NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Democrats Raise Alarm About Republican Plan to Cut SNAP Benefits to Pay for Tax Cuts for the Ultra-Wealthy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper


    Republicans’ national budget will gut SNAP benefits, increase prices for Coloradans,     increase the deficit, and give tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and his Democratic Senate colleagues recently sounded the alarm about the Republican Budget proposal to slash nutrition programs working Americans rely on to pay for a $4 trillion tax cut for the ultra-wealthy. 

    “Congress should not give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans by taking away food assistance from millions of Americans,” the senators wrote.

    “At a time when people across the country are struggling with the high cost of groceries, a cut of this magnitude could result in an immediate increase in food costs, dropping the annual, per person SNAP benefit by over $500 per year per person,” they continued. 

    One in ten Coloradans rely on SNAP benefits to afford their groceries. The majority of SNAP recipients in Colorado are families with children. 

    Earlier this year, Republicans, who control both the Senate and House, passed budget bills that open the door for substantial cuts to programs that help Americans afford groceries. Specifically, the House budget bill requires at least $230 billion in cuts to the committee that oversees the budget for SNAP. The Senate bill sets a floor of $1 billion in cuts.

    Hickenlooper recently voted against the Republican budget proposal after Republicans voted down critical Democratic-led amendments to protect working Americans including lowering the cost of living and preventing cuts to Medicaid, Social Security, and veterans’ benefits. 

    The senators also outlined how potential cuts to SNAP would harm the economy stating: “Taking away SNAP would also hurt the farmers who grow our food, the manufacturers that package it, truckers who distribute it, and small businesses in our communities that sell it.”

    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: 

    The Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans are planning to give another round of tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy and corporations paid for by gutting the food assistance that helps American families pay for groceries at a time when they are struggling to afford food, health care, housing, and other household basic needs. If enacted, cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will have severe consequences for millions of veterans, seniors, children, and hard-working farmers.

    We write to make our position on this legislation perfectly clear: Congress should not give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans by taking away food assistance from millions of Americans.

    Earlier this year, both the House and the Senate passed budget bills that pave the way for deep cuts to SNAP. The House budget bill would require at least $230 billion in cuts. The Senate bill sets a floor of $1 billion in cuts with nothing to prevent it from going as high as the House bill. This would be a more than 20 percent cut to a program that helps millions of struggling families afford groceries.

    SNAP supports 42 million Americans, including nearly 8 million seniors, 16 million children, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans, in putting food on their tables each month. Cuts of this magnitude—or anything close to it—would be devastating to American families in every state. SNAP benefits currently average only $6.20 per person per day. At a time when people across the country are struggling with the high cost of groceries, a cut of this magnitude could result in an immediate increase in food costs, dropping the annual, per person SNAP benefit by over $500 per year per person.

    Congressional Republicans might claim that their plan is to merely require states to pay for a portion of food benefits for the first time.2 In truth, such an unprecedented cost shift could force states to cut benefits, severely restrict program eligibility, or both. If combined with a similar Medicaid cost shift, these unfunded mandates could decimate state budgets and cut healthcare and food assistance for millions of Americans.

    Taking away SNAP would also hurt the farmers who grow our food, the manufacturers that package it, truckers who distribute it, and small businesses in our communities that sell it. Each SNAP dollar stimulates the economy: every $1.00 in food assistance provided by the program in a weak economy generates an additional $1.50 in economic activity.3 Because adequate nutrition is so important for children’s health and development, the long-term return on investment is even greater: every $1.00 invested in SNAP for children returns $62 in value.4 In 2020 alone, SNAP supported 200,000 grocery industry jobs and created nearly 45,000 new jobs in supporting industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and municipal services.

    Republicans are writing the most consequential tax and budget legislation in decades entirely behind closed doors. That’s because Trump and Congressional Republicans must hide the ugly truth—their legislation feeds corporate and wealthy individuals’ greed by taking food assistance away for tens of millions of Americans. You, your family, and your neighbors deserve far better. Democrats are fighting to protect American’s ability to feed their families from Republican cuts. Join us and keep up the fight.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Sen. Markey, Rep. McGovern, Rep. Pressley Op-Ed in The New York Times: “We Visited Rümeysa Öztürk in Detention. What We Saw Was a Warning to Us All.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Read the full piece in The New York Times
    Washington (April 25, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Representatives Jim McGovern (MA-02) and Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) this morning published an op-ed in The New York Times titled: “We Visited Rümeysa Öztürk in Detention. What We Saw Was a Warning to Us All.”
    This week, Senator Markey and Representatives McGovern and Pressley met with Ms. Öztürk, a Turkish national and fifth-year doctoral student at Tufts University, who has been unlawfully detained by ICE and transported to Louisiana from her Somerville, Massachusetts, community in retaliation for her protected speech. The lawmakers called on the Trump administration to immediately release Ms. Öztürk and urged every American to defend the Constitution.
    We Visited Rümeysa Öztürk in Detention. What We Saw Was a Warning to Us All.
    By Edward J. Markey, Jim McGovern, and Ayanna Pressley
    Published April 25, 2025, by The New York Times
    We recently visited Ms. Öztürk at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Basile, La., operated by the for-profit company Geo Secure Services, contracted by the federal government. It’s part of the network of ICE facilities in Louisiana that the American Civil Liberties Union has described as a “black hole” — hard to reach and isolated, making visits from attorneys and family members prohibitively difficult and expensive.
    What we found was not just a young woman locked up without charge but also a democracy being put to the test.
    Read the full opinion piece in The New York Times.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey to Attend Funeral of Pope Francis

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Senator Markey and Pope Francis meeting in 2014 to discuss climate change
    Boston (April 25, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) announced today that he will attend the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis in Rome on Saturday as part of a bipartisan delegation of Catholic U.S. Senators.
    “It is a great honor to join mourners from around the world in St. Peter’s Square to pay our respects to the People’s Pope, His Holiness Pope Francis. In his words and in his deeds, Pope Francis taught us to fight for a better world – one that meets the needs of the most vulnerable among us, and one that grants dignity to all,” said Senator Markey. “Pope Francis held a unique power in convening people, instilling in them a moral obligation to act boldly on the world’s most pressing issues, and guiding them through dark and difficult times with his wisdom, humility, and compassion. When we met, we discussed the necessity to act on climate change and the challenges it poses to the planet we call our home. I carry his mandate forward with me to be in service of life and to embrace the moments and opportunities to be part of a global movement that protects our people and our planet.”
    In May 2014, Senator Markey traveled to the Vatican and met with Pope Francis and high-level Vatican leaders and Cardinals to discuss the importance to act on climate change and to encourage the Catholic Church to continue to use their moral authority to elevate the issue. Senator Markey lauded Pope Francis’s 2015 Joint Meeting of Congress Address as a “Sermon on the Hill.”
    The bipartisan delegation includes Senators Markey, Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Baldwin Statement on FBI’s Arrest of Milwaukee Judge

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    Published: 04.25.2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement on the news of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arresting Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan:
    “In the United States, we have a system of checks and balances and separations of power for damn good reasons. The President’s administration arresting a sitting judge is a gravely serious and drastic move, and it threatens to breach those very separations of power. Make no mistake, we do not have kings in this country and we are a Democracy governed by laws that everyone must abide by. By relentlessly attacking the judicial system, flouting court orders, and arresting a sitting judge, this President is putting those basic Democratic values that Wisconsinites hold dear on the line. While details of this exact case remain minimal, this action fits into the deeply concerning pattern of this President’s lawless behavior and undermining courts and Congress’s checks on his power.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Urges Top Social Security Official to Keep Eight Maine Offices Open

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and dozens of his Senate colleagues are raising concerns from the public and encouraging the White House to reconsider Social Security Administration (SSA) field office closures in Maine and across the United States. In the letter to Acting Commissioner of the SSA Leland Dudek, King and the other Senators demand SSA field offices remain open so beneficiaries can continue to seek in-person assistance.

    “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,” the Senators wrote.

    “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,” the Senators concluded.

    In addition to King, the letter is signed by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and 39 Senate Democratic Caucus members.

    Representing the state with the highest percentage of seniors, Senator King has fought to prevent cuts to Social Security. Senator King has been critical of the Trump Administration’s reckless approach to Social Security, describing it as ‘the most direct assault on this vital program in its almost 100-year history.’ In the same written statement, Senator King condemned the dismissal of 7,000 SSA employees deeming the layoffs ‘disrespectful, destructive, and dangerous.’

    The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

    +++

    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.[1] 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[2]—will you commit to keeping each one of these offices open? If not, please identify which offices you will close and why.

    *[Only Maine offices listed, the full list can be found here]*

    400 Congress St

    Portland

    ME

    202 Harlow St

    Bangor

    ME

    68 Sewall St

    Augusta

    ME

    600 Turner Street

    Auburn

    ME

    365 Main St

    Presque Isle

    ME

    169 Camden St

    Rockland

    ME

    110 Main St

    Saco

    ME

    14 Colby Street

    Waterville

    ME

    Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Due to the urgency of this request, please provide an answer by May 6, 2025.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: April 24th, 2025 Heinrich, Colleagues Demand Trump Reverse Attacks on AmeriCorps

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Vice Chair of the bipartisan National Service Caucus and the first AmeriCorps alum to serve in the United States Senate, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Co-Chair of the bipartisan National Service Caucus, and U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) led 147 of their colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives to demand President Trump reverse his recall on NCCC AmeriCorps members and drastic reductions in force across the AmeriCorps agency.

    For more than 30 years, AmeriCorps has been our nation’s leading provider of grants that support and promote national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers are preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs, connecting veterans to services, fighting the opioid epidemic, helping older adults age with dignity, rebuilding communities after disasters, and improving the physical and mental well-being of Americans nationwide.

    Last year alone in New Mexico, more than 4,500 Americans of all ages and backgrounds united to meet local needs, strengthen communities, and expand opportunity through national service. AmeriCorps invested more than $12.2 million in federal funding to support cost-effective community solutions, working hand in hand with local partners to empower individuals to help communities tackle their toughest challenges. Learn more about AmeriCorps’ impact on New Mexico here.

    “We are deeply concerned these actions will prevent the agency from continuing to deliver critical services, which include supporting veterans, fighting wildfires, tutoring in schools, combatting the fentanyl epidemic, and much more,” the senators wrote in their letter to President Donald Trump.

    Federal investments in AmeriCorps have delivered positive returns for the American people. A 2020 study found that for every one dollar that Congress appropriates to AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs, they return over $17 in benefits to society, program members, and the government. Furthermore, AmeriCorps service allows members to gain marketable job skills in high-demand fields and pursue higher education, preparing more Americans to succeed in the workforce.

    The lawmakers concluded the letter by highlighting the devastating impacts Trump’s cuts to AmeriCorps will have on New Mexicans and hardworking people across the country, “Delays will disrupt programs Americans rely on for their health, education, and safety…We urge you to reverse these actions and instead work with Congress on bipartisan improvements to AmeriCorps so that more Americans have the opportunity to serve their communities,” the lawmakers concluded.

    The letter is here and below: 

    Dear President Trump: 

    We write to express our strong support for AmeriCorps and urge you to reverse both the recall of all NCCC AmeriCorps members and the recently implemented drastic reductions in force across the AmeriCorps agency. We are deeply concerned these actions will prevent the agency from continuing to deliver critical services, which include supporting veterans, fighting wildfires, tutoring in schools, combatting the fentanyl epidemic, and much more.

    For more than thirty years, AmeriCorps has been our nation’s leading provider of grants that support and promote national service and volunteerism. Through programs like AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors, more than 200,000 Americans participate in results-driven service projects at more than 35,000 locations across the country each year. Working hand in hand with thousands of nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations, these dedicated Americans recruit and manage millions of additional volunteers as they work to promote employment

    opportunities, prepare a better-trained workforce, and provide essential services to veterans, children, and seniors. AmeriCorps’ track record of delivering for Americans has earned broad and longstanding support from business leaders, mayors, and governors of both parties.

    AmeriCorps is a public-private partnership that leverages approximately $1 billion in matched resources from the private sector, foundations, and local agencies to support organizations across the country working in creative ways to tackle our most persistent and costly challenges. While it is important the agency continues to make measurable progress toward an improved audit performance, federal investments in AmeriCorps already deliver returns for the American people. A 2020 study found that for every one dollar that Congress appropriates to AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs, they return over $17 in benefits to society, program members, and the government. Further, the AmeriCorps programs are a smart investment in our country’s future. AmeriCorps service allows members to gain marketable job skills in high-demand fields and pursue higher education, preparing more Americans to succeed in the workforce.

    We have seen firsthand the critical impact these programs have across the states we represent. We urge the administration to continue implementing the statutory requirements of the national service laws:

    Additionally, Congress recently passed the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025, which maintained funding for AmeriCorps at its Fiscal Year 2024 level. We expect that the administration will implement this law in a manner consistent with the allocations enacted in Fiscal Year 2024. However, we have grave concerns that significant reductions in force will prevent AmeriCorps from being able to effectively and efficiently award appropriated funding to programs operating in communities across the country.

    We are deeply concerned by reports that a majority of AmeriCorps staff have been placed on administrative leave and that more than 750 NCCC members have already been recalled from their field assignments. Many of these volunteers were working in disaster response roles, including building homes for individuals who lost theirs in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. If not reversed, these recent actions will both stop current programs and prevent timely and efficient execution of the agency’s fiscal year 2025 appropriations, delaying or even halting the recruitment and deployment of new AmeriCorps members around the country. We are deeply concerned that is the goal: to eliminate AmeriCorps, in direct conflict with recently enacted appropriations. However, even delays will disrupt programs Americans rely on for their health, education, and safety. We urge you to reverse these actions and instead work with Congress on bipartisan improvements to AmeriCorps so that more Americans have the opportunity to serve their communities.

    Sincerely, 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Mexico Congressional Delegation Urges Trump Administration to Keep Hands Off of New Mexico’s National Monuments

    US Senate News:

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

    Luján, New Mexico Congressional Delegation: “Honor the voices of New Mexicans and confirm that you will leave the Organ Mountains, Rio Grande del Norte, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, and all other national monuments intact”

    U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee led the New Mexico Congressional Delegation — U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M) and U.S. Representatives Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) and Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), members of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) — in urging the Trump-Musk Administration to leave New Mexican national monuments intact.

    The letter comes in anticipation of a number of harmful executive orders to be announced tomorrow by the Trump Administration, including one that will purportedly target America’s national monuments.

    “Our national monuments in New Mexico protect some of the most significant landscapes and cultural resources in the nation. The monuments were carefully curated and represent a balance of public land protection negotiated between local leaders, communities, Tribes, and our constituents. The areas protected under national monument status across the state are culturally valuable, archeologically and geologically unique, and represent a conservation legacy that should not be erased,” the lawmakers wrote. “National monuments are vitally important to our history and any proposals to reduce their boundaries will not be reflective of the voices of New Mexicans.”

    The lawmakers emphasized how crucial New Mexico’s national monuments are to the state’s economy, underscoring the significant revenue particular monuments under threat of elimination generate annually, “In New Mexico, we have a $3.2 billion outdoor recreation sector and monuments are a significant contributor to this robust economy. In 2022 alone, monument visitation resulted in $1.9 million in tax revenue. The economic impacts of visitation to Organ Mountains — Desert Peaks National Monument (OMDP) surpassed the initial prediction by more than 50 percent. In just one year after its establishment, the Rio Grande del Norte (RGDN) National Monument saw a 40 percent increase in visitors, resulting in a 21 percent increase in Town of Taos lodgers’ tax revenue.”

    The lawmakers continued, highlighting the immeasurable cultural and economic impact of three national monuments in New Mexico under consideration for reduction or elimination: Organ Mountains — Desert Peaks, Rio Grande del Norte, and Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, “In OMDP in southern New Mexico, you will find significant petroglyph and archeological sites and walk among historic travelers’ routes. In northern New Mexico, RGDN boasts some of New Mexico’s most prized recreational opportunities in an area where the Rio Grande carves an 800-foot gorge through historic volcanic activity. RGDN offers immense economic value to northern New Mexico and provides access for traditional use like piñon nut collection. As for the third monument under review, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, the Bureau of Land Management recently celebrated the monument’s inclusion on TIME’s World’s Greatest Places of 2025. Not only is Tent Rocks “geologically surreal,” but it is also a sacred landscape to the Cochiti Pueblo.”

    The lawmakers concluded by demanding the Administration keep New Mexico’s national monuments intact, “There is no greater value to these natural landscapes than what is brought to the community through their continued protection. Withdrawing protections from these sites would threaten the economic benefits associated with New Mexico’s outdoor recreation economy and it undermines our community and tribal voices. We urge you to honor the voices of New Mexicans and confirm that you will leave the Organ Mountains, Rio Grande del Norte, Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, and all other national monuments intact.”

    Read the full letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Applauds Congressional Youth Cabinet Participants

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    Congressional Youth Cabinet participants pose with a member of Sen. Boozman’s staff upon completion of their legislative proposal presentation.

      

    LITTLE ROCK, Ark.––U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) applauded members of his 2024-2025 Congressional Youth Cabinet following their legislative proposal presentations on Wednesday, April 23 at the Arkansas State Capitol.

    “I am proud of the dedicated efforts that some of Arkansas’s youngest leaders have demonstrated throughout the course of this year’s Congressional Youth Cabinet,” said Boozman. “These students represented themselves, their families and communities incredibly well by working hard to identify issues that impact their peers, as well as our state and nation, and crafting impressive, well-informed policy recommendations. It was encouraging to see their enthusiasm to engage with this platform and I hope their participation serves to motivate continued community service and civic engagement into the future.”

    Over the course of the program, the Congressional Youth Cabinet brought together 114 high school juniors to meet other students in their congressional districts, share their ideas and work together to pioneer policy initiatives and potential legislative solutions for a variety of challenging issues including maternal health and rural healthcare, school safety and security, the effect of social media on mental health, and “name, image and likeness” in collegiate athletics.

    In their presentations to the senator, students offered their relevant research, data collected and interviews with experts that informed their policy suggestions. They were also encouraged to describe how their proposals could be funded and implemented.

    Congressional Youth Cabinet participants discuss their policy presentation with Sen. Boozman and members of his staff.

    The senator’s office designed the Congressional Youth Cabinet – a nonpartisan, civics-based program – to give students first-hand experience with the democratic process and provide an opportunity to learn how public policy impacts them, their families and their communities.

    Congressional Youth Cabinet participants offer a policy presentation to Sen. Boozman and members of his staff. 

    Boozman convened the participants in Little Rock in October to kick-off the initiative for this school year, urging the students to embrace the opportunity and enjoy building relationships with one another as they explored legislative topics of interest.

    Click here for a complete list of 2024-2025 Congressional Youth Cabinet participants and to view more photos from the event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Leads Bipartisan Senate Delegation to Pope’s Funeral in Rome

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins today announced she is leading a bipartisan delegation of Catholic U.S. Senators to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday.

    “It is a tremendous honor to be selected to lead this bipartisan delegation of United States Senators to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis and pay our respects to his life and legacy,” said Senator Collins. “Pope Francis’s profound commitment to celebrate the Risen Lord, even on the day before his death, and share God’s grace with people from all walks of life inspired believers around the world. He truly embodied God’s boundless love for us all. It is an incredible blessing to have the opportunity to represent the Senate and honor the life of Pope Francis with my colleagues.”

    Senator Collins is leading the bipartisan delegation, which also includes Senators Richard Durbin, Michael Rounds, Ed Markey, and Eric Schmitt.

    Senator Collins met Pope Francis in 2015 when he became the first pontiff to address Congress.

    Senator Collins also met Pope John Paul II and attended his funeral in 2005.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Meets with Farmworkers and Advocates to Discuss Uptick in ICE Enforcement in Skagit & Whatcom Counties

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ***AUDIO HERE; PHOTOS and B-ROLL HERE***
    Burlington, WA— Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, met with farmworkers, advocates, and community members in Burlington to listen to their concerns amid a recent spike in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity—including large-scale raids and the detention of local activists and leaders—in Northwest Washington, particularly in Whatcom and Skagit counties.
    Joining Senator Murray for the meeting were: Don McMoran, Director of WSU Skagit County Extension; Rosalinda Guillen, Founder of Community-to-Community Development; Liz Darrow, Participatory Democracy Program Coordinator at Community-to-Community Development; Manuel Reta, President of the Northwest Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Gilberto Estrada, Property Manager at the Housing Authority of Skagit County; Jose Ramirez, President of Familias Unidas por la Justicia; Edgar Franks, Political Director at Familias Unidas por la Justicia; and a number of immigrant farmworkers and field workers from the community—including Beatriz Godinez, a field worker whose partner Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino, a farmworker and advocate for farmworkers’ rights, was arrested in Sedro Wolley on March 25th while dropping Beatriz off at work at a tulip field. ICE agents smashed Lelo’s window to detain him, he was then taken to an ICE facility in Ferndale before being transported to the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC) in Tacoma, where he has been held since. In another recent high-profile immigration enforcement action, on April 2nd, officers from multiple federal law enforcement agencies detained 37 workers at Mount Baker Roofing in Bellingham.
    “Washington state’s amazing crops, like apples and cherries don’t just get to the store by magic. Tulips don’t just pick themselves. There is a lot of hard work, skill, and dedicated workers who bring our crops from farms to families. Farmworkers are a part of our economy and part of our communities, and we owe them gratitude, good wages, fair treatment, and safe work environments,” said Senator Murray. “There are so many ways Trump’s policies are going to hurt our workers—from gutting worker safety, to tariffs hurting the entire sector, to slashing investments in rural communities. But I have been especially alarmed by the surge in aggressive ICE raids. The stories from the past few months, across the country and right here in Washington state, are heartbreaking and chilling: people being mistreated by border officials and ICE agents, heartbreaking family deportations, and more.”
    “I firmly believe enforcing our immigration laws does not mean forsaking our bedrock principles like due process or ignoring our common sense and wasting crucial resources by targeting law-abiding people who pose no threat to public safety,” Senator Murray continued. “But that’s exactly what Trump is doing—violating the Constitution, ignoring the courts, and trampling the fundamental values we hold dear as a country to do it. It’s blatantly unlawful, and more than that it is cruel. This is creating so much pain and terror in our communities. It’s separating families, scaring workers, and emboldening racism. Our farmworkers don’t deserve to be treated like criminals—they deserve respect. And I will do everything in my power to lift up your voices, fight for your communities, and hold this administration to account.”
    “Alfredo is my partner… I miss him and I love him, so we want your help,” said Beatriz Godinez, a farmworker whose partner Alfredo “Lelo” Juarez Zeferino was arrested in Sedro Wolley on March 25th while dropping Beatriz off at work at a tulip field. Lelo is currently being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC) in Tacoma Tacoma. Beatriz shared her story with the help of a translator. “ICE came and broke his window and pushed him against the car and were really rough with him, and put them in their ICE car… Lelo wants to be free so he can take care of his brothers and sisters and work so they can study… [Lelo] says that when he gets out, he wants to continue doing his work in the community and with the union, and he’s really hoping that he can get bond to be free to continue that.”
    “In Washington state, we have taken a lot of leadership as an organization and other Latino voters and participants in the state of Washington, along with Familias Unidas por la Justicia to improve conditions for farmworkers across the state. And we also took leadership in the passage of a bill that created an H-2A Oversight Committee, which we are the only state in the nation that’s trying to provide any kind of oversight and enforcement on this. This relates to the well being and job security of farmworkers in the state, but also protection for the H-2A program which is a very abusive program,” said Rosalinda Guillen, Founder of Community-to-Community Development. “We’ve been overseeing immigration rights and justice for over 20 years. We’ve never seen it like this. It is very aggressive, and we are seeing that Homeland Security is rooting itself in our counties. The numbers of H-2A agents, ICE agents present and the border patrol, and the way that they’re implementing the administration’s removal plan, it’s disrespectful, undignified and plain just not following due process…Because we believe, as I’m sure you know, this isn’t over yet, this is going to continue. And the lack of due process is really concerning all of us in the state of Washington, especially because, you know, we’re a state that did not come out in support of the current administration, so we think that we are being targeted in these two counties specifically because of some of the work of the farmworker union and other proactive organizations supporting due process and democracy in this in the state of Washington.”
    “Everything we do is important to this area. We do the pruning, the picking of all the strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, the cucumbers,” said Jose Ramirez, a farmworker and the President of Familias Unidas por la Justicia, who shared his story with the help of a translator. “We don’t want to be in fear. We’re sad about what happened with Alfredo, and I’ve known Alfredo since he started working in the field when he was 12 years old, and even to this day, he still works in the field. On top of that, he’s also still organizing workers. So, him being detained brings a lot of sadness to us, because the only thing that we’re doing here is nothing bad—we’re working and we’re trying to put our families first and take care of them. We don’t feel comfortable just trying to live our lives. And I can tell you about my own personal experience. Just a couple of days ago, I was getting ready to go to work, and outside of my apartment, I saw two unmarked cars that we think were ICE, in this parking lot. So that’s where I talked to my cousin, who also lives in the same apartment, and told them that we shouldn’t go to work that day. We had to lose that day of work. That’s eight hours of work that and wages that we don’t get, and we on top of that, we already don’t make enough money. So we just lost the day because we felt that, had we stepped out, ICE was going to get us.  and we stepped out… We have 600 members in peak season, 500 to 600 families, that’s what I see. I don’t want ICE to come and start separating families. When I see workers in the field, in any field, I don’t see how they call us criminals—I don’t see that. You see people that are there just harvesting and feeding the world, not just trying to make ends meet or, you know, working, but the people that are there harvesting food and doing everything for bettering the world.”
    “What happened with Lelo we feel was done intentionally to silence farm workers and leaders,” said Edgar Franks, Political Director at Familias Unidas por la Justicia. “Familias Unidas has been one of the unions that has been the most outspoken throughout the state and the country on issues on immigration, on labor, on various issues, on climate. And we feel that, because of that outspokenness, that they might be—the leadership might be a potential risk for being targeted for political reasons. You know, I think that throughout the years, the union has won many battles, political battles. You know, we got a Supreme Court hearing in the state that, for the first time, gave workers the right to paid rest breaks. We got overtime for farm workers here, we passed heat and smoke rules for farmworkers and agriculture workers, emergency COVID rules. All these things were done because of the union… So we feel that those things [that] really make the union leadership as effective as they are, also puts them in a dangerous situation. So we are asking for any kind of protection that can be done to give the workers and that security that they’ll be able to go work, fight for justice, and also be able to go back home to their families at the end of the day, just like everybody else.”
    “Skagit County Agriculture is in a very difficult position in 2025.  Nationwide, farm bankruptcies are up 55 percent in 2024 and many will not survive without everyone working together, including farm labor,” said Don McMoran, Director of WSU Skagit County Extension.
    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. She has long worked on legislative efforts to bring dignity and humanity to our immigration system—from protecting the health and safety of immigrant workers, to recognizing and bolstering America’s historical commitment to refugees and asylum seekers and more. She was outspoken in opposition to the Laken Riley Act, arguing it threatened to  drastically undermine civil liberties and divert resources from detaining true threats to public safety.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Visits Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, Hears How Trump’s Trade War is Depressing Canadian Tourism and Affecting Local Agriculture

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ***PHOTOS and B-ROLL HERE***
    Mount Vernon, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, visited the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and heard about how Trump’s trade war is affecting the agricultural landscape and depressing Canadian visitation to the valley, where tourism is a large driver for the regional economy. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival was established in 1984 as a simple two-day celebration, but has since grown to a month-long, county-wide tradition. The festival’s mission is to support the ongoing preservation and celebration of Skagit Valley’s agricultural and cultural heritage with a variety of educational and community engagement initiatives. The festival features five major farms and gardens and attracts more than one million visitors, on average, from around the globe.
    Senator Murray was joined for the visit by Leo Roozen, President of the Washington Bulb Company; Brent Roozen, and Nicole Roozen, Executive Director of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. The visit began at the Washington Bulb Office, where Murray heard about the history of their family-run business and how Trump’s chaotic trade war with Canada is creating new uncertainty for them and has meant less Canadian visitation to the region, which hurts their business’s bottom line. Next, Senator Murray received a tour of the greenhouse and bulb production facility, followed by a tour of the RoozenGaarde display gardens down the road. RoozenGaarde is the oldest and largest garden in the Tulip Festival. The Roozens began farming tulips in Holland before settling in Skagit County in 1947 where they established the Washington Bulb Company, planting their first display garden in 1984.
    “The Tulip Festival is such a big deal for Skagit County—not only does it draw in hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, but it’s a huge driver of economic activity for the region, so it’s important to be here in person,” said Senator Murray. “It was especially important for me to hear from tulip growers about how their businesses, and this year’s festival, is already being affected by Trump’s trade war with Canada. Northwest Washington agriculture and businesses are on the very front lines of Trump’s trade chaos—and his tariffs on Canada, the retaliatory tariffs, and Canadians’ widespread anger over Trump’s provocations are already seriously hurting their bottom lines. There is simply no reason for us to be picking trade wars with our close allies like Canada and I’ve been loud about how Congress needs to step in and put an end to this chaos—but the bottom line is that we need Republicans to stand up with us and say ‘enough.’ I’ll be taking what I heard here today back with me to the other Washington as I keep fighting to advocate for our state’s trade economy and end Trump’s pointless trade war that is hurting Washington state.”  
    “We are honored to welcome Senator Murray to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival and RoozenGaarde,” said Nicole Roozen, Executive Director of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. “The Senator’s visit underscores the meaningful role agriculture plays in Skagit Valley and reaffirms the importance of supporting the communities that help this region to flourish.”
    Washington state has one of the most trade-dependent economies of any state in the country, with 40 percent of jobs tied to international commerce. Washington state is the top U.S. producer of apples, blueberries, hops, pears, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries—all of which risk losing vital export markets due to retaliatory tariffs from key trading partners including Canada. Additionally, more than 12,000 small and medium-sized companies in Washington state export goods and will struggle to absorb the impact of retaliatory tariffs. Canada is Washington’s largest trading partner, accounting for nearly $20 billion in imports and $10 billion in exports. China is the world’s second-largest economy and Washington state exported over $12 billion in goods to China last year—making China Washington state’s top export partner—and imported $11.2 billion in goods, the most in imports from any country aside from Canada. Trump’s tariffs during his first term were extremely costly for Washington state—for example, India imposed a 20 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. apples, causing Washington apple shipments to India to fall by 99 percent and growers to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in exports.
    Senator Murray has been a vocal opponent of Trump’s chaotic trade war and has been lifting up the voices of people in Washington state harmed by this administration’s approach to trade and calling on Republicans to end Trump’s trade war—which Congress has the power to do—and take back Congress’ Constitutionally-granted power to impose tariffs. Earlier this month, Senator Murray brought together leaders across Washington state who highlighted how Trump’s ongoing trade war is already a devastating hit to Washington state’s economy, businesses, and our agriculture sector. Senator Murray also took to the Senate floor to lay out how Trump’s chaotic trade war is seriously threatening our economy, American businesses, families’ retirement savings, and so much else. Last week, Senator Murray joined her colleagues in pressing U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer on how the Trump administration’s tariffs are affecting farmers across the country.
    Last week, Senator Murray held a roundtable discussion in Tacoma with local businesses and ports, toured local businesses in downtown Vancouver, and held a roundtable discussion in Vancouver with local businesses and ports to highlight how Trump’s trade war is hurting businesses and our economy Washington state. Earlier this week, Senator Murray met with small business owners in Seattle’s University District to hear how Trump’s tariffs and the broader economic uncertainty are affecting them.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Kudlow on Fox Business to Discuss Russia-Ukraine War, Tariff Negotiations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    NASHVILLE, TN—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations, Banking, and Foreign Relations Committees and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today joined Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss the ongoing negotiations to bring a peace deal to the Russia-Ukraine war, along with President Donald Trump’s strength in tariff negotiations with China.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Partial Transcript
    Hagerty on Trump’s toughness against Russia: “President Trump has continued not only to retain sanctions in place, but actually enforced them, which the Biden Administration never did. The Biden Administration talked tough, but they did not enforce sanctions. What President Trump has done is actually gone into secondary sanctions. I think you read about the fact that President Trump has gone in and sanctioned a Chinese refinery, the buyer of Russian crude [oil]. That is the way to deal with this. That’s the way to put maximum pressure on Russia, their banks, the purchasers of crude oil. That’s the way to deal with this. He’s doing it. The pressure has been maintained and mounting on Vladimir Putin.”
    Hagerty on weakening Russia by regaining U.S. energy independence: “You’re absolutely right, Dave. And President Trump’s been extremely clear about not only wanting to get back to energy independence, but energy dominance for America. That’s bad for Russia, that’s bad for Iran, that’s bad for Venezuela, but it’s great for our allies and for us.”
    Hagerty on the need to end the Russia-Ukraine war: “I think about the fact that [Treasury Secretary] Scott Bessent traveled to Ukraine to put in place a deal for critical minerals that would’ve engaged our economy with theirs. Zelenskyy said, of course I’ll sign it, but I’d like to wait [until] I get to meet with Vice President [JD] Vance in Munich. He goes to Munich—Vice President Vance is courteous enough to meet with him—and he tells Vice President Vance, I’d like to actually sign it with the president at the White House. We accede to that. We let him come to the White House, and what does he do? He tries to re-trade the deal on international TV in front of everybody. I think it really is amazing. I think how congenial President Trump has been in dealing with both of these parties. He wants to bring this to an end, and I’d like to say this: Dave, every week this waits, we’re losing roughly another 5,000 lives. It’s time for both parties, Russia and Ukraine, to get to the table and bring this to an end […] I don’t know the answer in terms of who’s advising Zelenskyy, and I would say this: had it been [Former President] Joe Biden in that Oval office, in that meeting, it would’ve worked, but it certainly is not going to work with President Trump. He wasn’t going to tolerate that sort of behavior. He wasn’t so hungry for a deal to be celebrating it in the Rose Garden. He sent Zelenskyy home, and he should have.”
    Hagerty on Trump’s strength against Iran’s terror regime: “Well, Dave, I’ll remind you that everyone said that the Abraham Accords couldn’t be done, but President Trump was able to deliver on that. If anybody can deliver peace in the Middle East, it’s Donald Trump. I think the Iranians should understand and appreciate the fact that President Trump is not going to take this anymore. It’s going to be maximum pressure. They are the greatest state sponsors of terror, not only in the region, but in the world. They’re in a very difficult place right now. You mentioned, Dave, oil prices are coming down. That’s not good for Iran, right? We started enforcing sanctions, rather than just talking about it the way the Biden Administration said, that’s not good for Iran. Their economy’s in a tough spot right now. Now is the time to negotiate. Now is the time to end this program of terror, to end their nuclear program, and bring peace back to the Middle East.”
    Hagerty on the tariff negotiations between the U.S. and China: “[China tends] to overplay their hand, whether it’s their use of the Belt and Road Initiative, or whether it’s the situation they find themselves in now, again, retaliating against President Trump when he warned them not to, and find themselves in an extraordinarily difficult box. China has a very export dependent economy. They’ve also not played by the same rules that every other major economy does. They steal intellectual property. They subsidize industries. They need to come to the table now and look to actually make a deal […] I worked very closely with the team that negotiated the phase one deal in the first Administration, because they worked with me on the two trade deals that we did with Japan. They committed, at that point, to $200 billion worth of purchases from America. They fell short. China needs to keep its word; China needs to step up. If you think about what happened during the Covid crisis, if you think about the spy balloon that flew across America, there’s a real issue of trust right now. That issue needs to be resolved. China needs to prove that it’s a reliable partner.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Statement on Terror Attack in Kashmir

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    April 24, 2025

    OMAHA, NE – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) issued the following statement in response to a deadly terror attack in Kashmir:
    “As President Trump has said, the United States stands strong with India against terrorism. Prime Minister Modi and the Indian people are in my prayers as they mourn this horrific attack.”

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Blasts Trump’s Attacks on Head Start, Demands RFK Jr. Immediately Release Funding and Reverse Firings

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Reno, Nev. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) in sending a letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding the Department of Health and Human Services immediately release Head Start funding and reverse the mass firing of Head Start staff. Cortez Masto has been a strong supporter of the Head Start program, which provides early childhood learning for thousands of children across Nevada.

    “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,” the lawmakers began. “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,” they wrote. “Head Start 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.”

    “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. 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,” they continued. “[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.”

    You can find the full text of the letter here.

    Senator Cortez Masto has pushed multiple Departments under the Trump Administration for detailed, public information regarding the impacts of President Trump’s federal funding freeze, hiring freeze, and terminations on Nevada – including to the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, General Services Administration, and Department of Health and Human Services.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Larson, Hayes, 100+ Lawmakers Demand Social Security Head Keep Field Offices Open

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-Conn.-01) and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05) joined 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 today, 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.
    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. In Connecticut, this could affect field offices in Hartford, Bridgeport, Waterbury, Willimantic, New London, New Haven, New Britain, Stamford, Meriden, Torrington, Danbury, Ansonia, East Hartford, Middletown, and Norwich.
    “[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,” the lawmakers wrote. 
    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. 
    On Thursday, Social Security Works, Indivisible, P Street, and AFGE organized volunteers to deliver copies of the lawmakers’ letter to field offices across the country — in blue, red, and purple counties — in support of the field offices and their staff. Volunteers plan to visit at least 50 offices in Arizona, Nebraska, California, New Jersey, Colorado, Nevada, Florida, New York, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Oregon, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maryland, Washington, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.
    The initiative is part of Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room, a coordinated effort to fight back against the Trump administration’s attack on Americans’ Social Security. The War Room coordinates messaging across the Senate Democratic Caucus and external stakeholders; encourages grassroots engagement by providing opportunities for Americans to share what Social Security means to them; and educates Senate staff, the American public, and stakeholders about Republicans’ agenda and their continued cuts to Americans’ Social Security services and benefits.
    U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Ill.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Me.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) also signed the letter.
    U.S. Representatives Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Troy Carter (D-La.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Gilbert Cisneros (D-Calif.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.), Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), John Mannion (D-N.Y.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Dave Min (D-Calif.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Josh Riley (D-N.Y.), Deborah Ross (D-Pa.), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Norma Torres (D-Calif.), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), and Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) also signed the letter.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Larson, Courtney, Hayes Call On Trump Administration To Reverse Dismissal Of AmeriCorps Volunteers And Staff

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives John B. Larson (D-Conn.-01), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.-02), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03) and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05) on Thursday sent a letter calling on the Trump Administration to reverse last week’s sudden dismissal of all student volunteers with the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) and plans for mass layoffs at AmeriCorps at the direction of Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE.’
    “Slashing a program that puts thousands of young Americans to work serving their country and communities is downright reckless—it cripples disaster relief, undercuts education, and weakens public health where it’s needed most,” said Murphy. “If you’re cutting national service while handing tax breaks to billionaires, you’re not serving the country—you’re serving yourself and your megarich buddies.” 
     “AmeriCorps’ hard-working volunteers across Connecticut have supported a variety of critical needs in our state from disaster recovery to public health outreach to youth mentoring. Trump and Musk are recklessly decimating community programs with proven success— another gut punch to dedicated public servants. Patriotic volunteers like Sarah Meade, who simply seek to give back to our nation, deserve better than Trump’s back of the hand. This cruel, shortsighted step shortchanges the nation,” said Blumenthal. 
     “More than 60 years since President Kennedy’s famous call to service, AmeriCorps mobilizes hundreds of thousands of Americans each year to support disaster relief efforts, school mentoring programs, and more,” said Larson. “President Trump and Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ are trying to dismantle and defund these programs, even recalling volunteers who were building homes for hurricane victims in North Carolina. Here in Connecticut, these cuts could shutter programs for our youth, seniors, and veterans. I stand with my constituents who were dismissed with no explanation after answering the call to service, including Southington resident Sarah Meade who has bravely come forward to share her story. President Trump must reverse course so disaster relief efforts can continue unimpeded, and AmeriCorps volunteers can continue to deliver critical services. We will keep fighting to preserve President Kennedy’s vision from these drastic ‘DOGE’ cuts.” 
    “Elon Musk’s DOGE has taken its sledgehammer to AmeriCorps and practically eliminated our nation’s leading agency that provides essential services to veterans, children, and seniors. I’m all for making our government work more efficiently, but indiscriminately slashing yet another agency will not achieve that goal. The free rein Elon Musk and DOGE have been given to cut services without oversight is irresponsible and cruel,” said Courtney. 
    “The Trump Administration’s decision to dismiss National Civilian Community Corps student volunteers and move forward with mass layoffs at AmeriCorps is an attack on public service and civic engagement,” said DeLauro. “These young people commit themselves to disaster relief, environmental protection, and community rebuilding. That is not waste. It’s exactly what government should do-improve the lives of Americans. The Trump Administration must reverse course immediately.” 
    “Programs like AmeriCorps NCCC embody national service and deserve greater investment, not abandonment. The 200 Connecticut AmeriCorps locations work hand in hand with local partners to empower individuals to assist communities tackle their toughest challenges. President Trump must reverse course to ensure these essential services many rely on continue unimpeded,” said Hayes. 
    “The demobilization of AmeriCorps NCCC and placing nearly 85% of federal agency staff on administrative leave is a clarion call for Connecticut communities where more than 2,200 AmeriCorps members serve in several hundred statewide locations,” said Jacqueline M. Lucier, Executive Director of Serve Connecticut. “Life without AmeriCorps in Connecticut means veterans in Groton losing vital daily support, students missing out on safe afterschool programs, young adults losing a pathway into public service, and the absence of low-income Americans aged 55 and older providing one-on-one mentoring and academic support to children with exceptional needs. With programs frozen or dismantled, the ripple effect threatens our most vulnerable residents and the civic fabric that holds them together.” 
    “AmeriCorps NCCC gave me the opportunity to support environmental stewardship with Arkansas State Parks, assist with long-term disaster relief in Houston, and support food security efforts in El Paso. My service term, while abruptly cut short, provided me with a unique experience to become fully immersed in diverse, resilient communities across the country, which expanded my worldview and molded me into a more empathetic, service-minded citizen. Programs like AmeriCorps NCCC, which foster national service, purpose, and our shared responsibility to serve our fellow Americans, are vital to the spirit of our nation and deserve renewed investment, not abandonment,” said Sarah Meade, Southington resident and former NCCC volunteer. 
    The dismissal of all NCCC volunteers included volunteers building homes for Hurricane Helene and Milton victims, as well as assisting with disaster response following the Los Angeles wildfires. More than 200,000 Americans participate in AmeriCorps-led service projects at over 35,000 locations each year. Funding for AmeriCorps has consistently been approved by Congress and was signed into law as recently as last month.  
    The lawmakers are calling on the Trump Administration to reverse the recall of NCCC volunteers and halt plans for a reduction in force of 85% of the workers at AmeriCorps.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below: 
    Dear President Trump:
    We write to express our strong support for AmeriCorps and urge you to reverse both the recall of all NCCC AmeriCorps members and the recently implemented drastic reductions in force across the AmeriCorps agency. We are deeply concerned these actions will prevent the agency from continuing to deliver critical services, which include supporting veterans, fighting wildfires, tutoring in schools, combatting the fentanyl epidemic, and much more.
    For more than thirty years, AmeriCorps has been our nation’s leading provider of grants that support and promote national service and volunteerism. Through programs like AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors, more than 200,000 Americans participate in results-driven service projects at more than 35,000 locations across the country each year. Working hand in hand with thousands of nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations, these dedicated Americans recruit and manage millions of additional volunteers as they work to promote employment opportunities, prepare a better-trained workforce, and provide essential services to veterans, children, and seniors. AmeriCorps’ track record of delivering for Americans has earned broad and longstanding support from business leaders, mayors, and governors of both parties.
    AmeriCorps is a public-private partnership that leverages approximately $1 billion in matched resources from the private sector, foundations, and local agencies to support organizations across the country working in creative ways to tackle our most persistent and costly challenges. While it is important the agency continue to make measurable progress toward an improved audit performance, federal investments in AmeriCorps already delivers returns for the American people. A 2020 study found that for every one dollar that Congress appropriates to AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs, they return over $17 in benefits to society, program members, and the government. Further, the AmeriCorps programs are a smart investment in our country’s future. AmeriCorps service allows members to gain marketable job skills in high demand fields and pursue higher education, preparing more Americans to succeed in the workforce.
    We have seen firsthand the critical impact these programs have across the states we represent. We urge the administration to continue implementing the statutory requirements of the national service laws:
    Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, Public Law 93-113.
    National and Community Service Act of 1990, Public Law 101-610.
    National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, Public Law 103-82.
    Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Actor 2009, Public Law 111-13.
    Additionally, Congress recently passed the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025, which maintained funding for AmeriCorps at its Fiscal Year 2024 level. We expect that the administration will implement this law in a manner consistent with the allocations enacted in Fiscal Year 2024. However, we have grave concerns that significant reductions in force will prevent AmeriCorps from being able to effectively and efficiently award appropriated funding to programs operating in communities across the country.
    We are deeply concerned by reports that a majority of AmeriCorps staff have been placed on administrative leave and that more than 750 NCCC members have already been recalled from their field assignments. Many of these volunteers were working in disaster response roles, including building homes for individuals who lost theirs in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. If not reversed, these recent actions will both stop current programs and prevent timely and efficient execution of the agency’s fiscal year 2025 appropriations, delaying or even halting the recruitment and deployment of new AmeriCorps members around the country. We are deeply concerned that is the goal: to eliminate AmeriCorps, in direct conflict with recently enacted appropriations. However, even delays will disrupt programs Americans rely on for their health, education, and safety. We urge you to reverse these actions and instead work with Congress on bipartisan improvements to AmeriCorps so that more Americans have the opportunity to serve their communities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, King Sponsor Bipartisan Bill to Ban Offshore Drilling off Coast of Maine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
    Published: April 24, 2025

    Legislation would protect ocean and coastal resources that account for over $17.5 billion annually in the New England region.

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King are cosponsoring bipartisan legislation to prohibit offshore drilling along the Maine coast, extending throughout the entirety of New England. The New England Coastal Protection Act would ban oil and gas leasing off the coast of Maine and in these protected areas.
    According to NOAA Fisheries, ocean and coastal industries, including tourism, fishing, and recreation, generate more than $17.5 billion in New England annually. Expanding drilling in the Atlantic would pose potential harm to New England’s key industries and significantly increase the chance of environmental disaster in the region.
    “The waters off Maine’s coast provide a healthy ecosystem for our fisheries and are an integral part of our tourism industry, supporting thousands of jobs and generating billions of dollars in revenue each year,” said Senator Collins. “Offshore drilling along the coast could impact Mainers of all walks of life for generations, which is why I join my colleagues in introducing this legislation to ban offshore drilling on the New England coastline.”
    “Maine’s fisheries and coastal communities rely on healthy, clean waters to support their livelihoods. Offshore oil drilling would pose an immense threat to this delicate ecosystem and the people it supports,” said Senator King. “As we respond to global energy crises, we must work together to find practical, fiscally responsible clean energy solutions that can protect Maine communities and the Atlantic Ocean that do not rely on offshore drilling. This bipartisan effort would be a positive step forward to ensure we continue to protect the Gulf of Maine and all the communities that rely on its bountiful, yet fragile, ecosystem.”
    Senators Collins and King are joined on this legislation by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed: Trump’s Reckless Attacks on Fed’s Powell Are Destabilizing & Hurt the Economy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    PROVIDENCE, RI – As President Donald Trump continues to threaten to illegally fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell unless he prioritizes Trump’s political preferences over responsible economic policy, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, is warning that Trump’s irresponsible rhetoric is doing financial harm to American families, businesses, and the U.S. economy.

    “Donald Trump is a one man financial crisis.  He inherited a strong, growing economy and has senselessly decimated it with irrational tariff taxes and reckless threats to obliterate the Fed’s independence.  So far, Trump’s economic policies have been a disaster for Main Street and a nightmare for Wall Street.  And now, he wants Chair Powell and the Fed to prioritize his political concerns over economic reality by cutting rates and increasing inflation in order to stimulate the economy he is wrecking.  He needs to reverse course and responsible people across the political spectrum need to speak up or risk having him politically interfere in monetary policy and cause very bad financial outcomes for all Americans,” said Senator Reed.

    As Fed Chair, Jerome Powell is statutorily tasked with achieving the Fed’s dual mandate of stable prices – low inflation – and maximum employment.  This task has been made more difficult by President Trump’s tariff taxes, which researchers at Yale have found will raise inflation from 2.5% today to around 5.5% in the coming months. 

    Last week, during a speech outlining his economic outlook, Chair Powell noted that the President’s tariffs will raise prices and impact how the Fed works to achieve its dual mandate – something economists and analysts across the political spectrum have warned for months.  Seemingly in response, President Trump said he’s not happy with Powell and declared that he has the power to replace him. “If I want him out, he’ll be out of there real fast, believe me,” Trump said. “I’m not happy with him.”  Trump later called on the Fed to cut interest rates while admitting his policies are slowing the economy, writing the Fed needs to make “Preemptive Cuts” to interest rates, and “there can be a SLOWING of the economy unless Mr. Too Late, a major loser, lowers interest rates, NOW.”

    Senator Reed warns it could be “catastrophic” for the U.S. economy if President Trump tries to fire Fed Chair Powell to get the Fed to cut interest rates.

    “When President Nixon strong-armed the Fed to keep rates low and help his re-election efforts, inflation skyrocketed in part because the Fed was slow to react to raising prices.  Inflation eventually reached nearly 15% and the Fed was forced to push the U.S. into a deep recession in order to lower prices.  One of the main lessons of this was crisis was that our central bank must be independent of politics – that is part of what keeps our economy strong, stable, and attractive to investors.  It would be catastrophic if Powell gave in to Trump’s threats or if Trump tries to fire Powell, whose job is to tune out politics and keep the U.S. economy on the right course.  That would risk a return to sky-high inflation and do severe, permanent harm to the financial well-being of all Americans.”

    “Instead of pressuring Powell, President Trump should stop pursing an irresponsible tariff agenda that is pushing up prices for hardworking Americans.  Trump’s threats have already roiled financial markets.  If he goes further, the harmful effects will spread to families and businesses.

    Under current law, the President is not allowed to fire the Fed Chair for political reasons.  The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 establishing the Fed stipulates that members of its Board of Governors, appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to staggered 14-year terms, can only be removed for “cause” – which experts widely agree only means misconduct, not policy disputes or for political favor.

    In 2017, Trump nominated Powell to a four year term as Fed chair.  He was later reappointed by former President Biden.  Powell, who also served as Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury under President George H.W. Bush, has explicitly said he would not step down as Fed chair if Trump asked him.

    Powell’s tenure as Fed Chair runs through May 2026, which means President Trump could replace him then.  The U.S. Senate must vote to confirm the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RI Delegation Calls Out Trump’s 100 Days of Economic Chaos

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    PROVIDENCE, RI – As President Trump approaches his first 100 days in office at the end of the month, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo gathered in Providence today to highlight the economic chaos and financial damage President Trump has caused for families and small businesses and warn that the President could induce a recession unless he changes course.

    Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation says the Trump Administration, Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and Congressional Republicans continue to threaten Rhode Islanders’ Social Security benefits, Medicaid coverage, nutrition assistance, and federal investments in science and education in favor of a billionaires-first tax agenda.

    President Trump’s scattershot and indiscriminate tariff plan will force families to pay nearly $5,000 more each year.  It has already wiped out trillions of dollars from the stock market and is raising costs and uncertainty for American families and manufacturers.

    Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation visited Farm Fresh today to discuss the impact Trump’s policies are having on everything from food prices to health care and the instability it’s causing for consumers and businesses alike.

    “Donald Trump is a one man financial crisis and has single-handedly driven down consumer confidence and forced up prices with his reckless tariff taxes.  He inherited an economy that was on the upswing and senselessly decimated it with policies that raised prices, deterred investment, and needlessly triggered financial turmoil.  So far, Trump’s economic policies have been a disaster for Main Street and a nightmare for Wall Street.  Instead of increasing costs on consumers and businesses, President Trump must reverse course and work with Democrats to actually lower prices and get our economy working and growing again,” said Reed.

    “Rhode Island is a small business state, and the Trump Tariffs are saddling many business owners with major economic uncertainty,” said Whitehouse.  “Trump is constantly changing his mind about how and when he’s going to slap tariffs on our allies so Republicans can help pay for big tax cuts for giant corporations and the wealthy.  That leaves small business owners wondering which products they’ll be able to stock and at what cost, and whether they’ll be able to make payroll.”

    “Donald Trump’s first 100 days have been an economic disaster,” said Magaziner.  “This is to be expected from an administration of out-of-touch billionaires with no idea what working people go through on a daily basis.  The Trump Administration’s assault on essential programs even includes education – as they have proposed cutting funding for public schools and job training.  I’ll keep fighting alongside the rest of the Rhode Island Congressional delegation to protect education funding, push back against Trump’s extremism, and stand up for our state.”

    “Over the past 100 days, Donald Trump has unleashed a torrent of chaos and confusion on a number of fronts.  This isn’t fear mongering.  Rhode Islanders are right to be afraid when they see the largest number ever — $880 billion — in proposed cuts to Medicaid,” said Amo.  “Yet Medicaid isn’t just a government program; it’s about universal values.  Make no mistake, as a united delegation, we’ll keep sounding the alarm every day until these harmful proposals are defeated for good.”

    Americans are not buying President Trump’s false claims about the prices of gas, eggs, and other groceries: President Trump claimed that gas costs $1.98 per gallon in some states when the national average price is currently $3.17 per gallon and $2.94 in Rhode Island.  Additionally, Trump claimed egg prices are down 94 percent since he took office.  The national average price of eggs in March 2025 was $6.23 – setting an all-time high for the third straight month.  And elsewhere at the grocery store, Americans are paying more for things like coffee – the average price of coffee in March 2025 was $7.38 – up 15 percent since the beginning of the year, while the national average price of ground beef in March 2025 was $5.79, a 3 percent increase from the previous month.

    “In Rhode Island, nearly 40 percent of our population is food insecure.  This means over 42 million meals missed last year by children, seniors and low-income families. The proposed cuts to the SNAP program will not help Rhode Island to lower these awful numbers. The actions of the current administration, including recent USDA funding terminations, are exacerbating this problem by eliminating programs that connect local food from Rhode Island into schools, and the emergency food system.  Any cuts to SNAP are also cuts to our local economy.  Many local farmers and fishers benefit from SNAP redemption at farmers markets statewide.  It is imperative for the state’s well-being that we empower local farmers, fishers and food producers to be part of the solution to end hunger, raise healthy children and boost our local economy,” said Jesse Rye, Executive Director of Farm Fresh Rhode Island.

    Trump’s trade war has created chaos for the economy, driving prices up for families and small businesses.  The President’s blanket tariffs on nearly every product imported into the U.S., including 25 percent tariffs on Canada, Rhode Island’s biggest international trading partner, has already impeded businesses in our state.  The tariffs have increased the cost of imported goods and raw materials on which small businesses depend.  These rising costs have slowed production, reduced competitiveness, and left business owners scrambling.  International travel to the United States has declined sharply since President Trump returned to office, threatening Rhode Island’s tourism industry in the busy summer months ahead.

    Consumer confidence is down nearly 30 percent and the value of the dollar is down nearly 10 percent since President Trump took office.  Prices on everyday goods are expected to climb, with year-ahead inflation expectations hitting 6.7% in April – the highest reading since 1981.  The stock market has dropped considerably, causing retirement plans and savings to plummet as the risk of a recession skyrockets. 

    The Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency are threatening the stability of Social Security benefits for the over 230,000 Rhode Islanders who receive them through customer service cuts and staff firings and buyouts.  President Trump and Congressional Republicans are also trying to take health care coverage from many of the nearly 330,000 Rhode Islanders – 30 percent of the state’s population – who are enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP.  To pay for trillions in tax cuts for mega-corporations and the wealthy, Republicans are preparing to pass a bill with $880 billion in Medicaid cuts.  Approximately 44 percent of births in Rhode Island are covered by Medicaid, and half?of all Rhode Island kids are enrolled in Medicaid.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHOTOS: Capito Tours Constellium Plant

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    JACKSON COUNTY, W.Va. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a leader on the Senate Appropriations Committee, traveled to Jackson County, W.Va. today to meet with Constellium’s leadership team, including CEO Jean-Marc Germain, and tour the facility. 

    During the visit, Senator Capito sat down with Constellium’s leadership to discuss the manufacturer’s continued positive impact on West Virginia’s economy. Senator Capito has played a critical role in securing U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) funding to help Constellium expand its manufacturing efforts in the state and to support production critical to U.S. national security, as well as their increasing presence in America’s space program. 

    “Constellium is one of West Virginia’s largest manufacturers, with the Ravenswood plant serving as one of the world’s largest rolled products facilities. Over the years, I have been a proud champion of Constellium in the United States Senate by helping them secure funding to expand their operations and employ more West Virginians. Today’s visit was a great opportunity to hear directly from Constellium’s dedicated leadership and workforce and see firsthand the innovation and impact this facility has on our state’s economy. I’m proud to support American manufacturing and the hardworking West Virginians who keep it moving forward,” Senator Capito said.

    Photos from the visit are included below: 

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) tours the Constellium plant in Jackson County, W.Va. on Thursday, April 24, 2025.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) tours the Constellium plant in Jackson County, W.Va. on Thursday, April 24, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Reynolds, Nunn Applaud Grand Opening of YSS Ember Recovery Campus

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    STORY COUNTY, IOWA – U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Gov. Kim Reynolds and U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) today attended a ribbon cutting at Youth and Shelter Services’ (YSS) newly-opened youth recovery center. The Ember Recovery Campus, located near Cambridge, will provide Iowa youth individualized, evidence-based mental health and addiction treatment.
    “I want to congratulate everybody who helped turn this dream into a reality,” Grassley said. “The Ember Recovery Campus is a refuge of hope and healing that will give struggling Iowans a fresh start and provide many families much-needed peace of mind. Empowering young people to change their life gives them skin in the game and helps them overcome barriers to reach their full potential.”
    “It took a lot of hard work and a lot of patience, but finally, the beautiful vision of the YSS Ember Recovery Campus has been realized. It’s a vision that I couldn’t be prouder or more honored to celebrate,” Reynolds said. “The buildings and beautiful nature – all 50 acres of them – will serve as a safe and welcoming refuge for youth in crisis who require immediate help and where they can find stability, long-term treatment, and – eventually – the hope of a new and better tomorrow.”
    “What the YSS team built is nothing short of extraordinary. I have been proud to help the YSS mission, bringing $1.6 million to help serve youth in need in Iowa, as well as joining for the ribbon cutting to launch the Ember Recovery Campus. These efforts are a second chance for kids who have been through more than most of us can imagine,” said Rep. Nunn. “The campus and the resources it will provide young people will give a fresh perspective and an important re-start to so many Iowa families. I’m committed to fighting alongside them to ensure mission success.”

    Background:
    YSS is an Ames-based organization dedicated to providing treatment and rehabilitation resources for youth in crisis. Its Ember Recovery Campus seeks to help youth who are struggling with addiction, providing therapy, wellness and recreation resources. The campus’ 50 acres provide space for youth to focus on recovery in a safe and secure environment and empower young Iowans for success after leaving the facility.
    Grassley has long pushed for reforms and supported resources to help get delinquent youth back on track. Three decades ago, Grassley spearheaded a grassroots-based coalition called Face It Together that brought community stakeholders, business leaders and youth advocates together to address youth drug use. Face It Together evolved into community-led efforts, including Partnership for a Drug-Free Iowa and Partnership for a Healthy Iowa. Today’s ribbon-cutting at YSS Ember Recovery Campus reflects the hard work put in at the grassroots that Grassley helped foster decades ago.
    -30- 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Colleagues Call on Trump to Stop Weaponizing Antisemitism And Protect Students On Campuses Across The Country

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) in a letter calling on President Trump to stop weaponizing antisemitism — a real and widespread problem in America, including on college campuses — to attack educational institutions. Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly weaponized antisemitism as a political tool to further a broader conservative agenda against higher education, which includes cutting funding and attempting to coerce universities, all of which undermines legitimate, nonpartisan efforts to combat rising antisemitism in educational settings.
    “We are extremely troubled and disturbed by your broad and extra-legal attacks against universities and higher education institutions as well as members of their communities, which seem to go far beyond combating antisemitism, using what is a real crisis as a pretext to attack people and institutions who do not agree with you,” wrote the Senators. “These attacks go far beyond constructive and necessary efforts to support Jewish students on campus during an unprecedented period of domestic antisemitism.”
    “We urge you to reverse course immediately,” they continued. “We strongly support efforts to ensure universities uphold their duty to protect students from unlawful discrimination and harassment, but we reject your administration’s policies of defunding and punishing universities out of spite, as they actually undermine the work of combating antisemitism – ultimately only making Jews less safe by pitting Jewish safety against other communities and undermining the freedoms and democratic norms that have allowed Jewish communities, and so many others, to thrive in the United States.”
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    For years, Senator Rosen has worked across party lines to combat antisemitism and prevent efforts to do so from becoming politicized. In February, Rosen introduced the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act, which directs the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when investigating antisemitic acts on college campuses. Earlier this year, Rosen introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen Holocaust education. Last year, Rosen’s bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Never Again Education Act became law. Rosen helped launch the first-ever Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism with Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and led the push to create the first-ever national strategy to counter antisemitism. Senator Rosen also helped introduce a bipartisan resolution denouncing antisemitism at institutions of higher education, which passed the Senate unanimously.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Coons condemns Trump attacks on AmeriCorps in U.S. News op-ed

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WILMINGTON, Del. – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) published an op-ed in U.S. News & World Report yesterday decrying President Trump’s and Elon Musk’s devastating attacks on AmeriCorps, a program that has long stood as an example of Americans’ generosity and commitment to serving our communities. Senator Coons is a Co-chair of the National Service Caucus.
    Additionally, Senator Coons led a letter to Trump yesterday co-signed by 148 of his colleagues in Congress defending AmeriCorps and NCCC AmeriCorps members. The letter calls on President Trump to reverse cuts made last week by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to the agency that deploys more than 200,000 Americans a year through programs such as AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors that support critical community services at more than 35,000 locations across the country. 
    “Helping is an American value that has guided us since our nation’s founding,” Senator Coons wrote. “But our current president and his biggest donor, Elon Musk, whom Trump has put in charge of slashing the federal government, have been systematically firing helpers all across our country…. I believe we are born onto this earth to care for one another, to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly. To not just look for the helpers, but to be them.” 
    Last week, nearly every AmeriCorps staff member was put on administrative leave, which has been followed by a wave of “Reduction in Force” notices today. This extreme reduction in force will make it impossible for AmeriCorps to continue delivering critical services to Americans, including disaster response, teaching and tutoring, and supporting veterans.
    “In the next hurricane, the next earthquake, the next teacher shortage, where will the helpers be?” Senator Coons asked. “Cut by cut, Americans will be looking for helpers who never come.”
    Senator Coons also made the point that AmeriCorps isn’t a waste of taxpayer dollars—it’s a sound economic investment. Despite costing only one-fiftieth of 1% of the $6.8 trillion federal budget, AmeriCorps returns $17 in societal benefits for every dollar spent.
    You can read the full op-ed here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Democratic Senate Colleagues Demand President Trump Comply with Supreme Court Order to Return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Uphold Immigrants’ Right to Due Process

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

    Senators: “Our laws also do not allow you to send individuals from U.S. soil to El Salvador without due process”

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper and 25 of his Democratic Senate colleagues recently sent a letter to President Donald Trump calling on him to immediately comply with the Supreme Court order to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the U.S., and rescind his claim that he may transfer incarcerated U.S. citizens to El Salvador.

    In their letter, the senators condemn the Trump administration’s efforts to deport hundreds of migrants to a prison in El Salvador without due process. 

    “Your unprecedented actions threaten the constitutional protections of all Americans and violate the fundamental principles on which this nation was founded,” the senators wrote. 

    “The government is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order. Further, it claims in essence that because it has rid itself of custody that there is nothing that can be done. This should be shocking not only to judges, but to the intuitive sense of liberty that Americans far removed from courthouses still hold dear,” they continued.

    Last month, the Trump Administration deported over 261 immigrants to El Salvador in violation of a federal court order. One of the migrants, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was deported despite a court order specifically prohibiting his removal. The Trump administration has so far resisted a Supreme Court order directing the administration to return Abrego Garcia to the United States. 

    In their letter, the senators demand that the Trump administration: 

    1. Immediately facilitate the return of Mr. Abrego Garcia by no longer paying the government of El Salvador to detain him
    2. End unlawful attempts to deport noncitizens without due process under the Alien Enemies Act, as the Supreme Court ordered
    3. Withdraw dangerous and offensive claims that the President may transfer U.S. citizens to a foreign prison

    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

    Dear President Trump:

    We call on you to immediately rescind the dangerous and offensive claim that you may transfer incarcerated U.S. citizens to El Salvador. We further urge you to follow the law and adhere to all applicable court orders and immediately facilitate the return to the United States of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whom your Administration illegally deported to El Salvador in direct contravention of a court order specifically prohibiting such removal. Your unprecedented actions threaten the constitutional protections of all Americans and violate the fundamental principles on which this nation was founded.

    With regard to your shocking assertion about transferring Americans to El Salvador, you cannot deport Americans to a foreign country for any reason. This nation’s founding fathers declared independence based on “repeated injuries and usurpations” by the then-King of Great Britain, including “transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences” and “depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury.” Accordingly, Congress has passed no provision into law that would permit exiling United States citizens to a foreign country for any reason. One conservative legal scholar called your threats to deport U.S. citizens “obviously illegal and unconstitutional.”

    Our laws also do not allow you to send individuals from U.S. soil to El Salvador without due process. Further, the Executive Branch must comply with longstanding domestic and international law that prohibits the United States from transferring any person from our jurisdiction or effective control to a place where the person would face certain serious human rights violations. Your Administration’s actions in sending individuals to a Salvadoran prison notorious for inhumane conditions underscore the urgency and applicability of these requirements. The bedrock principles of the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause protect individuals from being “deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” Throughout our nation’s history, the Supreme Court has long read the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of due process to require that the government provide persons with certain procedural due process protections, including notice and an opportunity to be heard before any such deprivation of liberty.

    Even under extraordinary wartime authorities such as the Alien Enemies Act, the Supreme Court of the United States has held that noncitizens should, at a minimum, have an opportunity to prove whether or not the Act should apply to them. In a statement accompanying the Supreme Court’s recent order for the federal government to facilitate the return of Mr. Abrego Garcia and “ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador,” Justice Sotomayor noted that your Administration’s argument suggesting that the government is permitted to leave Mr. Abrego Garcia in the Salvadoran prison after wrongfully sending him there “implies that it could deport and incarcerate any person, including U.S. citizens, without legal consequence, so long as it does so before a court can intervene.” She went on to note that this is a “view [that] refutes itself.”

    You must immediately facilitate the return of Mr. Abrego Garcia, which is unquestionably within your power to do since your Administration is paying the government of El Salvador to detain him. As Judge Harvie Wilkinson, a conservative appointee of President Reagan, wrote in a unanimous Fourth Circuit opinion rejecting your Administration’s efforts to delay taking steps to bring Mr. Abrego Garcia back to the United States:

    The government is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order. Further, it claims in essence that because it has rid itself of custody that there is nothing that can be done. This should be shocking not only to judges, but to the intuitive sense of liberty that Americans far removed from courthouses still hold dear.

    You must also end your unlawful attempts to deport noncitizens without due process under the Alien Enemies Act, as the Supreme Court ordered this weekend. You have no authority to openly defy court orders requiring you: (1) to return someone who has been wrongfully deported, or (2) to grant individuals the due process they are owed under our laws.  As Judge Boasberg wrote in his order last week concluding that probable cause exists to find the government in criminal contempt:

    The Constitution does not tolerate willful disobedience of judicial orders—especially by officials of a coordinate branch who have sworn an oath to uphold it. To permit such officials to freely “annul the judgments of the courts of the United States” would not just “destroy the rights acquired under those judgments”; it would make “a solemn mockery” of “the constitution itself.” …“So fatal a result must be deprecated by all.”

    You must immediately facilitate the return to the United States of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, follow all court orders, and withdraw your dangerous and offensive claims that you may transfer U.S. citizens to a foreign prison. The Constitution demands it.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Statement on Resignation of NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    04.24.25

    Cantwell Statement on Resignation of NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan

    EDMONDS, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, released this statement regarding the resignation of Sethuraman Panchanathan as Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF):

    “The National Science Foundation 55 percent budget cut is a deliberate dismemberment of America’s innovation engine by Russell Vought and DOGE. This is exactly the type of behavior you would expect from someone seeking to make America weaker and less competitive in the face of its adversaries — it is the type of behavior you would expect from a Chinese Communist Party asset.

    “Don’t blame Panch for stepping down.”

    In April 2023, Sen. Cantwell invited Director Panchanathan to Washington state to discuss opportunities available thanks to the CHIPS & Science Act. At the University of Washington, Panchanathan toured UW’s quantum computing facilities, then joined a forum to discuss diversity in STEM. In Spokane, Panchanathan saw firsthand how Spokane organizations have collaborated to drive the region’s current and future potential as a leader in technology innovation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Hears from Mayors and Business Leaders About How Trump’s Trade War is Hurting Border Communities in Northwest Washington

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Canada is Washington’s largest overall trading partner, accounting for nearly $20 billion in imports and $10 billion in exports

    ***AUDIO of full roundtable discussion HERE***

    ***PHOTOS and B-ROLL HERE***

    Blaine, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a roundtable discussion on how Trump’s chaotic trade war and senseless tariffs are affecting Washington state’s border communities and local businesses. In the City of Blaine, which is located along the United States-Canada border, retail and service revenue has fallen 40 percent, and the City of Bellingham and other communities near the border are reporting a roughly 20 percent decrease in revenue due to Trump’s trade war and increasing anti-American sentiment from Canadian neighbors.

    Canada is Washington’s largest overall trading partner, accounting for nearly $20 billion in imports and $10 billion in exports. Senator Murray was joined for the discussion by Blaine Mayor Mary Lou Steward; Surrey (Canada) Mayor Brenda Locke; Blaine City Manager Mike Harmon; Dr. Laurie Trautman, Director of the Border Policy Research Institute; and Ali Hayton, Owner of Point Roberts Marketplace.

    On April 2nd, President Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on nearly every country, including a 10 percent baseline tariff on all imported goods, and country-specific so-called reciprocal tariffs. Just hours after the reciprocal tariff rates took effect last Wednesday, Trump abruptly changed his mind and put a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs. But Trump is still taxing goods from every country, across the board, at 10 percent at least. Even with his “pause,” Trump’s new tariff rates are still the highest in decades, and are estimated to cost American families more than $4,000 per year—the largest tax increase since 1968.

    “As everyone here knows, the folks just across the border in Canada are not just our neighbors—they are our friends, and some families even span the border. It’s not just personal connections that are strong here, but economic connections. Trade with Canada, and visitors and customers are a crucial part of the local economy,” said Senator Murray. “Yet, every week Trump seems to find a new way to drive a wedge between us and our Canadian allies, and a new way to drive business away from our communities. He’s whipping up a fact-free frenzy about drugs at the Canadian border. The fact is: less than 1 percent of fentanyl intercepted at the U.S. border is from Canada. He has created complete chaos and fear for every day travelers crossing our border. People coming here for work, or just for visits, have been detained. His border theatrics are scaring away tourists and scaring off business. And the pointless, painful trade war is in reality an enormous tax paid by our families.”

    “Trump is pushing away some of our most important trade partners, raising prices for families at the grocery store, and pushing small businesses to the brink—some may even shutter. All of this is incredibly harmful to our communities—it’s not the way we should treat our neighbors, and it’s catastrophic for business too,” Senator Murray continued. “I’m glad to be here to shine a spotlight the real damage Trump is doing with his tariffs, his chaos, and his attempts to bully one of our closest allies for no reason—and to listen to your stories and take them back with me to the other Washington.”

    Washington state has one of the most trade-dependent economies of any state in the country, with 40 percent of jobs tied to international commerce. Washington state is the top U.S. producer of apples, blueberries, hops, pears, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries—all of which risk losing vital export markets due to retaliatory tariffs from key trading partners including Canada. Additionally, more than 12,000 small and medium-sized companies in Washington state export goods and will struggle to absorb the impact of retaliatory tariffs. Trump’s tariffs during his first term were extremely costly for Washington state—for example, India imposed a 20 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. apples, causing Washington apple shipments to India to fall by 99 percent and growers to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in exports.

    “We really, really depend upon Canadians coming to shop in Blaine. And part of this just is our history… We do have small businesses in town that we like to support, and over the years, the Canadians have come down and supported these immensely, in particular the gas, dairy, and shopping—Amazon parcels that are mail orders. These are all suffering. People are being laid off, and this is hurting us because the Canadian southbound traffic has dropped off to 50 percent of a decrease in the amount of traffic, so this does affect our businesses,” said Mary Lou Steward, Mayor of Blaine. “Sales tax receipts eclipse property tax receipts nearly by two to one, so sales tax is really, really important. And it takes all of Blaine’s property tax plus sales tax receipts to fund our police department… Blaine and Bellingham receive nearly the same number of Canadian visitors, however, those going to Bellingham shop and spend four to one times as much money in Bellingham as they do coming to Blaine to buy gas and eat locally.”

    “Much like during the pandemic, our border communities are being impacted disproportionately, only this time by the antagonistic approach of the Trump Administration towards Canada. These impacts are far reaching and go well beyond the immediate economic damage our communities face, affecting our social connections, and our ability to respond to natural disasters that know no borders,” said Dr. Laurie Trautman, Director of the Border Policy Research Institute. “Cross-border connections with our Canadian neighbors provide immeasurable benefits to our community- supporting our economy and our security. Travel by Canadians has dropped by over 50%, largely due to the antagonism of the Trump Administration, leaving our businesses more vulnerable and our community less secure.”

    “Senator Murray has long stood with Point Roberts, championing our unique needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, when border closures devastated our local economy and isolated our community. Her tireless efforts helped bring much-needed attention to our situation during that crisis, and her commitment remains strong today as we face new challenges brought on by international tariff disputes. Businesses in Point Roberts are struggling to navigate the uncertainty created by these trade tensions. When I reached out to Senator Murray’s office for help, their response was immediate. While it’s unclear exactly what relief might come for Point Roberts and other border towns, today’s meeting — bringing together community leaders from both sides of the border — is a hopeful step forward in rebuilding the longstanding relationships we’ve shared with our Canadian neighbors,” said Ali Hayton, Owner of Point Roberts Marketplace. “We may not yet know what the future holds, but having Senator Murray in our corner makes all the difference. Her leadership, compassion, and steadfast commitment to the people of Point Roberts are deeply appreciated.”

    Senator Murray has been a vocal opponent of Trump’s chaotic trade war and has been lifting up the voices of people in Washington state harmed by this administration’s approach to trade. Senator Murray continues to call on Republicans to end Trump’s trade war—which Congress has the power to do—and take back Congress’ Constitutionally-granted power to impose tariffs. Earlier this month, Senator Murray brought together leaders across Washington state who highlighted how Trump’s ongoing trade war is already a devastating hit to Washington state’s economy, businesses, and our agriculture sector. Senator Murray also took to the Senate floor to lay out how Trump’s chaotic trade war is seriously threatening our economy, American businesses, families’ retirement savings, and so much else. Earlier this week, Senator Murray joined her colleagues in pressing U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer on how the Trump administration’s tariffs are affecting farmers across the country. Last week, Senator Murray also held a roundtable discussion in Tacoma with local businesses and ports, toured local businesses in downtown Vancouver, and held a roundtable discussion in Vancouver with local businesses and ports, to highlight how Trump’s chaotic trade war and senseless tariffs are harming the overall economy in Washington state. Earlier this week, Senator Murray met with small business owners in Seattle’s University District to hear how Trump’s tariffs and trade war are harming them.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Sanders, Baldwin Blast Trump Admin’s Attacks on Head Start, Demand RFK Jr. Immediately Release Funding and Reverse Firings

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    42 lawmakers write to RFK Jr. demanding answers on Trump admin’s actions undermining Head Start as Trump reportedly plans to eliminate the program

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, led a letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calling out the Trump administration’s direct attacks on Head Start, reminding him of his legal obligation to administer the program, and demanding the Department of Health and Human Services 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,” write 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.”

    The lawmakers detail how the program plays an instrumental role in supporting kids and families across the country, writing: “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. Head Start 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,” the lawmakers write, 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.”

    “Since the very start of this Administration, Head Start programs have been under attack,” the lawmakers write, detailing office closures and funds that were frozen for Head Start grants across the country. “At one point, the National Head Start Association 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.”

    The lawmakers underscore how the gutting of Head Start offices and the firing of staff who keep the federal program running puts the entire program in jeopardy: “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.”

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

    “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,” the lawmakers continue to detail how local Head Start programs are receiving no notice for the path forward for grant funding. “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 lawmakers write. “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.”

    The lawmakers conclude by warning that eliminating the program would be devastating, demanding answers on the administration’s actions, and demanding the reversal of them: “[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.”

    In addition to Senators Murray, Sanders, and Baldwin, the letter was signed by 39 colleagues, including 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), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), 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).

    Full text of the letter is available HERE and 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. Head Start 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 Start programs 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 Start Association 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 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 Head Start, and cease all actions to delay the awarding and disbursement of funding to Head Start 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?

    a) When is HHS going to share information on the reorganization plan for the consolidation of the regional offices?

    b) Please provide the contact information for each program specialist designated to the 22 states who lost their regional office.

    c) 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?

    2. How many employees at the Offices of Head Start have been terminated, including the five regional offices and the central office?

    a) 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.

    3. 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 Head Start Act?

    4. 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.

    a) Will any funding be delayed for grantees that are due to receive their annual funding on May 1st or beyond?

    5. Why are funding awards delayed for grantees that received partial awards during the first continuing resolution for FY25?

    a) When can HHS guarantee that all funds will be awarded for partially funded Head Start programs?

    6. What is the “Tier 2” department for review that is delaying drawn down for Head Start programs in the Payment Management System?

    a) When should programs expect to receive their funds?

    b) Please provide all communication that went to Head Start grantees on the new review process.

    7. What guidance and clarifications have been provided to Head Start grantees on DEI expenditures?

    a) How is HHS evaluating Head Start programs’ expenditures and grant awards for DEI?

    b) What justifications are being used to prohibit DEI?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand, Schumer, Torres Push The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission To Swiftly Finalize Federal Regulations For Lithium-Ion Batteries; Rule Would Make E-Bikes Safer

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries Have Caused 1,000+ Fires And 34 Deaths Since 2019 In New York City Alone

    Rulemaking Would Protect Innocent Americans From The Dangers Of Cheap And Defective Imported Lithium-Ion Batteries 

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Representative Ritchie Torres are pushing the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to move forward and finalize federal regulations for lithium-ion batteries by voting in favor of the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on Wednesday, April 30. CPSC’s decision to move forward on a vote comes after the members sent a letter to CPSC earlier this week advocating for this move.

    Lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly used in e-bikes, electric scooters, and other micromobility devices, are often manufactured abroad without being subject to acceptable safety standards. As a result, they commonly cause fires that lead to property damage or loss of life. Following an indefinite postponement of the meeting to advance federal regulations, the lawmakers called on the CPSC to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) – an official document explaining an agency’s plan to address a particular problem – on lithium-ion batteries as soon as possible in order to protect the lives of Americans who rely on e-bikes and e-scooters. CPSC scheduled a vote on the NPRM yesterday.

    The members noted in the letter, “Last year, we led the effort in Congress to reach a bipartisan compromise that would have authorized the Commission to enact safety standards based upon generally accepted voluntary standards for the use of lithium-ion batteries in micromobility products. We will continue fighting to pass the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act, but as the legislation works its way through Congress, the Commission must do all it can to save lives and protect Americans from the poorly-made batteries from China that have caused harm.”

    The full text of the letter is available here and below.

    Dear Acting Chairman Feldman:

     We write to urge the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (the “Commission”) to swiftly issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM”) moving the proposed rule to establish a new safety standard for lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility products and electrical systems of micromobility products containing such batteries, which has received bipartisan support and would save countless lives. 

     As you know, last year, we led the effort in Congress to reach a bipartisan compromise that would have authorized the Commission to enact safety standards based upon generally accepted voluntary standards for the use of lithium-ion batteries in micromobility products. We will continue fighting to pass the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act but as the legislation works its way through Congress, the Commission must do all it can to save lives and protect Americans from the poorly-made batteries from China that have caused harm.

    To that end, we were pleased to see CPSC formulate proposed safety standards that would address the risk of death and injury associated with lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility product electrical systems. A decisional meeting to issue a NPRM was scheduled for January 29, 2025, but has been indefinitely postponed. Given the public safety benefits that would arise from issuance and finalization of the NPRM, we strongly urge the Commission to move forward with advancing it as soon as possible. Any delay would not only impact consumers across the country, it would also put the safety and lives of our country’s finest heroes, our law enforcement and first responders, in danger. 

    Further, many of these cheap and defective lithium-ion batteries are manufactured in China without being subject to effective safety standards, ultimately causing fires or other safety hazards. In New York City alone, the New York City Fire Department reports rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have caused more than 1,000 fires since 2019, resulting in 523 injuries, 34 deaths & damage to over 650 hundreds of structures. In 2024, there were 279 e-bike and e-mobility device battery fires in NYC, a dramatic increase from the 30 that occurred in 2019. While the Administration and the Commission consider policy options to address economic relations with China, it is critical that the Commission advance this rulemaking as a means of protecting innocent Americans from the dangers of cheap and defective imported lithium-ion batteries.  

    As the Commission continues its work, we stand ready to work together to address this serious public safety concern. Thank you for your prompt attention to this important issue. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Hosts Passport Services Day in Atlanta

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
    Senator Reverend Warnock’s constituent services team partnered with the Atlanta Passport Agency to assist with passport renewals and first-time applicants
    The one-day-only event helped 163 Georgians receive passport services
    Event is latest effort by Senator Reverend Warnock and his office to provide quality, accessible, and personable constituent services
    Atlanta, GA – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) hosted an in-person Passport Services Day in Atlanta, Georgia in conjunction with the Atlanta Passport Agency. Staff from Senator Warnock’s office and the Atlanta Passport Agency assisted 163 Georgians with passport renewals, and helped first-time applicants take the needed steps to obtain a passport. 
    “As a Senator for all Georgians, providing Georgians with quality, accessible, and personable constituent services will always be a top priority for me. Georgians in need of passport services or other federal inquiries should contact my office to see how we may be of service to you,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.
    With summer travel around the corner, this event aimed to bridge the gap between federal resources and communities across the metro-Atlanta area. In May 2024, Senator Warnock hosted his inaugural Passport Services Day, helping over 100 Georgians with passport renewals or first-time applications. In 2023, amid a historic, post-pandemic spike in passport applications that caused delays and disruptions to Georgians planning to travel internationally, Senator Warnock’s office assisted over 2,800 Georgians seeking passport assistance.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Joins Federal and State Emergency Officials to Survey Pacific Palisades Fire Recovery Area; Highlights Bipartisan Legislation to Address Wildfire Risks

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla Joins Federal and State Emergency Officials to Survey Pacific Palisades Fire Recovery Area; Highlights Bipartisan Legislation to Address Wildfire Risks

    WATCH: Padilla discusses importance of bipartisan solutions like the Senate Fix Our Forests Act to combat wildfire crisisLOS ANGELES, CA — Just over 100 days after the Los Angeles fires first ignited, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot joined federal and state emergency officials for a tour today of the Pacific Palisades fire recovery area led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The tour consisted of a visit to businesses and residences impacted by the Pacific Palisades fire — with officials from FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), CAL FIRE, and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) — followed by a press conference at a cleared debris site where Padilla discussed his new bipartisan legislation to address wildfire risks.
    In the aftermath of the devastating Southern California fires, Padilla’s Fix Our Forests Act would help combat catastrophic wildfires, restore forest ecosystems, and make federal forest management more efficient and responsive. The comprehensive Senate bill reflects months of bipartisan Senate negotiations to find consensus on how to best improve forest management practices, accelerate processes to protect communities, advance watershed restoration, and strengthen partnerships between federal agencies, states, tribes, and private stakeholders. The Senate version of the bill would also bolster coordination efforts across agencies through a new Wildfire Intelligence Center, which would streamline the federal response and create a whole-of-government approach to combating wildfires.
    A list of Senate Fix Our Forests Act provisions particularly impactful for California is available here. A one-pager on the bill is available here.
    “As thousands of Los Angeles families look at a long road to recovery ahead, we need to do everything in our power not just to rebuild, but to prevent devastation from future wildfires,” said Senator Padilla. “That’s why with these LA communities in mind, I convened a bipartisan group of Western Senators to reassess how we prevent and respond to wildfires. Our Senate version of the Fix Our Forests Act would increase the speed and scale of our wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts by expediting the removal of hazardous fuels, building ‘fuel breaks’ to stop mega wildfires, and creating a National Wildfire Intelligence Center to streamline federal response. We’re breaking through this harsh political climate with bipartisan solutions to both fight deadly wildfires and prevent even more greenhouse gas emissions — we can’t take this opportunity for granted.”
    “The bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act removes barriers and builds on California’s progress to accelerate more work on federal lands, faster,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “As an all-lands, all-hands approach, it is one more tool in the arsenal against the threat of wildfires. As we enter peak fire season, reducing catastrophic wildfire risk requires everyone to do their part.”
    “Across California, we are working year-round to reduce wildfire risk and enhance prevention efforts, and we are seeing results,” said Josh Nettles, CAL FIRE Assistant Region Chief. “Now by enhancing interagency coordination and promoting fire-resistant building methods and defensible space practices, the Fix Our Forests Act will help protect communities in the wildland-urban interface and elsewhere.”
    The American West has long been prone to wildfires, but climate change, prolonged drought, and the buildup of dry fuels have increasingly intensified these fires and extended fire seasons. Wildfires today are more catastrophic — growing larger, spreading faster, and burning more land than ever before. Nationwide, total acres burned rose from 2.7 million in 2023 to nearly 9 million in 2024, a 231 percent increase.
    California averages more than 7,500 wildfires a year. Not including the recent Los Angeles fires, six of the top 10 most destructive fires, three of the top five deadliest fires, and all of the state’s nine largest fires have burned since 2017. The status quo is simply unsustainable, and responding to the scale and magnitude of the crisis on the ground is essential to keeping California communities safe.
    Additionally, wildfires release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions that accelerate climate change. California’s 2020 fire season, the worst on record, emitted enough greenhouse gases to erase nearly two decades of progress on emissions reductions in California. Addressing this wildfire emergency is critical to ensuring that our climate progress is not undermined by the devastating impacts of these fires.
    In the aftermath of the devastating Southern California fires, Senator Padilla has introduced more than 10 bills to help prevent and respond to future disasters. In February, Padilla introduced bipartisan legislation to create a national Wildfire Intelligence Center to streamline federal response and create a whole-of-government approach to combat wildfires. He also announced a package of three bipartisan bills to bolster fire resilience and proactive mitigation efforts, including the Fire-Safe Electrical Corridors Act, the Wildfire Emergency Act, and the Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act. In January, Padilla introduced another suite of bipartisan bills to strengthen wildfire recovery and resilience, including the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act, the Fire Suppression and Response Funding Assurance Act, and the Disaster Housing Reform for American Families Act. Additionally, earlier this month, he introduced the FEMA Independence Act, bipartisan legislation to restore the FEMA as an independent, cabinet-level agency and improve efficiency in federal emergency response efforts.
    Senator Padilla also visited Altadena last month, joining Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), FEMA, local leaders, and representatives from the Small Business Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and USACE for a tour and briefing on cleanup and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire.
    Video of today’s press conference is available here, and can be downloaded here.
    Additional photos from today’s tour are available here.

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