NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley Demand Trump Administration Reverse Public Safety Cuts in Oregon and Nationwide

    US Senate News:

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

    April 30, 2025

    Citing loss of a federal grant for the Union County DA’s Office, Oregon senators write that “poorly thought out and rash cuts like this will only serve to embolden fentanyl traffickers and decrease public safety.”

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today demanded the Trump administration reverse cuts to vital federal public safety and law enforcement grants that help communities fight fentanyl and more throughout Oregon and nationwide.

    “These grants provide crucial funds for local law enforcement in Oregon and nationwide to support victims of crime, combat fentanyl trafficking, and prevent gun violence,” Wyden and Merkley wrote to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Hundreds of grantees across the country counting on these funds to carry out this important work were informed on April 22, 2025, that their grants – which had already been awarded – were being terminated immediately.”

    The Oregon senators noted that among the federal Justice Department (DOJ) grants cut was one for the Union County District Attorney’s Office that enabled the embedding of a law enforcement officer in this rural Eastern Oregon county to support public safety and investigate crimes such as negligent homicide caused by fentanyl dealers and traffickers.

    “Without the funding provided through this federal grant, the District Attorney’s office will be forced to curtail investigations and prosecutions of serious crimes, putting this small community and broader region in danger,” the senators wrote Bondi. “Like many counties in Oregon, Union County is grappling with a severe fentanyl crisis. DOJ funding provided critical support to help prosecute fentanyl dealers responsible for the deaths of Oregonians.”

    “We are deeply concerned that poorly thought out and rash cuts like this will only serve to embolden fentanyl traffickers and decrease public safety,” Wyden and Merkley wrote. “We urge you to change course and reverse these budget cuts, which will make our communities more vulnerable to the scourge of illegal fentanyl.”

    The entire letter is here.

    Related Files

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Joins Bipartisan Effort to Stop President Trump’s Harmful Tariffs, Protect Nevada Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after voting to repeal Donald Trump’s reckless, blanket global tariffs that are hurting Nevada small businesses and families. Despite bipartisan support, Senate Republicans blocked the measure.

    “President Trump’s reckless policies are raising costs on hardworking families and threatening Nevada small businesses. While I believe targeted tariffs on our adversaries can be a useful tool to protect American jobs and support our national security, these blanket tariffs do the opposite,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “The president is abusing his power to bypass both Congress and common sense. Today, I joined my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in a vote to rein in Donald Trump, and I’ll continue to fight for our businesses and workers.”

    This resolution received bipartisan support, and if enacted, it would have terminated the emergency that Trump declared, reversed Trump’s new taxes of 10 percent on all imported goods, and ended his threat of additional tariffs of up to 49 percent on products Americans buy from other countries.

    Senator Cortez Masto has continued to push the Trump Administration to address the impacts of Trump’s tariffs on working families and Nevada small businesses. Earlier this month, the Senator wrote a letter to the Administration demanding they provide their plan to mitigate the economic stress caused by the implementation of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and other executive actions. During a Senate Finance Committee hearing, Cortez Masto pressed U.S. Trade Representative Greer about the impacts of President Trump’s blanket tariffs on Nevadans, particularly those employed in the tourism and hospitality industry. The Senator introduced the Tariff Transparency Act to require the U.S. International Trade Commission to publicly investigate how Donald Trump’s recent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada will impact the American people.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Increase Employment Opportunities for Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced legislation to increase veterans’ access to trucking apprenticeship programs with their U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits by allowing the VA to approve programs operated by interstate commercial trucking companies. The bill would streamline the approval process and cut unnecessary red tape that makes it difficult for veterans to partake in apprenticeships that operate across multiple states.
    “Veterans deserve support,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Many struggle to find work when they come home. Having a commercial driver’s license opens a lot of doors for them.”
    Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in introducing the legislation. It is supported by a number of Veterans Service Organizations and stakeholders, including the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and the American Trucking Association (ATA).
    “Trucking apprenticeships offer meaningful employment and a fulfilling career pathway, and we owe it to our nation’s veterans to provide support as they seek next steps in their transition to civilian life. With the Veterans Transition to Trucking Act, we eliminate bureaucratic red tape hindering veterans from accessing trucking apprenticeships and ensure that veterans are able to access these programs through their VA education benefits. This commonsense legislation allows veterans to more easily access necessary training for a rewarding career when they return home,” said Senator Blumenthal.
    “A successful transition from military service to civilian life is not complete until a veteran can find meaningful employment, and the American trucking industry offers a significant number of well-paying jobs that can utilize veterans’ skills and experiences. Unfortunately, veterans can sometimes face bureaucratic hurdles when attempting to use their earned education benefits for trucking apprenticeship programs. DAV is proud to support the Veterans’ Transition to Trucking Act of 2025, as it would help streamline that process for our nation’s heroes, and we appreciate Sens. Blumenthal and Cassidy for introducing this important legislation,” said DAV National Legislative Director Joy Ilem.
    “Members of our military put their lives on the line to defend our nation and our freedom.  When they return home, it is our responsibility to help them achieve the American Dream they fought to protect,” said ATA Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs Henry Hanscom. “By slashing bureaucratic red tape for VA education benefits, the Veterans’ Transition to Trucking Act would expand career paths in trucking and make it easier for veterans to find good-paying jobs behind the wheel.  ATA commends Senators Cassidy and Blumenthal for their leadership on this bipartisan bill, and we look forward to working with them to enact their commonsense reform into law.”
    Background
    Trucking companies currently operating in more than one state must get approval from each state to allow veterans to use their VA education benefits for apprenticeship programs with their company. In some cases, these companies have opted out of offering apprenticeships for veterans due to the burdensome red tape required to get more than 20 different approvals. This bill would allow interstate commercial carriers to get one approval for their apprenticeship programs from the VA, making it easier for veterans to access trucking apprenticeship programs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Hassan Recognizes Meenakshi Dwaraka and Salome Castillo Valencia of Nashua as April’s Granite Staters of the Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan recognized Meenakshi Dwaraka and Salome Castillo Valencia of Nashua as April’s Granite Staters of the Month. Meenakshi and Salome started a free coding class for local students.
    Meenakshi and Salome, who are now both in high school, met in sixth grade and have both been interested in coding since they were young. Meenakshi was encouraged by her dad, who is a computer scientist, to develop digital skills, and found that she enjoyed competing in coding competitions. Salome learned how to build websites during the Covid-19 pandemic, and she even sells some of the websites that she creates. The girls noticed that there were not many opportunities to learn computer skills until high school, so they started a fee coding class for students in third grade through fifth grade.
    Meenakshi and Salome teach the class at their local community center, and over the weeks attendance has grown. Students in the class learn block coding, basic robotics, and computer safety, giving students the opportunity to learn skills that will eventually help them compete in the 21st century economy.  Meenakshi and Salome’s dedication to increasing access to computer skills is an excellent example of the Granite State spirit of sharing knowledge in order to empower others. Their commitment to helping students from all backgrounds prepare for the future – and have fun – is why Senator Hassan named them April’s Granite Staters of the Month.
    Senator Hassan launched the “Granite Stater of the Month” initiative in 2017 to recognize outstanding New Hampshire citizens who go above and beyond to help their neighbors and make their communities stronger. To nominate a New Hampshire citizen to be a “Granite Stater of the Month,” constituents can complete the nomination form here.
    To read Senator Hassan’s statement for the Congressional Record, see below.
    I am honored to recognize Meenakshi Dwaraka and Salome Castillo Valencia of Nashua as April’s Granite Staters of the Month for their work to establish a free coding class for local elementary school students.
    Both Meenakshi, 16, and Salome, 17, were interested in coding from a young age. Meenakshi’s dad, a computer scientist, first inspired her to develop digital skills, and she quickly realized that she enjoyed competing in coding competitions. Salome learned how to build websites and code during the Covid-19 pandemic, and has continued to improve her skills and even sell websites that she has created. The girls, who met in sixth grade, noticed that there were not many opportunities to learn computer skills until students entered high school, despite the increasing importance of the field. They decided to help fill this gap by starting a free coding class for students in third grade through fifth grade so that kids from all backgrounds could learn the basics of coding from a young age. 
    The class, which Meenakshi and Salome teach at their local community center in Nashua, has grown over the weeks. When they first started offering the class, they didn’t have very many students, but over time, they have seen an increase in attendance and interest. Students from different high schools in the area have also reached out to ask for help in starting their own classes and expanding the program. Students in the class learn block coding, basic robotics, and computer safety, giving students the opportunity to learn skills that will eventually help them compete in the 21st century economy. 
    Meenakshi and Salome’s dedication to increasing access to computer skills is an excellent example of the Granite State spirit of sharing knowledge in order to empower others. Their commitment to helping students from all backgrounds prepare for the future – and have fun– is why I am glad to name them April’s Granite Staters of the Month.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Hassan Leads Measure to Overturn President Trump’s Effort to Close the Department of Education

