NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Mayor Lurie Tour San Francisco Senior Housing Facility, Highlight Affordable Housing Solutions

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Mayor Lurie Tour San Francisco Senior Housing Facility, Highlight Affordable Housing Solutions

    WATCH: Padilla discusses Housing for All Act to address housing and homelessness crisesSAN FRANCISCO, CA — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie to tour a local affordable housing facility for low-income seniors and highlight federal and local solutions to help address the city’s housing and homelessness challenges. The visit comes as the Trump Administration continues to defund essential federal housing programs and services, including the potential closure of San Francisco’s regional Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) field office.
    In addition to discussing the impact of the Trump Administration’s devastating proposed housing assistance cuts, Senator Padilla spotlighted his Housing for All Act, a comprehensive approach to help address the homelessness and affordable housing crises in California and across the nation. The legislation would invest in proven solutions to address affordable housing shortages and provide a historic level of federal funding for both existing programs to reduce homelessness and innovative, locally developed solutions to help vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness.
    A one-pager on the Housing for All Act is available here. 
    Mayor Lurie also highlighted his plans to expand affordable housing in San Francisco, including his Family Zoning plan to ensure the next generation of San Franciscans can afford to live in the city and his PermitSF effort to speed up the city’s permitting process and build housing more quickly.
    “At a time when costs are rising and seniors are being priced out of affordable housing, Donald Trump is attacking Social Security, health care, and now housing. That’s unacceptable,” said Senator Padilla. “I’m fighting not just to stop those cuts, but to bring the full weight of the federal government to help solve California’s housing and homelessness crises through my comprehensive Housing for All Act, a bill to make historic federal investments in the creative solutions that cities and states across the country have already deployed successfully. We know the steps we need to take to make housing more affordable and reduce homelessness — now we need the resources to meet the scale of these crises.”
    “Here in San Francisco, we have to meet our housing challenges head-on. We’re doing our part with initiatives like Family Zoning to keep the next generation in the city, and PermitSF to speed up housing approvals and get more homes built faster,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “Thank you to Senator Padilla for visiting our city, touring the Dr. George W. Davis Senior Center, and championing solutions like the Housing for All Act to expand affordable housing across California.”
    Senator Padilla believes everyone deserves access to affordable and safe housing and recognizes the need to drastically increase the affordable housing stock to address the homelessness crisis facing California and the country, including through his Housing for All Act. Earlier this month, Padilla introduced the bipartisan Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act to ensure veterans experiencing homelessness and receiving disability payments maintain access to crucial housing support. In the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires, Padilla introduced the bipartisan Disaster Housing Reform for American Families Act to expedite, expand, and improve temporary housing available to victims of disasters like wildfires and storms.
    Padilla has fought against the Trump Administration’s proposals to cut HUD staff and field offices who help provide crucial housing services. Padilla and U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-Mo.-05) recently led more than 100 Democrats in the Senate and House in condemning staffing cuts and potential closures of HUD field offices across the country. Earlier this year, Senator Padilla sounded the alarm that these wide-ranging cuts would hamper HUD’s ability to support vulnerable communities and address the housing and homelessness crises.
    Video of today’s press conference is available here, and can be downloaded here.
    Additional photos from today’s visit are available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin, Senators Demand President Trump Rescind Harmful Claims That He Will Transfer Incarcerated U.S. Citizens to a Foreign Prison

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    April 22, 2025

    [CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) led 24 of their Democratic colleagues in a letter to President Donald Trump calling for him to immediately rescind the dangerous and offensive claim that he may transfer incarcerated U.S. citizens to El Salvador.

    In the letter, the Senators also urge the President 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 this Administration illegally deported to El Salvador in direct contravention of a court order specifically prohibiting such removal. In the letter, the Senators explain how these unprecedented actions threaten the constitutional protections of all Americans and violate the fundamental principles on which this nation was founded. 

    The Senators wrote, “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.’”

    The Senators continued, “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.’”

    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. The Supreme Court recently ordered 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.” 

    The Senators continued, “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… 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… 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.”

    Along with Duckworth and Durbin, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

    The letter is endorsed by the following organizations: Center for Victims of Torture, American Immigration Council, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, FWD.us, People for the American Way, National Immigrant Justice Center, SMART Union, and Human Rights First.

    A copy of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website 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,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Markey, Baldwin Introduce Resolution to Designate April as Earth Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    April 22, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—founding co-chair of the Senate’s first-ever Environmental Justice Caucus—along with U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Earth Month resolution to recognize the importance of environmental stewardship and climate action.

    “Donald Trump’s decision to gut EPA and shutter environmental justice offices across the country threatens the Earth we all call home and endangers our public health—it’s the opposite of what our government should be doing to secure a cleaner, healthier future for our children and our planet,” said Senator Duckworth. “We can’t afford to ignore the climate crisis and how it’s harming our planet and the American people. During this Earth Month and always, I pledge to keep doing everything in my power to push back against the Trump Administration’s misguided campaign to make our environment and the millions of Americans who are dealing with the effects of legacy pollution—like higher cancer, asthma and death rates—unhealthier by rolling back environmental protections.”

    “Planet Earth is our home. Now more than ever, we need stewardship of our home. As the Trump administration is targeting environmental safeguards that ensure we have a livable future, I am doubling down on my commitment to fight back and uplift efforts that promote environmental stewardship and spur even more climate action. Earth Day is our moment to recommit and expand our movement for a just and livable future – a future with clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and clean land on which to live,” said Senator Markey. “We know environmental pollution and the climate crisis do not affect us all equally. That is why environmental stewardship and climate action must center the most marginalized communities, particularly Black and Indigenous communities who have been overburdened with pollution and the harms of climate change. Using the tenets of a Green New Deal – fighting for environmental justice and climate action while creating good-paying union jobs – we can work together toward a livable future every day, but especially during Earth Month.”

    “From the Great Lakes and the rolling hills of the Driftless Region, to the Great Northwoods and Mighty Mississippi, Wisconsin is rich with natural resources that have defined our state and way of life,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to carry on Wisconsin’s tradition of environmental stewardship and recognize Earth Month as we all do our part to protect and preserve Wisconsin’s wilderness and resources for the next generation.”

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

    As co-chair and co-founder of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, Duckworth has long pushed to strengthen and defend environmental justice efforts across the country. Last month, Duckworth and—along with Senate Environmental Justice Caucus Co-Chair Corey Booker (D-NJ) and U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE)—urged EPA Administrator Zeldin to reopen the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR), which Duckworth and Booker led the charge to create.

    Duckworth recently helped introduce legislation that would permanently codify the Office of Environmental Justice within the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) in response to Attorney General Bondi’s order eliminating all environmental justice efforts at the DOJ.

    For years, Duckworth has led the charge pushing for her A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice For All Act—the most comprehensive environmental justice legislation in history—which would help achieve health equity and climate justice for all, particularly in underserved communities and communities of color that have long been disproportionately harmed by environmental injustices and toxic pollutants.

    Duckworth worked to help pass the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included her Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA)—the most significant federal investment in water infrastructure in history that includes $15 billion for national lead pipe replacement. DWWIA, which focuses on disadvantaged communities, is helping rebuild our nation’s crumbling and dangerous water infrastructure and enable communities to repair and modernize their failing wastewater systems, with many of the provisions to help low-income communities designed specifically for communities like Chicago, Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons leads bicameral letter in support of AmeriCorps as members and staff are let go in DOGE cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Co-Chair of the bipartisan National Service Caucus, led 148 of his congressional colleagues in sending a letter to President Donald Trump defending AmeriCorps and NCCC AmeriCorps members and calling on him to reverse cuts to the program made last week by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The letter is co-led by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Vice Chair of the National Service Caucus. The letter is co-led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), Co-Chair of the bipartisan House National Service Caucus, and Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), Ranking Member of the Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development.
    The Trump Administration placed a majority of AmeriCorps employees on leave last week as part of DOGE’s broader spending cuts. Programs such as AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors deploy more than 200,000 Americans annually to carry out results-driven projects at over 35,000 locations across the country. Working in partnership with thousands of nonprofit, faith-based, and community organizations, these dedicated volunteers and workers help promote employment opportunities, strengthen the workforce, and support those in need. 
    “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 lawmakers wrote. 
    The lawmakers highlighted the program’s benefits to society, to AmeriCorps members, and to the federal government—pointing to a non-partisan study showing that there are an estimated $17 in benefits returned for every taxpayer dollar spent. Additionally, the recently passed Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025 maintains AmeriCorps funding at its fiscal year 2024 level and serves as a continuing resolution to extend federal government funding through the end of fiscal year 2025. The senators emphasized that the administration is expected to implement the law in a manner consistent with the funding levels enacted in fiscal year 2024. Failing to do so would be a violation of the law.
    “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,” the lawmakers added.
    AmeriCorps programs serve communities nationwide, including in Delaware, where roughly 200 AmeriCorps members and more than 1,000 AmeriCorps Seniors respond to disasters, improve housing, help veterans, and support educational services. If the Trump Administration’s actions aren’t reversed, these critical services could come to a halt.
    “We are deeply concerned that this 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,” the lawmakers concluded. 
    In addition to Senators Coons, Schumer, and Heinrich, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.). In addition to House Representatives Matsui and Adams, 103 other House Representatives signed on.
    You can read the full text of the letter here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Reintroduces Bill to Strike ‘American Recession Plan’ IRS Reporting, Spying Tax Provision

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) re-introduced the Red Tape Reduction Act to increase the threshold on 1099-K tax forms when individuals and entrepreneurs sell goods online. The Biden administration and every elected Democrat inserted a provision to the tax code in the American Rescue Plan Act that requires third-party payment platforms to report businesses’ gross transaction volumes totaling more than $600 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Prior to this provision, payment providers were only required to report information when a payee had over 200 commercial transactions per year that exceeded $20,000. As a result of the new provision, thousands of small businesses will have to fill out 1099-Ks to provide their personal information to the IRS.
    “Enough challenges come with running a small business. If we can make it easier by getting rid of unnecessary paperwork, we should,” said Dr. Cassidy. 
    Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) in reintroducing the bill.
    The Red Tape Reduction Act will raise the threshold to $10,000 from $600, ensuring that fewer small businesses and casual sellers receive excessive paperwork for online sales.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Background.  Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the modern world, driving innovation across industries, enhancing productivity, and reshaping the way we live and work.  To ensure the United States remains a global leader in this technological revolution, we must provide our Nation’s youth with opportunities to cultivate the skills and understanding necessary to use and create the next generation of AI technology.  By fostering AI competency, we will equip our students with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to adapt to and thrive in an increasingly digital society.  Early learning and exposure to AI concepts not only demystifies this powerful technology but also sparks curiosity and creativity, preparing students to become active and responsible participants in the workforce of the future and nurturing the next generation of American AI innovators to propel our Nation to new heights of scientific and economic achievement.To achieve this vision, we must also invest in our educators and equip them with the tools and knowledge to not only train students about AI, but also to utilize AI in their classrooms to improve educational outcomes.  Professional development programs focused on AI education will empower educators to confidently guide students through this complex and evolving field.  Educators, industry leaders, and employers who rely on an AI-skilled workforce should partner to create educational programs that equip students with essential AI skills and competencies across all learning pathways.  While AI education in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) is critical, our Nation must also make resources available for lifelong learners to develop new skills for a changing workforce.  By establishing a strong framework that integrates early student exposure with comprehensive teacher training and other resources for workforce development, we can ensure that every American has the opportunity to learn about AI from the earliest stages of their educational journey through postsecondary education, fostering a culture of innovation and critical thinking that will solidify our Nation’s leadership in the AI-driven future.
    Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to promote AI literacy and proficiency among Americans by promoting the appropriate integration of AI into education, providing comprehensive AI training for educators, and fostering early exposure to AI concepts and technology to develop an AI-ready workforce and the next generation of American AI innovators.
    Sec. 3.  Definition.  For the purposes of this order, “artificial intelligence” or “AI” has the meaning set forth in 15 U.S.C. 9401(3).
    Sec. 4.  Establishing an Artificial Intelligence Education Task Force.  (a)  There is hereby established the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education (Task Force).(b)  The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall be the Chair of the Task Force.(c)  The Task Force membership shall consist of the following members:(i)     the Secretary of Agriculture;(ii)    the Secretary of Labor;(iii)   the Secretary of Energy;(iv)    the Secretary of Education;(v)     the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF);(vi)    the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy;(vii)   the Special Advisor for AI & Crypto; (viii)  the Assistant to the President for Policy; and(ix)    the heads of other such executive departments and agencies (agencies) and offices that the Chair may designate or invite to participate.(d)  The Task Force shall be responsible for implementing the policy stated in section 2 of this order and coordinating Federal efforts related to AI education, including the actions outlined in this order.
    Sec. 5.  Establishing the Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge.  (a)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Task Force shall establish plans for a Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge (Challenge), and the agencies represented on the Task Force shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, implement the plans by holding the Challenge no later than 12 months from the submission of the plan.  The Challenge shall encourage and highlight student and educator achievements in AI, promote wide geographic adoption of technological advancement, and foster collaboration between government, academia, philanthropy, and industry to address national challenges with AI solutions.(b)  The Challenge shall feature multiple age categories, distinct geographic regions for competition, and a variety of topical themes of competition to reflect the breadth of AI applications, encouraging interdisciplinary exploration. (c)  The Task Force and, as appropriate, agencies represented on the Task Force shall collaborate with relevant agencies and private sector entities to provide technical expertise, resources, and promotional support for implementing the Challenge, including through existing funding vehicles.  
    Sec. 6.  Improving Education Through Artificial Intelligence.  (a)  To provide resources for K-12 AI education, agencies represented on the Task Force shall seek to establish public-private partnerships with leading AI industry organizations, academic institutions, nonprofit entities, and other organizations with expertise in AI and computer science education to collaboratively develop online resources focused on teaching K-12 students foundational AI literacy and critical thinking skills.  The Task Force shall promptly announce such public-private partnerships on a rolling basis as they are formed.(i)   The Task Force shall seek to utilize industry commitments and identify any Federal funding mechanisms, including discretionary grants, that can be used to provide resources for K-12 AI education.  To the extent practicable and as consistent with applicable law, agencies shall prioritize funding for such purposes when it would further the aims of the program for which funding is available.(ii)  The Task Force shall work to ensure the resources funded as described in subsection (i) of this section are ready for use in K-12 instruction within 180 days following the Task Force’s formal announcement of the first slate of public-private partnerships.(b)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Task Force shall identify existing Federal AI resources on which agencies may rely, such as the NSF- and Department of Agriculture-sponsored National AI Research Institutes, to support partnerships with State and local educational agencies to improve AI education.(c)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Education shall issue guidance regarding the use of formula and discretionary grant funds to improve education outcomes using AI, including but not limited to AI-based high-quality instructional resources; high-impact tutoring; and college and career pathway exploration, advising, and navigation.(d)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Education shall identify and implement ways to utilize existing research programs to assist State and local efforts to use AI for improved student achievement, attainment, and mobility.
    Sec. 7.  Enhancing Training for Educators on Artificial Intelligence.  (a)  Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Education shall take steps to prioritize the use of AI in discretionary grant programs for teacher training authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-10), as amended, and Title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-329), as amended, including for:(i)    reducing time-intensive administrative tasks;(ii)   improving teacher training and evaluation; (iii)  providing professional development for all educators, so they can integrate the fundamentals of AI into all subject areas; and(iv)   providing professional development in foundational computer science and AI, preparing educators to effectively teach AI in stand-alone computer science and other relevant courses.(b)  Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Director of the NSF shall take steps to prioritize research on the use of AI in education.  The Director of the NSF shall also utilize existing programs to create teacher training opportunities that help educators effectively integrate AI-based tools and modalities in classrooms. (c)  Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Agriculture shall take steps to prioritize research, extension, and education on the use of AI in formal and non-formal education through 4-H and the Cooperative Extension System.  The Secretary of Agriculture shall also utilize existing programs to create teacher and educator training opportunities that help effectively integrate AI-based tools and modalities into classrooms and curriculum.
    Sec. 8.  Promoting Registered Apprenticeships.  (a)  Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor shall seek to increase participation in AI-related Registered Apprenticeships, including by:(i)   Prioritizing the development and growth of Registered Apprenticeships in AI-related occupations.  The Secretary of Labor shall establish specific goals for growing Registered Apprenticeships in AI-related occupations across industries; and(ii)  Using apprenticeship intermediary contracts and allocating existing discretionary funds, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to engage industry organizations and employers and facilitate the development of Registered Apprenticeship programs in AI-related occupations.  In doing so, the Secretary of Labor shall support the creation of industry-developed program standards to be registered on a nationwide basis, enabling individual employers to adopt the standards without requiring individual registry.(b)  Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor shall encourage States and grantees to use funding provided under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) (Public Law 113-128), as amended, to develop AI skills and support work-based learning opportunities within occupations utilizing AI by:(i)    issuing guidance to State and local workforce development boards encouraging the use of WIOA youth formula funds to help youth develop AI skills;(ii)   clarifying that States can use Governor set-asides to integrate AI learning opportunities into youth programs across the State; and(iii)  consistent with applicable law, establishing AI skills training and work-based learning as a grant priority in all Employment and Training Administration youth-focused discretionary grant programs.(c)  Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor, through the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training, and in collaboration with the Director of the NSF, shall engage with relevant State and local workforce development boards, industry organizations, education and training providers, and employers to identify and promote high-quality AI skills education coursework and certifications across the country.  Through such engagement, the Secretary of Labor shall:(i)    identify applicable funding opportunities to expand access to high-quality AI coursework and certifications;(ii)   set performance targets for youth participation through any grants awarded for this purpose; and(iii)  utilize industry and philanthropic partnerships to the extent practicable.(d)  Within 120 days of the date of this order, and in consultation with the Secretary of Education and the Director of the NSF, the Secretary of Labor shall support the creation of opportunities for high school students to take AI courses and certification programs by giving priority consideration in awarding grants as appropriate and consistent with applicable law to providers that commit to use funds to develop or expand AI courses and certification programs.  The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education shall encourage recipients to build partnerships with States and local school districts to encourage those entities to consider offering high school students dual enrollment opportunities to take courses to earn postsecondary credentials and industry-recognized AI credentials concurrent with high school education.(e)  Within 120 days of the date of this order, all agencies that provide educational grants shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider AI as a priority area within existing Federal fellowship and scholarship for service programs.
    Sec. 9.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
                            DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    April 23, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: National Volunteer Week, 2025

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    class=”has-text-align-center”>By the President of the United States of America
    A Proclamation
    Every day, countless volunteers strengthen and enrich communities across the country through their selfless service. This National Volunteer Week, we offer our gratitude to every individual who generously volunteers their time, talent, and resources to influence and impact the lives of their neighbors, their communities, and the Nation as a whole.
    Volunteerism is central to the American way of life, exemplifying the spirit that makes America great. In soup kitchens, shelters, schools, hospitals, and religious organizations across the country, volunteers encompass a spirit of kindness and compassion to help those in need. These exemplary citizens are role models for their communities and inspire us all with their commitment to selfless service.
    During National Volunteer Week, we pay tribute to every American who gives their time and talents in service to our Nation. We celebrate their selfless spirit — the driving force that inspires them to uplift others and serve a purpose greater than their own. In times of need, the American people emerge stronger than ever.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 20 through April 26, 2025, as National Volunteer Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week by volunteering in service projects across our country and pledging to make service a part of their daily lives.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand thistwenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
    Donald J. Trump

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Hickenlooper Highlights Trump Admin Chaos at Town Halls in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs, Events Across Western Slope

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
    In case you missed it, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper recently held town halls in Grand Junction and Colorado Springs, and made stops in Breckenridge, Eagle, and Glenwood Springs to discuss how the Trump administration’s policies are raising costs and harming communities across Colorado. 
    In Grand Junction, Hickenlooper hosted a town hall at Colorado Mesa University where he answered constituent concerns about Trump administration policies including tariffs and cuts to the Department of Education.
    The next day Hickenlooper stopped in Glenwood Springs to discuss drought on the Colorado River, as well as the current Trump administration’s freeze on federal funding for water conservation across the West.  
    Hickenlooper also stopped in Eagle to meet with local leaders impacted by Trump administration’s funding and workforce cuts to public lands, and in Breckenridge at the Vista Verde workforce housing complex, where he discussed food insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis in Colorado’s mountain communities. 
    Later in the week, Hickenlooper held a second town hall In Colorado Springs where he answered questions on his response to Trump administration ICE detentions and cuts to funding for medical research.
    Check out the coverage below:
    KKCO Grand Junction:  Senator Hickenlooper addresses tariffs, immigration, and federal layoffs at Grand Junction Town Hall
    “I know that there is a lot of frustration, anger, concern about what’s going on in Washington,” said Hickenlooper.
    …KKCO had the opportunity to listen to Hickenlooper’s response to key issues before the Town Hall.
    Hickenlooper was asked about Colorado Public Lands if he will fight to keep State and National Parks and Forests untouched: “I have gone up to every Republican I know and say that’s off the table. Just so you know, I will fight tooth and nail. You’ll never get anything done. And I have been assured that at least through the Senate, that’s not going to happen,” he said.
    Hickenlooper was asked about current immigration laws and Kilmar Garcia: “I think that is the single most egregious act that I’ve seen our government condone, that I can remember,” he said. “This is a level of corruption that I don’t think any American expected when they voted for Donald Trump. I can tell you that at least two or three dozen people I know who are devout supporters of President Trump are outraged.”
    CPR News: US Senator Hickenlooper talks Trump resistance during Grand Junction town hal
    U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper invoked Valley Forge at an event in Grand Junction Monday night while encouraging disaffected voters to stay engaged in politics. But he also invoked collegiality to defend his approach to navigating Trump politics.
    While Hickenlooper drew questions about some of his concessions, he spent much of the evening outlining policies and actions by the Trump administration he could not abide by. He told reporters that the wrongful deportation of a man to an El Salvadorian prison was “the single most egregious act that I’ve seen our government condone,” and that feared cuts to Medicaid were “unfathomable.
    Daily Sentinel Editorial: Hickenlooper shows up — that’s enough for now
    Monday’s town hall reflected Hickenlooper’s even-keeled personality. The advice he imparted to those concerned with the direction of the country mirrored his own political posture: Stay engaged, show kindness and work to find real solutions to the nation’s problems.
    “In a funny way, we’re at war,” he added. “You’ve got to be pragmatic as well as ruthless.
    Hickenlooper provided examples of Trump administration controversies he can’t tolerate — including the “tariff tax” putting a “chokehold” on economic growth and the wrongful deportation of a man lawfully in the United States to an El Salvadoran prison.
    Calling the latter “the single most egregious act that I’ve seen our government condone,” Hickenlooper told reporters that if the administration defies court orders, “then we really have to go to the streets.”
    WATCH: NBC Grand Junction: Hickenlooper hosts Grand Junction town hall
    Grand Junction Daily Sentinel: Sen. Hickenlooper hosts town hall in Grand Junction
    Colorado Sun: John Hickenlooper’s Western Slope tour reveals growing frustration over Trump’s public lands policy
    Colorado U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper is hearing a lot of frustration and anger as he tours the state this week. He’s telling people to organize and gather stories that reflect how public lands are suffering under drastic cuts at land agencies.
    “It’s going to be a battle. It’s going to be a war. And the only real leverage that we have … in a constitutional democracy is to have people rise up,” he said, standing on the banks of the Eagle River on Tuesday at a small gathering of local officials worried about their forests.
    Vail Daily: Colorado’s John Hickenlooper says ‘some things just shouldn’t be for sale’ as he stumps for public lands on Western Slope
    Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper didn’t mince words Tuesday on the threat to public lands in the West during a tour of the Western Slope that included stops in Breckenridge, Eagle and Glenwood Springs. 
    “There are a lot of people out there that have never been to the West,” Hickenlooper said during a stop at the Eagle River Park. “They don’t give a crap. They think government’s too big and they’re just going to cut. Elections have consequences. The way to fight back on that is to bring them lessons from the West in graphic detail. Information is power.”
    Colorado Newsline: Hickenlooper calls on Supreme Court to hold Trump officials in contempt
    U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper on Tuesday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to start holding Trump administration officials in contempt of court and “lock them up” if they refuse to comply with the court’s unanimous order to “facilitate” the return of a Maryland man wrongly deported to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador.
    “The Supreme Court’s got to step up and say, ‘All right, we’re going to start holding people in contempt of court.’ They have the ability to sanction,” Hickenlooper said in an interview with Colorado Newsline. “They can take the people, the officials who deny any culpability or any responsibility, they can bring them in and force them to testify, to come to the court. And if they don’t come, they’re in contempt, and then you lock them up.”
    Summit Daily: ‘I don’t see the demand decreasing’: Summit officials get candid with Sen. Hickenlooper about workforce’s struggles with affordability
    U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper hit stops in Colorado’s High Country on Tuesday, April 15, for what he said was an effort to collect stories from his constituents to help refine his understanding of the area he represents.
    His Breckenridge stop was paired with a tour of an upcoming nonprofit hub, and the story he got from local officials lifted the veil covering the historic mountain town with an affluent appearance to show the local workforce’s struggles with affordability.
    Hickenlooper said the United States is currently in a place where even those living in areas with a low cost of living are having to work multiple jobs to stay afloat.
    “Society has gotten wealthier and wealthier, again, the greatest wealth in the history of the world, and yet we still have to fight like crazy to keep rent within peoples’ grasp,” he said.
    Colorado Springs Gazette: Hickenlooper fields questions on Space Command, immigration, more at Colorado Springs town hall
    “I think the threat on our democracy is real,” Hickenlooper said. “This notion that we can take someone off the street, lock him up, not charge him, no hearing and send him down to a hellhole of a prison in El Salvador, and then admit that we made a mistake, but we’re not going to do anything about it.”
    The president’s tariffs, meanwhile, are going to have a negative impact on the local economy, Hickenlooper said.
    “The tariffs are going to slow down everything, and the fact that he’s going to have these gigantic reciprocal tariffs, and now we paused for 90 days, well, that means no large company can make an investment, right?”
    WATCH: NBC Colorado Springs: Sen. Hickenlooper hosts town hall in Colorado Springs

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford Celebrates Start of I-44 and US Highway 75 Interchange Improvement Project in Tulsa

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford
    TULSA, OK — Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today joined officials from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT), the City of Tulsa, and Tulsa County to break ground on the next phase of the I-44 and US Highway 75 interchange improvement project, one of the largest and most complex infrastructure undertakings in Oklahoma.
    “Today’s groundbreaking is a major milestone for Tulsa and our entire state,” said Lankford. “This interchange has been a priority for decades, and today’s groundbreaking marks the result of tireless collaboration between federal, state, and local partners. I’m proud we secured the federal support needed to get this done. Improving this corridor isn’t just about concrete and steel—it’s about safer roads, better commutes, and a stronger foundation for Tulsa and Oklahoma’s growth.”
    “The I-44/US-75 interchange in Tulsa is Oklahoma’s largest single investment in transportation infrastructure ever, totaling $252 million, and will update a very busy interchange along two equally busy corridors,” said ODOT Executive Director, Tim Gatz. “Both I-44 and US-75 carry a significant amount of both local and regional traffic through the Tulsa area. This project will make this interchange function much more efficiently while also improving safety for the traveling public. We appreciate the efforts of our congressional representatives, especially Sen. James Lankford, for helping ODOT to earn two federal grants totaling $95 million to help complete the work. I also want to thank the City of Tulsa, Tulsa County and INCOG for their collaboration.”
    “The improvements to the I-44 and US-75 interchange represent a critical investment in Tulsa’s infrastructure and long-term growth,” said Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols. “This project will make one of our busiest corridors safer, less congested, and better connected for the people who rely on it every day. We’re proud to work alongside our federal and state partners to strengthen Tulsa’s transportation network and support continued growth across our city.”
    “Because of the good work of federal and state officials, this highway intersection will be transformed from Oklahoma’s most dangerous to the safest, maybe in the nation,” said Tulsa City Council Chair Phil Lakin. “We Tulsans are mighty grateful. Thanks to all the Tulsa area drivers for their patience during construction. The finished product will be well worth the wait.” 
    “This interchange is a critical connector for the movement of people, goods, and services throughout Tulsa County,” said Tulsa County Commissioner Lonnie Sims. “By moving forward with construction, we’re keeping our promise to build a safer, more efficient transportation system that reduces commute times and supports long-term growth for our region and beyond.”
    “The ceremonial groundbreaking for the I-44 and US-75 highway interchange project will complete the construction of long-needed highway improvements at one of the most heavily traveled major highway interchanges in the Tulsa metro area,” said Executive Director of Indian Nations Council of Governance (INCOG), Rich Brierre. “The improvements will relieve traffic congestion experienced daily by motorists, while reducing travel time and saving countless lives.  A project of this magnitude could not be undertaken without the leadership of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation working with our federal partners to secure the necessary funding. Senator Lankford’s leadership, support, and advocacy for addressing real infrastructure needs such as this project and his continued encouragement for working collaboratively to achieve meaningful results is recognized and greatly appreciated.”
    Background: 
    In 2023, Lankford applauded Oklahoma’s selection for a highly competitive $85 million federal grant from the US Department of Transportation to support the I-44 and US-75 interchange project. The funding, awarded to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, also supports pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements in the corridor.
    Once complete, the project will improve safety, streamline traffic, and enhance pedestrian and bicycle access through one of Oklahoma’s busiest highway interchanges.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Urges USDA, HHS, EPA to Safeguard MAHA Work From Environmental Activists

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    AUSTIN – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin calling for the use of sound science and risk-based analysis as the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission finalizes its work, particularly on crop protection tools and food-grade ingredients:

    The lawmakers wrote: “We write to express our strong appreciation for your leadership and interest in working with each of you to ensure America has the healthiest people in the world. In recent decades, chronic illness rates have risen. This warrants our careful scrutiny to support better health outcomes. It is essential that policies supported by sound science and risk-based analyses are used to accomplish this goal.”

    “We have concerns that environmentalists are advancing harmful health, economic, or food security policies under the guise of human health. Despite insinuations to the contrary, regular testing by FDA and USDA finds that more than 99% of all pesticide residues meet extremely conservative limits established by EPA according to the best available science.”

    Other signatories include Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Jim Justice (R-WV), Jim Risch (R-ID), Todd Young (R-IN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Mike Rounds (R-SD).

    Read the full letter here or below:

    Dear Secretary Kennedy, Secretary Rollins, and Administrator Zeldin:

    We write to express our strong appreciation for your leadership and interest in working with each of you to ensure America has the healthiest people in the world. In recent decades, chronic illness rates have risen. This warrants our careful scrutiny and to support better health outcomes. It is essential that policies supported by sound science and risk-based analyses are used to accomplish this goal.

    We also urge you to safeguard the work of the Make America Healthy Again Commission (Commission) from activist groups promoting misguided and sometimes even malicious policies masquerading as health solutions. The influence of these groups in the Commission would result in shoddy science; a less abundant, less affordable food supply; greater reliance on foreign adversaries for our food; diminished U.S. agricultural production and manufacturing; and, ultimately, poorer health outcomes.

    President Trump recently stated environmental activists were holding the economic prosperity of our country hostage. We now have concerns that they are seeking to influence the work of the Commission to advance their agenda. For decades activist groups have tried to ban safe, well-regulated agricultural inputs by any means necessary. Without these products, yields and quality are negatively impacted by otherwise avoidable insects, fungus, weeds, and other pest pressures. This drives up food prices for American consumers and forces reliance of food imports.

    The same groups have seized upon the Commission’s work as an opportunity to misrepresent the science on common food and feed categories or ingredients, such as plant-based oils. These inputs are subject to a robust, risk-based regulatory system which focuses on protecting human health. Unfounded accusations harm the U.S. farmers who grow our food, upend food and feed supply chains, and significantly increase grocery food prices – all without public health benefit.

    We have concerns that environmentalists are advancing harmful health, economic, or food security policies under the guise of human health. Despite insinuations to the contrary, regular testing by FDA and USDA finds that more than 99% of all pesticide residues meet extremely conservative limits established by EPA according to the best available science.

    We applaud the Commission’s desire to improve the health and well-being of Americans. We implore you to ensure policy decisions are grounded in sound science and risk-based analyses. With unity, we can protect American agricultural producers from environmental activists’ attacks on proven-safe inputs critical to their profitability and long-term viability while promoting positive health outcomes.

    Sincerely,

    /s/

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Blasts Trump Administration Plan to Cut Funding for Head Start

    US Senate News:

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

    According to Reports, Trump Will Submit A Budget Proposal to Congress That Would Eliminate All Funding for Head Start Program
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement in response to reports that the Trump Administration is going to submit a budget proposal that eliminates all funding for Head Start, a federally funded early education program that provides no-cost educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to more than half a million children, including thousands of Nevada children. Studies have shown that high-quality early childhood education programs, like Head Start, contribute to success later in life. Last week, Senator Rosen visited a local Head Start classroom in Carson City, Nevada – where she reaffirmed her commitment to this early childhood education program. 
    “At a time when child care is already too expensive and out of reach for hardworking Nevada families, it’s outrageous and cruel for the Trump Administration to propose eliminating Head Start, taking away this lifeline from families who need it most,” said Senator Rosen. “Studies have shown that Head Start improves children’s lives, and I won’t let this critical program be sacrificed by Republicans to pay for more tax cuts for billionaires. If the Trump Administration sends a budget proposal to Congress that guts Head Start funding, I’m going to do everything in my power to oppose it and fight back.”
    According to the National Head Start Association, children who participate in the Head Start program are more likely to meet key educational benchmarks, have been shown to perform considerably better on cognitive and social-emotional measures, exhibit fewer attention problems, and display fewer negative behaviors. Head Start children also have a higher likelihood of graduating from high school, attending college, and receiving a post-secondary degree, license, or certification.
    Senator Rosen has been a strong advocate for the Head Start program and has repeatedly pushed for additional funding to ensure that early education programs can continue serving Nevada families. Rosen has also actively worked to reduce costs and expand access to child care for Nevadans. Earlier this year, Rosen introduced the bipartisan Small Business Child Care Investment Act, which allows non-profit child care providers that otherwise qualify as small businesses to access larger and more flexible loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, and it passed out of committee.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Promotes Excellence and Innovation at HBCUs

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    ADVANCING HBCU EXCELLENCE: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to promote excellence and innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
    The Order establishes a White House Initiative on HBCUs, housed in the Executive Office of the President, to enhance HBCUs’ capacity to deliver high-quality education to a growing number of students.
    The Initiative will prioritize private-sector partnerships, institutional development, and workforce preparation in high-growth industries like technology, healthcare, manufacturing, and finance.
    The Initiative will enhance HBCUs’ capabilities by supporting implementation of the HBCU PARTNERS Act, fostering research and program excellence, improving affordability and retention, and building pipelines for students to attend HBCUs.
    The Initiative will work to address barriers to HBCUs receiving certain Federal and state grant dollars and to improve their competitiveness for R&D funding.
    The Initiative will convene an annual White House Summit on HBCUs to foster collaboration and address key priorities for HBCU success.

    The Order establishes the President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs within the Department of Education, comprising leaders from philanthropy, education, business, finance, entrepreneurship, innovation, private foundations, and current HBCU presidents.
    EMPOWERING HBCUs FOR AMERICA’S FUTURE: President Trump supports our Nation’s incredible HBCUs and their critical contributions to opportunity, innovation, and the economic strength of the United States.
    HBCUs areessential to fostering opportunity, economic mobility, and national competitiveness, serving as engines of success for American students.
    HBCUs have made extraordinary contributions to the general welfare and prosperity of the United States while producing many leaders in business, government, academia, and the military.
    Nearly 300,000 individuals annually pursue their dreams at HBCUs throughout the United States.
    These institutions generate $16.5 billion in annual economic impact and support over 136,000 jobs, strengthening communities and the Nation. 
    BUILDING ON A LEGACY OF SUPPORT: President Trump is committed to elevating HBCUs as beacons of educational excellence and economic opportunity, building on transformative actions from his first term.  
    President Trump relocated the Federal HBCU Initiative to the White House to ensure direct oversight and prioritization, and will once again locate it there.
    President Trump signed the FUTURE Act into law, securing $255 million in permanent annual funding for HBCUs and increasing funding for Federal Pell Grants.
    President Trump authorized more than $100 million for scholarships, research, and centers of excellence at HBCU land-grant institutions.
    President Trump provided $322 million in hurricane-related relief to four HBCUs in 2018 so they could fully focus on educating their students.
     President Trump ensured that faith-based HBCUs received equal access to Federal support.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Advances AI Education for American Youth

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    EMPOWERING AMERICA’S YOUTH: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to create new educational and workforce development opportunities for America’s youth, fostering interest and expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) technology from an early age to maintain America’s global dominance in this technological revolution for future generations.
    AI is rapidly transforming the modern world, driving innovation, enhancing productivity, and reshaping how we live and work.
    America’s youth need opportunities to cultivate the skills and understanding necessary to use and create the next generation of AI technology.
    Early training in AI will demystify this technology and prepare America’s students to be confident participants in the AI-assisted workforce, propelling our nation to new heights of scientific and economic achievement.

    Preparing our students to be leaders in AI technology also requires investing in our educators, providing them with the tools and knowledge to both train students about AI and utilize the technology in the classroom.
    Lifelong learners also need new resources to develop technical skills for a rapidly evolving work environment that increasingly incorporates digital technology.
    PROMOTING AI LITERACY AND PROFICIENCY: President Trump promised to ensure and advance America’s position as the global leader in AI technology. By incorporating AI into education and providing AI training for educators, we will help equip the next generation of American AI innovators.
    To do this, President Trump is establishing the White House Task Force on AI Education.
    The task force will be chaired by the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and include other key members of the administration, such as the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Labor, and the Special Advisor for AI & Crypto.
    The task force will plan and help agencies implement a Presidential AI Challenge, which will encourage and highlight student and educator achievements in AI, promote wide geographic adoption of technological advancement, and foster collaboration between government, academia, philanthropy, and industry to address national challenges with AI solutions.
    The task force will also establish public-private partnerships to provide resources for K-12 AI education, both to enhance AI-related education but also to better utilize AI tools in education generally.
    The order directs the Secretary of Education to prioritize the use of AI in discretionary grant programs for teacher training and directs the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to prioritize research on the use of AI in education.
    PREPARING AMERICA’S WORKFORCE: Protecting and preparing the American workforce for the challenges of the future has always been at the forefront of the President’s AI agenda.
    Today’s executive order instructs the Secretary of Labor to leverage authorities and financial incentives to increase participation in AI-related apprenticeships.
    It also instructs the Secretary of Labor to encourage States and grantees to use Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding to develop AI skills and support work-based learning opportunities within occupations utilizing AI.
    The Secretary of Labor, through the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training, in collaboration with the Director of NSF, will work with State and local workforce organizations and training providers to identify and promote high-quality AI skills education coursework and certifications across the country.
    The Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Education, and the NSF Director will work together to create opportunities for high school students to take AI courses and certification programs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wittman, Warner, Kaine Call for Stronger Oversight of Nursing Homes Following Troubling Reports in Colonial Heights

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    Published: April 23 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to conduct enhanced oversight of nursing homes and implement stronger safeguards to protect seniors in the wake of alarming reports of alleged abuse, neglect, and falsified records coming out of Colonial Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. 
    “These reports are simply heartbreaking; it is critical that our seniors receive the quality care they’ve earned and deserve,” the letter states. “We share the same goal of quality care for all seniors, and it is critical that we conduct rigorous review of the reports at Colonial Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. … We look forward to working with CMS to improve Medicare for all Americans to ensure accountability and transparency in all Medicare expenditures.”
    Their letter references a December 2024 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG), which found that half of the sampled Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) failed to properly adjust related-party costs in their Medicare reporting—resulting in over $1.7 million in overstated costs.
    Read the full letter here and below.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley Co-Sponsor Bills to Permanently Protect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from Offshore Drilling

    US Senate News:

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

    April 23, 2025

    Wyden co-sponsors additional Merkley-led bill to protect the Arctic Ocean

    Washington, D.C. —U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced they are co-sponsoring two bills that would permanently protect the Pacific and Atlantic oceans from the environmental and economic costs of fossil fuel drilling off our coastal shores. Merkley also led a bill to prohibit drilling in the Arctic, which Wyden also co-sponsored.  

    “The U.S. simply does not need to drill in the coastal waters of the Pacific. We have more than enough clean energy resources without putting Oregon’s outdoor recreation and seafood industries at risk,” Wyden said. “These bills are all about looking out for small businesses that depend on tourism and the fishing industry, rather than capitulating to the ‘oiligarchs’ whose only goal is to fatten their wallets, no matter the environmental and economic toil it could bring to our shores.”    

    “Offshore drilling guarantees future oil spills with devastating consequences: from oiled beaches to catastrophic damage to tourism, commercial sport fishing, and ocean ecosystems,” Merkley said. “Trump’s Dirty Energy First strategy would see his administration expand offshore drilling—all to enrich billionaire corporate polluters—but Senator Wyden and I are leading the charge to protect the Oregon Coast and beyond from dangerous offshore oil and gas drilling.”

    The West Coast Protection Act would permanently prohibit new oil and gas leases for drilling off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. 

    The Clean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Act would permanently prohibit the U.S. Department of the Interior from issuing leases for the exploration, development, or production of oil and gas in the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida Planning Areas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.

    The Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act, led by Merkley, would permanently ban new or renewed leases for oil, gas, or mineral extraction in the Arctic Ocean Planning Areas of the Outer Continental Shelf, protecting one of the planet’s most fragile ecosystems. 

    This legislation comes following the 15th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which resulted in the deaths of 11 workers, 134 million gallons spilled into the Gulf of Mexico over 87 days, the demise of thousands of marine mammals and sea turtles, and billions of dollars in economic losses from the fishing, outdoor recreation, and tourism industries.

    “The Pacific west coast economy provides over $80 Billion in GDP via industries like tourism, outdoor recreation, fishing, retail, and real estate, supporting more than 825,000 jobs. And BAPPC’s 8,100 business members rely on a clean ocean to drive their revenues and provide for their customers, employees and families. We strongly support the West Coast Protection Act and other legislation to prohibit new offshore drilling and protect our businesses by prioritizing a healthy coastal ecosystem,” said Grant Bixby, Founding Member, The Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast.

    In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the West Coast Protection Act is cosponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and led by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). 

    The COAST Anti-Drilling Act, led by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), is co-sponsored by Wyden and Merkley, along with Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Angus King (I-Maine), Markey, Sanders, Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Whitehouse.

    Merkley’s Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act was co-sponsored by Markey, Blumenthal, Sanders, and Warren, in addition to Wyden. 

    Full text of the West Coast Protection Act is here. 

    Full text of the COAST Anti-Drilling Act is here. 

    Full text of the Stop Arctic Drilling Act is here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: TRUMP EFFECT: A Running List of New U.S. Investment in President Trump’s Second Term

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Since President Donald J. Trump took office, his unwavering commitment to revitalizing American industry has spurred trillions of dollars of investments in U.S. manufacturing, production, and innovation — and the list only continues to grow.
    Here is a non-comprehensive running list of new U.S.-based investments in President Trump’s second term:
    Project Stargate, led by Japan-based Softbank and U.S.-based OpenAI and Oracle, announced a $500 billion private investment in U.S.-based artificial intelligence infrastructure.
    Apple announced a $500 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing and training.
    NVIDIA, a global chipmaking giant, announced it will invest $500 billion in U.S.-based AI infrastructure over the next four years amid its pledge to manufacture AI supercomputers entirely in the U.S. for the first time.
    Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced a $100 billion investment in U.S.-based chips manufacturing.
    Johnson & Johnson announced a $55 billion investment over the next four years in manufacturing, research and development, and technology.
    Roche, a Swiss drug and diagnostics company, announced a $50 billion investment in U.S.-based manufacturing and research and development, which is expected to create more than 1,000 full-time jobs and more than 12,000 jobs including construction.
    Eli Lilly and Company announced a $27 billion investment to more than double its domestic manufacturing capacity.
    United Arab Emirates-based ADQ and U.S.-based Energy Capital Partners announced a $25 billion investment in U.S. data centers and energy infrastructure.
    Novartis, a Swiss drugmaker, announced a $23 billion investment to build or expand ten manufacturing facilities across the U.S., which will create 4,000 new jobs.
    Hyundai announced a $21 billion U.S.-based investment — including $5.8 billion for a new steel plant in Louisiana, which will create nearly 1,500 jobs.
    Hyundai also secured an equity investment and agreement from Posco Holdings, South Korea’s top steel maker.

    United Arab Emirates-based DAMAC Properties announced a $20 billion investment in new U.S.-based data centers.
    France-based CMA CGM, a global shipping giant, announced a $20 billion investment in U.S. shipping and logistics, creating 10,000 new jobs.
    Merck announced it will invest $8 billion in the U.S. over the next several years after opening a new $1 billion North Carolina manufacturing facility.
    Clarios announced a $6 billion plan to expand its domestic manufacturing operations.
    Stellantis announced a $5 billion investment in its U.S. manufacturing network, including re-opening its Belvidere, Illinois, manufacturing plant.
    Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in biotechnology, announced a $3 billion agreement with Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies to produce drugs at its North Carolina manufacturing facility.
    NorthMark Strategies, a multi-strategy investment firm, announced a $2.8 billion investment to build a supercomputing facility in South Carolina.
    ArcelorMittal, a steel manufacturer, announced a $1.2 billion investment to build an advanced manufacturing facility in Alabama.
    Chobani, a Greek yogurt giant, announced a $1.2 billion investment to build its third U.S. dairy processing plant in New York, which is expected to create more than 1,000 new full-time jobs.
    GE Aerospace announced a $1 billion investment in manufacturing across 16 states — creating 5,000 new jobs.
    Corning, Inc., a solar component producer, announced a $900 million investment to build a manufacturing plant in Michigan.
    Schneider Electric announced it will invest $700 million over the next four years in U.S. energy infrastructure.
    GE Vernova announced it will invest nearly $600 million in U.S. manufacturing over the next two years, which will create more than 1,500 new jobs.
    Abbott Laboratories announced a $500 million investment in its Illinois and Texas facilities.
    AIP Management, a European infrastructure investor, announced a $500 million investment to solar developer Silicon Ranch.
    London-based Diageo announced a $415 million investment in a new Alabama manufacturing facility.
    Dublin-based Eaton Corporation announced a $340 million investment in a new South Carolina-based manufacturing facility for its three-phase transformers.
    Germany-based Siemens announced a $285 million investment in U.S. manufacturing and AI data centers, which will create more than 900 new skilled manufacturing jobs.
    Clasen Quality Chocolate announced a $230 million investment to build a new production facility in Virginia, which will create 250 new jobs.
    Fiserv, Inc., a financial technology provider, announced a $175 million investment to open a new strategic fintech hub in Kansas, which is expected to create 2,000 new high-paying jobs.
    Paris Baguette announced a $160 million investment to construct a manufacturing plant in Texas.
    TS Conductor announced a $134 million investment to build an advanced conductor manufacturing facility in South Carolina, which will create nearly 500 new jobs.
    Switzerland-based ABB announced a $120 million investment to expand production of its low-voltage electrification products in Tennessee and Mississippi.
    Saica Group, a Spain-based corrugated packaging maker, announced plans to build a $110 million new manufacturing facility in Anderson, Indiana.
    Charms, LLC, a subsidiary of candymaker Tootsie Roll Industries, announced a $97.7 million investment to expand its production plant and distribution center in Tennessee.
    Toyota Motor Corporation announced an $88 million investment to boost hybrid vehicle production at its West Virginia factory, securing employment for the 2,000 workers at the factory.
    AeroVironment, a defense contractor, announced a $42.3 million investment to build a new manufacturing facility in Utah.
    Paris-based Saint-Gobain announced a new $40 million NorPro manufacturing facility in Wheatfield, New York.
    India-based Sygene International announced a $36.5 million acquisition of a Baltimore biologics manufacturing facility.
    Asahi Group Holdings, one of the largest Japanese beverage makers, announced a $35 million investment to boost production at its Wisconsin plant.
    Cyclic Materials, a Canadian advanced recycling company for rare earth elements, announced a $20 million investment in its first U.S.-based commercial facility, located in Mesa, Arizona.
    Guardian Bikes announced a $19 million investment to build the first U.S.-based large-scale bicycle frame manufacturing operation in Indiana.
    Amsterdam-based AMG Critical Minerals announced a $15 million investment to build a chrome manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania.
    NOVONIX Limited, an Australia-based battery technology company, announced a $4.6 million investment to build a synthetic graphite manufacturing facility in Tennessee.
    LGM Pharma announced a $6 million investment to expand its manufacturing facility in Rosenberg, Texas.
    ViDARR Inc., a defense optical equipment manufacturer, announced a $2.69 million investment to open a new facility in Virginia.
    That doesn’t even include the U.S. investments pledged by foreign countries:
    United Arab Emirates announced a $1.4 trillion investment in the U.S. over the next decade.
    Saudi Arabia announced it intends to invest $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.
    Japan announced a $1 trillion investment in the U.S.
    Taiwan announced a pledge to boost its U.S.-based investment.
    Last updated on April 23, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump’s Vision Fuels Major U.S. Production Boom

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    President Donald J. Trump’s unrelenting commitment to revitalizing American manufacturing is continuing to deliver results, with another wave of companies announcing transformative investments in their U.S.-based operations — driving job creation and economic growth nationwide.
    In just the past few days:
    Roche, a Swiss drug and diagnostics company, announced a $50 billion investment in its U.S.-based manufacturing and R&D, which is expected to create more than 1,000 new full-time jobs and more than 12,000 jobs including construction.
    Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in biotechnology, announced a $3 billion agreement with Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies to produce drugs at its North Carolina manufacturing facility.
    NorthMark Strategies, a multi-strategy investment firm, announced a $2.8 billion investment to build a supercomputing facility in South Carolina.
    Chobani, a Greek yogurt giant, announced a $1.2 billion investment to build its third U.S. dairy processing plant in New York, which is expected to create more than 1,000 new full-time jobs.
    Fiserv, Inc., a financial technology provider, announced a $175 million investment to open a new strategic fintech hub in Kansas, which is expected to create 2,000 new high-paying jobs.
    Toyota Motor Corporation, a Japanese automaker, announced an $88 million investment to boost hybrid vehicle production at its West Virginia factory, securing employment for the factory’s 2,000 workers.
    Hyundai Motor Group, a South Korean automaker, secured an equity investment and agreement from Posco Holdings, South Korea’s top steel maker, for the automaker’s planned steel plant in Louisiana.
    Cyclic Materials, a Canadian advanced recycling company for rare earth elements, announced a $20 million investment in its first U.S.-based commercial facility, located in Mesa, Arizona.
    Click here for more new investments secured in President Trump’s second term.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Reviews Fargo Airport Terminal Expansion Progress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
    04.23.25
    Hoeven Reviews Fargo Airport Terminal Expansion Progress Senator’s Visit Comes as Airport Sets New Record for Passenger Boardings; Project on Track for Completion in 2027
    FARGO, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today toured and reviewed the construction progress of the Hector International Airport’s Terminal Expansion Project. Today’s visit comes as Hector International experienced its busiest month ever in March, with more than 56,000 boardings. Further, this was the 12th consecutive month of all-time high passenger activity at the airport, driving home the importance of building the expanded terminal.
    Accordingly, Hoeven is working as a member of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Committee to fulfill the federal cost share. The senator has secured nearly $40 million for the effort to date and continues working to provide another $31 million in federal funding. The project, which is expected to be completed in 2027, will include:
    A parking garage with an elevated walkway, which will open for use later this year.
    Four new boarding gates and renovations for the existing five gates.
    An expanded apron, supporting additional air traffic and ground operations.
    “The numbers make it clear – the Fargo-Moorhead region is growing fast and demand for air service continues to climb,” said Hoeven. “That’s why we are working to keep moving this needed terminal expansion at Hector International forward. The nearly $40 million in federal funding we’ve secured so far is an important part of this effort, along with support from state and local funding sources. These funds provide certainty to help keep the project on track, so this dynamic region can continue to rely on safe and efficient air service, which is vital to our economy and quality of life.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Grassley, Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Combat Organized Retail Theft

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and colleagues reintroduced the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act to crack down on flash mob robberies and intricate retail theft schemes, establish a coordinated multi-agency response, and create new tools to tackle evolving trends in organized retail theft.
    “If we can do anything to help law enforcement, we should,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Organized crime always looks to expand its territory. Let’s fight back.”
    The Combating Organized Retail Crime Actwould:
    Establish an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that combines expertise from state and local law enforcement agencies and retail industry representatives.
    Create new tools to assist in federal investigation and prosecution of organized retail crime and help recapture lost goods and proceeds.
    Cassidy and Grassley were joined by U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), James Risch (R-ID), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ted Budd (R-NC), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Steve Daines (R-MT), Katie Britt (R-AL), and Ted Cruz (R-TX) in introducing the legislation.
    Background
    According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), more than 84 percent of retailers report that violence and aggression from criminal activities has become more of a concern since 2022, resulting in injuries and deaths among employees, customers, security officers, and law enforcement personnel. NRF also estimates that larceny incidents increased by 93 percent in 2023 compared to 2019. In recent years, criminal organizations have increasingly turned to retail crime to generate illicit profits, using internet-based tools to organize flash mobs, sell stolen goods, and move money.  
    The Combating Organized Retail Crime Actis supported by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the National Retail Federation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, the Reusable Packaging Association, the Association of American Railroads, the American Trucking Association, UPS, DHL, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the National Milk Producers Foundation, the Intermodal Association of North America, the Transportation Intermediaries Association, the PASS (Protect America’s Small Sellers) Coalition, the International Downtown Association, Amazon, the World Shipping Council, Pirate Ship, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), World Shipping Council, and the Home Depot.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Statement On Retirement Announcement, Extraordinary Career Of Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    HONOLULU – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today released the following statement after U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Democratic Whip, announced he would not seek re-election.
    “For more than four decades, Senator Dick Durbin has been a pillar of leadership, integrity, and unwavering dedication to the people of his home state of Illinois and the nation. A titan of the Senate, he has helped improve the lives of Americans everywhere—expanding health research, protecting children from guns and tobacco, battling against predatory lending, building a fairer justice system, and fighting to protect DREAMERs. When you board a flight and can breathe clean, smoke-free air, you can thank Dick Durbin. When we see breakthroughs in medical research at NIH that are helping save lives, you can thank Dick Durbin. The list goes on.
    “As Democratic Whip, he has played a key role in shaping some of the most significant legislation of our time and has been a fixture of the Senate floor, bringing his brilliant Lincoln-land trial attorney skills to Senate debate. Further, his leadership on the Judiciary Committee has been historic, with the confirmation of 235 judges during the Biden administration – the most diverse set of federal judges of any presidency ever.
    “I’m lucky to call Senator Durbin a mentor and friend. I know he will be running through the tape, fighting for Illinois and our nation, as always. His work and legacy will continue to shape the U.S. Senate and our country for years to come. Today, I congratulate him, Loretta, his whole family, and his staff on decades of extraordinary service.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Holds Town Hall, Hears Directly From New Mexicans

    US Senate News:

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

    Santa Fe, N.M. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) held an in-person town hall at Santa Fe Community College to hear directly from constituents and engage in a conversation regarding issues impacting New Mexicans. During the town hall, Senator Luján gave remarks highlighting his work on behalf of New Mexicans and took questions from attendees on their concerns. More than 200 New Mexicans attended.
    Senator Luján is fighting in Congress to defend New Mexicans from extreme policies, mass firings, and deep cuts that threaten our communities. Senator Luján is fighting back against policies that hurt New Mexico farmers, ranchers, workers, veterans, and families. Whether it’s protecting families from rising costs, standing up for workers, or defending New Mexico’s values, Senator Luján is committed to ensuring all New Mexicans are heard, protected, and never left behind.
    “I’m willing to work with anyone when it comes to doing something positive for the people of New Mexico,” said Senator Luján. “The magic in the Senate that I’ve learned is being able to do something we do well in New Mexico – treating people with respect and dignity. Now on the other hand, if someone chooses not to treat people from New Mexico with respect and dignity and wants to move policy that’s going to hurt constituents that I’m honored to represent, game on. We have to stand strong.”
    Watch the full town hall here.
    If you have been impacted by federal funding cuts, terminations, or have experienced any recent hardships, you can Share Your Story here. If you need casework help with a federal agency, please fill out our privacy release form and Senator Luján’s staff can start assisting right away: Sen. Luján Privacy Release for Casework Help.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters Joins Colleagues in Demanding Answers About Closure of Michigan’s Regional Head Start Office

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) joined a group of his Senate colleagues in demanding answers about the closure of five regional Head Start Offices across the country, including Chicago’s Region 5 office which serves Michigan’s Head Start centers. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Peters made clear that this decision will negatively impact the early educational programs that children and families depend on, while also cutting jobs for dedicated educators.  
    “This announcement – which contained no guidance for grantees in impacted regions – has created confusion and chaos for Head Start centers, employees, and families across various states, including those in Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin),” Peters and his colleagues wrote.  
    The Head Start program serves in-need children and their families across both rural and urban communities in Michigan. There are currently 620 Head Start centers operating in Michigan, with capacity to serve more than 20,500 children ages 3 to 5 in Head Start programs and close to 7,000 enrollees in Early Head Start programs.  
    “Head Start centers run on tight budgets, and without a regional office, grantees will not be able to receive approval to draw down funds, forcing many to consider laying off staff—or even shuttering their doors,” the senators wrote. 
    They continued: “This will have devastating effects for children, families, child care workers, and the economy if children fail to receive care, child care staff lose their jobs, and parents cannot go to work.” 
    Peters concluded the letter by demanding answers about how the closure of the Region 5 office in Chicago will impact Head Start grantees across Michigan and families that rely on this program. 
    A copy of the letter is available here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 04/23/2025 Blackburn Blasts Meta for Failing to Remove Black Market Facebook Groups Selling Access to Delivery Driver Accounts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) sent a letter to Meta’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg following reports that the company has allowed black market groups on Facebook with over 22,000 members to fraudulently sell access to rideshare and delivery service accounts, allowing individuals to bypass background checks and driver’s license requirements. 
    Last year, Senator Blackburn’s investigation into unvetted illegal immigrants accessing courier accounts on Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub resulted in all three companies updating their policies and enhancing safety protocols.
    Meta Has Failed to Remove Black Market Facebook Groups Buying and Selling Access to Rideshare and Delivery Service Accounts
    “I write to express my concern at the reports that Meta has failed to remove black-market groups operating on Facebook wherein individuals buy and sell access to rideshare and delivery service accounts. The unvetted use of these accounts is incredibly dangerous for American consumers, specifically women and children, and I urge you to immediately remove each of these Facebook groups and better enforce existing rules against fraud and deceptive practices.”
    Blackburn Previously Led Probe into Illegal Aliens Buying Access to Couriers’ Accounts on Food Delivery Services
    “In April 2024, I led a probe into various food delivery services’ account security and courier verification processes after reporting indicated that illegal immigrants were buying access to legitimate couriers’ accounts, thus avoiding background checks and driver’s license requirements. Individuals—especially women, children, and the elderly—rely on safety assurances from these delivery and rideshare services, and I was glad to see DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats implement more robust driver verification processes following my investigation. Given these platforms’ efforts to crack down on account sharing, it is concerning that Meta has allowed groups like, ‘UBER ACCOUNT FOR RENT WORLDWIDE,’ to flourish with over 22,000 members. Posts in this group were a straightforward violation of the policies of both delivery applications and Meta, like ‘Looking for an Uber eats account to rent in Virginia,’ or ‘Need an Uber Eats account in Jacksonville, FL ASAP.’ While Meta has reportedly removed this specific group, there are as many as 80 similar groups active on Facebook.”
    These Security Concerns Have Real, Devastating Impacts on Americans Across the Country 
     “These security concerns are not figurative, but they are having real, devastating impacts on Americans across the country. In one disturbing account, a woman was allegedly raped after ordering an Uber Eats delivery to her home. The application had indicated that a woman would be delivering her order, but instead an illegal immigrant with horrific intentions arrived at her door. Turning a blind eye to these groups operating on your platform is just the latest in many instances of Meta choosing profit over the wellbeing of American consumers. Sadly, instead of protecting users from fraudulent behavior or even sexual misconduct, it seems that Meta has expended its resources preying on our young people and kowtowing to the Chinese Communist Party. Instead of allowing Facebook to remain one of the premier sites for fraud and abuse, you must do more to remove these black-market groups and protect Americans.”
    Click here to read the full letter.
    RELATED

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND DEMAND ANSWERS ON BRUTAL IMPACTS OF DOGE’S SOCIAL SECURITY CUTS ON NEW YORKERS; SENATORS CALL ON INDEPENDENT IG TO IMMEDIATELY REPORT SHORTFALLS, CONSEQUENCES, AND RAMIFICATIONS…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    In The Wake of Waves Of Aggressive Trump-DOGE Attacks on Social Security, Services Are Breaking Down Across Country For Those Rely On Monthly Checks To Live – With Websites Crashing, Hours-Long Wait Times, ‘DOGE’ Firing 7,000+ SSA Workers And Plans To Close Regional Office, Senators Say This Assault Would Create Disaster
    Schumer, Gillibrand: ‘DOGE’ Cabal Needs To Get Their Hands Off NY Seniors’ & Families’ Social Security Checks
    Today, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand lead Senate Democrats in a letter to the Acting Inspector General of Social Security, Michelle Anderson, calling for a complete and thorough report into how the recent damaging DOGE cuts to the Social Security Administration – including executing mass layoffs, pressuring staff to retire, and closing regional offices – will, and have, adversely affected New Yorkers and others across America who rely on Social Security.
    “Trump and ‘DOGE’ needs to get their hands off New Yorkers’ Social Security checks and stop systematically attacking and undermining the agency that runs this most vital program. Experts and Social Security workers have been screaming from the rooftops if ‘DOGE’ continues to cut Social Security operations to the bone, the system soon won’t be able to function. ‘DOGE’ has yet to produce one shred of credible evidence on how slashing the workforce and closing offices is going to do anything but delay seniors and the disabled getting their benefits. That is why we are demanding answers and a complete and thorough independent report on the impacts of the Trump-‘DOGE’ undermining of Social Security,” said Senator Schumer. “Right now, Trump and Musk, two billionaires, are trying to take a chainsaw to your Social Security benefits by closing offices, firing staff, and adding burdensome bureaucratic rules for seniors, people with disabilities and their families. It’s outrageous. These billionaires may not understand how a senior citizen depends on Social Security payments to buy food and pay rent, or what would happen if a check was late one month, but New Yorkers do. Social Security is not a ‘ponzi scheme’ or ‘government waste’; it is a program millions of Americans spent a lifetime paying into so they can have a secure retirement. It is lifeline for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.”
    “Social Security is a critical lifeline that helps seniors in New York and across the country pay rent, buy food, and retire with dignity,” said Senator Gillibrand. “By firing staff and closing SSA offices, the Trump administration is trying to steamroll Social Security, depriving Americans of the benefits they’ve paid into their entire lives. Millions of New Yorkers will be harmed if President Trump gets his way, and I will fight to ensure Social Security benefits remain secure and accessible.”
    The senators said that the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” – helmed by unelected billionaire Elon Musk – has claimed to get rid of the fraud and abuse in the federal government. But, instead of producing credible instances of either, DOGE has taken a chainsaw to essential programs, such as Social Security, and reports from across America have linked these reduced staff, closed regional offices, and skyrocketed phone wait times.
    A Social Security worker from Upstate NY recently testified before Congress on the impact people are already seeing in their local offices. The NYT reported staff cuts, hurting the SSA that was already at were already at 50-year lows,  and rushed changes have already created backlogs and major issues for the workforce. Simultaneously, the Washington Post and many other outlet have detailed how repeated website crashes and hours long wait times on the phone have caused the system to start to break down. ‘DOGE’ has also reportedly pushed to defy court orders and access American’s private Social Security data.
    Elon Musk has targeted Social Security, calling it a “ponzi scheme” and saying that Social Security is “the big one to eliminate”. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik said his mother wouldn’t call and complain if she didn’t receive her Social Security benefits. Schumer said rather than making the government more efficient, these cuts will reduce government efficiency by making it more difficult for Social Security beneficiaries to receive their hard-earned benefits. Former Social Security Administrator Martin O’Malley said these cuts will crush our seniors and most vulnerable, and the system could collapse within a month, interrupting benefits.
    The senators said it is clear – this delay in benefits is a cut by another name. It is vital that the Social Security Inspector General is aware of how these cruel and disastrous decisions by DOGE affect the timeliness in which seniors receive their benefits or in which the Social Security Administration is able to attend to customer service complaints, or process and hear decisions.
    The letter can be found here and below:
    Acting Inspector General Anderson:
    We are writing to express deep concern regarding recent developments at the Social Security Administration (SSA) that will drastically disrupt—if not reduce—Americans’ earned benefits. In just the last month, SSA has rapidly shuttered offices, slashed thousands of its employees, and abruptly changed (and then reversed) long-standing customer service practices, with little transparency or consideration on its impact to its customers. In the past two months, SSA has dramatically restructured the agency and slashed its workforce, including:
    Announcing plans to dramatically reduce staff by at least 7,000, from 57,000 employees to 50,000, with additional layoffs reportedly under consideration;
    Executing mass layoffs to “non-mission critical” positions in retirement and policy, research, customer service, human resources, IT support, and civil rights;
    Pressuring employees to resign, retire, or reassign to a front-line position;
    Eliminating over half of the agency’s regional offices, which provide technical assistance to field offices and liaise with state and local community organizations who support individuals file for Social Security benefits;
    Reducing staff in the agency’s congressional and casework liaison office to three employees; and
    Dissolving other offices essential in proper administration of the Social Security programs.
    These actions have already created a chilling effect among the agency’s workforce, with several senior SSA officials with centuries’ worth of institutional knowledge and experience having already left the agency. We are concerned that this hostile environment will foster burnout, low morale, higher attrition, and worse productivity among employees. Collectively, this will undoubtedly lead to disruption in benefit payments and increasing barriers for Americans to access their Social Security benefits.
    We request SSA OIG review the agency’s actions to drastically reorganize its organizational structure, close numerous offices, and significantly reduce its workforce to determine whether it has affected the agency’s ability to provide quality customer service. Specifically, we ask the office to review:
    Whether SSA conducted any qualitative or quantitative analyses to evaluate the impact of these changes on SSA’s ability to administer the programs and on SSA’s beneficiaries since January 20, 2025, which may include Service Delivery Assessments (SDAs) or Service Area Reviews (SARs);
    Whether reducing regional offices from ten to four and reducing regional office staff contributed to improved customer service;
    Whether incentivizing field office employees to retire or resign improved customer service in the field offices;
    Whether incentivizing hearing office employees to retire or resign improved the agency’s ability to timely process disability appeals hearings;
    Whether incentivizing appeals council employees to retire or resign improved the agency’s ability to timely process appeals council decisions;
    Whether incentivizing staff in Social Security Card Centers to retire or resign improved customer service in Social Security Card Centers;
    Whether incentivizing teleservice center employees to retire or resign improved the agency’s ability to provide timely assistance to beneficiaries using the 1-800 service; and
    Whether incentivizing staff in program centers to retire or resign improved the agency’s ability to timely process clearances.
    We further ask that your office provide us quarterly updates of the impact of the agency reorganization and any future workforce reductions has had on customer service.
    Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 04.23.2025 Texas Chosen for Groundbreaking Aviation Center After Cruz Push

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    DALLAS, TX – U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today applauded Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy’s announcement that the Texas A&M System will lead a new Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies (CAAT) with laboratory and testing locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and across the Lone Star State.
    Sen. Cruz authored and championed a provision in the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 authorizing the creation of a new federal research and testing center for emerging aviation technologies like drones, air taxis, and supersonic and hypersonic aircraft. With its thriving aviation sector, strong business environment, and robust state university system, Texas was the logical home for such a center. Under the Texas A&M System’s leadership, a consortium of Texas universities, private organizations, and the FAA will advance the research, development, and integration of innovative aviation technologies.
    Upon the announcement, Sen. Cruz said, “When I authored the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, I wrote the language creating the Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies with the express intention of bringing that Center to the Dallas-Fort Worth area because of the groundbreaking innovation occurring there. I’m confident this new research and testing center will help the private sector create thousands of high-paying jobs and grow the Texas economy through billions in new investments. I am thankful to Secretary Duffy for recognizing the value of placing the new center in Texas, and I’m grateful to see the Texas A&M System leading this initiative and cultivating the next generation of aviation leaders. This is a significant win for Texas that will impact communities across our state, and I will continue to pursue policies that create new jobs and ensure the Lone Star State continues to lead the way in innovation and the manufacturing of emerging aviation technologies.”
    Secretary Duffy said, “Texas is the perfect place for our new Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies. Under Senator Cruz’s leadership, the state has already established itself as a leader in commercial drone safety testing. From drones delivering your packages to powered lift technologies like air taxis, we are at the cusp of an aviation revolution. The CAAT will ensure we make that dream a reality and unleash American innovation safely.” 
    Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said, “We’re thrilled the Department of Transportation has selected The Texas A&M University System to lead the Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies in Fort Worth. The Texas A&M System will support DOT and the Federal Aviation Administration to facilitate the integration of advanced air mobility and drive innovation of cutting-edge aviation technologies. And we will do it by harnessing the power and expertise of A&M System members — such as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Autonomy Research Institute, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station and George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex — and leveraging partnerships throughout the country. We thank Chairman Cruz for his vision in establishing this Center.”
    BACKGROUND
    The CAAT Laboratory will be located at Texas A&M Fort Worth and led by Texas A&M Corpus Christi utilizing their Autonomy Research Institute (ARI), which was designated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test site.
     As an FAA-designated UAS test site, ARI is allowed to test UAS technologies, better known as drones, in a controlled environment, including those not permitted for general use. ARI also benefits from expedited access to Certificates of Waiver or Authorization (COAs) for experimental and developmental purposes. These COAs, along with proposed Demonstration Zones at the University of North Texas (UNT), will increase available airspace for testing the integration of new technologies, particularly autonomous aircraft, into the nation’s airspace.
     The program will bring together all 19 members and institutions of the Texas A&M System, as well as University of North Texas (UNT), Southern Methodist University (SMU), University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), University of Texas Arlington (UTA), Virginia Tech’s Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP), Louisiana State University (LSU), and a consortium of private organizations and government entities.
    Last year, Sen. Cruz hosted a roundtable discussion featuring leaders from the ARI at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and various representatives from across the aviation industry to advocate for Texas to be chosen as the center’s location.  
    To learn more about the project from the Department of Transportation’s announcement, click HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wittman, Warner, Kaine Call for Stronger Oversight of Nursing Homes Following Troubling Reports in Henrico

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    Published: April 23 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to conduct enhanced oversight of nursing homes and implement stronger safeguards to protect seniors in the wake of alarming reports of alleged abuse, neglect, and falsified records coming out of Colonial Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Henrico County. 
    “These reports are simply heartbreaking; it is critical that our seniors receive the quality care they’ve earned and deserve,” the letter states. “We share the same goal of quality care for all seniors, and it is critical that we conduct rigorous review of the reports at Colonial Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. … We look forward to working with CMS to improve Medicare for all Americans to ensure accountability and transparency in all Medicare expenditures.”
    Their letter references a December 2024 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG), which found that half of the sampled Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) failed to properly adjust related-party costs in their Medicare reporting—resulting in over $1.7 million in overstated costs.
    Read the full letter here and below.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins, Bipartisan Group Urge Administration to Reinstate Collective Bargaining Rights for Federal Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
    Published: April 23, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Brian Schatz (D-HI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Mark Warner (D-VA) sent a joint letter urging the Trump Administration to reinstate federal workers’ collective bargaining rights. This effort comes after the President issued an executive order to end collective bargaining at several federal agencies. The order strips more than 1,000,000 federal workers across the country of their collective bargaining rights.
    “The presence of collective bargaining rights has created a more stable and productive workforce and has allowed the federal government to better meet the needs of our constituents,” the Senators wrote. “Further, sudden changes to labor-management relations are disruptive to the work of the federal workforce and will result in the loss of valuable federal workers with knowledge and skills critical to completing their respective agency’s missions.”
    “We share your goal of streamlining federal operations and enhancing government efficiency, but believe that the March 27th EO impedes, rather than advances, efforts to make the federal government more efficient. Therefore, we respectfully request that you reconsider your executive order and restore federal workers’ collective bargaining rights,” the Senators concluded.
    The full text of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Moore Urge Trump Admin to Reinstate Childhood Lead Poisoning Experts at CDC, Push for Approval of Milwaukee’s Request for Federal Assistance

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI-04) demanded the Trump administration reinstate the fired Center for Disease Control (CDC) lead poisoning experts and approve Milwaukee’s plea for federal assistance to help keep children safe from lead exposure in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). Moore and Baldwin’s call comes after the City of Milwaukee’s request for emergency help addressing lead poisoning in MPS schools was denied by the Trump Administration, in part because of staffing shortages after Elon Musk’s DOGE and the Trump Administration fired the CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch. Milwaukee requested assistance after four students tested positive for lead poisoning connected to deteriorating lead paint chips at MPS buildings, leading to the temporary closure of four MPS schools while active and ongoing efforts to remediate lead exposures occur in those schools. 
    “We urge you to reinstate childhood lead poisoning experts at CDC and approve the City of Milwaukee’s request for assistance to ensure that childhood lead poisoning prevention technical assistance is provided to help ensure that students are protected from lead exposure at school,” wrote Moore and Baldwin in a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. “This haphazard approach to gutting the federal workforce is misguided and has resulted in unacceptable mistakes at the agency charged with safeguarding the public’s health. You have the ability to immediately rectify this issue, and we urge you to do so.”
    “Children who are poisoned with lead or at risk for lead poisoning should not bear the burden of a haphazard “restructuring plan.” Federal technical assistance can make a significant impact in our response to this crisis, and the longer local officials are forced to work with strained resources, the longer children and families will suffer. Our communities cannot afford to wait,” Moore and Baldwin continued.
    The full letter can be found here and below:
    Dear Secretary Kennedy,
    We were alarmed to learn that the City of Milwaukee’s Health Department’s request to receive Epi-Aid from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was denied. This critical assistance is needed to help local officials respond to a public health crisis involving a childhood lead poisoning case that was tied to a Milwaukee Public School (MPS) facility. The requested assistance would have supported improved data collection, public awareness outreach, and a comprehensive strategy to help protect public school students from further exposure. It is especially concerning to learn that this denial was reportedly due to a lack of staffing capacity resulting from the recent HHS reduction in force, where over 2,000 CDC employees with critical skills and expertise, including the entire Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch, were fired. We urge you to reinstate childhood lead poisoning experts at CDC and approve the City of Milwaukee’s request for assistance to ensure that childhood lead poisoning prevention technical assistance is provided to help ensure that students are protected from lead exposure at school.
    According to the CDC, its Epidemiologic Assistance program (Epi-Aid) enables rapid and short-term response by federal public health experts to investigate urgent public health problems, such as infectious and noninfectious disease outbreaks, unexplained illnesses, or natural or manmade disasters. The focus of an EpiAid investigation is to assist partners in making rapid, practical decisions for actions to control and prevent the public health problem from growing, thus benefiting both the federal government and those assisted. This assistance is needed in Milwaukee now.
    The recently denied Epi-Aid request would support ongoing efforts by the City of Milwaukee and MPS to address a serious public health threat that poses the greatest threat to our youngest residents. But it cannot do so without federal help. As you know, there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. When children are exposed to this neurotoxin, it harms brain development and the nervous system, contributing to learning delays and can lead to severe illness. This toxin endangers our children and prevents them from reaching their full potential. HHS has a responsibility to lend its technical expertise and make available the resources necessary to rid our communities of this poison.
    In November, a young MPS student tested positive for lead poisoning, and after careful public health investigation, it was determined that case was connected to deteriorating lead paint chips at Golda Meir Elementary School, a MPS building. Since then, three other children tested positive for lead poisoning, leading to the temporary closure of four MPS Schools while active and ongoing efforts to remediate lead exposures occur in those schools. This issue is likely widespread, as there are 125 MPS buildings built before the federal ban on lead-based paint.
    From news reports, it appears that the decision to shutter the CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch contributed to the decision to reject the recent request for EPI-Aid, a request that we understand is usually granted. You recently mentioned that, “there are some programs that were cut that are being reinstated, and I think that’s one of them,” referring to the CDC’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Surveillance Branch. You also said, “we talked about this from the beginning. We’re going to do 80 percent cuts, but 20 percent of those are going to have to be reinstalled because we’ll make mistakes.” This haphazard approach to gutting the federal workforce is misguided and has resulted in unacceptable mistakes at the agency charged with safeguarding the public’s health. You have the ability to immediately rectify this issue, and we urge you to do so.
    As Members of Congress, we have worked over the last decade on a bipartisan basis to help secure federal funding to address lead in paint and water infrastructure, including for strong investments that support critical surveillance, environmental investigation, and case management activities to help identify and treat children with elevated blood lead levels in the U.S. In fiscal year 2025, Childhood Lead Poisoning was funded at $51 million—the same level as fiscal year 2024. HHS has contended that the reduction in force and the efforts to reorganize the department will not affect programs. Unfortunately, the denial of Epi-Aid in this instance is indeed a programmatic consequence of HHS’ abrupt firings that will have lasting consequences for young children in Milwaukee.
    Children who are poisoned with lead or at risk for lead poisoning should not bear the burden of a haphazard “restructuring plan.” Federal technical assistance can make a significant impact in our response to this crisis, and the longer local officials are forced to work with strained resources, the longer children and families will suffer. Our communities cannot afford to wait. We urge you to swiftly reconstitute CDC’s Office of Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and approve the request for EPI-Aid from the City of Milwaukee’s Health Department. Every moment of delay results in harm to our children.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Colleagues Condemn Trump Admin’s Trans Military Ban, Demand Answers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined her colleagues in condemning the Trump Administration’s unconstitutional ban for transgender Americans to serve in the military, which violates servicemembers’ civil rights and weakens our national security. The lawmakers demanded answers from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on whether the Administration is complying with the nationwide injunctions that halted the ban, and that the Administration disclose whether any trans servicemembers have been wrongfully dismissed as a result of Trump’s executive order despite the courts’ injunctions.
    “This policy insults the service of brave Americans who believe that all people, regardless of differences, are equal and have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” wrote the lawmakers in a letter to Secretary Hegseth. “As the Joint Force faces a recruiting crisis amid a staggering attrition rate for new troops (nearly a quarter of Army recruits have failed to complete their initial contracts since 2022), our Nation cannot afford to expel several thousand troops serving honorably on a baseless, hateful whim.”
    The lawmakers derided Trump’s trans military service ban for not only being discriminatory and based on false pretenses, but also for hurting our military readiness and exacerbating the ongoing military recruiting crisis in service of continuing hateful attacks against transgender Americans.
    “The United States military became the greatest fighting force in the world by pioneering the integration of diverse groups,” the lawmakers continued. “We have triumphed over our enemies because military effectiveness and lethality are strengthened by a broad range of skills, experiences and backgrounds. Naysayers who have derided the U.S. military as lacking the discipline, intelligence and ability to achieve unit cohesion among Americans of different classes, races, ethnicities, religions and yes, genders, have been proven wrong again and again.”
    The letter is led by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and also co-signed by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-WA).
    The full letter is available here and below. 
    Dear Secretary Hegseth:
    We write to express our expectation that the Department of Defense (Department) adhere to recent U.S. District Court injunctions halting terminations of transgender servicemembers and provide all servicemembers with equal protection under the law by protecting the constitutional and legal rights of our Nation’s transgender troops. Our extreme concern over the demonstrably false and propaganda-laden claims in President Donald Trump’s January 27, 2025 Executive Order “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” (EO) is rooted in our commitment to military recruiting and readiness.
    Fewer than one percent of the American people—approximately 0.4 percent—choose to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.  Given the unwillingness or inability of 99.6 percent of the U.S. population to serve in our military, the last thing our Nation should be doing is rejecting patriotic Americans who are ready and willing to serve our country in uniform and bravely accept the risk of making the ultimate sacrifice.
    The United States military became the greatest fighting force in the world by pioneering the integration of diverse groups.  In fields where performance is the top priority, effective leaders recruit from the widest pool of applicants, understanding that arbitrarily restricting eligibility on a discriminatory basis betrays the very concept of meritocracy. We have triumphed over our enemies because military effectiveness and lethality are strengthened by a broad range of skills, experiences and backgrounds.  Naysayers who have derided the U.S. military as lacking the discipline, intelligence and ability to achieve unit cohesion among Americans of different classes, races, ethnicities, religions and yes, genders, have been proven wrong again and again.
    This should not be a controversial issue: most Americans support transgender individuals serving in the military, and a 2020 study found that transgender servicemembers reported above-average physical health and few risk behaviors.  As the Joint Force faces a recruiting crisis amid a staggering attrition rate for new troops (nearly a quarter of Army recruits have failed to complete their initial contracts since 2022), our Nation cannot afford to expel several thousand troops serving honorably on a baseless, hateful whim.
    The Trump administration’s repeated attacks on the transgender community reveal an ideological obsession rooted in a poor understanding of science. Transgender identities are valid, and respecting someone’s gender identity while minding your own business harms no one.  All servicemembers—cisgender and transgender—benefit from investing in unit cohesion, contrary to the false claims in the EO.  This policy insults the service of brave Americans who believe that all people, regardless of differences, are equal and have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Contrary to the low opinion you and the President seem to have of our servicemembers’ professionalism and commitment to mission accomplishment, we believe that our troops can serve together cohesively in pursuit of military effectiveness and excellence, regardless of their differences in identity. Fox News television personalities—not military units—are the ones bothered by transgender people faithfully serving their country.
    This EO establishes a dangerous precedent, allowing the President to arbitrarily decide that an entire group of people is harmful to an undefined ideal of “unit cohesion” and purge them from the Joint Force—without producing any meaningful evidence. You have already personally questioned women’s fitness to serve and erased public records of accomplishments by American military heroes from minority backgrounds.  Who will be targeted next?
    Nearly 20 percent of the transgender community are current servicemembers or Veterans, a significantly higher rate than the approximately seven percent of all U.S. adults fitting these categories.  In return for this patriotism, the administration denies transgender servicemembers not only the ability to serve, but also the resulting benefits they have earned.  The EO and ensuing Department policy proposals specifically target transgender individuals who have accessed gender-affirming care, even though such care continues to be accepted as evidence-based, medically necessary and highly effective by all major medical and behavioral health professional organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association.
    On March 18, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes issued a nationwide preliminary injunction in Talbott v. Trump (1:25-cv-00240, (D.D.C.)), blocking implementation of the EO. Judge Reyes stated that the ban undermines national security, is likely unconstitutional and is “soaked with animus and dripping with pretext.”  10 days later, U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Hale Settle, a former JAG officer appointed by President George W. Bush, issued a second nationwide injunction against the transgender military ban in Shilling v. Trump (2:25-cv-00241 (W.D. Wash.)).  These injunctions were timely, as the Department was scheduled to begin implementing the ban on March 28, 2025, despite several military experts and former leaders characterizing this rapid timeframe as “rushed,” “alarming” and “brutal.”  We could not agree more.
    As the Secretary of Defense, you are ultimately responsible for ensuring the United States maintains a strong and capable fighting force that will keep Americans safe. This harmful EO negatively impacts national security and undermines your oath of office. Given the recent legal developments concerning the order, we request that you respond to the following questions in writing by April 25, 2025:
    Do you commit to following the nationwide injunctions from Talbott v. Trump and Shilling v Trump regarding implementation of President Trump’s transgender servicemember ban? Please explain the steps taken to comply with these injunctions.
    How many taxpayer dollars will be spent to implement this policy?
    As of the date of this letter, how much has been spent on the government’s defense in the aforementioned lawsuits and any other legal challenges related to this EO?
    Approximately how many taxpayer dollars have been spent on training, continuing education, fitness testing, boarding and other related expenses on the transgender troops you are seeking to expel from the Joint Force?
    What is the estimated cost for administrative time spent scouring records to identify transgender servicemembers, pursuing the administrative separation process, providing transition services and implementing associated lifetime benefit payouts to forcibly remove honorably serving, fit transgender troops from service?
    Were any servicemembers prematurely dismissed due to the EO and planned policy implementations? What assistance was provided to help these individuals transition back to civilian life?
    Please provide a detailed reintegration plan for any servicemembers prematurely separated or who began the separation process, outlining how the Department is working to undo the harm already done.
    Do you commit to consulting with professional organizations, such as the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association, to ensure that our Nation’s transgender servicemembers receive the medically necessary, evidence-based healthcare they earned in service to our country?
    How will you ensure that transgender servicemembers can continue to serve without facing stigma or backlash resulting from the Trump administration’s targeted attacks against them?
    The ban on transgender service members will have long-term consequences on military morale and recruitment. Addressing these issues promptly is crucial to prevent negative impacts on the Armed Forces. As the Secretary, you have the opportunity to help reverse the Trump administration’s anti-science, ideologically driven agenda. Swift corrective action will help preserve the military’s integrity and ensure it continues to attract and retain the best talent. Denying any servicemember who has met the qualifications to serve our Nation the right to serve based on ideological grounds is inherently un-American and jeopardizes our national security. This administration’s animus towards transgender heroes prioritizes a manufactured culture war over military excellence and readiness and is a purge of brave servicemembers who protect our freedoms.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Celebrates Passage of National Parks Week Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution introduced by U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), the Ranking Member of the National Parks Subcommittee, marking the week of April 19 through April 27 as National Park Week 2025. The resolution, supported on a bipartisan basis, seeks to boost awareness of the value and availability of recreational areas while encouraging people across the country to spend time in America’s treasured national parks.

    The resolution is cosponsored by Chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee, Senator Steve Daines (R-MT).

    “From the rocky coasts of Acadia to the breathtaking canyons of Zion, America’s national parks preserve some of our nation’s most inspiring landmarks so people of all backgrounds can explore the natural majesty of the United States,” said Senator King. “This National Park Week comes at a particularly trying time for park rangers and park-goers alike who face the current uncertainty associated with misguided funding freezes and layoffs. This resolution serves a reminder of the Senate’s bipartisan commitment to supporting and protecting our gorgeous parks for all future generations.”

    As a lifelong advocate for conservation and as ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Senator King is among the Senate’s most prominent voices advocating for conservation. Senator King helped lead the passage the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law; the legislation that included the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF). Because of his work, in 2020, Senator King was awarded the inaugural National Park Foundation (NPF) “Hero” Award. Since the creation of the LRF, Senator King has pushed park leaders to discuss funding maintenance efforts, maintaining a sufficient NPS workforce, and managing growing park visitation.

    To learn more about National Park Week and the schedule for the remainder of the week, click here.

    To find the closest national park near you, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –