NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Head Start Alum Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Blast Attacks to Head Start, Demand RFK Jr. Immediately Release Funding, Reverse Firings

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Head Start Alum Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Blast Attacks to Head Start, Demand RFK Jr. Immediately Release Funding, Reverse Firings

    Senators Reverend Warnock and Patty Murray led a total of 41 lawmakers in demanding answers on Trump administration’s actions undermining Head Start, as President Trump reportedly plans to eliminate the program

    Senator Reverend Warnock is one of two Head Start alum currently serving in the Senate

    Senator Reverend Warnock is a founding member of the Head Start Caucus

    Senator Reverend Warnock previously introduced the bipartisan HEADWAY Act (Head Start Education and Development Workforce Advancement and Yield Act), which would boost the childcare workforce and increase access to Early Head Start programs

    Senator Reverend Warnock, lawmakers: “Since day one, this Administration has taken unacceptable actions to withhold and delay funding, fire Head Start staff, and gut high-quality services for children”

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) led 41 of their Senate colleagues in an effort calling out the Trump administration’s direct attacks on Head Start. The letter, addressed to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., highlighted his legal obligation to administer the program, and demanded HHS immediately release Head Start funding and reverse the mass firing of Head Start staff and gutting of the offices that help ensure high-quality services are available for thousands of children and families across the country.

    “We write to express our strong opposition to the actions you have taken to directly attack and undermine the federal Head Start program. Since day one, this Administration has taken unacceptable actions to withhold and delay funding, fire Head Start staff, and gut high-quality services for children. Already this year, this Administration has withheld almost $1 billion in federal grant funding from Head Start programs, a 37 percent decrease compared to the amount of funding awarded during the same period last year,” wrote the lawmakers. “It is abundantly clear that these actions are part of a broader effort to ultimately eliminate the program altogether, as the Administration reportedly plans to do in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.”

    “You even acknowledged the value of Head Start following a recent visit to a Virginia Head Start center,” the lawmakers continued, contrasting that statement of support with the Trump administration’s actions. “However, as a result of your actions to withhold and delay funding and undermine the administration of this vital program, Head Start centers are in serious jeopardy and have already had their day to day operations impacted. Programs are increasingly worried that they will not be able to make payroll, pay rent, and remain open to serve the hundreds of thousands of children and families who depend on their services in communities across the nation.”

    Importantly, they note that without funding, which has so far not gone out the door, many more programs could be forced to close.

    “[W]e urge you to immediately reinstate fired staff across all Offices of Head Start, and cease all actions to delay the awarding and disbursement of funding to Head Start programs across this country,” the Senators warned, concluding the letter.

    As a Head Start alum, Senator Warnock has been a strong advocate for the program. Senator Warnock introduced his bipartisan HEADWAY Act (Head Start Education and Development Workforce Advancement and Yield Act). The legislation, which was co-led by Senator Mike Braun (R-IN), would address early child care workforce shortages by allowing Early Head Start classroom teachers to teach and earn their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential simultaneously. Additionally, in August of 2023, Senator Warnock returned to his hometown of Savannah, Georgia, to tour Early Head Start classrooms at the Economic Opportunity Authority (EOA) for Savannah-Chatham County and hear from local early learning leaders about the workforce shortages impacting this critical early education program serving low-income families and their children.

    In addition to Senator Murray, the letter was authored by Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and in addition to Senator Warnock the letter was signed by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Peter Welch (D-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Fetterman (D-PA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Christopher S. Murphy (D-CT), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Edward Markey (D-MA), Angus King (I-ME), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Mark R. Warner (D-VA).

    The letter can be viewed HERE and is below.

    Dear Secretary Kennedy:

    We write to express our strong opposition to the actions you have taken to directly attack and undermine the federal Head Start program. Since day one, this Administration has taken unacceptable actions to withhold and delay funding, fire Head Start staff, and gut high-quality services for children. Already this year, this Administration has withheld almost $1 billion in federal grant funding from Head Start programs, a 37 percent decrease compared to the amount of funding awarded during the same period last year. It is abundantly clear that these actions are part of a broader effort to ultimately eliminate the program altogether, as the Administration reportedly plans to do in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.

    Head Start provides early childhood education and comprehensive health and social services to nearly 800,000 young children every year in communities across this country, and employs about 250,000 dedicated staff. Head Start is a critical source of child care for working families, particularly in rural and Tribal communities, where Head Start programs are often the only option for high-quality child care services. HeadStart programs ensure children receive appropriate health and dental care, nutrition support, and referrals to other critical services for parents, such as job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support.

    You even acknowledged the value of Head Start following a recent visit to a Virginia Head Start center, where you said, “I had a very inspiring tour. I saw a devoted staff and a lot of happy children. They are getting the kind of education and socialization they need, and they are also getting a couple of meals a day.”

    However, as a result of your actions to withhold and delay funding and undermine the administration of this vital program, Head Start centers are in serious jeopardy and have already had their day to day operations impacted. Programs are increasingly worried that they will not be able to make payroll, pay rent, and remain open to serve the hundreds of thousands of children and families who depend on their services in communities across the nation.

    Since the very start of this Administration, Head Start programs have been under attack. On January 27th, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memo (M-25-13) that suddenly froze the disbursement of grant funding for federal programs and services government-wide, including Head Start. Despite the Administration’s clarification that Head Start programs would not be the target of the funding freeze, many Head Startprograms across the country were unable to draw down their grant funds through the Payment Management System (PMS) for weeks. At one point, the National Head StartAssociation reported 37 programs serving nearly 15,000 children across the country could not access their federal funding. Head Start programs operate with thin margins and on short-term budgets from HHS, and without any communication from the Administration about the status of funding, programs were forced to temporarily close or to lay off staff. In Wisconsin, the National Centers for Learning Excellence, which serves more than 200 children and their families, shut down for a week and laid off staff due to the funding freeze.

    On April 1st, you abruptly closed five of the ten regional offices that help local grantees administer Head Start programs in 22 states. This left hundreds of programs without dedicated points of contact to address mission critical issues like approving grant renewals and modifications, investigating child health and safety incidents, and providing training and technical assistance to ensure high-quality services for children. While some grantees were assigned a new program specialist, we understand many have not been receiving responses to their inquiries. This is on top of the estimated 97 Office of Head Start central office staff that were terminated due to their probationary status and the recent reduction in force. You promised “radical transparency” as Secretary, yet it is unclear how these actions will improve Head Start programs, and you and your staff refuse to respond to basic inquiries and requests for information.

    On March 14th, 2025, the Office of Head Start (OHS) notified all Head Start programs that “the use of federal funding for any training and technical assistance or other program expenditures that promote or take part in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives” will not be approved and that any questions should be directed to regional offices. Programs have not received any guidance for what would be considered “DEI” but this policy is potentially in direct conflict with statutory and regulatory program requirements, such as providing culturally and linguistically appropriate instructional services for English learners. Many programs cannot direct questions to regional staff, as half of regional offices were abruptly closed, and as unprecedented actions are being taken to delay and withhold funding, Head Start programs have been intentionally left with little to no guidance.

    Head Start programs are now arbitrarily required to provide justifications for each draw down of funds that is necessary to operate their programs, despite already receiving a federal grant award for these purposes. As of April 14th, Head Start programs have reportedly received correspondence from an email address “defendthespend@hhs.gov” requiring programs to submit a “specific description of why the funds are necessary and why they are aligned to the award” before programs can have funding disbursed. It has been reported that political appointees must sign off on every draw down of funds. This creates an illusion of improving oversight but only serves to add unnecessary red tape by requiring the manual sign off on hundreds of thousands of individual actions annually across the Department based on two to three sentence justifications. Already some grantees have reported delays in receiving funds, and have reported that furloughs or closures are imminent if funds are not released. For an administration that purports to value local autonomy and efficiency in federally funded programs, your actions have achieved the exact opposite.

    Finally, Head Start grantees are still waiting on payments and grant renewals from the Office of Head Start, including programs whose grants end on April 30th, 2025. These notices should have gone out by now, yet we are concerned to hear programs report they have received little to no correspondence regarding their grant renewals. Additionally, because we started fiscal year 2025 under a short-term continuing resolution, as is usual, some grantees have only received partial funding for the first few months of the year. But with a full year funding bill in place, these grantees should have received full funding by now, yet some are reporting that they have not received the full amount of their grants and will run out of funds this month or next. On Wednesday, April 16th, the delays in Head Start funding led to the closure of Head Start centers serving more than 400 children in Sunnyside, Washington.

    The Administration has a legal and moral obligation to disburse Head Start funds to programs and to uphold the program’s promise to provide high-quality early education services to low income children and families across this country. The fiscal year 2025 appropriations act provided $12.3 billion for Head Start, the same as the fiscal year 2024 level. The Head Start Act includes an explicit formula for how appropriated funds should be allocated. There is no justifiable reason for the delay in funding we have seen over the last two months, and you have refused to offer any kind of explanation. However, this week’s leaked fiscal year 2026 budget documents indicated the Office of Management and Budget was directing the Department, consistent with the Administration’s proposal to eliminate Head Start in fiscal year 2026, to “ensure to the extent allowable FY2025 funds are available to close out the program.” If this explains any of the delay in awarding fiscal year 2025 funding, we want to be clear, no funds were provided in fiscal year 2025 to “close out the program,” and it would be wholly unacceptable and likely illegal if the Department tries to carry out this directive.

    Finally, the leaked budget documents provided a justification, albeit brief, for eliminating Head Start in fiscal year 2026 that makes this Administration’s priorities clear and puts the Department’s actions over the last several months in context. The Administration argues that eliminating Head Start, “is consistent with the Administration’s goals of returning education to the States and increasing parental choice.” It is shocking to see an argument that eliminating a program that provides comprehensive early childhood care and education to 800,000 children and their families would increase parental choice. It is particularly concerning to see that argument in the context of the significant delay in awarding fiscal year 2025 appropriated funds and what that indicates about the intent behind the Department’s actions. We believe it is obvious that eliminating Head Start would be detrimental to hundreds of thousands of children and families. Similarly, we believe it is obvious that delaying funding like we have seen over the last two months, forcing Head Start programs to close, and leaving families to scramble to find quality, affordable alternatives puts the education and well-being of some of the most vulnerable young children in America at risk. In our view, that is unacceptable.

    Therefore, we urge you to immediately reinstate fired staff across all Offices of HeadStart, and cease all actions to delay the awarding and disbursement of funding to HeadStart programs across this country.

    Please provide us with a written response to the questions below no later than 10 days from receipt:

    1. Will you reinstate the staff who administer Head Start programs and reopen the closed regional offices responsible for overseeing Head Start programs in 22 states?
      1. When is HHS going to share information on the reorganization plan for the consolidation of the regional offices?
      2. Please provide the contact information for each program specialist designated to the 22 states who lost their regional office.
      3. Who is responsible for ensuring there are no delays or lapses in funding, nor any disruptions to Head Start program operations now that these states do not have a regional office?
    1. How many employees at the Offices of Head Start have been terminated, including the five regional offices and the central office?
      1. Which officials at HHS were involved in the staffing reduction decisions for OHS and what planning, if any, was undertaken prior to these reductions? Please describe the events that unfolded and name each office that was involved in the decision. Further, please name the official(s) who approved the staffing reductions.
    1. Can you confirm that the Administration will distribute all Head Start funds appropriated by Congress to Head Start programs in FY 25, as required by the HeadStart Act?
    1. Please provide a list of all grantees with 5-year Head Start grant renewals that start between now and the end of the fiscal year: May 1st, June 1st, July 1st, August 1st, and September 1st.
      1. Will any funding be delayed for grantees that are due to receive their annual funding on May 1st or beyond?
    1. Why are funding awards delayed for grantees that received partial awards during the first continuing resolution for FY25?
      1. When can HHS guarantee that all funds will be awarded for partially funded Head Start programs?
    1. What is the “Tier 2” department for review that is delaying drawn down for HeadStart programs in the Payment Management System?
      1. When should programs expect to receive their funds?
      2. Please provide all communication that went to Head Start grantees on the new review process.
    1. What guidance and clarifications have been provided to Head Start grantees on DEI expenditures?
      1. How is HHS evaluating Head Start programs’ expenditures and grant awards for DEI?
      2. What justifications are being used to prohibit DEI?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Demand Social Security Head Keep Field Offices Open

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Demand Social Security Head Keep Field Offices Open

    Senator Reverend Warnock has been outspoken about the potential closures of Social Security Administration (SSA) offices in Georgia

    Senator Warnock is also part of the Social Security War Room

    Senator Warnock has repeatedly pushed back against attempts to close SSA offices in Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock, lawmakers: “Field offices provide vital services to Social Security recipients, and beneficiaries 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.”

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) led a coalition of over 100 Congressional Democrats in writing to the Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) Leland Dudek to demand that he keep Social Security field offices open.

    Americans will also deliver the letter in-person to Social Security field offices across the country, in a show of support for Social Security workers and the services they provide.

    Multiple reports have 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. Specifically in Georgia, DOGE announced the closure of five SSA offices in rural communities throughout the state. After the Senator called out the closures and helped create public backlash, the administration made several attempts to walk back the claim of the office closure, even deleting the posting of the specific office closures from the DOGE website.

    Approximately 170,000 Americans visit a Social Security field office for assistance with Social Security benefits each day. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has threatened to close dozens of these offices as part of its attack on the SSA.

    “[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.

    The lawmakers include a list of every SSA field office across the country and press Dudek to commit to keeping every single one of them open.

    Senator Warnock has continued to be outspoken about the potential closure of SSA offices in Georgia. Earlier this month, Senator Warnock collected and submitted over 250 questions from Georgians to SSA nominee Frank Bisignano about how he would protect Social Security if confirmed. Senator Warnock also questioned Bisignano on his commitment to keep all field offices in the state open for Georgia seniors and increase staffing at Georgia field offices. Several weeks before the hearing, SSA announced it was making access to benefits more difficult for seniors, no longer allowing individuals to apply for benefits or request a direct deposit change over the phone. These and other proposed changes at the SSA could lead to an increase of 7 million visits to field offices per year across the country, and an estimated 200,000 additional visits in Georgia alone. Senator Warnock remains committed to ensuring Georgians can easily and efficiently access their benefits that they have paid into over their lifetime.

    In addition to Senators Warnock, Warren, Schumer, Wyden, and Gillibrand, the letter was also signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NV), 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-CN), 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), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

    The letter can be viewed HERE and below:

    Dear Acting Commissioner Dudek:

    We write with concern in response to public reporting indicating you plan to close many field offices this year amidst the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)’s attack on the Social Security Administration (SSA).

    Field offices provide vital services to Social Security recipients, and beneficiaries need the opportunity to seek assistance from SSA in person. Each day, approximately 170,000 people visit an SSA field office for assistance. Closing any of these field offices will make it harder for individuals to access their benefits.

    Below is a list of all SSA field offices across the country. Given SSA’s recent attempts to close field offices—only to reverse course after public outcry and claim it never had plans to close offices—will you commit to keeping each one of these offices open? If not, please identify which offices you will close and why.

    Georgia SSA field offices by address:

    • 401 W Peachtree St, NW Atlanta, GA
    • 325 W Montgomery Xrd, Savannah, GA
    • 1522 W 3rd Ave, Alban,y GA
    • 3530 Riverside Drive, Macon, GA
    • 1650 Prince Avenue, Athens, GA
    • 7263 North Lake Dr, Columbus, GA
    • 115 Robert C Daniel Jr Pkwy, Augusta, GA
    • 303 Isabella St, Waycross, GA
    • 1300 Lafayette Pkwy, Lagrange, GA
    • 480 Riverside Pkwy NE, Rome, GA
    • 109 Cypress Corners, Milledgeville, GA
    • 1916 Smith Avenue, Thomasville, GA
    • 2565 Thompson Brdg Rd, Gainesville, GA
    • 3149 Perimeter Park Ln, Valdosta, GA
    • 134 Juniper Ct, Brunswick, GA
    • 919 Hillcrest Pkwy, Dublin, GA
    • 1548 Flynt St, Griffin, GA
    • 6665 Park Place, Morrow, GA
    • 301 Point North Pl, Dalton, GA
    • 200 Chastain Center Blvd, Kennesaw, GA
    • 4365 Shackleford Rd, Norcross, GA
    • 3554 Covington Hwy, Decatur, GA
    • 3800 Camp Creek Pkwy, Atlanta, GA
    • 1050 Brannen St, Statesboro, GA
    • 155 Big A Rd, Toccoa, GA
    • 908 S Carroll Rd, Villa Rica, GA
    • 389 East Broad St, Winder, GA
    • 510 E 15th Ave, Cordele, GA
    • 220 Carl Vinson Pkwy, Warner Robins, GA
    • 732 2nd St, W Tifton, GA
    • 9180 Covington By Pass Rd, Covington, GA
    • 104 W Third St, Vidalia, GA
    • 246 Bullsboro Dr, Newnan, GA

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Padilla, Schiff, Murphy, Blumenthal, McBath Reintroduce Assault Weapons Ban

    US Senate News:

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

    WATCH: Padilla, Schiff, Murphy, Blumenthal, McBath Reintroduce Assault Weapons Ban

    WATCH: Padilla continues legacy of late California Senator Dianne Feinstein, co-leads Assault Weapons Ban legislation

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) led the bicameral reintroduction of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025, legislation to reinstate a nationwide ban on military-style assault weapons. The bill would prohibit the sale, transfer, manufacture, and import of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and other high-capacity ammunition feeding devices. 

    The Senators called for swift passage of the legislation at a press conference today, where they were joined by gun safety advocates from Brady: United Against Gun Violence, GIFFORDS, and Newtown Action Alliance, along with survivors of the 2012 Sandy Hook and 2018 Parkland shootings.

    Senators Padilla and Schiff are continuing the legacy of the late California Senator Dianne Feinstein, who authored the original 1994 assault weapons ban. That legislation passed with bipartisan support and remained in effect until it expired in 2004. Senator Feinstein spent the rest of her Senate career fighting to reinstate it.

    Key Excerpts from Senator Padilla’s Remarks

    • The numbers don’t lie. The assault weapon ban works. Fatalities are down because of it. Lives have been saved. The number of incidents have been reduced. But as you pointed out, state laws stop at the state line, and as long as it’s easy for someone in California to leave the state and bring back an assault weapon, or somebody from a neighboring state to come to California with an assault weapon, we’re still at risk. And so we need a national ban, as we had once upon a time under the leadership of our predecessor, Senator Feinstein.
    • I stand here, not just as a Senator, but as a proud father of three school-aged children. … In California, we’re not unfamiliar with fire drills and earthquake drills, but when a child comes home explaining to a parent what an active shooter drill is at school, it should make us all mad that that’s what we are living in the United States of America in the year 2025. It doesn’t have to be this way.
    • Our Republican colleagues may offer their thoughts and prayers, but sadly, that’s it. They’ll offer thoughts and prayers and then sit back and do nothing. If they do anything, it’s they actively block our efforts like advancing an assault weapons ban and other commonsense gun safety legislation. The country deserves better.
    • For those who hear the false argument that, “Oh, what about the Second Amendment?” This is not about the Second Amendment. This is about saving lives.
    • Should military assault weapons be on the streets of our communities? No. Should weapons of war be found in our grocery stores, at concerts, and houses of worship? No. Are our Republican colleagues more loyal to the gun lobby or to the constituents that elected them to make their communities safer?
    • Today, we are proudly and adamantly putting the assault weapons ban back on the table because we know these bans can save lives. We know they reduce the number of mass shootings, and we know that if we fail to act, more Americans, more children will die.
    • So we’re calling on our Republican colleagues: please have the backbone. Have the courage to stand up and protect your constituents, protect our communities. Have the courage to put people over profits.
    • As long as we’re willing to fight for our children, we can’t lose hope. There is hope. Call your Members of Congress, organize, speak out. We can and we must win this fight.

    Video of Senator Padilla’s remarks is available here and can be downloaded here.

    While the original ban was in place, the United States saw a 37 percent drop in gun massacres, and deaths in mass shootings were 70 percent less likely. After the ban expired, fatalities in gun massacres rose by 239 percent. A ban on assault-style weapons is not only commonsense policy, it’s broadly supported by the American public. Congress must act to catch up with the will of the people.

    Congresswoman Lucy McBath (D-Ga.-06) is leading companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

    “Thirty-one years ago, after the Stockton schoolyard shooting in California, Senator Feinstein successfully led bipartisan legislation to ban military-style assault weapons. Over the next ten years, and until the measure expired, the assault weapons ban was a vital tool in the struggle to reduce gun violence and mass shootings. It saved lives. Today, I’m honored to carry on the legacy of Dianne Feinstein, and work to ban these weapons that have led to the most terrible mass casualty events in our communities. The time to act on this life-saving legislation is now — not tomorrow, not next week, and not when the next tragedy strikes,” said Senator Schiff. 

    “Assault weapons are designed for one thing: to kill as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. These are weapons of war that have no place in our communities, and it’s long past time we treated them that way. A majority of Americans support an assault weapons ban, and it’s time for Republicans to get on board and pass this bill before more lives are lost,” said Senator Murphy. 

    “Assault weapons have only one practical purpose – to slaughter human beings. These military-style combat weapons are designed to maximize death and destruction. No self-respecting hunter uses one. Assault weapons have brought bloodshed and carnage to our streets and our schools. Guns don’t respect state boundaries, which is why we need a national solution to restricting the ownership and use of the mass shooter’s weapon of choice,” said Senator Blumenthal. 

    “Assault weapons are made to murder and maim. These weapons of war do not belong on our streets, in our classrooms, or in our spaces of worship,” said Representative McBath. ”Since the death of my son, I have dedicated my life to preventing more families from feeling the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence. No one should fear for their child’s safety when they head off to school or the mall. Banning assault weapons is a proven way to prevent horrific massacres from devastating our country. I thank Senator Schiff and my House colleagues for their support of this important bill.” 

    The bill is cosponsored by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). 

    The Assault Weapons Ban is endorsed by Brady: United Against Gun Violence, GIFFORDS, Newtown Action Alliance, Everytown for Gun Safety, March for Our Lives, Sandy Hook Promise, and the National Parent Teacher Association. 

    Senator Padilla is a strong advocate for commonsense, lifesaving gun safety reforms. Earlier this year, Padilla led 18 Senators in introducing the Age 21 Act, legislation to raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines from 18 to 21, the same age requirement that already applies to purchasing handguns from federally licensed dealers. In June 2022, Padilla voted to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun safety legislation in almost 30 years. Last year, Padilla introduced bicameral legislation to prevent the federal government from contracting with federally licensed firearms dealers that have a documented history of selling a disproportionate number of guns that end up being used to commit violent crimes. In 2023, Padilla joined 27 of his Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Keep Americans Safe Act, renewing efforts to ban the importation, sale, manufacturing, transfer, or possession of gun magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Senate Floor Speech, Senator Murray Calls Out Trump’s Staggeringly Lawless and Inhumane Immigration Policy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    60 Minutes: U.S. sent 238 migrants to Salvadoran mega-prison; documents indicate most have no apparent criminal records

    ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks on the Senate Floor***

    Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, took to the Senate floor to deliver a speech on President Trump’s lawless immigration policy. Senator Murray highlighted the absence of any semblance of due process for—in many cases—legal residents with no criminal record being detained and deported—and even sent to a prison in El Salvador with no outside contact and no end date. She also discussed how Trump’s crackdown has caused confusion for international students, fear among farmworkers, and led to U.S. citizens being detained, having their homes raided, and even to some U.S. citizens who are children being deported with their parents.

    Emphasizing the complete lack of transparency from the Trump administration on why the people sent to El Salvador are being detained and what is being done to bring them home, Senator Murray demanded more information from the Trump administration about its recent actions—from the full details of the secret agreement with El Salvador, to the names of all the individuals sent to El Salvador, their current status, what sort of evidence and process has been afforded them, and what sort of contact they can make with lawyers and family. She also pressed for a good faith effort to follow Supreme Court orders, to return everyone wrongly sent to El Salvador, and to establish lines of communication for individuals to speak with their lawyers and families.

    “I heard from one of my Republican colleagues say last week ‘I don’t see any pattern here.’ Well, I ask him now—I ask everyone now—to pay attention to the full picture. Because of course you won’t see the pattern if you just look at one case and you ignore the many, many others,” said Senator Murray. “There is the case of Andry Hernandez Romero, he’s a barber who came here legally, he has no criminal record. There is the case of Arturo Suárez Trejo, he’s a musician, he came here legally, he has no criminal record. There is the case of Merwil Gutiérrez, who—you guessed it—came here legally, no criminal record. In fact, he was apparently grabbed by mistake. One officer reportedly said ‘No, he’s not the one,’ and another said, ‘Take him anyway.’ Trump sent them all to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador—with no trial. Disappeared. They have no contact with their lawyer. No contact with family. We do not know if they are alive, and they don’t know if anyone is even advocating for them. How hopeless that must feel. How dark. So, is that enough of a pattern for my Republican colleagues? Do you still need more?”

    Senator Murray has championed comprehensive and humane immigration reform throughout her Senate career, repeatedly pushing for legislative solutions that would offer a fair pathway to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants living in America, including Dreamers, farmworkers, and those with Temporary Protected Status. During Trump’s first administration, Senator Murray helped lead the charge in pushing back against Trump’s appalling treatment of migrant children and families at the southern border— cosponsoring the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act, which would require unaccompanied children and vulnerable individuals to be provided with legal assistance during immigration court proceedings, the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act to end family separations at the border, and legislation to prevent the separation of families at sensitive locations such as schools, religious institutions, and hospitals, among many other efforts.

    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below, and video is HERE:

    “Thank you, M. President.

    “Over the past month we have seen a wave of righteous outrage across the country in response to President Trump’s completely lawless move to disappear hundreds of people to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador, without even the barest semblance of due process.

    “And as I join my colleagues in calling for the Trump Administration to abide by the Supreme Court ruling, and facilitate the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia—a man they said, in court, was sent to El Salvador by mistake—I have to emphasize, his case is one of many where Trump has completely shredded our norms and laws. In addition to Garcia, Trump sent off some two hundred people—including innocent people who were in our country legally—to a foreign prison without any due process whatsoever.

    “And they did it all on the basis of some arrangement negotiated in secret and paid for with millions of taxpayer dollars. What we do know, is that many of these people were sent there without any criminal conviction—the Administration actually admitted that! In their own court filing the Trump Administration acknowledged that many of these people have no criminal records in the U.S. And yet, all of these people have now been imprisoned in a foreign country with no end date in sight—unconstitutional doesn’t even begin to cover that.

    “There are so many questions, basic questions, about this that we all should be demanding answers to. At the barest, smallest, slimmest minimum, and I mean as a starting point, the Administration must release more details about this secret agreement where it is paying El Salvador with our taxpayer dollars to imprison people without a trial. Details like: who all is being imprisoned, how long is El Salvador holding these people with  Trump’s orders, how many people is El Salvador going to imprison under this agreement, what outside contact is possible for those people, and how do we learn their status and condition—are they alive, are they healthy? What are those details?

    “Most of these details we do have are from reporting—and news reports say the deal was only for El Salvador to take convicted criminals—so why did Trump send people with no criminal record? And importantly: where in the world is this money coming from? Does anyone here remember voting to pass a single dollar in appropriations to fund a torture prison in El Salvador? Because I sure don’t! And last I checked Congress has the power of the purse.

    “You know what else we don’t know? We still don’t know the names of everyone they did this to. Think about that. We don’t even have their names! That information should be released immediately. Today. Because there are families who still have no confirmation where their loved ones are, and the only list we have right now was not even released by the Administration! It was reported by the press.

    “Some families only learned their son was gone, their husband was gone, their father was gone, through photos of them being marched into a torture prison. This is the first, last, and only update we have on just about all of those people. We don’t know if they are alive. We don’t know if they are being treated decently. We don’t even know if they have been moved. Even their lawyers can’t reach them.

    “Here’s what we do know: there are many names on the El Salvador list of people who were here legally, who had no criminal record. That seems to be getting lost in the debate for some of my Republican colleagues. This is not about any one case, or any one person, it is about a lawless system for the President to deny due process. And when you cut out due process, you put innocent people in harm’s way.

    “I heard from one of my Republican colleagues say last week ‘I don’t see any pattern here.’ Well, I ask him now—I ask everyone now—to pay attention to the full picture. Because of course you won’t see the pattern if you just look at one case and you ignore the many, many others.

    “There is the case of Andry Hernandez Romero, he’s a barber who came here legally, he has no criminal record.

    “There is the case of Arturo Suárez Trejo, he’s a musician, he came here legally, he has no criminal record.

    “There is the case of Merwil Gutiérrez, who—you guessed it—came here legally, no criminal record. In fact, he was apparently grabbed by mistake. One officer reportedly said ‘No, he’s not the one,’ and another said, ‘Take him anyway.’

    “Trump sent them all to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador—with no trial. Disappeared. They have no contact with their lawyer. No contact with family. We do not know if they are alive, and they don’t know if anyone is even advocating for them. How hopeless that must feel. How dark. 

    “So, is that enough of a pattern for my Republican colleagues? Do you still need more?

    “Because there’s also Jerce Reyes Barrios, he’s a soccer player, he came here legally. Again—no criminal record.

    “There’s Gustavo Aguilera, a food delivery driver. Legally here. No criminal record.

    “Or Anyelo Sarabia. Here legally. No criminal record.

    “I mean, how many more before my colleagues can actually admit this is a pattern? How many people have to be disappeared with no due process before it becomes a problem? Because for me—one is too many. And the pattern isn’t even over yet. Trump was reportedly ready to disappear even more people to El Salvador—before the Supreme Court put its foot down. In this latest round, the Trump Administration was preparing to disappear a man who came here legally, had no record, except traffic violations!

    “Another was a young man accused of being a gang member because of a photo with a toy water gun. That is the level of so-called ‘evidence’ that gets you locked away in a foreign torture prison under President Trump. And I will keep saying it Mr. President, most of the people they disappeared have no criminal records, and many were even here legally. They came here for a better life, and Trump disappeared them based on nothing more than tattoos that say ‘mom’ and ‘dad,’ or that they celebrate soccer teams, or a daughter’s birth, or autism awareness.

    “And Mr. President, I realize, I keep hammering home that—many of these people are not criminals—and many of these people came here legally. But I do want to remind my colleagues, this question is not whether someone who was vanished to El Salvador without a trace is good or bad, the question is whether everyone in this country—including American citizens—have the rights they were promised in our Constitution.

    “At the end of the day, this is not about who these people are, it is about who we are—whether we are a country of due process, or not. A country of laws, or not.

    “Trump has said where he stands. He literally said ‘We don’t have time’ to give them due process. If the Trump Administration think’s someone is a criminal, if they are really bad and dangerous, prove it in court. Prove it! Just simply prove it! It shouldn’t be hard. That is how this works. Everyone in this country understands that.

    “You can’t just say ‘criminals don’t get due process’—when due process is how you determine who is a criminal in the first place! I mean, in the case of one person they sent to El Salvador, not only did the government’s file against him show no criminal record, it also got his name wrong several times, and used two different identification numbers! Those are pretty major errors to make when you are locking someone away. The kind of errors that due process helps to avoid.

    “That’s not some theory—we are seeing that happen in another case right now. There is a couple that Trump is saying are part of a gang, but instead of just disappearing them with no trial to speak of, the Administration was forced to prove it, to prove it in court. And you know what happened? The government failed. The judge found the government’s claims, ‘completely and wholly unsubstantiated’ and ordered the couple to be released.

    “That just goes to show, if we ignore our laws, if we tear down the guardrails that saved that couple, it’s not criminals who pay the price, it is innocent people. Because due process protects them too! Due process allows us to confirm whether people are lawfully present. Due process lets us confirm whether Trump is about to send them to a foreign prison. Due process lets us confirm whether people are guilty—instead of going off how they look, or what tattoo they have.

    “And at the end of the day, due process means they get an actual determination of guilt or innocence, instead of getting disappeared with a question mark. But no one here was told they are facing ‘X’ years in a foreign prison.

    “There is no end date in El Salvador! Because there was no sentence! Because there was no trial! There was just Trump, ignoring our laws, ignoring our courts, and sending people to gulags to rot, to die, to never be heard from again. How can anyone ignore that outrageous breach of our laws—of our values!

    “And M. President—as a co-equal branch of this government, I want to impress upon my colleagues: It is not just due process that is getting trampled here, it is basic checks and balances. Trump is imprisoning these people under the Alien Enemies Act. He is using a war power. We are not at war! Everyone here should know that. After all, Congress, we, have to vote to declare war. I remember every war vote we have taken in my time here in Congress—and I can tell you—there has never been a vote on this so-called war Trump declared all on his own.

    “As if that weren’t enough, earlier this month the National Intelligence Council, the National Intelligence Council, determined that Venezuela is not directing an ‘invasion’ by gangs. That directly undercuts what Trump claimed when he announced his illegal end run around Congress. Here’s a simple question for everyone, there is no invasion, there is no war, so why is Trump invoking a wartime authority?

    “But add on top of that—that Trump has reached some secret, multi-million-dollar deal to pay El Salvador to imprison these people without a trial. I’m Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee—I can tell you, we did not include a single cent—not one penny!—for running torture prisons in El Salvador in our last funding bill.

    “Congress has the power of the purse, but Trump is picking our pockets to fund his own personal gulag. And by the way, while we talk about checks and balances, let’s not forget how the Trump Administration is arresting judges, his allies and advisors are attacking judges publicly and calling to impeach those who disagree with him, and of course, Trump is blatantly ignoring the courts. And worse than that, the White House is in open defiance of the Supreme Court.

    “The Supreme Court wrote the Administration must facilitate Mr. Garcia’s release. The White House wrote that he is never coming back.

    “The Supreme Court wrote people being targeted under the Alien Enemies Act must have a reasonable opportunity to file for habeas corpus. The Trump Administration said, ‘no—we will give them 12 hours.’

    “Foreign policy is not an end run around the courts or the constitution. The President cannot just be given unilateral authority to cut completely unethical deals with foreign nations. What happens when a President negotiates in secret to have his political rivals detained abroad? Is that allowed? Can he argue the courts can’t require him to call such a deal off? Or maybe he just denies it and says any agreements are state secrets? Does that work?

    “If President Trump said he would pay El Salvador $6 million to assassinate his rivals—I think we would all agree that is blatantly unconstitutional. And if the court said he had to facilitate a reversal of that deal, and he said ‘well.. it’s a sovereign nation… I can’t stop them from assassinating anyone,’—I think we all would have a huge problem with that. So, do we want to say that is wrong now—or are we going to have to wait until he tries it?

    “What are we waiting for? We cannot just all stand by silent as the President pries open a pandora’s box that is all together unprecedented—and that poses a direct threat to our Republic. And let’s cut through this BS where Trump and El Salvador are both trying to pretend there is no way to facilitate the return of people sent there wrongly.

    “Cause here’s the thing: El Salvador has already sent back people that Trump tried to disappear. El Salvador immediately sent back a Nicaraguan individual. And they sent back women—yeah, Trump tried to disappear women to their all-male torture prison in El Salvador. If anyone wants to try and pretend this was some careful vetting process, pleaseexplain that to me. So it’s not like El Salvador can’t send people back—they have already done that.

    “The Administration should be making clear—one: that these people were wrongly sent, and two: that, as with others wrongly sent, they need to be returned. Though, I want to keep in mind of course, that ‘wrongly sent’ is still an enormous understatement. The reality is these people were completely denied due process. The reality is President Trump is not just disappearing these people to El Salvador, he is disappearing our most basic constitutional rights, and he is doing it in plain sight.

    “Not just in El Salvador either! Right here, in America, his immigration crackdown is upturning lives, and overturning some of our most basic values, like freedom of speech. We have people who are here legally—who are being detained and threatened with deportation. Not for any crime, not for any violence, but for speech, for protest, for things as simple and fundamental as writing an op-ed the Administration disagreed with.

    “In America, the land of the free and the land of free speech, is dissent the bar for deportation now? Is that what this country has come to? What next? How far does Trump’s new standard apply? Can you get deported for saying we shouldn’t invade Canada? Can you get detained for an op-ed saying Greenland is not going to be a state? Are you going to have legal status revoked for admitting Biden won the 2020 election?

    “Because that may seem outrageous—but it also seems perfectly in line with Trump’s new policy which amounts to—disagree with the President and your rights are gone. That is fundamentally un-American.

    “And beyond people who are being targeted for protest, there are thousands of students in this country, that Trump is trying to push out over minor issues; fishing citations, jay walking, speeding tickets, even charges that were dismissed. So far, some 1,800 foreign students are having their visa revoked with little to no explanation, to say nothing of due process.

    “That includes students in Washington state, my homes state, at the UW, at Gonzaga, at Shoreline Community College—where I once worked—my alma mater WSU, and more! It’s not clear whether these students have done anything wrong, and it’s not clear in some cases—what exactly they are supposed to do next. Because when the Administration can’t revoke visas—it has been trying to remove students’ records—something courts have already ruled against.

    “One of the judges really put it best. And I want to read this and quote it to you. This is a judge. ‘I’ve got two experienced immigration lawyers on behalf of a client who is months away from graduation, who has done nothing wrong, who has been terminated from a system that you all keep telling me has no effect on his immigration status, although that clearly is BS. And now, his two very experienced lawyers can’t even tell him whether or not he’s here legally, because the court can’t tell him whether or not he’s here legally, because the government’s counsel can’t tell him if he’s here legally.’

    “M. President, the point seems to be, if we can’t deport you, we can scare and confuse you. And to add even more confusion, DOJ announced they were reversing course on some of this, only to then say they are still working on a plan to push out all these students. And by the way, we are only still scratching the surface of just how inhumane Trump’s immigration crackdown has become.

    “Trump is slashing funds to ensure 26,000 migrant kids have legal assistance—meaning more four-year-olds are being marched in front of immigration judges, expected to make their own legal case with a plushy toy. Trump is also trying to mass cancel protected status for people who came here who were fleeing harsh conditions and dictators. Trump is sending Christian refugees and women back to live under the Taliban—where they will face near certain persecution. Trump is sending ICE officials to elementary schools, where they have tried to gain access by lying about having permission from parents to speak with their kids.

    “ICE officials are arresting people with maximum violence and lawlessness—showing up without a judicial warrant, since the Trump Administration says it is fine to storm into someone’s house without one, showing up in masks, grabbing people off the streets without any badge or identification to distinguish them from a kidnapper, whisking people away in unmarked cars, and even smashing in windshields.

    “M. President, back in my home state of Washington—I have heard from folks who saw that firsthand. Last month, ICE aggressively detained Lelo, a farmworker in my state—and it appears he may have even been targeted because of his advocacy for better working conditions for his fellow farmworkers. They are still denying him bond—despite no criminal charges. I spoke with his wife last week—who watched in horror as they arrested her husband shortly after he dropped her off at work. She told me through tears about how officers broke his window and pushed him against the car. And how, Lelo wants to be free so he can take care of his brothers and sisters and work so they can study. He wants to continue doing his work in the community and with the union. And they are working right now to try and get bond—something I strongly support. This is not someone M. President, with a dangerous record—it is someone with a record of hard work, and of trying to make his community better.

    “Skagit County is known for its agricultural industry—and that industry doesn’t survive without the immigrant farmworkers who help power that local economy. Period.

    “More than that, we are talking about many families who have been here for decades. They are part of our community—they’re not just the people who feed this country. These people work hard, they follow the law. They should not be terrorized as if they were violent criminals. Last week, I met with farmworkers there who told me there have been days they have been afraid to go to work, because an unmarked vehicle was seen in their neighborhood. They are absolutely terrified of being grabbed off the street by ICE and locked up with no semblance of due process, regardless of their legal status.

    “And this situation is not unique to Skagit County or even to my state. It’s happening across the country. Let’s not forget, Trump is trying to deport a cancer researcher to Russia where she fears retaliation for protesting the war in Ukraine. Sending her away would both put her in danger and completely upend groundbreaking cancer research—her colleagues say her role is irreplaceable.

    “But it’s not just cancer research, Trump also deported a little girl, a U.S. citizen, who was on her way to get cancer treatment! She was with her mother, an undocumented immigrant—who was forced to choose between being separated from her 10-year-old daughter or being sent away together. What an unthinkable choice to force on a mother. What an unthinkable thing to do to a child, a citizen, a citizen who is fighting cancer.

    “And Trump has done that twice. That’s right twice, he has deported a mother—along with a kid who is fighting cancer—a kid who is an American citizen. And he is doing that without giving these parents any meaningful time to talk to a lawyer, or a spouse, to figure out what is best for their child. We know that because Trump deported another U.S. citizen last week—that’s right another one. Trump deported a two-year-old, an American citizen. They refused to tell this kids’ father where his wife and kid were being held. They refused to let him talk to his wife for more than a minute. They even forced him to hang up the phone when he tried to give his wife their lawyer’s number. And then, as the judge put it, they seem to have ‘deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process.’

    “And now we are hearing about a family in Oklahoma—U.S. citizens who recently moved in who had their home raided by ICE. A mom and her daughters—forced out of their house, in the rain, in underwear. ICE agents seized phones, laptops, even their full life savings—and didn’t leave so much as a number they could call to get their stuff back. That happened to U.S. citizens, who did nothing but move into a new house.

    “These horror stories underscore something important—Trump’s cruel war on immigrants is hurting American citizens too. U.S. citizens are having their spouses ripped away, even servicemembers are seeing their families targeted. They are having their parents ripped away. They are having their lives turned upside down.

    “And—let’s not forget—U.S. citizens are even being detained by this administration. We have several instances now—where American citizens have been caught up in Trump’s immigration crackdown. American citizens have been detained and wrongly locked up—even after someone showed them their birth certificates. Even for days! And let’s keep in mind—if you are a citizen who is mistakenly detained, and you are being denied due process, and you can’t reach someone to show your birth certificate, how are you supposed to get released? What if you are put on the next plane to El Salvador before you get the chance to set the record straight? And let’s not pretend that’s far-fetched.

    “Not when citizens havealready been mistakenly detained. Not when the government hasalready admitted it sent some people to El Salvador by mistake. Now when Trump has already disappeared some people who were here legally, and many people who had no criminal record—with no due process. And not when Trump hasalreadysaid he wants to send U.S. citizens to El Salvador prisons. He was caught on mic telling the President of El Salvador he needs to build more jails, telling him the ‘homegrowns’ are next. What happens when you get sent there, and you can’t contact a lawyer? These are serious questions—what happens? Because if there is nothing we can do for the people there now, what precedent does that set for the people that are sent there next?

    “M. President—I’ve been speaking for a while now and I’ve posed a lot of questions, and I hope my colleagues think about this carefully. So, I am going to wrap it up, but I will end now with just one more.

    “Where will Republicans draw the line? Because we are well past the bounds of law—and we are well past the bounds of basic humanity. So, I hope more of my colleagues will join me in saying enough is enough. And in demanding transparency, accountability, and justice from the Trump Administration. That starts with some very basic things.

    “First—accurate, up-to-date information on the names of people who are being detained in, and deported from, ICE facilities across the country—including by the way, the Northwest ICE Detention Center in Tacoma, so that their loved ones and community members can at least know where they are!

    “And we need a clear list of every person who was disappeared to El Salvador, along with what evidence—if any—the government has. As well as the full terms of whatever agreement the Trump administration has negotiated with El Salvador’s dictator.

    “But it doesn’t stop there. We need to see clear, good faith efforts to abide by court orders, and to bring back everyone wrongfully, unjustly sent to a foreign prison. We need to have lines of communication so these people can talk to their lawyers, or talk to their loved ones, and let us know if they are okay.

    “And we need due process—with evidence, with judges, and a meaningful opportunity for people to present a defense. Let’s be clear we are not saying everyone is innocent. We are saying no more than what the constitution says, no more than what the courts have said time and again: Everyone, in the United States of America, gets due process.

    “Thank you.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer Meets North Dakota Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Discusses USNA Mission and Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    ***Click here for media resources.***
    ANNAPOLIS, M.D. – Each year, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) nominates North Dakotans to the five service academies where they receive a world-class education and begin their careers in the Armed Services. Today, Cramer caught up with two of the Midshipmen he nominated, Midshipman Loren Steinberg and Midshipman Rebecca Van Vleet at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.
    “What a privilege to have breakfast this morning with North Dakota Midshipmen Loren Steinberg and Rebecca Van Vleet and the Deputy Commandant of Midshipmen, Captain David S. Forman,” said Cramer. “They make North Dakota proud with their hard work, service, and dedication. Midshipman Steinberg then graciously showed me around the Yard before I sat down with U. S. Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Admiral Yvette M. Davids to hear more about the Naval Academy’s role in preparing the Navy’s next generation of leaders.”

    The United States Naval Academy and other service academies attract some of the brightest and most dedicated North Dakotans to begin their service with the rigorous education provided by the decorated members of our Armed Services and their civilian counterparts. 
    To learn more about the nomination process to attend one of the service academies, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Capito Leads Hearing Examining Water Infrastructure Successes from IIJA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led a hearing examining successes from water infrastructure policies and provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This hearing serves as the foundation for the EPW Committee’s work to craft bipartisan legislation to reauthorize water infrastructure programs ahead of their expiration next year.
    In her opening remarks, Chairman Capito outlined her principles for this reauthorization effort, centered on policies that enhance rural and underserved communities’ ability to deliver water projects, strengthen cooperative federalism, and deliver outcomes that prioritize safe water and reliable infrastructure.
    Below is the opening statement of Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) as delivered.
    “Welcome to today’s hearing to examine the policies to strengthen our nation’s water infrastructure.
    “Again, I want to thank the witnesses for joining us and for the important work you do every single day to deliver safe, reliable water and sanitation services in your various communities.
    “This is our first hearing to discuss how we can build on the successes of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the IIJA, the water infrastructure provisions as we prepare bipartisan legislation to reauthorize those programs. 
    “In November of 2021 Congress passed the IIJA, which included the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act, a bipartisan bill that was developed and championed by this Committee.
    “That legislation represented the largest federal investment in water infrastructure in our nation’s history, delivering more than $50 billion for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater programs.
    “Since then, thousands of projects have started, including projects to upgrade treatment plants, replace aging systems, and support the needs of our small communities.
    “In short, this law is moving our nation’s water infrastructure systems forward. Despite this progress, the historic investment of the IIJA expires next year and we must get to work now to build on that progress while addressing any concerns with its implementation.
    “As we work together to reauthorize the IIJA’s water programs, I will prioritize policies that strengthen underserved communities’ abilities to deliver water projects, reinforce the cooperative federalism principle embedded in our laws, and focus on outcomes that prioritize safe water and sound infrastructure.
    “I can say anecdotally, in my small state of West Virginia, there are still pockets of our communities that don’t have the access to clean water, drinking water that they should and deserve to have. 
    “Achieving those goals requires us to take a clear-eyed look at the challenges communities face and ensure the tools we have provided are as effective and accessible as possible. 
    “First, we should seek to simplify the delivery mechanisms for water infrastructure funding. This is a repeating theme in about everything we’ve been looking at.  Many small and underserved communities continue to face barriers to access to federal money.
    “Communities may struggle with capacity, technical complexity, and long federal timelines of disbursing the funding. This can lead to communities giving up before they can even get a shovel in the ground.
    “We can fix these issues by providing targeted technical resources and assistance to help utilities and local governments navigate complex funding applications and simplifying the Environmental Protection Agency’s processes.
    “Second, our reauthorization should reinforce what works, including honoring the foundational principle of cooperative federalism. For decades the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act have recognized that states, not Washington, are best positioned to understand the infrastructure needs of our communities.
    “Federal funding and oversight are important, but implementation must be led by the states. The Biden EPA shifted away from that balance Congress intended between federal support and state leadership, by pushing one-size-fits-all mandates and layering on new criteria that go far beyond what Congress authorized.
    “We’ve also seen the increased emphasis on ‘environmental justice’ initiatives, and while the goal of supporting all underserved communities, regardless of background, is broadly supported, implementation of these ‘environmental justice’ initiatives has at times departed from the statute’s original direction and strayed from that broader goal.
    “Directing resources to underserved communities was a shared goal when we wrote the IIJA and the commitment remains. But we did not write a law that allows agencies to introduce new eligibility standards or funding formulas that may unintentionally overlook real infrastructure needs or second-guess shared and state priorities.
    “That approach is not only counterproductive, it risks leaving behind the very communities these programs were designed to help. Across the country, many low-income and underserved communities continue to grapple with major water infrastructure needs, yet rigid eligibility requirements in recent funding programs left some of them behind.
    “That runs counter to the bipartisan goals that we set when this law was written, to ensure all communities have a fair opportunity to benefit from these important programs.
    “That’s why we dedicated funds for systems of different sizes and why we provided State Revolving Funds the flexibility for each state to meet their individual needs.
    “This Committee worked in a bipartisan way to craft these programs, and going forward, implementation must remain true to the intent, not drift into interpretations that complicate access or confuse applicants. 
    “My third guiding principle is that a successful bill and implementation of EPA’s water programs must be focused on outcomes. Enacting policies that are consistently driven by successful outcomes will help ensure that every American, no matter where they live, can count on the basic services they deserve.
    “That’s what this Committee has always focused on and it’s what I will continue to prioritize as Chairman. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses and to kick off our work to reauthorize and improve our nation’s water infrastructure programs.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton, Colleagues Reintroduce the Living Donor Protection Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton
     
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353April 30, 2025
    Cotton, Gillibrand, and Colleagues Reintroduce the Living Donor Protection Act 
    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-New York) today reintroduced the Living Donor Protection Act, legislation that will protect the rights of living organ donors. The Living Donor Protection Act would ensure living donors do not face discrimination from insurance companies, codify Department of Labor (DOL) guidance that covers living donors under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in the private and civil service, remove barriers to organ donation, and provide certainty to donors and recipients. 
    Co-sponsoring the legislation are Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Kristen Gillibrand (D-New York), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), Tina Smith (D-Minnesota), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island), and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon). Representatives Jerrold Nadler (New York-12) and Don Bacon (Nebraska-02) are introducing companion legislation in the House. 
    “Organ donors make an extraordinary sacrifice so someone else can have a new chance at life,” said Senator Cotton. “The Living Donor Protection Act would encourage more donors to step forward by protecting them from adverse consequences like denial of coverage and job loss.” 
    “It’s a tragedy that so many people die while waiting for life-saving organ donations. We must do more to remove the barriers that keep Americans from donating,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The Living Donor Protection Act would help ensure that the individuals who are willing to save someone’s life through an organ donation can do so without worrying that they’ll face insurance discrimination or that they could lose their job as they recover. I am proud to be introducing this bipartisan legislation and will keep fighting to finally get it passed.”
    “Our state is fortunate to have Nebraska Medicine, which has a robust living donor kidney exchange program, performing more kidney chains which involves anonymous donors donating to someone without a compatible living donor, than almost any hospital nationwide. However, some living donors are discriminated against when it comes to rates and provision of life insurance and disability insurance,” said Representative Bacon. “They also don’t always receive adequate time to recover from the surgeries related to their selfless gift. This legislation will help open the doors to more living donors so we can save more lives.”
    “When an organ donor decides to donate one of their organs to someone else, they aren’t just saving someone’s life—they’re making one of the most selfless, difficult decisions anyone could ever make. The last thing they need in the midst of that challenging process is to be confronted by needless roadblocks or insurance discrimination,” said Representative Nadler. “These roadblocks can make it economically impossible for potential donors to make that choice and, simply put, they are costing lives. April is National Donate Life Month, and I’m proud to introduce the Living Donor Protection Act to bring awareness to this issue and knock down these needless barriers to lifesaving organ donation.”
    Full text of the bill may be found here.
     The Living Donor Protection Act would:  
    Prohibit life, disability, and long-term care insurance companies from denying or limiting coverage and from charging higher premiums for living organ donors. 
    Amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to specifically include living organ donation as a serious health condition for private and civil service employees.
    Direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to update their material on live organ donation to reflect these new protections and encourage more individuals to consider donating an organ.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan, Booker Introduce Bipartisan Keep Finfish Free Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan
    04.30.25
    WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced the Keep Finfish Free Act, bipartisan legislation to prohibit federal agencies from issuing any permit or taking any other action to authorize or facilitate commercial finfish aquaculture operations in federal waters, known as the exclusive economic zone, from 3 to 200 nautical miles off U.S. shores, unless Congress passes future legislation explicitly authorizing such permits. The legislation is consistent with current Alaska state law, which bans offshore finfish farming in state waters.
    “Alaskans are deeply invested in protecting the health of our marine ecosystem and maintaining the sustainability of our world-class fisheries,” said Senator Sullivan. “That is why I’m introducing legislation with Senator Booker to ban risky fish farming operations in federal waters that could jeopardize the health of our fish species and undermine Alaska’s coastal fishing communities. I hope my colleagues will join us in passing this important legislation to keep American finfish healthy and free!”
    “Industrial finfish aquaculture operations are like underwater factory farms, polluting our oceans and spreading potentially deadly diseases and parasites to wild fish,” said Senator Booker. “These operations use millions of pounds of wild fish to feed the caged fish at an unsustainable rate of consumption that depletes marine resources in traditional fishing areas. As we make decisions that will impact the future of our oceans, we should not go down the unsustainable road of allowing commercial finfish aquaculture in our federal waters. Instead we should chart a different path built around the health of wild fish stocks and ocean ecosystems.”
    “Reintroduction of the Keep Finfish Free Act is a welcome display of support that Senator Sullivan and Senator Booker have for the fisher people who provide natural and healthy food to the world,” said Melanie Brown, Native Alaskan fisherwoman and outreach director at SalmonState. “Thank you, Senators, for leading the charge on keeping net pens out of the waters of our wild-caught fisheries.”
    “Thank you, Senator Booker, for introducing the Keep Finfish Free Act. The last thing our ocean needs is industrialization, especially off New Jersey and New York coasts,” said Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, based in Long Branch, NJ. “Offshore finfish farms would harm and contaminate our wild and free ocean with pollution including from pharmaceuticals, chemical feed, and concentrated fecal matter. It will also promote diseases and genetic mutations which will threaten native species. In short, nothing but yuck. We need strong laws to ensure our ocean is clean and healthy for all to enjoy today and for future generations.”
    “What affects fishers affects farmers, too; we co-exist within the same food systems. Factory farming on land has displaced small producers, harmed rural communities, and depleted natural resources,” said Cali Alexander, board member and policy chair with the Northeast Organic Farming Association of NJ (NOFA-NJ), and former state seafood administrator with the NJ Department of Health. “Now, industrial-scale fish farming threatens to do the same. So we at NOFA-NJ are grateful to Senator Booker for co-sponsoring the Keep Finfish Free Act, a vital push toward keeping food production truly sustainable and in the hands of those who put food on our plates.”
    To read the full text of the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Colleagues’ Resolution Recognizing April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month Passes Senate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – Last night, the Senate resolution introduced by U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) designating April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month passed the Senate unanimously. This resolution is endorsed by more than 20 national and state organizations, including Prevent Child Abuse America, Buckner International, Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Now, Children At Risk, Children’s Trust Fund Alliance, Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), Family Compass, First3Years, Healthy Families America, Illuminate Colorado, National Association of Counsel for Children, Tennessee Voices, TexProtects, The Kempe Foundation, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, United Ways of Texas, and Zero to Three. Text is below, and the full resolution can be viewed here.
    “Whereas children are fundamental to the success of the United States and will shape the future of the United States;
    Whereas elected representatives and leaders in the communities of the United States must be ever vigilant and proactive in support of evidence-based means to prevent child abuse and neglect, and to support families;
    Whereas adverse childhood experiences (referred to in this preamble as ‘ACEs’) are traumatic experiences that occur during childhood with lasting effects and include experiences of violence, abuse, or neglect;
    Whereas at least 5 of the top 10 leading causes of death are associated with ACEs;
    Whereas preventing ACEs could reduce many health conditions and long-term negative effects on life, opportunity, and well-being, including—
    (1) up to 21,000,000 cases of depression;
    (2) up to 1,900,000 cases of heart disease; and
    (3) up to 2,500,000 cases of overweight and obesity;
    Whereas every child is filled with tremendous promise, and we all have a collective responsibility to prevent ACEs, foster the potential of every child, and promote positive childhood experiences;
    Whereas preventing child abuse and neglect can reduce the costly lifetime economic burden associated with child maltreatment;
    Whereas, in 2023, an estimated 7,782,000 children were referred to child protective services agencies, alleging maltreatment;
    Whereas each year approximately 1 in 7 children in the United States experiences child abuse, neglect, or both;
    Whereas reports indicate that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys will become victims of child sexual abuse before their 18th birthday;
    Whereas 93 percent of child sexual abuse victims are abused by a person they know and trust;
    Whereas children who are sexually abused, especially when not provided appropriate treatment and support, often suffer lifelong consequences, such as physical and mental health challenges and higher risk of drug and alcohol misuse and suicide;
    Whereas, in 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline received nearly 36,200,000 reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation, a 12-percent increase from 2022, the highest number of reports ever received in 1 year;
    Whereas education and awareness of possible signs of child abuse and neglect should be prioritized for purposes of prevention; and
    Whereas, by intervening to prevent adversity and build resilience during the most critical years of development of a child, voluntary, evidence-based, home-visiting programs have shown positive impact on—
    (1) reducing the recurrence of child abuse and neglect;
    (2) decreasing the incidence of low-birthweight babies;
    (3) improved school readiness for children; and
    (4) increased high school graduation rates: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate—
    (1) supports the designation of April 2025 as ‘National Child Abuse Prevention Month’;
    (2) expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Child Abuse Prevention Month;
    (3) recognizes that child abuse and neglect and child sexual abuse are preventable, and that a healthy and prosperous society depends on strong families and communities;
    (4) supports efforts to increase the awareness of, and provide education for, the general public of the United States, with respect to preventing child abuse and neglect and building protective factors for families;
    (5) supports the efforts to help survivors of childhood sexual abuse heal;
    (6) supports justice for victims of childhood sexual abuse; and
    (7) recognizes the need for prevention, healing, and justice efforts related to childhood abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Senator Mullin Chairs Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing, Emphasizes Cost-Saving, Bipartisanship, and Government Accountability

    US Senate News:

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

    RELEASE: Senator Mullin Chairs Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing, Emphasizes Cost-Saving, Bipartisanship, and Government Accountability

    Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee, presided over his first hearing, “A Review of the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Requests for the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Accountability Office, and the Government Publishing Office.”  
    In his remarks, Senator Mullin set the tone for how he wants to run the Legislative Branch Subcommittee—highlighting accountability to taxpayers and strong bipartisan work.  
    “Before we get into the specific details of the budget request, I want to acknowledge that after years of significant spending, the federal government as a whole must show physical restraint, and the majority of the American people want to make sure that their tax dollars are being used efficiently and effectively,” said Senator Mullin. “The legislative branch is no exception and must demonstrate that we’re a good steward of taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars.”

    The full subcommittee hearing can be found here. 
    Highlights of Senator Mullin’s remarks are below. 
    On the concern of politicization at the Government Accountability Office: 
    “There’s concern, especially on our side of the aisle, that the CRA response looks political, especially since you made the opinion in about eight days and then the last time the EPA submitted to you, they submitted to you as a rule.” 
    “I just would throw this out, and I throw this out to all the agencies, we do not want you to be political. We don’t want you to make a political decision. That’s the fastest way to get myself, or my ranking member, upset. I want to run this committee very bipartisan because what we’re talking about is bipartisan stuff. There’s nothing that comes in front of this committee that should be political at all.”
    “But if I perceive it to be, you’ll hear from me, and I’ll make adjustments as needed, and we as a committee will make adjustments if needed. So, when you’re making a decision and when you’re responding to us, just give us the facts, not your political opinion, and your political bias. We deal with that every single day on both sides of the aisle. As I say it again, I do not want that in this committee at all, and I’ll hold the members accountable, and I’ll hold myself accountable to do it as the same.”  
    On the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s $1 Billion Budget Request:
    “So, you’re going to be approaching a billion dollars… At the same time, we’re trying to shrink the federal government. We’re trying to use efficiencies. I mean, one of the things we try to do is be more efficient. What type of technology are you using to try to offset this?” 
    “Let’s just use real world, right? Our payables and receivables office doesn’t have near as many people in it as it used to. Our payroll department doesn’t have near as many people in it as it used to because of the new technology that’s available to us. And I would say most of the research in accounting offices around the country have shrunk considerably. So, what type of technology have you changed to be able to help your efficiencies? Because we’re cutting all across government so it’s hard for us to justify a $120 million increase, which is roughly 15% for GAO.”   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 04/30/2025 Blackburn Launches Inquiry with Tech Companies on Efforts to Protect Kids Online Following Decline in Reports to CyberTipline

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) sent letters to Google, Microsoft, Discord, and X regarding the puzzling and alarming decrease in reports of child sexual abuse material, online enticement, and child sex trafficking submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) CyberTipline in 2024.

    Last year, Senator Blackburn’s REPORT Act was signed into law, requiring platforms to submit reports of online enticement and child sex trafficking to the CyberTipline. These reports are crucial to law enforcement’s investigations of online child exploitation.  

    Reported Incidents of Suspected Child Exploitation by Several Tech Companies Have Notably and Concerningly Dropped

    “The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) CyberTipline is the preeminent online mechanism for members of the public and electronic service providers to report incidents of suspected child exploitation. The CyberTipline has received hundreds of millions of reports of online child sexual exploitation, and federal law requires online platforms to report known incidents of child sexual abuse material (child pornography), online enticement and child sex trafficking to NCMEC. Despite this important legal obligation, there has been a notable drop in reports to the CyberTipline from several platforms.”

    Blackburn’s REPORT Act Requires Online Platforms to Report Instances of Child Sex Trafficking

    “Last year, my bipartisan legislation—the Revising Existing Procedures on Reporting via Technology (REPORT) Act… was signed into law. This critical bill supports NCMEC in its core mission to protect our children online and assists law enforcement in their investigative efforts. Importantly, the law closed a gap in federal child exploitation laws by mandating that online platforms—including yours—report instances of child sex trafficking and enticement, which was not previously required under federal law. To ensure compliance with this requirement, the REPORT Act also increases the maximum fines for providers who knowingly and willfully fail to submit these reports to NCMEC.”

    Tech Companies Must Fulfill Legal Obligation to Report Heinous Crimes Against Children

    “Despite these requirements, recent testimony by NCMEC’s President and CEO to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism and data provided by NCMEC indicates that there has been a sharp decline in the number of reports that Google, [Discord, Microsoft, and X have] submitted to the CyberTipline since the passage of the REPORT Act… This notable decrease in reports to NCMEC is both puzzling and deeply troubling. It is crucial that your company fulfill its legal obligations to report these heinous crimes that occur on your platform. Our children deserve nothing less.”

    Click here to read the letter to Google.

    Click here to read the letter to Microsoft.

    Click here to read the letter to Discord.

    Click here to read the letter to X.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy, Blumenthal champion bipartisan bill to protect animals, penalize abusers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today reintroduced the Better Collaboration, Accountability, and Regulatory Enforcement (CARE) for Animals Act to protect livestock and other animals from abuse by strengthening law enforcement’s ability to penalize abusers.

    “Far too often, researchers, breeders and dealers who mistreat animals get away with their crimes. I’m proud to help introduce the Better CARE for Animals Act to make sure law enforcement has the authority to rescue innocent creatures from dangerous environments and punish people who have a hand in the mishandling of animals,” said Kennedy. 

    “Our bipartisan, bicameral measure protects animals from mistreatment and neglect by holding bad actors accountable for their abuse. Civil penalties and suspensions of abusers’ licenses will go a long way in strengthening Animal Welfare Act enforcement and keeping vulnerable animals out of harm’s way,” said Blumenthal.

    The Better CARE for Animals Act would:

    • Strengthen the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) ability to enforce the Animal Welfare Act by clarifying that the DOJ has the same authority that the U.S. Department of Agriculture wields under the Animal Welfare Act, including the ability to seek license suspensions, revocations and civil penalties.
    • Expand on the Animal Welfare Act by granting the DOJ forfeiture authority to seize and remove animals experiencing harmful treatment.

    Reps. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.) and Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) introduced the companion bill in the House of Representatives. 

    “I’m proud to support the bipartisan and bicameral Better CARE for Animals Act which will hold abusers accountable for their mistreatment of innocent animals. Millions of animals have already suffered, and we must ensure the U.S. Department of Justice has the tools it needs to crack down on those responsible—to protect the welfare of animals and prevent future abuse,” said Malliotakis.

    “The Better CARE for Animals Act provides the Justice Department with the necessary authority to combat animal abuse, making them an equal partner to the USDA. As co-chair of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, I am proud to join my colleagues in improving enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act,” said Quigley.

    “The Better CARE for Animals Act provides for important animal protections, encourages stronger collaboration between departments, and empowers our law enforcement to combat abusers. As a member of the Animal Protection Caucus, I’m proud to support this legislation and advocate for the better treatment of innocent animals,” said Reschenthaler.

    “No animal should suffer because bad actors know they can get away with it. I’m proud to help introduce this bipartisan bill to ensure stronger enforcement and greater accountability for those who abuse animals. The Better CARE for Animals Act gives us the tools we need to support more humane treatment across the country,” said Davids. 

    The Humane World Action Fund supports the Better CARE for Animals Act. 

    “For too long, derelict dog breeders, subpar research facilities, and roadside zoos that make a mockery of animals have put profits over animals’ care and wellbeing by exploiting holes in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s enforcement of the law. The reintroduction of the Better CARE for Animals Act will give the Department of Justice tools to crack down on scofflaws harming animals and provide USDA better support. No animal deserves to be sacrificed due to a critical lack of enforcement. We call on Congress to pass the bill now to create a new era of better care for animals,” said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane World Action Fund.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Applauds Committee Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Combat Online Scams, Protect Consumers in the Online Ticket Marketplace

    US Senate News:

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

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, applauded committee passage of his bipartisan bill that would better protect consumers in the online ticket marketplace. Senator Luján’s bipartisan Mitigating Automated Internet Networks for (MAIN) Event Ticketing Act, which he introduced with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), passed in a markup in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

    “Today, we are one step closer to ensure Americans can enjoy live entertainment without the fear of being scammed,” said Senator Luján. “Far too many Americans face excessive price-gouging for tickets from online bots and resellers. That’s why I partnered with Senator Blackburn to advance our MAIN Event Ticketing Act which will strengthen protections for consumers and artists from scammers. Now, I urge the full Senate to take up our legislation and pass this bipartisan bill to better protect consumers.”

    “As a cultural institution dedicated to making the performing arts accessible to all, the Santa Fe Opera applauds this bipartisan effort to better combat and enforce unfair ticketing practices and protect consumers and artists from exploitation,” said Santa Fe Opera General Director Robert K. Meya. “The MAIN Event Ticketing Act addresses critical challenges, ensuring that access to live performances remains fair and equitable to all audiences. We are grateful for Senator Luján and Senator Blackburn’s leadership on this important issue and fully support their efforts to enhance transparency and fairness in the online ticket marketplace.”

    “We are fully behind this legislation,” said Lensic 360 Director Jamie Lenfestey. “Enforcement of the existing law is a great approach. In high sales season we can see as many as 96,000 bot hits on our sales website daily. Any efforts in enhancing consumer protection and helping promoters and presenters best engage their audiences directly much needed step in the right direction.”

    “As a small venue owner, the health of my business relies heavily on food, beverage, and merchandise sales to complement ticket revenue. When bots and scalpers purchase tickets en masse, it not only drives up prices but also prevents true fans from attending events. This results in empty seats at my venue, leading to a significant loss—up to 75% of my projected revenue from concessions and merchandise sales,” said Jayson Wylie, President and CEO of Taos Mesa Brewing and Musich Entertainment.

    Specifically, the MAIN Event Ticketing Act would:

    • Create reporting requirements whereby online ticket sellers have to report successful bot attacks to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC);
    • Create a complaint database so consumers can also share their experiences with the FTC, which in turn is required to share the information with state attorneys general;
    • Enact data security requirements for online ticket sellers and requires the sharing of information between the FTC and law enforcement; and
    • Require a report to Congress on BOTS enforcement.  

    This legislation is endorsed by the Recording Academy, Recording Industry Association of America, Live Nation Entertainment, and the National Independent Venue Association.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Works to Expand Military Recruitment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a combat veteran, introduced the Service Enlistment and Recruitment of Valuable Engagement (SERVE) Act to enhance military recruitment by promoting the benefits of service and expanding access for high school students. Representatives Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), and Lance Gooden (R-Texas) are leading this bipartisan effort in the House of Representatives.
    After reports that Army recruitment is making historic gains this year, the legislators are working to build on that progress and keep numbers up across the service branches.
    “For me, choosing to serve our country opened the door for the American Dream, allowed me to afford college, and paved the way for a life committed to service,” said Senator Joni Ernst, a combat veteran who served in the military for 23 years. “By increasing avenues to the benefits and pathways of a career in the military, we can unlock even more opportunities and brighter futures for our next generation. The call to service is loud and clear, and through the SERVE Act, our nation can bolster recruitment efforts and build the most lethal, efficient, and effective force in the world.”
    “America’s military is only as strong as the young men and women who step forward to serve,” said Rep. Kiggans. “Right now, many students aren’t being provided information about the amazing opportunities and experiences military service can offer. The SERVE Act is about turning that around by reconnecting our youth with a powerful call to service and opening doors to leadership, education, and purpose. This bipartisan, bicameral bill sends a clear message that we believe in our next generation, and we’re ready to invest in their future and the future security of our nation.”
    “As someone who has proudly served in uniform, I understand the transformative power of military service. The SERVE Act will ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to learn about the benefits and responsibilities of serving our nation. By enhancing access to military recruiters and expanding programs like JROTC, we’re not only strengthening our armed forces but also investing in the leadership potential of our youth. This bipartisan effort reflects our commitment to national security and to providing young Americans with pathways to personal and professional growth,” said Rep. Houlahan.
    “The SERVE Act restores a culture of service and ensures that every young American can understand the benefits of military life. By giving recruiters meaningful access to our schools, we strengthen national security and give students a shot at purpose, higher education, and a future filled with opportunity,” said Rep. Gooden.
    Specifically, the SERVE Act:

    Increases recruiter access in high schools,
    Expands opportunities for students to get involved in JROTC even if they don’t have a program housed at their high school,
    Incentivizes schools by designating those with military enlistment rates above the state average as “HERO schools,”
    Supports pathways towards a military career by prioritizing graduates from high-enlistment schools for service academies, and
    Creates a “National Week of Military Recruitment” to further promote and engage on the benefits of military service.

    Background:
    Ernst has worked to support our military men and women receive the benefits they have earned, including by exposing that the Biden administration’s student loan “cancellation” undermined G.I. benefits earned from service, holding the VA accountable for misusing taxpayer dollars, stopping Big Tech from shadow banning military recruitment content, and ensuring junior servicemembers receive proportional pay raises to strengthen our nation’s fighting force.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, 39 Colleagues Reintroduce Assault Weapons Ban

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    April 30, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Wednesday joined 39 of their Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025, legislation to revive a nationwide ban on assault weapons two decades after the original ban expired. The bill would ban the sale, transfer, manufacture, and import of military-style assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and other high-capacity ammunition feeding devices. 

    While the 1994 ban was in place, the United States saw gun massacres decline by 37% and mass shooting fatalities were 70% less likely. When the ban expired, deaths in a gun massacre rose 239%. A ban on assault-style weapons is not only common-sense legislation, it’s widely supported by Americans, and Congress has failed to keep up with the American people on this issue. 

    “Assault weapons are designed for one thing: to kill as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. These are weapons of war that have no place in our communities, and it’s long past time we treated them that way. A majority of Americans support an assault weapons ban, and it’s time for Republicans to get on board and pass this bill before more lives are lost,” said Murphy. 

    “Assault weapons have only one practical purpose – to slaughter human beings. These military-style combat weapons are designed to maximize death and destruction. No self-respecting hunter uses one. Assault weapons have brought bloodshed and carnage to our streets and our schools. Guns don’t respect state boundaries, which is why we need a national solution to restricting the ownership and use of the mass shooter’s weapon of choice,” said Blumenthal. 

    Murphy and Blumenthal joined gun safety advocates and organizations from across the nation earlier in the day for a press conference introducing the legislation.

    U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also co-sponsored the bill.

    Brady: United Against Gun Violence, GIFFORDS, Newtown Action Alliance, Everytown for Gun Safety, March for Our Lives, Sandy Hook Promise, and the National Parent Teacher Association endorsed the legislation. 

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: At Hearing, Senator Murray Slams Trump Administration for Threatening Biomedical Research and Jeopardizing Americans’ Health

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ***WATCH AND READ: Senator Murray’s opening remarks***

    ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s questioning***

    ***WATCH AND READ: Emily Stenson’s testimony***

    Washington, D.C. – Today—at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on biomedical research—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, underscored why the investments we make in biomedical research are so vital, what’s at stake for patients and families as Trump takes a wrecking ball to this research, and why Congress must forcefully push back.

    In just 100 days, President Trump and his administration have taken unprecedented actions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that are having devastating impacts on biomedical research, innovation, and ultimately, the lives of millions of patients and families. The Trump administration’s actions are delaying funding and stalling research for lifesaving treatments and cures, weakening our biomedical workforce, cancelling vital ongoing studies and trials, and threatening to undo decades of hard-won progress.

    At the hearing, Senator Murray shared the story of Emily Stenson, a mom and patient advocate from Washington state whose daughter Charlie was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at just three years old but who, thanks to a National Cancer Institute clinical trial at Seattle Children’s Hospital, has been cancer free since December 2024. You can WATCH and READ Emily’s testimony here.

    Senator Murray emphasized that these lifesaving cancer trials are now on the chopping block as the Trump administration terminates $137 million in cancer research grants and plans to cut the NIH budget in half, and asked Emily, “If half of the cancer clinical trials were suddenly cancelled—what would that mean for patients like Charlie and the people you know on the cancer ward at Seattle Children’s?”

    Emily replied, “It would be devastating. There’s no other option often than a clinical trial. And how can you look at these families and say, we’re taking away the only option to save your child. There’s no funding. It feels like the government doesn’t care about families like ours if they take that away. It will be futures left in the balance.”

    Senator Murray also asked Dr. Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and Dr. Barry Sleckman, Director of the University of Alabama Comprehensive Cancer Center, about the impact Trump’s attacks on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will have on the future of biomedical research and Americans’ health.

    Senator Murray noted that over the last three months, NIH has awarded billions less in funding than over the same period in previous years, which is unprecedented for an agency that typically awards 60,000 grants a year. All the while, Trump has fired or pushed out nearly 5,000 NIH employees, including grant administrators whose job it is to award this funding. Senator Murray asked Dr. Parikh, “At this rate, do you think NIH will be able to spend the $47 billion Congress passed and President Trump signed into law?”

    Dr. Parikh responded, “Thank you for that. If the will is there they can because I know the program folks that are still there, and they will work harder than anybody to work with the scientists in the field, to do the peer review, to get those dollars out. Because those dollars are not just about getting money out the door, it’s about funding the ideas that have been proposed, and there are plenty of proposals, there are plenty of good ideas. We don’t fund enough; the pay lines are already at 20 and 10 percent. We need to make sure that we do get those out, because otherwise it will be impoundment by default.”

    “Well, we know that they have canceled peer review panels and they’re firing staff. So, can they get that funding out the door effectively?” Senator Murray followed up.

    “Only if it becomes a priority. Only if it becomes a priority. We have to make sure that it can go out. I am confident that it can, if they make it a priority. I have not seen that yet,” Dr. Parikh replied.

    Senator Murray pressed, “Who’s the ‘they’?”

    “The ‘they’ is the NIH. The NIH administrators, leaders, and the Department of Health and Human Services. We have to be able to say that we are going to start awarding these grants at the rate that it requires to get the fully appropriated amount that you all approved at the end of last fiscal year,” Dr. Parikh responded.

    “To your knowledge, has that been done?” inquired Senator Murray.

    Dr. Parikh stated, “Not yet, the rate isn’t quite there yet.”

    Senator Murray also discussed the Trump administration’s announcement that they would stop funding the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), which they later claimed they would reverse. WHI studies cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women—and thanks to this research, 126,000 cases of breast cancer and 76,000 cases of heart disease were prevented over a decade. The Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle is the clinical coordinating center for WHI and one of four regional centers. Senator Murray noted that: “The annual funding for these centers costs about $10 million, that’s less than half by the way of what taxpayers spend on President Trump’s golf trips just in case you were keeping track over the last 3 months—$10 million!”

    “How important, I wanted to ask you, is sex in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and do you think now is the time to be cutting breast cancer research?” Senator Murray continued by asking Dr. Sleckman.

    Dr. Sleckman replied, “Thank you for that question, Senator. You know, let me make a comment first about the Women’s Health Study. These types of studies are essential for cancer and understanding the basis of cancer. This is a very long-term study, not a five-year grant. Something where they’ve been following women for decades and using that information to understand about cancer risk and then make informed decisions about cancer prevention. These types of studies could only be funded in a large, organized way through the federal government, the NIH and the NCI. Getting back to your question, is that it’s extremely important to study the biological difference between men and women when it comes to cancer risk, cancer progression, and cancer treatment—extremely important. There are large groups at pretty much all NCI cancer centers that either take that into account when they’re designing a trial or are studying it specifically—absolutely important. Thank you for that question.” 

    ____________________________

    As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH has long been considered one of America’s crown jewels with a long history of strong bipartisan support from Congress. Less than 1 percent of the federal budget goes to medical research, yet NIH research drives our economy at the national and local levels by supporting thousands of jobs in every state. More than 83 percent of NIH’s budget goes to more than 300,000 research personnel at over 3,000 universities, medical schools, and other research institutions. NIH directly and indirectly supports more than 550,000 jobs across the country. It pays off: local communities see $2.56 of economic activity for every dollar invested in this research. NIH-funded research contributed to 354 out of 356 drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2010 to 2019. The FDA plays an intricate role in advancing the biomedical research ecosystem in the United States, by regulating, promoting, and supporting the approval of new drugs, biologics, and medical devices coming on the market.

    Despite this, President Trump has systematically undermined NIH and the research it funds, as well as the FDA. He has terminated nearly 800 NIH grants across the country, cutting off more than $1.1 billion in essential research and trials. So far this year, he has slow walked roughly $2 billion in vital NIH funding that should be going out the door to fund the research that might discover the next treatment or cure that will change—or save—a patient’s life. Funding for Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer research are just a few examples of large multi-million-dollar research grants that we know are being held hostage. He has illegally sought to cut billions in funding for universities to conduct this vital research by illegally capping the indirect cost rate in direct violation of bipartisan appropriations law. President Trump has pushed out nearly 5,000 NIH employees and 4,000 FDA employees—decimating the very work responsible for discovering lifechanging treatments and cures and ensuring they can safely get to market. He also reportedly plans to propose to nearly halve NIH’s budget.

    As a longtime appropriator and former Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, Murray has led Congressional efforts to boost biomedical research. Previously, over her years as Chair of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murray secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at NIH, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray’s Bill to Reauthorize Northwest Straits Commission Passes Through Senate Science Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Senator Murray has worked tirelessly to fund the Northwest Straits Commission every single year since 1998

    ICYMI: Senator Murray, Cantwell, and Rep. Larsen Reintroduce Legislation to Permanently Reauthorize Northwest Straits Commission

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, announced that the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2025 passed out of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. The legislation would reauthorize the Northwest Straits Commission in the Puget Sound, and fund it at $3 million each fiscal year for the next five years, through Fiscal Year 2031.

    Murray and Cantwell’s bill will now have to pass through the full Senate and the House before it can be signed into law.

    The Northwest Straits Commission is a community-led effort to restore marine habitats in the Northwest Straits region and address local threats to marine environments with projects such as restoring shellfish populations, protecting vulnerable ecosystems, and promoting growth for native water and shore-based plants. The Northwest Straits Commission provides funding, training, and support to seven county-based Marine Resources Committees (MRCs). The Commission advises local officials on how to best carry out environmental projects and provides expertise to community organizations to help them be partners in their work by, for example, training volunteers to identify forage fish spawning sites. Senator Murray led the authorization of the Northwest Straits Commission in 1998 and has secured federal funding for the Commission every single year in the decades since.

    “I first established the Northwest Straits Commission with bipartisan support in 1998, to ensure our rich marine resources in the Northwest Straits stay healthy—which in Washington state is critical for our local communities, Tribes, and economy,” said Senator Murray. “This legislation would help provide a strong and consistent funding stream for the Commission and ensure partners on the ground can expand their efforts to protect our marine species and habitats and support our outdoor recreation economy. I am proud to continue leading the charge to authorize the Northwest Straits Commission, and I will keep fighting to secure federal funding for this effort as I have done since I first helped establish the commission.”

    “The Puget Sound and the Straits are [among the busiest] waterways in the nation, and just happen to intersect with also some of the most beautiful habitat and species in the nation as well,” Sen. Cantwell said. “Having the Straits Commission continue to do their work is very important.”

    The Northwest Straits Commission is supported by a wide range of stakeholders, including state and federal agencies, elected leaders, and Tribal partners throughout the Puget Sound Region.

    The Northwest Straits Commission was established following the bipartisan partnership of Senator Murray and former Congressman Jack Metcalf. Murray and Metcalf released a report in 1998 that laid the groundwork for the Northwest Straits Commission and its work protecting marine habitats, and later that year, Senator Murray successfully authorized the Northwest Straits Commission for a six-year period. Over the years, Senator Murray has helped secure tens of millions of dollars in federal funding for the Northwest Straits Commission’s restoration work and research—part of Senator Murray’s longtime, steadfast commitment to salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest.

    Last year, as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray secured $1 million for the Northwest Straits Initiative through programmatic funding in the appropriations bills she wrote and passed into law in March 2024—this was the first time Northwest Straits received programmatic funding since the original authorization expired in 2004, and is significant in helping to ensure the Commission is funded. In the appropriations bills for Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023, Senator Murray secured a total of $6 million in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funding for the Northwest Straits Commission; that funding was essential to the removal of the “Windjammer” sailboat that had been partially submerged near the Kukutali Preserve since 2009 on Swinomish Tribal tideland. Prior to the return of Congressionally Directed Spending in Fiscal Year 2022, Murray ensured the Northwest Straits Commission received annual funding through the EPA’s Puget Sound Geographic Program. Prior to that, Murray secured CDS funding for the Northwest Straits Commission after the original authorization for the Commission expired in 2004.

    The text of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2025 is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Questions Trump’s Nominee to lead Customs and Border Protection: “I hope you can find a way to be really respectful of the long-term traditions that have been very beneficial for Vermonters.”

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) questioned Rodney Scott, President Trump’s nominee to be the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in a Senate Finance Committee hearing today.  
    Senator Welch asked how Mr. Scott plans to balance public safety while respecting migrants’ contributions to their communities and our agriculture industry, specifically discussing the recent arrests and detention of eight migrant farmworkers. Senator Welch also pushed the nominee on CBP’s limited hours at Land Ports of Entry between Vermont and Canada, as well as how CBP will work with northern border communities to protect shared traditions and institutions, like the Haskell Free Library and Opera House.  
    Watch the exchange between Senator Welch and Rodney Scott, President Trump’s pick to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection: 

    Read excerpts of Senator Welch’s questioning below: 
    Sen. Welch: You’ve got a big responsibility, obviously, to have the border secure, criminals to be deported. But there’s also an element where the overreach in the power of prosecution and in the power of law enforcement—as you know better than anyone—is immense, can have some harmful consequences.  
    We’ve got folks working on dairy farms, and we just had one of our most prominent dairy farms—there was an incident there. That farm, by the way, has extremely good relations with CBP folks. These farmers understand the importance of the job. But there was apparently an ‘anonymous tip’ about somebody with a backpack that led to eight farmworkers being arrested—they’re now in detention. We’ve got to milk our cows. We’ve got to have access to labor. None of these folks have any criminal record, and really this is a question about priorities.  
    I’m all with my colleagues here on securing the border. I’m all with my colleagues on deporting criminals. But my goodness, we need farmworkers. How are you going to balance the aggressive efforts of the Trump Administration on the border and make distinctions between where you best can act in order to protect the public and not harm agriculture? 
    Scott: Thank you. So, Customs and Border Protection’s role is a little bit unique in that we’re focused on the interdiction aspect. So, we’re focused on people coming into the United States illegally at the borders or an international border, we’re not doing the interior enforcement aspects. But I will highlight that I don’t support asking law enforcement officers to not enforce the law that’s in front of them. And that’s kind of the challenge. I like highlighting the fact that we have a visa process now where it may not be the easiest on the planet, but it’s not as hard for employers to actually get guestworkers to come in—not a guestworker, but an HB1V… 
    Sen. Welch: This farm did that. But there’s always a dispute and there’s always a suspicion. These people, I spoke to the farmer, none of them have any criminal records, they’re all valued members of the community. And by the way, the economy—this is Franklin County in northern Vermont—has really benefited, obviously, by the wages that are paid, by the money that’s spent, and by maintaining these farms. I mean, these are real-world consequences for real people in Vermont. And I suspect, real people in many other states, especially along the northern border. 
    Scott: If confirmed as Commissioner, I’ll ensure that we enforce all of the laws that CBP enforces—immigration and customs—with humanity and respect and work with the communities. But I can’t apologize for actually enforcing the laws that Congress enacted and put on the books and asked us to enforce. 
    Sen. Welch: I’m not asking you to apologize. And you do have a point, because it’s on Congress that we don’t have a sensible policy on ag workers. That is on us. But you know what? We’ve got to do something about it. It’s horrible, what just happened to this farm—really terrible. These are all good people that are working there, and they’ve been separated from their families.  
    Land ports of entry in Vermont: We have a library that literally—you know about this—is between the border between Canada and in Vermont. And this is one of the challenges you face. Canadians come in the back door, which is on the Canadian side, and Vermonters go in the front door, which is on the Vermont side. And now we’re getting hassled about being able to maintain something that has served that community for 120 years. So, I get it that you’ve got to ‘enforce the law,’ but is it a real issue about Canadians coming into the Canadian side of a Vermont library to get a book? 
    Scott: So, I’m somewhat familiar with that library. I have not visited, but I’ve heard the challenges in both perspectives. The community, the history, the interaction, and then how like many times when we unintentionally create a vulnerability, how criminal elements will exploit it. 
    Sen. Welch: But there’s no criminal elements going to the Haskell Library to check out a book.  
    Scott: Well, they go in there, but it’s not to check out a book, I would agree. But my commitment to you is if confirmed, I will sit down and talk through issues like that. That we’re not going to make decisions in a vacuum. 
    Sen. Welch: I appreciate that. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Risch and Colleagues Introduce Bill to Stand Up for Israel at the UN

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Mike Lee (R-Utah), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Marsha Blackburn (R- Tennessee), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Ashley Moody (R- Florida) and Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), today introduced the Stand with Israel Act that would cut off U.S. funding to United Nations (UN) agencies that expel, downgrade, suspend or otherwise restrict the participation of the State of Israel.

    “America unequivocally backs Israel, our strongest ally in the Middle East, in its right to defend itself against terrorist attacks and ensure the security of its citizens.  This Act will hold the United Nations accountable for antisemitic attempts to restrict Israeli participation in UN agencies as the Trump Administration works to achieve regional stability and peace,” said Senator Crapo.

    Senator Crapo is a staunch ally of Israel who recently joined in introducing the Israel Security Assistance Act, co-sponsored a resolution asserting Israel’s right to self-defense and supported a resolution to strengthen the economic ties between Israel and the United States.

    “Israel is one of America’s greatest allies, and under President Trump’s Administration, we will no longer tolerate—much less fund—the blatant antisemitism at the United Nations.  This bill will send a clear message to the UN and any other antisemitic international organizations: if you want America’s money, you’ll need to respect our Israeli friends,” said Chairman Risch.  “America will always stand with Israel.”

    Background on the Stand with Israel Act:

    • The Stand with Israel Act would cut off U.S. funding to UN agencies that expel, downgrade, suspend or otherwise restrict the participation of the State of Israel.  The bill is modeled after the current prohibition of funding to any UN entities that elevate the status of the Palestinian Authority to a member state.

    The bill text can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation to expand the Short Line Railroad Tax Credit that would help equip operators with essential resources to provide regional communities with safe, reliable rail infrastructure.

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

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

    The legislation (S. 1532) would:

    • Increase the per mile credit cap from $3,500 to $6,100;
    • Index the per mile credit cap for inflation; and
    • Update the track eligible for the credit to match modern maps.

    Crapo and Wyden have a proven track record of supporting short line railroad service, having previously secured a permanent extension of the tax credit for short line track maintenance, which had previously been a temporary credit, hampering long-term investments. 

    Find the legislative text here.

    Representatives Mike Kelly (R-Pennsylvania) and Mike Thompson (D-California) introduced companion legislation (H.R. 516) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DEA Nominee to Graham: Garcia’s Knuckle Tattoos Suggest MS-13 Membership

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today questioned President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the next Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Terrance Cole. Prior to his nomination, Cole had worked for the DEA for over two decades, including service in Mexico and Colombia.
    On a photo of tattoos on the hand of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant and suspected MS-13 gang member who has been deported to El Salvador by the Trump Administration:
    On China’s role in the fentanyl poisoning crisis:
    GRAHAM: “Mr. Cole, you mentioned something that most Americans need to pay more attention to. Three hundred Americans… die every day from fentanyl poisoning?”
    COLE: “Yes sir.
    GRAHAM: “And fentanyl comes across the U.S.-Mexico border?
    COLE: “Yes that’s correct.”
    GRAHAM: “The precursors to fentanyl come from what country, mainly?”
    COLE: “From China.”
    GRAHAM: “Do you agree that China has done very little to combat the precursor problem that exists in China?
    COLE: “I would agree. Yes sir.”
    GRAHAM: “Do you believe that China is complicit in the fentanyl poisoning of America?”
    COLE: “Yes, I do.” https://youtu.be/r0RpPl815n4?si=AGo4Q0cefXj21VLZ&t=9
    Click here to watch Graham’s questions

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 04.30.2025 Sens. Cruz, Ossoff Introduce Bill to Extend Civil Rights Cold Case Review Board Term

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Judiciary Committee, and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) introduced The Civil Rights Cold Cases Records Collection Reauthorization Act. This bill would extend the term of the Civil Rights Cold Case Review Board by four years. The board is tasked with investigating criminal investigations from the Civil Rights Era, led by a panel of private citizens appointed by the President.
    Sen. Cruz said, “Civil Rights cold case victims and their families deserve justice. Giving the review board more time to investigate these unsolved cases is essential to delivering long-overdue accountability. I urge my colleagues to move quickly to pass this bill so the review board can continue its work.”
    Sen. Ossoff said, “For too long, families of Civil Rights cold case victims have waited for answers and justice. Our bipartisan bill is an opportunity to pursue justice and truth on behalf of those who were killed. There’s no expiration date on justice; that’s why this effort must continue.”
    Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.-12), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.-01), and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.-17).
    Read the full text of the bill here.
    BACKGROUND
    In 2019, Sen. Cruz and former Democrat Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama wrote and passed into law a bill, requiring federal agencies to turn over any remaining cold case records to the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board, established by the National Archives and Records Administration, to help shed light on these unsolved cases.
    In 2022, Sens. Cruz and Ossoff wrote and passed into law the Civil Rights Cold Case Investigations Support Act of 2022, which extended the board.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Stand Up for Israel at United Nations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) joined Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), in introducing the Stand with Israel Act to cut off U.S. funding to United Nations agencies that expel, downgrade, suspend, or otherwise restrict the participation of the State of Israel.“Despite receiving billions of dollars every year from the United States, the United Nations has allowed antisemitism to spread unchecked within its ranks. The Stand with Israel Act reaffirms America’s commitment to Israel, holds the United Nations accountable, and sends a clear message to Israel’s adversaries: standing against Israel means standing against the United States,” said Fischer.“Israel is one of America’s greatest allies, and under President Trump’s Administration, we will no longer tolerate—much less fund—the blatant antisemitism at the United Nations. This bill will send a clear message to the UN and any other antisemitic international organizations: if you want America’s money, you’ll need to respect our Israeli friends. America will always stand with Israel,” said Risch.Background on the Stand with Israel Act:
    The Stand with Israel Act would cut off U.S. funding to UN agencies that expel, downgrade, suspend, or otherwise restrict the participation of the State of Israel. The bill is modeled after the current prohibition of funding to any UN entities that elevate the status of the Palestinian Authority to a member state.
    Bill text of the Stand with Israel Act can be found here.
    Joining Fischer and Risch in introducing the Stand with Israel Act are Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Shelly Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Justice (R-W. Va.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Ashley Moody (R-Fla.).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Speaks on His Bipartisan Legislation to Repeal Trump’s Tariffs 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today urged the Senate to pass his bipartisan legislation to repeal Donald Trump’s global tariffs and reassert Congress’s trade authority. The resolution, led by Senators Welch (D-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), would terminate the emergency authority President Trump has used to apply tariffs on products Americans imports. In the wake of President Trump’s tariff declaration, markets have cratered, manufacturers have laid off thousands of workers, and foreign countries have retaliated by imposing their own tariffs on U.S. agricultural and manufactured goods.    
    Senator Welch spoke ahead of the Senate’s vote, which is expected this evening. Watch his remarks below:  
    “We have a collective responsibility to do everything we can to maintain the constitutional structure of three independent branches of government, each a counterweight to the other. And that’s not just an abstract concept. That’s the wisdom that has served us well, for well over 200 years. That those checks and balances give all our citizens an opportunity to have a seat at the table when major decisions about their lives and their futures are being made.  
    “That is why this decision that we’re about to make is not just about the tariffs. It’s not just about, in my view, how recklessly they’re being applied and imposed. It’s not just how they infect our economy with corruption, where it’s who you know rather than how hard you work, that’s going to get you ahead. It’s about the basic structure of our constitutional order. And every single one of us has the responsibility to protect that, because that’s not about us; it’s not about who we represent; it’s about how our country can operate with a democratic system where every single person, through their representatives, has a seat at the table. 
    “I urge all of us to take a look at what our constitutional responsibility is and whether we agree or not on so many different issues of vital concern to the future of this country, we each have a responsibility to act in a way that protects the constitutional system. And that means that we exercise the authority over tariffs—we don’t give that away to an executive branch decision.” 
    If enacted, the resolution would terminate the emergency that Trump declared, reverse Trump’s new taxes of 10% on all imported goods and end his threat of additional tariffs up to 49% on products Americans buy from other countries. In the wake of Trump’s tariff standoff, manufacturers have laid off thousands of workers, and foreign countries have retaliated by slapping their own tariffs on U.S. agricultural and manufactured goods. 
    Senator Welch was joined on the floor by Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). 
    Read and download the full text of the bipartisan resolution. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Tackle Housing Affordability Crisis

    US Senate News:

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

    April 30, 2025

    Washington D.C.—U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore today joined Senate colleagues in reintroducing a bipartisan bill that would expand the existing, successful Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and increase the supply of affordable housing units in Oregon and nationwide.

    “It’s time for Congress to meet the housing crisis with the bold solutions it demands and that starts with increasing housing supply,” said Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee. “Our bill will deliver some much-needed relief to families by supporting existing, successful federal housing programs and building over one million new units of affordable housing. I am all in to bring down costs and make housing more affordable for everyone no matter your zip code.” 

    Since 1986, the Housing Credit has paid for 90% of the federally-funded affordable housing construction across the country, and has financed 4 million affordable homes. The National Association of Homebuilders reports that building materials have increased in cost by an average of 5.5% due to enacted or anticipated tariffs since January 2025, underscoring the urgent need for this legislation.  Moreover, according to the association, 60% of builders reported that as a result of tariffs, their suppliers have already increased or announced increases of material prices – with tariffs increasing the cost of a typical home by $10,900.

    The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act would support the financing of new affordable homes by:

    • Increasing the amount of credits allocated to each state. The legislation would increase the number of credits available to states by 50 percent for the next two years and make permanent the temporary 12.5 percent increase secured in 2018 —which has already helped build more than 59,000 additional affordable housing units nationwide. 
    • Increasing the number of affordable housing projects that can be built using private activity bonds. This provision would stabilize financing for workforce housing projects built using private activity bonds by decreasing the amount of private activity bonds needed to secure the Housing Credit. As a result, projects would have to carry less debt, and more projects would be eligible to receive the credit. 
    • Improving the Housing Credit program to better serve at-risk and underserved communities. The legislation would also make improvements to better serve veterans, victims of domestic violence, formerly homeless students, Native American communities, and rural Americans. 

    This legislation builds on Wyden’s long history of working to address the national housing crisis. In 2023, he introduced his comprehensive Decent, Affordable, Safe Housing for All (DASH) Act, which would expand essential services to ensure permanent housing stability, create a new down payment tax credit for first-time homebuyers, and expand the production of affordable housing for low-income and middle-income families.

    In addition to Wyden, the bill was co-led by Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Todd Young, R-Ind., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. It has 30 total original cosponsors, with an equal split of Democrats and Republicans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Following Push From Luján and Ag Committee Democrats, Trump Administration Releases $1.3 Billion for Specialty Crop Producers

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released $1.3 billion in assistance for specialty crop producers that was previously withheld:
    “Our specialty crop producers provide high-quality, nutritious produce that feeds our nation and the world. Yet the Trump administration and Elon Musk recklessly suspended critical assistance that our producers rely on. This halt in funding was a direct blow to our agricultural industry and should never have happened.
    “I called on the Trump administration to ensure our farmers, ranchers, and producers receive the support they need — and now, the administration has heeded that call. New Mexico’s specialty crop producers work tirelessly to put food on tables and support our signature crops, from pecans to chile. I’m relieved they will now regain access to the resources they need and deserve. Specialty crop producers are the backbone of U.S. agriculture, and I will continue defending them from attacks by this administration.”
    Background on Senator Luján’s efforts to ensure assistance for New Mexico specialty crop producers, farmers, and ranchers:
    Senator Luján and Agriculture Committee Democrats sent a letter to then-USDA Acting Secretary Gary Washington asking for clarity and to raise concerns regarding the impact of recent Executive Orders and Presidential Memo on the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 
    “Farmers, ranchers, schools, and state governments have contacted my office in search of clarity on programs, websites, offices, and activities impacted by these orders. Conflicting information from the administration has added to the uncertainty, costing those who depend on the Department time and money,” said Senator Luján and Agriculture Committee Democrats. “The farmers, rural families, and businesses that depend on the Department need certainty to plan ahead for this growing season.”
    Senator Luján and Agriculture Committee Democrats urged USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to ensure the timely delivery of economic and disaster assistance to farmers, ranchers, and producers.
    “Farmers of fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops have also experienced difficult economic conditions and high input prices. Specialty crop producers have already applied for and received initial payment under the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC), and USDA should make the planned additional payments before we get into the growing season,” said Senator Luján and Agriculture Committee Democrats.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Joins House and Senate Democrats in Reintroducing Historic Equality Act to Ban Discrimination Against LGBTQ+ Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined a group of House and Senate Democrats led by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and U.S. Representative Mark Takano (D-CA-39), Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, to announce the bicameral reintroduction of the Equality Act in an effort to push back against escalated attacks from the Trump Administration, MAGA Republicans, and state legislatures on the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ Americans nationwide.
    In states across the country, over 850 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been filed so far this year—the most in U.S. history. The Equality Act is historic, comprehensive legislation to enshrine civil rights protections for our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors in federal law.
    The Equality Act amends landmark federal anti-discrimination laws to explicitly add sexual orientation and gender identity to longstanding bans on discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, 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.
    Despite major advances in equality for LGBTQ+ Americans in recent years, including codifying federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, the majority of states still do not have explicit LGBTQ+ non-discrimination protection laws. The Equality Act would finally enshrine protections into federal law under all areas of potential discrimination, protecting the rights and freedoms of all LGBTQ+ Americans for generations to come.
    “As the Trump Administration dismantles the civil liberties and legal protections of LGBTQ+ folks nationwide––progress that was hard-won and that we are still fighting to maintain––lawmakers in Congress must act to pass the bicameral Equality Act,” said Senator Booker. “This legislation would finally make clear that LGBTQ+ people in this country cannot be denied entry into a restaurant, be denied federal housing and benefits, or be discriminated against simply because of who they are and who they love. This legislation is long overdue, and I will work tirelessly with my colleagues to ensure the Equality Act becomes the law of the land.”
    “Generations of Americans have marched, voted, organized, and raised their voices to fully realize the vision of America as a land of freedom and equality for all,” said Senator Merkley. “As MAGA extremists attack the rights and freedoms of our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors, I am fighting to end this hateful discrimination, expand freedom, and open the doors of opportunity for everyone. Back in 2007, I led the fight to secure this vision for Oregonians, and it is way past time for Congress to do the same for all LGBTQ+ Americans by passing my Equality Act.”
    “Across the country, LGBTQI+ and trans Americans are being targeted and attacked, but we refuse to be cowed or intimidated by their hate. Instead, we reintroduce the Equality Act as our declaration that freedom and dignity are the birthright of every American. We will not rest until full equality is the law of the land,” said Congressional Equality Caucus Chair Takano.
    “The Equality Act simply puts into law what we all believe: that every American is created equal and should be treated equally under the law. But, for too many LGBTQ+ Americans in states across the country, equality under the law is not the reality, and they are harassed at work, denied a place to live, and discriminated against just for being who they are,” said Senator Baldwin. “The Equality Act makes clear that in the United States, we can live up to our nation’s highest ideals and we will not tolerate discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity – just like religion, race, or ethnicity. Equality is not a privilege, it’s what we’re all owed as American citizens, and I’m committed to making that promise a reality.”
    “The Equality Act is necessary, urgent, and long overdue,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “As the Trump administration and dangerously conservative Supreme Court threaten the safety and security of LGBTQ+ individuals in the United States, it is the obligation of the Senate to ensure that everyone is treated equally under the law – a standard that the United States has long strived for but failed to perfectly meet. I am honored to help lead the reintroduction of the Equality Act and stand with the LGBTQ+ community as we continue to fight for a more equal, just, and loving world.”
    “Across the country, from city councils to Congress, state legislatures to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, freedom is under attack. The Equality Act will make sure that members of the LGBTQ community can live free from discrimination and pursue the American dream in every single zip code. House Democrats will continue to show up, speak up and stand up until this legislation is the law of the land,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
    “As Republicans across the country continue their assault on LGBTQ+ Americans – particularly the trans community – the fight against bigotry and discrimination remains as urgent as ever,” said Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). “The landmark Equality Act – twice passed by the Democratic House but blocked by Senate Republicans – would extend the crucial protections of the Civil Rights Act to all LGBTQ+ Americans, in the workplace and in every place. Today, it was my privilege to join Congressional Democrats in proudly reintroducing our Equality Act to continue our fight for a future of equality and dignity for all.”
    “Not only is freedom the birthright of every person; we can only defend ours if we defend everyone’s,” said House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA). “That’s the basis of the Equality Act. Republicans’ rejection of such a basic truth tells you everything you need to know about the broken state of their party. While they work to strip away equality, freedom, health care, and housing, we are fighting for a future that is worthy of all our children.”
    The Equality Act is supported by 47 U.S. Senators and 214 U.S. Representatives. A full list of the 600+ organizations endorsing the Equality Act can be found by clicking here.
    “Everyone, no matter who they are or who they love, deserves the right to live free from discrimination and harassment. But LGBTQ+ people, who go to school, run small businesses, raise kids and work hard to put food on the table just like everyone else, still don’t have the federal nondiscrimination protections that others have enjoyed for decades. In some parts of the country, we can still be evicted from our homes, kicked out of a public business, or denied government services simply because of who we are. As the Trump administration works to erode civil rights protections across the board and state legislatures continue their onslaught against equality, it has never been more important to safeguard the basic protections that are a central part of the American Dream. It is time to pass the Equality Act,” said Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign Chief of Staff.
    “This moment demands action. The reintroduction of the Equality Act comes as the Trump administration and state governments across the country launch aggressive attacks on LGBTQIA+ Americans, especially trans youth. These aren’t abstract policy debates – they are coordinated efforts to erode civil rights and protections, criminalize LGBTQIA+ existence, and erase communities. Trans youth deserve to be protected by their governments, they shouldn’t have to be protected from their governments. It’s long past time our federal laws reflect and protect the reality and dignity of all people,” said Olivia Hunt, Director of Federal Policy for Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE).
    “In Oregon we are lucky to have state protections that prohibit discrimination based on sexual or gender identity. But those protections are feeling pretty shaking these days, considering the series of Executive Orders following inauguration day. There has not been a more critical time to protect the most marginalized within our communities. Without federal protections, states with progressive and inclusive discrimination policies are at risk of losing them. Thank you to Senator Merkley for taking a stand for our communities,” said Kyndall Mason, Executive Director of Basic Rights Oregon.
    “With the LGBTQ+ community under attack from the Trump Administration—and anti-LGBTQ+ bills once again rearing their heads in statehouses across the country—the reintroduction of the Equality Act could not be more prescient. We all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of who we are, who we love, or where we call home. The Equality Act provides common sense nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people—protections that a majority of Americans agree should already be available. We are grateful to Rep. Takano for leading the charge on this critical bill, and look forward to working with him and other members of California’s Congressional delegation throughout the process,” said Tony Hoang, Executive Director of Equality California.
    Stories in support of the Equality Act and the protections it would enshrine into federal law can be found by clicking here.
    A summary of the Equality Act can be found by clicking here.
    To read the full text of the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Jeffries Conclude Day-Long Capitol Steps Sit-In Calling Americans to Action to Protect Medicaid, Safety Net Programs from GOP Budget Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) have concluded a day-long sit-in on the US Capitol steps that began at sunrise today, calling Americans to action to protect Medicaid and other vital safety net programs from devastating cuts proposed in Trump and Congressional Republicans’ budget bill.
    With Congress returning to session tomorrow, Republican leaders have made clear their intention to use the coming weeks to advance a reckless budget scheme to President Trump’s desk that seeks to gut Medicaid, food assistance and basic needs programs that help people, all to give tax breaks to billionaires. Given what’s at stake, these could be some of the most consequential weeks for seniors, kids and families in generations.
    The sit-in—which began at 6:14am ET this morning with Booker and Jeffries opening a live streamed conversation with their social media followers as the sun was rising over the Capitol—saw numerous guest speakers and passers-by participate, including families who rely on critical programs like Medicaid, people who administer nutrition programs that keep Americans from going hungry, union leaders who fight for fair wages and working conditions, experts on Social Security and civil rights, and Senators and members of Congress.
    The live stream concluded at 6:35pm ET, after more than 12 hours. 
    “Budgets are more than just numbers in a spreadsheet—they are moral documents,” said Senator Booker. “They reveal what we value, who we protect, and what we stand for. That’s why I came here today: to sit-in at a sacred civic space, to make clear the moral and practical stakes of the Trump budget proposal, and to call others to action. Republicans in Congress are proposing cuts that will take food from children, healthcare from the sick, and dignity from those already struggling. It’s wrong. To stop it, we all must say so—clearly, courageously, and together. Speaking out and speaking up is how we will convince four Republicans in the House and Senate to do the right thing and vote no.”
    “Republicans are crashing the economy in real time,” said House Democratic Leader Jeffries. “Now, they want to jam a reckless budget down the throats of the American people that will end Medicaid as we know it, destroy Social Security and rip food from the mouths of children, seniors and veterans. As Democrats, we’re going to continue to stand on the side of the American people and we will not rest until we bury this reckless Republican budget in the ground.”
    For millions of Americans, Sundays are a day of faith, spirituality and moral reflection. In that spirit, Booker and Jeffries launched their sit-in this morning—an urgent conversation with the American people to focus on our common values, our faith traditions, and the moral moment facing our nation.
    Over the course of the day, Booker, Jeffries, and participants spoke to our shared American values and our nation’s religious and moral underpinnings, and how the Republican budget bill is antithetical to these beliefs. They also affirmed to Americans that their voices not only matter, but are needed in this moment in order to stop these harmful cuts.
    The conversation was live-streamed on multiple platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Sullivan Introduce Bipartisan Keep Finfish Free Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) introduced the Keep Finfish Free Act, bipartisan legislation to prohibit federal agencies from issuing any permit or taking any other action to authorize or facilitate commercial finfish aquaculture operations in federal waters, known as the exclusive economic zone, from 3 to 200 nautical miles off U.S. shores, unless Congress passes future legislation explicitly authorizing such permits.
    Commercial finfish aquaculture, often with Atlantic salmon, utilizes infrastructure consisting of massive cages and intensive feeding systems. Commercial offshore cages typically contain hundreds of thousands of fish. Aquaculture nets are porous and can allow for waste and pathogens—viruses, bacteria, and parasites—to pass from farmed fish inside the cages to wild fish and shellfish outside the cages.
    “Industrial finfish aquaculture operations are like underwater factory farms, polluting our oceans and spreading potentially deadly diseases and parasites to wild fish,” said Senator Booker. “These operations use millions of pounds of wild fish to feed the caged fish at an unsustainable rate of consumption that depletes marine resources in traditional fishing areas. As we make decisions that will impact the future of our oceans, we should not go down the unsustainable road of allowing commercial finfish aquaculture in our federal waters. Instead we should chart a different path built around the health of wild fish stocks and ocean ecosystems.”
    “Alaskans are deeply invested in protecting the health of our marine ecosystem, and maintaining sustainability of our world-class fisheries,” said Senator Sullivan. “That is why I’m introducing legislation with Senator Booker to ban risky fish farming operations in federal waters that could jeopardize the health of our fish species and undermine Alaska’s coastal fishing communities. I hope my colleagues will join us in passing this important legislation to keep American finfish healthy and free!”
    “Thank you, Senator Booker, for introducing the Keep Finfish Free Act. The last thing our ocean needs is industrialization, especially off New Jersey and New York coasts,” said Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, based in Long Branch, NJ. “Offshore finfish farms would harm and contaminate our wild and free ocean with pollution including from pharmaceuticals, chemical feed, and concentrated fecal matter. It will also promote diseases and genetic mutations which will threaten native species. In short, nothing but yuck. We need strong laws to ensure our ocean is clean and healthy for all to enjoy today and for future generations.”
    “What affects fishers affects farmers, too; we co-exist within the same food systems. Factory farming on land has displaced small producers, harmed rural communities, and depleted natural resources,” said Cali Alexander, board member and policy chair with the Northeast Organic Farming Association of NJ (NOFA-NJ), and former state seafood administrator with the NJ Department of Health. “Now, industrial-scale fish farming threatens to do the same. So we at NOFA-NJ are grateful to Senator Booker for co-sponsoring the Keep Finfish Free Act, a vital push toward keeping food production truly sustainable and in the hands of those who put food on our plates.”
    “Reintroduction of the Keep Finfish Free Act is a welcome display of support that Senator Sullivan and Senator Booker have for the fisher people who provide natural and healthy food to the world,” said Melanie Brown, Native Alaskan fisherwoman and outreach director at SalmonState. “Thank you, Senators, for leading the charge on keeping net pens out of the waters of our wild-caught fisheries.”
    To read the full text of the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, New Jersey Lawmakers Urge IMLS to Rescind Termination of NJSL Grant

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) led a bicameral group of his colleagues in the New Jersey delegation in writing a letter to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Acting Director Keith Sonderling regarding a notice that the IMLS terminated a grant directed to the New Jersey State Library (NJLS). This grant supported Teaching Information Literacy, a project developing an instructional framework and educational tools that K-12 teachers and librarians use to teach statutorily required information literacy skills.
    “The termination of this grant has significant implications: New Jersey K-12 teachers and librarians will no longer have access to specially-designed tools and learning activities to teach New Jersey’s emerging information literacy skill standards.
    “This project was funded through IMLS’s discretionary National Leadership Grants for Libraries program. While discretionary, it directly supports IMLS’s statutory mission and complements the agency’s Grants to States program, which enables the NJSL to provide a wide range of essential services to New Jersey’s libraries and residents,” the lawmakers wrote. 
    The termination notice cited an Executive Order dated March 14, 2025 stating that the grant is ‘no longer consistent with agency priorities.’ However, the grant is aligned with IMLS’s mission and was authorized and funded by Congress under the Library Services and Technology Act. Termination of the grant violates federal law. 
    “The Administration’s Executive Order issued on March 14, 2025, threatens to effectively dismantle the IMLS. The consequences would devastate libraries and museums in New Jersey and nationwide and lead to the potential loss of jobs in these institutions. It would jeopardize essential services that help support education, digital access, and economic opportunity for millions of Americans. We respectfully urge IMLS to immediately rescind the grant termination and reaffirm its unwavering commitment to its statutory mission,” the lawmakers concluded. 
    The letter is cosigned by U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) and U.S. Representatives Herb Conaway (D-NJ-03), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01), Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12).  
    To read the full text of the letter, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –