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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement: Warner, Kaine, Griffith Welcome Major Disaster Declaration for Southwest Virginia Following February Winter Storms

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (D-VA) along with Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09) issued a statement on the formal approval of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration in response to the February winter storms that caused widespread flooding and damage to Southwest Virginia. This declaration triggers the release of Public Assistance for Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Floyd, Franklin, Grayson, Lee, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, and Wise Counties and the independent city of Bristol. The Commonwealth’s request for Individual Assistance remains under review.  
    “After weeks of pushing at the federal level, we are glad to see this crucial assistance approved for Southwest Virginia,” said the lawmakers. “This is a strong first step towards supporting recovery efforts and we will continue pushing for Individual Assistance to help deliver resources to the families most hard-hit by this devastating flooding.”
    This approval comes more than six weeks after the Senators and Rep. Griffith originally wrote to President Trump in support of Virginia’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Warnock Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Modernize Capital Tax Treatment for Life Insurers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced the Secure Family Futures Act, bipartisan legislation that would repeal the outdated capital tax treatment of debt investments held by life insurers, such as bonds, and apply ordinary tax treatment to them.  
    “This commonsense legislation ensures debt investments made by insurance companies are treated equally under our tax code,” said Senator Tillis. “By making these critical changes, insurance companies will be able to promote economic growth and investment in communities in North Carolina and across our country.” 
    “Life insurance provides peace of mind, and we should make that peace of mind more accessible and affordable, especially when there’s a commonsense fix in our tax code,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “That’s why the bipartisan Secure Family Futures Act is so important, and I’m proud to partner with Senator Tillis on this bill.”
    “Life insurers protect families and help power the American economy,” said David Chavern, President & CEO, American Council of Life Insurers. “The $8 trillion they invest in businesses, infrastructure, and job creation adds life to communities across the United States. And the returns from these investments help families and businesses access the financial protection they need to succeed and thrive. Senator Tillis’s and Senator Warnock’s bill offers much needed changes to the tax treatment of life insurers’ bond investments that will foster further economic growth and help more people and businesses secure their financial futures.”
    “Principal Financial Group, a leading financial institution with a workforce of nearly 1,000 dedicated employees across the state of North Carolina, wholeheartedly supports the efforts of Senators Tillis and Warnock to bring about pragmatic and much-needed change to the U.S. Tax Code,” said Chris Payne, Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Principal Financial Group. “The proposal to assign ordinary treatment to debt investments, such as bonds, is a pivotal step towards rectifying the existing tax mismatch within the Code. It will pave the way for insurers like us to excel in our primary mission: creating opportunities for families and small businesses to achieve financial security.” 
    A letter of support from MetLife is available HERE. 
    Full text of the legislation is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) led 12 of her 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 Nevada 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 Senator 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), Patty Murray (D-WA), 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.
    Senator Rosen has been fighting back against President Trump’s reckless tariffs and the destructive impacts they’re having on Nevada’s economy. Last week, she took to the Senate floor to oppose President Trump’s tariffs and highlight a letter she received from a small business owner in Reno outlining the devastating impact these tariffs will have on his business. Senator Rosen also helped pass a Congressional resolution to reverse President Trump’s devastating tariffs on virtually all Canadian goods that have raised prices for families and hurt Nevada’s businesses and economy. Senator Rosen also sent a letter urging the Trump Administration to reverse course on imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico to prevent housing prices from rising even further.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer, Coons Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Veteran Access to Suicide Prevention Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – When Congress passed the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019, it authorized several new programs designed to improve veterans’ access to mental health care. Among the provisions, the bill established the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) to reduce veteran suicide through a community-based approach. 

    While the SSG Fox SPGP authorized $174 million to be appropriated for Fiscal Year 2021 through Fiscal Year 2025, neither North Dakota nor Delaware, or entities serving these states, have received any funding. 

    To address this shortcoming, U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the bipartisan Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act to provide for priority consideration of SSG Fox SPGP applications to entities in states which have not previously received a grant.

    “Veterans across North Dakota and the nation bravely served our country and have been promised timely access to mental healthcare, no matter where they live,” said Cramer. “Our bipartisan bill provides a practical fix to ensure North Dakota veterans receive suicide prevention support if they need it.”

    “We have a duty to support those who have volunteered to serve in our armed forces, and no aid is more urgent than helping our veterans at risk of suicide,” said Coons. “Until now, Delaware has missed out on critical funds to address veterans’ mental health and suicide risk despite the amazing organizations in the First State ready to expand their reach. This bill rights that wrong so that more Delaware veterans who have risked their lives to keep us safe will receive the life-saving support they deserve when they come home.”

    The legislation is supported by several organizations, including the North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs (NDDVA), American Legion Department of North Dakota, Disabled American Veterans Department of North Dakota, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of North Dakota.

    “Thank you, Senator Cramer, for leading this legislation,” said Lonnie Wangen, Commissioner of NDDVA. “Highly rural states such as North Dakota face a unique challenge in serving our most vulnerable veterans. NDDVA considers suicide prevention the most important and difficult task we are facing. Two words that need to stop being used together are “veteran” and “suicide.” We need all the partners and resources available and appreciate any help we can get in this critical mission.”

     Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Neguse Reintroduce Bill to Expand Sarvis Creek Wilderness

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, along with Representative Joe Neguse, reintroduced the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Completion Act to expand the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Area in the Routt National Forest by 6,817 acres, protecting sub-alpine wilderness habitats and wildlife while preserving access to outdoor recreation. 

    “Coloradans love the Sarvis Creek Wilderness,” said Hickenlooper. “It’s home to stunning landscapes, recreation opportunities, and wildlife. Let’s expand and protect it.”

    “Colorado’s public lands are the cornerstone of our Western way of life, and for decades, this Northwest Colorado landscape has deserved further protection,” said Bennet. “Local elected officials and outdoor recreation, agriculture, water, and environmental leaders came together to craft this bill that protects critical watersheds, enhances wildlife habitats, and safeguards outdoor exploration for Coloradans. I look forward to getting this important legislation across the finish line for our state.”

    “I’m proud to join Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet in reintroducing legislation that would expand the Sarvis Creek Wilderness Area in the Routt National Forest by more than 6,000 acres, advancing the preservation of our public lands, protecting local wildlife, and providing increased access to outdoor recreation,” said Neguse.

    Specifically, this legislation:

    • Fulfills the community’s vision for the entire Sarvis Creek wilderness area by adding 6,817 acres on to the existing 44,556 acres, which had originally been excluded due to a previously-proposed plan to develop a ski area.
    • Extends wilderness protection to the Harrison and Green Creek watersheds—rare, pristine sub-alpine regions that feed into the Yampa River, safeguarding aquatic resources and preserving water quality.
    • Protects winter range and spring calving areas for elk that inhabit the area, in addition to habitat for other native Colorado wildlife and fish species.
    • Provides easy public access from Steamboat Springs and Stagecoach for low impact recreation—including hunting, fishing, back-country skiing and hiking.

    Full text of the legislation is available HERE.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Moran Reintroduce Bill to Help U.S. Host Cities Bolster Local Infrastructure Ahead of 2026 World Cup, 2028 & 2034 Olympics

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    04.09.25

    Cantwell, Moran Reintroduce Bill to Help U.S. Host Cities Bolster Local Infrastructure Ahead of 2026 World Cup, 2028 & 2034 Olympics

    Cantwell: “With less than 500 days until Seattle hosts its first 2026 World Cup game, we need the Department of Transportation to get in the game and support host cities”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Finance Committee, and Jerry Moran (R-KS), a member of the Commerce Committee, reintroduced the Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act to provide federal funding for local communities to prepare for transportation demands and ensure the successful movement of fans, workers, and goods during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, the 2028 Summer Olympics, and the 2034 Winter Olympics that will all be held in the United States.

    “With less than 500 days until Seattle hosts its first 2026 World Cup game, we need the Department of Transportation to get in the game and support host cities as they work to showcase the best of American innovation and hospitality,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This bill will help ensure the hundreds of thousands of fans visiting Seattle can get to and from games safely and efficiently by improving coordinated transportation planning across the Pacific Northwest.”

    “It was a tremendous feat to secure a spot as a host city during the 2026 World Cup, and I have no doubt that Kansas City will be a welcoming community for hundreds of thousands of soccer fans from around the world,” said Sen. Moran. “Preparations are already underway for the games, and this legislation will support local community and agency efforts to improve infrastructure to connect fans with businesses, hotels, the airport and other host cities during the World Cup.”

    The United States, Canada, and Mexico were selected to host the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, and 11 U.S. cities are preparing to host World Cup matches, including Kansas City, Seattle, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Transportation demands will increase greatly as host cities and surrounding communities are expecting hundreds of thousands of additional visitors from across the globe during the games. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympics and Salt Lake City was selected to host the 2034 Winter Olympics.

    This legislation would create a grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide host cities with funding for projects that improve transportation in the region during World Cup or Olympic games. Grants would support permanent transportation projects – building new roads, expanding light rail, purchasing new buses, creating bike lanes, improving existing roads or highways, or making airport terminal improvements. 

    The Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act would:

    • Provide resources to host cities through grant funding for projects that improve transportation in the region during World Cup or Olympic games, which could include acquiring buses, improving airports, or building roads.
    • Allow DOT to provide technical and planning assistance to host cities, states, and tribes within 100 miles of a World Cup or Olympic event to help improve coordination and prepare regional transportation systems for the influx of fans.
    • Allow DOT to facilitate sharing public transportation equipment, such as buses, between host cities and other cities, helping reduce costs while meeting transportation demand.
    • Direct the Department of Commerce to study the economic impact hosting the World Cup and the Olympics has on travel and tourism in the United States

    “The USOPC strongly supports the Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Host Cities Act, and we thank Senators Moran and Cantwell for their leadership on this issue. This legislation is crucial to ensuring the United States is prepared to host the decade of sport ahead, from the 2026 FIFA World Cup to the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City. This bill will make it possible for cities to enhance their infrastructure and provide a seamless experience for athletes and fans alike. The essential transportation assistance set forward in this bill will help make these global events a success and demonstrate American excellence on the world stage.” – The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

    “We are excited for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup to take place in the United States,” said Cindy Parlow Cone, U.S. Soccer Federation President. “We appreciate Senators Moran and Cantwell for introducing legislation to provide the 11 U.S. cities hosting World Cup matches, and the dozens more cities hosting team base camps, fan fests and other events and activities, with the resources they will need to welcome the hundreds of thousands of people that will travel here from around the world.”

    “From ferries to trains, buses to highways, the World Cup will undoubtedly put Washington state’s transportation system to the test,” said Peter Tomozawa, CEO, Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 Organizing Committee. “We appreciate Senator Cantwell’s leadership to provide transportation agencies the support they need so we’re ready to showcase Washington to the world in 2026.”

    “We are pleased to see this important transportation assistance legislation introduced in support of Kansas City’s World Cup efforts,” said Pam Kramer, Chief Executive Officer of KC2026. “Senator Moran continues to be a leader in transportation, mobility, safety and security in the Kansas City region. This legislation will give much needed support to our efforts to ensure safe and efficient transportation of people and goods throughout the region during the World Cup. More importantly, these investments and support will help us create sustained and lasting impact beyond the World Cup, improving mobility in the region well beyond 2026.”

    “On behalf of the KCATA, we are grateful that Senator Jerry Moran is demonstrating his foresight and leadership by introducing bipartisan legislation that will help us, and other host cities effectively host these games and move people to where they need to be,” said Frank White III, President and CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA). “The Senator’s outreach and understanding of our needs to serve both visitors and residents will help us with effective planning and preparation to host sizable crowds on our transit systems next summer.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Senator Mullin Welcomes Norman Chamber of Commerce to Washington, Holds Q&A

    US Senate News:

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

    RELEASE: Senator Mullin Welcomes Norman Chamber of Commerce to Washington, Holds Q&A

    Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke with the Norman Chamber of Commerce about DOGE cuts, returning power to the states, and the important roles he and Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) have on their respective Committees, advocating for Oklahomans. The Chamber’s meeting with Senator Mullin was part of their annual Washington Fly-in event.

    Highlights of the Senator’s remarks are below.

    On getting the bureaucracy out of Washington, D.C., and returning power to the states:

    “The President wants to get it closer to the communities and let you guys make decisions on what’s best for your community. You know, it’s very difficult for people up here in Washington, DC to know what’s going on in Norman. They don’t. It’s kind of like the Department of Ag… the Department of Ag covers two city blocks and most of those people have never been kicked by a horse, much less have crap on their boots, and they’re trying to tell us how to run our places. They’re too far removed.”

    “We’re trying to push it closer to the states and allow the states to handle that, that’s the whole point of what we’re doing, and what DOGE is about.”

    On the Senate and House Appropriations Committees:

    “Tom and I will work closely together with it… I felt like we could be more helpful being on Approps… With Tom there, we have real opportunities to get this stuff funded… If we’re going to be in this spot, I want to be as effective as possible. And I felt like that was a positive move for us. So, all these infrastructure projects, I’m well aware of them, and we’ll continue to try carrying them, to fight for them, with you guys.”

    On DOGE cuts rumors:

    “Now talking about DOGE, here’s what I tell all the different chambers that’s coming up here…  don’t chase a rumor… I’ve got a great relationship with the President. I’ve also got an outstanding relationship with Pete Hegseth, who I consider a friend. I consider the President a friend. In fact, just about any nominee that’s out there, I promise you, or a Secretary out there, I have their cell phone, and all of them I have great relationships with… I can find out the answer. So, before you go and chase a rumor, just have someone call me and let’s ask about it. Let’s find out.”

    “With transportation, I can tell you, Sean Duffy, they’re shrinking the size of the Department of Transportation too, just like they’re doing this stuff with Department of Ed, and it’s not that the money is going to go away. It’s that we feel like if we can get it closer to the state with transportation working with ODOT, rather than having some person in Washington, D.C. decide where the grants are going to go based on how the state voted.”

    “So, with all this, it’s about pushing it closer to the state. The President says over and over again, he wants the dollar to go further.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Hosts Virtual Town Hall on Trump Administration’s Attacks on Health Care Innovation and Access in Massachusetts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Washington (April 8, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the Small Business Committee, as well as the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, today hosted a virtual town hall with panelists from MassMEDIC, Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals, VentureWell, Boyd Biomedical, and the Wyss Institute on the importance of protecting health care innovation and patient access to care in Massachusetts and across the country. Recent Trump administration actions threaten health care innovation and access in the United States and the Commonwealth, including cuts to research funding, disruptions in funding for health providers, and firing of employees at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
    “With President Trump’s and Congressional Republicans’ attacks on medical research, on health care access, on small businesses, and innovation, they are attacking Massachusetts,” said Senator Markey. “I heard stories from health care leaders, manufacturers, researchers, and patients that demonstrate what these reckless and indiscriminate tariffs, cuts to medical research and personnel, and efforts to gut Medicaid will mean for our ability to innovate affordable, accessible treatments and cures, and deliver high-quality care to patients in Massachusetts. I stand with them in the fight to protect life-saving research and care.”
    Massachusetts is a national leader in developing groundbreaking treatments and cures, giving hope to patients, families, and caregivers in need of breakthroughs and discoveries. Massachusetts received nearly $3.5 billion in 2024 from the NIH to support 6,000 grants including for Alzheimer’s and youth mental health. Massachusetts received nine percent of National Institutes of Health funding in 2024 despite only having two percent of the population. Since its inception, Massachusetts has also received $26,000 from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, totaling $9 billion in funding including for Alzheimer’s prevention, diagnosis and treatment and breast cancer detection. Committed health providers, researchers, and workers drive these innovations, relying on sustainable funding to do their work. 
    “On behalf of the region’s medical device sector, I thank Sen. Markey for his steadfast support of life science innovation and manufacturing. The Commonwealth’s economy depends on our ability to deliver new cures and treatments to the world. The senator is a great partner in developing federal policy that encourages growth and patient impact,” said Brian Johnson, President of MassMEDIC.
    “The NIH continues to be our nation’s greatest hope for identifying life changing diagnostics, treatments, and cures, while supporting countless jobs, driving economic activity, and ensuring the United States’ position as a global leader in scientific research and medical innovation,” said Patricia McMullin, Executive Director of the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals. “We are grateful to Senator Markey and the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation for their advocacy to strengthen our nation’s medical research, which saves lives and gives hope to families across the nation and around the world.”
    “The scientific breakthroughs of tomorrow and the health solutions that improve lives depend on sustained investment in foundational biomedical research and development funding. Agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), play a critical role in enabling this progress. Continued funding and support ensure that discoveries can be translated into transformative products and services for patients,” said Mark Marino, Vice President at VentureWell. “Federal research investments in areas such as cancer, chronic disease, Alzheimer’s, mental health, environmental health, nutrition, and pandemic preparedness are essential to maintaining a strong biomedical innovation ecosystem. We applaud Senator Markey for underscoring the importance of timely, robust funding to advance research and fuel the innovation economy in Massachusetts and across the country. We urge Congress and this administration to prioritize innovative research funding for activities that help bring biomedical innovations out of the lab and into the market.”
    “We believe in the value of strong manufacturing in America, and we’re very happy that that sentiment is more widely held today than it was just a decade ago. But the financial impact of these tariffs on American manufacturers is stark. Especially for small and mid-sized companies,” said Matthew Boyd, Chief Commercial Officer at Boyd Biomedical. “The tremendous biomedical innovation we create here in Massachusetts is not a valve you can turn off and then expect to turn back on. The consequences of these cuts to federally funded biomedical research will have a decades-long impact on biomedical innovation.”
    “Even if some of these actions are reconsidered by the administration or blocked by courts, the current uncertainty and the possibility of some of these actions being implemented will delay life-saving therapies from getting into patients by delaying innovation,” said Dr. Girija Goyal, Ph.D., Principal Scientist at the Wyss Institute.
    On March 26, Senator Markey hosted a virtual office hours meeting with Congressman McGovern, food security advocates and food banks, and hundreds of constituents on the importance of protecting SNAP and other essential food security benefits for people in Massachusetts. Earlier that month, Senator Markey led members of the Massachusetts delegation in a joint statement blasting the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Institutes of Health. Also in March, Senator Markey hosted a town hall in Malden, Massachusetts to hear directly from constituents about their concerns about what President Trump and DOGE would mean for their health care and Social Security. In February 2025, Senators Markey, Warren and Schumer demanded that the Trump administration, Elon Musk and DOGE make no cuts to Medicaid or Medicare and to end DOGE’s unauthorized access to sensitive health information.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Blasts Trump’s Coal Executive Orders

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Washington (April 8, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today released the following statement after President Trump signed four executive orders to boost the dying coal industry.
    “Just like Trump, coal is outdated, costly, and dangerous,” said Senator Markey. “Coal is the dirtiest energy source out there, both a major contributor to the climate crisis and a public health threat for communities nearby. Despite what Trump says, renewables are beating coal pound for pound in the market. Building new solar – even solar plus storage – is now cheaper than running existing coal plants in the United States.
    “The real emergency is not the lack of coal, but Trump’s order to open up America’s beautiful public lands to coal mining and expedite coal leasing and permitting. Attempts to revive this dying industry are not only costly to American taxpayers, but a danger to public health and our environment. From gutting the Environmental Protection Agency and its mission to ensure clean air and clean water, to attempting to roll back the clean energy investments in the historic Inflation Reduction Act, Trump is simply paying back his fossil fuel contributors, whose only goal is to kill clean energy and smother the revolution that has made onshore wind and solar the most cost-effective sources of electricity in the country.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Promotes Submarine Manufacturing in SASC Subcommittee Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) spoke with several top officers on the state of nuclear shipbuilding at a Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower hearing. They spoke about strategies to better enable submarine and shipbuilding companies, like Mobile’s Austal, to give the Navy the best possible product.
    Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or watch on YouTube or Rumble.

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Chairman Scott, for this hearing. I haven’t been in this business long, but I’ve noticed shortcomings of shipbuilding since I’ve been on this [Sub]committee and [the Senate] Armed Services Committee. We build components for submarines—the Columbia class and the Virginia class—at Austal in Mobile. Probably most of you know that. It’s pretty new to us, but I’ve noticed recruiting—as the Senator was alluding to—workforce, I know Austal has gone out and gone through fast food joints and everything else trying to find welders and people that can actually work and understand it. So, it’s an ongoing process. 
    Admiral Weeks, how does this module production support your goal of increasing submarine construction rates?”
    WEEKS: “Sir, thank you for that question. So, as we look at the constrained capacity in our primary build yards, it’s really important that we recognize that broadening that shipbuilding industrial base—the shipbuilding base beyond those two yards—is really the opportunity we need to be able to get and bring more folks to bear, bring different geographical regions to bear, and alleviate the strain on our primary yards. And that will then allow them to do most efficiently what only they can do, which is things like outfitting, final assembly, and testing.”
    TUBERVILLE: “So, we’ve seen an increase in production by doing this?”
    WEEKS: “Yes, Sir. So, […] anytime you put something new in a new facility that has not done that kind of work before, you expect that it’s going to take a little bit of time to come up to speed, and that’s exactly what’s happening. But we are now, especially with Austal, so we’ve been on the path long enough now that we’re starting to see the improvement that we expected. And both Admiral Rucker and I have been down to Austal multiple times partnering with both electric boat and the company there to make sure that they’re on track to get where they need to be and, you know, they’re doing well. Yes, Sir.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Yeah. You think it’ll help us catch up with the Chinese and their expansion of their submarines? They’re really flying past us. You think it’s gonna be possible for this type of procedure to really help catch the Chinese?”
    WEEKS: “Yes, Sir. I think it’s absolutely critical that we expand our industrial base. That is the only way we’re gonna be able to compete. Yes, Sir.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.
    Admiral Rucker, what can the Navy and Congress do to accelerate outsourcing of module production?”
    RUCKER: “Thank you for the question, Sir. I agree with everything Admiral Weeks said and the importance of outsourcing. Where we stand today, we have a goal by 2026 to get up to about 7,000,000 man-hours annually. That’s equivalent of a Surface Ship Destroyer from our submarine yards out to the industrial base. As of end of 2024, we were about 3,000,000 [man-]hours. So, we’re about halfway there.
    As Admiral Weeks said, we’ve been down to Austal. They’ve already delivered the first two large sub modules for Virginia class. They’ve got three more they’re working [on] right now. The next one is going to be delivered this summer and then they keep on going. We need that strategic outsourcing to increase the overall capability and capacity for large structural fabrication, machining, [and] electrical.
    So, we’re going to continue to work with the shipbuilders to ensure that we can execute that efficiently and effectively.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Admiral Moton, any thoughts on strategic outsourcing as a method to increase our shipyard output?”
    MOTON: “Yes, Senator, I completely agree with my colleagues on the importance. I think it’s a critical part of our strategy to, as you say, to improve our pace of shipbuilding. I would note in the example of Austal, the aircraft elevators for CVN-80 and [CVN-]81 are both being built there as well. So, we’ve done that closer to Hampton Roads. Outsourcing has been an important part of Newport’s new shipbuilding strategy to improve on aircraft carrier production.
    They’ve gone to several suppliers to help with construction of modules, including a site just across the river in the Hampton Roads area that’s focused on adding real estate and the ability to do panels more quickly to support our carrier ship building. So, I agree it’s critical.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Now, visiting Austal, I noticed that, especially in submarines, nickel is a huge part, a very important part of submarines. And our supply chain there—any of the three of you, can you give an update on—do we have a better supply of nickel now? Is it getting worse? Because don’t have a lot of nickel in our country. Anybody want to answer it.
    Mr. Sermon?”
    SERMON: “Yes, Sir. Thank you for the question. Nickel, as you as you pointed out, Sir, is among the fundamental metals and alloys that we’re continuing to work with OSD—Office of the Secretary of Defense to take a very careful look at and address. As you pointed out, we do continue to have both price fluctuations, which are of course related to supply, but committed to addressing those, Sir.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Just one other question. If I could, Mr. Serman, the Navy cand CapZone’s investments put $150 million each to buy land from Alabama’s shipyard just recently, which is just next to Austal. Can you describe how this partnership came about and what [are] your plans for growing the industrial base using this land? Do you know anything about this?”
    SERMON: “Yes, Sir. I’m familiar and thank you for the question. So, we talked about outsourcing. And we understand, as Admiral Rucker and Admiral Weeks pointed out, we’re about 3,000,000 [man-]hours into that outsourcing that we have to do annually. We have to get to 7,000,000. […] As an enterprise, we need additional space. We need additional workforce. We need additional production. We’ve got a very promising work started at Austal. We’ve got work started at BAE in Jacksonville. We’ve got work started at Rhoads [Industries] in Philadelphia, as well, that are really going to bring us into battery. But more land is needed, more […] waterfront land, that facility that is Alabama Shipyard, actually 60 acres of that 355 acres there will remain as in battery maintaining our Military Sealift Command.
    Much of the rest of that, our intention in an opportunity zone, public-private partnership is to work to bring that land into battery. Much like it was, that exact same land was in battery building liberty ships and tankers during World War II, is to bring that in battery for supply chain activities, for submarine modules, and most importantly—from my perspective—advanced manufacturing. That will fundamentally teach us across the entire industrial base, the entire nation, how to build ships, unmanned vehicles and other kinds of naval activities better and more efficiently.”
    TUBERVILLE: “Yeah. I [would have] loved to get into the Saildrone discussion, but thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: April 8th, 2025 Heinrich, Sheehy Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act Passes Senate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) announced that their Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025, legislation to strengthen the aerial wildfire suppression fleet and better combat the year-round threat of catastrophic wildfire, passed the Senate.
    Heinrich and Sheehy led the introduction of their legislation in January. The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act now awaits House passage.
    “I’m pleased that my Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act is one step closer to becoming law,” said 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.”
    “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 Sheehy.
    “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 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.”
    “As catastrophic wildfires devastate communities across the country, we need to be smarter and more resourceful in our approach to wildfire suppression,” said 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.”
    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. The bill will help the U.S. better suppress wildfires year-round by facilitating the acquisition of military excess aircraft, sold at fair market value, for the aerial wildfire suppression fleet. Additionally, the sale of parts will help the U.S. maintain its existing aerial firefighting aircraft fleet.
    The bill reauthorizes the Secretary of Defense’s authority to sell excess Department of Defense aircraft and aircraft parts, which are acceptable for commercial sale, to persons or entities that contract with the government for the delivery of fire retardant or water by air to suppress wildfires, as long as the aircraft and parts are used only for wildfire suppression. The initial authority expired in 2005 and was reauthorized from 2012 to 2017 before lapsing again.
    Read more on the bill here.
    Heinrich’s Support for Aerial Firefighting:
    Heinrich has long worked to expand and improve aerial firefighting operations in New Mexico to more effectively fight wildfires. In 2022, Heinrich secured more than $15 million to upgrade the Cibola National Forest Air Tanker Base at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque. Those upgrades were completed in 2024 – a major milestone that makes it possible to support and refuel Very Large Air Tanker planes that can drop large volumes of fire retardant on blazes.
    In an op-ed published in the Albuquerque Journal, Col. Mike Power, Kirtland Air Force Base Installation Commander, highlighted the importance of these newly completed upgrades at the Cibola National Forest Air Tanker Base that will help the U.S. Forest Service fight wildfires in New Mexico more efficiently and effectively.  one of only two bases in the United States with that capability.
    “This base upgrade, where now up to 30 Forest Service professionals work to lead the fight against wildfires, includes the larger ramp space for a stronger, more efficient capability to fight wildfires in New Mexico year-round. It now also houses a retardant tank farm,” said Col. Power in the op-ed. “What does that mean to the average New Mexican? It means 75,000 gallons of retardant available at one time, and cuts response time to a fire in half. Ours is one of only two bases in the United States with that capability.”
    Heinrich’s Continued Leadership on Wildfire Response & Recovery:
    Heinrich remains focused on delivering the resources New Mexico needs to effectively respond to wildfires and prevent future devastating blazes by restoring the health and resilience of our forests and watersheds.
    Last week, Heinrich attempted to amend Republicans’ budget resolution that funds Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s tax handouts for billionaires by filing an amendment to increase forest health and wildfire mitigation forest treatments to support wildland firefighting.  
    In March, Heinrich demanded USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to reverse the Trump-Musk terminations of forest service workers responsible for protecting our communities from wildfires. In his letter, Heinrich highlighted impacts of the USDA’s actions across New Mexico. Specifically, in the Gila National Forest, Heinrich pointed to the USDA’s termination of an entire trail crew that previously spent their days clearing debris from trails to make them safe for the community and help prevent catastrophic wildfire.
    Additionally, Heinrich pressed the USDA on Trump’s plans to fire forest service workers responsible for wildfire prevention and watershed restoration.
    In January, Heinrich introduced the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act to ensure the federal government can recruit and retain a sufficient wildland firefighting workforce to keep communities safe. The legislation would also permanently increase federal wildland firefighter pay.
    Heinrich is keeping up the effort to do right by the New Mexico families whose lives were upended by the 2022 Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire. As communities continue to rebuild, Heinrich will keep working to deliver for every personimpacted by that fire and the floods that followed.
    Heinrich, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) successfully secured an additional $1.5 billion to help New Mexicans recover from the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire within the Continuing Resolution that Congress passed in December 2024.
    The 2024 Continuing Resolution also extended the period that victims may file claims with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office to March 14, 2025. The Heinrich, Luján, and Leger Fernández are continuing to call for the passage of their Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Extension Act, legislation they introduced to extend the period a victim can file a claim with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office through the end of 2027.
    The New Mexico Congressional Delegation has now secured a total of $5.45 billion in federal resources to help New Mexicans recover and rebuild since the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire.
    In November 2024, Heinrich, Luján, and Leger Fernández announced that President Biden’s disaster supplemental request included transfer authority for $1.5 billion to help New Mexicans recover from the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire. That same month, Heinrich, Luján, and Leger Fernández also sent a letter urging the FEMA Director of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office and the FEMA Director of the New Mexico Joint Recovery Office to address concerns from New Mexicans about the process for receiving compensationfrom the Claims Office and help families get the relief and compensation needed to recover.
    Additional information on Heinrich’s leadership on Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Response and Recovery can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Highlights Importance Of NIH Funding To Red States & Urges Republicans Senators To Stand Up For Medical Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    April 08, 2025
    Durbin: I am pleading with my Republican colleagues: may your choices reflect your hope for new cures and treatments for patients, not your fears about what will happen if you cross Donald Trump
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor slamming the Trump Administration for its attempts to dismantle the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the harmful impacts it will have on medical research across the country, including in red states. Durbin began his remarks by highlighting the importance of NIH funding to patients nationwide.
    Durbin said, “There is certainty in funding medical research. Certainty in knowing that while not all trials, experiments, and grants will result in a breakthrough—some of them will. Because of medical research, kids with ear infections or pneumonia can find relief in antibiotics; because of medical research, we have vaccines that have saved tens of millions of lives worldwide; because of medical research, we have anesthesia that allows patients to safely undergo major surgeries; because of medical research, people are surviving heart attacks, beating cancer, living with HIV/AIDS, receiving organ donations, surviving drug overdoses, and living longer. But there is so much more to be done—so many people still hoping and praying for more.”
    “And you know who offers them that hope? The National Institutes of Health—our nation’s premier biomedical research agency. It is considered the gold standard around the world. For decades, NIH has been a bipartisan success story—with Congress prioritizing the funding of promising, life-saving medical research in all 50 states—creating and supporting good-paying jobs in red, blue, and purple states, and offering real hope to families desperate for it,” Durbin continued.
    Durbin then slammed President Trump, Elon Musk, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for their actions to dismantle NIH and medical research. In addition to cutting medical research around the country, they have terminated clinical trials in process, placed gag orders on researchers, and fired more than a thousand NIH employees.
    “Instead of bolstering medical research, they are breaking it. Instead of offering hope to patients in need, unfortunately they are crushing it. Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and RFK Jr. are either completely oblivious to what they are doing—or they just don’t care,” Durbin continued. “But you know who isn’t oblivious? My Republican colleagues, many of whom have fought by my side to increase NIH’s budget by 60 percent over the past decade… Which is why their silence—their refusal to say anything or act in the face of President Trump’s dismantling of NIH is so devastating… If Republican Senators won’t stand up for NIH funding in their states [or] for constituents in their states, I’m going to do it.”
    Durbin then highlighted how NIH cuts are affecting South Dakota—the home state of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD). In 2024, South Dakota research institutions received nearly $29 million in NIH funding—which supported 453 jobs in that state. Sanford Research/University of South Dakota and South Dakota State University were among some of the top NIH-funded institutions in South Dakota. Sanford Research/USD researchers used NIH funding to support their Center for Pediatric Research, with a specific focus on training new scientists to study pediatric diseases. South Dakota State University used NIH funding to increase cervical cancer screening among Indigenous women—who face higher rates of cervical cancer prevalence and death. They also used funding to develop new, targeted therapies forcolorectal cancer that are safer and more effective than current chemotherapies.
    “These researchers know that cuts to medical research mean diseases will not be cured and treatments will not be found. They know the mass, indiscriminate firings at NIH don’t just mean we are losing talent—it also means we are losing time and progress,” said Durbin.
    Durbin concluded, “Nelson Mandela once said, ‘May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.’ I am pleading with my Republican colleagues: may your choices reflect your hope for new cures and treatments for patients fighting cancer, ALS, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease—not your fears about what will happen if you cross this President. Let us do what is right. Let’s come together again on a bipartisan basis for medical research… Medical research helps all people—everybody gets a helping hand. Let us do what’s right. Let’s come together and save medical research forevery single person in America who is desperate for hope.”
    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.
    This year, Durbin has twice asked for unanimous consent (UC) to pass a resolution he introduced with U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), as well as 21 other Senators, that would pledge support for NIH.  The resolution simply said that the work of NIH should not be subject to interruption, delay, or funding disruptions in violation of the law, and it reaffirmed that the NIH workforce is essential to sustaining medical progress.  The first UC request was blocked by U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and the second was blocked by U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).
    Durbin has long been a strong advocate for robust medical research.  His legislation, the American Cures Act, would provide annual budget increases of five percent plus inflation at America’s top four biomedical research agencies: NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense Health Program, and the Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program.  Thanks to Durbin’s efforts to increase medical research funding, Congress has provided NIH with a 60 percent funding increase over the past decade.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Demand Answers, Return Of Maryland Father Wrongfully Deported To El Salvador

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    April 08, 2025

    “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,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to DHS Secretary Noem and ICE Acting Director Lyons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen and 22 Senators in writing to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Tedd Lyons.  The Senators’ letter urged Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a father who was living legally, under a protected status, in Maryland with his family until he was wrongfully deported without due process by the Trump Administration 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.”

    In their letter, the Senators call on the Trump Administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return and ask for responses to questions regarding ICE’s enforcement policies that may have led to this grave error – and what measures they will take to ensure such an incident does not occur again.

    The Senators began, “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.”

    “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 Senators wrote.

    “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,” the Senators continued their letter.

    “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,” they wrote. “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 Senators urged.

    While the Supreme Court has since lifted the order to immediately return him to the United States, it also made clear that Mr. Abrego Garcia has the right to challenge this illegal deportation in the lower courts.  The Administration should correct its egregious “error” and reunite Mr. Abrego Garcia with his wife and child, who are both U.S. citizens while that litigation is pending.     

    The Senators closed the letter with a series of questions to Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons, requesting a response by April 22.

    Joining Durbin, Duckworth, and Van Hollen in sending the letter were U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    A copy of the letter is available here and below:

    April 8, 2025

    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 releasein 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. 

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Praises President Trump’s Pro-Coal Executive Order

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    April 8, 2025

    Washington, D.C. —  Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) released the following statement today applauding President Trump’s pro-coal executive order.

    “I am thrilled that President Trump is reversing the failed energy policies of the Biden administration and officially lifting this ridiculous moratorium on federal coal leasing,” said Lummis. “The previous administration’s anti-science, anti-energy, anti-Wyoming policies cost good paying jobs, increased energy costs, and played into the hands of America’s adversaries. President Trump knows that increased American energy is a strength, not a weakness. As America’s leading coal-producing state, Wyoming stands ready and able to support President Trump’s initiative to expand and Unleash American Energy.”

    Background: 

    Earlier today, President Trump signed an EO: Executive Actions to Support the Coal Industry, which does the following:

    • Directs the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council to designate coal as a “mineral” under Executive Order 14241, entitling coal to all of the benefits of that prior Order.
    • Directs relevant agencies to identify coal resources on Federal lands, lift barriers to coal mining, and prioritize coal leasing on those lands.
    • Directs the Secretary of the Interior to acknowledge the end of the Jewell Moratorium, which paused coal leasing on Federal lands.
    • Requires agencies to rescind any agency policies that seek to transition the Nation away from coal production or otherwise establish preferences against coal as a generation resource.
    • Directs CEQ to assist agencies in adopting coal-related categorical exclusions under NEPA.
    • Seeks to promote coal and coal technology exports, facilitate international offtake agreements for U.S. coal, and accelerate development of coal technologies.
    • Calls for the Secretary of Energy to determine whether coal used in the production of steel meets the definition of a “critical material” and “critical mineral” under the Energy Act of 2020, and if so, add it to the relevant lists.
    • Pushes for using coal to power new artificial intelligence (AI) data.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff Host Dodgers Capitol Reception to Celebrate 2024 World Series Championship

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff Host Dodgers Capitol Reception to Celebrate 2024 World Series Championship

    Additional photos from the Dodgers Capitol reception are available here.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) hosted players, coaches, and executives from the Los Angeles Dodgers organization at the Capitol to celebrate the Dodgers’ 2024 Major League Baseball World Series championship.

    “As a U.S. Senator and lifelong Dodger fan, it was a special honor to host the Boys in Blue at the Capitol today to celebrate their 2024 World Series Championship,” said Senator Padilla. “I remember being inspired by Fernandomania in ’81 and Gibby and the Bulldog in ’88. The talent, grit, and diversity of the 2024 championship team is just as inspiring.”

    “The Los Angeles Dodgers are champions in every sense of the word, and I was delighted to join Senator Alex Padilla today to celebrate them on their World Series victory. To the players, coaches, staff, and fans — thank you for a season we’ll never forget and for pouring your hearts and soul into the game. Let’s win it all again this year!” said Senator Schiff.

    The Dodgers’ victory in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series marked the eighth World Series championship for the franchise and their seventh title since moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958. The Dodgers’ 98 regular season wins last season gave them the best record in baseball and led to their 11th National League West Division title in the last 12 seasons.

    Last year, the Senate unanimously passed Senator Padilla and former Senator Laphonza Butler’s resolution applauding the Dodgers’ dominant championship run and recognizing the achievements and contributions of the entire Los Angeles Dodgers organization. The resolution also acknowledged the passing of Fernando Valenzuela, who spurred a unique connection between the team and the Latino community of Los Angeles. Valenzuela passed away just days before the start of the World Series.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Paul and Wyden  Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Reassert Congressional Authority Over Tax Policy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    April 8th, 2025

     Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced a bipartisan resolution to terminate a national emergency declaration used to impose broad tariffs on goods imported into the United States. The resolution reasserts Congress’s constitutional authority over tax policy by ending the emergency powers used to bypass legislative oversight.

    “Tariffs are taxes, and the power to tax belongs to Congress—not the president. Our Founders were clear: tax policy should never rest in the hands of one person. Abusing emergency powers to impose blanket tariffs not only drives up costs for American families but also tramples on the Constitution. It’s time Congress reasserts its authority and restores the balance of power.” Said Dr. Paul

    The resolution would end the emergency declared in Executive Order 14257, which enabled tariffs of up to 49% on a wide range of imported goods. American consumers will face higher costs, and U.S. manufacturers and farmers will be hit by retaliatory tariffs from foreign governments once the tariffs go into effect.

    Dr. Paul has consistently opposed the use of emergency declarations to circumvent Congress, especially when those actions have broad and lasting economic impact. This resolution is part of his ongoing effort to protect constitutional checks and balances and ensure Congress—not the Executive Branch—sets the nation’s tax policy.

    Read the resolution HERE.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Secures Commitment from Interior Dep. Sec. Nominee to Help Protect Wild Horses in TRNP

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
    04.08.25
    ***Click for video and audio.***
    WASHINGTON – At a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator John Hoeven secured a commitment from Katharine MacGregor, nominee to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior, to work together on legislation to protect wild horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP).
    “We continue our efforts to ensure that the National Park Service fulfills its commitment to protecting wild horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. At the same time, we are working to secure Kate MacGregor’s confirmation as Interior Deputy Secretary, and I look forward to working with her to implement a long-term management plan that preserves a healthy, genetically diverse herd of horses for future generations to enjoy,” said Hoeven.
    Hoeven is continuing his efforts to ensure the National Park Service (NPS) maintains a herd of free-roaming horses at TRNP on a permanent basis.
    As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hoeven passed a provision in annual funding legislation directing NPS to maintain “the historic scene commensurate with the historic herds during the period when President Theodore Roosevelt was a rancher in the area.”
    Advanced this priority with NPS officials, including Midwest Regional Director Bert Frost.
    On April 25, 2024, NPS formally terminated its proposed removal of horses at TRNP under the environmental assessment process initiated in 2022, and as a result, horses continue to be maintained at the park.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven: President Signs Executive Orders to Strengthen Access to Affordable, Reliable Baseload Electricity

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    04.08.25

    Senator at White House for EO Signing, Working to Secure Future of Coal in Support of U.S. Energy Dominance

    ***Click for video and audio.***

    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today joined President Donald Trump at the White House as he signed executive orders to strengthen access to the affordable and reliable baseload electricity provided by coal. The orders align with Hoeven’s longtime work to secure the future of the U.S. coal industry, ensuring the nation can continue to utilize this abundant energy resource in support of making the country energy dominant. Specifically, President Trump signed orders that:

    • Direct the Department of the Interior to identify coal reserves on federal lands and prioritize federal coal leasing.
    • Provide regulatory relief for coal mining and coal-fired power plants, including exempting certain coal plants from the onerous Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule imposed by the Biden administration.
      • Hoeven, along with then-Congressman Kelly Armstrong, led bicameral legislation to block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing its new MATS rule.
    • Support the development of technologies like carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and encourage coal technology exports to support U.S. global energy leadership.
    • Utilize emergency authority under the Federal Power Act to address the premature retirement of coal-fired power plants and enable these facilities to continue supporting the reliability of the grid.

    “Today’s executive orders help mobilize President Trump’s team in support of our nation’s coal producers, who provide affordable and reliable baseload power that is essential to the stability of our electric grid,” said Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “Leveraging our vast coal reserves, including those on federal lands, is a key part of our efforts to make the U.S. truly energy dominant. North Dakota has long led the way on priorities like CCUS, and I look forward to continuing my efforts with the administration, including Interior Secretary Burgum and Energy Secretary Wright, to provide the regulatory relief and legal certainty needed to unlock our country’s energy potential.”

    Leading in CCUS

    Hoeven has worked for more than 15 years to advance North Dakota’s leadership in cracking the code on CCUS technologies to enable the next generation of clean, coal-fired electric power, including:

    • Putting in place the legal, tax and regulatory requirements to advance CCUS.
    • Making North Dakota the first state to be granted regulatory primacy for Class VI wells, to ensure CO2 is safely and securely stored below the surface.
    • Advancing Basin’s Dakota Gasification synfuels plant, the largest coal-based carbon capture project in the world, which is currently in operation and captures up to 2.25 million metric tons of CO2 per year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer Statement on President Trump Signing Coal Executive Orders

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    ***Click here for audio.***
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement following President Trump signing executive orders relating to coal mining and coal powered electricity production:
    “It was a really good day for American energy. These executive orders that President Trump signed today reflect not just a temporary reprieve in the war against coal, but really a revolutionary break from the Biden administration’s pessimistic philosophy of scarcity. This shift toward a brighter future for energy abundance really does solidify President Trump’s promise to pursue energy dominance by ensuring that coal, which is of course our nation’s most abundant energy resource, remains available to help keep the lights on, and we know how important that is. North Dakota’s lignite coal industry gives consumers the lowest average electric rates in the country, and has for decades, but it faced a very uncertain future under the failed policies of the Biden administration. This action today really restores sanity to our national energy policy by elevating the importance of domestic energy production to a power manufacturing renaissance and it ensures that affordable, reliable electricity is available for many generations.”
    During the Biden administration, Cramer highlighted how its regulatory actions against coal would lead to disastrous consequences.  He introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the Clean Power Plan 2.0 rule and celebrated the agency’s announcement to roll it back on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Deregulation Day, when the EPA announced 31 actions intended to revitalize the American energy industry.  He also publicized attempts by President Obama’s Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, to bar coal leasing on federal lands. This moratorium is expressly terminated by today’s actions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine, Colleagues Demand Answers and Return of Maryland Father Wrongfully Deported to El Salvador

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined 23 of their Senate colleagues in urging U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a father who was living legally under protected status in Maryland with his family until he was wrongfully deported without due process by the Trump Administration last month and sent to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. The Trump Administration has admitted Abrego Garcia’s deportation was the result of an “administrative error” but has not returned Abrego Garcia to his family and home in Maryland.  

    Specifically, the senators call on the Trump Administration to comply with the court order requiring that they facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return and ask for responses to a series of questions regarding ICE’s enforcement policies that may have led to this grave error—and what measures they will take to ensure such an incident does not occur again.

    “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,” the senators wrote. “We demand that the Administration bring Mr. Abrego Garcia home immediately.”

    “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 senators continued. “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,” they continued. “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.”

    The senators concluded the letter with a series of questions for Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons about Abrego Garcia’s protected status, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE’s failure to follow well-established procedures and practices to avoid erroneous deportations and to promptly fix such errors if they do occur, and to demand evidence for unsupported accusations from Vice President J.D. Vance and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt that Abrego Garcia is a member of MS-13 gang. The senators requested a response by April 22.

    In addition to Warner and Kaine, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    Full text of the letter can be found 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.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine, & Colleagues Question HHS Secretary RFK Jr. on Decision to Fire Workers Tasked with Protecting Coal Miner Health and Safety

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushing back on his decision to gut the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), firing nearly 900 employees. Recent reporting has indicated that these firings include all employees tasked with protecting the health and safety of coal miners.

    “According to reports, HHS is laying off approximately 873 employees, or two-thirds, of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),” the senators wrote. “According to a notification provided to AFGE Local 1969, whose federal employee members are being impacted, all employees working on mining safety and health in NIOSH’s Spokane, WA and Pittsburgh, PA, offices are being let go. ,  The NIOSH Pittsburgh Mining Research Division focuses on coal miner safety, and the Spokane Mining Research Division specializes in hard rock mining, and are the two main research hubs for NIOSH’s Mining Research Program. Additionally, reports indicate more than 185 NIOSH employees are being laid off from its Morgantown, WV, office, who also work to protect miner health, among other occupational safety and health activities.”

    The senators also highlighted the immediate impacts of this move, explaining that mining communities are already being left without key health services.

    They continued, “We also have heard from those who work directly with our miner constituents in these communities that the Enhanced Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program is also being decimated. This program provides direct screening services via a mobile medical unit to miners at no cost. NIOSH also supports clinic sites where screening is done, so miners can understand if they are developing black lung or another condition and be as healthy as possible for themselves and their families.”

    In their letter, the senators demanded answers from Secretary Kennedy, questioning how these crucial services will continue with a significantly reduced workforce. The senators requested a written response to the following:

    1. How many HHS employees who work in offices that work on mining health and safety have been fired, put on administrative leave, accepted the deferred resignation program offer, or accepted the VERA/VSIP offer since January 20, 2025? Provide a complete breakdown by agency and position. For each category of employee at each agency, provide information on GS level and veteran status, and clearly state the justification for termination. Include employees who have since been reinstated or placed on administrative leave, noting that change in status. Please provide the latest data available.
    2. How many HHS employees remain who work on mining health and safety? Please provide a complete breakdown by agency and position.
    3. How many additional employees who work in offices that work on mining health and safety do you intend to fire following the announcement made on March 27, 2025?
    4. Provide all analyses conducted prior to the reorganization and firings of HHS employees who work in offices that focus on mining safety and health to determine the immediate and long-term impact these firings will have on programs and activities that those employees are tasked with administering. In particular, provide all analyses relating to 1) ensuring statutory obligations will be met, and 2) the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

    A copy of letter is available here and text is below.

    Dear Secretary Kennedy:

    We write today with alarming concern about reports that nearly the entire workforce that works to improve the health of miners was laid off and the office that oversees this work was eliminated. We urge you to reverse course immediately and ensure the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) continues its important work in our states to protect and serve our constituents.

    According to reports, HHS is laying off approximately 873 employees, or two-thirds, of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  According to a notification provided to AFGE Local 1969, whose federal employee members are being impacted, all employees working on mining safety and health in NIOSH’s Spokane, WA and Pittsburgh, PA, offices are being let go. ,  The NIOSH Pittsburgh Mining Research Division focuses on coal miner safety, and the Spokane Mining Research Division specializes in hard rock mining, and are the two main research hubs for NIOSH’s Mining Research Program. Additionally, reports indicate more than 185 NIOSH employees are being laid off from its Morgantown, WV, office, who also work to protect miner health, among other occupational safety and health activities. 

    We also have heard from those who work directly with our miner constituents in these communities that the Enhanced Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program is also being decimated. This program provides direct screening services via a mobile medical unit to miners at no cost. NIOSH also supports clinic sites where screening is done, so miners can understand if they are developing black lung or another condition and be as healthy as possible for themselves and their families.

    Never has there been a more critical time to do this work. A 2023 study conducted jointly by researchers at NIOSH and at the University of Illinois Chicago found that coal miners in central Appalachia—Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky—were eight times more likely to die from respiratory diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and black lung than American men who are not miners.  Our constituents are getting more severe disease at younger ages in recent decades, and we might never had known that without the expertise of NIOSH’s work on coal miner health.

    We require more than a fact sheet indicating these duties will be reorganized into an Administration for a Healthy America given the extensive cuts to personnel. In order for us to better understand how the same amount of work can be done with hundreds fewer individuals, please provide responses to the following questions by April 9, 2025:

    1. How many HHS employees who work in offices that work on mining health and safety have been fired, put on administrative leave, accepted the deferred resignation program offer, or accepted the VERA/VSIP offer since January 20, 2025? Provide a complete breakdown by agency and position. For each category of employee at each agency, provide information on GS level and veteran status, and clearly state the justification for termination. Include employees who have since been reinstated or placed on administrative leave, noting that change in status. Please provide the latest data available.
    2. How many HHS employees remain who work on mining health and safety? Please provide a complete breakdown by agency and position.
    3. How many additional employees who work in offices that work on mining health and safety do you intend to fire following the announcement made on March 27, 2025?
    4. Provide all analyses conducted prior to the reorganization and firings of HHS employees who work in offices that focus on mining safety and health to determine the immediate and long-term impact these firings will have on programs and activities that those employees are tasked with administering. In particular, provide all analyses relating to 1) ensuring statutory obligations will be met, and 2) the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

    Art Miller, an expert in mine air quality who has been working for NIOSH since 1996 and for its predecessor before this, was part of the Spokane-area firings. He noted that no one else does this kind of research and that “every worker in this country deserves to go home safe.”  We agree, and urge you to reverse these cuts before it’s too late.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER DEMANDS FEMA IMMEDIATELY REVERSE DEVASTATING $300+ MILLION CUT FOR DISASTER PREPARDNESS, FLOOD MITIGATION & INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES ACROSS NEW YORK TO ENSURE CONSTRUCTION CAN CONTINUE & TO…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    Last Week FEMA Announced It Will Eliminate The Building Resilient Infrastructure And Communities (BRIC), Cutting Projects Across NY; BRIC Was Set To Provide $325M For NYS Projects And Has Distributed $5B In Fed Grants Nationally Since It Started In 2020

    BRIC Program – Created By Schumer And Signed Into Law By Trump – Helps State And Local Government Improve Infrastructure By Raising Roads, Improving Drainage, Creating Power Sources, And More With Projects In Capital Region, NYC, Buffalo, And More Set To Lose Funding

    Schumer: FEMA Is Putting New Yorkers At Risk During Next Disaster By Cutting Off Funding

    After Trump abruptly canceled FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Program, including over $300 million in federal funding headed to New York, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today demanded FEMA reverse this harmful decision which will rip resources away from New York State’s disaster preparedness efforts. The senator said as New York has faced more extreme weather than ever, FEMA has played a critical role in helping communities rebuild and cutting off this lifeline with hurt New York families, businesses, and more in every corner of the state.

    “New Yorkers are no strangers to natural disasters and FEMA’s BRIC program was one of the best tools for helping communities big and small rebuild to keep communities safe in the face of flooding, snowstorms and more. By ripping away over $300 million in funding for projects with no warning or explanation, imperiling them from moving forward, FEMA is going against its mission and putting the lives & safety of New Yorkers during the next emergency at risk,” said Senator Schumer. “When communities are hit by disaster, when roads are flooded, downtowns destroyed, or worse – it is FEMA that is supposed to come to help them rebuild. We cannot leave New York’s families, businesses, and neighborhoods fending for themselves by cutting off this vital lifeline. I’m demanding FEMA immediately reverse these cuts and restore BRIC to keep New Yorkers safe.”

    FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) in 2020 and was previously signed into law by President Trump during his first administration. BRIC allocates resources to state and local governments to help mitigate damage from natural disasters, such as raising roads or building underground storage which will help make communities more resilient to extreme weather such as hurricanes or floods. When announcing that it would end the program, FEMA labeled BRIC as an “ineffective FEMA program” and said eliminating it was part of the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse.”

    Schumer added, “I created BRIC to provide support for critical projects including rebuilding roads, improving drainage, creating emergency power sources, and more in every corner of the state – and Trump signed it into law. ‘DOGE’ claims to eliminate government waste, so why is Trump canceling a program that he signed into law? This newest announcement will only create more waste when houses, roads, and more are ruined with no resources to rebuild.”

    In a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Schumer explained that BRIC provides a lifeline for New York and other states that have been facing more extreme weather as they prepare for the next storm. For example, last year New York State set a record for most tornadoes in a year since they were first recorded in 1950 and experienced an earthquake that was felt throughout the state. Schumer said BRIC has and should continue to play a critical role in supporting New York’s infrastructure improvements and mitigating damage caused by extreme weather and natural disasters and called on the Trump administration to reverse these cuts and maintain BRIC.

    Schumer said canceled projects are in every corner of New York State, including New York City, Westchester, the Capital Region, and Buffalo. For example, according to Governor Hochul, $100 million was cut off for two flood mitigation projects in Central Harlem and East Elmhurst, $24 million was cut off for the New York Power Authority to reduce the formation of ice jams in the Capital Region, and over $700,000 was cut off for the removal of a dangerous dam in Westchester.

    Schumer explained that BRIC is one of several FEMA preparedness and resilience programs that help communities reduce the impacts of future disasters. The Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program (FMA) and State Hazard Mitigation Revolving Loan Program, established by the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Act of 2020, or the STORM Act, provide critical support to communities that have been hit by disasters to help them prepare for the next major storm. Secretary Noem’s previous comments asserting that the Trump administration will “eliminate FEMA” put not just the BRIC and preparedness programs at risk, but also programs and funds that allow the federal government to respond to major disasters and help communities rebuild in the immediate and long-term aftermath.

    Schumer’s letter to Secretary Noem can be found HERE or below:

    Dear Secretary Noem:

    I write to urge you to reverse your recent decision to cancel the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. By cancelling this program, New York State will lose over $325 million for projects that have not yet begun construction that would help mitigate or prevent flooding in local communities, helping to save lives and reduce the damages and costs of extreme weather. $56 million in funding has already helped begin some resilience projects, although this decision now puts those dollars at risk. Funding to help states invest in preparedness and resilience not only saves lives and property, but also saves money for local, state, and the federal government in the long term. I implore you to revisit your decision to end the BRIC funding for states and restore the $325 million investments in New York’s resilience to extreme weather.

    The BRIC program provides local, state, territorial and Tribal governments resources to reduce their hazard risk when extreme weather strikes. In recent years, New York has seen its fair share of disasters, including 23 federally declared disasters with New Yorkers receiving $1,385 in federal aid per capita from disasters that occurred 2011 – 2024, the third highest cost per capita in the country. Just last year, New York saw tornadoes and flooding that left communities devastated. Hurricane Ida brought record-shattering rainfall and devastated New York City in 2021, drowning 11 people in their basement apartments, demonstrating the dire need for improved wastewater infrastructure to ensure no more lives are lost at the hand of extreme rainfall. Programs like BRIC that invest in resilience will help mitigate the impacts of these storms, preventing some or all of the most severe damages that these weather systems bring. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has stated that every $1 invested in disaster preparedness saves communities $13 in damages, cleanup, and recovery costs. The BRIC investments are not only a smart choice to save lives and property, but they also make economic sense.

    Across New York City, 10 projects totaling over $280 million were slated to help improve flooding resiliency. The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has several projects to mitigate flooding impacts by reducing storm-related runoff and flooding from high intensity rainfall. These projects would improve and strengthen stormwater infrastructure across the city, including in the Historic South Street Seaport, Central Harlem, East Elmhurst, Corona East, at the NYCHA Polo Grounds Tower Development, and other areas of the city. In Upstate New York, three projects totaling over $1 million are at risk because of this reckless decision to cancel the BRIC program. In Westchester, the Upper Minkel Dam Decommissioning and Riparian Corridor Restoration project would restore a stream and surrounding land to reduce flood hazards, potentially eliminating any future flooding event at this site. The New York Power Authority was slated to address ice jams in Vischer Ferry along the NYS canal system, flushing ice from the Vischer Ferry impoundment to avoid jam flooding and the potential for ice dam formations. Lastly, the City of Buffalo was slated to utilize BRIC funds to improve building codes and invest in local workforce training and development, helping to improve energy use and the utilization of emerging technologies. All these projects, and more across the state, detailed today by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, would help improve community safety and invest in local workforce development, but are unfortunately now at risk thanks to the administration’s decision to cancel the BRIC program.

     The BRIC program, along with FEMA’s other disaster preparedness and resilience programs such as the Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program (FMA) and State Hazard Mitigation Revolving Loan Program, established by the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Act of 2020, or the STORM Act, provide critical support to communities that have been hit by disasters to help them prepare for the next major storm. I urge you to swiftly restore the BRIC program to ensure these dollars can continue doing this important work to create safer communities and save costs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Demands Honesty and Transparency about the Impacts of Trump Tariffs on Economy during Senate Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – Today during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) 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.

    “We have a billion-dollar economy when it comes to tourism into the United States. People know Las Vegas, my state is Nevada, we rely on tourism to our state, and now we’re seeing an impact because of these tariffs” said Senator Cortez Masto. She went on to ask Representative Greer what the Trump administration is doing to address the impact blanket tariffs are having on tourism.

    After Greer repeatedly failed to provide a substantive answer, Cortez Masto said, “You haven’t thought about this, and the administration hasn’t really thought about it because I haven’t heard anybody talking about tourism. So, why don’t you come talk to me in my office, and let’s talk about it and put a plan together, because these blanket tariffs are having an impact in my state and across the country.”

    Senator Cortez Masto is a champion of Nevada’s tourism economy. In the American Rescue Plan, Senator Cortez Masto secured $3 billion in funding to assist states with their economic recovery and their vital tourism industries, including Nevada. She also delivered resources to the state’s businesses and secured flexibility for the gaming industry. She has been a Senate leader in passing the seven-year reauthorization of ‘Brand USA’, which is a public-private partnership that enhances tourism and job creation across the country.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Reintroduces Bill to Protect the Ruby Mountains from Oil and Gas Drilling Pushed by the Trump Administration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) reintroduced her legislation to expand protections for and prohibit oil and gas development in Nevada’s beautiful and pristine Ruby Mountains. Her reintroduction of the Ruby Mountains Protection Act follows the Trump administration’s decision to reopen the Rubies to speculative oil and gas drilling. Last Congress, this bill passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with bipartisan support. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) is a cosponsor of the legislation.

    “The natural beauty of the Ruby Mountains, Nevada’s Swiss Alps, is beloved by locals and draws tourists from across the country,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Unproductive oil and gas drilling would only harm Northern Nevada’s tourism economy and keep this natural treasure from generations of future Nevadans. There’s bipartisan support for my legislation, and there is no reason not to pass it into law.”

    “Instead of taking meaningful action to bolster American energy independence, the Trump administration is taking reckless and unproductive steps that endanger Nevada lands with low likelihood of oil and gas production,” said Senator Rosen. “That’s why I’m introducing this bill with Senator Cortez Masto to fight back against President Trump’s efforts and protect the Ruby Mountains from drilling. I’ll keep pushing back against this wrongheaded approach that threatens the Ruby Mountains and other beautiful parts of our state.”

    The Ruby Mountains Protection Act would withdraw approximately 450,000 acres of National Forest land, comprising the Ruby Mountain Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, from any eligibility for oil and gas leasing. The bill will also expand protection to the 39,926-acre Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, which is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The Ruby Mountains Protection Act would not affect any recreational use of these pristine lands, including for hunting, hiking, and fishing. Last Congress, the Ruby Mountains Protection Act passed the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on a bipartisan basis.

    Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have been champions for Nevada’s great outdoor spaces and public lands. They passed critical legislation to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which protects public lands in Nevada and across the U.S. Cortez Masto’s bipartisan, bicameral legislation to restore Lake Tahoe was recently passed into law, and she delivered critical funding to protect Lake Tahoe in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Cortez Masto and Rosen also helped pass the historic Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law and provides robust funding to preserve and maintain public lands across the country. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst, Grassley, Marshall Protect Family Farms, Consumers from Burdensome Government Overreach

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – After the U.S. Supreme Court left an open invitation for Congress to strike down California’s Proposition 12, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is leading her colleagues in ending this unjustified and burdensome regulatory overreach to protect family farms and bring down pork prices for consumers.
    The Food Security and Farm Protection Act prohibits any state or local government from interfering with commerce and agricultural practices in another state outside their jurisdiction. The bill is co-led by Ernst’s fellow Senate Agriculture Committee members Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.).
    “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. 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,” said Senator Grassley.
    “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.”
    Agriculture organizations across Iowa support Ernst’s effort:
    “We appreciate Sen. Ernst fighting to protect the livelihoods of Iowa pig farmers by introducing this legislation. The Supreme Court said Congress should address California’s Proposition 12 law regulating sow housing,” said Iowa Pork Producers Association President and pig farmer from Carroll, Iowa, Aaron Juergens. “Congress must act this year to prevent a patchwork of more state regulations from being enacted into law in the future. Since this overburdensome regulation has gone into effect, it’s not only proven costly for producers but consumers as well. We hope Sen. Ernst’s colleagues will join her in supporting efforts to stop Prop 12,”
    “We thank Senator Ernst for standing up for the American pork producer, especially during these times of uncertainty. U.S. pork producers have just suffered the worst 18 months of financial losses in history, and many farm families are contemplating whether they can pass along their farm to the next generation,” said National Pork Producers Council President and Ohio pork producer, Duane Stateler. “We urge the Senate to take up this legislation immediately to provide us much-needed relief.”
    “Iowa soybean farmers are grateful for Senator Ernst’s leadership to address challenges Prop 12 creates for Iowa farmers. It’s crucial we recognize the negative consequences regulations like this create for the entire supply chain, starting with farmers and ending with increased prices for consumers. California’s Prop 12 creates a patchwork of rules that force farmers, including those in Iowa, to comply with costly regulations,” said Iowa Soybean Association President and farmer, Brent Swart. “Not only do the increased costs of compliance threaten to put pork farmers out of business, Prop 12 increases the price of pork at the grocery store by as much as 40%. Higher prices for pork dampen demand for this high-quality protein which negatively impacts market demand for soybeans used for pig feed. This legislation gives us a chance to protect our farms, our livelihoods, and ultimately, families that need affordable food.”
    “The Iowa Cattle industry has made it clear that government overreach and overregulation is incredibly burdensome to industries that provide safe, quality, and sustainable products for the world. Proposition 12 has the potential to further dismantle the livestock industry with the lack of science-based measures. Proposition 12 has already proven to be an unfunded mandate with consumers unwilling to pay premiums for the products that must be compliant with the proposition,” said Iowa Cattlemen’s Association President, Rob Medberry. “The inherent cost to become compliant is overbearing and the simple fact of dollars and cents does not add up. The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association believes that consumers have the right to buy products that fit their desires. However, ICA does not support state-by-state regulation of interstate commerce and fervently opposes proposition 12 and similar legislation that has no sound scientific backing.”
    “Turkey farmers across the nation work tirelessly to ensure the production of safe, wholesome, and nutritious turkey products. Through collaboration with veterinarians and industry experts, farmers adhere to rigorous standards and practices designed to provide optimal care for their birds. This effort includes implementing auditable systems that are continuously monitored and improved to meet evolving standards of animal welfare, food safety, and environmental responsibility,” said Iowa Turkey Federation Executive Director, Gretta Irwin. “The proliferation of varying state and local laws that attempt to regulate farming and processing practices presents significant challenges. These inconsistencies create unnecessary burdens for farmers operating across state lines, hinder efficient production, and undermine well-established, science-based practices developed in coordination with industry experts.
    “The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) thanks Senator Ernst for her continued pushback on California’s Proposition 12,” said ICGA President and farmer from Galt, Iowa, Stu Swanson. “Iowa’s corn and pig farmers work together to provide nutritious pork to families across the U.S. With barriers like Proposition 12 cutting off our ability to supply fellow Americans with Iowa grown pork, it’s not only those families who are being affected, but also our farm families here in Iowa. As farmers, we take pride in the crops and livestock we raise, and we need support, not restrictions, as we continue supplying a safe, nutritious product to the growing world. We will continue to work with our livestock partners to see that this issue gets resolved.”
    Background:
    Since Proposition 12 passed in 2018, Ernst has been a vocal opponent of California’s attempts to regulate hardworking pork producers in Iowa and is leading the charge to strike down this harmful initiative that threatens all of American agriculture. She has secured critical support from the Trump administration to aid in these efforts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: New York Post Ed Board Highlights Ernst’s Squeal Work

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, the New York Post Editorial Board highlighted Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) work that revealedunionized workers at the Defense Health Agency spent 87,000 hours in a two-year timespan doing union work instead of their jobs supporting the military health system.
    “This info comes in a bombshell new report unearthed by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a veteran and a fierce advocate for the troops as well as a staunch fighter against fraud and waste as head of the Senate DOGE caucus. Good: The more sunlight into government spending, the better,” the Editorial Board wrote.
    Following her years-long investigation into the absent government workforce and the impact of federal telework abuse, Ernst has cracked down on taxpayer-funded union time with her Protecting Taxpayers’ Wallet Act that would end taxpayers having to foot the bill for federal employees engaging in union activity while on the clock. She is also leading the Taxpayer-Funded Union Time Transparency Act to track the total amount taxpayers are subsidizing federal employee unions.
    Read the full editorial below:
    Public-sector workers spent 87,000 hours screwing you — just at one agency, just in two years
    By: The New York Post Editorial Board
    Unionized workers at the Defense Health Agency, tasked with overseeing benefits for US troops, spent 87,000 hours (and $3.3 million) during fiscal 2023 and 2024 doing union work instead of their actual jobs. 
    You read that right: 87,000 hours. 
    That’s equivalent to 3,625 days, almost a full man-hour decade. 
    Burned up by staffers tending to their own interests, to the detriment of the troops they’re nominally charged with helping and the taxpayers they’re answerable to: They spent those hours doing things like contract renegotiation and fringe-benefit squeeze-outs. 
    This info comes in a bombshell new report unearthed by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a veteran and a fierce advocate for the troops as well as a staunch fighter against fraud and waste as head of the Senate DOGE caucus. 
    Good: The more sunlight into government spending, the better. 
    Otherwise, there’s no way to ever know which handouts serve to advance America’s national interest and which line the pockets of powerful fiefdoms and their lords. 
    But it points to a bigger problem, i.e., that public-sector unions are bad news for everyone. 
    In the private sector, unionized workers use their collective power to win concessions from business owners. If that gums up the works too much, the company suffers and its customers and investors go elsewhere.
    Government doesn’t work that way: The dissatisfied can’t escape so easily, and it’s politicians and other officials with no personal skin in the game who make the concessions.
    And unionized government workers put the squeeze directly on you. 
    Every benefit, every pay hike, every extra comes out of the taxpayer’s pocket. 
    And by shielding the incompetent and criminal, stifling innovation and generally gumming up the works, public-sector unions screw over the people most dependent on government services. 
    That is, the poor, the disabled and the otherwise marginalized. 
    Even, in this case, the armed forces. 
    So the next time National Education Association head Becky Pringle starts in on one of her semi-comprehensible tirades about justice and equity, or any other municipal, state or federal public-union muckamuck throws a weepy, righteous temper tantrum — remember. 
    The only thing they want is to shove their hand deeper into your pocket.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Connecticut Delegation Demand McMahon Reverse Abrupt Policy Change Halting Funding For Schools Nationwide

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-Conn.-01), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.-02), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03) and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05) joined 71 members of Congress in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon demanding a reversal of a recently announced policy that abruptly changed department practice and imposed new red tape on states. The policy would block states from accessing pandemic relief funds they rely on to support students’ learning.
    “We write to request the immediate reversal of the Department of Education’s recent March 28, 2025, action to revise the liquidation extension policy for COVID-19 relief funds,” the members wrote. “Just over a month ago, the Department announced a policy change to the longstanding extension policy that imposed an additional step for processing of extension reimbursements. … However, on March 28, 2025, with many state extension requests having been approved more than six months ago,  the Department suddenly announced on March 28 that ‘the Department is modifying the liquidation period to end on March 28, 2025,’ the very same day as the announcement.”
    “In short,” they continued, “the Department changed the spending rules it affirmed just one month ago, without providing any notice, and imposing more federal red tape.”
    The members noted that the abrupt change—coupled with the mass firings at ED—seriously threaten the ability of schools to support students’ learning: “When combined with the massive reduction in force announced earlier this month, the Department jeopardizes an estimated $4 billion from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 in nearly all of our states and outlying areas and roughly 1,000 school districts nationwide. This action is particularly harmful to rural school districts that faced the greatest disruptions during the authorized program period. This will also have a disproportionate impact on $800 million reserved for identification and support for students experiencing homelessness, which was implemented slowly in many states. The March 28th decision of the Department improperly imposes its will on state and local budget decisions in a manner not contemplated by Congress.”
    The members criticized McMahon for undermining Congress’s intent to give states the flexibility they need to meet local needs: “Congress intended the Secretary to support states and districts in their use of the flexibility under the law to ensure the unique needs of their communities were met and to implement evidence-based learning loss interventions. The Department is now trying to change the spending rules and impose an administrative hurdle by stating ‘the Department will consider an extension to your liquidation period on an individual project-specific basis.’…We are astonished by the amount of hypocrisy here from an administration that has repeatedly said it wants to return education to the states, including your recent statement that ‘Education is fundamentally a state responsibility. Instead of filtering resources through layers of federal red tape, we will empower states…’ Now, it appears the Department is turning its back on states by arbitrarily imposing more federal red tape.”
    They concluded: “Let’s be very clear: The abrupt change in the liquidation extension policy is yet another way this administration is seeking to strip educational opportunities for students in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations. President Trump and Congressional Republicans are intent in claiming any savings they can in the federal budget that they intend to use to pay for their tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations. It is appalling to us that those billionaire and corporate giveaways are valued over the students in rural school districts that faced supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the districts’ need for these liquidation extensions, valued over students experiencing homelessness who have seen the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds dedicated to them spent down slowly, and valued over so many other students that will be attending schools that are already facing difficult budget choices for the next school year without the additional burden of this changed policy. That is, unless states undertake the newest burden put in place by your Department and are able to navigate the Department’s bureaucratic maze and receive funds for projects that may have been committed to years ago. We believe there is a better way.”
    U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter.
    U.S. Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.-03), Alma Adams (D-N.C.-12), Donald Beyer (D-Va.-08), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26), Shontel Brown (D-Ohio-11), André Carson (D-Ind.-07), Greg Casar (D-Texas-35), Sean Casten (D-Ill.-06), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas-20), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.-09), Danny Davis (D-Ill.-07), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.-01), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.-17), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.-03), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas-16), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.-13), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.-03), Shomari Figures (D-Ala.-02), Jesús García (D-Ill.-04), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas-29), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas-34), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.-06), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.-01), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-04), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.-02), Timothy Kennedy (D-N.Y.-26), Summer Lee (D-Pa.-12), Lucy McBath (D-Ga.-06), Sarah McBride (D-Del.-01), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.-04), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Mich.-08), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.-02), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.-10), Donald Norcross (D-N.J.-01), Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.-02), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine-01), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.-02), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.-06), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.-38), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.-07), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.-11), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), Darren Soto (D-Fla.-09), Haley Stevens (D-Mich.-11), Mark Takano (D-Calif.-39), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.-12), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.-24), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-01) signed the letter as well.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:
    Dear Secretary McMahon:
    We write to request the immediate reversal of the Department of Education’s (“the Department”) recent March 28, 2025, action to revise the liquidation extension policy for COVID-19 relief funds. Just over a month ago, the Department announced a policy change to the longstanding extension policy that imposed an additional step for processing of extension reimbursements. That policy stated “Beginning today, all future payments under the CARES Act, CRRSA Act, and ARP Act spent on allowable expenditures must be paid by the states in advance and then submitted to the U.S. Department of Education for reimbursement.” While the Department’s action added an unnecessary burden on states, it continued the longstanding extension policy established years ago in stating “All [COVID-19 Pandemic relief funding] expenditures must fall under the approved expenditures as outlined in guidance for ESSER, ARPA, and HEERF.”
    However, on March 28, 2025, with many state extension requests having been approved more than six months ago, the Department suddenly announced that “the Department is modifying the liquidation period to end on March 28, 2025”, the very same day as the announcement. Specifically, the Department stated that “The extension approval was issued recently, so any reliance interests developed are minimal…So you could not rely on the Department adhering to its original decision.” In short, the Department changed the spending rules it affirmed just one month ago, without providing any notice, and imposing more federal red tape.
    This abrupt and chaotic revision of policy is not helpful to students whose states, school districts, or institutions of higher education are uncertain about the Department’s commitments to implementing federal funding designed to support students. The March 28th decision is an imposition of an unauthorized layer of bureaucratic red tape on the expenditure of resources passed by Congress to support learning recovery for our nation’s students. When combined with the massive reduction in force announced earlier this month, the Department jeopardizes an estimated $4 billion from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act of 2021(“ARP Act”) in nearly all of our states and outlying areas and roughly 1,000 school districts nationwide. This action is particularly harmful to rural school districts that faced the greatest disruptions during the authorized program period. This will also have a disproportionate impact on $800 million reserved for identification and support for students experiencing homelessness, which was implemented slowly in many states. The March 28th decision of the Department improperly imposes its will on state and local budget decisions in a manner not contemplated by Congress.
    Second, we are alarmed by your lack of a recognition of the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our nation’s students. The Department’s March 28 policy change asserts “Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion.” We are surprised to learn the Department is unaware of recent results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (“NAEP”) which show “National scores are below pre-pandemic levels (2019) in ALL tested grades and subjects.” NAEP results also reveal “Gaps are growing between higher-performing and lower-performing students.” Further, chronic absenteeism still is too high with the latest data indicating “a majority of students still attended schools with 20% or higher levels of chronic absence. This serious absenteeism is in stark contrast to 2019, when slightly over a quarter of schools experienced such high levels of chronic absence.” Years after the COVID-19 pandemic, our schools and communities still have much work to do to help students recover and the Department’s termination of the remaining resources Congress passed for that purpose will only serve to delay and undermine our students’ recovery.
    Third, Congress intended the Secretary to support states and districts in their use of the flexibility under the law to ensure the unique needs of their communities were met and to implement evidence-based learning loss interventions. The Department is now trying to change the spending rules and impose an administrative hurdle by stating “the Department will consider an extension to your liquidation period on an individual project-specific basis.” This is despite the fact that such extensions to liquidation periods were noticed more than one year ago, with some granted more than six months ago, and that states assured to the Department that “The SEA will ensure that LEAs [school districts] use ARP ESSER funds for activities allowable under section 2001(e) of the ARP.” We are astonished by the amount of hypocrisy here from an administration that has repeatedly said it wants to return education to the states, including your recent statement that “Education is fundamentally a state responsibility. Instead of filtering resources through layers of federal red tape, we will empower states…”. Now, it appears the Department is turning its back on states by arbitrarily imposing more federal red tape.
    We would be heartened if the Department’s new policy was really intended to better support students. However, actions of the past two months tell a starkly different story. The Department has cancelled hundreds of millions in teacher training grants that were at work in addressing educator shortages and improving the quality of instruction in our schools. The Department has cancelled hundreds of millions of research and evaluation contracts on critical issues like an evaluation of transition supports for students with disabilities, which was intended to provide states and school districts with high quality evidence on approaches to support students with disabilities with their transition to post-school outcomes. The Department also cancelled an evaluation of the programs that receive the largest amount of funding appropriated for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, depriving Congress and the Department of critical information about the implementation of those programs. The Department cancelled contracts for the Comprehensive Centers program, which—in addition to being statutorily required—were poised to provide effective capacity building support and technical assistance to states, school systems, and schools in addressing chronic absenteeism, and math and literacy learning, among other locally and regionally identified challenges. The Department also canceled the Long Term Trend NAEP for 17 year olds, which has been providing data on student achievement for decades. The Department has implemented a massive dismantling and reduction in staff, which has reduced the number of staff available at the Office for Civil Rights to protect the rights of all students. Finally, the massive reduction also appears to have delayed the processing of COVID-19 relief reimbursement requests prior to the announcement of the changed policy that is the subject of this letter.
    Let’s be very clear: The abrupt change in the liquidation extension policy is yet another way this administration is seeking to strip educational opportunities for students in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations. President Trump and Congressional Republicans are intent in claiming any savings they can in the federal budget that they intend to use to pay for their tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations. It is appalling to us that those billionaire and corporate giveaways are valued over the students in rural school districts that faced supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the districts’ need for these liquidation extensions, valued over students experiencing homelessness who have seen the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds dedicated to them spent down slowly, and valued over so many other students that will be attending schools that are already facing difficult budget choices for the next school year without the additional burden of this changed policy. That is, unless states undertake the newest burden put in place by your Department and are able to navigate the Department’s bureaucratic maze and receive funds for projects that may have been committed to years ago.
    We believe there is a better way. We urge you to immediately rescind your March 28 revision to the longstanding liquidation extension policy. Further, we believe you should work with us to start properly executing our federal education laws as Congress intended.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Supports Trump’s Executive Order on Coal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding President Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order to revitalize the coal industry:
    “Today’s executive order supporting coal-fired power plants will begin to roll back years of Obama-Biden regulatory overreach that targeted those who generate affordable and reliable American energy. For years, the Biden EPA’s war on fossil fuels forced more miners into early retirement, hurt rural communities, raised energy prices, and weakened our national security while China, our top strategic competitor, made massive investments in expanding coal production. The Trump Administration is taking the necessary steps to preserve an industry that is vital to the livelihoods of Kentucky families, and I’ll continue to stand firmly behind the Kentuckians and workers across coal country who keep the lights on.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray, National Security Members Express Grave Concerns Over Recent Firings at NSA in Letter to Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Letter from senators with jurisdiction over national security over sudden firing of key NSA leaders: “Their removals were conducted in the middle of the night with no consultation with Congress and, according to reports, at the behest of a private citizen who has a record of promoting conspiracy theories.”
    Washington, D.C. — Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed (D-RI), and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Chris Coons (D-DE), in sending a letter to President Trump regarding the firing of the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), General Timothy Haugh, as well as the reassignment of the Deputy Director of the NSA, Wendy Noble.
    “We write with alarm at the sudden and inexplicable firing of the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and Commander, U.S. Cyber Command, General Timothy Haugh, as well as the reassignment of the Deputy Director of the NSA, Wendy Noble,” the senators wrote. “Not only have both dutifully served this nation for decades under both Democratic and Republican administrations, but their removals were conducted in the middle of the night with no consultation with Congress and, according to reports, at the behest of a private citizen who has a record of promoting conspiracy theories.”
    “These actions severely compromise our ability to keep Americans safe. As you are well aware, our nation currently faces serious cyber threats from foreign adversaries, such as from China’s Salt Typhoon, with near-daily attacks against our critical infrastructure,” the senators continued. “In addition, our nation’s military is engaged in ongoing operations against multiple threats, from the Houthis in Yemen to Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. Given the dangers facing the United States, it is inexplicable that the Administration would remove the senior leaders of NSA/CYBERCOM without cause or warning, and risk disrupting critical ongoing intelligence operations.”
    The senators also highlighted the impact this move would have on the dual-hat arrangement, in which a single officer leads both the NSA and CYBERCOM, and stressed that prematurely severing this agreement could put U.S. national security at risk.
    As members of the key committees tasked with conducting oversight over NSA, the senators requested written justification for why Director Timothy Haugh and Ms. Wendy Noble were removed from their posts, and asked for a Congressional briefing regarding any additional actions the administration plans to take with respect to NSA and CYBERCOM, including but not limited to the separation of the dual-hat.
    Joining Vice Chair Murray, Vice Chairman Warner, and Ranking Members Reed and Coons in this letter are Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Chris Murphy (D-CT).
    The text of the letter is below and a PDF is HERE.
    Dear President Trump,
    We write with alarm at the sudden and inexplicable firing of the Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and Commander, U.S. Cyber Command, General Timothy Haugh, as well as the reassignment of the Deputy Director of the NSA, Wendy Noble. Not only have both dutifully served this nation for decades under both Democratic and Republican administrations, but their removals were conducted in the middle of the night with no consultation with Congress and, according to reports, at the behest of a private citizen who has a record of promoting conspiracy theories.
    These actions severely compromise our ability to keep Americans safe. As you are well aware, our nation currently faces serious cyber threats from foreign adversaries, such as from China’s Salt Typhoon, with near-daily attacks against our critical infrastructure. In addition, our nation’s military is engaged in ongoing operations against multiple threats, from the Houthis in Yemen to Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. Given the dangers facing the United States, it is inexplicable that the Administration would remove the senior leaders of NSA/CYBERCOM without cause or warning, and risk disrupting critical ongoing intelligence operations.
    Furthermore, we urge you to exercise careful consideration and consultation with Congress on any further actions that may impact NSA’s or CYBERCOM’s abilities to provide the critical intelligence and operational support to policymakers and warfighters. This includes, but is not limited to, any considerations to terminate the dual-hat arrangement. Premature termination of the dual-hat arrangement would severely degrade the speed and effectiveness of NSA’s and CYBERCOM’s abilities to execute their missions and could have dire consequence for our national security. As Congress on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis has repeatedly made clear in the National Defense Authorization Acts for Fiscal Years 2017, 2018, and 2020, clear criteria must be met before any termination can be considered and both the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs must together certify that separation will not “pose risks to the military effectiveness of the United States Cyber Command that are unacceptable to the national security interests of the United States.”
    As Members of the respective committees of oversight, we request that you formally provide in writing a justification for why Director Timothy Haugh and Ms. Wendy Noble were removed from their posts and provide a briefing to Congress on any additional actions you plan to take with respect to NSA and CYBERCOM, including but not limited to the separation of the dual-hat.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray, Rep. Houlahan Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation Strengthening Menopause Research at DoD and VA 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Senator Murray also leads major bipartisan legislation endorsed by Halle Berry to boost menopause research, expand training and awareness
    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Joni Ernst (R-IA), joined Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D, PA-06) and Stephanie Bice (R, OK-05) in reintroducing the Servicewomen and Veterans Menopause Research Act. This legislation requires the Department of Defense (DoD) in coordination with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to research and study the effects of menopause on women servicemembers and women veterans. This research would, for the first time ever, analyze any gaps in treatment and research for women servicemembers and veterans experiencing perimenopause or menopause, with a focus on the effect of combat roles, toxic exposure, and on overall mental health. 
    “Every woman goes through menopause—but for far too long, research that would help us better understand and treat the symptoms of menopause has been underinvested in and overlooked. I’ve been working to tackle this problem from every angle so that women can have the information and the tools they need to enter menopause with confidence and get the care that’s right for them, and our women in uniform and women veterans are no exception,” said Senator Murray. “I’m proud to join Rep. Houlahan in introducing this legislation to strengthen research at VA and DoD on menopause and mid-life women’s health—and I’ll be pushing to include it in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.” 
    “Servicewomen and women veterans need dedicated resources and research to better understand the unique way military service impacts menopause. Not only is this a health care issue, but it is also a workforce and family-building issue. Women are going into perimenopause earlier, struggling with debilitating health conditions and being forced to leave the workforce earlier due to medical difficulties from menopause,” said Representative Houlahan. “Service members, including those in non-combat roles, face significantly more stress than their civilian counterparts, potentially leading to early onset menopause and other unique challenges. It is essential to understand the health implications through research, not only for the readiness of our force, but our broader workforce as well.” 
    Research proves that stress on the body often leads to earlier perimenopause, cutting child-bearing years short, and other physical and mental health conditions that impact women’s ability to work. Servicemembers are disproportionately affected due to the high-stress nature of their jobs. This bill will require a report and identification of gaps in health care knowledge and coverage so that DOD and VA can better serve those that serve us. With a fast-growing number of women veterans, this research is more important than ever for the readiness of our armed forces, as well as our workforce.  
    Read the full text of the bill here. 
    “Let’s Talk Menopause applauds the introduction of the Servicewomen and Veterans Menopause Research Act by Representatives Houlahan and Bice. This groundbreaking initiative shines a necessary light on the unique health challenges faced by our service members and veterans as they navigate menopause. Understanding the impact of military service on menopause is crucial for developing tailored support and treatments, ensuring our heroes receive the care they deserve,” said Donna Klassen, Co-Founder/CEO of Let’s Talk Menopause. 
    “As the population of women veterans continues to grow, it’s imperative that the VA not only continues to study our healthcare needs but also takes proactive steps to address them,” said Elisa Cardnell, President of Service Women’s Action Network. “Military service has a lifelong impact on health, and we applaud the efforts of Rep. Houlahan and Rep. Bice to determine how it may impact perimenopause and menopause.”
    “Menopause is a natural life stage that all women will encounter. This includes our nation’s service members and veterans,” said Society for Women’s Health Research President and CEO Kathryn Schubert, MPP, CAE. “Yet, as in so many areas of women’s health, we are operating with a lack of information. This new legislation from Representative Houlahan will give us important insights into menopause’s impact on our service members, including how it affects military service and combat roles. It is our hope that members of Congress will work together in a bipartisan way to quickly pass this legislation.”  
    Last Congress, Senator Murray introduced the Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women’s Health Act, new comprehensive bipartisan legislation that would be the most expansive effort so far to boost federal research on menopause and would—for the first time—coordinate the federal government’s existing programs related to menopause and mid-life women’s health. Senator Murray has always championed women’s health care and fought to boost investments in women’s health care research in particular. As the previous top Democrat on the HELP Committee, Murray led negotiations and passage of the 21st Century Cures Act in 2016, bipartisan legislation that provided $4.8 billion over the next 10 years to invests in a wide range of health priorities including with regards to women’s health care. Murray leads and has repeatedly introduced the Jeanette Acosta Invest in Women’s Health Act, which would increase women’s access to preventive and lifesaving cancer screenings. Murray has also been a strong advocate for women veterans’ health care—transforming the VA over decades to meet the needs of women veterans, whether by authoring and passing the Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act in 2010 or by delivering annual funding as an appropriator to help VA provide the necessary care for women veterans. Last year as Chair of the Appropriations Chair, Senator Murray delivered a record $900 million investment in women veterans’ health care.  

    MIL OSI USA News –