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    WASHINGTON – Today, as the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions considered education legislation, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced and urged consideration of her amendment to overturn President Trump’s recent executive order to close the U.S. Department of Education. Every Republican member of the Committee voted to prevent consideration of the amendment.
    “It is absurd that as we are talking about the important work that the Department of Education does in helping students pursue higher education, the President is working to entirely eliminate the Department of Education,” said Senator Hassan when introducing the amendment. “My amendment would prevent the President’s reckless and misguided assault on the Department of Education’s critical work to support students and schools across the country.”
    Senator Hassan’s amendment would overturn President Trump’s Executive Order 14242, which the President issued to begin the process of abolishing the U.S. Department of Education. The Department of Education helps students in the Granite State and across the country learn, grow, and thrive. New Hampshire schools receive more than $51 million in federal Title 1 funding through the Department of Education – funding that helps New Hampshire schools hire teachers, provide tutoring services, offer career and technical education, and prevent class sizes from growing. Additionally, the Department of Education plays a critical role in helping to ensure that students experiencing disabilities are fully included in public schools. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Department of Education currently provides more than $57 million to New Hampshire schools through the IDEA Grants to States program to help fund the education of children ages three through 21. New Hampshire has 31,000 students with disabilities – reflecting 17% of New Hampshire’s student population.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville op-ed: Pete Hegseth Isn’t the Hero We Deserve, But the Hero We Need

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    “When President Trump nominated Pete Hegseth to serve as Secretary of the Department of Defense, he intentionally picked someone who understands what it means to fight for this country—not from behind a desk, but from the frontlines”
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed in Breitbart defending the great work Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is doing at the Pentagon amid a flurry of attacks from the Mainstream Media. As Alabama’s representative on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Tuberville played a pivotal role in getting Secretary Hegseth confirmed and continues to support the Secretary’s work to refocus the Pentagon on lethality, not woke politics.
    Read excerpts below or the full piece here.

    “It’s no secret in Washington that the globalist Democrats and woke media are working together with one singular goal in mind: to take down Donald Trump and derail his America First agenda. The latest target? President Trump’s Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. I’m convinced that many Democrats would rather see America and its leaders fail than see this country succeed. It’s sad, but true.
    When President Trump nominated Pete Hegseth to serve as Secretary of the Department of Defense (DOD), he intentionally picked someone who understands what it means to fight for this country—not from behind a desk, but from the frontlines. Pete didn’t inherit stars on his uniform. He earned his stripes in the Middle East. He’s one of the few in Washington who’s been in the fight and experienced the traumas of war. He knows firsthand what the warfighter goes through each and every day, which is why military recruiting has skyrocketed under his leadership.
    Predictably, Democrats, the Swamp, and RINO Republicans immediately banded together in opposition to Hegseth’s nomination. I’m convinced that their only real opposition to Hegseth was because he was not a part of the Military Industrial Complex. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I enthusiastically supported Hegseth’s nomination because of his outsider status—and I’m continuing to fight for him today.
    Unfortunately, the smears have only gotten worse since his confirmation. Globalists, the media, and some Republicans are working overtime to try to take Hegseth down. Their latest obsession are the various publicity stunts coming from several disgruntled former employees who were fired by Secretary Hegseth. It’s clear as day that these efforts to embarrass Hegseth are nothing more than desperate attempts to salvage reputations and distract from the successes he is already having at the Pentagon.
    The truth is, Hegseth inherited a complete mess at DOD. The Pentagon has failed an audit seven years in a row. And thanks to the Biden administration’s horrible withdrawal from Afghanistan, our enemies were emboldened. Instead of working to deter World War III, however, Joe Biden’s Pentagon was more focused on social justice. In 2024 alone, the Biden Defense Department requested more than $114 million for DEI initiatives. Meanwhile, recruitment was at historic lows. Military readiness was slipping. And the world saw a weakened United States. […]
    The Swamp doesn’t like people it can’t control. But America loves leaders who tell the truth and fight for what matters. Pete Hegseth is one of those leaders. So, let’s be clear: Pete’s not the problem. He’s the solution. And while the Swamp keeps losing its ever-loving mind because we have leaders who are putting America First again, Secretary Hegseth will keep marching forward, focused on the only thing that matters—making our military the strongest, fiercest, and most respected fighting force the world has ever known.”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Speaks to Trump’s U.S. Department of Agriculture Nominees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, to consider the nominations of Luke Lindberg to be Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, and of Devon Westhill to be Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights. During the hearing, Senator Tuberville and Mr. Lindberg discussed the significant impact foreign trade has on American farmers and producers. Additionally, Senator Tuberville and Mr. Westhill discussed protecting American agriculture and rural communities from woke, DEI policies.
    Read excerpts below or watch the full clip on YouTube or Rumble.

    ON PRESERVING AMERICAN FARMLAND
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Gentlemen, thanks for being here. Five-alarm-fire. We’re in trouble.
    The Ag Department and us, we have a big chore in front of us. We’re losing farmers every day. We lost 150,000 farms in the last four years […] It’s not acceptable. The Biden administration sat on their hands for four years, didn’t do one trade deal, and it looked like they tried to put our farmers out of business on purpose. […] I couldn’t believe it. Sat there watching it. We have got to do something. I get calls every week.
    I get a call every week: ‘we’re going out of business.’ Worst the farmers have ever been. We can’t do business as usual. Something has got to be done. And if we don’t do that, we’re gonna lose them. It’s gonna be over and we’re gonna be buying every bit of the food that we eat out of this country. And we saw what happened during COVID. It was a disaster when we couldn’t get drugs because China’s only one making drugs. So, I’ll get off my soapbox here and thank both of you for what you’re gonna try to do.”
    ON U.S.-FOREIGN TRADE DISADVANTAGES
    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Lindberg, cotton has weakened due to the surge of low value textile imports of synthetic fibers – all from Southeast Asia. And they come through an $800 de minimis loophole, and it’s killing us. So, President Trump’s been working to close this loophole. Can you talk a little bit about that?”
    MR. LINDBERG: “Senator, thank you. I can, and I appreciate you spending some time with me in your office to discuss these issues prior to this. Enjoyed our conversation. Absolutely, President Trump has taken seriously—based on the news reports I’ve seen— the de minimis exemption which has been a tragedy for not only our cotton farmers, but also for manufacturers and a lot of other industries across America.
    I will absolutely work alongside, and look forward to working alongside, our interagency colleagues to make sure that those de minimis exemptions and things are held accountable and are following the law of the land. Our former governor is now at the Department of Homeland Security and looking to work with her team at Customers and Border Protection as well […] Thank you.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Well, you know, it sounds like a little thing, but all those little things add up for our farmers. And, you know, we have got to get better commodity prices. If we don’t, I mean, it’s gonna be over with for United States farmers.”
    ON CIVIL RIGHTS
    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Westhill, how do you plan to approach and manage the USDA career staffers in the civil rights departments that do not support President Trump’s agenda?”
    MR. WESTHILL: “Senator, I really appreciate the question. And I’ll say, look, I think the career staffers that I worked with in the first term were, many of them, consummate professionals. In fact, one of them is here today supporting my nomination as one of my guests. He served as the chief of staff the entire time that I served in the first term. I think the important thing to do is to you know, to put out a clear vision for what your plan is.
    I think the vast majority of the individuals who are in that office want to actually enforce civil rights. That’s why they went into that office. And at the end of the day, it is a civil rights office. Not a DEI office. And I think that the vast majority of those individuals will get behind President Trump’s agenda, which is to advance civil rights.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Team USA. I mean, the only way we can make [and] we can’t do it by pulling each other apart.”      
    ON CATTLE PRODUCTION
    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Lindberg, the Biden administration put U.S. cattle producers at a competitive disadvantage and endangered the American public by allowing imports of beef from Paraguay. That’s ridiculous. Paraguay cattle producers do not have the same food safety standards as [the] U.S. Can you speak to USDA’s plans to ensure sufficient due diligence is done in these inspections?”
    MR. LINDBERG: “Sir, thank you for the question. For me, in my role at USDA, as the Under Secretary of Foreign Agricultural Affairs, and Trade, that will be an effort by my colleagues. But I look forward to working with my colleagues in making sure that they have timely market analysis and market intelligence on those exact issues.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.”
    ON PEANUT FARMERS
    TUBERVILLE: “Also, our peanut growers in my state, which is huge, and across the country, have been at a competitive disadvantage in the marketplace due to non-tariff trade barriers on peanuts from aflatoxin in the European Union. I asked Mr. Vaden this when he came through a few weeks ago and I’ll ask you too. Would you commit to ensuring USDA and USTR work together on Trump’s agenda to reduce trade barriers and prioritize market access for all of our farmers?”
    Mr. Lindberg: “I look forward to doing exactly that.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Leads Kansas Delegation Republicans Asking President Trump for Support After Severe Kansas Storms

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    GARDEN CITY – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) led Republican members of the Kansas federal delegation in asking President Donald Trump to support the state’s request for a federal disaster declaration and public assistance funding to ensure necessary repairs and rebuilding of public infrastructure following multiple rounds of severe weather in March 2025. In addition to Senator Marshall, the letter is signed by U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) and U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann (R-Kansas-01), Ron Estes (R-Kansas-04), and Derek Schmidt (R-Kansas-02).
    Kansas was impacted by two back-to-back strong, mid-latitude cyclone storm systems that moved through the state March 14 – 19. The systems brought strong winds, low humidity, blowing dust, and blizzard conditions. According to the National Weather Service, the near-record low pressure in one of the systems measured close to the pressure found in a category 1 hurricane.
    Upon approval of the disaster declaration, local governments and public utility providers would be eligible to submit storm-related expenses to FEMA for reimbursement.
    In the letter, the members wrote: 
    “We write today in support of Governor Laura Kelly’s request for a major disaster declaration for the state of Kansas following the severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, and wildfires that swept across the state March 14–19, 2025. The impact of this storm system cannot be adequately described, as it ultimately led to the demolition of essential infrastructure and the tragic loss of life. It is imperative that federal support is provided to allow our communities to recover from the damage.
    “The severe weather that impacted Kansans in March was recognized by the National Weather Service as ‘two back-to-back strong mid-latitude cyclone storm systems’ that brought ‘strong winds and low humidity, which exacerbated extreme fire conditions, brought blowing dust, and created blizzard conditions. Both systems had near-record low pressure, with the system on the 14th measuring close to the pressure found in category 1 hurricanes.’
    “The storms moved across Kansas in two separate but equally damaging systems, impacting all corners of the state and creating measurable damage in nearly one-third of the state’s counties. Due to the impacts on rural infrastructure and municipal and cooperative-owned utilities, federal assistance is needed to help electrical providers and municipalities cover the costs of repairing and replacing vital infrastructure.
    “The state of Kansas has estimated more than $8.5 million in damage that would be eligible for public assistance funding.
    “We would like to express our support for the Governor’s request to the Administration to provide assistance to the state of Kansas. We look forward to federal support being made available swiftly to support local governments and utility providers in their efforts to respond to the desolation left by these natural disasters.”
    Click HERE to read the full text of the letter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Slams VA Official for Refusing to Commit to Rehiring Veterans Crisis Line Workers Fired by Elon Musk’s DOGE

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    April 29, 2025

    Senator also condemned Trump’s disastrous cuts worsening Veterans’ access to mental health care

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of both the U.S. Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs (SVAC) and Armed Services (SASC)—slammed a senior official from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) after he failed to publicly commit to rehiring Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) workers who were fired in Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s indiscriminate mass layoffs of federal workers. Duckworth pressed the VA official on the importance of maintaining robust mental health and suicide prevention resources for Veterans amid the Trump Administration’s ongoing cuts to the VA, which have already made it harder for Veterans to access quality health care. Video of Duckworth’s remarks can be found on her YouTube.

    “From the mass layoffs of federal workers, including Veterans working with the Crisis Line, to canceled contracts and continued attacks on Veterans belonging to underserved communities, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are intentionally attacking morale and exacerbating mental health workforce shortages at the VA,” said Duckworth. “It is unacceptable that Trump’s VA refuses to fix their errors and reinstate all VCL workers who have been fired, especially as the Trump Administration’s policies continue to undermine the mental health and well-being of patriotic Americans who have served our nation honorably. We cannot endure more chaos at the risk of delaying mental health care and suicide prevention services for our Veterans.”

    During her questioning, Duckworth highlighted how she has advocated for several workers with VCL and pressed Thomas O’Toole, MD—the Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Health for Clinical Services and Deputy Chief Medical Officer of the VA—on whether he would commit to rehiring all VCL workers fired by Elon Musk—essential workers who provide emergency mental health services to Veterans in crisis. After Mr. O’Toole refused to make that commitment, Duckworth replied, “I think it should be more than just the people being handled by my office. There are many people across the country who have now been laid off who have worked on Veterans’ mental health programs. Those people need their jobs back—especially if they themselves are Veterans.”

    Duckworth has been a fierce leader and advocate for our Veterans who have been fired in the disastrous Trump-Musk layoffs across our federal workforce. Earlier this month, Duckworth introduced a resolution to condemn these layoffs and demand the immediate reinstatement of all Veteran federal employees illegally and indiscriminately fired since Trump took office—a resolution Republicans blocked.

    This resolution came after Duckworth and U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced their Protect Veteran Jobs Act last month, legislation that would reinstate the thousands of Veterans who were fired in the Trump-Musk layoffs. Duckworth and Kim subsequently introduced their legislation as an amendment to Republicans’ slush fund continuing resolution. Republicans shamefully blocked it from passing.

    In February, Duckworth also joined SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and a group of 34 Democratic Senators calling on Department of VA Secretary Collins to immediately reinstate the more than 1,000 VA employees terminated earlier that month who serve Veterans and their families nationwide, including critical employees addressing Veteran suicide working at the Veterans Crisis Line.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin Join More Than 100 Congressional Democrats in Demanding Social Security Head Keep Field Offices Open Across the Nation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    April 30, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) in a coalition of over 100 Congressional Democrats in writing to Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) Leland Dudek to demand that he keep Social Security field offices open. This letter comes after multiple reports revealed that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) directed SSA to close field offices across the country—only to reverse course after public backlash and deny the plans altogether. Given the lack of transparency surrounding the status of field offices nationwide, the lawmakers pressed Dudek to ensure that DOGE does not close the offices that so many Social Security beneficiaries rely on for services and assistance.

    “[B]eneficiaries need the opportunity to seek assistance from SSA in person…Closing any of these field offices will make it harder for individuals to access their benefits,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    Last Thursday, Social Security Works, Indivisible, P Street and AFGE organized volunteers to deliver copies of the lawmakers’ letter to field offices across the country—in blue, red, and purple counties—in support of the field offices and their staff. Volunteers plan to visit at least 50 offices in Arizona, Nebraska, California, New Jersey, Colorado, Nevada, Florida, New York, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Oregon, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maryland, Washington, Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina.

    Along with Duckworth, Durbin, Warren, Wyden, Schumer and Gillibrand, the letter is also co-signed by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

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

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Statement on Awarding of Virginia-Class Submarines Contract to Newport News Shipbuilding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, released the following statement after the Department of the Navy awarded a contract to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding to start construction on two Virginia-class submarines, which Kaine successfully pushed to get additional funding for last year:
    “I’m thrilled the Navy has awarded two additional Virginia-class submarines to Newport News Shipbuilding. This is a testament to the hard work and leadership of Virginia’s shipbuilders and defense industry. I was proud to secure funding for these submarines in legislation we passed last year. This funding is critical to ensuring the Navy has the resources it needs to provide competitive wages for shipbuilders and advance the AUKUS agreement that will help ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress to get our shipbuilding programs back on track.”
    Kaine has played a key role in securing more resources for the submarine industrial base, including additional funding for the Virginia-class submarine program that is currently facing significant delays because of workforce challenges and supply chain disruptions. The on-time completion of Virginia-class submarines, which are built in Virginia and Connecticut, is critical to fulfill the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) partnership, through which the U.S. will sell at least two Virginia-class submarines to Australia to boost security and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific, and counter Chinese military aggression in the region. Kaine has been a strong champion of AUKUS in Congress and has helped get signed into law provisions to implement and strengthen AUKUS.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Commerce Committee Passes Bipartisan Bill Led by Peters to Combat Human Rights Violations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee passed a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) that would help American businesses identify and avoid doing business with foreign entities linked to human rights abuses, particularly the use of forced labor in China.   
    “We must do everything we can to condemn and deter human rights abuses being committed by our adversaries, including China,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “This bipartisan bill would provide our businesses with important insight that can help them avoid business dealings with foreign entities that might be involved in these atrocities. I’ll continue working with my colleagues to see the bill pass the full Senate.” 
    The Combating CCP Labor Abuses Act – which Peters introduced with U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and John Curtis (R-UT) – would direct the Commerce Department to offer training and guidance to U.S. exporters that are, or are considering, exporting goods to businesses in the People’s Republic of China where forced labor and significant human rights abuses have occurred. The bill – which unanimously passed the Senate last Congress – would also require the Commerce Department to provide additional insight that might help U.S. exporters avoid doing business with foreign entities that are subject to the influence or control of nations such as the People’s Republic of China that may be implicated in forced labor or human rights violations.
    The bipartisan legislation has earned the support of the Uyghur Human Rights Project and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). 
    “Business complicity in the genocide of the Uyghurs has to be stopped,” said Omer Kanat, Uyghur Human Rights Project Executive Director. “The US government should act on its 2021 genocide finding, by ensuring small businesses have options. This bill is important for them to stop any kind of business with the companies involved in the ongoing slow-genocide policies in China – including hi-tech surveillance, textiles, EV batteries, and much more.” 
    The government of the People’s Republic of China has perpetrated egregious human rights abuses—including in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region—against Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups. The Chinese government’s actions have encompassed mass detention in internment camps, the use of forced labor, and other atrocities. This has led the U.S. State Department to determine that the People’s Republic of China, “under the direction and control” of the Chinese Communist Party, “has committed genocide against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.” 
    The U.S. Department of Commerce provides valuable assistance to help U.S. businesses and exporters increase sales and tap into new markets, such as through export counseling provided by the U.S. Commercial Service. Peters’ bipartisan bill would build on existing human rights training for Department staff by ensuring its workforce is specifically informed about emerging trends and issues with respect to human rights abuses occurring around the world, such as the situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Markey, Murkowski Celebrate FEMA Release of Public Safety Grants for Public Broadcasters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Washington (April 30, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today celebrated the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) release of public broadcasting grant money that the agency froze in February. Public broadcasting stations are essential for communicating with the public during emergencies, especially for reaching underserved and vulnerable individuals.

    “We are pleased that FEMA has ended its freeze on critical grants to strengthen the resiliency of public broadcasting stations. Public broadcasters play a vital role in keeping communities informed during emergencies, especially in rural and underserved areas. While this decision is a victory for public safety, common sense dictates that these funds should not have been frozen in the first place. We will continue to ensure public broadcasters have the resources they need to deliver lifesaving information when disaster strikes.”

    On April 15, 2025, Senators Markey and Murkowski sent a letter to FEMA Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton urging the agency to lift its freeze on grants that help improve the resiliency of public broadcasting stations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Shaheen Highlight National Fentanyl Awareness Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced a resolution designating April 29, 2025, as “National Fentanyl Awareness Day” to drive awareness of counterfeit fentanyl pills.

    “Fentanyl overdoses claimed the lives of more than 58,000 Americans last year, many of whom suffered from accidental poisonings after taking counterfeit prescription pills. President Trump has taken strong action to stem the flow of fentanyl pills. Additionally, Congress must act to hold corporations accountable for their role in the illicit drug trade,” Grassley said. “Our resolution demonstrates continuing resolve to put an end to America’s fentanyl epidemic.”

    “There’s always more we can and should be doing to address the substance use disorder crisis and prevent more Granite Staters from dying of drug overdoses,” said Senator Shaheen. “Our resolution memorializes the lives that have been lost to this epidemic and underscores the need to raise awareness and commit more resources to combating the flow of fentanyl into our communities.”

    Grassley and Shaheen are joined by Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Hoeven (R-N.D), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).

    Read the resolution HERE.

    Background:

    America saw more than 84,000 recorded drug overdose deaths last year alone. This surge is largely due to illicit fentanyl and counterfeit prescription pills. In 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized more than 60 million fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills, which often resemble prescription medication and are marketed to young Americans through social media.

    This Congress, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the Grassley-led HALT Fentanyl Act by a vote of 84-16, which would make permanent fentanyl-related substances’ Schedule I classification. Grassley also introduced legislation to help communities identify and tackle drug abuse trends, crack down on illicit xylazine and protect first responders from secondary exposure to lethal narcotics.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Moves to Declassify FBI Analysis of Nellie Ohr’s Criminal Referral

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today requested Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel declassify the FBI’s analysis of a congressional criminal referral issued for Nellie Ohr following her false statements to Congress in 2018.

    Grassley transmitted the mostly unclassified FBI analysis document to Patel, along with an accompanying cover letter. The public letter outlines Ohr’s obstructive conduct and makes the case for declassification.

    “As you are aware, Nellie Ohr played a key role in the genesis of Crossfire Hurricane while working for Fusion GPS and coordinating with her husband, Bruce Ohr, who was a Justice Department official at that time,” Grassley wrote. “The [FBI’s] document provides background with respect to Crossfire Hurricane’s origins as well as the criminal case against Nellie Ohr.”

    “I request that a full declassification be done immediately for the following reasons,” Grassley continued: “(1) the document is largely unclassified and the portions that are classified are at a very low level of classification; (2) the information that is classified is similar to the information subject to declassification Executive Orders for Crossfire Hurricane records issued by President Trump in 2020 and 2025 and, at this point, may already be declassified; (3) other Crossfire Hurricane document declassifications separate from those Executive Orders occurred in the first Trump term; (4) the overriding public interest.”

    “Declassification of the document in full would be consistent with past practices and to the benefit of public transparency and accountability. There is no legitimate basis to keep the document from the public,” Grassley concluded.

    Read the full cover letter HERE.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Calls Out Snapchat’s Failure to Stop Deadly Drug Sales

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – On National Fentanyl Awareness Day, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is scrutinizing Snapchat’s self-reported efforts to end fentanyl sales on its platform.  

    Despite Snapchat’s claims that it is “proud to serve as a Founding Partner of National Fentanyl Awareness Day,” Grassley pointed out the app has reportedly allowed suspected dealers to continue operating on the platform, while flaunting its Section 230 immunity when confronted by survivor parents. 

    “These, and a growing list of other instances, raise concerns about the sincerity of Snap’s efforts to end fentanyl sales on its platform,” Grassley wrote. 

    Read Grassley’s full letter HERE and below. 

    April 29, 2025 

    VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION 
    Evan Spiegel 
    CEO Snap Inc.  
    2850 Ocean Park Blvd.  
    San Monica, CA 90405 

    Dear Mr. Spiegel,  

    I write regarding Snap Inc.’s (“Snap”) statement that it is “proud to serve as a Founding Partner of National Fentanyl Awareness Day” and its claim that Snap has “redouble[d its] effort to eradicate drug sales on [its] platform and educate [its] community on the dangers of fentanyl.”  A growing body of evidence commends a different conclusion. 

    On February 4, 2025, for example, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing entitled, “The Poisoning of America: Fentanyl, its Analogues, and the Need for Permanent Class Scheduling.” Witnesses testified that, in 2021, Snap executives met with parents who lost their children to fentanyl-laced pills obtained through the Snapchat application.  At first, Snap executives claimed they were unaware children purchase drugs on the Snapchat platform, according to witness testimony. Then, executives flaunted the platform’s Section 230 immunity and told these parents they should have monitored their children better.  

    Careless responses like these make it difficult to trust that Snap has made much, if any, “effort to eradicate drug sales on [its] platform.”   

    Additionally, in an effort to persuade these parents of its vigilance, Snap pointed to Snapchat’s in-app reporting feature.  However, at the February 4th hearing, Bridgett Norring testified that Snap has typically either ignored her in-app reports, or taken down the accounts only for the drug dealers to set up a new account using a burner phone. And even then, Snap is often delinquent in removing dealers’ accounts. Thus, this feature that Snap touts appears to be largely ineffective. 

    On other occasions, Snap has reportedly allowed suspected dealers to operate on its platform after receiving notice of their illicit activity. For example, in October 2024, detectives in Thurston County Washington became aware of a suspect selling controlled substances to high-school and middle-school students on Snapchat. Thurston County detectives secured a search warrant on the suspect’s Snapchat account, which would have been delivered to Snap for legal process. Despite receiving this notice, Snap apparently allowed the suspect to continue selling drugs to minors on the Snapchat application using the same account. Two months later, a sixteen-year-old-boy purchased what he believed to be MDMA from the dealer and died. It is wholly unreasonable for Snap to allow an account to operate for months, waiting in the wings for law enforcement to make a request. 

    These, and a growing list of other instances, raise concerns about the sincerity of Snap’s efforts to end fentanyl sales on its platform. Accordingly, please answer the following questions by May 29, 2025: 

    1. What improvements, if any, has Snap implemented to respond to in-app reports? If no changes have been implemented, why not? If changes are being implemented, please describe what is being done.
    2. How is Snap preventing multiple accounts from being created by a single user? How is Snap preventing a user from creating, using, or deleting multiple accounts? If nothing is being done by Snap, please explain why.
    3. What changes has Snap made to their platform in general now that you know drugs and other criminal conduct is occurring on the platform? If no changes have been implemented, please explain why not.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Secures Key Backing from CBP Nominee on Whistleblower Protections, Counterfeit Prevention

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, today secured support from President Trump’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner nominee, Rodney Scott, on two longtime Grassley priorities. 

    Grassley is calling on CBP to immediately reinstate three CBP whistleblowers – Mark Jones, Mike Taylor and Fred Wynn – who’ve sounded the alarm to Grassley’s office over CBP’s unlawful failure to collect DNA from illegal immigrants encountered at the border.

    Grassley noted to Scott, “It would assure my support for your nomination if these [whistleblowers] can be 100% redirected from the punishment they had by the previous administration.” 

    Scott responded: “Thank you for always stepping up and supporting the whistleblowers. I think it’s a critical part of our government, it pushes transparency… I do know those three [whistleblowers], and I know one allegation that’s never been levied against them is a challenge of their integrity. I will look into [this], and I will hold people accountable if they’ve violated policies.” 

    Scott additionally voiced support for Grassley’s legislative push to enhance CBP’s information-sharing capabilities to crack down on counterfeit imports, saying: “Border security is a team sport, and this is no different in the trade environment… Sharing information that is not a threat to other corporations, with the supply chain partners…is critically important.” 

    Video and a transcript of Grassley’s questions follow.

    [embedded content]

    VIDEO

    Reinstating Whistleblowers and Holding Retaliators Accountable:

    Mr. Scott, I’ve been told that you’re well aware of the retaliation against Mark Jones, Mike Taylor, and Fred Wynn. [They’re] people that helped me in some investigations I was doing.

    The retaliation’s been corroborated by the Office of Special Counsel. It’s been corroborated by my investigative staff.

    The Biden Customs and Border Protection stripped these brave whistleblowers of their badges and guns.

    As a result, they’ve lost out on promotions, pay increases and increased retirement pay.

    And why did that happen? Because they dared to disclose the Biden administration’s non-compliance with the law that is entitled the DNA Fingerprint Act, which means that everybody that crosses the border ought to have DNA collected, and only about 25% of that was actually being done. Non-compliance which put our country at risk.

    This can be fixed before your nomination even gets to the floor. It can be fixed this very day. It would assure my support for your nomination if these people can be 100% redirected from the punishment they had by the previous administration. 

    But [it’s] just as important [to me] to know that these people that have done the retaliation are held accountable.

    I suppose it’s kind of a case [of] can you find them in the bureaucracy. But, if confirmed, what concrete steps would you take to hold these retaliators accountable? 

    Counterfeit Imports:

    It’s not always easy for CBP to determine whether a shipment contains counterfeit imports, so CBP relies heavily on stakeholders like trademark owners to help identify fake products. 

    Mr. Scott, do you think CBP’s job would be easier if the law allowed the agency to share specific information with stakeholders — such as information found on packing materials and shipping containers—when it’s trying to determine if imported goods are real or fake?

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: HHS Folds to Grassley Oversight, Reverses Course on $89 Billion Biden-Era Contract Awarded to Shady Nonprofit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    Washington Free Beacon: HHS to Reevaluate $89 Billion Contract Awarded to Shadowy University of California Nonprofit
    Sen. Chuck Grassley hails agency’s decision to reverse Biden’s ‘outrageous’ award
    Andrew Kerr
    April 30, 2025

    The National Institutes of Health is having second thoughts about a behemoth $89 billion contract it awarded to a seemingly dormant California nonprofit organization during the final days of former president Joe Biden’s term.

    The National Cancer Institute, a subsidiary of the NIH, awarded a 25-year, $89 billion contract to the Alliance for Advancing Biomedical Research to operate a cancer research lab at Maryland’s Fort Detrick on January 17, just three days before Biden left office. The reward marked a remarkable turn of fortune for the nascent nonprofit organization, which shares close ties to the University of California’s National Laboratories but hadn’t raised or spent a penny since its founding in 2022, according to its available Form 990 tax filings. The nonprofit group exists with the “specific purpose to operate exclusively for the benefit of, to perform the functions of, and/or to carry out the purposes of The Regents of the University of California,” according to its 2022 tax filing.

    But the Alliance for Advancing Biomedical Research now risks seeing its multibillion-dollar taxpayer-funded windfall slip through its fingers, according to an April 8 notice obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, showing that the Department of Health and Human Services—NIH’s parent agency—is reevaluating all the original bids for the contract and will possibly award it to another company.

    The agency’s move came just weeks after Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) sent a letter in late February to the NIH demanding to know why the agency awarded the massive contract to an untested nonprofit with close ties to the University of California, a system that, according to the senator, not only has a history of spending around 40 percent of its federal research funding on administrative costs, but also has a dubious record of leaving its laboratories open to national security breaches by the Chinese Communist Party.

    “It’s outrageous Biden’s NIH shoved a nearly $90 billion contract out the door just days before President Trump returned to office,” Grassley told the Free Beacon. “Even worse, the money would have flowed to an organization that can’t clearly protect itself from adversaries like China. I’m very glad HHS heeded my calls to reverse course and is now re-evaluating its initial proposal. I urge the department to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars as it works to defeat cancer and save lives.”

    …

    The nonprofit’s close ties to the University of California was of great concern to Grassley, who noted in his February 26 letter to NIH acting director Matthew Memoli that the university has a record of keeping about 40 percent of its federal research funding for research costs, a figure that far exceeds the Trump administration’s cap on such expenditures at 15 percent.

    “It is critical to ensure taxpayer-funded research dollars are actually spent on research, not university administrative expenses,” Grassley wrote in his letter.

    Grassley also said he was concerned about the University of California’s well-documented failure to protect its labs from security breaches by China’s government.

    “It has been reported that between 1987 and 2021, at least 162 scientists who had worked at Los Alamos [National Laboratory] returned to China to support a variety of domestic research and development programs, including at least 59 who were involved with China’s talent programs,” Grassley wrote. “It appears that the University of California’s inability to keep China out of U.S. R&D is an issue that spans nearly four decades.”

    …

    HHS notified Leidos on April 9 that NIH had taken the “voluntary corrective action” to reevaluate the initial contract proposals and possibly make a new reward determination, according to a letter obtained by the Free Beacon.

    …

    -30-

    ?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Delivers Remarks Honoring Fred Wertheimer As He Receives The Senator Paul H. Douglas Award For Ethics In Government

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    April 30, 2025

    In his remarks, Durbin praised the Paul Douglas Award recipient, Fred Wertheimer, for his dedication to strengthening American democracy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered remarks honoring Fred Wertheimer, this year’s recipient for the University of Illinois System’s Senator Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government.  In his remarks, Durbin praised Mr. Wertheimer’s work as founder and President of Democracy 21, a nonpartisan, nonprofit dedicated to strengthening American democracy, safeguarding election integrity, and promoting government accountability.

    Named for the late Illinois Senator, the Senator Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government is presented to a person whose public actions and contributions have demonstrated a deep understanding and respect for ethical behavior and standards in government.  Past recipients include former President Barack Obama, the late Senator Paul Simon, the late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, the late Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and former Representative Liz Cheney.

      

    Photos of Durbin delivering his remarks can be found here.

    Durbin’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below:

    U.S. Senator Dick Durbin Remarks at Paul Douglas Award Ceremony

    April 30, 2025

    As prepared for delivery

    Thank you, President Killeen, for those kind words.  I want to welcome my dear friends, Jean Douglas Bandler and Ned Bandler, Senator Douglas’s daughter and son-in-law, his great-grandson, Matthew Douglas.

    It is always an honor to join the Douglas family, the University of Illinois, and its outstanding Institute of Government and Public Affairs in presenting the Senator Paul H. Douglas Ethics in Government Award.

    People ask me how I’ve survived 42 years in Congress.  The short answer is:  I try to follow the Gospel of St. Paul—by which I mean, I try to follow the examples of Paul Simon and Paul Douglas.

    They showed me that the bedrock of a long career in public service is a commitment to honesty and integrity.  Without that North Star to guide you, you are liable to get lost. I’ve seen it happen. 

    Paul Douglas held himself to high ethical standards—even stronger than Congress required—because he understood when people lose faith in their government, democracy crumbles.  That basic truth is also what has driven Fred Wertheimer for more than 50 years.

    I have known Fred for many of those years.  I admire him greatly.  I am also a big fan of his brilliant wife, Linda Wertheimer.  We’re honored that you could join us, Linda.

    For more than five decades—first at Common Cause and then at Democracy 21—he has been a leading voice in advancing the causes of honesty and integrity in government, free and fair elections, and protecting Americans’ right to vote.  The bedrock issues of democracy.

    Fred Wertheimer is not intimidated by Big Money or long odds, and he is not afraid of bullies—which means he is exactly the kind of leader America needs, urgently, now.

    Today is Day 101 of the second Trump Administration.   If America had been invaded by a hostile nation, I’m not sure they could have done so much damage, in such a short period of time, to our economy, our democracy, and our standing in the world.

    What would Professor Paul Douglas say about an Administration threatening to withhold federal funding for education and research—and jeopardizing universities’ solvency–in order to dictate what can be taught, and who can teach?

    What would economist Paul Douglas think of a President who needlessly drives up costs for America’s families and businesses and harms the global economy at risk by waging an

    incoherent trade war against our foes and allies?

    Our government is being dismantled, essential services are being crippled, and tens of thousands of federal workers are being fired, many illegally, on instructions from the richest man on Earth, who bought his influence in this Administration with hundreds of millions of dollars in cold, hard campaign cash.

    The autocrats and oligarchs are at the gate.  If Paul Douglas were here, he would be appalled, as we all should be.

    So, what do we do to save our democracy?  First, we need to break the corrupt chokehold of unlimited, unaccountable special interest money on our elections and public policies. 

    Second, we need to protect the right to vote.

    I know that you are committed to both of these imperatives, Fred, and I am with you.

    Finally, we must safeguard the independence and integrity of the judiciary.

    During the Biden Administration, Democrats held a majority, and I held the gavel on the Senate Judiciary Committee. And the Senate confirmed 235 federal judges of impeccable character and qualifications—including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

    These and other federal judges are now holding the line against his most serious assaults on the rule of law.  We must continue to defend this line.  Without the rule of law, there is no democracy.

    In 1970, when John Gardner founded Common Cause, he knew he wanted Fred Wertheimer to spearhead its campaign finance reform efforts.  He warned Fred that that, quote: “Reform is not for the short-winded.”

    Fortunately, in the race to make our democracy more open, honest, and accountable, Fred Wertheimer is a long-distance runner and a champion.  He is a leader for these times, and a worthy recipient of the 2025 Senator Paul H. Douglas Ethics in Government Award.

    Congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Fred, and thank you for your decades of service to our democracy.

    And now, it is my pleasure to introduce Senator Douglas’ great-grandson Matthew Douglas, who is representing the Douglas family.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Questions Witnesses During Spotlight Hearing On The Trump Administration’s Attempts To Whitewash Januar 6

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    April 30, 2025
    The hearing featured Harry Dunn, a former U.S. Capitol Police Officer, and Daniel Hodges, an MPD Officer, both who were brutally attacked by insurrectionists
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a Senate Democratic spotlight hearing entitled “Clear and Present Danger: The Trump Administration’s Whitewashing of the January 6th Insurrection.” Durbin first questioned Mike Romano, a former Deputy Chief of the Capitol Siege Section of the D.C.U.S. Attorney’s Office and member of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Public Integrity Unit, and Sara Levine, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Capitol Siege Section of the D.C, about Ed Martin—President Trump’s pick for U.S. Attorney in D.C.
    “Ed Martin’s nomination to be [the] U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia is pending before this Committee. I want to understand how you [were] assigned to these [January 6] cases initially, how you executed them, if there was anything unusual in your duties, and responsibilities, and Ed Martin’s personal involvement—if there was any. And how you were terminated from the office,”said Durbin.
    Ms. Levine stated that she came to work for the U.S. Attorney’s Office specifically for the Capitol Siege Section. While there, she worked on about 40 cases. Ms. Levine was terminated from the Justice Department as a result of her work on the January 6 cases.
    Mr. Romano responded that he joined the Capitol Siege Section in February of 2021. He stated, “I knew from talking with some of my former colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office that there was going to be a call that went out to other parts of the Justice Department for people to staff this effort. There was a sense that there needed to be many more people assigned to prosecute these cases nationwide.” Mr. Romano worked on about 20 cases before being elevated to Deputy Chief.
    Durbin has continuously called out Mr. Martin’s long record of objectionable statements and conduct. This includes: Mr. Martin repeatedly attacking law enforcement officers who kept members and staff safe during the January 6 insurrection and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who were assigned to prosecute the rioters who brutally attacked police officers; Mr. Martin calling Michael Fanone, a 20-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department who was nearly killed on January 6, “a fake cop”; Mr. Martin advocating for “less judgment on somebody who hit a cop” on January 6; Mr. Martin repeatedly attacking prosecutors who were assigned to work on January 6 cases, calling them “terrorists” and “despicable people who decided to do something wrong”; and Mr. Martin’s close relationship with Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, a January 6 rioter and Nazi sympathizer whom he called an “extraordinary man, an extraordinary leader” who is “worthy of being listened to by lots of folks.”
    “Can you tell me in regards to the individuals you prosecuted—do any of them have criminal records?” Durbin asked.
    Mr. Romano responded that yes, some of them did have criminal records prior to the January 6 insurrection.
    “I can’t tell you how many cases have been filed against these individuals after [President Trump’s] pardons… In Central Illinois, there was a murder case involving one of these defendants. Clearly some of them had criminal records coming into this experience,” said Durbin. 
    The hearing focused on honoring the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol; acknowledging the work of the prosecutors who brought the January 6 insurrectionists to justice in the years following the attack; and condemning President Trump’s dangerous and reckless decision to commute the sentences of 14 individuals and grant a full, complete, and unconditional pardon to the nearly 1,500 other individuals charged or convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
    Video of Durbin’s questions in the hearing is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s questions in the hearing is available here.
    Durbin concluded the hearing by stating, “You were not just witnesses to history, you are history. You’ve lived it [and] you’ve lived the aftermath as well. I can’t think of another event in my lifetime that has been subject to such historic revisionism [where the Administration] is trying to rewrite January 6… Those of us in the building know what we saw and what we lived through… Because this event was of such historic importance, we cannot let the truth die. We have to come together regularly and tell the truth to the American people.”
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Introduces Legislation to End D.C. as a Sanctuary City

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    The bill would require Washington, D.C. to comply with ICE and DHS
    WASHINGTON—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Rules Committee, introduced the District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act, a piece of legislation that would eliminate the District of Columbia’s sanctuary laws and require compliance with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainer requests. Representative Clay Higgins (R-LA-03) has introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    “Unconscionable that our nation’s capital would facilitate illegality and thwart federal law enforcement efforts,” said Senator Hagerty. “President Trump’s efforts to enforce immigration laws should not be undermined by local leadership anywhere in the United States, let alone Washington, D.C. I’m pleased to introduce this legislation that will end D.C.’s attempt to create criminal sanctuary and require the District to comply with federal law enforcement to bring illegal aliens to justice and keep our communities safe.”
    “Sanctuary policies have devastating real-life consequences,” said Congressman Clay Higgins. “As our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. should be the safest, most ‘America First’ city in the United States, and Congress has the Constitutional authority to end the city’s sanctuary status. I thank Senator Hagerty for introducing companion legislation in the Senate that ends D.C.’s sanctuary laws and returns our nation’s capital to We, the People.”
    The District of Columbia Federal Immigration Compliance Act would prevent Washington, D.C. from having in effect a statute, ordinance, policy or practice that prohibits or restricts any entity or official of the District government from communicating with federal immigration authorities or complying with a request made by DHS or ICE to honor a detainer on an illegal alien in the custody of the District.
    Background:
    The Biden Administration allowed millions of illegal aliens into the United States. Now, Democrat-run cities and states are trying to prevent the Trump Administration from enforcing the law and removing illegal aliens from our communities through unlawful sanctuary policies and laws. Washington, D.C. is a sanctuary jurisdiction under its Sanctuary Values Amendment Act.
    As Chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee with respect for Washington, D.C., Sen. Hagerty has an overarching interest in underscoring Washington’s duty to align with federal policies that prioritize national safety and security. President Trump is delivering on his promise to enforce the law and bring illegal aliens to justice. Sanctuary policies, however, seek to undermine President Trump’s efforts to protect Americans.
    Full text of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: April 30th, 2025 Heinrich Announces Legislation to Address PFAS, Water Contamination in Private Wells

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced that he has cosponsored new legislation to protect New Mexico communities from dangerous contaminants like per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Exposure to PFAS has been linked to deadly cancers, impacts to the liver and heart, and immune and developmental damage to infants and children. 
    “Access to clean water is essential to the health and economic well-being of New Mexico families,” said Heinrich. “I’m proud to co-sponsor legislation that will help rural communities in New Mexico access clean water by giving them the tools they need to get rid of toxins in their drinking water. I will continue fighting in the Senate to keep New Mexicans safe and help them build a strong foundation for the future.”
    The Technical Fix for the State Response to Contaminants Program Act will ensure that states have flexibility to use funding from the $5 billion provided in the Infrastructure Law — which Heinrich helped pass into law — for PFAS and other emerging contaminants in small or disadvantaged communities to help assist private well owners get rid of toxins in their drinking water. Congress intended for that funding to be available to states to help address private well contamination among other eligible uses of the funding. Currently, the EPA interprets statute as only allowing for assistance to private wells if it is being used to connect to public water systems. Because connecting to public water systems may not be feasible or desirable in all cases, this bill clarifies that assistance may be provided for the benefit of well owners that are not public water systems and are not connected to a public water system. 
    The Technical Fix for the State Response to Contaminants Program Act is led by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). Alongside Heinrich, the legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Angus King (I-Maine).
    The bill text is here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: April 30th, 2025 Heinrich Announces Legislation to Combat Gun Trafficking, Protect Communities from Gun Violence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    Legislation builds on Heinrich’s work to increase criminal penalties for straw purchases and stop illegal gun trafficking out of our country
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the core bipartisan group of senators who negotiated and passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), co-sponsored the Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act, legislation to protect communities from gun violence by requiring federal law enforcement to coordinate efforts to prevent the importation and trafficking of machinegun conversion devices including ‘auto-sears’ — illegal gun modification devices that can convert semi-automatic weapons into fully-automatic weapons — and seize all profits that come from the illegal trafficking of these devices.
    “I’m proud that the provisions I wrote in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act have already led to hundreds of arrests and kept firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminals. But with at least 91 mass shooting in the United States already this year, it’s clear we have more work to do,” said Heinrich. I’m proud to co-sponsor the Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act, which will help law enforcement keep New Mexicans safe from gun violence by providing new tools to combat illegal gun trafficking.”
    Specifically, the Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act will: 

    Direct the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Department of the Treasury to develop a coordinated national strategy to prevent or intercept the importation and trafficking of automatic gun conversion devices;

    The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.),  Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). 
    The legislation is endorsed by GIFFORDS and Brady: United Against Gun Violence.
    The text of the bill is here. 
    Heinrich-Led Gun Trafficking and Straw Purchase Provisions: 
    Heinrich-led provisions in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act increased criminal penalties for straw purchasers and made it a crime, for the first time ever, to traffic firearms out of the United States. Straw purchasers are people who buy guns for those who cannot buy them directly themselves due to their age, felony criminal convictions, or other limitations. By increasing penalties for straw purchasing, Heinrich’s provision is helping to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and those who would use them against our communities. By making it illegal to traffic firearms out of the country, Heinrich’s provision gave law enforcement the tools needed to prosecute and disrupt the flow of firearms to Mexico and the Northern Triangle, fueling the violence that has driven so many to flee their home countries.  
    To date, the Department of Justice has charged more than 600 defendants using BSCA’s gun trafficking and straw purchasing laws, removing hundreds of firearms off the streets in the process. These cases are significant, often preventing and prosecuting highly dangerous activity, such as crimes linked to organized trafficking rings and transnational criminal organizations.  
    For example, in March 2024, the Justice Department charged several defendants with trafficking and straw purchasing over 100 firearms, including many military-grade weapons, that were allegedly intended to be smuggled to a Mexican drug cartel. In April 2024, a defendant was sentenced to 276 months in prison for firearms trafficking and straw purchasing, as well as distribution of fentanyl, where the evidence showed that two of the trafficked firearms had been used in gang-related shootings. In 2o23, a defendant was sentenced to two years in prison for running an illegal gun trafficking enterprise, repeatedly taking money to lie on firearm purchase forms and obtain weapons for convicted felons. 
    In New Mexico, the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico has charged 11 defendants with BSCA violations. 
    Heinrich’s Longtime Leadership to Tackle Gun Violence:
    A gun owner and father, Heinrich has long worked to advance and pass bipartisan policies that save lives, protect public safety, and reduce gun violence.
    This month, Heinrich introduced his Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act and bipartisan Banning Unlawful Machinegun Parts (BUMP) Act, commonsense legislation designed to protect communities from gun violence, while safeguarding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes.
    Heinrich recently convened a press conference in Albuquerque with New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, Everytown, community leaders, and students to announce the introduction of his GOSAFE Act. For photos and videos of that event, click here.

    In October 2024, Heinrich secured critical funding for New Mexico law enforcement to purchase four new NIBIN machines for Las Cruces, Farmington, Gallup, and Roswell. This allows law enforcement to trace firearms used in crimes and hold criminals accountable, all while saving officers valuable time and resources.
    In 2017, Heinrich cosponsored the bipartisan Fix NICS Act, which now requires federal and state authorities to produce background check implementation plans and holds federal agencies accountable for reporting relevant criminal records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). He also led the successful call to repeal the Dickey Amendment, which had previously prevented the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from funding research on gun violence and its effects on public health.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Statement on Sharp GDP Decline, Higher Costs in First Quarter of Trump Presidency

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) released the following statement on the 2025 Q1 GDP estimate showing that the U.S. economy shrank during the first quarter of President Trump’s administration: 
    “100 days ago, America’s economy was growing and inflation was slowing. 
    “Instead of sustaining this economic trajectory, President Trump has driven our economy into a ditch with a self-inflicted trade war. This trade war targets our allies and close partners and is implementing the biggest tax increase in decades on working families — even as Elon Musk and DOGE illegally slash and hold up key investments in research, health care, agriculture and more. 
    “Americans elected Donald Trump in part because he vowed to lower the price of ‘everything’ – yet in the first quarter of Trump’s presidency, our GDP shrank, prices jumped and business leaders and economists across the political spectrum are saying a recession is likely this year. 
    “It’s time for the President to immediately reverse course, stop the wasteful trade war that is crushing small businesses and American families and lower costs like he said he would. Today, the Senate has a chance to do the right thing and vote to halt the largest of these tariffs – I hope my colleagues take that opportunity to help get our economy back on a better track.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Statement on Senate Vote Rejecting President Trump’s Tariffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, issued the following statement after voting for a bipartisan resolution that would terminate the national emergency that President Trump declared as the basis for his reckless tariffs:

    “President Trump’s reckless tariffs have caused the economy to shrink for the first time in three years. Tonight, Democrats and Republicans made it clear that this is not the right course for the American economy.

    “In recent weeks, President Trump’s tariffs have wreaked havoc on our business community, farmers, manufacturers, and families. New Mexicans in every corner of the state are facing higher costs, shrinking life savings, and job insecurity. The President – who promised to lower costs on day one – is damaging the American economy and making life more expensive for American families and businesses.

    “These tariffs are new and drastic tax increases on hardworking New Mexicans. Democrats and Republicans alike know that President Trump’s tariffs are hurting their states. That’s why I voted with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to send a clear message to President Trump that these reckless tariffs are taking a toll on the American economy and it must stop now.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch, Judiciary Committee Democrats Hold Hearing on Trump’s Blanket Pardons and Commutations for January 6th Insurrectionists 

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today joined his Senate Judiciary Committee Democratic colleagues for a spotlight hearing entitled “Clear and Present Danger: The Trump Administration’s Whitewashing of the January 6th Insurrection.” Hearing witnesses included Former United States Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn; Metropolitan Police Department Officer Daniel Hodges; Mike Romano, former Deputy Chief, Capitol Siege Section, D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office; and Sara Levine, former prosecutor, Capitol Siege Section, D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office. 
    “I came because I wanted to say thank you. It’s incredibly frustrating. This should be a hearing with the full committee where all of us are expressing our gratitude to folks who did their jobs, and all of us are expressing outrage at the erosion of the rule of law,” said Senator Welch. “The thing that’s so difficult is that the world is upside down right now…You’re looking at a world where the bad guys won. I mean, that’s what it boils down to. And that’s hard to live with.” 
    Watch Senator Welch’s remarks below: 

    The spotlight hearing examined President Trump’s reckless and dangerous pardons for those who attacked the Capitol on January 6th, the subsequent retaliation against investigators and prosecutors, and continued attempts by Trump loyalists like Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, and Ed Martin to rewrite the history of the insurrection and defend the rioters. The hearing also honored the law enforcement officers who bravely put themselves in harm’s way to protect the Capitol that day. 
    Watch a livestream recording of the spotlight hearing here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Colleagues Reintroduce Equality Act to Prohibit Discrimination Against LGBTQ+ Community

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

    Equality Act would expand the Civil Rights Act to explicitly protect LGBTQ+ individuals

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper joined a group of Senate and House Democrats to reintroduce the Equality Act, which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, education, employment, public accommodations, federal funding, and more. 

    “Love is love. Colorado will always fight for everyone to be free to love who they love and be who they are,” said Hickenlooper. “These basic, nationwide protections are long overdue.” 

    Specifically, the Equality Act would amend the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 to explicitly add sexual orientation and gender identity to longstanding bans on discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, education, access to credit, federal funding, and more. It would also add protections against sex discrimination in parts of anti-discrimination laws where these protections had not been included previously, such as public accommodations and federal funding.

    Hickenlooper originally introduced this legislation in 2023. Before that, in 2022, he voted in support of the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act, which protects marriage equality and guarantees same-sex and interracial couples the same rights afforded to all other marriages. 

    As governor of Colorado, Hickenlooper signed into law legislation that allowed same-sex couples to enter into civil unions in 2013. Same-sex marriage became legal in Colorado in 2014. Hickenlooper also signed a law to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act in Colorado to include same-sex partners.

    Full text of the legislation is available HERE. A section by section summary is available HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen U.S. Telecommunications Against Foreign Adversaries Advances Out of Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, in the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) helped advance legislation she introduced with Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) to strengthen American telecommunications against foreign adversaries. The bipartisan Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency (FACT) Act would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publicly identify entities that hold FCC licenses, authorizations, or other grants of authority that are owned, wholly or partially, by foreign, adversarial governments. It now awaits consideration on the Senate floor.
    “We must protect our nation in every way we can from global adversaries who are trying to hack our systems and access our information,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m glad to see that our bipartisan bill to help protect our telecommunications systems from adversarial nations, including China, Russia, and Iran, passed out of committee today. I’ll keep pushing to secure our networks and strengthen our national security.”
    “We cannot let authoritarian and adversarial regimes like China and Russia continue to have silent footholds in our tech and telecommunications markets,” said Senator Fischer. “My bill will direct the FCC to evaluate the communications risks foreign ownership ties pose to America’s national security and ensure that we can respond to these threats. I’m grateful a bipartisan group of my colleagues voted yes on this legislation, and I look forward to its passage on the Senate Floor.”
    Senator Rosen has been pushing to reduce the influence of our adversaries and strengthen our national security. Earlier this month, her bipartisan bill to direct the U.S. Department of State and other federal agencies to assess and counter Hezbollah’s influence in Latin America advanced in committee. Rosen also helped introduce the bipartisan No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act to prevent any person who participated in Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attacks from entering the United States. Additionally, Senator Rosen introduced bipartisan legislation to prohibit the use of DeepSeek — a new artificial intelligence (AI) platform with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party — on all government devices and networks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Video: Kaine Speaks on Senate Floor in Advance of Vote on His Bipartisan Legislation to End Trump’s Global Tariffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    FULL VIDEO OF KAINE’S FLOOR SPEECH IS AVAILABLE HERE.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the Senate’s expected vote later tonight on his bipartisan legislation to repeal President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs that the White House announced on April 2. These tariffs are a national sales tax – in total, Trump’s tariffs will cost the average American household nearly $5,000 per year. In the wake of President Trump’s trade wars, manufacturers have already laid off workers, foreign countries have imposed retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural and manufactured goods, and the economy has contracted.

    “The Constitution of the United States puts two powers clearly … within the hands of Congress: the power to tax and the power to conduct trade policy, including the imposition of tariffs,” said Kaine. “But President Trump finds Congress an inconvenience, and he has decided to take both of these powers onto his own shoulders by imposing a national sales tax.”

    “President Trump on Inauguration Day inherited the strongest economy on the Planet Earth,” Kaine continued. “We know this morning, that strong economy, which was growing for three years at a very solid pace, is now contracting. It’s not only the contraction of the economy, it’s the chaos of the stock market. It’s declining consumer confidence. It’s projections of recession by Federal Reserve districts and major economists.”

    “Last week, I traveled around the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Kaine said. “I talked to businesses everywhere in my state—and they talked about the layoffs, and they talked about the spending cuts, and they talked about the tariffs. And they added those three together and said what those three add up to is chaos—the chaos of unpredictability.”

    Kaine continued, “A tariff is nothing more than a sales tax. It’s a sales tax on the products that everyday Americans use, especially groceries and clothing, building supplies. For farmers, the cost of fertilizer that they need as they’re engaging in spring planting … This is a sales tax on everyone in the country, but it’s a sales tax—as all sales tax do—that falls hardest on those who can least afford it.”

    “A larger share of manufacturers are reporting declines in new orders … Some of those declines are driven because of the price effect of tariffs, the price effect of retaliatory tariffs, but some are also being driven by the uncertainty. There is a chaos penalty to the economy. When you’re not sure what’s going to happen, you slow your investments, and that’s why you see a decline in manufacturing,” Kaine said. “Businesses want to have predictability.”

    “So how did we get here? From an economy on Inauguration Day that was the strongest in the world—when President Trump stood 50 yards from here and said it was a golden age—to an economy that has nothing but red lights and question marks all over it?” Kaine asked. “We got here because one individual decided to bypass Congress to take both the taxing power and the trade power into his own hands without a debate, without a committee hearing, without deliberation, without considering what people thought about the plan, and that one man and his decisions have taken a chainsaw to the American economy.

    Kaine concluded, “We must turn this around, and the good news is the Senate has the ability to turn it around … All the economic trends are pointing the same direction. We should take a different path on the economy before it gets worse. The vote we will have later today gives the Senate—the greatest deliberative body in the world—the chance to stand up and say ‘Let’s take a different path.’”

    Earlier this month, bipartisan legislation led by Kaine to reverse President Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, which amount to a 25 percent tax on imports, passed the Senate.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEW: Baldwin Exposes Trump Administration for Stopping $47 Million from Treatment for Cancer Patients

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Appropriations Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee, exposed that the Trump administration has stopped $47 million in funding for critical cancer treatment at nine National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Centers across the country. NCI Cancer Centers are some of the top medical and research institutions that lead the fight against cancer through research, treatment, and public education. At a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on biomedical research, Baldwin asked Emily Stenson, whose daughter with stage 4 cancer participated in clinical trials funded by NCI at Seattle Children’s Hospital, what threats to this care mean to similar families.

    “The Trump administration is at it again – as families battling cancer are relying on clinical trials or treatment to fight another day, the Trump administration is pulling the rug out from under them and defunding the very cancer centers that patients rely on to get lifesaving care,” said Senator Baldwin. “They think we won’t notice, but I do. Cancer treatment is not something that can just be put on hold or stopped – ask any family who is in this fight. President Trump is squeezing Wisconsin families – now, including cancer patients – every way he can, all so he can fund a tax break for his wealthy allies, and it needs to stop.”

    The funding that has been halted at NCI-designated cancer centers across the country includes, cancer centers at Dana Faber, Dartmouth, Ohio State, Duke, University of Virginia, University of Colorado, New York University, St. Jude, and Rutgers University. NCI Cancer Centers are responsible for developing cutting-edge and innovative approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Senator Baldwin uncovered that nearly half of NCI’s Cancer Center Support Grants had renewal dates in the first few months of 2025 have not been awarded or funded.  

    At the Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Mrs. Stenson discussed her daughter Charlie’s pediatric cancer diagnosis and the clinical trials at Seattle Children’s Hospital that Charlie participated in.

    During the first 100 days, the Trump Administration has taken unprecedented actions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that are having devastating impacts on biomedical research, innovation, national security, and America’s competitiveness. Last month, Senator Baldwin revealed that the Trump administration halted $65 million in funding for Alzheimer’s disease research at 14 research institutions across the country. 

    MIL OSI USA News –