NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump’s Actions Will Save Nearly $11,000 Per Family of Four Over the Coming Years

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    TO: WHITE HOUSE COMMS STAFFFROM: CEA STAFFSUBJECT: President Trump’s Actions Will Save Nearly $11,000 Per Family of Four Over the Coming Years President Donald J. Trump has taken major steps to reduce the size of the administrative state and reduce the volume of regulations impacting American households and businesses. The administration expects major cost savings from the President’s aggressive deregulatory agenda as firms respond to the improved business environment over the next several years. Upon taking office, President Trump immediately blocked all unfinalized Biden era rules, saving Americans over $180 billion — $2,100 per family of four — and launched a bold, multi-agency effort to roll back existing federal regulations that drive up the cost of living. This effort is projected to yield significant cost savings in the coming months, including the EPA’s rollback of tailpipe emission rules for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles ($667 billion in total savings) and the Department of Transportation’s latest Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards ($88 billion in savings). These two efforts alone yield $755 billion in total savings or over $8,800 per family of four. The combined savings from all of these actions equal just over $935 billion or nearly $11,000 per family of four over the coming years.
    The Trump Administration has implemented an aggressive 10-to-1 deregulatory initiative, which requires that whenever an agency proposes a new rule or guidance document, it must eliminate 10 existing rules or guidance documents. This effort builds on the successful deregulatory initiative introduced in President Trump’s first term, which required the repeal of at least two existing regulations for each new rule, and in practice eliminated 5.5 rules for each new significant rule.
    President Trump has already issued more than a dozen presidential actions mandating a wide range of deregulatory relief, including:
    Emergency measures to reduce regulatory burdens stifling California’s access to water resources.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Here’s What Happens if Trump Tax Cuts Aren’t Extended

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Democrat Rep. Steve Horsford actually said delivering “the biggest tax cut in history” would “screw America.”
    What would “screw America” is failing to act. A new report from the Council of Economic Advisers shows that extending the Trump Tax Cuts will deliver needed relief to Americans after years of unending Bidenflation:
    Real wages will go up by as much as $3,300/year.
    Take-home pay for median-income households will increase by as much as $5,000/year.
    Short-run real GDP will be boosted by 3.3-3.8% and long-run real GDP by 2.6-3.2%.
    Save 4.1 million jobs from being destroyed.
    Distressed communities will see as much as $100 billion in investment.
    If Congress doesn’t extend the Trump Tax Cuts, Americans will be stuck with the largest tax hike in history:
    President Trump is calling on Congress to immediately “pass the one, big, beautiful bill” and unleash a soaring economy, surging jobs market, manufacturing boom, and prosperity like never before.
    It’s time to get it done.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Issues Statement on Partial Tariff Pause  

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
    Amidst massive public pressure, President Trump was forced to announce a partial pause on some of his sweeping tariffs that will raise the cost of everyday goods for ordinary Georgians
    Much of the Trump Tariff Tax Hike remains in effect and the President continues to threaten new tariffs on items like prescription drugs, which millions of Americans already struggle to pay for
    Remaining tariffs include the 10% universal tariff, which will harm Georgia’s consumers, farmers, and small businesses
    Senator Reverend Warnock is the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “Congress must step up and put an end to the Trump Tariff Tax Hike once and for all.”
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), ranking member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, issued the following statement after President Trump bent to massive pressure and announced a partial 90 day pause on his sweeping tariff policy. 
    “The President was forced to hit pause on some of his tariffs after he took the country to the edge of economic calamity. Americans are angry and they are rightfully demanding that the President stop the reckless destruction of our economy and reverse his unilateral decision to raise prices.
    Much of the Trump Tariff Tax Hike remains in effect and the President continues to threaten new tariffs on items like prescription drugs, which millions of Americans already struggle to pay for.
    Make no mistake, these tariffs are nothing more than a tax on Georgians. They will spike your grocery bill and risk driving many small businesses across our state to bankruptcy. Every day that Congress fails to act and put an end to this madness is another day of uncertainty that risks sending our economy into a recession. 
    During the partial 90 day pause, Congress must step up and put an end to the Trump Tariff Tax Hike once and for all.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Blasts Intelligence Witness Over Signal Chat Security Breach

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an open hearing of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee (SSCI), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) grilled Joseph Kent, nominee to be Director of the National Counterterrorism Center in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, about whether it was appropriate to share highly detailed information about an imminent military strike in an unsecure Signal chain made up of top national security intelligence officials — and, inadvertently, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic Jeffrey Goldberg.

    The hearing comes after The Atlantic published a story revealing that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz accidently added Golberg to the chat, and after Tulsi Gabbard appeared in front of the Intelligence Committee claiming no sensitive or classified information was shared in the Signal chat. During the exchange, Kent continually dodged Senator King’s questions, claiming current litigation prevents him from discussing the security breach.

    “You mentioned several times there was no classified information in that telephone call, in that signal chat, so you don’t consider the timing of an attack, the weapons being used, and when those weapons are going to be deployed, as sensitive, otherwise classified. I realize it wasn’t formally classified, but if you had done that as a junior staffer at the National Security Council, wouldn’t you have been fired to hand out that kind of information on an insecure public platform,” asked Senator King.

    “There was no classified information in that Signal chat,” replied Kent.

    Senator King further questioned, “So, telling an adversary when the attack is going to happen, that’s not classified? I mean, you’re saying it’s not classified, you’re just giving it a bit of semantics. But any person in this room would tell us that attack plans involving timing, and weapons would be of immense value if it had been the Houthis instead of Jeff Goldberg. We would have lost pilots in that strike. Would we not?”

    “There is no classified information, and it’s currently under litigation. So, I really can’t say much more about the Signal chain,” responded Kent.

    “And you can’t even tell us what telephone you were using. What possible litigation excuse is there for not telling us what telephone you were using,” asked Senator King.

    “The details of the signal chat are currently under investigation so there’s not much more…,” said Kent.

    “What’s the litigation,” Senator King asked again.

    “There’s litigation against multiple members that were in the chat group right now,” replied Kent.

    “Well, you say it’s not classified, if it walks like a duck and looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s classified,” said Senator King.

    Senator King has been consistently sounding the alarm on President Donald Trump’s existential threat to the Constitution, as well as the reckless actions taken by the President and his Administration. He previously gave a speech on the Senate floor sharing that this administration is doing ‘exactly what the Framers [of the Constitution] most feared.” Senator King also previously declared that the proposal to halt all federal grant and loan disbursement was illegal and a direct assault on the Constitution. He also joined fellow Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) colleagues in writing a letter to the White House about the risks to national security by allowing unvetted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff and representatives to access classified and sensitive government materials. Recently, he sounded the alarm on the Senate floor on the “thoughtless and dangerous” firings and freezes being implemented by Elon Musks’ DOGE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Congressional Biotech Commission Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Bolster U.S. Biotechnology Innovation and Economy

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Congressional Biotech Commission Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Bolster U.S. Biotechnology Innovation and Economy

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a Commissioner of the bipartisan National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB), and the other three Congressional Commissioners introduced legislation to promote federal coordination on emerging biotechnology and streamline the regulatory structures currently inhibiting biotechnology innovation. Padilla joined Commission Chair Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Representatives Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.-05) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.-17) in introducing the bipartisan, bicameral National Biotechnology Initiative Act, which would implement key recommendations from the Commission’s new report, released yesterday.
    The National Biotechnology Initiative Act of 2025 would set in motion a whole-of-government approach to advancing biotechnology for U.S. national security, economic productivity, and competitiveness. The bill would establish a National Biotechnology Coordination Office within the Executive Office of the President to lead and coordinate federal biotechnology efforts.
    “American innovation in biotechnology will unlock new economic and national security possibilities across a wide array of key sectors, from battlefield innovation and industrial manufacturing to health care and agriculture,” said Senator Padilla. “Keeping all federal agencies aligned and working on domestic biotech priorities is critical, but our Commission has found that communication is still fragmented. By creating the National Biotechnology Coordination Office, our bipartisan legislation would ensure lasting, organized collaboration between federal agencies to build a long-term biotech strategy and secure American leadership in its development.”
    “The United States has long been a leader in biotechnology, but we now risk losing our edge to China. In this era of global competition, we need to promote American biotech innovation and manufacturing. Our legislation will provide a long-term strategy to make federal agencies work together — with greater efficiency — to support American biotechnology,” said Senator Young.
    “We must streamline regulation and allow private industry to lead our country forward in this new era. America must maintain our competitive advantage, have the capabilities to safeguard our nation, and stay ahead of China in biotechnology,” said Representative Bice.
    “It’s more than a biotechnology strategy—it’s a national security strategy for the age of technology and biology. Without a coordinated approach, we will fall behind China and won’t be able to recover our lead,” said Representative Khanna.
    Specifically, the legislation promotes federal coordination on biotechnology by establishing:
    A National Biotechnology Coordination Office (NBCO) within the Executive Office of the President to lead and coordinate federal biotechnology efforts by streamlining biotechnology regulation. The Office would make these improvements by easing regulatory burdens for well-understood products, negotiating interagency agreements to describe clear regulatory pathways, and working with the Office of Management and Budget in cases of disagreement. The NBCO would publish a national biotechnology strategy every five years.
    A Principal Advisor to the President for Biotechnology, who would also serve as Director of the Coordination Office.
    An Interagency Committee to coordinate across federal departments and agencies.
    Clear roles and responsibilities for all federal departments and agencies engaged in biotechnology.
    The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology is a time-limited, high-impact legislative branch advisory entity whose purpose is to advance and secure biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and associated technologies for U.S. national security and to prepare the United States for the biorevolution. The bipartisan NSCEB is composed of Congressionally-appointed Commissioners with members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives as well as experts from industry, academia, and government working together to advance and secure biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and associated technologies to protect U.S. national security.
    Yesterday, the Commission delivered their major report and action plan, urging Congressional action to bring the full weight of American innovation to improve and maintain U.S. global leadership in biotechnology. For more information about the Commission and to view the report, visit biotech.senate.gov. 
    Senator Padilla was appointed to serve as a Congressional Commissioner after Congress formed the Commission in the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. Last year, Padilla and Young introduced a bipartisan package of bills focused on protecting America’s food security and agricultural supply chains, which are critical to U.S. national security. Padilla also announced the Commission’s first round of findings and recommendations for policymakers in an interim report outlining the promise of biotechnology for U.S. national security and economic competitiveness and growth.
    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Denounces Trump Executive Order Targeting State and Local Climate Action

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Washington (April 9, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and co-Chair of the Senate Climate Task Force, today released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing a review of state and local laws and regulations aimed at tackling the climate crisis.
    “Trump’s executive order to review state and local actions is a slippery slope to picking and choosing which states get stripped of their sovereignty—just as he is picking and choosing his billionaire donors to repay,” said Senator Markey. “Climate pollution knows no boundaries, and states and regions have the right to combat the climate crisis to protect their residents and economies. It is no surprise that Trump is trying to prevent states such as Massachusetts from continuing their vital work to end our reliance on fossil fuels and deploy clean energy and climate solutions.
    “In Massachusetts and across the country, climate action won’t be stopped by any one president. At a time when leadership is not coming from the executive branch, bold solutions and transformational action at all levels of government are more important than ever. We must step up and protect the climate progress we have made, spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act. I will continue fighting to ensure that Trump’s Big Oil contributors and cabinet will not stop us from securing a healthy, livable future for all.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Hosts Facebook Whistleblower, Exposes Company’s Stunning Complicity with China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Wednesday, April 09, 2025

    Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) chaired a hearing in the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism featuring Facebook corporate whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams.

    Wynn-Williams was Facebook’s first director of public policy, leading the company’s outreach efforts around the world. She became a whistleblower when she exposed explosive details of her company’s long-term collusion with the Chinese Communist Party.

    Hawley said the company went “scorched earth” to keep her from telling what she knows, including suing her, slapping her with a gag order, and forcing courts to order her tell-all memoir, Careless People, removed from shelves.

    “This is a hearing that Facebook has tried desperately to prevent,” Hawley said.“Facebook is one of the most powerful companies in the world and they have stopped at absolutely nothing to prevent today’s testimony.”

    Senator Hawley asked Wynn-Williams to detail Meta’s relationship with the Chinese Communist Party and how they planned to store American user data in China, giving the CCP access to American data. 

    “This is exactly contrary to what Facebook has represented for years. [And] here they’re willing to build data centers [to] store data in China. They’re willing explicitly to give the Chinese government access to it,” Hawley said. “And if that means that American user data is also compromised, they’re willing to do that, too. All for profits in China. There was virtually nothing they weren’t willing to do.”

    Senator Hawley is a leading voice on the dangers of Big Tech and the need for accountability. He has called for Americans’ right to protect themselves from companies’ exploitive use of artificial intelligence, advocated for citizens’ ability to sue Big Tech, and exposed Big Tech as willing collaborators in censorship. Last year during a hearing, Senator Hawley forced Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to apologize to families of child exploitation victims.  

    Watch today’s full subcommittee hearing here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Joins Cohort of Congressional Energy and Environment Lawmakers Leading Bicameral Letter to Oppose EPA’s Wholesale Assault on Environmental and Public Health Protections

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Letter signed by 180 members of Congress

    Washington (April 9, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW); the leaders of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), including Co-Chairs Reps. Doris Matsui, Mike Quigley, and Paul Tonko and Vice Chairs Reps. Don Beyer, Suzanne Bonamici, Sean Casten, Mike Levin, and Chellie Pingree; and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in a bicameral letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin calling out his wholesale assault on the central mission of the agency he was appointed to lead.  They were joined by Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, bringing the total to 180 Members of Congress calling on Administrator Zeldin to halt his egregious attacks.

    “In just two months as EPA Administrator, you have demonstrated a complete disregard for the central mission of the agency you were appointed to lead. Instead of protecting the environment – as the agency name directs – you are protecting the special interests of big polluters,” wrote the 180 Members. “We urge you to halt your egregious attacks on the public health and well-being of the American people.”

    They pointed out that, as a result of the Trump EPA repealing and gutting critical environmental and public health protections, communities and families will pay higher health costs and be exposed to more mercury and air toxics from coal-fired power plants and more polluted wastewater from oil and gas producers. 

    “While countries around the world are clamoring for cleaner, cheaper, and more innovative technologies, you are actively hamstringing America’s homegrown clean energy industry, which has already injected $422 billion and 400,000 jobs into our economy in just the past two and a half years,” the lawmakers wrote to Administrator Zeldin. “This is anything but unleashing American energy. At the same time, instead of lowering costs for American families, your actions will result in the opposite. Americans’ medical expenses will increase because your Polluters First agenda will allow particulate matter and other hazardous air pollution to go unchecked.”

    Their letter explained that for every $1 the country spends to reduce air pollution, it is estimated to yield $30 in economic benefits in return. Yet, the Trump EPA is choosing to unleash more air pollutants that are linked to Alzheimer’s, miscarriages, and childhood asthma, as well as other public health concerns.

    “Your actions will needlessly increase American families’ exposure to the pollution that can make them sick and stick them with the bill for their care,” concluded the Members.

    The full letter can be found here.

    Background

    On March 12, Administrator Zeldin announced the “biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history,” which included rolling back 31 environmental rules and regulations. This list of actions directly threatens Americans’ health and fundamental right to clean air and water by:

    1. Rolling back National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter – some of the most dangerous air pollution known to directly cause asthma and other health issues;
    2. Gutting EPA rules that prevent hazardous metals like mercury and arsenic from ending up in our water supply;
    3. Reconsidering national emissions standards for cancer-causing hazardous air pollutants, including ethylene oxide;
    4. Ending the “Good Neighbor” rule, which simply acknowledged that pollution does not respect state lines and that downwind states should not be burdened by their neighbors’ pollution;
    5. Repealing power plant emissions standards, allowing existing gas and coal-fired power plants to pump unlimited climate pollution into our air; and
    6. Revoking the landmark “Endangerment Finding” that simply states climate-changing pollutants are dangerous to human health, and which serves as the foundation for climate pollution to be regulated under the Clean Air Act.

    And more.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New England Senators Demand Answers on Reports White House May Eliminate Regional FEMA Office

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined all ten of their Senate colleagues representing New England states in seeking answers about reports that the Trump Administration is considering eliminating certain Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regional offices, including the Region 1 office that serves Rhode Island.  
    In a bipartisan letter, the twelve U.S. Senators urged President Trump to reject any attempt to downsize or eliminate FEMA offices, which would take critical personnel farther away from the communities they serve. 
    FEMA Region 1 serves state, local, and tribal governments in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.  The regional offices coordinate immediate response efforts when disaster strikes and, once the storm has passed, facilitate the deployment of federal assistance to support long-term recovery across New England.  These offices also help communities mitigate the impact of future extreme weather events, and help homeowners, farms, and businesses stay safe before a storm or disaster hits.
    “We sincerely hope these reports are untrue and that you will reject any attempt to consolidate FEMA regional offices, which would take critical personnel farther away from the communities they serve,” wrote the 12 U.S. Senators. “As you know, FEMA Region 1 serves state, local, and tribal governments in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island. It coordinates immediate response efforts when disaster strikes and, once the storm has passed, facilitates the deployment of federal assistance to support long-term recovery across New England.”
    President Trump previously said he was considering getting rid of FEMA and his U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, the cabinet official who oversees FEMA, reportedly called for eliminating FEMA.  Senators Reed and Whitehouse say such a move would make it harder for Rhode Island to effectively respond to and recover from major emergencies and natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, blizzards, wildfires, and more.
    In addition to Reed and Whitehouse the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Angus King (I-ME), Peter Welch (D-VT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ed Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Chris Murphy (D-CT).
    Over the past decade, FEMA has responded to nearly 1,400 disasters nationwide, including hurricanes, floods, and severe weather. The agency coordinates the federal response during emergency situations, such as calling the U.S. Department of Defense to assist with rescue helicopters or trucking in generators in the aftermath of a storm.  FEMA also helps state and local communities with recovery operations, including damage assessment and distribution of federal funds to help rebuild.  Over the last four years, FEMA has provided over $145 billion nationwide to individuals, states, and local governments and some nonprofits to help with recovery efforts.
    Full text of the letter follows:
    Dear President Trump, 
    We write regarding reports that the White House is considering a proposal to eliminate Region 1 of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). We sincerely hope these reports are untrue and that you will reject any attempt to consolidate FEMA regional offices, which would take critical personnel farther away from the communities they serve. 
    As you know, FEMA Region 1 serves state, local, and tribal governments in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island. It coordinates immediate response efforts when disaster strikes and, once the storm has passed, facilitates the deployment of federal assistance to support long-term recovery across New England. 
    In recent years, New England has been struck by several natural disasters resulting in tragic loss of life and billions of dollars in property and infrastructure damage. Through their partnership in our states’ recovery efforts, FEMA Region 1 personnel have developed an intimate familiarity with our state, local, and tribal government counterparts and with the unique attributes that differentiate New England from the rest of the country. Any attempt to shutter Region 1 or subsume it into a larger entity will squander that expertise, gained over years of experience navigating increasingly frequent disasters in the region, and materially degrade service in our states. 
    FEMA regional offices provide critical, on-the-ground assistance to disaster-affected communities. They offer the resources and expertise many communities lack. FEMA must be improved to benefit recovering communities, but regional office consolidations will leave state, local, and tribal governments stranded when disaster strikes, and make federal disaster assistance less effective in the long term. In the wake of a disaster, our communities should not be forced to navigate critical federal disaster assistance programs with only the limited counsel of staff far removed from conditions on the ground. 
    We respectfully request a prompt response regarding the veracity of reports that your Administration is considering eliminating FEMA Region 1 and, if such reports are true, urge you to reject this deeply misguided proposal.
    Sincerely,  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: April 9th, 2025 Heinrich Introduces Legislation to Save Lives, Protect Communities from Gun Violence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    Heinrich’s GOSAFE Act and BUMP Act would protect communities from gun violence, while safeguarding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced his Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act and bipartisan Banning Unlawful Machinegun Parts (BUMP) Act, commonsense legislation designed to protect communities from gun violence, while safeguarding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes.
    “For too long, Congress has failed to stem the onslaught of mass shootings. Our work in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was critically important, but more must be done,” said Heinrich. “I’m introducing my GOSAFE and BUMP Acts to deliver on that unfinished work to save lives and make our communities safer. As a sportsman and gun owner, I’m committed to upholding the laws that protect responsible gun ownership, but we must do more to prevent deadly weapons from reaching those who are all too ready to turn them against our communities.”
    The GOSAFE Act seeks to regulate firearms based on their inherently dangerous and unusually lethal mechanisms, as opposed to focusing on cosmetic features that manufacturers can easily modify. The GOSAFE Act is co-led by Heinrich and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.). The GOSAFE Act is led by U.S. Representative Lucy McBath in the House of Representatives.
    “We have a solemn obligation to protect our communities, and the Gas-Operated Semiautomatic Firearm Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act can reduce threats without infringing on Second Amendment rights,” said Senator King. “By limiting capacity and requiring fixed magazines, there’s an opportunity for people to escape and room to disarm the shooter — helping to prevent mass tragedies like we suffered in Lewiston in future towns and communities. This is commonsense, responsible legislation that will save lives, and I want to thank my colleagues for all their work to ensure a safer tomorrow for communities across Maine and our country.”
    “As a gun owner and a combat veteran, but also the husband of a gun violence survivor, I know firsthand the damage these weapons can cause when they end up in the wrong hands,” said Senator Kelly. “We can protect the rights of responsible gun owners and take action to keep the most lethal firearms out of the hands of those who intend to do harm. We’ve seen the consequences of inaction, let’s not wait for the next tragedy to do something about it.”
    “For more than two decades, Colorado has grieved one incident of senseless gun violence after another,” said Senator Bennet.“This common-sense gun safety bill will keep weapons of war out of the hands of the wrong people while respecting responsible gun owners. With this legislation, we are taking an important step to combat gun violence in our communities and protect children across the country.”
    “I came to Congress because of a promise I made to my late son Jordan—that I would take action in honor of victims of gun violence to prevent more families from experiencing the same tragic loss that I have,” said Representative McBath. “The GOSAFE Act is an important piece of a comprehensive legislative approach to keep lethal weapons from individuals who should not have them, while still honoring the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. Americans deserve to live their lives free from the fear of gun violence. I intend to follow through on the promise I made to my son and every victim of America’s gun violence epidemic.”
    In addition to Heinrich, King, Kelly, and Bennet, the GOSAFE Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).
    For a list of endorsements of the GOSAFE Act and statements of support, click here.
    The text of the GOSAFE Act is here.
    The BUMP Act seeks to prohibit the sale of bump stocks and other devices or modifications that allow semi-automatic firearms to increase their rate of fire and effectively operate as fully automatic weapons. The BUMP Act is co-led by Heinrich and U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.). The BUMP Act is led by U.S. Representatives Dina Titus (D-Nev.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) in the House of Representatives.
    “Bump stocks are designed to turn semi-automatic firearms into what are essentially fully-automatic weapons,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would prohibit the use of these dangerous devices while protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans.”
    “It’s been nearly eight years since the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival massacre changed my hometown forever,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Bump stocks like the one used by the shooter have no place in our communities. I will never forget the events of October 1, 2017, and will never stop fighting to permanently ban these dangerous devices.”
    “Nearly eight years after the Harvest Festival massacre we still do not have a federal law banning these deadly devices,” said Representative Titus. “Bump stocks continue to pose a threat to innocent lives and Congress must act. Without a federal law firmly banning them, federal regulations and court rulings could allow bump stocks on our streets and in our neighborhoods, raising the risk of more mass shootings.”
    “The work to close the bump stock loophole and keep these dangerous devices out of the hands of criminals is critical to our mission of protecting communities from gun violence. This bipartisan legislation strengthens law enforcement and reinforces our commitment to safety without compromising constitutional rights,” said Representative Fitzpatrick, a former federal gun crimes prosecutor and FBI agent. “I will continue working across the aisle to advance commonsense solutions that keep our neighborhoods safe while upholding the rights of responsible gun owners. Congress can and must do both.”
    In addition to Heinrich, Collins, and Cortez Masto, the BUMP Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
    For a list of endorsements of the BUMP Act and statements of support, click here.
    A one-page summary of the BUMP Act is here.
    The text of the BUMP Act is here.
    The GOSAFE Act
    Regulates Sale, Transfer, & Manufacture of Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms 
    If enacted, the GOSAFE Act would regulate the sale, transfer, and manufacture of gas-operated semi-automatic weapons by: 
    Establishing a list of prohibited firearms; 
    Preventing unlawful modifications of permissible firearms; 
    Mandating that future gas-operated designs are approved before manufacture;  
    Preventing unlawful firearm self-assembly and manufacturing; and
    Prohibiting machinegun conversion devices.  
    Protects Americans’ Second Amendment Right 
    The GOSAFE Act protects Americans’ constitutional right to own a gun based on a firearm’s established use for self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes. The bill accomplishes this by including exemptions based on ammunition capacity limitations according to a firearm’s individual class: rifle, shotgun, or handgun.  
    Capacity limitations must be “permanently fixed,” meaning firearms must be incapable of accepting detachable, high-capacity magazines that increase the number of rounds that can be fired before reloading and make reloading easier. 
    Exemptions include:  
    .22 caliber rimfire firearms, excluding any firearm that is based on an AR-15 design 
    Semi-automatic shotguns 
    Recoil-operated handguns 
    Any rifle with a permanently fixed capacity of 10 rounds or less 
    Any shotgun with a permanently fixed capacity of 10 rounds or less 
    Any handgun with a permanently fixed capacity of 15 rounds or less 
    Limits High-Capacity Ammunition Devices, Outlaws Conversion Devices
    The GOSAFE Act limits a firearm’s ability to inflict maximum harm in a short amount of time by directly regulating large capacity ammunition feeding devices.  The bill would limit the number of rounds that these devices are permitted to carry to 10 rounds of ammunition or fewer.  
    Additionally, the GOSAFE Act makes machinegun conversion devices, including bump stocks and Glock switches, unlawful. 
    Creates Voluntary Buy-Back Program
    The GOSAFE Act will protect the value of firearms already owned before enactment and prevent stockpiling of these lethal firearms and high-capacity magazines by establishing a voluntary buy-back program. The program would allow firearm owners to voluntarily turn over and receive fair compensation for non-transferrable firearms and magazines as defined by the legislation. 
    The BUMP Act
    Bans Deadly Weapons That Operate as Machineguns
    The BUMP Act bans the sale of deadly bump stocks and other devices or modifications that materially increase the rate of fire of semi-automatic firearms allowing them to operate like machine guns. 
    Specifically, the BUMP Act amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, receipt, or possession of:
    A device that is primarily designed, or redesigned, to materially increase the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm;
    A device, part, or combination of parts that is designed and functions to materially increase the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm; or
    A semi-automatic firearm that has been modified to materially increase the rate of fire of the firearm.
    Additionally, the legislation amends the Internal Revenue Code to add modified semi-automatic firearms to the list of firearms subject to regulation under the National Firearms Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Applauds Trump Administration’s Bold Step to Expand Nuclear Energy and Secure America’s Energy Future

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    April 9, 2025

    Washington, D.C. —  U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) released the following statement praising the Trump administration’s decisive action to fulfill its promise to secure America’s energy independence through the expansion of nuclear power. The Department of Energy’s commitments to provide high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to five U.S. nuclear developers is an important step in restoring our energy security and advancing our technological leadership.

    “President Trump’s game-changing nuclear initiative is exactly the kind of forward thinking that will propel Wyoming and American energy and address our needs,” said Lummis. “By securing our domestic HALEU supply, we are not just powering America’s future, we are reclaiming our technological leadership and creating prosperity that will benefit Wyoming and the entire nation for decades to come.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Statement on Paul Atkins SEC Confirmation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    April 9, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) celebrated the confirmation of Paul Atkins to lead the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). President Trump nominated Paul Atkins in December 2024 to replace current SEC Chair Gary Gensler. 

    “I am pleased that the U.S. Senate has confirmed Paul Atkins to be the next Chairman of the SEC,” said Lummis. “After President Trump nominated him in December, I sat down with Mr. Atkins to discuss important issues, including digital asset legislation, empowering Wyoming’s blockchain future, and implementing much-needed reforms to the regulatory rulemaking process. I’m confident that his leadership at the SEC will bring positive changes in these areas.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Statement on Brian Nesvik’s USFWS Nomination Clearing EPW Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    April 9, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) congratulated Wyoming’s own Brian Nesvik after the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) voted to support his nomination to serve as Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). He will next be considered by the full Senate for a confirmation vote.

    “Brian Nesvik will do an amazing job leading the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,” said Lummis. “As the committee saw today, Brian has an impressive track record in Wyoming, working with federal, state, and local partners to achieve goals in a collaborative fashion. I’m pleased to see his nomination move quickly out of Senate EPW and I urge my colleagues to swiftly confirm Brian as the next Director of the USFWS.”

    Senator Lummis spoke in support Brian Nesvik’s nomination today during the EPW Committee hearing. Watch it here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall and Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Family Farms and Consumers from Burdensome Government Overreach

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) introduced the Food Security and Farm Protection Act alongside colleagues on the Senate Agriculture Committee, which prohibits any state or local government from interfering with commerce and agricultural practices in another state outside their jurisdiction.
    This legislation was introduced in response to California’s Proposition 12, also known as the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative. This law sets minimum space requirements for egg-laying hens, breeding pigs, and veal calves, and prohibits the sale of products from animals raised in California or out-of-state that do not meet these standards.
    “The United States is constantly faced with non-tariff trade barriers from protectionist countries, which hurts American agriculture’s access to new markets. The last thing we need is for states like California imposing its will on ag-heavy states like Kansas with regulations that will also restrict our ability to trade among the states,” said Senator Marshall. “Midwest farmers and ranchers who produce our nation’s food supply should not be hamstrung by coastal activist agendas that dictate production standards from hundreds of miles away, and I am proud to support this legislation that gives Kansas agriculture producers the freedom to produce safe, affordable food for all.”
    The Food Security and Farm Protection Act is co-led by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).
    “Proposition 12 is dangerous and arbitrary overregulation that stands in direct opposition to the livelihoods of Iowa pork producers, increases costs for both farmers and consumers, and jeopardizes our nation’s food security,” said Senator Ernst. “I’m proud to be leading the charge to strike down this harmful measure and will keep fighting to make sure the voices of the farmers and experts who know best – not liberal California activists – are heard.”
    “California’s Proposition 12, along with Massachusetts’ Question 3, are based on arbitrary, nonsensical standards and have resulted in a harmful patchwork of regulations across the 50 states,” said Senator Grassley. “They’re a threat to Iowa, which leads the nation in pork production, and to farmers and consumers across this country. Consistent with its authorities under the Commerce Clause, it’s time for Congress to solve this problem by passing legislation. Our bill will end California’s war on breakfast and make sure delicious Iowa pork can be sold everywhere.”
    Click HERE to read the full bill text.
    Background

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Rosen Lead Colleagues in Demanding Trump Administration Reverse Course on Tariffs, Provide Relief for Small Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Tariffs that Will Hurt WA State Businesses, Agriculture & Economy, Raise Costs on Everyone

    ICYMI: Senator Murray, Commerce Director Nguyễn, WA Businesses and Agriculture Respond to Trump Tariffs Raising Costs on Americans, Tanking Economy

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and 11 of their Senate colleagues in a letter demanding that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and President Donald Trump immediately reverse course on the sweeping tariffs that are devastating small businesses in Washington state and across the nation. In the letter, the senators emphasized how these new taxes on imported goods are raising prices for hardworking Americans and creating additional challenges for small businesses at a time when high costs are already making it difficult for them to operate. 

    In addition to Senators Murray and Rosen, this letter was signed by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mark Warner (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).

    “At a time when our nation is experiencing an unprecedented affordability crisis, President Trump’s decision to impose sweeping tariffs on goods from virtually every country in the world will send a chill through small businesses across the country,” wrote the senators. “Given this, we urge you to work with the President to immediately reverse course on these broad-based tariffs to end the needless suffering this administration has imposed on small businesses across the country.”

    “With small businesses already being crushed under the weight of high costs and interest rates, we must do all we can to cut red tape and help them thrive – not create additional affordability challenges and uncertainty,” they continued. “To that end, we respectfully ask that you work with the President to reverse course on the 10 percent tariffs on all countries, as well as the exorbitantly high reciprocal tariffs placed on others. Failure to do so will raise costs, rob our small businesses of the certainty they rely on and undermine the economic security of small businesses across the country.”

    The full letter can be found HERE.

    Washington state has one of the most trade-dependent economies of any state in the country, with 40 percent of jobs tied to international commerce and approximately $60 billion in annual exports. Washington is the top U.S. producer of apples, blueberries, hops, pears, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries—all of which risk losing vital export markets due to retaliatory tariffs from key trading partners including Canada. Additionally, more than 12,000 small and medium-sized companies in Washington state export goods and will struggle to absorb the impact of retaliatory tariffs. Trump’s tariffs during his first term were extremely costly for Washington state—as one example, India imposed a 20 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. apples, causing Washington apple shipments to India to fall by 99 percent and growers to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in exports.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Patty Murray, Tina Smith, Elizabeth Warren Reintroduce Bill to Strengthen Federal Funding for Birth Control, Reproductive Health Care Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Plans to Freeze Tens of Millions in Title X Family Planning Funds for Planned Parenthood, Other Organizations

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Tina Smith (D-MN), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) reintroduced the Expanding Access to Family Planning Act, a bill that would safeguard funding for Title X – the country’s only federal program dedicated to providing family planning and preventive health services, including birth control, cancer screenings, testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and reproductive health care – following attacks on the program by the Trump Administration last week. Title X clinics serve 4 million people annually, and in 2023 alone, more than 1.5 million visits to Planned Parenthood health centers were made possible by the program. The bill is co-led in the House of Representatives by Representative Sharice Davids (D, KS-03), Judy Chu (D, CA-28) and Dina Titus (D, NV-01).

    “For more than 50 years, Title X funding has helped women across the U.S. get cancer screenings, contraception, pregnancy tests, STI treatment, and so many other services that are critical to helping women—especially women with the tightest budgets—stay healthy and plan their futures,” said Senator Murray. “I’m proud to co-lead the Expanding Access to Family Planning Act—this legislation would give Title X reliable annual funding to provide reproductive health care to more people, meeting a growing need for these vital services. As the Trump administration does everything they can to attack Title X and rip away women’s ability to receive basic health care, Democrats will keep fighting back to protect a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her body and her future.”

    “We are at a time when Americans’ reproductive freedoms are under attack from extremist Republicans – which makes the Title X Family Planning Program more important than ever,” said Senator Smith. “Title X funding provides American women with access to critical reproductive health services. I invite my Republican colleagues who claim to champion family planning services to join us in supporting this commonsense legislation that will protect women’s access to life-saving services and birth control, pregnancy counseling, infertility services, and more.”

    “The Title X program saves lives by making sure people have access to affordable cancer screenings, STI testing, birth control, and pregnancy tests,” said Senator Warren. “While the Trump administration puts women’s health at risk, Democrats are fighting back.”

    The Expanding Access to Family Planning Act is even more crucial as the Trump Administration recently froze millions of dollars in already-appropriated Title X funding, impacting 16 organizations across several states. Planned Parenthood affiliates have lost access to as much as $3 million annually — resources they rely on to serve tens of thousands of patients each year. According to the Guttmacher Institute, the freeze could impact access to care for up to 1.25 million people, many of whom are low-income, people of color, or live in medically underserved communities.

    “In Kansas and across the country, people are being turned away from the only places they can afford to get basic, lifesaving reproductive care — all because the Trump Administration is playing politics with their health,” said Representative Davids. “This bill protects trusted providers and ensures access to cancer screenings, birth control, and STI testing, no matter your income, where you live, or how you vote.”

    “The Trump Administration is denying women across Nevada and the U.S. the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies and their families’ futures,” said Representative Titus. “By fully funding family planning services, we can protect their rights to access lifesaving preventive care, birth control, and other reproductive health services at a time when these freedoms are under constant attack.”

    Specifically, The Expanding Access to Family Planning Act would:

    • Guarantee stable, annual funding for Title X
      • $512 million annually for 10 years, addressing the current funding shortfall and ensuring access to essential services.
      • $50 million in mandatory funding for clinic construction, renovations, and infrastructure improvements.
    • Protect providers like Planned Parenthoodfrom being excluded, as seen under the Trump Administration’s so-called “domestic gag rule.”
      • Reinstate regulations prohibiting discrimination against providers who offer Title X services, ensuring continuity of care for patients.
    • Provide information related to prenatal care, delivery, infant care, foster care, adoption, and pregnancy termination — unless a patient opts out of receiving information on certain options.

    Senator Murray has consistently fought to strengthen and preserve the Title X program, and was a vocal critic of the first Trump Administration’s Title X gag rule and countless other efforts to undermine reproductive health care. Early in 2019, Senator Murray released a memo highlighting some of the negative impacts of the rule and comments from patients, providers, city and county officials, and religious organizations submitted in opposition. Senator Murray is also a longtime leader in the fight to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and abortion rights, and she has led Congressional efforts to fight back after the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Murray has introduced more than a dozen pieces of legislation to protect reproductive rights from further attacks, protect providers, and help ensure women get the care they need; Murray has led efforts to push for passage of these bills on the floor multiple times. Murray also led her colleagues in raising the alarm about the threat a second Trump administration poses to reproductive rights and abortion access in every state, as outlined in Project 2025.

    The full text of the Expanding Access to Family Planning Act is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Capito, Colleagues Press Administration on Recent FAA System Outages

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), along with Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Representatives Pete Stauber (R-MN) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) are pressing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for information regarding the recent Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system outages and the status of past-due upgrades to the system.

    “We write to you to request information on the recent temporary outages of the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system as well as an update on efforts to modernize the system,” said the lawmakers. “Pilots rely on the NOTAM system to remain aware of safety hazards on flight routes. This system is critical to the safety of the nearly 3 million passengers who fly over the U.S. every day.”

    In 2023, Klobuchar, Moran, Capito, Stauber, and DeSaulnier’s bipartisan legislation to help prevent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system outages was signed into law. The NOTAM Improvement Act requires the FAA to establish a task force to strengthen the resiliency and cybersecurity of the NOTAM system, which alerts pilots of safety and location hazards on flight routes. The law now required the FAA to upgrade the NOTAM system and create a backup system by September 2024. While the backup system was put in place in July 2024, the required upgrade of the primary system has not yet been completed.

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

    Dear Acting Administrator Rocheleau: 

    We write to you to request information on the recent temporary outages of the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system as well as an update on efforts to modernize the system. 

    Pilots rely on the NOTAM system to remain aware of safety hazards on flight routes. This system is critical to the safety of the nearly 3 million passengers who fly over the U.S. every day. That’s why, following the 2023 outage that led to 1,300 cancelled flights and nearly 10,000 delays, Congress passed our legislation, the NOTAM Improvement Act, to require the FAA to implement a modernized NOTAM system and backup system by September 30, 2024. 

    As you know, the primary NOTAM system experienced outages for several hours on February 1 and March 22. While we are pleased that the backup system is in place as of July 2024 and was successfully activated during that outage, we are concerned about the past due implementation of a modernized NOTAM system, as required by law.

    To better understand the recent outages and FAA’s progress toward implementing an upgraded NOTAM system, we request the following information: 

    1. What caused the recent NOTAM outages? What steps is the FAA taking to mitigate future outages? 

    1. How quickly was the backup system activated during the outages? How effective was the backup system, including its performance in comparison to the primary system? 

    1. Please provide an update on the FAA’s implementation of the NOTAM Improvement Act, particularly the status of efforts to implement an upgraded NOTAM system. 

    Travelers deserve flights that are safe and on time. We urge you to ensure that a modernized NOTAM system is implemented in a timely manner. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Wyden, Cortez Masto, Warren Seek Watchdog Investigation of Potential Trump Administration Violations of Taxpayer Privacy Laws

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Wyden, Cortez Masto, Warren Seek Watchdog Investigation of Potential Trump Administration Violations of Taxpayer Privacy Laws

    New request for investigation comes as Treasury Secretary agrees to leak millions of protected records to DHS, multiple senior IRS officials announce intent to leave agency

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) urged the acting Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to investigate several reports that the Trump Administration is potentially violating strict taxpayer privacy laws by providing highly sensitive and legally protected taxpayer data to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and personnel affiliated with Elon Musk across various federal agencies. The Senators’ request comes after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Homeland Security to provide an unprecedented level of access to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) taxpayer data for open-ended investigations.

    “Taxpayer data held by the IRS is, by design, subject to some of the strongest privacy protections under federal law, the violation of which can trigger civil and criminal sanctions, including up to five years in prison. Congress passed these protections in the 1970s after President Nixon weaponized the IRS against his political enemies. These legal protections for taxpayer data apply to all taxpayers and are an essential foundation for our tax system, which requires the voluntary submission of information to the government. Voluntary tax compliance depends on taxpayers having faith that their confidential information will not be used for anything other than tax administration,” wrote the Senators.

    The letter also follows several high-ranking IRS officials, including the acting commissioner and chief privacy officer, announcing their imminent departures from the agency.

    “Immediately following Bessent’s execution of the [agreement with DHS], several IRS leaders announced their resignations, including Acting IRS Commissioner Melanie Krause and Chief Privacy Officer Kathleen Walters, raising further questions about whether they resigned to avoid being a party to a criminal conspiracy to violate tax privacy law,” continued the Senators. 

    “The risks created by these activities cannot be overstated… [IRS] data can be inaccurate because of identity theft, keypunch errors, obsolete address information, and a wide range of other reasons. If DHS relies on the same data to deport millions of people without validating its accuracy, it is likely to end up making grave errors that impact American citizens and immigrants with valid legal status,” added the Senators.

    In addition to Padilla, Wyden, Cortez Masto, and Warren, the letter was also signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).  

    Last month, Senators Padilla, Cortez Masto, and Wyden condemned the IRS’ plan to provide sensitive taxpayer information to DHS to locate suspected undocumented immigrants. The Senators also led a letter to IRS and DHS leadership raising the alarm on reports that DHS and the Department of Government Efficiency illegally requested sensitive taxpayer information from the IRS.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Acting Inspector General Hill:

    We write to request an investigation into alarming reports about improper access to tax return information at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Elon Musk’s associates at the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and others, potentially violating the privacy of every taxpayer. As you know, violations of the tax privacy rules are punishable by civil and criminal penalties, including up to five years in prison.

    Following the abrupt departure of the Acting Chief Counsel and Acting IRS Commissioner on April 7, 2025, Treasury Secretary Bessent signed a memorandum of understanding that gives ICE unprecedented access to return information in an apparent attempt to weaponize the tax system against up to seven million people suspected of being undocumented immigrants. The MOU cites Internal Revenue Code section 6103(i)(2), which permits certain limited disclosures for active criminal investigations individually approved by high level officials, but there were only 30,538 disclosures for all such investigations in the U.S. in 2023 and 14,640 in 2022, raising questions about whether it would be possible for ICE to have a valid reason for obtaining information on up to seven million people.  

    Immediately following Bessent’s execution of the MOU, several IRS leaders announced their resignations, including Acting IRS Chief Counsel Melanie Krause and Chief Privacy Officer Kathleen Walters, raising further questions about whether they resigned to avoid being a party to a criminal conspiracy to violate tax privacy law.  

    DOGE has also sought access to the IRS’s most sensitive systems to create a “mega-API,” that insiders have said is an “open door controlled by Musk for all American’s [sic] most sensitive information with none of the rules that normally secure that data.” This proposed “hackathon” by Musk and third parties could result in the exporting of taxpayer data to private entities and compromise the privacy of millions of Americans. DOGE has also requested an “omnibus” agreement with federal agencies that would allow a broad swath of federal officials to cross-reference benefits rolls with taxpayer data.

    Finally, Treasury and IRS are requiring IRS employees, including employees in service centers who do not have a government-issued computer, to send emails listing five things they did each week to an external email address at OPM without any pre-screening to ensure no return information is included. Agencies are permitted to opt out of this requirement, but the IRS has not.

    The risks created by these activities cannot be overstated. The data in IRS systems cannot necessarily be relied upon for non-tax purposes. The IRS suspends the processing of millions of returns each year and flags millions of others for follow-up because the information in its files does not match what is on the taxpayer’s return. The data can be inaccurate because of identity theft, keypunch errors, obsolete address information, and a wide range of other reasons. If DHS relies on the same data to deport millions of people without validating its accuracy, it is likely to end up making grave errors that impact American citizens and immigrants with valid legal status.

    Moreover, taxpayer data held by the IRS is, by design, subject to some of the strongest privacy protections under federal law, the violation of which can trigger civil and criminal sanctions, including up to five years in prison. Congress passed these protections in the 1970s after President Nixon weaponized the IRS against his political enemies. These legal protections for taxpayer data apply to all taxpayers and are an essential foundation for our tax system, which requires the voluntary submission of information to the government. Voluntary tax compliance depends on taxpayers having faith that their confidential information will not be used for anything other than tax administration. Otherwise, those who value their privacy are less likely to file and pay what they owe. 

    There are already projections that taxpayers are paying $500 billion less in taxes this year, which could be explained, in part, by a lack of confidence that their tax return information will be kept confidential. Experts estimate that this MOU could reduce revenue by $25 billion in 2026 and $313 billion over a ten-year period. If that trend continues, it will undermine the finances of Medicare and Social Security, which the Trump Administration is already dismantling and Elon Musk has said is a Ponzi scheme.  

    While there are procedures by which agencies can gain access to return information, they generally require a determination that the information is required in a specific case for a lawful purpose. IRS employees may not access such information without proper training, and the information cannot be transmitted to another party without proper safeguards. The administration has thus far failed to timely respond to a congressional request on March 14, 2025, for information about the legal basis for the spate of recent requests for access to return data.   

    1. Concerning DHS’s request for return information about ITIN holders, please provide:

    a. A complete unredacted copy of the MOU and any related agreements (including the separate implementation agreement referenced in the redacted MOU);

    b. Any documented concerns raised by any senior IRS officials;        

    c. Any statements received describing the intended use of the information; 

    d. Any parties, officers, or agencies to whom the requester intended to redisclose any or all of the information; and

    e. The legal basis for authorizing disclosures under this MOU; and

    f. The extent to which such disclosures would be unprecedented. 

    2. Please provide any other requests for access to taxpayer or other sensitive information the IRS received from any agency in the executive branch (including DHS, SSA, DOGE, and the Office of Personnel Management) during this administration for return or other sensitive information or access to IRS systems containing such information, which was not subject to judicial review or routinely granted during the last administration.

    3. Please also provide any requests for taxpayer or other protected information received from the President or the Executive Office of the President (EOP) during this administration, including the Office of Management and Budget, DOGE, and Elon Musk.

    4. In each instance described in #2 or #3, please explain how the requestor proposed to use the information requested, the IRS’s response to the request, and the legal basis for the IRS’s response.

    5. Every month until the end of this administration, please provide a copy of any new request that would fall into any of these categories and the IRS’s response.

    6. Please also provide a list of all non-IRS employee(s) currently detailed to, or working with, the IRS as part of DOGE or its affiliates and provide a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding(s) allowing them to do so. 

    7. Every month until the end of this administration, provide an update on any modifications to any of the agreements referenced above to share return information.

    8. Please provide an analysis of the risk that the “5-things” emails IRS employees are required to send to OPM contain information protected by section 6103 or protected by other provisions (e.g., the Privacy Act).

    9. Please provide an estimate of the number of 6103 or other statutory violations the management of the IRS and Treasury are allowing to occur by requiring 5-things emails to OPM.

    10. Please provide information about the nature and scope of the “mega API” and “hackathon” activity, which was reported in the press, including what sensitive data the vendor has access to, how the contract for services was negotiated, and whether there were any violations of federal contracting regulations.

    11. Please provide an estimate of the percentage of individuals who have been given access to return or other sensitive information for the first time during this administration without first completing all of the training that IRS employees are required to take before having such access. Please provide a list of their titles.

    12. To the extent new individuals or agencies have been granted access to return or other sensitive information during this administration, please estimate the percentage who did not properly secure and safeguard such information as required. Please provide a list of any agencies and the titles of any individuals. 

    13. To the extent that improper access or disclosures of return or other sensitive information have occurred during this administration, please describe the circumstances of the disclosure, provide an estimate of the number of taxpayers affected, and whether they have been notified that their information has been improperly accessed or disclosed. 

    Please provide us with this information as soon as it is available, provide us with a briefing by May 8, 2025, and complete this work by September 30, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Passes Padilla-Cosponsored Legislation to Improve Aerial Firefighting Efforts

    US Senate News:

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

    Senate Passes Padilla-Cosponsored Legislation to Improve Aerial Firefighting Efforts

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Wildfire Caucus, announced that the Senate passed bipartisan legislation he is cosponsoring to strengthen the aerial wildfire suppression fleet and better combat the year-round threat of catastrophic wildfires. The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025 reauthorizes the Secretary of Defense’s authority to sell excess Department of Defense aircraft and aircraft parts to persons or entities that contract with the government to help deliver fire retardant or water used to suppress wildfires.

    Senators Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) are leading the bill, and Padilla and Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) are cosponsoring the legislation. The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act now awaits House passage.

    “As catastrophic wildfires devastate communities across the country, we need to be smarter and more resourceful in our approach to wildfire suppression,” said Senator Padilla. “Californians saw firsthand the power of our aerial wildfire suppression fleet in putting out the Los Angeles fires as quickly as possible. Shoring up aerial firefighting fleets by allowing the Department of Defense to sell excess aircraft parts is a lifesaving, commonsense priority — and I’m glad to see the Senate come together to unanimously pass this bipartisan legislation.”

    “It’s only April, and this year has already seen the most dangerous and expensive wildfire season in history. It’s clear our government must do more to give wildland firefighters the tools they need to protect communities and save lives. The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act supports that mission by eliminating bureaucratic obstacles to provide our aerial wildfire suppression fleet the resources necessary to fight wildfires quickly and aggressively. I’m grateful to my colleagues for their support of this bipartisan legislation, and I will continue to use the full power of my office to support the brave first responders on the front lines fighting wildfires across the country,” said Senator Sheehy.

    “I’m pleased that my Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act is one step close to becoming law,” said Senator Heinrich. “The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act is urgently needed to expand the operations of Very Large Air Tankers that have proven absolutely essential to firefighters battling large wildfires in New Mexico and across the West. I will never stop fighting to deliver the resources that our communities need to effectively respond to wildfires.”

    “In Arizona and across the West, wildfires are more frequent, more intense, and no longer confined to a single season. Our response capabilities need to reflect that new reality,” said Senator Kelly. “Strengthening our aerial firefighting fleet by making more aircraft and parts available is a smart, proven way to help firefighters respond faster and keep communities safe. I’m proud to support this effort to ensure the tools are in place to meet the growing threat, and I’ll keep working to get it done.”

    The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act amends the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 to reauthorize the sale of excess aircraft and parts by the Department of Defense for wildfire suppression as long as the aircraft and parts are used only for wildfire suppression. These aircraft and parts are already acceptable for commercial sale. The initial authority for these sales expired in 2005 and was reauthorized from 2012 to 2017 before lapsing again.

    The bill would help the United States better suppress wildfires by facilitating the acquisition of military excess aircraft, sold at fair market value, for the aerial wildfire suppression fleet. Additionally, the sale of parts would help the United States maintain its existing aerial firefighting aircraft fleet.

    In the aftermath of the devastating Southern California fires, Senator Padilla has introduced more than 10 bills to help prevent and respond to future disasters. In February, Padilla introduced bipartisan legislation to create a national Wildfire Intelligence Center to streamline federal response and create a whole-of-government approach to combat wildfires. He also announced a package of three bipartisan bills to bolster fire resilience and proactive mitigation efforts, including the Wildfire Emergency Act, the Fire-Safe Electrical Corridors Act, and the Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act. In January, Padilla introduced another suite of bipartisan bills to strengthen wildfire recovery and resilience, including the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act, the Fire Suppression and Response Funding Assurance Act, and the Disaster Housing Reform for American Families Act. Additionally, last week, he introduced the FEMA Independence Act, bipartisan legislation to restore the Federal Emergency Management Agency as an independent, cabinet-level agency and improve efficiency in federal emergency response efforts.

    A one-pager on the bill is available here.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Joins Colleagues Demanding Answers, Return of Maryland Father Wrongfully Deported to El Salvador

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla Joins Colleagues Demanding Answers, Return of Maryland Father Wrongfully Deported to El Salvador

    Following letter, Padilla meets with wife of wrongfully deported Maryland father to advocate for his return

    Padilla meets with Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s wife following his wrongful deportation and ongoing detention in El Salvador

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, joined 24 Senators in urging Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leadership to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a father who was living legally in Maryland with his family until the Trump Administration wrongfully deported him without due process last month to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. The Administration has admitted that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was the result of an “administrative error.”

    “We write to express our concerns regarding the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, an action which the Administration admitted in a recent court filing was an ‘administrative error,’” wrote the Senators. “It is unacceptable that anyone would be deported without proper due process, especially where an immigration judge has granted the individual protected status that explicitly prohibits his return to El Salvador. We demand that the Administration bring Mr. Abrego Garcia home immediately.”

    “Mr. Abrego Garcia is currently being held at CECOT, a maximum-security prison in El Salvador notorious for human rights abuses, after being deported in violation of the law to the very country where his return was impermissible,” continued the Senators. “And when the Administration makes a mistake as severe as sending an individual with protected status to a foreign prison, it cannot simply shrug off responsibility and allege that there is nothing it can do to reunite him with his wife and child, who are American citizens.”

    Earlier today, Padilla joined Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) to meet with Abrego Garcia’s family and wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, to discuss the ongoing effort to secure his immediate release. Padilla promised to keep fighting for Abrego Garcia so he can be reunited with his family.

    In their letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Tedd Lyons, the Senators called on the Trump Administration to comply with the court order requiring that they facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return. On Friday, a U.S. District Court judge in Maryland ordered Abrego Garcia’s return to the United States, and the Trump Administration’s ensuing motion to stay the order was denied by the Fourth Circuit on Monday. The case now remains pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

    The Senators also asked about ICE’s enforcement policies that may have led to this grave error as well as what measures they will take to ensure such an incident did not happen to others and does not occur again.

    Senator Van Hollen led the letter. In addition to Senator Padilla, Senators Alsobrooks, Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter.

    Senator Padilla is a leading voice in Congress opposing President Trump’s mass deportation agenda and anti-immigrant actions and rhetoric. Yesterday, Padilla, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.-07) issued a joint statement condemning the Supreme Court’s decision to lift a hold on removals under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Padilla previously issued a joint statement with Senators Durbin, Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) slamming President Trump for his attempted invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport noncitizens without due process. Last year, Padilla emphasized the dangers and immense economic costs of the Trump Administration’s mass deportation plans during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons,   

    We write to express our concerns regarding the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, an action which the Administration admitted in a recent court filing was an “administrative error.” It is unacceptable that anyone would be deported without proper due process, especially where an immigration judge has granted the individual protected status that explicitly prohibits his return to El Salvador. We demand that the Administration bring Mr. Abrego Garcia home immediately.  

    According to court filings, on March 12, 2025, shortly after Mr. Abrego Garcia had picked up his son from the boy’s grandmother’s house, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stopped Mr. Abrego Garcia, inaccurately telling him that his protected status had changed. After giving his wife a few minutes to arrive to take custody of his son, ICE arrested and detained him without any further explanation as to the reason for his arrest. ICE then transferred Mr. Abrego Garcia and other detainees to Texas, where on March 15, 2025, they were loaded onto planes and deported to El Salvador. Mr. Abrego Garcia was reportedly on the only plane that was not sent under the authority of the Alien Enemies Act but instead was transporting migrants with formal removal orders signed by a judge. This occurred despite the fact that ICE knew, as the Administration conceded in court, that his protected legal status specifically prohibited his removal to El Salvador.  

    Per court filings, Mr. Abrego Garcia came to the United States in 2011 as a teenager fleeing gang threats in his home country of El Salvador. In 2019, ICE arrested Mr. Abrego Garcia over an unfounded and anonymous allegation that he was involved with MS-13, which placed him in deportation proceedings. The U.S. immigration judge in the case ultimately found that it was in fact Mr. Abrego Garcia who was at risk of being the victim of gang violence. The judge found that Mr. Abrego Garcia and his relatives credibly testified that gang members had been trying to extort his family and recruit him and his brother to join the gang, forcing his family to move multiple times, ultimately compelling both him and his brother to flee to the United States out of fear.  

    The immigration judge agreed that Mr. Abrego Garcia would likely face persecution if deported back to El Salvador and thus granted him a form of legally mandated protection known as “withholding of removal.” Withholding of removal, which may only be granted by an immigration judge, provided Mr. Abrego Garcia the ability to stay and work in the United States despite being the subject of a deportation order. This ruling was made under the Trump Administration in 2019 and was in fact required by law under section 241(b)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act once the immigration judge made the factual determination that Mr. Abrego Garcia faced a likelihood of torture in El Salvador. At the time, the Trump Administration made no effort to appeal the judge’s ruling or pursue Mr. Abrego Garcia’s deportation further. Court filings attest that Mr. Abrego Garcia has complied with regular ICE check-ins, has no criminal charges, and has had no contact with any other law-enforcement agency since his release in 2019.  

    Mr. Abrego Garcia is currently being held at CECOT, a maximum-security prison in El Salvador notorious for human rights abuses, after being deported in violation of the law to the very country where his return was impermissible. Though the Administration has admitted in court that his deportation was a mistake, it alleges that there is nothing it can do to address this injustice, given that Mr. Abrego Garcia is now in the jurisdiction of the government of El Salvador as part of an agreement to imprison U.S. deportees in exchange for financial compensation.  

    Your unwillingness to immediately rectify this “administrative error” is unacceptable. Under multiple Democratic and Republican administrations, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE followed the rule of law and worked to quickly return people who were wrongfully deported, in the rare instances where such “administrative errors” occurred. The Administration’s mass deportation agenda does not transcend immigration law or the need for due process. And when the Administration makes a mistake as severe as sending an individual with protected status to a foreign prison, it cannot simply shrug off responsibility and allege that there is nothing it can do to reunite him with his wife and child, who are American citizens. On Friday, a U.S. District Court judge in the District of Maryland ordered the government to return Mr. Abrego Garcia to the United States, and on Monday the Fourth Circuit denied the government’s motion to stay the order. The Administration should promptly comply with the district court’s order.

    To address our concerns about this matter and to provide clarity on the Department of Homeland Security and ICE’s policy regarding the immigration enforcement actions against immigrants with protected status, we ask that your Administration answer the following questions by April 22, 2025: 

    1. The standard and legal course for the government to take to deport someone with protected status would be to reopen the case, introduce evidence that grounds for terminating the protected status exist, and then allow an immigration judge to make a determination as to their status. Why was that course of action not taken in this case?  

    2. In the past, DHS and ICE worked to quickly return people to the U.S. who were erroneously deported. Why is DHS and ICE no longer following these well-established procedures and practices?   

    3. Vice President J.D. Vance and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt have both claimed that Mr. Abrego Garcia is an MS-13 gang member, but the government was unable or unwilling to provide any evidence to substantiate that claim to the court. Please provide any evidence of Mr. Abrego Garcia’s membership in MS-13.

    4. Given that the Administration is reportedly paying $6 million to El Salvador to detain deported immigrants at CECOT, why does it believe that there is nothing it can do to return Mr. Abrego Garcia to his family in the United States? Please provide a copy of the agreement between the U.S. and El Salvador on the detention of people deported from the U.S. in CECOT.

    5. Are there any other cases that the Administration is aware of in which an immigrant with protected status was illegally deported without due process? If so, identify those cases and explain what, if anything the government is doing to rectify those errors. 

    6. Will the Administration commit to reviewing all of the cases of its deportees to ensure that it has appropriately identified all of the errors? 

    7. What actions will the Administration take in the future to ensure that immigrants with protected status are afforded their appropriate due process? 

    We appreciate your prompt attention to this vital matter and look forward to reviewing your fulsome, timely response.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Speaks on Trump’s Latest Tariff Announcement: “We’ve Seen America on a Rollercoaster”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    04.09.25

    Cantwell Speaks on Trump’s Latest Tariff Announcement: “We’ve Seen America on a Rollercoaster”

    Today, Trump announced he’d roll back some tariffs to 10% while spiking his tax on Chinese goods to 125%; 25% on steel, aluminum, autos & auto parts, & other goods from Canada & Mexico remain; On Thursday, Cantwell introduced a bipartisan bill that would reassert Congress’ role in setting & overseeing U.S. trade policy

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, spoke on the Senate floor in response to President Donald Trump’s latest announcement that he would issue a 90-day pause on some tariffs while simultaneously increasing tariffs on Chinese goods.

    “While we’ve seen America on a rollercoaster the last couple of days, I think it also is a reminder that we need to continue to play this oversight role,” Sen. Cantwell said. “The best way to do that is to make sure that Congress continues to play a role in this very important policy.”

    Yesterday, she pressed United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the administration’s slapdash implementation of sweeping tariffs without input or accountability to Congress. Later that evening, she appeared on MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes to discuss the chaos wrought by this administration’s tariff policies: “The plan is not clear. The outcome that the President seeks is not clear,” she said.

    A video of her remarks on the floor tonight can be watched HERE; a transcript is HERE.

    Sen. Cantwell introduced a bipartisan bill on Thursday to reaffirm Congress’ key role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy, and reestablish limits on the president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs.

    READ MORE: The Wall Street Journal: Senators Move to Rein In Trump’s Power on Tariffs

    HEAR MORE: NPR: Sen. Maria Cantwell says there is bipartisan support to rein Trump’s tariffs

    WATCH MORE: Forbes: ‘I Don’t Know What You Think’: Maria Cantwell Laces Into US Trade Rep Over Trump’s Tariffs

    The bill has since picked up 12 additional cosponsors – an equal mix of Republicans and Democrats – and been endorsed by multiple major U.S. business organizations, including the National Retail Federation, which is the largest retail trade association in the world.

    In addition, a bipartisan group has introduced a companion version of Sen. Cantwell’s legislation in the House of Representatives, also cosponsored by equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats.

    The bill restores Congress’ authority and responsibility over tariffs as outlined in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution by placing the following limits on the president’s power to impose tariffs:

    • To enact a new tariff, the president must notify Congress of the imposition of (or increase in) the tariff within 48 hours.
      • The Congressional notification must include an explanation of the president’s reasoning for imposing or raising the tariff, and
      • Provide analysis of potential impact on American businesses and consumers.
    • Within 60 days, Congress must pass a joint resolution of approval on the new tariff, otherwise all new tariffs on imports expire after that deadline.
    • Under the bill, Congress has the ability to end tariffs at any time by passing a resolution of disapproval.
    • Anti-dumping and countervailing duties are excluded.

    The full bill text is available HERE.

    For the past three months, President Trump has been sowing economic chaos across the country with unpredictable and ever-changing tariff announcements. His back-and-forth announcements and actions, which have whipsawed American businesses and consumers, as well as close neighbors and allies, include:

    • On January 31 — citing punishment for failing to crack down on fentanyl trafficking — the Trump administration announced plans to impose a 25% tax on many goods imported into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tax on goods imported from China, then abruptly postponed those tariffs.
    • In February, he doubled down, announcing an additional 25% tax on all steel and aluminum imports.
    • At 12:01 a.m. ET on March 4, President Trump’s long-promised 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% tariff increase on goods from China took effect, causing stock prices in the United States to plummet.
    • Then, on March 5, he announced that automobiles from Canada and Mexico would be exempt from his tariffs for one month.
    • The morning of March 6, he announced that he would suspend the tariffs for some products from Mexico. Then, later that same afternoon, he announced he was suspending most new tariffs on products from both Mexico and Canada until April 2.
    • On March 11, Trump threatened to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum – increasing them to 50% – before reversing himself later the same day.
    • On March 13, he threatened 200% tariffs on alcoholic products from the European Union, including all wine and Champagne.
    • On March 27, he announced plans to impose a 25% tax on all imported sedans, SUVs, crossovers, minivans, cargo vans, and light trucks, as well as some auto parts, beginning on April 2.
    • On March 29, President Trump said, “I couldn’t care less,” if automakers raise the price of cars in response to his tariffs.
    • On April 2, he announced a “National Economic Emergency,” and signed an executive order declaring a 10% minimum baseline tariff on all countries as well as additional tariffs on nearly 60 countries.
    • On April 7, he threatened to impose an additional 50% tariff on China.
    • On April 9, he announced a rollback of his April 2 tariffs down to the 10% baseline across the board, with the exception of China, which he increased to 125%.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Capito Asks Superfund Experts About Extended Cost and Timeline of Cleanups, Examples from State and Community Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    To watch Chairman Capito’s questions, click here or the image above.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led ahearing on identifying improvements to the future management of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Superfund program. 

    In her questioning, Chairman Capito asked about particular factors that contribute to delays and increase costs of Superfund cleanups, and what actions can be taken from state and volunteer efforts to provide certainty for impacted communities. Additionally, Chairman Capito highlighted the bipartisan agreement to make meaningful improvements to the Superfund program.

    HIGHLIGHTS:

    CAUSE FOR HOLD UP: 

    CHAIRMAN CAPITO: 

    “Let me just kind of dig deeper on this remediation plan and hold up, Mr. Fox, that you’ve talked about. Is it a matter of the best strategy to cleanup a particular site? Is it arguing over the best way to do it? We’ve heard it’s not really arguing over who is going to pay for it, or is that the hold up? Or is it the science has not been done? I don’t know, point to one, or two, or three things in this process that we could change that would make this go faster.”

    ROBERT FOX:

    “There are very known ways to evaluate what the risk is at the site, and how to clean them up. Some sites are more complicated than others, but those general principles that I mentioned, about knowing who’s exposed, knowing what they’re exposed to, and eliminating those pathways – I don’t want to use the wrong term – but it’s not rocket science. We’ve been doing this for a long time. What happens is, the process is so cumbersome, the reports, the back and forth on scientific stuff. It’s not a science project where you have to study every molecule. You can get there much faster, get a remedy selected.”

    ADDITIONAL COSTS COMPARED TO STATE EFFORTS:

    CHAIRMAN CAPITO:

    “I’m assuming that you’ve done cleanups for Superfund sites, and cleanups for private or state level cleanups. So, I want to contrast those. When you when you do a cleanup, say, for a state, or maybe for a private entity, and you don’t have this cumbersome process, would you agree with Mr. Fox at some of the things that are thrown into the Superfund process – how does that work in a different, when you’re doing it for the state or for a private entity?”

    STEVEN RADEL:

    “In 2022 in Indiana, the Superfund site, if we had done that cleanup under the voluntary program of Indiana, versus how we did it under the Superfund program,

    just my consulting costs alone, and to some extent, my legal costs, probably two times more doing it on the Superfund site than if we were in that same work under a voluntary program.”

    CONCERN IN COMMUNITIES:

    CHAIRMAN CAPITO:

    “From the folks that live in and around Superfund sites, they have great economic development promise, in my view, because they are clean, it’s much easier for a developer, in some cases, to come in, because the work’s already been done. What do you see when you go into different communities, about the restlessness of, why is it taking so long, not adding the economics onto the health issues that are sometimes associated with this site. I think what we’re doing, is we’re stymieing communities from being able to have confidence that they can redevelop, or be living in a healthy community.”

    ROBERT FOX:

    “I agree with you 100%, I see it over and over again. Communities are frustrated because the potential exists for a win, win, win. Redevelopment of the site, protective of their human health and the environment, and the longer it goes on, they become distrustful. They become distrustful of EPA, they become distrustful of the private parties that are doing the work, and it feeds upon itself. Speeding up the process will get this back to productive use, and eliminate the exposure of these communities, and they will eliminate that distrust.”

    BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT:

    “I would like to say just in closing, that I think, first of all, this has been an excellent hearing because you’re all so knowledgeable on the issue, having lived it. But I think we have good, bipartisan agreement here that the system is broken. We’ve put more money in this, recently, and we want to see it result in the completion of these projects as much as you do. So, let’s work together to try and find a solution. Hopefully we can ameliorate some of the problems that have been identified today.”

    Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito’s questions.

    Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito’s opening statement.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford, Colleagues Push for Greater Health Care Access for Oklahomans, the Nation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford

    WASHINGTON, DC — Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and his colleagues today introduced the Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act that would amend a ban put in place by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), once again empowering physician-owned hospitals (POHs) to expand and deliver high-quality care to Medicare and Medicaid patients, particularly in rural communities. 

    “Oklahomans and rural communities across the country need more quality health care options,” said Lankford. “This bill lifts the outdated restrictions that have blocked physician-owned hospitals from growing or opening where they’re needed most. Local physicians should be empowered to deliver high-quality, patient-focused care in rural Oklahoma.”

    “When physicians lead hospitals, patients win,” said Dr. Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, chair of the Advocacy Council at the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons. “Physician-led hospitals are a powerful solution to the consolidation plaguing our healthcare system. By lifting outdated restrictions on physician ownership, we can drive down costs, improve quality, and expand access to care, especially in underserved rural areas. It’s past time to empower physicians to build healthcare institutions that prioritize patients over profits.”

    “The daily headlines are impossible to ignore,” said Physician-Led Healthcare for America (PHA) President-elect Carlos Cardenas, MD. “Healthcare costs are skyrocketing, rural hospitals are shuttering at alarming rates, and quality and patient satisfaction continue to decline. The status quo is failing us. It’s time to revitalize our healthcare system with a proven solution: physician-led hospitals.” 

    “Across the country, patients in rural communities are struggling to access essential medical care as more rural hospitals are forced to close due to the immense financial strain associated with declining reimbursements and rising medical costs,” said Bruce A. Scott, MD, President of the American Medical Association. “By allowing physicians to invest in and revitalize these hospitals, this legislation has the power to preserve and expand access to critical health care services in the communities that need them most. Physician-led hospitals are known to deliver high-quality, cost-effective care. This is a commonsense solution to a worsening problem. The AMA strongly supports this legislation and urges Congress to pass it as a vital step toward improving health care access for rural patients.”

    Lankford is joined in introducing the bill by Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), John Boozman (R-AR), John Barrasso (R-WY), and Ted Budd (R-NC). 

    Background

    POHs represent less than five percent of the 5,700 hospitals nationwide. However, POHs have a successful track record of providing individualized and innovative quality care, and they meet a growing demand for health care services, especially in rural areas. Seventy-three percent of POHs with a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) overall hospital quality star rating earned three or more stars in the program; 26 percent of them have earned five stars.

    In 2023, Sen. Lankford and Dr. Brian J. Miller published an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal about the importance of including physician-owned hospitals in the litany of quality nonprofit and community-based health care options available to Oklahomans and people around the nation.

    Senator Lankford, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, has also introduced similar legislation, the Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act, many times over the past several years.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton Statement on the Army’s Limited Reintegration of the Caisson into Military Funerals

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    April 9, 2025

    Cotton Statement on the Army’s Limited Reintegration of the Caisson into Military Funerals

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement after the Army announced the limited reintegration of the caisson into funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery:

     “The Old Guard has a long tradition of ensuring our nation’s fallen heroes are interred with the highest honors. I am encouraged by the Army’s announcement that limited caisson services will resume, and I look forward to the Caisson Platoon returning to full-time duty at Arlington National Cemetery soon. America’s service members, their families, and their loved ones deserve nothing less.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Cut Taxes for Working Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

     ***VIDEO AVAILABLE***

    Video of the Senator’s remarks at a press conference introducing this critical legislation is available here.

    Video download is available here.

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) led 43 of their Senate colleagues in introducing the Tax Cut for Workers Act to give millions of working Americans a much-needed tax break. Cortez Masto’s bill is part of Senate Democrats’ comprehensive plan to bring relief to the American people, and it is being introduced with the Senators’ American Families Act to permanently expand the Child Tax Credit. The Tax Cuts for Workers Act will be introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Dwight Evans (D-Pa.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).

    “With costs skyrocketing right now thanks to the Trump administration, millions of hardworking Americans need expanded tax relief to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table for their families,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This bill is focused on those who really need a tax cut – middle-class Americans who contribute to our economy – not Donald Trump’s billionaire friends.

    “Working people need relief more than ever. The Trump Administration’s reckless tariff policy will cost the average American family upwards of $3,800 annually,” said Senator Bennet. “These tariffs, coupled with an extension of Trump’s tax cuts for his billionaire friends, are an insult to hard working Americans. Senator Cortez Masto and I are committed to passing real tax relief for middle-class families through the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.”

    The existing Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – the Worker Tax Cut – has been delivering tax relief for millions of workers for decades. But it’s just not enough, and Cortez Masto is determined to give more working Americans a break. Her legislation would cut taxes for working class Americans without children, who currently receive a much smaller EITC than workers with children. This expansion would include over 160,000 Nevadans by nearly tripling the average tax break many of these Americans receive from the existing EITC. It also extends eligibility for the tax cut to workers under the age of 25 and over the age of 64.

    Read the full bill here.

    Additional cosponsors include Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported efforts to cut taxes and lower costs for hardworking Nevadans. She helped pass critical expansions to the Child Tax Credit in the American Rescue plan, and has been fighting to permanently increase this vital relief for working families. Cortez Masto also helped introduce the No Tax on Tips Act to exempt tipped wages from federal income tax. Additionally, Senator Cortez Masto supports raising the federal minimum wage and eliminating the minimum wage gap for tipped workers nationally. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Joins Press Conference Highlighting Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Invest in Local Law Enforcement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    FTPs for TV stations is available here.

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) spoke at a press conference to highlight the urgent need to pass her bipartisan Invest to Protect Act. She was joined by Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.-05) and John Rutherford (R-Fla.-05) who introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives, as well as by local law enforcement officers.

    “Local police departments are the backbone of public safety for communities across the Silver State, but in conversations with law enforcement officers, I have heard over and over again that they need more resources,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This bipartisan, bicameral legislation gives small departments across the country a boost in funding for training, recruitment, and mental health support. It’s commonsense, and it’s time to get it done.”

    “The bipartisan Invest to Protect Act will make critical investments in our departments and ensure that our police officers in smaller towns across New Jersey, and our nation, have the resources and training they need to keep themselves and communities safe,” said Congressman Gottheimer. “If you want to make something better, you don’t get there by cutting or defunding. You need to make smart, targeted investments. You must invest, not defund. You can have both justice and public safety. You don’t have to pick between one or the other. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure we have both and protect our communities and officers.”

    “Small police forces are often the most resource constrained agencies and suffer the most from a lack of operational equipment and services,” said Congressman Rutherford. “As a former sheriff and career law enforcement officer, I am proud to join Congressman Gottheimer to reintroduce the Invest to Protect Act in the House to make trainings, retention tools, and mental health care resources more readily available for departments with fewer than 175 officers. It’s important we streamline the grant process for smaller law enforcement agencies to provide them with the resources they need to protect our communities nationwide.”

    The majority of law enforcement agencies in the U.S. are smaller than 175 full-time sworn officers, including all of Nevada’s rural sheriff’s departments and key suburban departments such as the Sparks Police Department. In Nevada and nationwide, these small departments often struggle to access critical resources. Cortez Masto’s bipartisan Invest to Protect Act would establish a grant program through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program to provide $250 million specifically to help these small law enforcement agencies make meaningful investments in their officers and communities. This bill is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police and the National Association of Police Organizations.

    As the former top law enforcement official in Nevada, Senator Cortez Masto has been a leading advocate in the Senate for our police officers and is part of the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus. She has secured historic funding for the Byrne JAG grant program, the leading source of criminal justice funding in the country. Her bipartisan bills to combat the crisis of law enforcement suicide and provide mental health resources to police officers have been signed into law by presidents of both parties. Her BADGES for Native Communities Act, to support the Bureau of Indian Affairs with law enforcement recruitment and retention, passed the Senate last Congress.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Demands Trump Administration Provide Plan to Address Impact of Trump Tariffs, Other Executive Action on Tourism

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik, U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, National Economic Council (NEC) Director Dr. Kevin Hassett, and Ambassador Jamieson Greer (USTR) demanding they provide their plan to mitigate the economic stress caused by the implementation of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and other executive actions. The Senator especially expressed concern about these efforts and their harms to the Nevada, and broader U.S., travel and tourism industry.

    Nevada is one of the top five states most visited by international travelers, and the industry makes up nearly 16 percent of the state’s economy, generating $23.6 billion in total income. As of 2024, more than 300,000 Nevadans are employed by our tourism industry, including more than 60,000 union members.

    “Among the Trump Administration’s unclear executive orders, actual and threatened executive actions, and the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), there has been no transparency about the negative impacts these actions will have on the United States,” wrote the Senator. “These efforts have resulted in damaging trade policies, frozen federal funding, a gutted federal workforce, and have extended Presidential authority beyond legal limits, all creating real consequences for working families, small businesses, and industries. I cannot stress enough the need for the Trump Administration to seriously consider the devastating impacts your actions are having on our nation’s tourism economy.”

    Cortez Masto listed a handful of policies that are having a detrimental impact on the tourism industry, including:

    • the threats and application of tariffs to nations including America’s allies;
    • the increasingly aggressive – and questionably legal – procedures being utilized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection;
    • the freezing or eliminating of federal funding supporting transportation infrastructure, National Parks, and cultural sites;
    • and the firing of employees across the federal government.

    “Because of the lack of transparency regarding the negative impacts of the Trump Administration’s actions, I am writing to underscore a concern about these efforts and their harm on our nation’s travel and tourism sector, request information on how you are mitigating the economic stress, and offer solutions,” continued the Senator. “It is a fact that the travel industry is seeing a noticeable decrease in room bookings, business travel, and recreational visits from both domestic and international travel. This sector is fundamental to my home state of Nevada and its hundreds of thousands of hardworking men and women who work in events, entertainment, and hospitality.”

    The travel and tourism industry represents 2.5 percent of the national Gross Domestic Product and supports over 15 million American jobs. Travel experts estimate the number of people arriving to the U.S. from abroad to decline by 9.4% in 2025 and travel spending to fall 12.3%, resulting in a $22 billion annual loss nationally. The domestic travel industry has seen devastating impacts as well – in February, U.S. consumer spending on air travel dropped 10 percent and spending on hotels dropped 6 percent relative to a year ago.

    Read the full letter here.

    Senator Cortez Masto has continued to push the Trump Administration to address the impacts of Trump’s tariffs on working families. Earlier today, during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, Cortez Masto pressed U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer about the impacts of President Trump’s blanket tariffs on Nevadans, particularly those employed in the tourism and hospitality industry. Earlier this month, the Senator introduced the Tariff Transparency Act to require the U.S. International Trade Commission to investigate how Donald Trump’s recent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada will impact the American people and make that information public. Senator Cortez Masto also wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Hegseth and Secretary of Treasury Bessent demanding answers on the national security impacts on President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Unveils New Legislation Prohibiting Special Government Employees’ Companies from Receiving Federal Contracts or Grant Payments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a top member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committee, is introducing new legislation that would prevent federal contracts or grant payments to companies owned or controlled by any person who became a Special Government Employee (SGE) on or after January 1, 2025.  

    “Those who step up to serve our country should do so because they want to contribute to the betterment of our nation – not because they stand to benefit from their public service at the expense of taxpayers,” said Shaheen. “I’m introducing legislation to prohibit anyone named a Special Government Employee from raking in federal dollars in government contracts and grant payments and prevent the clear conflicts of interests this arrangement could pose.” 

    Senator Shaheen’s legislation utilizes the beneficial ownership framework that is also used by the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to companies traded on stock exchanges, and the agency uses this framework to disclose the true owners of companies whose ownership would otherwise be obscured or hidden by shell companies. Hence, if an SGE owns 5% or more of a company, that company would be ineligible to contract with or receive payment from the federal government.  

    Shaheen’s bill provides a route for such companies to again be eligible for payments and contracts. If the SGE whose beneficial ownership triggers the payment and contract prohibition quits being an SGE, the company would then be eligible to receive both. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy reintroduces bill to stop online exploitation of America’s children

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today reintroduced the Targeting Child Predators Act to help stop children from being exploited online. 
    “Innocent children are uniquely vulnerable to wicked people who commit one of the worst crimes imaginable in the internet’s shadows. Law enforcement should have every resource at their disposal to stop and punish child predators, and this bill delivers a critical tool for the good guys,” said Kennedy. 
    Current law gives suspected predators opportunity to evade prosecution and criminal accountability when electronic communication service (ECS) providers alert them to potential law enforcement investigations. 
    When law enforcement investigates online child exploitation cases, they typically match an IP address to a suspected predator. Officials may then use this evidence to obtain a subpoena to collect the name of the person attached to the IP address from an ECS provider.
    ECS providers comply with these subpoenas, but often inform users of the search—in these cases, suspected child predators—of the request. Suspects who discover that law enforcement is investigating them regularly erase their internet search footprints, which can make prosecuting online child predators nearly impossible.
    The Targeting Child Predators Act would allow law enforcement to block ECS providers from notifying suspected child predators that they are being investigated for at least 180 days if law enforcement certifies that doing so is necessary to prevent destruction of evidence, flight and other misconduct.
    Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) cosponsored the bill.
    “We live in a digitally dominated world and while there are many positive benefits that come with that, there’s also a dark underbelly. This legislation would support law enforcement’s efforts to mitigate the dangerous threats that lurk behind the screens we look at daily and safeguard Texas children from harm,” said Cornyn. 
    The Targeting Child Predators Act does not expand what type of evidence law enforcement can collect and allows for judicial review of a nondisclosure requirement attached to a subpoena.
    The Child Rescue Coalition, Raven, Major County Sheriffs of America and the National Fraternal Order of Police support the Targeting Child Predators Act. 
    “The TCPA will streamline data access for law enforcement in child exploitation cases, without compromising their investigations, or repeatedly burdening the Judiciary, enabling quicker investigations to protect and rescue victims from online predators,” said Greg Schiller, CEO, Child Rescue Coalition.
    “This bill will prevent tech companies from notifying child predators of subpoena service which will keep vital evidence from being destroyed and increase law enforcement’s ability to rescue victims,” said Jennifer Dunton, Director of Legislative Affairs at Raven.
    “MCSA commends Senator Kennedy for introducing the Targeting Child Predators Act. If those who target and exploit children are tipped off when a criminal investigation is underway, they can destroy evidence and as a result complicate the recovery of evidence. This bill would help to minimize this possibility and improve our chances of putting them behind bars. We encourage Congress to act on this important legislation,” said Sheriff Bill Brown, President, Major County Sheriffs of America. 
    “The ‘Targeting Child Predators Act’ makes a common-sense change that ensures that law enforcement has the necessary time to conduct thorough investigations and build strong cases against offenders. This change would ultimately help remove predators from our neighborhoods and make our internet communities safer for children and families,” said Patrick Yoes, National President, National Fraternal Order of Police. 
    The full bill text of the Targeting Child Predators Act is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy blasts NYC public school system for promoting antisemitic toolkit: “Still in disbelief”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) questioned why the New York City public school system published an antisemitic newsletter that encouraged students to attend a “rage week” against Israel in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.

    Key excerpts of the speech are below: 

    “I’m still in disbelief. . . . The New York public schools publish a monthly newsletter. It is called the Office of Student Pathways Newsletter. . . . In the latest newsletter they blasted out, they had one of those bullet points that they made in the newsletter that is kind of—when you look at it on the internet, it is kind of pale blue. You can click on it, and it sends you to another site. 

    “The bullet point on the newsletter that the public schools of New York sent out was called: ‘Guidelines for teaching about genocide.’ And if you clicked on this phrase in the newsletter, it sent you to another site. Do you know what the site was? ‘Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit.’ The administration of the New York public schools, the largest in the country, is sending this out to its teachers and its students and to the world. If you take a look and you say, ‘What is in this toolkit, this Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit?’ It contains the biggest bunch of antisemitic rot you can imagine.”

    . . .

    “But then the article goes on to say that it has been discovered that a similar version of the toolkit—this oversight—was published in the newsletter in the prior month. It was in the Oct.-Nov. 2024 newsletter. That document called on all the teachers and all the students in the New York public schools—and everybody else reading the newsletter—it called on them to participate in ‘rage week’ and ‘resist genocide’ by mobilizing on Saturday, Oct. 5, for a ‘day of action’ ahead of the anniversary of Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. That was the date of the terrorist attack on Israel, which apparently the administration of the public schools wants to celebrate.”

    Watch Kennedy’s speech here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –