseases.
    • To date, the U.S. government has not provided the residents of Vieques with compensation for damages to their health. Hurricane Maria destroyed Vieques’ only health care center in 2017, exacerbating the island’s health crisis.
    • Today, residents of Vieques must travel by ferry to the main island of Puerto Rico to receive medical care, a dangerous situation that is especially difficult for cancer and dialysis patients. The health crisis in Vieques only continues to worsen, demonstrating why Congress must act with urgency to pass this bipartisan legislation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Ernst Lead Bipartisan Bill to Ensure Coverage for Children Born with Congenital Anomalies or Birth Defects

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) led a bipartisan group of their colleagues in re-introducing legislation to ensure health insurance covers needed treatment and procedures for individuals born with congenital anomalies or birth defects. The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act would close a coverage gap to ensure that health insurance plans cover medically necessary services related to a birth defect, including any serious dental and oral-related procedures that are necessary for the child’s health and overall function.

    Senator Baldwin first introduced this legislation in 2018 after hearing the story of Aidan Abbott of Slinger, Wisconsin, who was born with Ectodermal Dysplasia (ED), a rare congenital disease. Aidan has needed intense dental and oral care and will need reconstructive surgeries throughout his life, among other services related to ED. Despite having comprehensive health insurance, the Abbotts were denied coverage for Aidan’s dental work and forced to pay out of pocket for his treatments. Although most health plans cover care for congenital anomalies, claims are routinely denied or delayed for any oral-related procedures due to an individuals’ disorder.

    “There is no reason that big insurance companies should be able to deny families like Aidan’s the care they need. For millions of Americans, medically necessary care for birth defects can cost thousands of dollars out of pocket, or for others, it is entirely out of reach because of the cost – despite having health insurance,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to work with Democrats and Republicans to put this care in reach so more Americans can lead healthy lives and more families can focus on caring for their loved ones, not figuring out how they will afford medically necessary care.”

    “It’s an honor to advocate alongside passionate patient and provider advocates who are united in a common goal to ensure individuals and children born with congenital anomalies receive the medically necessary treatments they deserve,” said Becky M. Abbott, MPH, from Slinger, Wisconsin and Co-Chair of the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias Family Advocacy Committee. “We are fortunate that this advocacy initiative is being led by extraordinary bill leads who not only understand the importance of passing the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA), but have and continue to make it a priority to move ELSA forward. We are grateful for every advocate and member of Congress who stand beside us and support the efforts to move this life-changing legislation across the finish line in the 119th Congress.”

    “To support young Iowans like Alli Steele, who was born with Ectodermal Dysplasia, this bipartisan legislation will help Iowa families by ensuring that health plans cover medically necessary services related to patients’ congenital anomalies of the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw,” said Senator Ernst.

    About four percent of children in the U.S. are born with congenital anomalies that affect the way they look, develop, or function. Many born with congenital anomalies suffer from severe oral defects (such as cleft lip or palate, hypodontia, or enamel hypoplasia), vision defects (such as congenital cataracts or aphakia), hearing defects (such as microtia), or other loss of bodily functions. Patients who do not receive timely, continuous care for their congenital anomalies face long-term physical and psychological injuries. Individuals who suffer from ED and other craniofacial anomalies can expect to incur significant out of pocket costs on reconstructive oral and dental procedures related to their disorder during their lifetime.

    Most group and individual health plans include coverage for congenital anomalies, and many states require insurers to provide coverage for treatments of congenital anomalies. Despite this, health plans systematically and routinely deny or delay claims and appeals for treatment of congenital anomalies by wrongfully categorizing certain treatments or body parts as cosmetic or not medically necessary. This is a common practice that leaves families with the burden of paying the full cost of their child’s medically necessary treatments, despite having private health insurance. 

    The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act would address these coverage denials and delays and ensure that children suffering from congenital anomalies or birth defects get the treatment they need and deserve.

    Specifically, the legislation would:

    • Ensure that all group and individual health plans cover outpatient and inpatient items and services related to the diagnosis and treatment of a congenital anomaly or birth defect that primarily impacts the appearance or function of the eyes, ears, teeth, mouth, or jaw; 
    • Stipulate that such coverage include services and procedures that improve, repair, or restore function due to a congenital anomaly or birth defect, including treatment to any missing or abnormal body part that the treating physician determines is medically necessary. The bill makes clear that this includes adjunctive dental, orthodontic, or prosthodontic support; and
    • Exclude cosmetic procedures or surgery.

    The Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act is supported by a broad coalition of national health care professional and patient advocacy organizations including the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias (NFED), American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Pathways for Rare and Orphan Solutions (PROS Foundation), Rare and Undiagnosed Network (RUN), American Institute of Dental Public Health, FACES: The National Craniofacial Association, Children’s Wisconsin, Crane Dental Laboratory, Inc., American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association, M-CM Network, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Ear Community, American College of Surgeons, Academy of General Dentistry, TMJ Association, American Association of Orthodontists, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus, and American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research.

    In addition to Senators Baldwin and Ernst, the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act is co-sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Angus King (I-ME), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).

    Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House by Representatives Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA-08) and Neal P. Dunn, M.D. (R-FL-02).

    “Many families with children who are born with congenital anomalies face significant financial barriers to accessing the treatment their child needs. This treatment is not just cosmetic. These conditions can have long-term health consequences that can severely impact everyday life,” said Congressman Dunn. “This bipartisan and bicameral legislation will help alleviate the financial hardship that many families endure to get their children the vital care they need. I’m proud to lead this important initiative and would like to thank my colleagues for helping us put a smile on every child’s face.”

    “For far too long, countless patients, including children, have been unable to access treatment for congenital anomalies such as ectodermal dysplasias and cleft lip and palate because their health insurance refused to cover care, leaving them either without treatment or burdened with thousands of dollars in medical expenses,” said Congresswoman Schrier. “This bill would tackle this issue head on by requiring private health insurance plans to cover medically necessary services for treating congenital anomalies and birth defects, thus allowing patients with these conditions to secure and afford the treatment they need.”

    A one-pager on this legislation is available here. Full text of this legislation is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Kelly, Murphy Release New Data Showing Small Fraction of Americans That Would Benefit From GOP’s Tax Giveaways

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    May 08, 2025

    In response to lawmakers’ letter, Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) revealed number, percentage of individuals, corporations in highest income brackets

    Lawmakers led recent vote series opposing tax cuts for wealthiest Americans, billionaire corporations

    Text of JCT Response (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a member of the Joint Economic Committee, and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, published new data from the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) revealing the small fraction of taxpayers and corporations that would benefit from tax giveaways as a result of Congressional Republicans’ tax plans. 

    “Republicans in Congress are bending over backwards to make life easier for a tiny fraction of the wealthiest Americans and corporations — at the expense of working families. Republicans’ agenda is clearer than ever: billionaires win, families lose,” said Senator Warren.

    Last month, following the lawmakers’ vote series forcing Republicans to go on the record about their support for tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy, the lawmakers asked JCT to provide answers on:

    • The number and percentage of individual taxpayers who, in the past three tax years, made at least $10 million, $100 million, $500 million, or $1 billion each year; and 
    • The number and percentage of corporations who, in the past three tax years, made at least $100 million, $500 million, $1 billion, or $10 billion each year. 

    The JCT response revealed that the corporations and individuals who Republicans have supported delivering tax cuts to make up a tiny percentage of American taxpayers. The response revealed that:

    • Around 1,000 individuals, or 0.0007% of individual taxpayers, made more than $100 million in the 2022 tax year
    • Only 33 individuals, or 0.00002% of individual taxpayers, made more than $1 billion in the 2022 tax year. 
    • Fewer than 500 corporations, or 0.03% of corporate taxpayers, made more than $1 billion in the 2022 tax year. 

    As part of the budget reconciliation process, Senate Democrats led by Senator Warren forced Republicans to go on the record with their plans to give massive tax handouts to the wealthiest Americans and giant corporations. Democrats asked whether Republicans would oppose more tax cuts for people making over $100 million, $500 million, or even $1 billion in a single year; Republicans voted no. When asked whether Republicans would oppose additional tax cuts for corporations making over $1 billion in a single year—including corporations like Amazon, Tesla, and ExxonMobil—Republicans voted no again. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Hits Republicans for Voting to Take Away Wi-Fi from Rural Students

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senate Republicans voted to reverse a rule that helps the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) connect rural students to internet access, including on school buses—a provision championed by U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.). After the vote, Senator Welch released the following statement: 
    “Republicans just voted to make it harder for rural students to learn. Installing Wi-Fi hotspots on school buses can be transformative for kids with long commutes through rural states like Vermont. The ‘Wi-Fi on Wheels’ program saw early success in Vermont,” said Sen. Peter Welch. “This unnecessary Republican rollback will only make it harder for our kids to succeed in the digital, 21st-century classroom, and it should have been voted down.”  
    As a member of the House, Senator Welch championed legislation, the E-Rate Support for School Bus Wi-Fi Act, to help close the homework gap for rural students who have long commutes by making Wi-Fi and similar technologies on school buses eligible under the FCC’s E-Rate program funding. 
    In 2023, Senator Welch invited former FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to Williamstown, Vermont, for a discussion on rural broadband buildout and the Central Vermont Supervisory Union’s efforts to install Wi-Fi on school buses—a program called ‘Wi-Fi on Wheels.’ Following the Chairwoman’s visit to Vermont, the FCC voted to make Wi-Fi and similar technologies on school buses eligible for reimbursement under the FCC’s E-Rate program. 
    Vermont has the largest percentage of rural students in the country at 55%, and many Vermont students struggle to access the internet outside the classroom. More than 20% of Americans lack access to fixed terrestrial 25/3 Mbps broadband, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) minimum standard for broadband speed. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 05/8/2025 Blackburn, Bennet, Tillis, Coons Introduce Bill to Bolster Domestic Semiconductor Supply Chains

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) introduced the bipartisan Strengthening Essential Manufacturing and Industrial (SEMI) Investment Act to expand tax incentives for semiconductor facilities to include upstream materials suppliers. This would help protect U.S. defense supply chains by supporting domestic investment and reducing reliance on foreign adversaries like Communist China.

    “Communist China has rapidly increased its grip on semiconductor production, threatening America’s economy and national security,” said Senator Blackburn. “The SEMI Investment Actwould boost manufacturing here in the United States and help secure our supply chains by expanding tax incentives for semiconductor facilities to reduce our dependence on Beijing.”

    “The CHIPS and Science Act revitalized advanced domestic manufacturing and restored funding for cutting-edge research and development. But without sustained investment across the semiconductor supply chain, we risk undermining these important efforts,” said Senator Bennet. “Our bipartisan bill will secure our supply chains and ensure companies across the semiconductor ecosystem can invest in and expand U.S. production.”

    “The U.S. must do everything we can to strengthen the domestic semiconductor supply chain,” said Senator Tillis. “It is crucial for our national security and economic resilience that we get this policy right and I am proud to cosponsor this legislation to ensure we reduce our reliance on our adversaries like China.”

    “Semiconductors drive everything from smartphones to medical devices to automobiles, and countries that excel at manufacturing them will be stronger and more secure in the decades ahead,”said Senator Coons. “Expanding the semiconductor manufacturing investment tax credit—established by President Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act—will strengthen our semiconductor supply chain and advance us toward that goal.”

    BACKGROUND

    • Fueled by massive government subsidies, China’s state-controlled companies now dominate nearly 85% of global processing capacity for rare earth minerals used in semiconductor manufacturing.
    • Last month, China imposed new export bans on rare earth materials like gallium, germanium, and antimony, which are key to semiconductor production.
    • Under current law, tax incentives are only available for facilities that directly produce semiconductors or manufacturing equipment. However, much of the upstream materials and components used in these facilities are sourced from China, leaving our critical supply chains vulnerable and heavily reliant on foreign adversaries.

    SEMI INVESTMENT ACT

    • To safeguard national security and counter China’s growing dominance in the semiconductor sector, the SEMI Investment Act would foster the development of a robust U.S.-based supply chain by expanding the tax credit to include upstream materials suppliers.
    • Expanding incentives to include upstream production would also bolster American innovation, create jobs, and ensure the resilience of this vital industry.

    Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Announces $965,000 for Airport Improvements in Shreveport, Hammond from His Infrastructure Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is granting Louisiana a total of $965,000 from his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for airport safety improvements in Shreveport and Hammond.
    “Airports are often the first impression visitors have when traveling to Louisiana for the first time. These projects will make Louisiana’s airports safer and more reliable while creating jobs and boosting local economies,” said Dr. Cassidy. 
    The Shreveport Airport Authority will receive $881,000 in federal funding to install 13,650 feet of wildlife fencing and eight gates at Shreveport Downtown Airport to enhance safety.
    The City of Hammond will receive $84,000 in federal funding to rehabilitate 36,000 feet of taxiways and 640 square yards of the terminal apron at Hammond Northshore Regional Airport to maintain pavement integrity and reduce debris hazards.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Luján Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Improve AI Testing, Safeguarding Americans Against Risks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    May 07, 2025
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Peter Welch (D-VT) today introduced the Testing and Evaluation Systems for Trusted Artificial Intelligence (TEST) AI Act of 2025, legislation to improve the federal government’s capacity to test and evaluate Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to drive innovation, protect national security, and build trust and confidence for Americans utilizing AI systems.
    The TEST AI Act aims to ensure that AI systems used by federal agencies are trustworthy, secure, and objective, and lays the groundwork for broader national AI evaluation standards through a transparent and collaborative approach. The TEST AI Act would direct a collaboration between the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a testbed pilot program to develop and refine measurement standards for evaluating AI systems.
    “While AI holds enormous positive potential, this new technology must be tested thoroughly to ensure that it is used responsibly,” said Durbin. “With the bipartisan TEST AI Act, we can direct the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop AI testbeds, allowing us to safely explore the boundaries of AI, establish necessary guardrails, and protect against misuse.”
    “The TEST AI Act is a step towards transparency and accountability in artificial intelligence,” said Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) President Brad Carson. “Right now, AI systems are being deployed in high-stakes environments without independent oversight or clear standards. By building federal capacity for rigorous AI evaluations, this bill helps ensure AI tools are secure, effective, and ready for deployment.”
    Specifically, the TEST AI Act would:
    Codify the ongoing collaboration between NIST and DOE to evaluate AI models;
    Improve public-private partnerships through an AI Testing Working Group to guide standard development related to performance, reliability, security, privacy, and bias; and 
    Direct the development of a public strategy for testing, construction of testbeds, and compilation of a report to Congress on the results and recommendations for future standards development.
    Durbin, Luján, Blackburn, and Risch are co-leads of the Senate National Labs Caucus. The caucus works to elevate the National Labs’ visibility and support them as they meet national energy and security objectives. This caucus also helps identify bipartisan initiatives to maintain and extend U.S. leadership in critical scientific sectors.
    Full text of the bill is available here.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper Sounds Alarm on New Budget Estimate for Republican’s Plan to Gut Medicaid, Strip Health Care from Millions of Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
    New CBO estimate finds that Republicans’ proposals to slash Medicaid programs would lead to millions of Americans losing health care coverage
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper released the following statement on the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) new estimate for how the proposed Republican budget to gut Medicaid would lead to millions of Americans losing health care.
    “A new CBO report shows the Republicans’ plans to gut Medicaid would leave millions of Americans without health insurance.
    Why would they do this? They need to pay for their tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy somehow. It’s plain cruel, and we’re fighting it every step of the way.”
    Nearly 80 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) nationally. Medicaid covers nursing home bills for over 60% of all nursing home residents.
    The Republican budget proposal calls for extreme Medicaid cuts of up to $880 billion, which would take away people’s health benefits; make it harder for them to see their health care providers; and prevent seniors from getting nursing home care. Hickenlooper voted against the Republican budget resolution on the Senate floor and offered amendments to prevent cuts to Medicaid.
    Specifically, CBO estimated that the Republican proposal to reduce the federal Medicaid cost-sharing for eligible people under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would lead to 2.4 million people losing health insurance.
    CBO also found that the Republican proposal to repeal Medicaid’s eligibility and enrollment rules – which help low-income Medicare beneficiaries pay their premiums and also simplify enrollment processes for Medicaid and CHIP – would result in 2.3 million people losing Medicaid coverage.
    CBO is a nonpartisan entity that offers impartial analysis on the costs and impacts of proposed legislation to Congress.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Wyden, Doggett, Schakowsky Push Congressional Leadership to Reject Medicaid Cuts, Crack Down on Medicare Advantage Upcoding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    May 08, 2025
     Congressional Republicans’ current plan sets them up to slash hundreds of billions from Medicaid and CHIP
    Lawmakers cite bipartisan support for cracking down on waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare Advantage
    Letter from House (PDF) | Letter from Senate (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – As Congress considers reconciliation legislation, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, along with Representatives Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) led their colleagues in writing to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, urging them to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare Advantage (MA) instead of forging ahead with cuts to Medicaid.
    “As Congress considers reconciliation legislation, we urge you to reject cuts to Medicaid, which are deeply unpopular and will rip away health care from millions of Americans,” wrote the lawmakers. “Where there is widespread agreement is the need to address waste, fraud, and abuse by private, for-profit insurance companies. We write to urge you to crack down on the growing threat to the Medicare program known as ‘upcoding.’”
    Upcoding is the practice by which private insurers in Medicare Advantage exaggerate the medical diagnoses of their enrollees to secure higher payments from the federal government. This results in wasteful spending in Medicare, overcharging seniors and taxpayers while adding tens of billions in costs to the federal government. Analysis from the non-partisan Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) found that upcoding is expected to increase Medicare payments to private health insurance companies by an estimated 10 percent, or $40 billion, in 2025.
    This waste, fraud, and abuse has been called out by both Democrats and Republicans. CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz even noted that tackling this fraud “is relatively enjoyable to go after, because … we have bipartisan support.” Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has launched an inquiry into UnitedHealth’s billing practices in Medicare Advantage, and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) supports the No UPCODE Act, which would ban some of the most aggressive forms of upcoding by private insurers in the program.
    “The Wall Street Journal, MedPAC, Administrator Oz, and Congressional Republicans all seem to agree: wasteful spending in MA, driven by abusive upcoding practices, are a ‘more rational’  route to securing health care savings that will benefit the Medicare program and taxpayers,” continued the lawmakers. “Your directive to cut federal health care spending should come from reducing waste, fraud, and abuse like upcoding by for-profit insurance companies, not by cutting health care benefits for American families who rely on Medicaid to make ends meet.”
    Nevertheless, Congressional Republicans are forging ahead with plans to slash hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)  – which will put health and livelihoods at risk for the nearly 80 million Americans, including 37 million children, eight million people with disabilities, and seven million seniors covered by these programs
    “If there is no course correction that protects Medicaid, tens of millions of Americans will be kicked off their health care,” wrote the lawmakers. “We urge you instead to listen to Administrator Oz and tackle real fraud, waste, and abuse by private, for-profit health insurers in MA.”
    The letters were also signed by Senators Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), as well as Representatives Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Al Green (D-Texas), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Eleanor Homes Norton (D-D.C.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Maxwell Frost (D-Florida), Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Andre Carson (D-Ind.), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), and Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.).
    The letters have been endorsed by the Center for American Progress, Center for Medicare Advocacy, LeadingAge, P Street Project, Protect Our Care, and Public Citizen. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Demands Army Under Secretary Nominee Divest Stock Holdings in Anduril and Other Defense Contractors

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    May 08, 2025
    Senator warns Michael Obadal that financial conflicts “will compromise your ability to serve with integrity, raising a cloud of suspicion over your contracting and operational decisions.”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to Mr. Michael Obadal, nominee for Under Secretary of the Army, with concerns about his refusal to divest from major defense contractors. Obadal will face lawmakers at his nomination hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on May 8, 2025. 
    If confirmed, Obadal will help manage the Army’s operations—consisting of a $186 billion budget, over 100,000 contracts a year, and over one million personnel. Obadal currently serves as a Senior Director at Anduril Industries, which was recently awarded a $22 billion contract to produce high-tech headsets for the Army. Obadal also holds between $250,000 and $500,000 in Anduril stock, which he has refused to divest from ahead of his confirmation. Anduril is also currently eyeing an initial public offering, and the company’s plan of going public would be boosted if it can secure more Pentagon contracts. 
    Even after divesting, Warren said Obadal should still recuse from specific-party matters involving Anduril. 
    “If you were to participate in a decision about an Anduril contract, your prior employment relationship with the company would lead the public to reasonably question whether you were more motivated to protect the company’s interests than the public interest,” said Senator Warren. 
    Obadal also holds stock in several other large defense contractors, including up to $15,000 in each of the following: General Dynamics, Eli Lilly, Thermo Fischer Scientific, and Cummins, Inc. 
    “By attempting to serve in this role with conflicts of interest, you risk spending taxpayer dollars on wasteful DoD contracts that enrich wealthy contractors but fail to enhance Americans’ national security,” said Senator Warren. 
    To address his conflicts of interest, Senator Warren asked him to make five commitments:
    Divest his equity in Anduril; 
    Recuse from any matters involving Anduril; 
    Divest his equity in stock in other major defense contractors; 
    Commit not to seek compensation from any company that works with the Army for four years after leaving government service; and 
    Commit not to lobby the Defense Department for at least four years after leaving office. 
    Some DoD appointees have agreed to a cooling-off period before seeking compensation from defense contractors. For example, Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently committed not to work for major defense contractors after leaving government.
    Relatedly, multiple former Biden appointees agreed to post-employment lobbying restrictions, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, IRS Chief Counsel Marjorie Rollinson, and Treasury Assistant Secretary for Investment Security Paul Rosen.
    Senator Warren asked Obadal to make these ethics commitments in writing by May 9, 2025. 
    Senator Warren has sought to protect servicemembers and national security by pushing defense nominees to resolve their conflicts of interest: 
    In March 2025, ahead of his confirmation vote, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Deputy Defense Secretary Nominee Stephen Feinberg, urging him to recuse himself from all matters related to Ligado Networks, which has a pending $39 billion lawsuit against the DoD. 
    In March 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Mr. Emil Michael, nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, with concern over his history of inappropriate behavior at work, his attacks on journalists and public accountability, and his ties to technology companies that may seek contracts with the Department of Defense. 
    In February 2025, ahead of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Mr. Stephen Feinberg, nominee for Deputy Secretary of the Department of Defense, pressing him to explain his “serious conflicts of interest” and his track record of mismanagement.
    In January 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Mr. Michael Duffey, nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment of the Department of Defense, ahead of his confirmation hearing, with serious concerns about his record, which include violating the law, disregarding Congressional authority, and his involvement in Project 2025. 
    In January 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to Mr. Pete Hegseth, nominee for Secretary of the Department of Defense, regarding his ethics conflicts ahead of the Senate’s consideration of his nomination. Mr. Hegseth’s household’s ownership of stock in several defense contractors and his unwillingness to commit to the same post-employment restrictions he previously advocated for were particularly troubling for a prospective Secretary of Defense.
    In March 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren secured ethics commitments from Douglas Schmidt, ahead of his confirmation to be the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) for the Department of Defense.
    In June 2023, Senator Elizabeth Warren and representative Andy Kim reintroduced the Department of Defense Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act, to limit the influence of contractors on the military, constrain foreign influence on retired senior military officers, and assert greater transparency over contractors and their interaction with DoD.
    In July 2021, Senator Elizabeth Warren secured agreements to four-year recusals from former clients’ and employers’ party matters from then-Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and then-USD(R&E) Heidi Shyu.
    In January 2021, Senator Elizabeth Warren secured a commitment from General Lloyd Austin III, then-nominee for Secretary of Defense, to extend his recusal from Raytheon Technologies for four years and to not seek a position on the board of a defense contractor or become a lobbyist after his government service.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Ricketts Promotes Renewable Fuels and Nebraska’s Farmers During Press Call

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) highlighted his efforts to promote renewable fuels and Nebraska’s farmers during his weekly press call. Ricketts recently led a resolution declaring May 2025 as Renewable Fuels Month in America. He spoke with members of Nebraska press about the resolution:
    “Nebraska farmers fuel the world through the production of renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel,” said Ricketts. “Renewable fuels save consumers money at the pump and support Nebraska agriculture. They clean our environment and support American energy security.”
    Ricketts also underscored the cost savings renewable fuels provide Nebraskan families.
    “Biofuels save consumers money at the pump,” continued Ricketts. “Last time I filled up at Hy-Vee, I saved 55 cents per gallon with E10 compared to the regular 89 octane. That’s saving money at the pump. That’s real relief.”
    In addition, Ricketts described the economic benefits of biofuels for Nebraska’s farmers. Nebraska’s 25 ethanol plants have capacity to make nearly 2.2 billion gallons of biofuel each year. These plants provide more than 1,300 good-paying jobs with an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion.
    TRANSCRIPT:
    Senator Ricketts: “Thank you very much for joining this press call today. 
    “Nebraska farmers fuel the world through the production of renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel. 
    “Renewable fuels save consumers money at the pump and support Nebraska agriculture. 
    “They clean our environment and support American energy security. 
    “That’s why I introduced a bipartisan resolution designating May 2025 as Renewable Fuels Month in America. 
    “As Governor, you may recall I did that a lot for the state of Nebraska. We’re doing it for America now.
    “My resolution celebrates Nebraska’s farmers, rural communities, and home-grown energy. 
    “Biofuels save consumers money at the pump. 
    “Nebraska drivers saved at least $325 million last year by using ethanol blends like E10 and E15. 
    “During the summer months, drivers can save more than 30 cents per gallon. 
    “Owners of flex fuel vehicles, which can run on blends up to E85, can save even more. 
    “Last time I filled up at Hy-Vee, I saved 55 cents per gallon when I filled up with E10 compared to the regular 89 octane.  
    “That’s saving money at the pump.
    “That’s real relief. 
    “Biofuels support Nebraska agriculture. 
    “Our state is America’s second-largest ethanol producer. 
    “Our 25 ethanol plants have capacity to make nearly 2.2 billion gallons each year. 
    “These plants support more than 1,300 good-paying jobs. 
    “They bring an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion dollars. 
    “Biofuels help local farmers get better prices for their corn and soybeans. 
    “A typical dry mill ethanol plant adds nearly 50% more value to every bushel of corn processed last year. 
    “That’s value-added agriculture. 
    “These fuels help drive our economy forward. 
    “Biofuels can help clean our environment. 
    “Ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 44% to 52% compared to regular gasoline. 
    “E15 also reduces other pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulates.
    “That means cleaner air for our communities. 
    “Biofuels also support American energy security. 
    “The Renewable Fuels Association estimates that U.S.-produced ethanol displaced the need for 630 million barrels of imported oil in 2024. 
    “Using home-grown fuels means we rely less on authoritarian countries like Venezuela.
    “Authoritarian countries don’t share our values.
    “We should never depend on them for energy when we have proven solutions right here in Nebraska. 
    “This resolution is one of my many ways I’m supporting renewable fuels. 
    “I led the fight against Biden’s EV mandate. 
    “I introduced the Flex Fuel Fairness Act to expand access to flex fuel vehicles. 
    “I’m pushing to pass Senator Deb Fischer’s bill to allow year-round E15 sales nationwide. 
    “I introduced the Renewable Fuel for Ocean-Going Vessels Act with Democrat Senator Amy Klobuchar. 
    “That bipartisan bill helps biofuels power cargo ships and other large vessels. 
    “I also support the Farm to Fly Act, which will develop the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel. 
    “Consumers, producers, and industry would all benefit from these expanded opportunities. 
    “Nebraska’s biofuels producers help fuel America and the world. 
    “Every day is a good day to choose biofuels. 
    “As you get ready to hit the road this summer, consider filling up on E15. 
    “You’ll be supporting local producers, helping clean our environment, and promoting American energy security. 
    “You’ll also be saving money at the pump! 
    “Now that’s a win for everybody.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    May 08, 2025
    “The Trump administration is now moving beyond broken promises to purposely dismantling the very system that provides hopeful families with accountability and transparency regarding fertility clinic success rates.”
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., today led colleagues in demanding 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 pregnant 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 Wyden, Duckworth, Murray, and Booker, the letter was signed by Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. 
    The senators demanded the immediate rehiring of every civil servant formerly on the ARTS team and answers to the following questions by Friday, May 16:

    When will you reinstate the entirety of the ARTS team?

    How many employees on the ARTS team, and any supporting contracts, have been fired since January 20, 2025? Please provide a complete breakdown by position, provide information on GS level and veteran status, and clearly state the justification for termination. This accounting should include any employees who have since been reinstated or placed on administrative leave, noting that change in status.

    Which officials at HHS were involved in these staffing reduction decisions and what planning, if any, was undertaken prior to these reductions? Please describe the events that unfolded and name each office that was involved in the decision. Further, please name the official(s) who approved the staffing reductions as well as specifically indicate if any of the below individuals, or direct reports to these individuals, were involved in the decision-making. Name any such direct reports. 

    Elon Musk, Special Government Employee, DOGE.

    Amy Gleason, Acting Administrator, DOGE.

    Susan Monarez, Acting Director, First Assistant to the Director, Principal Deputy Director, CDC.

    Without an ARTS team, how will the CDC continue to carry-out its statutorily-required responsibilities under FCSRCA? Please provide a detailed plan, including noting who has the expertise, skills, capacity, and resources to carry-out the responsibilities formerly carried-out by the ARTS team. 

    Have, or will, any of the CDC’s responsibilities previously carried-out by the ARTS team been contracted out? 

    If so, what assurance will you give the American people that the data and analysis produced will be comprehensive, transparent, publicly-accessible and cover all IVF cycles annually, as the ARTS team did?

    If so, please describe the cost of contracting out these services. 

    In some instances, the HHS’s Reduction In Force (RIF) efforts have been characterized as final. Those same people have stated that, as per the nature of the layoffs, the roles and responsibilities previously carried out by fired staff cannot be refilled. Is this characterization of the RIF efforts correct?

    If so, how can the CDC continue to carry-out its statutorily required responsibilities under FCSRCA?

    What communication, if any, has been given to IVF clinics in connection with the ARTS layoffs and how to report data going forward? If any such communication was distributed, please produce it.

    Does the CDC continue to collect data from IVF clinics across the country? If so, who is responsible for collecting that data and where is the data presently being stored?

    People considering and undergoing IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies rely on up-to-date information to make informed medical decisions. Each year, CDC collects data from IVF clinics across the country and standardizes this information into a public-facing website and report. 

    As of the ARTS team’s firings, the 2023 data had been fully collected. What is the anticipated release date for the 2023 IVF report? Has this timeline been impacted by the ARTS layoffs?

    Have any of the information categories published in previous years been removed or altered? If so, please describe the changes that have been made to information categories and provide a rationale for any changes.

    The ARTS team was operational for over 30 years and the historical information it held related to ARTS is uniquely instructive to public health efforts and contains sensitive PII about hopeful parents undergoing IVF and their children. How will the CDC maintain patient confidentiality, protect PII, and sustain this critical database moving forward? Please provide a detailed plan.

    Further, who is presently in charge of the historical information previously held by the ARTS Team and where is this information held?

    Was the decision to dismiss the ARTS team made in consultation with any non-governmental entities, including nonprofits, think tanks, advocacy organizations, research or educational institutions, or public policy research organizations.

    If so, please provide any written documents or correspondence that informed this decision and name all non-governmental entities involved in the decision to terminate the ARTS team.

    The full letter text is here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch, Blackburn Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Rideshare Passengers’ Privacy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) reintroduced the Safe and Private Rides Act, bipartisan legislation to require transportation network companies (TNCs) to notify passengers when their driver has a video recording device in the car. The Senators’ legislation would also allow passengers to opt out of riding with a driver with a dashcam, preventing rideshare drivers from violating passengers’ privacy. 
    “Millions of people around the country rely on rideshare services for transportation every day, whether it’s to the doctor, work, or the airport. Folks using rideshare services deserve to have peace of mind about their digital privacy during a ride, which includes knowing if they will be filmed before calling a ride,” said Senator Welch. “Our bipartisan Safe and Private Rides Act gives passengers using rideshare services straightforward privacy protections by allowing the option to opt out of a rideshare using video recording devices that record passengers.” 
    “Passengers shouldn’t have to sacrifice their right to privacy the moment they step into a rideshare vehicle, and they deserve to know when they are being recorded,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Safe and Private Rides Act would increase transparency and ensure that both driver safety and passenger privacy are protected as more Americans take advantage of these services.” 
    51% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 have used a rideshare service, and ridesharing companies are expected to generate $54 billion annually by 2027. As more and more Americans take advantage of these services, safety and privacy must be prioritized. 
    Dashcams, while beneficial for the driver, present privacy concerns for passengers. There have been reported instances of rideshare drivers recording passengers and subsequently releasing the footage online.  
    Rideshares offer convenience and accessibility, and they are an example of American innovation. As they grow, their drivers should be able to use technology to protect themselves. Passengers should also be able to make decisions to preserve their privacy. 
    The Safe and Private Rides Act would increase transparency by giving passengers a choice while preserving the driver’s safety. Specifically, the Safe and Private Rides Act would:  
    Require TNCs to notify passengers when their driver has a video recording device in the car; 
    Require TNCs to allow passengers to opt out of riding with a driver with a recording device in the car; and  
    Grant the Federal Trade Commission the authority to enforce these transparency requirements. 
    Read and download the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch, Senate Colleagues Slam Social Security for Improperly Declaring Thousands Dead, Call for Watchdog Investigation 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Trump Administration abused Death Master File to purge at least 6,300 Social Security numbers–including children and seniors 
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, this week joined 11 Senate colleagues in slamming the Social Security Administration (SSA) for transferring thousands of Social Security numbers associated with immigrants to SSA’s Death Master File, marking them as dead to pressure ‘self-deportation,’ and demanded the agency’s watchdog launch a full investigation into the decision.  
    In their letter, the Senators emphasize that the Trump Administration’s actions exploit Social Security’s Death Master File to terminate social security numbers of living individuals without full due process violates several federal laws, including the Privacy Act, as well as bedrock constitutional rights. Even Trump’s lawyers reportedly agreed that Social Security’s actions violated the Privacy Act.  
    “This decision will result in the ‘financial murder’ of living individuals improperly placed in the file, with everything from their credit cards and banking to their ability to access healthcare and housing being ripped out from under them,” the Senators wrote in the letters to Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek and Social Security Assistant Inspector General for Audit Michelle Anderson.  
    The Senators also called on the SSA Office of the Inspector General to launch a full investigation into the agency’s decision to begin using the Death Master File for this purpose, including how an individual gets targeted, who at the agency has decision making authority, and how those who have their SSNs nullified through this process can get it fixed if there is a mistake. 
    The Trump Administration’s abuse of Social Security’s centerpiece role in America’s economy sets a dangerous precedent of allowing the government to rip away workers’ access to their earned Social Security benefits while threatening the security of all Americans. 
    “The purpose of SSA is to provide for the welfare of number-holders and their dependents, not to serve as an arm of President Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. This move degrades the solvency, reliability, and accuracy of SSA systems and programs. It is as cruel as it is thoughtless– the impact will be felt in communities across the country and in the future of SSA programs themselves,” the Senators concluded in one of their letters to SSA. 
    In addition to Senators Welch and Wyden, the letter was signed by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Angus King (I-Maine), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore).  
    Read and download the full text of the letter to SSA Acting Commissioner Dudek. 
    Read and download the full text of the letter to SSA Assistant Inspector General for Audit Anderson. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz: Reported ICE Raid On Filipino Teachers On Maui Outrageous, Abuse Of Power

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    Published: 05.07.2025
    Schatz’s Office Is Reaching Out To Assist Impacted Teachers

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement on reports that Filipino teachers on Maui were interrogated and held in their home by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
    “The reported interrogation and efforts to detain Filipino teachers in their home on Maui by ICE agents is outrageous. This is racial profiling and a shameful abuse of power. We are a nation of laws, but the broad ICE raids this week are clearly designed just to instill fear,” said Senator Schatz. “Our teachers, our visitors, and our neighbors, deserve dignity and safety, not fear of seemingly arbitrary harassment,”
    Schatz’s office is in contact with the Hawai‘i Department of Education and reaching out to offer assistance to teachers impacted by the raid.  Resources for immigrants and their families are available at schatz.senate.gov/help.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: May 7th, 2025 Heinrich Demands Answers on DOGE Staffer’s Unchecked Authority Over Department of the Interior

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum slamming DOI’s decision to elevate Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) staffer Tyler Hassen’s role in the agency. The letter comes after a March request from Heinrich urging Burgum to revoke his delegation of authority to Mr. Hassen, who never received a Senate hearing or confirmation, despite wielding significant power over the agency.

    In his letter, Heinrich demands a number of records related to Mr. Hassen’s authority, including a legal justification under the Vacancies Reform Act — of which Hassen’s role appears in direct violation — employment classifications and service history, all DOI staffing changes (past, current, and planned), an analysis of how layoffs affect the DOI’s mission, communications with DOGE and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) about layoffs, as well as a list of all contracts and grants DOGE has targeted for termination or renegotiation.

    “On March 26, 2025, I wrote to you to express serious concern over your decision to appoint Tyler Hassen to a role responsible for performing the functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget in an acting capacity. I outlined the delegation ran afoul of the Vacancies Reform Act. Troublingly, instead of revoking Mr. Hassen’s delegation, you have further empowered him,” Heinrich began.

    Heinrich continued, “On April 17, 2025, you signed a Secretarial Order giving Mr. Hassen extensive authority over Departmental functions. Under the Order, Mr. Hassen, who joined the Department of the Interior (“DOI” or “Department”) as a member of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is now responsible for a broad portfolio, including human resources, contracting, federal financial assistance, and information technology. The Order appears to give Mr. Hassen free reign over key Departmental restructuring and decision-making for an indefinite period of time without a set expiration date.”

    In the last several months, DOI has fired thousands of hardworking public servants and additional reductions in force (RIF) are reportedly looming. The Department has also pushed employees to voluntarily resign or take early retirement through buyout offers. According to reports, in February, DOI fired more than 2,000 employees, which has been the subject of litigation. In April, the Department reportedly fired the agency’s Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, and others in the solicitor’s office after they objected to DOGE gaining access to major payroll and personnel systems that processes the salaries of approximately 276,000 employees.

    Heinrich emphasized these drastic changes, slamming the Secretary’s decision to further empower Mr. Hassen at DOI, “Your latest action to further empower Mr. Hassen underscores your willingness to freely hand over the keys to the Department to a DOGE representative. The Department plays a vital role in managing public lands, safeguarding cultural resources, and engaging in responsible energy development. Delegating sweeping authorities and responsibilities to a non-Senate confirmed person in violation of the Vacancies Reform Act is baffling and extremely troubling.”

    Read the full letter here and below.

    Dear Mr. Secretary:

    On March 26, 2025, I wrote to you to express serious concern over your decision to appoint Tyler Hassen to a role responsible for performing the functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget in an acting capacity. I outlined the delegation ran afoul of the Vacancies Reform Act. Troublingly, instead of revoking Mr. Hassen’s delegation, you have further empowered him.

    On April 17, 2025, you signed a Secretarial Order giving Mr. Hassen extensive authority over Departmental functions. Under the Order, Mr. Hassen, who joined the Department of the Interior (“DOI” or “Department”) as a member of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is now responsible for a broad portfolio, including human resources, contracting, federal financial assistance, and information technology. The Order appears to give Mr. Hassen free reign over key Departmental restructuring and decision-making for an indefinite period of time without a set expiration date.

    Indeed, it appears that Mr. Hassen has wielded significant power since arriving at DOI. Mr. Hassen—appearing with Mr. Musk in a Fox News interview—touted reviewing “every single contract, every single grant” at DOI. In the same interview, Mr. Hassen boasted about access to you, stating, “[w]hen things come to my attention that don’t make sense, I’m bringing them to Secretary Burgum. He’s been fantastic. He’s a businessman, he’s very supportive of DOGE.”  In recent months, the Department has undergone drastic changes. DOI has fired thousands of hardworking public servants and additional reductions in force (RIF) are reportedly looming. The Department has also pushed employees to voluntarily resign or take early retirement through buyout offers. According to reports, in February, DOI fired more than 2,000 employees, which has been the subject of litigation. In April, the Department reportedly fired the agency’s Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, and others in the solicitor’s office after they objected to DOGE gaining access to a major payroll and personnel systems that processes the salaries of approximately 276,000 employees.

    Your latest action to further empower Mr. Hassen underscores your willingness to freely hand over the keys to the Department to a DOGE representative. The Department plays a vital role in managing public lands, safeguarding cultural resources, and engaging in responsible energy development. Delegating sweeping authorities and responsibilities to a non-Senate confirmed person in violation of the Vacancies Reform Act is baffling and extremely troubling.

     To better understand the basis of your delegation of authorities to Mr. Hassen, as well as the breadth of workforce reductions at the Department, please provide the following information by May 21, 2025:

    Appointment

    1. Prior to your appointment of Mr. Hassen to a role responsible for performing the functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, did the Department assess whether the delegation of authority complied with the Vacancies Reform Act? If so, please provide a copy of the Department’s analysis.
    1. The Vacancies Reform Act permits only three categories of Government officials to perform the functions of a vacant office in an acting capacity. Please indicate if Mr. Hassen meets any of these three categories.
    1. What is Mr. Hassen’s current employment classification (e.g., Schedule C employee or another classification)? In responding to this question, please also provide all other employment classifications Mr. Hassen has served under at the Department and the dates of service for each classification.

    Terminations and Workforce Reductions

    1. Please provide the current and planned staffing levels at the Department. In responding to this question, please provide the following information:
      1. A detailed breakdown and the reason for the staff changes at the Department (e.g., retirement, termination, participation in a Deferred Resignation Program, or other action) and corresponding figures for each category listed.
    1. For each bureau and program office, please provide the following information:
      1. The number of employees in each bureau and program office on January 20, 2025, and the current number of employees in that bureau and program office.
      1. A detailed description of planned changes to workforce in each bureau and program office, including target employment numbers for each bureau and program office.
    1. Prior to making workforce reductions at the Department or offering the Deferred Resignation Program option to employees, did the Department conduct a comprehensive analysis to understand if such reductions compromised the Department’s ability to meet its statutory mission? If so, please provide the Committee with a copy of that analysis.
    1. Does DOI plan to eliminate, merge, or reduce the function of any bureau or program office? If so, please explain.
    1. Please provide all documents and communications between Mr. Hassen and agents or representatives of DOGE referring or relating to terminations and workforce reductions at DOI.
    1. Please provide all documents and communications between Mr. Hassen and OMB referring or relating to terminations and workforce reductions at DOI.

    Grants and Contract Terminations and Renegotiations

    1. Please provide a list of all Department grants or contracts DOGE has identified for termination or renegotiation. In responding to this question, please provide the following information:
      1. A description of each grant or contract DOGE has identified for termination or renegotiation and the current status.
      1. DOGE’s justification for terminating or renegotiating the grant or contract.
    1. Since January 20, 2025, has the Department terminated or recompeted any contract? If so, please provide the following information for each contract terminated or recompeted:
      1. A description of the contract terminated or recompeted.
      1. b. The reason the Department terminated or recompeted the contract.
    1. Since January 20, 2025, has the Department entered into any new contracts? If so, please provide detailed information.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Tuberville Introduce Legislation to Level Playing Field for Sporting Equipment Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) introduced the Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act to close a tax loophole that has resulted in lost revenue for state-led wildlife conservation efforts.  Foreign sellers should be held to the same tax regulations as domestic manufacturers, and this bill will ensure that happens.

    “Federal excise taxes on certain recreational outdoor sporting equipment provide funding for conservation programs,” said Crapo.  “This bill closes loopholes on imported fishing and archery equipment that deprive fish and wildlife conservation programs of additional critical funds.  This move will help level the playing field for Idaho and American companies and strengthen existing conservation programs.”

    “Alabama is proud to be home to hundreds of small businesses who make sporting equipment that outdoorsmen and conservationists rely on.  The last thing these business owners need is to be punished for producing goods right here in the U.S.A.” said Tuberville.  “Under President Trump, we are laser-focused on doing everything we can to encourage domestic production.  I’m proud to introduce this legislation with Senator Crapo which closes a loophole allowing foreign sellers to exploit our domestic retailers and rob money from our state conservation programs.”

    Numerous conservation and sporting groups, including the Archery Trade Association, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, American Sportfishing Association and The Conservation Fund have endorsed the legislation. 

    “We thank Senators Tuberville and Crapo for their leadership in helping to make the Sport Fish Restoration and Wildlife Restoration funds whole,” said Jim Fredericks, Director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.  “State fisheries programs count on these funds to maintain the good quality fishing opportunities that keep our anglers coming back for more.”

    “The archery industry applauds Senators Crapo and Tuberville for their exceptionally strong leadership and introduction of this high priority legislation,” said Dan Forster, Vice President & Chief Conservation Officer, Archery Trade Association.  “Holding foreign companies accountable for paying the federal excise tax is not only about protecting American businesses but it will help ensure that our conservation funding and outdoor heritage are protected for future generations.”

    “The Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act will ensure the future viability of the Sport Fish Restoration Fund by closing a loophole and securing millions of dollars in lost excise tax revenue to improve recreational fishing,” said Glenn Hughes, President and CEO of American Sportfishing Association.  “Since 1950, excise taxes on fishing equipment have provided $12 billion for conservation efforts and improved access for anglers across the country–a unique user-pay, public-benefit system that has become a cornerstone of the American conservation model.  We applaud Senators Tuberville and Crapo for introducing this legislation and for their commitment to the sportfishing industry, which contributes $230 billion to the U.S. economy each year.”

    Complete text of the bill can be found here.  U.S. Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT-01) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year.

    BACKGROUND:

    For decades, the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act have provided states and territories with essential funding for wildlife restoration, conservation, hunter education programs and boating access programs.  These programs, funded through excise taxes on sportfishing and archery equipment, have contributed more than $1.3 billion in FY2025 to support conservation efforts across the country.

    However, a loophole in current tax policy allows some online purchases of imported sporting goods to bypass these excise taxes when purchased directly from foreign sellers, leading to a shortfall of tens of millions of dollars from going to conservation funds.  Many consumers are unaware that they may be responsible for these taxes, and even those who are aware often struggle to navigate IRS guidelines on calculating and paying them.  A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report recommended that Congress address this issue by ensuring that U.S. online marketplaces, rather than consumers, are responsible for collecting and remitting these excise taxes.

    The Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act would:

    • Require U.S. online marketplaces to collect and remit federal excise taxes on imported archery and fishing equipment, treating them as the importer of record.
    • Ensure that funding for state-led wildlife conservation efforts is not lost due to tax loopholes.
    • Maintain fairness for domestic retailers who already pay these taxes on sporting goods they sell.
    • Simplify the tax process for consumers, eliminate confusion and ensure that conservation programs receive the full funding they deserve.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Joins Bipartisan Bill to Help House Disabled Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) joined U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-California), Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania), Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona) and Katie Britt (R-Alabama) to introduce bipartisan legislation to ensure veterans experiencing homelessness and receiving disability payments maintain access to crucial housing support.  The Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act (HUDVA) would permanently exclude disability payments received by veterans from annual income for housing assistance eligibility purposes under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.

    “Veterans who placed their lives on the line and were disabled in active duty combat should not have to worry about whether or not they will have a home after they return from their service,” Senator Crapo said.  “The fact that many disabled veterans in this country are homeless because their income from disability payments was too high to qualify for housing assistance is unconscionable.”

    The HUD-VASH program plays a pivotal role in addressing homelessness among veterans by providing rental assistance from HUD along with supportive services from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  Unfortunately, some of our country’s most disabled veterans receiving disability payments have historically been unable to access veterans housing programs like HUD-VASH because HUD included disability benefits as part of their total income.  Up until recently, the more severe a disability was, the more disability benefits a veteran received, and the less likely it was that they could access veterans housing assistance.

    Last year, HUD finally changed its policies to exclude VA disability benefits from income for purposes of eligibility for the HUD-VASH program.  Now that homeless veterans with disabilities can finally access this assistance, HUDVA would codify this important policy change to ensure that access continues permanently.

    In another effort to support disabled veterans, Crapo also co-led reintroduction of the Major Richard Star Act, which would provide combat-injured veteran retirees full VA disability and U.S. Department of Defense retirement benefits earned by their service.

    The Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act is also co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii). Representatives Brad Sherman (D-California) and Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas) are leading companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 05.07.2025 Sen. Cruz, Colleagues Introduce Bill Defending Troops’ Constitutional Right to Freedom of Religion

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the Reaffirming Every Servicemember’s Trust Over Religious Exemptions (RESTORE) Act. This bill would require the Department of Defense (DoD) to establish a Special Review Board to audit the service-wide handling of religious accommodation requests related to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The Board would be charged with identifying those who were unjustly penalized, and correcting the career and personnel records of affected servicemembers.
    Sen. Cruz said, “American servicemembers are still facing unjust consequences for personal religious decisions that caused them to reject the Biden administration’s coercive COVID-19 vaccine mandates, including being denied promotions and receiving negative performance reviews. Under the RESTORE Act, these wrongs would be corrected for the men and women in uniform.”
    Sen. Scott said, “Biden’s DOD placed a ridiculous vaccine mandate on the great men and women who served our nation, kicking American heroes out of our service for refusing to comply for health or religious reasons. President Trump is already working to right these wrongs, but we must make sure every service member who lost their livelihood due to this overreaching mandate has the chance to serve their nation once again. I’m proud to support the RESTORE Act and will always be grateful to those willing to serve our nation.”
    Sen. Britt said, “I’m proud to support the RESTORE Act, which directly addresses the previous administration’s mishandling of religious accommodation requests and aims to remedy the unjust consequences experienced by thousands of dedicated men and women in uniform. This legislation builds upon the AMERICANS Act, of which I am also a proud cosponsor. I’m honored to stand with Senator Cruz and my colleagues in our continued efforts to restore fairness and justice for military service members harmed by the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.”
    Sen. Lee said, “Thousands of military service members were punished for declining the COVID-19 vaccine – some for religious reasons that are protected by the Constitution. The RESTORE Act corrects these injustices by awarding the promotions and pay stolen from our courageous men and women in uniform by the Biden administration.”
    Read the full text of the bill here.
    Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas-13).
    Rep. Jackson said, “President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are on a mission to fix what Joe Biden and Lloyd Austin did to our brave men and women in uniform. This bill gives the Trump Administration the authority to investigate and finally deliver justice to the thousands of servicemembers who stood their ground and stayed in uniform after filing Religious Accommodation Requests from the COVID-19 vaccine. These heroes were wrongfully punished for their religious convictions—passed over for promotions, slapped with unfair evaluations, and pressured to cave. Those actions were absolutely wrong, and Congress must provide Secretary Hegseth with the authorities and tools he needs to make it right!”
    BACKGROUND
    On August 24, 2021, the DoD implemented a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all U.S. service members. While exemptions were permitted for religious, medical, or administrative reasons, the process for religious accommodation requests (RARs) was applied inconsistently and with overwhelming rejection.
    Approximately 28,000 RARs were submitted across all branches and fewer than 400 were approved, representing less than 2% of the total requests. An estimated 18,000–20,000 service members who had submitted religious exemption requests remained in service and were denied promotions, received negative performance evaluations, or coerced into vaccination despite acting in good faith under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
    This bill would:
    Require the Secretary of Defense to establish a Special Review Board under the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to audit all religious accommodation requests and outcomes related to the COVID-19 vaccine;
    Mandate a DoD-wide review of career impacts caused by denial or retaliation following religious accommodation requests, including stalled promotions, negative evaluations, and restricted assignments;
    Authorize corrective action such as backdated promotions, restoration of Date of Rank (DOR), lost pay and retirement contributions, and expungement of adverse actions from personnel records;
    Require compensation and remedies to be delivered within 60 days of case resolution;
    Ensure transparency and congressional oversight through quarterly reporting to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees and a final Inspector General audit.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Moran Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Bolster U.S. STEM Leadership, Address Financial Insecurity for Graduate and Postdoctoral Researchers

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Moran Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Bolster U.S. STEM Leadership, Address Financial Insecurity for Graduate and Postdoctoral Researchers

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) introduced bipartisan legislation to bolster U.S. leadership in STEM by requiring federal research agencies to help address the financial insecurity crisis among graduate and postdoctoral researchers. The Relieving Economic Strain to Enhance American Resilience & Competitiveness in Higher Education & Research (RESEARCHER) Act would also commission studies to better understand the landscape of financial insecurity for these researchers and improve the STEM career pipeline.
    The scientific workforce is fueled by our graduate and postdoctoral researchers making groundbreaking discoveries and technological innovations that help protect American global competitiveness. However, these young researchers face significant financial stressors — including food insecurity, student loan debt, housing costs, and child care costs — that threaten to force many of them to drop out of the STEM pipeline entirely.
    In a 2023 “Postdoctoral Barriers to Success” survey, nearly 95 percent of postdoctoral researchers reported that their salary negatively affected their professional or personal lives, with 85 percent indicating that a lack of benefits was harming their careers. In California, the percentage of University of California graduate students facing food insecurity has increased dramatically in recent years, from 21 percent in 2021 to 35 percent in 2023.
    “As a mechanical engineer, I know a strong STEM workforce pipeline is essential to securing America’s global leadership and promoting lifesaving scientific and technological innovation. But rising costs of living and insufficient salaries are forcing graduate and postdoctoral researchers to look toward other careers,” said Senator Padilla. “The current system is unsustainable for researchers in California and across the country. Our bipartisan bill would help address and improve our understanding of the widespread challenges young researchers face — like food insecurity, student loan debt, health, housing, and child care — to support the researchers who will guide the future of our scientific enterprise.”
    “To remain globally competitive, it is critical that our nation is supporting and prioritizing STEM education and research,” said Senator Moran. “Recent reports demonstrate that financial insecurity is a major barrier for postdoctoral research. This legislation will help equip universities with the tools to better support the success of STEM students in higher education and encourage postdoctoral researchers to pursue a degree in the Midwest.”
    “Although a vital part of the scientific enterprise, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers have endured insufficient support to sustain their most basic needs while doing innovative science.  The Relieving Economic Strain to Enhance American Resilience and Competitiveness in Higher Education and Research, or RESEARCHER Act, is imperative to addressing these barriers. From increasing access to affordable housing, food and health care to addressing costs of caregiving for family members, this legislation seeks to standardize policies and guidance for the federal government agencies to examine as they provide financial support for the future STEM workforce. The University of California thanks Sen. Padilla for his leadership in introducing the RESEARCHER Act and encourages Congress to pass this important legislation quickly,” said UC Vice President for Research & Innovation Theresa A. Maldonado, Ph.D., P.E.
    “The California State University applauds the introduction of the RESEARCHER Act. Addressing the financial instability faced by graduate and postdoctoral researchers is critical to ensuring a strong and sustainable research workforce. This legislation is an important step toward creating equitable and supportive conditions for the next generation of innovators and scholars,” said Dr. Ganesh Raman, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research at the California State University.
    “Fair compensation is the issue most frequently raised by postdoctoral researchers nationally,” said Thomas P. Kimbis, executive director and chief executive officer of the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA). “The NPA encourages passage of the RESEARCHER Act to increase understanding of the financial needs of postdocs and graduate students, including locality pay issues, and steps that can be taken to address them.”
    “Graduate students and postdocs are the future of the nation’s STEM workforce, yet we are failing to pay many a competitive, livable wage. The RESEARCHER Act is a first step towards ensuring a continued, thriving U.S. scientific enterprise in an increasingly competitive world,” said Jonathan A. Bagger, American Physical Society CEO.
    “AGU applauds the RESEARCHER Act for working to support our nation’s student and early career scientists.  Science needs us like never before with support and resources. By reducing the financial hardships for graduate and postdoctoral researchers, the bill will help increase participation in STEM fields and help build long-term American leadership and innovation in the sciences,” said American Geophysical Union.
    “Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers have long been the foundation of America’s standing as a global leader in science and technology—often while facing enormous financial uncertainty. The RESEARCHER Act is a vital step toward giving these researchers the stability they deserve to continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge and maintaining U.S. leadership in innovation,” said Michael Espinal and Braden Gilleland, Co-Chairs of Federal Affairs, MIT Graduate Student Council.
    Specifically, the RESEARCHER Act would:
    Require federal research agencies to implement policies to address the financial instability of graduate and postdoctoral researchers based on policy guidelines developed by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy;
    Increase data collection on the financial instability of graduate and postdoctoral researchers by amending the CHIPS and Science Act and directing the National Science Foundation to award institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations with grants to research the subject;
    Commission a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine study on the status of graduate and postdoctoral researcher financial insecurity; and
    Direct the Government Accountability Office to report on the implementation of the guidelines enacted by federal research agencies and make recommendations to improve said guidelines.
    The RESEARCHER Act is endorsed by the American Physical Society, American Geophysical Union, American Mathematical Association, National Postdoctoral Association, Association for Women in Science, American Association of Immunologists, University of California, California State University, and the MIT Student Graduate Council.
    As a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) mechanical engineering graduate and a Commissioner of the bipartisan National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), Senator Padilla has worked to advance U.S. scientific and technological leadership. He recently introduced the bipartisan National Biotechnology Initiative Act of 2025 to set in motion a whole-of-government approach to advancing biotechnology for U.S. national security, economic productivity, and competitiveness. The bill followed the Commission’s release of their major report and action plan, urging Congressional action to protect U.S. national security by bringing the full weight of American innovation to improve and maintain U.S. global leadership in biotechnology.
    Senator Padilla also hosted students and advocates last year to reintroduce the Basic Assistance for Students in College (BASIC) Act, bicameral legislation to help ensure college and university students can better meet their basic needs while pursuing higher education.
    A one-pager on the bill is available here.
    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Bennet, Salinas, Lofgren Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Provide Disaster Relief for Farm Workers

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Bennet, Salinas, Lofgren Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Provide Disaster Relief for Farm Workers

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act to provide compensation for farm workers who lose out on wages due to extreme weather, public health emergencies, and other disasters beyond their control. Representatives Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18) are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
    California is home to as many as 800,000 year-round and seasonal farm workers who help power the state’s $59 billion agricultural economy, yet despite their contributions to the local, regional, and national economies, there are few protections for the farm workforce. The California agricultural economy faced almost $4 billion in damages from 2023 to 2024, and that’s without even accounting for flooded farm worker homes in Pajaro or lost farm worker income. Existing federal disaster relief programs insufficiently compensate farm workers when they lose wages as a result of conditions out of their control.
    “California’s farm workers often work under extreme conditions to help put food on the table for hundreds of millions of Americans,” said Senator Padilla. “But increasingly frequent natural disasters, including historic flooding in Pajaro, have devastated California’s agricultural communities. We must protect the heart of our nation’s food supply by providing critical emergency assistance to these essential workers.”
    “Agriculture is the backbone of Colorado’s economy and central to our Western way of life, but as climate-fueled disasters become increasingly common, our state’s farm workers are paying the price,” said Senator Bennet. “Our bill will help ensure the people that grow America’s fruits, vegetables, and other crops get the assistance they need in the wake of emergencies like drought, wildfires, and other natural disasters.”
    “Extreme weather and natural disasters are only getting worse with climate change. Unfortunately, many of the hardworking individuals who grow and harvest our food do not receive direct financial support when they are forced to miss work and lose wages as a result of these disasters,” said Representative Salinas. “My legislation would finally correct this injustice by providing federal disaster relief for farmworkers. This change is well-deserved and long-overdue, and I will continue to advocate for the brave men and women who help feed America.”
    “When extreme weather occurs, farmworkers across our country continue to feed the nation. And yet, these essential workers and their families face great uncertainty when unexpected disasters harm their communities and livelihood. For example, hundreds of farmworkers in my congressional district faced displacement and lost wages after severe flooding devastated the Pajaro community in early 2023. We owe them – and all farmworkers – more. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act ensures America’s indispensable farmworkers can receive disaster relief funding they need and have earned,” said Representative Lofgren.
    The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act would address this problem by providing direct relief funding for farm workers. Specifically, this bill would:
    Make grants available to eligible farm worker organizations to provide emergency relief to farm workers affected by a disaster.
    Ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) develops and executes a promotional plan prior to and throughout the distribution of the relief grants to increase awareness of the assistance available.
    Require USDA to work with eligible farm worker organizations.
    Provide definitions for a covered disaster, eligible farm worker organization, and migrant or seasonal farm worker.
    Amend Section 2281 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to allow for emergency assistance for farm workers.
    The legislation is endorsed by the following organizations: A Better Balance, Alianza Americas, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), Borderlands Resource Initiative, California Human Development, Campesinos Sin Fronteras, Care in Action, CASA of Oregon, Center for Employment Training, Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), Central Valley Opportunity Center, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc (CDM), Child Labor Coalition, CHILDREN AT RISK, CIERTO, Civic Empowerment Coalition, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Columbia Legal Services, CRLA Foundation, Davidson County Local Food Network, El Futuro es Nuestro, Farm Worker Ministry Northwest, Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project-FLAP, Farmworker Housing Development Corporation (FHDC), Farmworker Justice, Food Empowerment Project, GALEO Impact Fund, Hand in Hand/Mano en Mano, Hispanic Affairs Project, Hispanic Federation, Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, Immigrant Defenders Law Center, La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), Latino Outdoors, League of Conservation Voters, Make the Road CT, Make the Road NJ, Make the Road NV, Make the Road NY, Make the Road PA, Make the Road States, Michiganders for a Just Farming System, National Association of Social Workers, National Association of Social Workers – Florida and Virgin Islands Chapter, National Consumers League, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Employment Law Project, National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association, NC FIELD, Inc., NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, North Carolina Council of Churches, North Carolina Farmworker Advocacy Network, North Carolina Justice Center, Nourish Up, Opportunity Arizona, Oregon Human Development Corporation, Organización en California de Lideres Campesinas, Inc, PCUN, Oregon’s Farmworker Union, Pesticide Action and Agroecology Network (PAN), Popular Democracy, Presente.org, Progress Michigan, Proteus Inc., Puente de la Costa Sur, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Slow Food USA, Student Action with Farmworkers, Sur Legal Collaborative, TODEC Legal Center, Toxic Free North Carolina, UFW Foundation, Unidos Yamhill County, United Farm Workers, and Voces Unidas de las Montañas.
    “Farm workers are always on the front lines of fires, floods, and storms — yet are too often excluded from federal disaster relief programs,” said Teresa Romero, President of United Farm Workers (UFW). “If the federal government can provide emergency support to farm owners who lose crops in natural disaster, then the federal government can emergency provide support to farm workers who lose work in that same disaster. The Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act will ensure that farm workers who put food on all our tables can continue to put food on their family’s table when disaster strikes.”
    “Every year we see an alarming number of natural disasters that drastically and disproportionately impact the farm worker community. As climate change gets worse, these types of disasters will only worsen and farm workers are the ones who are affected the most by these calamities. Just last year, we saw heavy California rains flooding Ventura County farm areas and Hurricane Helen devastating Georgia’s farm worker communities, leading to organizations like ours stepping up to do what we can. But that is not enough. We must have a federal response to these kinds of disasters. From wildfires to tornadoes to hurricanes, farm workers have little to no safety net to help them recover from unexpected disasters,” said Erica Lomeli Corcoran, Chief Executive Officer at UFW Foundation. “This is exactly why the UFW Foundation is supporting the Disaster Relief for Farm Workers Act. It would provide resources and aid to those who truly need it and would ensure that those responsible for our nation’s food supplies are not overlooked, as they have been in the past. Farm workers have been largely ignored and neglected by the law, shut out from basic protections provided to all workers. It is time that Congress acts and ensures that our nation’s farm workers are given the support they need to overcome times of emergencies and to provide equity to all workers.” 
    “Farmworkers are frontline workers, which means they are the hardest hit by the impacts of extreme weather conditions across the country. Many farmworkers feel that they are risking their health with extreme heat and colder days, but losing even one day of work is not an option for their families’ economic situation. Outdoor protections are important, yet there are days that are becoming too extreme to even be outside. Our vision is to be a resilient workforce for the agricultural industry. Disaster relief means we can start investing in addressing the issues that workers are facing today by building resilience for climate change in the future, without sacrificing the economic well-being of farmworkers,” said Reyna Lopez, Executive Director of Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noreste (PCUN).
    Senator Padilla has fought hard to deliver relief to agricultural communities devastated by natural disasters. Earlier this year, Padilla announced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to improve access to federal agriculture disaster programs. Padilla also introduced the Smoke Exposure Research Act, legislation to better protect winegrape growers against wildfire smoke damage by strengthening research and risk management efforts at West Coast land-grant universities. Last year, he led a bipartisan coalition of California members in urging the Senate and House Agriculture Committees to incorporate permanent disaster assistance for agricultural producers and communities in the Farm Bill. The letter called for the inclusion of his bipartisan Agricultural Emergency Relief Act, which would create a permanent structure at the USDA to provide relief for farmers who lost crops due to natural disasters. Previously, Padilla introduced a pair of bills to equip the USDA to better meet the needs of farm workers. He also introduced the Fairness for Farm Workers Act last Congress to update the nation’s labor laws to ensure farm workers receive fairer wages and compensation.
    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –