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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Hagerty Reintroduce Legislation to Punish Foreign Governments that Violate American Trade Agreements

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    Tuberville continues fighting for Alabama-based Vulcan Materials

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) in reintroducing the Defending American Property Abroad Act to address the continued aggression from the Mexican government toward Alabama-based Vulcan Materials Company in flagrant violation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The senators’ legislation would impose retaliatory prohibitions to deter and punish any nation in the Western Hemisphere that unlawfully seizes American assets, such as the Mexican government’s ongoing attempts to seize Vulcan’s deep-water port in Quintana Roo, Mexico.

    Sen. Tuberville cosponsored this legislation in the 118th Congress.           

    “For years, the Mexican Government has shown undue aggression toward American businesses, primarily Alabama’s Vulcan Materials,” said Sen. Tuberville. “The continued attempts to exploit Vulcan’s operation in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is a disgrace to our longstanding trade agreement with Mexico. The Trump Administration has hit the ground running to prioritize and empower American companies — I look forward to seeing this bill get across the finish line to ensure American companies are fully protected.”

    “I strongly condemn the Mexican government’s threats against Vulcan Materials Company, and I am pleased to see this bipartisan and bicameral rebuke from the United States Senate,” said Sen. Hagerty. “Under the leadership of Mexico’s previous president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and now the current president, Claudia Sheinbaum, the Mexican government is committing a blatant theft against a major American company and, by extension, the United States itself. No nation should be allowed to bully an American firm without consequences. Our legislation will counter any attempt by the Mexican government to profit from illegal moves to expropriate, nationalize, or otherwise seize U.S. assets.”

    Sens. Tuberville and Hagerty were joined by U.S. Sens. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in cosponsoring the legislation. U.S. Congressman August Pfluger (R-TW-11) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    BACKGROUND:

    This legislation would authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prohibit vessels from entering a U.S. port if they previously used a port, land, or infrastructure that had been illegally seized from a U.S. entity by a foreign nation in the Western Hemisphere. It also empowers the U.S. Trade Representative to investigate and respond to foreign governments that deny U.S. companies fair and equal treatment or that have expropriated, nationalized, or seized U.S. assets.

    In May 2022, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) abruptly shut down Vulcan’s operations with false claims that the firm was violating its contract, and since then, the Mexican Government, under AMLO’s direction, has waged an unceasing pressure campaign against Vulcan, including multiple lawsuits and, at times, sending military and law enforcement officers toits facility in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Last year, AMLO announced that he is pushing to designate the port and mine a “Protected Natural Area.”

    The Alabama delegation has been united in advocating for Vulcan in its ongoing dispute with Mexico. Last year, Sens. Tuberville, Britt, Hagerty, and Kaine sent a letter to Alicia Bárcena, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, urging her to take action regarding the Mexican government’s mistreatment of Vulcan Materials Company.

    In 2023, the Alabama delegation met with Mexico’s Ambassador to the U.S. Moctezuma to advocate for Vulcan. In 2022, Sen. Tuberville sent a letter with former Senator Richard Shelby and eight other U.S. senators calling on the Biden-Harris administration to discourage Mexican aggression against American companies with investments or operations in Mexico.

    Sen. Tuberville also spoke in support of Vulcan on the Senate floor earlier this year.

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 23rd, 2025 Heinrich Releases Statement on Trump Administration Preventing Gallup Indian Medical Center from Providing Health Care to Vulnerable New Mexicans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    Reports illustrate how Trump’s Executive Order to “promote efficiency” in federal government forced Gallup Indian Medical Center to halt medical services and lose staff

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement in response to new reporting that details how Trump’s Executive Order to “promote efficiency” is preventing Gallup Indian Medical Center (GIMC) from providing medical services, pushed physicians out, and upended necessary contracts that make the medical center function.

    “I am appalled at Gallup Indian Medical Center’s dismal state. Despite the truly heroic work being done by providers there, burdensome and unnecessary red tape inflicted by the Trump Administration has caused this already overburdened hospital to cut down on essential services.

    “My office has received numerous reports that GIMC has slashed the number of beds available and scaled back maternal care. That’s not okay. If expectant mothers need an ultrasound or experience pregnancy complications overnight, they shouldn’t have to be flown to another facility to receive basic medical services. But that is the state of care right now.

    “I continue to call on President Trump to take immediate action to repeal DOGE’s policies that are crushing this hospital.

    “This facility desperately needs federal investment in a new location. Instead, this Administration is nearly bringing its operations to a halt, undermining Tribal sovereignty, existing federal law, and the government-to-government relationship.

    “The inherent sovereignty of Tribes is recognized in the U.S. Constitution, in treaties, and across many federal laws and policies, and it has been consistently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. These trust and treaty obligations require the federal government to adequately fund and staff IHS hospitals like GIMC.

    “The Trump Administration’s actions are a blatant and unacceptable violation of treaty obligations and must end now.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WHITE HOUSE UNVEILS AMERICA’S AI ACTION PLAN

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    WASHINGTON, DC – The White House today released “Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan”, in accordance with President Trump’s January executive order on Removing Barriers to American Leadership in AI. Winning the AI race will usher in a new golden age of human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security for the American people.
    The Plan identifies over 90 Federal policy actions across three pillars – Accelerating Innovation, Building American AI Infrastructure, and Leading in International Diplomacy and Security – that the Trump Administration will take in the coming weeks and months.
    Key policies in the AI Action Plan include:
    Exporting American AI: The Commerce and State Departments will partner with industry to deliver secure, full-stack AI export packages – including hardware, models, software, applications, and standards – to America’s friends and allies around the world.
    Promoting Rapid Buildout of Data Centers: Expediting and modernizing permits for data centers and semiconductor fabs, as well as creating new national initiatives to increase high-demand occupations like electricians and HVAC technicians.
    Enabling Innovation and Adoption: Removing onerous Federal regulations that hinder AI development and deployment, and seek private sector input on rules to remove.
    Upholding Free Speech in Frontier Models: Updating Federal procurement guidelines to ensure that the government only contracts with frontier large language model developers who ensure that their systems are objective and free from top-down ideological bias.
    “America’s AI Action Plan charts a decisive course to cement U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence. President Trump has prioritized AI as a cornerstone of American innovation, powering a new age of American leadership in science, technology, and global influence. This plan galvanizes Federal efforts to turbocharge our innovation capacity, build cutting-edge infrastructure, and lead globally, ensuring that American workers and families thrive in the AI era. We are moving with urgency to make this vision a reality,” said White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios.
    “Artificial intelligence is a revolutionary technology with the potential to transform the global economy and alter the balance of power in the world. To remain the leading economic and military power, the United States must win the AI race. Recognizing this, President Trump directed us to produce this Action Plan. To win the AI race, the U.S. must lead in innovation, infrastructure, and global partnerships. At the same time, we must center American workers and avoid Orwellian uses of AI. This Action Plan provides a roadmap for doing that,” said AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks.
    “Winning the AI Race is non-negotiable. America must continue to be the dominant force in artificial intelligence to promote prosperity and protect our economic and national security. President Trump recognized this at the beginning of his administration and took decisive action by commissioning this AI Action Plan. These clear-cut policy goals set expectations for the Federal Government to ensure America sets the technological gold standard worldwide, and that the world continues to run on American technology,” said Secretary of State and Acting National Security Advisor Marco Rubio.
    Learn more at ai.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Kim Statement on Trump Administration Firing First Assistant Desiree Grace

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) issued the following statement:

    “Trump’s Department of Justice is once again criticizing a court that acted within its authority, continuing a pattern of publicly undermining judicial decisions and showing disregard for the rule of law and the separation of powers.

    “The firing of a career public servant, lawfully appointed by the court, is another blatant attempt to intimidate anyone that doesn’t agree with them and undermine judicial independence.

    “This Administration may not like the law, but they are not above it.

    “The people of New Jersey deserve a U.S. Attorney who will enforce the law and pursue justice for the people of our state without partisanship or politics.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 22nd, 2025 Heinrich Announces Committee Passage of $6.5 Million to Combat Crime, Save Lives, & Keep New Mexicans Safe

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced the bipartisan Senate Appropriations Committee passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. With Committee approval of this bill, Heinrich secured support for over $6.5 million for nine local projects in New Mexico.

    “While this Appropriations bill isn’t perfect, it includes resources and investments I negotiated for New Mexico that will help our law enforcement officers solve and reduce violent crime, keep our communities safe, and save lives,” said Heinrich, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This legislation will allocate additional resources to investigate, respond to, and prevent crimes in Tribal communities, including funding to address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons. Additionally, the bill creates a fentanyl tracking system, builds on my work to prevent firearm straw purchases and illegal gun trafficking, and makes opioid use disorder medications more accessible to New Mexicans. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will always fight for investments that put New Mexico communities first.”

    Next, the bill will be considered by the full United States Senate.

    Congressionally Directed Spending

    Heinrich successfully included $6,521,000 in investments for the following 9 local projects in the bill:

    • $1,668,000 for the New Mexico Statewide Sexual Assault Program to increase capacity at the Helpline and Work Force Trauma Institute.
    • $1,050,000 for the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office for forensic analysis and crime scene reconstruction equipment.
    • $1,000,000 for the Las Cruces Police Department to establish an Evidence Processing Lab for local law enforcement agencies.
    • $908,000 for the Albuquerque Police Department to purchase crime scene processing equipment at the Metropolitan Forensic Science Center.
    • $629,000 for the City of Farmington to acquire forensic DNA and narcotics identification equipment, training, and personnel.
    • $533,000 for Eastern New Mexico University Campus to enhance lighting and safety on campus.
    • $350,000 for New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence to expand its youth gun violence prevention programs.
    • $268,000 for the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office to purchase mobile security trailers.
    • $115,000 for Gallup Police Department to purchase crime scene reconstruction equipment.

    Additionally, Heinrich and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) successfully included $1,000,000 for the New Mexico Medical Investigator to enhance the DNA Processing Laboratory.

    Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Key Points and Highlights

    Combatting Crimes on Tribal Lands: Heinrich successfully included language directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to continue to allocate additional resources to address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, including providing sufficient funding to investigate, respond to, and prevent crimes in Tribal communities. Heinrich helped secure $95,000,000 within the Crime Victims Fund specifically for law enforcement efforts on Tribal lands and in order for federal, state, and tribal governments to coordinate on these critical public safety initiatives.

    Fentanyl Tracking System: Heinrich successfully included language directing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to develop a comprehensive fentanyl tracking system. That tracking system would include documentation of seizure location, chemical composition, probable or known manufacturing location, and probable or known point of entry into the United States. Currently, fentanyl interdiction is compiled at land ports of entry by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but the DEA does not have readily accessible tracking data on the movement of illicit drugs within the U.S. or their point of origin. Requiring the compilation and organization of that data will complement DHS’ work and improve our country’s work to effectively combat the fentanyl crisis.

    Firearm Straw Purchases Prevention: Heinrich successfully included language calling on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to continue its public awareness campaign to reduce firearm straw purchases at the retail level and to educate would-be straw purchasers of the penalties associated with knowingly participating in an illegal firearm purchase. This language builds on Heinrich’s work to negotiate and author the provision in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that increased criminal penalties for straw purchases and made it illegal to traffic firearms out of the United States. To date, more than 1,000 defendants have been charged by the Department of Justice because of those provisions, removing hundreds of firearms from the streets.

    Removing Barriers to Lifesaving Medication: Heinrich successfully included language directing the DEA to take further action to remove barriers to access for opioid use disorder medications such as buprenorphine. The data clearly shows that prescriptions of medications for opioid use disorder significantly reduce the risk of overdose death, but despite their demonstrated effectiveness, approximately 87% of those suffering from opioid use disorder do not have a prescription for these lifesaving medications. The inclusion of this language will assist local medical and mental health providers and make medications, including buprenorphine, more accessible to New Mexicans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 22nd, 2025 Heinrich Announces Committee Passage of $6.5 Million to Combat Crime, Save Lives, & Keep New Mexicans Safe

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced the bipartisan Senate Appropriations Committee passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. With Committee approval of this bill, Heinrich secured support for over $6.5 million for nine local projects in New Mexico.

    “While this Appropriations bill isn’t perfect, it includes resources and investments I negotiated for New Mexico that will help our law enforcement officers solve and reduce violent crime, keep our communities safe, and save lives,” said Heinrich, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “This legislation will allocate additional resources to investigate, respond to, and prevent crimes in Tribal communities, including funding to address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons. Additionally, the bill creates a fentanyl tracking system, builds on my work to prevent firearm straw purchases and illegal gun trafficking, and makes opioid use disorder medications more accessible to New Mexicans. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will always fight for investments that put New Mexico communities first.”

    Next, the bill will be considered by the full United States Senate.

    Congressionally Directed Spending

    Heinrich successfully included $6,521,000 in investments for the following 9 local projects in the bill:

    • $1,668,000 for the New Mexico Statewide Sexual Assault Program to increase capacity at the Helpline and Work Force Trauma Institute.
    • $1,050,000 for the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office for forensic analysis and crime scene reconstruction equipment.
    • $1,000,000 for the Las Cruces Police Department to establish an Evidence Processing Lab for local law enforcement agencies.
    • $908,000 for the Albuquerque Police Department to purchase crime scene processing equipment at the Metropolitan Forensic Science Center.
    • $629,000 for the City of Farmington to acquire forensic DNA and narcotics identification equipment, training, and personnel.
    • $533,000 for Eastern New Mexico University Campus to enhance lighting and safety on campus.
    • $350,000 for New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence to expand its youth gun violence prevention programs.
    • $268,000 for the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office to purchase mobile security trailers.
    • $115,000 for Gallup Police Department to purchase crime scene reconstruction equipment.

    Additionally, Heinrich and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) successfully included $1,000,000 for the New Mexico Medical Investigator to enhance the DNA Processing Laboratory.

    Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Key Points and Highlights

    Combatting Crimes on Tribal Lands: Heinrich successfully included language directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to continue to allocate additional resources to address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, including providing sufficient funding to investigate, respond to, and prevent crimes in Tribal communities. Heinrich helped secure $95,000,000 within the Crime Victims Fund specifically for law enforcement efforts on Tribal lands and in order for federal, state, and tribal governments to coordinate on these critical public safety initiatives.

    Fentanyl Tracking System: Heinrich successfully included language directing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to develop a comprehensive fentanyl tracking system. That tracking system would include documentation of seizure location, chemical composition, probable or known manufacturing location, and probable or known point of entry into the United States. Currently, fentanyl interdiction is compiled at land ports of entry by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but the DEA does not have readily accessible tracking data on the movement of illicit drugs within the U.S. or their point of origin. Requiring the compilation and organization of that data will complement DHS’ work and improve our country’s work to effectively combat the fentanyl crisis.

    Firearm Straw Purchases Prevention: Heinrich successfully included language calling on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to continue its public awareness campaign to reduce firearm straw purchases at the retail level and to educate would-be straw purchasers of the penalties associated with knowingly participating in an illegal firearm purchase. This language builds on Heinrich’s work to negotiate and author the provision in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that increased criminal penalties for straw purchases and made it illegal to traffic firearms out of the United States. To date, more than 1,000 defendants have been charged by the Department of Justice because of those provisions, removing hundreds of firearms from the streets.

    Removing Barriers to Lifesaving Medication: Heinrich successfully included language directing the DEA to take further action to remove barriers to access for opioid use disorder medications such as buprenorphine. The data clearly shows that prescriptions of medications for opioid use disorder significantly reduce the risk of overdose death, but despite their demonstrated effectiveness, approximately 87% of those suffering from opioid use disorder do not have a prescription for these lifesaving medications. The inclusion of this language will assist local medical and mental health providers and make medications, including buprenorphine, more accessible to New Mexicans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Introduces Bill to Examine National Security Threat Posed by Debt

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced the National Net Interest is National Security Act to analyze the threats that current trajectories of the national debt and net interest pose to national security.
    “We spent $882 billion last year on interest on our debt. That means less money for our nation’s defense,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This bill makes sure Congress gets the facts before our national security is in danger.”
    Specifically, the National Net Interest is National Security Act would require:

    Within one year, as a part of the National Defense Strategy, the Treasury Secretary and Secretaries of Defense and State must send Congress a report on how the growing national debt and rising interest payments could threaten national security, including: 

    The impact on defense discretionary spending;
    Revenue received by the federal government;
    The capacity to operate an efficient and effective response for national defense;
    The capacity to respond to emerging and future geopolitical threats and crises;
    The capacity to respond to economic depressions and recessions, or other economic crises;
    Meet mandatory spending obligations, including Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid;
    The impact on the U.S. Dollar in global financial markets, global reserves currency status, and international exchange rates;
    And the impact on the U.S. credit rating, inflation, and interest rates; and,
    Any recommendations the Secretary may have for legislative action to reduce national security risks related to the national debt and net interest. 
    This legislation would also require the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to include matters relating to threats posed to national security by the increases of the national debt and national net interest to matters on the High-Risk List of the GAO.

    Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) in introducing this legislation.
    “As the high and rising debt threatens to crowd out vital national priorities, from private investment to public infrastructure to military readiness, we thank Sens. Cassidy (R-LA) and Peters (D-MI) for drawing attention to the need for immediate action to reduce deficits, through their bipartisan introduction of theNational Net Interest is National Security Act of 2025,” says Michele Stockwell, president of Bipartisan Policy Center Action (BPC Action).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham Statement on Spartanburg Family Being Rescued from Syria

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement on the welcome news that a Spartanburg family has been safely extracted from Syria. Desiree Gomez, an assistant principal at Lyman Elementary School, her husband Mohamad Shokair and their daughter Salma had been caught in the middle of fighting in Syria  while visiting family.
    Graham’s office was in touch with the family’s relatives in the United States, working with the U.S. State Department to provide for their safe return home.
    “I just received the great news that Desiree, an assistant principal at Lyman Elementary, her husband and their daughter have been safely extracted from Syria. My office had been deeply involved and closely monitoring this operation.
    “The family was on a visit to their relatives in Syria and were caught in the chaos and fighting.
    “I want to profusely thank The Grey Bull Rescue Foundation for this daring rescue effort, risking their lives to bring this family to safety. At an appropriate time, I intend to do more to recognize the Foundation’s selfless mission to bring hope and safety to Americans in harm’s way.
    “I urge all Americans to pay close attention to all State Department travel advisories before making any trips – even if it is family related.
    “Again, I am so grateful to all those who assisted in this endeavor to bring this family safely back home to South Carolina.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 07.22.2025 Sen. Cruz Introduces Bill Targeting NGOs and Adversaries Funding Violent Riots

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and colleagues introduced the Stop Financial Underwriting of Nefarious Demonstrations and Extremist Riots (Stop FUNDERs) Act. This bill adds rioting, as defined by the federal anti-riot statute, to the list of RICO predicate offenses, allowing the Department of Justice to use the full suite of RICO tools against entities who fund or coordinate violent interstate riots.
    Sen. Cruz said, “Every American has the right to freedom of speech and peaceful protest, but not to commit violence. Domestic NGOs and foreign adversaries fund and use riots in the United States to undermine the security and prosperity of Americans. My legislation will give the Department of Justice the tools it needs to hold them accountable, and I urge colleagues to pass it expeditiously.”
    The bill is cosponsored by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Josh Hawley (R- Mo.).
    Sen. Cornyn said, “Radical, left-wing groups who fund acts of violence, coordinate attacks against law enforcement, and spearhead the destruction of property must be stopped. This legislation would add rioting to the list of racketeering offenses to crack down on this lawless behavior while ensuring the First Amendment rights of free speech and peaceful protest are protected.”
    Sen. Tuberville said, “77 million Americans voted for President Trump and his America First policy agenda – and that includes arresting and deporting illegal aliens. Democrats don’t like that – so they are rioting in the streets and violently attacking law enforcement officers. This cannot stand. My colleagues and I are introducing a bill to make sure the Department of Justice has the tools it needs to go after anti-American terrorist groups and their funders who are protecting illegal rapists, murderers, and criminals. We have to cut these violent riots off at the source. The adults are back in charge, and law and order will prevail.”
    Sen. Hagerty said, “From anti-Semitic riots to violent anti-ICE attacks, those who fund and coordinate violent riots across our country must be held accountable. The Stop FUNDERs Act will give the Department of Justice the tools it needs to bring those facilitating and financing violence on our campuses and in our streets to account.”
    Sen. Tillis said, “Organized riots like those in Los Angeles pose a serious threat to public safety, endanger law enforcement, and undermine the rule of law. The Stop FUNDERs Act gives the Department of Justice the tools to go after the individuals and organizations that fund and orchestrate violent riots across our country. I’m proud to support this legislation to hold these bad actors accountable and restore law and order in our communities.”
    Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas-24).
    Rep. Van Duyne said, “The standard of treating violent, extremist activists as individual criminals must end. It is time we empower our law enforcement with a commonsense tool to treat these violent mobs, their funding sources, and their organizers as the criminal enterprises they are by passing the Stop FUNDERS Act. Since the days of the George Floyd riots, to the violence we see across American cities and college campuses today, it is obvious there are well funded, well outfitted, and highly coordinated efforts to plan and execute violent and potentially deadly missions of chaos and mayhem. This is organized crime, and we need to attack it as such.”
    This bill is supported by Heritage Action and National Right to Work Committee.
    Read the full text of the bill here.
    BACKGROUND
    The Stop FUNDERs Act will:
    Amend 18 U.S.C. § 1961(1) to add “rioting,” as defined in the Anti-Riot Act, to the list of racketeering predicate offenses.
    Enable the Department of Justice to use RICO tools—including joint liability and group prosecution, conspiracy charges, asset forfeiture, and enhanced criminal penalties—against organizations and individuals who repeatedly fund or coordinate violent interstate riots.
    Deter abuse of nonprofit status and expose hidden financial pipelines behind politically motivated violence.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty, Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Protect American Assets From Unlawful Seizure by Foreign Governments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    In violation of USMCA, Mexico’s president has repeatedly threatened to declare an American company’s property as a “Protected Natural Area” to unjustifiably seize the company’s assets
    WASHINGTON—Yesterday,United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led his colleagues in reintroducing the Defending American Property Abroad Act, legislation to impose retaliatory prohibitions to deter and punish any nation in the Western Hemisphere that unlawfully seizes American assets. This legislation responds to ongoing efforts by the Mexican government to seize a deep-water port owned by U.S.-based Vulcan Materials Company in flagrant violation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) governing trade between our two nations. The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ted Budd (R-NC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD). Representative August Pfluger (R-TX-11) has introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    In specific, this legislation would authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prohibit vessels from entering a U.S. port if they previously used a port, land, or infrastructure that had been illegally seized from a U.S. entity by a foreign nation in the Western Hemisphere.  It also empowers the U.S. Trade Representative to investigate and respond to foreign governments that deny U.S. companies fair and equal treatment or that have expropriated, nationalized, or seized U.S. assets.
    “I strongly condemn the Mexican government’s threats against Vulcan Materials Company and I am pleased to see this bipartisan and bicameral rebuke from the United States Senate,” said Senator Hagerty.  “Under the leadership of Mexico’s previous president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and now the current president, Claudia Sheinbaum, the Mexican government is committing a blatant theft against a major American company and, by extension, the United States itself. No nation should be allowed to bully an American firm without consequences. Our legislation will counter any attempt by the Mexican government to profit from illegal moves to expropriate, nationalize, or otherwise seize U.S. assets.”
    “American companies operating abroad should not have to fear arbitrary government actions that undermine their property rights,” said Representative Pfluger. “The Defending American Property Abroad Act will ensure that such actions do not go unchecked and that American businesses are protected from unjust expropriation. The protection of American property rights abroad is essential for fostering economic growth and maintaining our national security. I urge my colleagues in Congress to support this critical legislation and send a clear message that the United States will not tolerate unjust actions against American companies.”
    “The Mexican government’s unfair targeting of Vulcan Materials Company, a U.S.-based company that employs over 1,000 people in Virginia, is harmful to the relationship between our two countries and severely undermines investor confidence,” said Senator Kaine. “That’s why I’m joining my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation to deter the illegal seizure of U.S. assets.”
    “The threats toward Vulcan’s lawfully permitted, U.S.-owned deep-water port from the Government of Mexico, even under a new president, have not ceased,” said Senator Britt. “Mexico continues to flagrantly violate international law with its actions, putting America’s and Alabama’s economic and national security at risk — and it won’t stand. I’m proud to fight for the rule of law and join Senator Hagerty in introducing the bipartisan Defending American Property Abroad Act of 2025. This reaffirms the U.S. will impose crushing consequences if the Government of Mexico continues to execute its illegal scheme against Vulcan’s property.”
    “For years, the Mexican Government has shown undue aggression toward American businesses, primarily Alabama’s Vulcan Materials,” said Senator Tuberville. “The continued attempts to exploit Vulcan’s operation in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico is a disgrace to our longstanding trade agreement with Mexico. The Trump Administration has hit the ground running to prioritize and empower American companies — I look forward to seeing this bill get across the finish line to ensure American companies are fully protected.”
    “U.S.-owned properties in the Western Hemisphere contribute much to our economy and should not be targeted by foreign nations,” said Senator Wicker. “This legislation would hold our allies accountable for their actions and increase protections on American-owned assets that have been expropriated.”
    “American-owned properties and businesses should not experience unlawful expropriation and abuse at the hands of hostile foreign governments,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Defending American Property Abroad Act would strengthen the U.S. response to the illegal seizure of American-owned properties by creating a clear set of consequences for those actions.” 
    Background:
    In May 2022, then-Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) abruptly shut down Vulcan Materials Company’s operations with false claims that the firm was violating its contract and his government subsequently waged an unceasing pressure campaign against Vulcan, including multiple lawsuits and sending military and law enforcement to its facilities.In May 2022, Senator Hagerty urged then-President Joe Biden to take action against the Mexican government’s moves to expropriate the property of U.S. companies with investments and operations in Mexico.
    In March 2023, Senator Hagerty pressed then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the seizure by Mexican military troops and civilian authorities of U.S.-based Vulcan Materials Company’s assets in Mexico.
    In December 2023, Senators Hagerty and Kaine spoke on the Senate floor imploring then-President López Obrador to halt harmful actions against American companies’ lawfully owned assets in Mexico, noting that these unlawful actions violate agreements made between the two countries under the USMCA and jeopardize a key U.S. trade relationship.
    In August 2024, AMLO announced that he is pushing to designate the port and mine a “Protected Natural Area”.
    In September 2024, Senators Hagerty and Kaine introduced legislation to impose retaliatory prohibitions that deter and punish any Western Hemisphere nation that unlawfully seizes American assets, responding to ongoing efforts by the Government of Mexico to seize a deep-water port owned by U.S.-based Vulcan Materials Company, which is a flagrant violation of the United Sates-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) governing trade between our two nations.
    In December 2024, Senators Hagerty and other lawmakers condemned ongoing efforts by then-U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai to weaken protections for American companies under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a counterproductive move that would make American companies vulnerable to Mexico seizing their property and assets.
    In April 2025, Senators Hagerty and Kaine sent a letter to Mexican Minister of Economy Ebrard Casaubon urging him to address the country’s unfair treatment of the U.S.-based Vulcan Materials Company, which has operated in Mexico for decades and supports thousands of jobs in both countries.
    Full text of the Defending American Property Abroad Act can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Leads SASC Hearing on SOCOM and AFRICOM Nominees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing to consider the nominations of two senior military officers to lead U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
    In his opening remarks, Chairman Wicker emphasized the importance of each combatant command in confronting the increasingly dangerous and complex national security environment and underscored the importance of ensuring both have sufficient funding and manpower to address growing threats.
    Read Senator Wicker’s hearing opening statement as delivered.
    Good morning.  The committee meets today to consider the nominations of Vice Admiral Mitch Bradley, to be Commander, United States Special Operations Command, and Lieutenant General Dagvin Anderson, to be Commander, United States Africa Command.
    I welcome our witnesses and their families, and I thank them for their continued willingness to serve our nation.
    If confirmed, Admiral Bradley will assume command at a time when Special Operations Command (SOCOM) faces a formidable challenge: SOCOM is being asked to build a force capable of combatting the advanced militaries of China and Russia while simultaneously remaining fully engaged in the fight against violent Islamic terrorism. At the same time, special operators must be ready to respond at a moment’s notice as our nation’s premier crisis response force.
    It is clear to me that the role and importance of SOCOM is greater today than at any time since its establishment four decades ago.  However, SOCOM’s budget does not reflect this reality. Its budget has remained flat since 2019.  Adjusted for inflation, that amounts to roughly a 14 percent cut in purchasing power.  To amplify that point, SOCOM identified $757 million in unfunded requirements for Fiscal Year 2026.
    We want to ensure that SOCOM is fully resourced to meet the demands placed on it.  Admiral Bradley should tell us how he plans to meet those demands and how we can help.
    If confirmed, General Anderson will confront a growing array of threats on the African continent.  The Chinese Communist Party views Africa as a critical link in Xi Jinping’s unprecedented global military expansion and continues to pursue new bases for the People’s Liberation Army.  Vladimir Putin remains fully engaged in his destabilizing campaign to trade security assistance for access to Africa’s abundant natural resources.  This is one of Putin’s ways to fund his malign activities around the world.  All the while, Islamic violent extremist groups aligned with ISIS and al-Qaeda remain an enduring threat in Africa.
    Despite the growing complexity and scale of threats on the continent, AFRICOM remains under-resourced in both manpower and in critical capabilities like intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
    I look forward to General Anderson’s assessment of Africa’s importance to our national security, as well as his description of what AFRICOM’s strategy should be to counter the growing threat posed by China, Russia, and our other adversaries across the continent. I am particularly interested in how General Anderson plans to use America’s economic tools, including the Office of Strategic Capital, to combat Chinese influence.
    If confirmed, our nominees will confront a global security environment that is defined by emboldened, aggressive dictators in Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, and Pyongyang.  They view this fight as a global fight, unconstrained by geographic boundaries and the traditional norms of warfare.  This axis of aggressors blends conventional military power with asymmetric tactics, including economic warfare, disinformation, and the use of proxy networks to undermine American security interests. The witnesses before us today will play a key role in the Department of Defense’s efforts to combat these challenges, and I look forward to hearing them address these and many other concerns during today’s hearing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Letter, Murray, Blumenthal, Gallego Call on Secretary Collins Stop Endangering VA Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    “Scientific research takes years to build, and it cannot be treated like a spigot – turned on and off at will to serve the Trump Administration’s efforts to balance the budget on the backs of veterans.”

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) recently expressed their deep concerns with the ongoing setbacks to medical research at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as a result of VA Secretary Doug Collins’ cuts and policies at the Department, including his months-long hiring freeze on essential research staff.

    “Mr. Secretary, your hiring freeze has brought real-life impacts and pain upon our veterans – and reversing your hiring freeze for these positions months later is not enough to undo this harm,” the senators wrote in their letter to Secretary Collins. “VA researchers often work on 2- or 3-year appointments – “not to exceed” (NTE) contracts – which, as long as the researcher has funding, are typically rolled over into new appointments. Due to your hiring freeze, essential researchers whose terms were ending soon were shown the door and forced to abandon often lifesaving work, and their positions were unable to be backfilled. These actions damaged veterans’ access to cutting-edge treatments and clinical trials.” The senators cited specific examples of how the Trump VA’s hiring freeze impeded veterans’ access to critical clinical trials, including those aimed at preventing dementia and heart disease, better predicting veterans’ stroke risk, studying advanced cancers, and a substance use disorder study.

    The senators urged Collins to “rebuild this cornerstone of the United States’ medical research enterprise” by rehiring VA researchers whose terms were not extended due to the hiring freeze; addressing the backlog of research positions that were frozen but are now able to be hired again; coordinating with the National Institutes of Health to restore cancelled grants for VA researchers; and allowing researchers to publish their findings without the unprecedented step of preapproval by political appointees.

    The senators also emphasized their concerns around the prospect of politicizing VA research: “We are also concerned by reports that VA research studies may now have to be approved by political appointees before publication in academic journals. Please clarify to Congress, VA research employees, and veterans that no political appointees will be involved in approving or censoring the publication of research studies. Such clarification will support the historically bipartisan nature of VA research and help assure current and future VA researchers that VA will not censor the work of the talented staff it employs.”

    The senators concluded: “Scientific research takes years to build, and it cannot be treated like a spigot – turned on and off at will to serve the Trump Administration’s efforts to balance the budget on the backs of veterans. The consequences of your hiring freeze – and the resulting backlog in hiring VA research staff – could be severe and long-lasting. You still have the chance to correct course by immediately rehiring wrongly terminated researchers, working with OPM to quickly address the backlog in research staff hiring, coordinating with other agencies to restore all grants revoked from VA researchers, and assuring current and future VA researchers that their research will not be subject to political review.”

    Senator Murray was the first woman to join the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the first woman to chair the Committee—as the daughter of a World War II veteran, supporting veterans and their families has always been an important priority for her. In March, Senator Murray and her colleagues sent letters to VA Secretary Doug Collins demanding that the VA swiftly reverse moves to cut VA researchers, as well as multiple letters pressing Secretary Collins to sever DOGE’s access to any VA or other government system with information about veterans, and protect veterans, their families, and VA staff from unprecedented access to sensitive information. Senator Murray grilled Trump’s nominee for VA Deputy Secretary, Dr. Paul Lawrence, on the mass firings of VA employees and VA researchers, and voted against Doug Collins’s nomination to be VA Secretary in early February, sounding the alarm over reports of DOGE at the VA and making clear that the Trump administration’s lawlessness was putting our national security and our veterans at risk.

    The full letter is available HERE and below:

    Dear Secretary Collins,

    We write today to express our deep concerns with the setbacks to medical research at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under your leadership. Although VA has begun to resolve some of your self-inflicted issues, including your multiple months-long hiring freeze on essential research staff, we call on you to take additional key actions to build back VA research. To rebuild this cornerstone of the United States’ medical research enterprise, you must rehire VA researchers whose terms were not extended due to the hiring freeze, address the backlog of research positions that were frozen but are now able to be hired again, coordinate with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to restore cancelled grants for VA researchers, and allow researchers to publish their findings without the unprecedented step of preapproval by political appointees.

    Mr. Secretary, your hiring freeze has brought real-life impacts and pain upon our veterans – and reversing your hiring freeze for these positions months later is not enough to undo this harm. VA researchers often work on 2- or 3-year appointments – “not to exceed” (NTE) contracts – which, as long as the researcher has funding, are typically rolled over into new appointments. Due to your hiring freeze, essential researchers whose terms were ending soon were shown the door and forced to abandon often lifesaving work, and their positions were unable to be backfilled. These actions damaged veterans’ access to cutting-edge treatments and clinical trials. For example:

    • A clinical trial aimed at preventing dementia and heart disease was unable to renew a without compensation appointment and had to turn veterans away from enrollment.
    • A substance use disorder study was paused due to an employee’s termination, leaving progress stalled on a major public health issue affecting veterans at a rate higher than non-veterans.
    • Critical research employees on a study predicting stroke risk were fired, leading this study to be halted.
    • Enrollment in clinical trials for advanced cancers was delayed, limiting access to promising therapies.

    To ensure there are no further impediments to this vital research, we request a list of all research positions that are still subject to the hiring freeze – including research positions at VA’s Centers of Excellence and Centers of Innovation – and call on you to rehire all researchers who, through no fault of their own, had their NTE contracts expire during the hiring freeze. We also urge you to work with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to quickly address the backlog in research staff hiring that your hiring freeze has engendered. VA research staff nationwide are reporting a significant backlog in the hiring process for critical research employees who are finally, after months of waiting, no longer subject to your hiring freeze. Failure to swiftly address this backlog will put veterans’ health at risk, decimate the morale of an already understaffed research workforce, and undercut one of VA’s best recruiting tools.

    Furthermore, timely coordination with the National Institutes of Health – the nation’s leading biomedical research agency – is essential to restore any VA researchers’ canceled NIH grants. Our offices have heard from VA researchers whose studies on topics such as opioid use disorder among veterans have been halted due to NIH grant cancellations. We urge you to work with NIH to restore these grants and all other cancelled grants that funded studies to improve veterans’ health outcomes. We are similarly concerned that additional grants for VA researchers affiliated with academic institutions have been canceled, especially given VA’s refusal to answer repeated requests from our offices regarding the status of VA research at Harvard University. Reporting has noted that VA research projects associated with Harvard University – including studies on veteran suicide prevention, toxic exposure, and prostate cancer screening – have been proposed for termination. Veterans should not have to suffer due to this Administration’s political crusade on research and academia. We urge you to work to restore any such canceled grants without delay.

    We are also concerned by reports that VA research studies may now have to be approved by political appointees before publication in academic journals. Please clarify to Congress, VA research employees, and veterans that no political appointees will be involved in approving or censoring the publication of research studies. Such clarification will support the historically bipartisan nature of VA research and help assure current and future VA researchers that VA will not censor the work of the talented staff it employs.

    Scientific research takes years to build, and it cannot be treated like a spigot – turned on and off at will to serve the Trump Administration’s efforts to balance the budget on the backs of veterans. The consequences of your hiring freeze – and the resulting backlog in hiring VA research staff – could be severe and long-lasting. You still have the chance to correct course by immediately rehiring wrongly terminated researchers, working with OPM to quickly address the backlog in research staff hiring, coordinating with other agencies to restore all grants revoked from VA researchers, and assuring current and future VA researchers that their research will not be subject to political review.

    We appreciate your attention to this critical issue and stand ready to support swift efforts that will allow VA research to thrive once more and continue to improve veteran health outcomes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Joins Legislation to Strengthen Whistleblower Protections for Federal Contractors

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Co-Chair of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, is cosponsoring bipartisan legislation alongside Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gary Peters (D-Mich.) to expand whistleblower protections for government contractors and grantees.

    The Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act closes existing loopholes in whistleblower protection laws that leave employees of federal contractors who have disclosed waste, fraud or abuse in federal agencies vulnerable to acts of reprisal and allow whistleblower retaliators to escape accountability. The bill clarifies whistleblower protections cannot be waived by a nondisclosure agreement or other conditions of employment.

    “Whistleblowers working for federal contractors and subcontractors shouldn’t face retaliation for sounding the alarm on waste, fraud and abuse. These patriots are critical in safeguarding Americans’ tax dollars. As a long-time advocate for whistleblowers, I’m glad to sponsor this legislation to strengthen protections for whistleblowers and close the loopholes that have allowed retaliation,” Grassley said.

    “Whistleblowers who expose government fraud deserve strong protection from retaliation,” Peters said. “This bipartisan legislation closes dangerous loopholes in current law and ensures that contractor employees can report wrongdoing without fear of reprisal. By strengthening these safeguards, we’re protecting both whistleblowers and taxpayer dollars.”

    Eight members of the Make It Safe Coalition applauded Grassley for his sponsorship of the Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Government Contractors Act.

    “As [a] longstanding whistleblower champion in the Senate and the Chair of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, we are proud to have worked with your staff over the decades to codify whistleblower protections into law. There can be no credible debate that whistleblowers are America’s best weapon against fraud, waste and abuse. This legislation is a true story of bipartisan Senate work.”

    Background:

    A long-time advocate for whistleblowers, Grassley authored the 1986 updates to the False Claims Act that have since allowed the federal government to recover $78 billion in taxpayer dollars. A key provision in that update, qui tam, allows whistleblowers to sue alleged fraudsters on behalf of the government and share in any recoveries.

    Grassley worked to enact whistleblower protections for private sector employees as part of the whistleblower provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Anti-Money Laundering Act and the Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act reform efforts. This Congress, Grassley also introduced bipartisan legislation, the SEC Whistleblower Reform Act of 2025 and the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Whistleblower Protection Act, to strengthen protections for corporate whistleblowers.

    In 2014, Grassley welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the law extending whistleblower protection to federal contractors and subcontractors. The Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act fixes loopholes that were not addressed in the original legislation.

     

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Justice Introduce Bipartisan Strengthening Local Food Security Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to strengthen the nation’s food supply chain network, bolster economic opportunities for local farmers and food producers, and increase access to fresh, local nutritious food in underserved communities and schools, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Jim Justice (R-WV) teamed up to introduce the Strengthening Local Food Security Act (S. 2338).
    This new bill would create a permanent grant program for state and tribal governments to procure local foods for distribution to nearby hunger relief programs and schools.
    The bipartisan proposal would leverage government procurement and purchasing power to increase access to locally-sourced, fresh, healthy, and nutritious food in underserved communities and schools and in turn, help family farmers, fishermen, and local food producers grow their markets. This grant program would:
    Support local economic development by creating new access to the hunger relief market for local farmers and fishermen, creating a new, reliable stream of orders for small, beginning, and underserved farmers, ranchers, and fishers, giving these businesses the financial security to invest and further expand.
    Strengthen our domestic agriculture supply chain by investing in local food distribution. The bill would help build local businesses that support durable and resilient local food systems.
    Combat food insecurity by providing fresh, nutritious, local food to underserved communities and schools, feeding more families and helping ease the strain on the hunger relief system.
    “Food prices are up and food banks are experiencing rising demand. We’ve got to feed those in need. The Strengthening Local Food Security Act makes family farmers and fishermen part of the solution, putting fresh, healthy food on the table in a cost-effective manner that strengthens the local economy too,” said Senator Jack Reed. “This bill will feed students and families and plant seeds of economic development for farmers, fishermen, and others throughout the nation’s food supply chain.”
    “In West Virginia, we know the value of hard work and locally grown food. The Strengthening Local Food Security Act helps our farmers, ranchers, and fishermen get more of their local food onto more tables. It puts money back into our communities and keeps people fed. That’s a win-win all around. I look forward to working to get this done for our local producers, food banks, and schools,” Senator Jim Justice said.
    The Strengthening Local Food Security Act is supported by a wide range of farmers, food hubs, coalitions, and business networks from across the country, including the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, National Farmers Union, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, and the Farm Credit Council.
    In Rhode Island, the bill is supported by several leading organizations, including: the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, Farm Fresh Rhode Island, and the Rhode Island Food Policy Council.
    “At a time when we’re serving more people than ever before, this type of legislation is critical, both for Rhode Island families and for our state’s economy,” said Melissa Cherney, incoming CEO of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. “We’re honored to support Senator Reed’s bill.”
    “It’s always a good time to invest in Rhode Island’s farmers. This bill will increase fairness by opening valuable wholesale markets to our smaller-scale producers. Even better, it does so while supporting the state’s economy and feeding our communities,” said Nessa Richman, Network Director of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council.
    “Over 40 percent of people in Rhode Island do not have enough to eat. This bill helps to address that issue by partnering with local farmers as part of the solution. Farm Fresh RI is excited by the opportunity to strengthen the agricultural supply chain, support local economic development and provide nutritious food to children and food insecure families,” said Jesse Rye, Executive Director of Farm Fresh Rhode Island.
    “Farm Credit applauds Senators Reed and Justice for their leadership in introducing the Strengthening Local Food Security Act of 2025. This bill is a strategic investment in American agriculture—supporting farmers, strengthening supply chains, and helping schools and communities access locally produced food. This bill will help boost regional economies and improve food security across the country,” said Christy Seyfert, President and CEO, Farm Credit Council.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 22nd, 2025 Heinrich Votes Against Republicans’ Legislation to Defund Public Broadcasting, Harm New Mexicans’ Safety

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) stood firm for New Mexico families by voting against Senate Republicans’ rescissions package that cuts funding to local public radio and TV stations, which rural communities and Tribes rely on as their primary source of information during life-or-death emergencies like wildfires, flash floods, and other catastrophic natural disasters.
    “First, Republicans pushed through the largest Medicaid cut in American history. Now, they’ve slashed the only lifeline rural communities and Tribes rely on during life-or-death emergencies like wildfires and flash floods. Republicans’ cuts to local public radio and TV stations are reckless, dangerous, and put New Mexicans directly in harm’s way. All of this to bankroll massive tax giveaways for Trump’s billionaire donors,” said Heinrich, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
    Below are the New Mexico radio and TV stations whose federal funding is now at risk thanks to Republicans’ rescissions bill:
    Radio
    KSHI-FM, Zuni
    KGLP-FM, Gallup
    KABR-FM, Alamo
    KSJE-FM, Farmington
    KENW-FM, Portales
    KCIE-FM, Dulce
    KTDB, Pine Hill
    KSFR-FM, Santa Fe
    KANW-FM, Albuquerque
    KHFM-FM (Albuquerque)
    KUNM-FM (Albuquerque)
    KRWG-FM, Las Cruces
    TV
    KENW-TV, Portales
    New Mexico PBS KNME-TV (Albuquerque)
    KRWG-TV (Las Cruces)
    During the Reconciliation votes, Senate Republicans blocked Heinrich’s efforts to:
    Protect Public Radio and TV
    Prohibit defunding public radio and television stations that primarily serve rural and Tribal communities.
    Prohibit defunding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
    Protect public radio and television stations that are partners in the Emergency Alert System.
    Protect access to children’s education programming through public television.
    Promote American Values and Counter the People’s Republica of China (PRC) and Russia Influence Globally
    Prevent cuts to funding that counters malign-PRC and Russian influence globally, including to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine.
    Ensure the United States can maintain our long tradition of providing life-saving aid, including food and medicine.
    Maintain the United States’s position as a global leader in humanitarian assistance.
    Combat child marriages and feed children around the world.
    Protect funding for child health, global health security, and to treat and prevent tuberculosis, malaria, and other diseases
    Protect funding for international organizations and life-saving programs, including UNICEF other large-scale humanitarian and hunger prevention programs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Announces Another Trump Cabinet Member as Featured Speaker at Entrepreneur Expo

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, announced that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin will be a featured speaker at her upcoming Entrepreneur Expo.
    The third annual event, taking place at Iowa State University on Tuesday, August 12, will provide Iowa small businesses an unparalleled chance to learn about opportunities across the federal marketplace with networking and hands-on instruction.
    “Administrator Zeldin has been a champion for small businesses in Washington, and I have proudly worked with him to reform the harmful WOTUS rule and slash costly red tape,” said Ernst. “His work has empowered entrepreneurs to be able to spend less time sorting through a mountain of paperwork and more time on the shop floor, out in the fields, or serving their customers. His expertise will be invaluable to expo attendees, and I am excited to welcome him back to the great state of Iowa!”
    “Senator Ernst is a fierce advocate for Iowa small business owners and farmers. I am very excited to join her Entrepreneur Expo next month,” said Zeldin. “In the first six-months of the Trump Administration, we have been full steam ahead working hard to provide relief for Americans by protecting our precious environment while rolling back onerous regulations that have held back our economy. EPA’s goal is to get out of the way and make it easier, not harder, for American businesses to prosper. I look forward to meeting many hard working Iowans and am eager to solicit their feedback and input as we Power the Great American Comeback.”
    Click here to learn more and RSVP for the event.
    Background:
    Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler will also be a featured speaker at the expo.
    Last year, 40 federal and state entities came to Ernst’s Expo to connect with small businesses on opportunities in federal contracting and innovation programs.
    Hundreds of Iowans attended Ernst’s 2023 Expo, which featured 31 federal and state entities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: West Virginia Delegation Applauds Disaster Declaration Approval for Ohio and Marion Counties

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), as well as U.S. Reps. Carol Miller (W.Va.-01) and Riley Moore (W.Va.-02), applauded President Donald Trump’s approval of a Major Disaster Declaration and an Emergency Declaration for Ohio and Marion counties.

    “The West Virginia Congressional Delegation is grateful to the Trump administration for the major disaster declaration and emergency declaration giving the approval of our state’s request for federal disaster aid. The flooding that occurred saw devastating loss of life and property, and we are glad that much-needed help is on the way to help these communities recover and rebuild. We commend the bravery of the first responders who sprang into action and the local leaders, churches, and charities who have been on the ground helping victims begin to rebuild their lives,” the lawmakers said. 

    The Major Disaster Declaration means that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance program will be able to provide financial aid to homeowners and renters affected by the June flooding. 

    The delegation sent a letter to President Trump and FEMA Acting Regional Administrator Hutchinson expressing strong support of the governor’s Major Disaster Declaration request in Ohio and Marion counties. You can view a copy of that letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Meets with UTEP President Heather Wilson

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    July 22, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) met today with University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) President Heather Wilson to discuss breaking down barriers to education, supporting UTEP students, and advancing their top-tier academic programs in fields ranging from biological sciences and nursing to education and engineering. See photo below.

    This image is in the public domain, but those wishing to do so may credit the Office of U.S. Senator John Cornyn.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Coons, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect State and Local Judges

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Chris Coons (D-DE), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) today introduced the Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act, which would establish a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center to provide technical assistance, training, and threat monitoring for state and local judges and court personnel:

    “With threats against judges and their families increasing at an alarming rate, more must be done to protect them,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would establish a much-needed resource center to identify and respond to bad actors, ensuring our nation’s courts and the Americans who work in them every day are safe.”

    “Public servants should be able to do their jobs free from threats to themselves or their families – and that includes our state and local judges,” said Sen. Coons. “Our nation has seen increasing political violence that has too often ended in tragedy – threatening those just trying to serve their country and threatening our democratic system built on respect for the rule of law. I’m proud this bipartisan bill unanimously passed the Senate last year and I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill to the president’s desk.”

    “Judges perform a critical community service at every level of our justice system,” said Sen. Moran. “Regardless of how a judge rules on a case, any form of harassment or intimidation is unacceptable. In response to growing threats and attacks against members of the judiciary, this legislation would provide needed resources and support to local law enforcement tasked with protecting judges and courthouses.”

    “Online mobs have increasingly lobbed violent threats against judges, including in Rhode Island, for ruling against the Trump administration.  Judges and court officials must be able to conduct their work without fearing for their lives or their family’s safety,” said Sen. Whitehouse. “This timely bipartisan bill would bolster security at courthouses and judges’ homes to help protect the integrity of our judicial system.  We also need to make sure that orchestration of threats is properly investigated.”

    “We’re seeing an alarming surge of dangerous threats and actions targeting judges across this nation – stoking the flames of violence towards public servants and their families,” said Sen. Shaheen. “Our bipartisan legislation offers a commonsense solution to this troubling trend by establishing a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center to implement enhanced security measures to keep judges, their families and their staff out of harm’s way.”

    U.S. Representatives Michael McCaul (TX-10) and Lucy McBath (GA-06) introduced companion legislation in the House.

    Background:

    The Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act would create a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center to:

    • Provide technical assistance to state and local judges and court personnel around judicial security;
    • Provide physical security assessments for courts, homes, and other facilities where judicial officers and staff conduct court-related business;
    • Conduct research to identify, examine, and advance best practices around judicial security;
    • And be housed within the existing State Justice Institute, a private nonprofit and nonpartisan corporation established by Congress in 1984.

    The legislation is supported by the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ), Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA), Council of Chief Judges of the State Courts of Appeal (CCJSCA), National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers (NAPCO), National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), National Center for State Courts (NCSC), American Judges Association (AJA), National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), and National Center for State Courts (NCSC).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Kim Introduce Bill to Combat AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) today introduced the Preventing Recurring Online Abuse of Children Through Intentional Vetting of Artificial Intelligence (PROACTIV AI) Data Act, which would encourage artificial intelligence (AI) developers to identify, remove, and report known child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from the datasets they compile or obtain for use in training AI models to help proactively stop AI image generators from creating child pornography:
    “Modern predators are exploiting advances in AI to develop new AI-generated child sexual abuse material, and technology companies are often unwittingly giving them the tools to do so,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By encouraging tech companies to proactively screen their datasets to remove and report explicit images of children, this legislation would mitigate the risk of AI platforms unintentionally enabling the creation of new content depicting child sexual abuse and better safeguard children online.”
    “As we develop AI models, it is important that we establish critical protections to look out for the most vulnerable in digital spaces,” said Sen. Kim. “This bill is an opportunity for Congress and AI developers to take an important step forward together and implement the necessary safeguards to keep our children safe from future misuse or exploitation.”
    Background:
    Foundational AI models require large amounts of data for training purposes. Given the size of these datasets and the amount of compute needed to work through them during training, many companies do not screen content for harmful materials. Recognizing the potential for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to unintentionally work its way into these datasets given the methods of collection, researchers at Stanford University screened multiple data sets, including the LAION-5B data set used to train many of the leading image-generating models. Their work identified more than 3,000 data entries of likely CSAM in the dataset. This is troubling, not just because of the accessibility of known CSAM, but because many products and tools now have content from which to draw if asked to generate new CSAM by users. Left unaddressed, foundation models can be corrupted by CSAM data and make it possible for them to be coopted by predators.
    According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, AI-generated material has proliferated at an alarming rate in the past year with nearly half a million incidents of AI-related CSAM reported in the first half of the year, compared to fewer than 70,000 reported for all of 2024.
    The PROACTIV AI Data Act would:
    Direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to issue voluntary best practices for AI developers to screen their datasets used for training AI models for known CSAM;
    Direct the National Science Foundation to support research into innovative methods and technologies for identifying, removing, and reporting CSAM from datasets;
    And provide limited liability protection to AI companies that follow the new best practices so those acting in good faith aren’t legally punished for accidentally handling CSAM via automated data crawlers on the internet.
    This legislation builds on First Lady Melania Trump’s efforts to combat the rise of AI deepfake pornography and keep children safe online.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Chairs Biden Border Betrayal Hearing, Calls for ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Facility in Texas

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today delivered the following opening remarks during the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration hearing he chaired entitled, “Biden’s Border Betrayal: Criminal Aliens in America.” Excerpts are below, and video can be found here.

    “Media outlets have spread misinformation allowing harmful, false rhetoric to dominate the airwaves.”

    “The first false narrative I want to address is a claim that illegal aliens are not criminals, but law-abiding individuals.”

    “At the moment an alien illegally enters the United States, they have committed a crime.”

    “By the time any alien has received an order of removal, they have had all the due process they are owed under the law.”

    “Many have had the opportunity to have their day in court – the very essence of due process that they neglected to show up.”

    “As we speak, there are 291,141 criminal aliens in the United States today who have final orders of removal.”

    “I want to remind my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that there was a time in the not so distant past when they agreed that criminal aliens should be deported, but it seems like amnesia has set in, especially because we now happen to have a President in office who has restored the rule of law.”

    “American voters know full-well that deterrence is an important part of immigration enforcement and preventing the flow of criminal aliens into the United States, which means swift apprehension, detention, and deportation.”

    “The State of Florida has stepped up to the plate recently, helping the administration to open a detention facility that’s come to be known as Alligator Alcatraz. I’m hopeful that other states will step up to help in similar ways. If we could find a way to make something like this work in Texas, I would strongly support it, and I’d encourage our Governor, as well as Secretary Noem, to explore the possibility of locating future detention facilities in Texas.”

    “We’re here today to remind the public of the real tragedy of President Biden’s open-border policies, the hundreds of victims of criminal illegal aliens – crimes that could have been avoided if the laws on the books had simply been enforced.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Calls on Senate Republicans to Reject Trump Administration’s Devastating Housing Cuts

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) called on the members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing housing funding to reject the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts to affordable housing programs. The proposed 44 percent cut to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) budget in the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request would eliminate or severely reduce funding for critical programs that Nevadans and Americans nationwide depend on.
    “The Trump Administration’s proposed cuts threaten many of the key housing programs Nevadans depend on to be able to afford a home,” wrote Senator Rosen. “HUD programs have helped build thousands of homes in Nevada, with CDBG assisting nearly 4,800 low-income households and the HOME program building or preserving nearly 9,000 homes in the state. With Nevada facing the largest shortfall of affordable housing nationwide, eliminating these successful programs will undoubtedly worsen the current housing shortage.”
    “If enacted, it is clear the Trump Administration’s proposed housing cuts would have catastrophic impacts in Nevada – hindering affordable housing development, threatening the housing security of thousands of Nevadans, and crippling the ability of Public Housing Agencies and nonprofits to provide housing resources,” she continued. “To avoid these consequences, I call on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development to reject President Trump’s harmful proposed cuts and fully fund the proven federal affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs communities in Nevada and across the country rely on.”
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has long championed efforts to make housing more affordable for hardworking Nevadans. She helped introduce the Housing Choice Vouchers Fairness Act, which updates HUD’s outdated voucher allocation formula to ensure rapid-growth cities like Las Vegas receive more funding. Senator Rosen is also a co-sponsor of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to raise low‑income housing tax credits by 50 percent to spur new affordable developments across the state. Last year, Senator Rosen celebrated securing over $43 million in HUD housing grants for Nevada, which helped fund Community Development Block Grants and HOME Investment Partnership Program investments.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Colleagues Push to Prevent Corporations From Using Trump’s Chaotic Tariffs as Cover to Price Gouge Americans

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined Senate colleagues in a letter calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and stop corporations that may be using Donald Trump’s tariffs as a cover to raise prices on all goods, regardless of whether they are actually subject to new tariffs, and increase prices above and beyond what is necessary to cover any additional costs. In June 2025, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released new survey results showing that “a significant share” of companies raised prices of goods and services that are not subject to tariffs.
    “This Administration’s reckless approach to trade is spiking costs for small businesses and creating opportunities for billion-dollar companies to grow their profits and take advantage of consumers,” wrote the lawmakers. “The FTC should be utilizing its full authority to prevent these unfair practices.”
    Senator Rosen has helped lead the fight opposing Trump’s reckless tariffs and defending consumers. She helped introduce the Tariff Transparency Act, which would require the U.S. International Trade Commission to study and publicly report on the economic effects of tariffs on Canada and Mexico– key trading partners for Nevada industries. She’s also repeatedly pushed back against price gouging, calling on the DOJ to curb price gouging at the gas pump and in the housing market.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Transportation Leaders to Fischer: EVs Must Pay Their Fair Share

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, pressed key transportation leaders on whether electric vehicles (EVs) should contribute to the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), which supports the construction and maintenance of U.S. roads and bridges.

    While drivers of gasoline-powered cars pay into the HTF through the federal gas tax, EVs currently do not contribute at all – despite weighing significantly more due to their large batteries. The added weight contributes to greater wear and tear on roads and bridges, increasing maintenance costs.

    Fischer’s Fair SHARE Act would require EVs to contribute to the HTF, helping offset the damage they cause to America’s infrastructure.

    Click the image above to watch Fischer’s line of questioning.

    Click here to download audio.
    Click here to download video.

    On EVs Paying Their Fair Share:

    Fischer: I want to be able to discuss with you both the Highway Trust Fund. Though the fund is outside this committee’s jurisdiction, I remain concerned about its solvency and the impact that insolvency would have on our entire system, infrastructure around this entire country. Though not a silver bullet, we need to get electric vehicles paying into the fund. Currently, electric vehicles don’t pay a dime. They are heavier. They cause more damage to roadways without paying for the repair, for the maintenance. They impact new construction as well. I have legislation that requires electric vehicles to contribute to the Federal Highway Trust Fund, and I know [Transportation & Infrastructure Committee] Chair Graves in the House has a proposal as well, and I appreciate his work to address this important issue. From your perspective, gentlemen, why is it important for EVs to contribute to the trust fund and for Congress to step up and address the fund solvency in our upcoming surface reauthorization?

    Spear:     So, I would just say that all users have to pay. They do. If you’re on the roads, you’re on the bridges, you should pay. EV’s don’t, and they’re heavier. It’s a developing technology that we need to capture and ensure that our roads and bridges remain a priority, and that those using them are contributing to that.

    …

    Fischer: Mr. Pugh, I’d like to hear your thoughts as well. 

    Pugh: Yeah, we definitely support some sort of registration fee or something going to the Highway Trust Fund with electric vehicles. I mean, by all means, why shouldn’t they pay? They use the highways, and they should. We should also make sure we’re not giving them special carve outs for hauling them or transporting them because they’re heavier loads to haul and transport. We should make sure we’re not doing that as well.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: At Nomination Hearing, Warren Secures Agreement from Trump Treasury Nominee to Work on Raising Deposit Insurance Limits for Business Transaction Accounts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    July 22, 2025
    “Raising FDIC insurance limits is a common-sense policy that levels the playing field for the small and mid-sized banks that actually lend to small businesses.”
    Watch here (YouTube)
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Finance Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, secured an agreement from Jonathan McKernan, nominee to be Undersecretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, on working together towards increasing the limit for deposit insurance for business transaction accounts to help level the playing field in our banking system. Republican Senator James Lankford had a similar exchange with Mr. McKernan at the hearing, underscoring the bipartisan interest in deposit insurance reform.
    Below is the full transcript of Ranking Member Warren’s questioning with McKernan:
    Ranking Member Warren: FDIC insurance is limited to $250,000. Above that, customers with bigger deposits are supposed to wait in line and hope they can recover a portion of their funds when a bank fails.
    In March 2023, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank blew up, creating the third- and fourth-largest bank failures in U.S. history. In order to prevent additional bank runs and a full-blown financial crisis, the Fed, FDIC, and Treasury took the extraordinary step of guaranteeing all—ALL—uninsured deposits at those banks. That meant that huge companies, like the venture capital firm Sequoia, crypto company Circle, and electronics company Roku, had billions of dollars in deposits and they didn’t lose a penny. FDIC made good on all of it.
    Now I want to contrast that with what Senator Lankford said about the treatment of two small bank failures in Oklahoma and Texas in the years after SVB crashed. Local small businesses, like pharmacies, grocery stores, and construction companies that kept payroll and other money at these community banks, got $250,000 in FDIC coverage and lost millions of dollars of the uninsured balance.
    People understand which banks will—and won’t—get bailed out if there’s trouble. In the week following SVB’s crash, $100 billion in deposits left smaller banks, while the largest 25 banks saw $120 billion in new deposits.
    Mr. McKernan, you were a Board Member at the FDIC in 2023 when SVB and Signature collapsed and you saw some of these dynamics up close. Has it become clear to the market that, in the event of failure, depositors at giant banks will get fully reimbursed while depositors at small banks may not?
    Jonathan McKernan: Senator I was at the FDIC during those events. What I would say is, by law, uninsured depositors are at risk of loss. There has been a developing market expectation to the contrary at least with respect to large banks. The events around SVPB and signature may have reinforced that market expectation
    Warren: Mr. McKernan, can you explain the implications of this two-tier system on both the banking system and broader economy?
    McKernan: As the Secretary said, he is focused on the mainstream. What that means as a practical matter for me is it will focus on community banks and on every main street there is a community bank all too often that is a community bank under pressure whether from a mounting compliance burden or this market perception that may advantage the largest banks. So I think a central issue for financial regulation is how we ensure community banks continue to play a role in the financial system of the future
    Warren: One way to help level the playing field is to increase deposit insurance limits for business transaction accounts – bank accounts that businesses use to make payroll and rent. Banks that benefit from the increase would pay for this expanded coverage ahead of time through their regular deposit insurance premiums.
    This would help smaller banks compete. It also would require big banks to start paying for some of the insurance coverage they’ve been implicitly receiving for free. If small and mid-sized businesses are protected, this could also limit the government’s impulse to bail out giant banks whenever trouble hits.
    Mr. McKernan, this idea has received broad bipartisan support. Do you believe that Congress should increase deposit insurance limits for business transaction accounts?
    McKernan: Senator, as I was discussing with Senator Lankford, the Secretary has spoken on this and expressed a real interest in exploring an increase in the cap on deposit insurance for business, payment accounts, that would obviously require legislation, that would require congressional action. But I did recently discuss this issue with him. He’s heard this issue over and over again from many, many community banks that he’s met with inside the Treasury and outside the Treasury. The bottom line here is the Secretary would be very eager to see legislation to that effect to move the cap up on deposit insurance for business and community banks.
    Warren: Will you work with me and Chairman Scott on the Banking Committee to get this done?
    McKernan: Yes, Senator.
    Warren: Great. The giant banks don’t need another subsidy. Raising FDIC insurance limits is a common-sense policy that levels the playing field for the small and mid-sized banks that actually lend to small businesses.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Padilla Sets the Record Straight on Trump Administration’s Harmful Mass Deportation Agenda

    US Senate News:

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

    WATCH: Padilla Sets the Record Straight on Trump Administration’s Harmful Mass Deportation Agenda

    Highlighted testimony from Alejandro Barranco — a veteran and the son of Narciso, who was violently detained by masked CBP agents in Orange County

    WATCH: Padilla criticizes Trump and Republicans for backtracking on pledge to target violent criminalsWASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, joined a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing to set the record straight on President Trump and Stephen Miller’s cruel mass deportation campaign, blasting the Administration for intentionally stoking fear and scapegoating immigrants.
    Padilla emphasized that far from the Trump Administration’s stated plan to target violent criminals, less than 10 percent of immigrants whom Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has taken into custody have serious criminal convictions, and there has been a staggering 500 percent increase in the number of arrests of noncitizens without criminal records. He stressed that these ICE sweeps often illegally profile and target people based on their race, accents, or occupation, while hurting the economy by ripping away farm workers, service industry employees, and other essential workers.
    Padilla called out Republicans for attempting to distract from the sharp turn in public opinion away from the President’s immigration policy by relitigating complaints from the Biden presidency more than six months into Trump’s second term. An all-time record 79 percent of Americans believe immigration is a good thing for the country.
    He also criticized the $150 billion funding surge to carry out Trump’s enforcement agenda in Republicans’ billionaire-first reconciliation bill, underscoring that ICE’s budget is now larger than the budget of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); U.S. Marshals Service, and Bureau of Prisons combined.
    “It’s clear why we’re here today: we’re here because Donald Trump is scapegoating immigrants,” Padilla said in committee. “It’s always been his outlet. This is their break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option when public sentiment turns against them and their agenda. It hasn’t been about only targeting violent criminals and it’s certainly not about fixing or modernizing our immigration system.”
    Padilla questioned three witnesses on the Trump Administration’s harmful immigration enforcement. He asked Deborah Fleischaker, a former ICE Acting Chief of Staff and longtime Department of Homeland Security official, to set the record straight that the Biden Administration encouraged ICE to do its job to detain violent criminals. He also highlighted the need for additional funding beyond immigration enforcement to support the hiring of more immigration judges and asylum officers.
    Padilla heard further from Alejandro Barranco — a Marine veteran and the eldest son of Narciso Barranco, who was violently detained by masked Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Orange County — about the dangers of indiscriminate immigration enforcement, including sweeping up hardworking people with no history of violent crime.
    PADILLA: The way they present it, the way they talk about President Biden’s administration and prior Democratic administrations is like it was never a priority for Democratic administrations to go after criminals, and that Democrats and Democratic administrations just didn’t care about the presence of dangerous people in our communities. Simply not true. … Ms. Fleischaker, you were in ICE leadership. In your view, in your experience, did the Biden Administration ever restrain ICE from pursuing serious criminals?
    FLEISCHAKER: We absolutely did not stop ICE agents from enforcing the law and going after public safety threats. In fact, we encouraged them to do so. We very much want to want to find and arrest public safety threats in the community. […]
    PADILLA: I don’t think anyone here would disagree with the idea of rooting out the ‘worst of the worst,’ even if we disagree over what immigration policy should be, but I believe it’s unacceptable that these raids are so indiscriminate that they end up sweeping up people with no history of violent crime, hardworking people trying to give their children a better life, like Alejandro’s father, Narciso. Alejandro, question is for you. … Is there anything else that you would like to share about the cruelty with which your father was treated or what your family’s gone through?
    BARRANCO: I think that the way they treated him and the way they handled that situation was very unprofessional. It showed men who were not trained. It doesn’t seem like it. … They were running with guns in their hand, with fingers on the trigger, pointing it at civilian vehicles. And honestly, I don’t think that’s for the best of public safety, and I believe that they should have better training and go out and chase after the real criminals.
    PADILLA: Well, I couldn’t agree more, and the more resources, personnel, funding, and otherwise that’s directed at again, just broad-based enforcement is less focus, less prioritization of those violent criminals that we know are out there, the Administration knows are out there, but they’re not the clear priority or focus.
    Padilla also expressed concern about indiscriminate immigration raids creating widespread fear, keeping people home from work, businesses, church, and public spaces, while limiting the reporting of crimes. He heard from Dr. Giovanni Veliz, a retired Minneapolis Police Department Commander, about the importance of building trust with immigrant communities to combat crime and keep police officers safe.
    Video of Senator Padilla’s opening remarks is available here, and his questions are available here.
    More information on the hearing is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Opening Remarks at Spotlight Forum on the Consumer Product Safety Commission

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    Klobuchar Opening Remarks at Spotlight Forum on the Consumer Product Safety Commission
    WATCH KLOBUCHAR’S FULL REMARKS HERE
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) gave the following remarks at a spotlight forum she hosted titled “Buyers Beware: Attacks on Nation’s Product Safety Watchdog Threaten Americans’ Safety.”  
    Testifying at the forum was Don Mays, Product Safety Expert; Jonathan Midgett, PhD, Former CPSC Consumer Ombudsman; Austin Schlick, Former CPSC General Counsel and Executive Director; R. David Pittle, Former CPSC Commissioner; Alan Korn, Executive Director of Abbey’s Hope Charitable Foundation; Trista Hamsmith, founder of Reese’s Purpose; and Brett Horn, founder of Charlie’s House. 
     Senator Klobuchar: Well, thank you so much, Senator Blumenthal. I’m really impressed by this group, that knows a lot about what they’re talking about, and we need to hear from you today. 
    I think I’ve always figured, and maybe this is from my days as a prosecutor, but the first responsibility of government is to protect the people of America, and not only from foreign and domestic threats, but also from … unsafe products. 
    For over 50 years, the CPSC Commissioners have done just that, working on a bipartisan basis to ensure Americans feel confident about the safety and the reliability of their products. Last year alone, the CPSC negotiated the recall of 153 million unsafe items and conducted more than 4,100 in-depth investigations. 
    I have grown to value the CPSC through various administrations. My first experience was the toy issue. A little boy in Minnesota, Mom, bought some Reebok tennis shoes, and there was a charm in there as a little gift, and he swallowed it, and he didn’t die, actually, by choking, he died over a period of days because there was lead in the toy, and it went into his system. And from there, I got to as a brand new Senator, work on the Consumer Product Safety bill that was passed with a really strong vote, and we saved a whole lot of lives, and that was during the Bush administration. 
    Then you move forward, and the work that we’ve all done together on everything from Ikea dressers to airbags to, really, finally, for me, a little girl named Abbey Taylor who died by just going into a kiddie swimming pool. And I worked then, along with several others, to pass the Virginia Graeme Baker Act, which made very clear that you have to have safe pool drains. That bill was then implemented by someone; you can’t just pass a bill and say, “Hey, we did it,” and that was the CPSC, which engaged in education efforts around the country. And maybe one of my favorite moments as a Senator was a few years back when we had the Commissioners before us in the Commerce Committee, and I asked if there had been any deaths since then, 10 years had passed, and they said “not one,” and we were literally having a handful of kids die every year or get maimed because of these pool drains, and I think that’s just such a great example of the work that goes on.
    So I’ve always seen this as bipartisan; the work we’ve done, it was one of the most interesting things and positive things we did on the Commerce Committee. And I’m very concerned to partisan up this CPSC, whose mission is just about a far away from partisanship as you can get, makes no sense, and so I’m so glad that we are, Senator Blumenthal, thank you, and that we are going to hear from all of you today about why we need a strong CPSC and that we shouldn’t be making it partisan. Thank you.
    Klobuchar has long been a leader in consumer protection.  
    In 2023, Klobuchar’s legislation to protect children from furniture tip-over injuries was signed into law. The STURDY Act strengthens furniture safety standards to prevent children from being injured by fatal furniture tip-overs. Each year, nearly 10,000 children go to the emergency room (ER) as a result of furniture tip-over injuries.
    Klobuchar also spearheaded regulating lead in consumer products as a part of the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which set stringent standards for levels of lead in children’s toys. 
    In 2007, Klobuchar’s legislation, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, was signed into law. The law mandated that all public pools install safe drain covers preventing suction entrapment, established a voluntary grant program for states to promote pool and spa safety, and created a national public education campaign to raise awareness about drowning prevention. 
    Video is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Colleagues Press FTC to Implement “Click-to-Cancel”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led her colleagues in a letter to Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Andrew N. Ferguson, urging him to reissue and finalize its Negative Option Rule (known as “click-to-cancel”) that would make it easier for consumers to unsubscribe from subscriptions.

    “We write regarding the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) rulemaking to revise its Negative Option Rule to make it as easy for consumers to cancel a subscription as it was to sign up, frequently referred to as ‘click-to-cancel,’” wrote the Senators. “A review of more than 16,000 comments from the public made clear what should be obvious: Businesses should not be allowed to trap consumers in costly subscriptions by making it difficult to unsubscribe—costing consumers valuable time and money while stifling competition.” 

    “The FTC’s vital click-to-cancel rule was set to go into effect on July 14, 2025,” the Senators continued. “Yet, as you are aware, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the rule on procedural grounds. We urge the FTC to cure any perceived procedural defect and reissue the rule as quickly as possible to ensure consumers are protected from predatory subscription traps.”

    The letter was also signed by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), , Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Jeff Merkey (D-OR).

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

    Dear Chair Ferguson:

    We write regarding the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) rulemaking to revise its Negative Option Rule to make it as easy for consumers to cancel a subscription as it was to sign up, frequently referred to as “click-to-cancel.” A review of more than 16,000 comments from the public made clear what should be obvious: Businesses should not be allowed to trap consumers in costly subscriptions by making it difficult to unsubscribe—costing consumers valuable time and money while stifling competition. The FTC’s vital click-to-cancel rule was set to go into effect on July 14, 2025. Yet, as you are aware, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the rule on procedural grounds. We urge the FTC to cure any perceived procedural defect and reissue the rule as quickly as possible to ensure consumers are protected from predatory subscription traps.  

    Putting this commonsense consumer protection in place is vital to foster competition, innovation, and fairness. In today’s digital economy, more and more of what consumers purchase are offered as fee-for-service subscription programs, whether it be for video and music streaming services, ecommerce membership programs, gaming subscriptions, meal kit delivery services, cloud storage, home security monitoring, magazine or news subscriptions, fitness memberships, and many others. While these services are valued by many consumers, the costs for subscription services often add up to far more than consumers think, and it is often difficult for consumers to navigate the complicated process of cancelling those subscriptions. Other firms that allow consumers to subscribe to a service with the click of a button require consumers to talk to a customer service agent or jump through other hoops just to unsubscribe, even though many such businesses tell consumers they can cancel at any time. These practices have no countervailing benefit or redeeming justification. They just make life difficult and expensive. 

    These unfair practices also deter competition and stifle innovation. Subscription traps make it more difficult for consumers to switch providers, even if the alternative offers better, cheaper, or more innovative services. Allowing these practices incentivizes firms to spend time and resources locking consumers into their subscriptions rather than working to retain them with lower prices and better products. It also creates barriers to entry for innovative startups to break into markets because it is difficult for them to win consumers locked into competing subscriptions they cannot easily escape.   

    We urge the FTC to take all the steps necessary to reissue and finalize the Negative Option Rule so that consumers can cancel subscriptions quickly and easily. 

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Blasts Third Circuit Court of Appeals Decision On AB5207, “Moral Failing”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    NEWARK, N.J. – This afternoon, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement:

    “Attaching a profit motive to imprisonment is a moral failing and wholly inconsistent with our obligation to guarantee just and fair outcomes for all detained people. Today’s decision by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals allows private prisons to profit from immigrant detention contracts, hindering the state legislature’s power to protect New Jerseyans from predatory, greedy, and abusive private prison companies. This decision perpetuates a perverse incentive to fill beds that put corporate profits over human costs and undermines the will of New Jerseyans whose democratically-elected officials passed this legislation. Our communities deserve better, and it is in these moments that we must continue to fight for our neighbors and advocate for an end to for-profit detention.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Vermont Delegation Meets with Dylan Collins, Demands Accountability for Targeted Attack Against International Journalists in Lebanon 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today met with Dylan Collins, a Vermonter and video journalist for the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency, who was attacked and wounded by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) while reporting in Southern Lebanon. Representatives for Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Becca Balint (D-VT-At Large) also attended the meeting.  
    The Vermont Congressional Delegation released the following statement of support for Mr. Collins:  
    “For two years, we have sought accountability for Dylan Collins, a Vermonter who was wounded in a targeted attack on international journalists in southern Lebanon by Israeli Defense Forces. A Reuters journalist was killed instantly, AFP’s Christina Assi suffered catastrophic injuries, including losing her right leg, and Mr. Collins and four others were wounded by shrapnel. Multiple credible independent investigations indicate that the attack by Israeli soldiers was a deliberate targeting of individuals who were clearly identified as journalists.  
    “We have demanded answers from both the Biden and Trump Administrations. The United States government has a responsibility to investigate and obtain accountability for an attack on an American citizen. This Administration has yet to recognize this obligation to Mr. Collins. Our delegation will continue to seek accountability for this shocking misuse of lethal force through legislation, including restrictions on taxpayer-funded weapons for Israel.” 
    Independent investigations conducted by Reuters, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Agence France-Presse (AFP), and others have concluded that the IDF’s October 2023 attack on international journalists, including Dylan Collins, in southern Lebanon was targeted and deliberate. 
    Nine American citizens, including Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, have been killed by IDF forces or settlers since 2022. The killings have been met by a lack of accountability from the Israeli government and a pattern of indifference by the U.S. government. These failures have contributed to an unacceptable culture of impunity when it comes to ensuring accountability for the deaths of Americans, journalists, and tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. 
    Reports by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have revealed that at least 186journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Lebanonsince the conflict began on October 7, 2024, making it the deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992. 

    MIL OSI USA News –