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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Luján, Warnock Lead Group Demanding Reversal of Mass Firings of Head Start, ­Office of Child Care Employees

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Luján, Warnock Lead Group Demanding Reversal of Mass Firings of Head Start, ­Office of Child Care Employees

    Senators to Secretary Kennedy: “The termination of staff is alarming and will compound the challenges already facing these programs and services…with no clear planning nor considerations for how early childhood services will be impacted”
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) led 25 Senators in condemning the Trump Administration’s mass firings of federal employees at the Office of Head Start (OHS) and the Office of Child Care (OCC) and demanding Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. immediately reinstate these employees. The sweeping firings of staff from these critical HHS offices will severely restrict access to child care for working-class families and limit the federal government’s ability to administer and conduct oversight of nearly $25 billion in federal investments in early childhood programs.
    The cuts included the closure and termination of all staff at five of the 10 regional offices in San Francisco, Boston, New York, Chicago, and Seattle. The Senators emphasized that these indiscriminate firings did not factor in employee performance and failed to plan for inevitable disruptions to children, families, child care providers, and Head Start programs.
    “This attack on employees at a time when children, families, child care providers, and early educators are relying on critical early childhood programs undermines the Department’s role in administering and conducting oversight of early childhood programs, including Head Start programs and child care assistance for working-class families across the country,” wrote the Senators. “We are deeply concerned by reports of a high number of employees at OHS and OCC who have been fired across the country who provide critical support to Head Start programs and help make child care safer and more affordable. The termination of staff is alarming and will compound the challenges already facing these programs and services, including the lack of timely and transparent information, with no clear planning nor considerations for how early childhood services will be impacted.”
    The Head Start program currently serves nearly 800,000 children, providing comprehensive services to help children receive health care and insurance, while offering parents job training, education, housing support, and nutrition services. OCC administers the Child Care Development Fund, which includes the Child Care Development Block Grant that provides an average of over 1.3 million children from nearly 800,000 low-income families with child care subsidies each month. California’s Head Start program is the largest in the nation, serving over 82,300 California children in 2021 — accounting for 10 percent of all children served — and employing over 26,800 staff.
    The Senators stressed that these cuts are especially alarming as child care programs have become increasingly unaffordable and harder to access. According to a recent survey of more than 10,000 early childhood educators, 55 percent of programs were underenrolled compared to their preferred capacity, citing affordability and staffing challenges as the primary concerns as opposed to a lack of demand.
    “The Administration’s decision to reduce staff comes at a time when it is increasingly expensive to run child care and early learning programs, the cost of child care continues to be out of reach for many working-class families, and the demand for quality child care continues to far outpace the supply,” continued the Senators. “We are deeply concerned about the exacerbation of these issues for child care providers and children and families as a result of the Administration’s termination of a large portion of OHS and OCC staff, including the sudden closure of five of the ten Regional Offices and RIFs.”
    In addition to Senators Padilla, Luján, and Warnock, the letter was also signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    The letter was endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), National Women’s Law Center, MomsRising, the Center for Law and Social Policy, Zero to Three, and Child Care For Every Family Network.
    Earlier this year, Senators Padilla, Luján, and Warnock joined Senator Kaine in expressing concerns about the threats to Head Start programs across the country as a result of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) memo that imposed a government-wide funding freeze.
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Secretary Kennedy,
    We write to express our serious concern regarding the recent decision to fire federal employees at the Office of Head Start (OHS) and Office of Child Care (OCC) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and we ask that you immediately reinstate these employees to full work status. Between the firing of probationary employees and the recent RIFs, these offices have been gutted and the ability for the federal government to support children and families and carefully oversee nearly $25 billion in federal investments in early childhood programs will be extremely hampered. It appears these firings occurred without regard to employee performance, input from career civil servants, or planning against disruptions to understand the impact on children, families, child care providers, and Head Start programs.
    This attack on employees at a time when children, families, child care providers, and early educators are relying on critical early childhood programs undermines the Department’s role in administering and conducting oversight of early childhood programs, including Head Start programs and child care assistance for working-class families across the country. We are deeply concerned by reports of a high number of employees at OHS and OCC who have been fired across the country who provide critical support to Head Start programs and help make child care safer and more affordable. The termination of staff is alarming and will compound the challenges already facing these programs and services, including the lack of timely and transparent information, with no clear planning nor considerations for how early childhood services will be impacted.
    The federal Head Start program currently serves nearly 800,000 children across the nation with comprehensive services to ensure children receive age-appropriate health care, dental care, and health insurance, and they provide referrals to other critical services for parents, such as job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support. For the last several years, there has been broad, bipartisan support in Congress to recognize the longstanding program’s important work by providing increased appropriations. Head Start and Early Head Start grant recipients deliver services in every state and territory, farm worker camps, and over 155 Tribal communities. OHS provides Head Start programs with federal policy guidance, training, and technical assistance and administers grants in accordance to the Head Start Act. These federal employees play an important role to ensure that programs use their grant funds efficiently and effectively. Terminating OHS and Regional Office employees reduces the capacity to support and allow Head Start programs to use permissible flexibilities to effectively use their federal grant to best serve children in their communities.
    Further, OCC administers the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF), which includes the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) that provides an average of over 1.3 million children from nearly 800,000 families with low-income with child care subsidies monthly. The federal child care program is also central to states’ efforts to ensure the health, safety, and quality of nearly every child care program in the country. OCC staff across the country support states in ensuring federal funds are used effectively to improve affordability, quality, and supply of child care options for families. These drastic terminations will weaken the ability to support states and oversee federal law, transparent information for families, professional development, and the timeliness and consistency of payment for child care providers.
    The Administration’s decision to reduce staff comes at a time when it is increasingly expensive to run child care and early learning programs, the cost of child care continues to be out of reach for many working-class families, and the demand for quality child care continues to far outpace the supply. According to a recent survey of more than 10,000 early childhood educators by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, more than half of programs indicated they were unable to serve their preferred number of children relative to their preferred capacity, with affordability and staffing challenges cited as the top reasons, rather than a lack of demand. We are deeply concerned about the exacerbation of these issues for child care providers and children and families as a result of the Administration’s termination of a large portion of OHS and OCC staff, including the sudden closure of five of the ten Regional Offices and RIFs.
    We ask that you immediately reinstate these employees to full work status, and we request your responses to the following questions by April 11, 2025:
    To date, how many staff have been terminated within OHS and OCC, both in the Central office and in each Regional office? Please share the reasoning behind the closure of offices in regions 1, 2, 5, 9, and 10 (Boston, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle), and what information and planning were used to decide which and how many of these offices would be closed?
    Who decided which probationary and non-probationary employees within OHS and OCC were to be terminated and under what cause?
    What assessment was done about the impact of the RIFs on children and families served by the programs? What are the steps being taken to minimize disruptions and continue the administration of Head Start programs and CCDF?
    Was a review conducted to determine the impact of terminating OHS and OCC staff on early childhood programs, the impact on health and safety in care settings, the stewardship of nearly $25 billion in taxpayer dollars, the ability to meet the purposes of the federal statutes, and the impact on children, families, and communities?
    Are there plans for additional staff terminations in the months ahead, and if so, how many and what offices? Regional office staff are the first point of contact for Head Start programs and State and Tribal child care agencies. Who are the new points of contact for programs? If this work has been reassigned to remaining regional offices, how will doubling their workloads create a system that is responsive to pressing program needs?
    What percent of the Office of Grants Management team responsible for Head Start and Child Care programs have been fired since January? Can you guarantee that once a grant is awarded that grant recipients can draw down their awards?
    Can the Secretary guarantee that funds will be awarded on time for Head Start grant recipients that are due to receive a new or continuing award on May 1st, and subsequent awards? If there are lapses in awarding grants, how long will they last and what communication will be done to support programs in the interim?
    Thank you for your attention to this critical issue, and we look forward to your response.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Padilla Slams Trump’s Tariffs for Increasing Prices for Working Families

    US Senate News:

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

    WATCH: Padilla Slams Trump’s Tariffs for Increasing Prices for Working Families

    WATCH: Padilla blasts President Trump for breaking promises to lower pricesWASHINGTON, D.C. — During an interview with MeidasTouch’s Ben Meiselas, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) sharply criticized President Trump’s chaotic, harmful tariffs that will raise prices for millions of working families and cost California farmers billions. Padilla highlighted Trump’s broken promise to lower costs and denounced the President’s recent comments that he “couldn’t care less” if his tariffs raise prices.
    MEISELAS: Let’s break down what’s going on, first in kind of California with the farming situation. We’ve got Senator Alex Padilla here, Senator from California. Senator, we’re seeing a lot of Trump voters now saying they regret this. This is absolute chaos. They didn’t vote for this. What are you hearing, Senator?
    PADILLA: Hearing a lot of the same fury, a lot of the same frustration, and people coming to the realization Donald Trump lied to them. His whole campaign, his platform, his promises were all a lie, and it’s coming home to roost.
    PADILLA: Because you’re right, whether it’s the tariffs — we know who’s going to pay the price ultimately. It’s not foreign countries as Donald claimed. It’s going to be working families here in the country when prices will go up. This is a President who said he was gonna tackle inflation and bring down prices on day one. The opposite has happened. Prices are up in all categories.
    PADILLA: The one thing he has said that’s truthful, just this last weekend, he says he doesn’t care. He “can care less,” specifically, is what he said, if prices go up. Because they’re going up on everything from cars to fruits and vegetables and everything in between.
    As President Trump and other Republicans have admitted that the tariffs will cause “short-term pain,” Padilla underscored that these tariffs will exacerbate the affordability crisis and cripple the stock market, depleting Americans’ pensions and retirement savings.
    PADILLA: It was a bait and switch. He promised to lower costs. Costs are going up. This short-term pain? Only now he’s realizing what it means, but the pain is real. So my colleagues on both sides of the aisle — there’s inconvenience and there’s pain. … Pain is being left homeless, which a lot of people will be when they lose their jobs or can’t afford to pay the rent because of Donald Trump’s policies.
    PADILLA: Another impact of his tariffs — on again, off again and on again, on again prices going up is what’s happening with the stock market. Now I don’t say this because I’m sympathetic to traders on Wall Street. I bring this up because so many people’s pensions, so many people’s 401(k), so many people’s retirement savings are tied to the economy. So when the stock market crashes, that’s literally dollars that you no longer have for retirement. It’s gone up in smoke. But once again, if you ask Donald Trump what he thinks of all this, he could care less.
    Padilla also blasted Trump for illogically and irresponsibly opening up dams and flooding the Central Valley, claiming to “turn on the water” to fight the Los Angeles fires after they had already been contained and using up resources farmers need in the dry summer months.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Padilla Proposes Resolution on the Floor to Limit the Use of Tariffs to Offset Republicans’ Tax Cuts

    US Senate News:

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

    WATCH: Padilla Proposes Resolution on the Floor to Limit the Use of Tariffs to Offset Republicans’ Tax Cuts

    WATCH: Padilla demands transparency from Republicans’ partisan budget planWASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to propose a concurrent resolution to limit President Trump’s use of tariffs to offset $5.3 trillion in Republicans’ tax cuts for the wealthy. The resolution would simply demand basic transparency by requiring that any tariff used to offset tax cuts for the wealthy be explicitly written into the Republicans’ partisan reconciliation bill. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) objected to the resolution, which required unanimous consent to pass.
    In his remarks, Padilla blasted President Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, which will raise costs across the board for millions of working-class families. He called out Trump’s comments last week that he “couldn’t care less” if tariffs raise prices for American consumers. Padilla also highlighted the staggering hypocrisy of Republicans’ cuts to critical services like Medicaid, nutrition assistance, and public education while trying to pass trillions in tax cuts for billionaires.
    Full text of Senator Padilla’s resolution is available here.
    Key Excerpts:
    We have finally made it to Donald Trump’s promised and self-proclaimed “Liberation Day.” But here’s what I also observe. The stock market is down since the beginning of the year. The cost of everything from groceries to housing continues to rise. Americans’ retirement funds have shrunk. And the chances of a recession is up. That sure doesn’t feel like a liberation to me.
    Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to “lower prices on day one” of his Administration. But he’s done the exact opposite. His policies and his rhetoric are raising the cost of living for hundreds of millions of Americans.
    Let’s be clear: a tariff is a tax on the American people — plain and simple. Trump’s tariffs equate to the biggest tax hike on Americans in decades.
    American companies will have to pay more to import goods. And in turn, the American people will have to pay more to buy those products. Donald Trump knows this. It’s not that he doesn’t know; it’s that he doesn’t care. And those aren’t my words — they’re his.
    If nothing else, the Republican party’s economic plan has been consistent. They want to bleed the working class to benefit the rich. And they’re gonna lie to our faces as they try to do it. That’s unacceptable.
    My resolution would simply require that they be transparent with the American people. It would require that any tariff used to offset tax cuts for the wealthy must be explicitly written into the text of the Republican reconciliation bill. If Republicans want to increase prices on hardworking Americans to give handouts to billionaires, then own it. You should not be allowed to hide behind President Trump as you do it.
    Be transparent. Be honest. Put these price increases into the bill. Tell the American people what you really stand for. Because when Americans ask why their grocery bills and their energy bills and all their other bills go up, they deserve to know why — and they deserve to know who caused it. And then we’ll see who’s really on the side of the working class.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of Vote on Resolution to Undo Trump’s Taxes on Canadian Goods, Shaheen Highlights the Devastating Consequences for Small Businesses on Senate Floor

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – Following President Trump’s announcement of sweeping new tariffs, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) took to the Senate floor to highlight the devastating economic impacts that President Trump’s tariffs and trade war will have on American families and the economy. The speech came ahead of a vote on U.S. Senator Tim Kaine’s (D-VA) joint resolution with U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) to end Trump’s tariffs on Canada. Some estimates have shown that Trump’s tariffs could raise costs for the average American household by up to $2,000 per year. You can watch Senator Shaheen’s speech here. 

    Key quotes from Senator Shaheen:

    • “On Monday I visited a bakery in Derry, New Hampshire, that may have to go out of business due to what President Trump is proposing on tariffs on Canada. […] Mr. Chatila said to me, and I quote, ‘When I came, this was the American dream, which is why we built it. But now you see it in front of your eyes. It’s just melted like ice.’” 
    • “Imposing tariffs against Canada is not the way to fight fentanyl and other drugs. This kind of legislation, like the HALT Fentanyl Act, is something that is going to have much more of an impact.” 
       
    • “The message to the American people from this administration is increasingly clear: they do not care about you and what your needs are.”
    • “He is taxing all of the goods that people buy every day and what he doesn’t tell you is that the reason he’s doing this is so that he can give more money to provide tax cuts for the top 1% of the income earners in the country, so the billionaires.”

    You can read Shaheen’s remarks as delivered below:

    I came to the floor to join my colleagues because I am so concerned about the damaging impact of President Trump’s tariff taxes—and I call them taxes because that’s what they really are—about those tariffs particularly on Canada, although we heard today that he’s announced a number of others.

    On Monday, I’ve been hearing from a lot of small businesses in New Hampshire, but on Monday I visited a bakery in Derry, New Hampshire, that may have to go out of business due to what President Trump is proposing on tariffs on Canada. 

    Now, the owner of Chatila’s Bakery moved to the United States 36 years ago.

     He’s a cardiologist and with his brother, a PhD. Scientist, they’re from Lebanon. 

    He became a citizen.

    He raised his family and sent his daughter to college, and he and his brother got interested in sugar free desserts and candies because their mother was diabetic. 

    So he spent the last 36 years building his business, and now he might have to sell his factory because of the trade war that President Trump has started with Canada. 

    Chatila’s Bakery makes sugar free desserts.

    They get some of their ingredients from Canada. 

    All of those ingredients are now more expensive and while I was there, he showed me a fuel bill he had just gotten, that said that because of the tariffs, his fuel bill was going up. 

    But more important than that, 85% of his business comes from exporting to Canadian customers. 

    Most of his sales contracts in Canada were canceled after these tariffs went into effect last month.

    So he says he’s going to lose between $400,000 and $500,000 this year in the business. 

    Now, President Trump says he’s worried about trade imbalances and that he wants to support exporters.

     Well, here is an American small business and an exporter and because of what this president is doing with his reckless trade war, this small business owner might go out of business.

    So Mr. Chatila said to me, and I quote, “When I came, this was the American dream, which is why we built it. But now you see it in front of your eyes. It’s just melted like ice.”

    And I asked him what he would like to ask President Trump if he had the opportunity, and he said his question was to the president, “What do you want me to do? If you really care about your country, why don’t you support small businesses which are the backbone of every community?”

     I think that said it about as well as anybody I’ve heard. 

    And we know, sadly, that his business is not the only one. 

    Many of our small businesses in New Hampshire are reliant on travel and tourism. 

    I’ve heard from businesses across our state about Canadian tourists canceling plans already, about bookings that they rely on that are not going to come through.

    Last week, we saw that airline tickets for travelers coming from Canada this summer are down more than 70% from this time last year. 

    That represents lost business for my constituents and for businesses and communities across this country. 

    All of this will put their businesses at risk, and it will do so when they are also facing higher costs for inputs because of these tariff taxes.

    Two weeks ago, I visited a bus company, runs bus lines between the seacoast of New Hampshire and Boston and New York. 

    They’re facing $500,000 in added costs because of these tariffs and now, on top of that, he stands to lose business because fewer people are visiting the United States—He also goes between the seacoast and Logan Airport.

    All of that because the president has damaged the relationship we have with one of our closest allies.

    It doesn’t make sense to me. 

    What is the logic of antagonizing those allies and partners that we rely on? 

    And lest anyone forget, the president is claiming that the flow of fentanyl from Canada justifies all this.

    Well, fentanyl and other drugs are serious issues, and I’ve spent much of my time in the Senate doing what I can to help stop those drugs from entering the United States and to getting help for those who need it.

    Just last month, the Senate passed the HALT Fentanyl Act, which is legislation that I co-sponsored along with a lot of my colleagues, which would permanently schedule fentanyl related substances. 

    Imposing tariffs against Canada is not the way to fight fentanyl and other drugs. 

    This kind of legislation, like the HALT Fentanyl Act, is something that is going to have much more of an impact.

    CBP statistics show that all the fentanyl seized along the northern border from the beginning of 2022 until now is 71 pounds. 

    Now, that’s a lot of fentanyl, and that could kill a lot of people, so I don’t endorse that by any means. 

    But you compare that with the 67,966 pounds that have been seized along the US-Mexico border for the same period of time.

    Wouldn’t it make more sense to focus on where most of this fentanyl is coming from? 

    Instead of imposing tariffs, we should be working cooperatively with our allies and partners, and Canada has taken a number of steps to crack down and to stop drugs from coming into the United States. 

    The tariffs that are in place before today are likely to raise costs by nearly $2,000 for the average household.

    That’s money many families in New Hampshire and across this country can’t afford to pay when they’re trying to cover the cost of groceries, of housing, of child care, of energy, all of those things that President Trump, when he was running for president, said he was going to address.

    I’ve heard from many New Hampshire families about how these tariffs will raise prices for keeping their homes warm, for putting gas in their cars.

    And now the Trump administration has reportedly fired the entire staff of the LIHEAP program that helps families and seniors heat their homes when they can’t afford to pay. 

    The message to the American people from this administration is increasingly clear: they do not care about you and what your needs are. 

    So voting for Senator Kaine’s resolution presents an opportunity for Congress to help Americans who are worried about higher costs.

    I intend to vote for this resolution to end the tariffs on Canada, to lower costs for Americans and to help our small businesses and I hope all my colleagues will do the same. 

    Now, I just want to add that in the last hour, President Trump announced a new tax of 10% on everything Americans import with far higher taxes on many countries.

    Everything from the EU will now face a 20% tax. 

    Japan and South Korea 25%. 

    I mean, again, the rationale for why we are going after our allies and partners makes no sense. 

    And this is a tremendous tax increase on American business and families. 

    Likely the largest peacetime tax increase in U.S. history. 

    This new Trump tariff tax will add at least another $3,000 to the costs for an average household.

    And again, this president promised he was going to lower costs for families.

    This does nothing to do that. 

    He is taxing all of the goods that people buy every day and what he doesn’t tell you is that the reason he’s doing this is so that he can give more money to provide tax cuts for the top 1% of the income earners in the country, so the billionaires. 

    I don’t think this tax increase is going to help the small business owner I visited on Monday, or the families in my state and across this country who are trying to afford groceries, and I intend to vote to end those tariffs on Canada today when I have the opportunity. 

    I hope my colleagues will join me.

    Thank you.

    Senator Shaheen is leading efforts in Congress to mitigate the harmful impacts of President Trump’s tariffs. Earlier today, Shaheen released a statement condemning President Trump’s announcement that he will impose 10 percent tariffs on all imported goods, with far higher taxes on many more countries at midnight. In January, Shaheen introduced the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act which would limit the president’s ability to leverage sweeping tariffs that increase costs for American consumers and families. Her effort to pass this bill by unanimous consent was blocked by Senate Republicans. In recent weeks, Shaheen has traveled across the Granite State to visit businesses including Chatila’s Bakery, C&J, DCI Furniture, Mount Cabot Maple and American Calan Inc. to hear directly from Granite Staters impacted by the looming tariffs.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey, Warren, Whitehouse Condemn Firings of Immigration Judges Across the Country

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Letter Text (PDF)

    Washington (April 2, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), along with Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), today sent a letter to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Executive Office for Immigration Review Acting Director Sirce E. Owen, condemning the unjust firings of more than 20 judges serving on immigration courts across the nation. The senators highlighted the enormous impact these terminations will have on the immigration system, including impairing critical due process protections.

    The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reportedly fired more than 20 judges serving on immigration courts across the nation, including the Chelmsford Immigration Court in Massachusetts. These firings, which heavily impact New England, have terminated high-level officials—including the Chief Immigration Judge (IJ) of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)—supervisory immigration judges and an entire class of 13 newly hired IJs.

    In the letter, the lawmakers write, “The Trump administration has arbitrarily dismissed these hard-working public servants, without compelling reason, in blatant disregard for the fairness and efficiency of the immigration courts. These indefensible firings appear intended to impair the immigration system and to strip vulnerable immigrants of critical due process protections. We urge the Administration to reinstate these fired IJs, halt any further terminations, and provide information regarding EOIR’s plan for the immigration court system.”

    The lawmakers continued, “Experts warn that the Administration could be poised to politicize the immigration court system by replacing terminated court officials with far-right loyalists. And we are alarmed by news that the Administration is seeking to bypass the IJs altogether by invoking the Alien Enemies Act and expanding the use of ‘expedited removal,’ a fast-track deportation process. Individuals deemed ‘alien enemies’ under the Alien Enemies Act have been deported without any court hearing or other form of due process. Meanwhile, individuals placed in expedited removal are not entitled to a hearing before an IJ or to judicial review, with narrow exceptions for those who express fear of persecution or intent to apply for asylum. The designation of some noncitizens as ‘alien enemies’ and the possible expansion of expedited removal—coupled with the firings of IJs—signifies a concerted effort to deprive noncitizens of critical protections and due process rights. This approach could result in the erroneous deportation of individuals with a valid claim of asylum or fear of persecution and even citizens, lawful permanent residents, and visa-holders. These actions are not only cruel and inhumane, they may also contravene U.S. law and international obligations.”

    The lawmakers request answers by April 11, 2025 to the following questions:

    • How is the Trump administration deciding which immigration judges to terminate nationwide, and, specifically, in the Chelmsford and Boston immigration courts?
    • Why did the Administration fire 13 newly hired IJs and 7 Assistant Chief IJs (ACIJs) on February 14, 2025? Why has the Administration fired other IJs and ACIJs since February 14?
    • Why has the Trump administration terminated immigration judges who have served in their roles for longer than two years?
    • Is the Trump administration considering firing additional immigration judges in the Boston or Chelmsford immigration courts?
    • Does the Trump administration plan to re-hire any of the terminated immigration judges? Does the Trump administration plan to replace any of the terminated immigration judges by hiring new immigration judges, including for the Boston or Chelmsford immigration courts?
    • How does the Trump administration intend to address the backlog of roughly 160,000 removal cases in the Boston and Chelmsford immigration courts?
    • Is the Trump administration planning on taking other actions that would obviate the need for more immigration judges?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Debunks Republican Narrative That “Activist Judges” Are Blocking Trump’s Agenda

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla Debunks Republican Narrative That “Activist Judges” Are Blocking Trump’s Agenda

    WATCH: Padilla highlights that both Democratic- and Republican-appointed judges have ruled against Trump’s illegal actionsWASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to question witnesses on the false Republican narrative that Democratic-appointed judges alone are preventing the President from implementing his agenda. Senator Padilla debunked these claims in his questioning of Georgetown University professor Stephen I. Vladeck.
    Vladeck recently found that, contrary to claims made by the President, Elon Musk, and other Trump allies, injunctions against President Trump’s actions have been issued at similar levels by both Democratic- and Republican-appointed judges. Additionally, cases seeking to stop unlawful Trump actions have actually been brought to a much wider range of courts than during the Biden Administration, when Republicans targeted specific courts and judges in Texas, Louisiana, and Missouri that aligned with their political viewpoints. In total, as of last Friday, 46 of 67 cases where plaintiffs have sought an injunction or a temporary restraining order during the second Trump Administration have successfully been granted by judges appointed by presidents of both parties.
    PADILLA: Now there’s members of the Committee from the other side of the aisle that are trying to claim that there’s a few “radical judicial activists” standing in the way of President Trump’s agenda, but just as in his first term, it seems that the President’s disregard for the law is actually the biggest thing standing in the way of his agenda. So I want to walk through some of the statistics again with you. … How many judges have heard these cases? And if you’re able to tell or even have a ballpark, these judges were appointed by a president of which party?
    VLADECK: Sure. So it’s 39 different judges appointed by five presidents of both parties, including two Republican presidents, President Reagan, President Bush. And the cases are not symmetrically distributed, but the success rate’s pretty close. …
    PADILLA: Okay, that’s encouraging to demonstrate that it’s not a partisan lens with which these judges are acting. Now, when it comes to geography, can you speak to where these judges sit? Are they concentrated in one region, one appellate court jurisdiction, or one district, or are they spread around the country?
    VLADECK: It’s been, I mean, it’s been spread much further around the country than what we saw, for example, during the Biden Administration. So we’ve seen 11 different district courts, in the 46 cases that have blocked Trump policies, 11 different district courts in seven different circuits, which is a pretty big shift from as recently as a couple years ago, when most of the nationwide injunctions against Biden policies were coming from district courts in Texas, Louisiana, and Missouri.
    Padilla also asked Vladeck about the harmful impacts of the Trump Administration’s unprecedented executive orders attacking individual law firms or lawyers who represent clients challenging President Trump’s agenda.
    PADILLA: We’re seeing attacks on the legal community and specific firms or lawyers that represent clients and causes at odds with the President’s ambition. Can you speak to the chilling effect that these targeted executive orders are having on the legal community and their ability and willingness to take on clients or employees that might dare to disagree with President Trump?
    VLADECK: Yeah, I mean, I think we’re seeing a chilling effect, Senator, in some of the law firms that are, you know, making these agreements with the President to not represent particular clients, to devote hundreds of millions of dollars to pro bono litigation in support of the President’s agenda. You know, that kind of distortion is a problem, not because of Democrats versus Republicans. That kind of distortion is a problem because, as the Supreme Court itself explained in 2001, meaningful access to lawyers is actually central to the ability of the courts to play their essential role in our Constitutional system.
    Video of Senator Padilla’s full line of questioning is available here.
    More information on the hearing is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Announces Staff Changes, Promotions, Trump Admin Appointments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) today announced 22 additions and changes to his staff over the last year, as well as 14 of his staff appointed to serve in the Trump Administration. 

    “I’m pleased to welcome several additions to my staff and announce well-deserved promotions for others,” said Senator Hagerty. “I’m confident that my exceptional team will soar to even greater heights with new expertise and experience. At the same time, I’m deeply proud of my close advisors and alumni who have been appointed to serve in the Trump Administration. I look forward to all we will accomplish in the coming years together.”

    Lucas Da Pieve is now serving as Legislative Director. Da Pieve has served as the Deputy Legislative Director and Projects Manager, handling all budgetary and appropriations matters for Senator Hagerty, since 2021. Previously, he was the Director of Digital Response in the Office of Presidential Correspondence during the first Trump Administration and as Deputy Legislative Director and Projects Manager for Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN). He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Da Pieve is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and his family has lived in Blount County since 2008.

    Nate Kinard will serve as General Counsel to Senator Hagerty, and advise the Senator regarding judicial nominations, constitutional matters, and artificial intelligence. Previously, Kinard was a shareholder at Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, specializing in business litigation and appeals. Kinard received his law degree summa cum laude from William & Mary Law School. A native of Chattanooga, Kinard majored in Political Science and Piano Performance at Vanderbilt University.

    Sloan McDonagh is now serving as Policy Advisor and Senior Counsel in Senator Hagerty’s Washington, DC office. McDonagh previously served as Senior Counsel to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He is a graduate of Hillsdale College and Emory University School of Law.  

    Christy Charbonnet is now serving as Scheduler for Senator Hagerty’s Washington, DC office. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston in Systems Engineering and has been with the Senator since the fall of 2023.

    Emma Morris will serve as Deputy Director of Operations and Scheduling for Hagerty. Morris previously served as the Senator’s Deputy Scheduler. She graduated from Auburn University with a B.A. in Political Science. She is originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

    John DiGravio is now serving as Legislative Assistant to Senator Hagerty, advising him on the Banking Committee portfolio. He previously served as Legislative Aide to the Senator and as an aide to the Senate Banking Committee. DiGravio holds a B.A. from Williams College and was raised in Austin, Texas.

    Luke Harris has been named Legislative Assistant to Hagerty assisting in the Agriculture, Energy, and Transportation portfolio. Harris is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University where he received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

    JT Isaacs has been named Legislative Assistant to manage all general budget and appropriations matters for Hagerty. He also manages the Healthcare, Education, Labor, Pensions, and Veterans’ Affairs portfolio. He previously served as Legislative Aide for Hagerty. Isaacs received a Bachelor of Science in Economics degree from the University of Kentucky.

    Matthew Venoit will serve as Policy Advisor to Senator Hagerty. Prior to the Senate, Venoit worked at Goldman Sachs in both New York and Hong Kong. He holds a B.S. from Penn State University and graduate degrees from KU Leuven and Georgetown University.

    Jillian Cantrell is now serving as Legislative Aide to Hagerty assisting in the Healthcare, Education, Labor, Pensions, and Veterans’ Affairs portfolio. Cantrell previously served as Legislative Correspondent and Staff Assistant. She is a graduate of Washington and Lee University, where she received Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Biology and Politics. She is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

    Cole Bornefeld is now serving as a Legislative Aide to Hagerty, assisting in the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Rules portfolio. Bornefeld previously served as a Legislative Correspondent in Hagerty’s Office. He graduated from Western Kentucky University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and public relations. He is a native of Hendersonville, Tennessee.

    Melissa Stooksbury has been serving as Deputy State Director since February 2024 based in the Nashville, Tennessee office. Prior to this role, she served in the office of Congressman Tom Cole, most recently as Communications Director. Stooksbury was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee and graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

    Ethan Finley now serves as a Legislative Correspondent to Senator Hagerty within the Banking Committee Portfolio. Finley previously worked as a field organizer for Tim Sheehy’s 2024 Senate Campaign. Before that, he worked as an Investment Banking Analyst at Evercore. Finley also has experience as an analyst in private equity and wealth management. He graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor’s degree in Financial Economics.

    Zach Brooks currently serves as the Southeast Tennessee Field Representative for Senator Hagerty, a role he has held since April 2024. Before his tenure with Senator Hagerty’s office, Brooks was the Investor Development Director at the Cleveland/Bradley County Chamber of Commerce, focusing on membership growth and community engagement. Born and raised in Cleveland, Tennessee, Brooks graduated from Cleveland High School in 2010. He pursued higher education at Lee University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 2014 and a Master of Business Administration in 2019.

    Gabby Gardner serves as the Nashville Field Representative for Senator Hagerty, where she works closely with community leaders, elected officials, and industry stakeholders across Middle Tennessee. Prior to this role, she served as a Clerk in the Tennessee House of Representatives. Gardner is a proud graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

    Ford Hawkins is now serving as the Jackson, Tennessee Field Representative. He previously served with the Young Republicans before joining Olin/Winchester Ammunition, where he worked as a ballistician before joining Hagerty’s office. Hawkins is a West Tennessee native, and he attended the University of Mississippi, holding a bachelor’s degree in History.

    Jonathan White is now serving as the West Tennessee Field Representative. After graduating high school, White served four years active in the U.S. Navy before graduating with his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Mississippi. He has also worked for the American Legion and interned for the Northern District of Mississippi U.S. Attorney’s Office.


    Jake Netterville     is now serving as Personal Aide to Senator Hagerty in the Washington, DC office. Netterville recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Louisiana State University and is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Prior to joining Senator Hagerty’s office, Netterville worked as a federal analyst at The Picard Group. 

    Cecilia Ann Hutton is now serving as a Staff Assistant in Senator Hagerty’s Washington, DC office. She recently graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History.

    Steven Behringer is now serving as a DoD fellow for Senator Hagerty. Behringer is an active-duty Marine who is fluent in both Mandarin and Korean, and has extensive experience evaluating military and cyber threats in the INDOPACOM region. He is a native of Baltimore, Maryland.

    Blake McMahon is now serving as a National Security Fellow for Senator Hagerty. McMahon has held a variety of Executive Branch roles related to aerospace, defense, and intelligence issues. He received a PhD from the University of California, San Diego and a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State.

    James Santos is serving as a National Security Fellow. Santos comes from the Office of Director of National Intelligence, where he worked on a range of national security issues, covering policy development and program management matters. He graduated from Michigan State University, and holds a Master’s degree in Accounting. He was born in Manila, Philippines and hails from Grand Rapids, Michigan.  

    Serving in the Trump Administration

    Adam Telle is nominated to lead the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. Telle has served as Hagerty’s Chief of Staff over the last four years and will continue to serve Hagerty while his nomination is pending before the Senate. Telle served during the first Trump Administration as the White House’s Senate lead in its Office of Legislative Affairs.  Prior to that role, Telle served as the top staff member on the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security and as the top policy advisor to the late Senator Thad Cochran. Telle holds degrees in computer science and journalism from Mississippi State University.

    Luke Pettit is nominated to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Institutions. Pettit has served as Senator Hagerty’s Senior Policy Advisor and will continue to serve Hagerty while his nomination is pending before the Senate. Previously, he worked at the Senate Banking Committee, Bridgewater Associates, and the Federal Reserve. Luke holds a B.A from the University of Pennsylvania, and graduate degrees from the London School of Economics and Johns Hopkins University.

    Daniel Zimmerman has been nominated to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. Zimmerman currently serves in a Congressional Executive Fellowship in the office of Senator Hagerty and will continue to serve Hagerty while his nomination is pending before the Senate. He previously has held many roles in the agency realm, and holds both a bachelor’s degree from Asbury University and a master’s degree from the University of Kentucky.

    Julia Hahn is serving as the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Department for the Office of Public Affairs. Hahn joins the Department after serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications for Senator Hagerty. Prior to the Senate, Hahn served in the first Trump White House over all four years, most recently as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy White House Communications Director. Before that, she served as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Rapid Response and Surrogate Operations. Hahn has also worked in media as the Executive Producer of The Laura Ingraham Show and a reporter at Breitbart News. She also worked on Capitol Hill as Press Secretary to former Congressman Dave Brat. Hahn graduated from the University of Chicago with a BA in Philosophy.

    Clark Milner is serving as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Policy, focusing primarily on domestic policy. Milner formerly served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Chief Counsel to Senator Bill Hagerty. Milner previously served as Deputy Counsel to Governor Bill Lee.

    Natalie McIntyre currently serves a Special Assistant to the President for the Office of Legislative Affairs where she handles the Healthcare, Education, Labor, Banking, and Agriculture portfolio. Previously, she was Senator Hagerty’s Legislative Director overseeing the legislative team and managing the Health, Education, Labor, Pension, and Veterans portfolio. Prior to her role in Hagerty’s office, she was part of the legislative office at OMB where she managed the Senate offices. She also served as a Senior Policy Advisor and White House liaison at ONDCP.

    Nels Nordquist     is serving as Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Policy and DD of NEC.Nordquist was Senior Fellow for Economic Policy in the office of Senator Hagerty. From October 2022 through January 2025, he served as Staff Director for the National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee. From 2018-2021, Nordquist worked in the National Security Council and National Economic Council, first as Director for Trade & Investment and later as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for International Economic Policy. Nordquist graduated from Stanford and earned an MBA from the University of Virginia.

    Joel Rayburn is the Trump Administration’s nominee to be Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. He is a historian, former diplomat, and retired military officer who previously served as special advisor for Middle East affairs in the office of Senator Hagerty. Rayburn is currently a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. In the first Trump Administration, he served as a senior director on the National Security Council staff and, from July 2018 to January 2021, as the U.S. special envoy for Syria. Before joining the State Department, Rayburn served 26 years as a US Army officer and co-authored the Army’s official history of the Iraq War. He holds an MA in history from Texas A&M University and an MS in strategic studies from the National War College.

    Kevin Kim is the State Department’s China Coordinator and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, and Taiwan. Prior to the State Department, Kim worked as a national security fellow for Senator Hagerty. Kim was also the Senior Advisor to the Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea as part of the U.S. delegation to the 2020 U.S.-Russia arms control negotiations.  From 2018 to 2020, he served as the Chief of Staff to the Special Representative for North Korea and the Deputy Secretary of state Stephen Biegun and participated in various rounds of U.S.-DPRK nuclear negotiations. Kim received a BA from the Johns Hopkins University, MA from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

    Walton Stivender Mears has taken on a new role as scheduler for Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner. Mears joined HUD last month after serving as Director of Scheduling for Senator Hagerty. She previously handled scheduling and assisted the chief of staff for Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and as a Staff Assistant for Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL). Mears is an Auburn University graduate from Birmingham, Alabama.

    J. Cal Mitchell is serving as the Special Assistant at the U.S. Department of Treasury. He joins the Treasury Department after serving as Personal Aide to Senator Hagerty. Mitchell is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College.

    Nick Checker, a national security fellow for Senator Hagerty in 2023, currently serves as Deputy Executive Secretary on the National Security Council. In that role, Checker provides senior-level review of NSC products for substance, policy relevance, and appropriateness for the President and senior White House officials. Checker has spent the last decade at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as a military analyst covering conflicts in the greater Middle East. Most recently, Checker worked in CIA’s office of Congressional Affairs, where he supported the confirmation process for Director John Ratcliffe. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University.

    Nicholas Elliot is the Acting Director of the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Elliot serves as the chief advisor to the CFTC Chairman on matters before the U.S. Congress and as the Commission’s official liaison with Congressional members, federal agencies, and the Administration. Previously, Elliot spent nearly four years working for Senator Hagerty on the Senator’s financial services and banking portfolio, where he advanced the Senator’s work on the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Elliot is a graduate of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business where he received a BS in Business Administration with a major in Finance and a minor in Mandarin.

    Taylor Asher serves as Chief Policy Advisor of the SEC’s Crypto Task Force and is a Senior Policy Advisor to SEC Acting Chairman Mark Uyeda. From April 2023 to January 2025, Asher served as Policy Advisor and Confidential Assistant to Commissioner Uyeda. Prior to his time at the SEC, Asher was Personal Aide to Senator Hagerty. His tenure in public service began with Congresswoman Julia Letlow’s Office, where he served as Staff Assistant and Intern Manager. Asher is currently pursuing a Master of Economics at George Mason University. He holds a Master of Finance with an Energy Specialization as well as a Bachelor of Science in Management from Tulane University. He is originally from Nashville, Tennessee.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Raises Alarms on Trump Tariffs Slapping Higher Prices on Wisconsin Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WATCH: Senator Baldwin delivers remarks ahead of Trump tariff announcement

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s plan to impose reciprocal tariffs and 10% minimum across the board tariffs that promise to raise costs on Wisconsin businesses and consumers.

    “Donald Trump promised to lower prices for Wisconsinites on Day 1, but it’s been 72 days and families are still facing soaring costs. Now, Donald Trump’s trade war is set to jack up the price of virtually everything from the grocery store and gas pump to buying a home and car,” said Senator Baldwin. “I agree that we need to address trade cheats like China, bring back Made in America manufacturing, and level the playing field for workers, but Donald Trump’s reckless plan is not going to do that. These across-the-board tariffs are going to mean higher costs for Wisconsin families and start a trade war that will increase input costs for farmers and manufacturers and cut off international markets they can sell to.”

    On Wednesday afternoon, President Trump announced he would impose a 10 percent minimum tariff on all trading partners as well as double-digit “reciprocal” tariffs on dozens of other countries. The reciprocal tariffs will apply to around 60 countries including the European Union, China, the United Kingdom and India. Imports from Canada and Mexico will still face 25% tariffs.

    On Monday, Senator Baldwin sent a letter to President Trump outlining the details of her wishes for a trade agenda that centers workers, stands up to trade cheats like China, and grows the American manufacturing sector. Instead of jacking up costs on consumers, Senator Baldwin’s plan aims to rebuilding American manufacturing and level the playing field for Wisconsin workers, including:

    • Advocating for a Complete Reimagining of Relationship with People’s Republic of China (PRC): The plan calls for revising our trade relationship with China. By allowing China to join the World Trade Organization, the United States opted to treat China like a market economy. China’s non-market practices, rampant abuses of labor and human rights, and government-sponsored trade cheating call for a complete rethinking of our economic relationship, including Permanent Normal Trade Relations.
    • Review & Revise Free Trade Agreements: Baldwin calls for reviewing and revising each of the United States’ 14 free trade agreements with 20 countries, including the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), to ensure the best outcomes for American workers.
    • Strengthen Trade Enforcement Mechanisms: Baldwin looks to strengthen trade enforcement mechanisms to curb cheating and manipulation by foreign countries. Baldwin identifies bipartisan legislation, such as the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act to strengthen trade remedies, Fighting Trade Cheats Act to empower private companies to hold bad actors accountable, and efforts that can be addressed by executive action, like closing the de minimis loophole, which results in lost tariff revenue and the importing of counterfeit products and contraband drugs like fentanyl.
    • Support for Workers Who Lost Jobs Due to Short-Sighted Policies of the Past: Baldwin also calls for the strengthening and reauthorization of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) to provide critical support for American workers who lose their jobs due to the short-sighted policies of the past, so those workers can access job training benefits and quickly return to the workforce.

    Senator Baldwin delivering video remarks on this announcement is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto to President Trump: Stop Taxing American Families and Threatening Our Tourism Economy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on American allies that will raise the cost of groceries, energy, and household goods for Nevada families.

    “President Trump promised to lower costs on day one, but instead he’s raising taxes on hardworking American families and threatening Nevada’s travel and tourism economy. That’s unacceptable,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I agree we should bring manufacturing back to America, but we can’t do that by jacking up prices on families. These blanket tariffs on some of our closest allies are going to do serious harm to hardworking Nevadans and their businesses.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy announces $32.4 million in Hurricanes Laura, Ida aid for Louisiana

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $32,386,791 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants for Louisiana disaster aid. 
    “Louisiana is working hard to rebuild from the catastrophic damage that Hurricanes Laura and Ida left behind. This $32.4 million will help our communities recover from the costs they sustained during these disasters,” said Kennedy. 
    The FEMA aid will fund the following:
    $13,358,873 to St. John the Baptist Parish for debris removal operations resulting from Hurricane Ida.
    $6,209,552 to the Terrebonne Parish School Board for management costs resulting from Hurricane Ida. 
    $5,286,570 to the Terrebonne Parish School Board for permanent repairs resulting from Hurricane Ida. 
    $1,725,740 to the West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital for permanent work resulting from Hurricane Laura.
    $1,562,360 to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development for debris removal operations resulting from Hurricane Laura.
    $1,515,422 to the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District to replace equipment due to Hurricane Laura damage.
    $1,415,716 to the Jefferson Parish School Board for permanent repairs to the Ralph J. Bunche Elementary School campus resulting from Hurricane Ida.
    $1,312,558 to the Orleans Levee District Non-Flood Protection Asset Management Authority for permanent repairs resulting from Hurricane Ida damage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Statement on Major Trump Tariff Announcement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    04.02.25

    Cantwell Statement on Major Trump Tariff Announcement

    Auto tariffs could increase car prices by up to $15,000 – the Port of Vancouver, WA is the largest importer of Subarus in the U.S.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Donald Trump announced a “National Economic Emergency,” and signed an executive order declaring a 10% minimum baseline tariff on all countries as well as additional tariffs on nearly 60 countries. The baseline tariff will go into effect April 5 and additional reciprocal tariffs will go into effect April 9. Also included in today’s announcement, Trump reiterated his intention to impose a 25% tariff on all imported automobiles starting at 12AM on April 3. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, released the following statement:

    “As a representative of one of the most trade dependent economies in America, I disagree with President Trump’s tariffs. His announcement today will hurt sectors we care about: agriculture, manufacturing, and tech,” Sen. Cantwell said. “And ultimately, consumers will pay the price. It’s time for Congress to take action to counter the president’s trade war.”

    Trump’s reciprocal tariffs set to take effect April 9 include:

    • China – 34% 
    • EU – 20%  
    • Vietnam – 46% 
    • Taiwan – 32% 
    • Thailand –36% 
    • Indonesia – 32% 
    • Switzerland – 31% 
    • India – 26% 
    • South Korea – 25% 
    • Japan – 24% 
    • Malaysia – 24% 
    • Israel – 17%  
    • Cambodia – 49%

    In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries. 

    Today’s announcement is in addition to previous tariffs President Trump announced over the past few weeks, including on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China.  More information about how those tariffs will affect consumers and businesses in the State of Washington can be found HERE.  

    Those tariffs will also have significant impacts nationwide:

    • A 25% tariff on all Canadian and Mexican goods would add an estimated $144 billion a year to the cost of manufacturing in the United States.
    • Tariffs on Canada and Mexico could increase U.S. car prices by as much as $15,000.
    • According to the Yale Budget Lab, Trump’s proposed tariffs would result in the highest U.S. effective tariff rate in more than 80 years, and depending on the level of retaliation by other trading partners, will result in increased costs of between $1,600 and $2,000 per household. According to their analysis, food, clothing, cars, and electronics will all see above-average price increases.

    The tariffs could also impact West Coast ports that import automobiles, such as the Port of Vancouver, WA, which is the largest gateway for Subaru imports in the country. In 2023, 98,000 Subarus came through the Port of Vancouver.

    Last month, Sen. Cantwell joined the Washington Council of International Trade for a Q&A session on the whiplash caused by the administration’s chaotic tariff policies – and how they particularly harm the Pacific Northwest, which is among the most trade-dependent regions in the country. Sen. Cantwell said that the current administration’s approach to trade focuses on punitive tariffs, even with America’s largest trading partners and closest allies, as opposed to innovation and alliance-building. That ethos is fundamentally at odds with how the Pacific Northwest has historically built its trade-oriented economy.

    Sen. Cantwell has remained a steadfast supporter of increased trade to grow the economy and keep prices in check in the State of Washington and nationwide. Sen. Cantwell was the leading voice in negotiations to end India’s 20% retaliatory tariff on American apples, which was imposed in response to tariffs on steel and aluminum and devastated Washington state’s apple exports. India had once been the second-largest export market for American apples, but after President Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum in his first term, India imposed retaliatory tariffs in response and U.S. apple exports plummeted. The impact on Washington apple growers was severe: Apple exports from the state dropped from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million by 2023.  In September 2023, following several years of Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on apples and pulse crops which was welcome news to the state’s more than 1,400 apple growers and the 68,000-plus workers they support.

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

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed: Trump NSC’s Use of Gmail Could Put U.S. Security At Risk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – Following news reports by the Washington Post that members of President Donald Trump’s National Security Council, including White House national security adviser Michael Waltz, used personal Gmail accounts while conducting official government business regarding sensitive or exploitable national security issues, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:
    “I am very concerned about the Trump Administration’s lack of operational security when it comes to national security matters.  There is a clear, troubling pattern and Congress needs to look at it in a serious, bipartisan manner.  Mr. Waltz and his team have engaged in questionable data security practices and it could cost our nation dearly.  Taxpayers have spent millions, if not billions, to give national security officials 24-7 access to protected networks and technology.  There is both the matter of compliance with federal records laws but also a matter of sloppiness that could be exploited by our adversaries.  If our allies don’t trust the administration and won’t share sensitive information then that is a real setback for our nation.  This administration lacks both discipline and accountability and it shows.”
    According to the Washington Post: “A senior Waltz aide used the commercial email service for highly technical conversations with colleagues at other government agencies involving sensitive military positions and powerful weapons systems relating to an ongoing conflict, according to emails reviewed by The Post. While the NSC official used his Gmail account, his interagency colleagues used government-issued accounts, headers from the email correspondence show.
    “Waltz has had less sensitive, but potentially exploitable information sent to his Gmail, such as his schedule and other work documents, said officials, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe what they viewed as problematic handling of information. The officials said Waltz would sometimes copy and paste from his schedule into Signal to coordinate meetings and discussions.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Condemns Senate GOP’s Revised Budget Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Senate Republicans released their new budget resolution to serve as a framework to their reconciliation bill – a wide-ranging proposal that would make massive cuts to Medicaid, nutrition assistance, and other vital programs while using accounting gimmicks and procedural tricks to circumvent Senate norms and avoid fiscal responsibility.

    U.S. Senator Jack Reed stated:

    “The phrase “gimmick-fest” is not in the dictionary, but it describes what President Trump and congressional Republicans are doing with this new budget.  The reason Republicans want to obscure the truth here is because it’s a raw deal for the American people.  Republicans are going all out so they can give billionaires tax cuts.  At the same time, they keep talking about cutting people’s Medicaid, Social Security, raise costs, and increase hardships by denying people things like nutrition assistance and other government services. The American people are the ones who are eventually going to have to pay the cost of this Republican budget blueprint and once they get the tab they won’t like it.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Opposes Trump’s Tariffs That Would Raise Costs on RIers & Negatively Impact Families, Farmers, and U.S. Businesses Nationwide

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC –Today, President Trump announced he is imposing new tariff taxes on all countries that could raise prices significantly on every item Americans buy. 
    U.S. Senator Jack Reed says Trump’s tariffs are a costly and inefficient ‘national sales tax’ that is directly paid for by U.S. consumers while also reducing profits for many American small businesses.  Today, Reed stated:
    “President Trump’s blanket tariffs will smother economic growth and make goods more expensive for Rhode Islanders.
    “From groceries and clothes to cars and homes, President Trump’s tariffs are contributing to higher prices for everyday Americans. He is stoking uncertainty, inflation, and the cost of living.  And it’s not just families, Rhode Island manufacturers are sure to see a tariff hit on raw materials and parts they need for their operations.  Similar impacts could hit operations at the Port of Davisville. 
    “Hardworking families will be left paying the price for Trump’s tariffs when what they really need the White House to do is help lower prices.  President Trump’s policies will force Americans to pay more for the same goods and they will have less money to save or spend elsewhere. 
    “The U.S. economy is not as strong as it should be because of President Trump’s chaotic, myopic approach to tariffs that punish both U.S. consumers and some of our strongest and most reliable allies. 
    “The President needs to step back from the tariff brink and start acting in a more strategic and straightforward manner that will stabilize our economy instead of destabilizing it.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Pushes SafeSport to Take Action to Address Major Failings

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is following up on his oversight of the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s vetting and hiring practices. The organization previously hired an investigator, Jason Krasley, who was later charged with theft, harassment and sex crimes. 

    “Congress established SafeSport to protect young athletes from abuse and act as a good steward of taxpayer dollars. The arrest of a former investigator and my subsequent oversight has called into question the quality of SafeSport’s hiring process, the Board’s ability to supervise SafeSport officers and directors, and SafeSport’s management of funds,” Grassley said. “American athletes and taxpayers deserve better.”  

    In letters to SafeSport’s CEO, Ju’Riese Colón, and Board of Directors, Grassley notes: 

    • SafeSport was aware of a previous internal investigation into Krasley prior to hiring him and kept him on payroll for two months after learning of the criminal allegations against him. 
    • SafeSport intentionally withheld pertinent evidence from law enforcement. 
      • Florida court found SafeSport “perpetrated a fraud” against a Florida State Court and “filtered” and withheld evidence from law enforcement regarding a sexual abuse claim. 
    • SafeSport potentially mismanaged taxpayer funding. 
      • SafeSport in 2023 spent $2.4 million on legal contractors, including over $1.2 million on a single Denver-based tort law firm. It’s unclear what type of work these firms handled on behalf of SafeSport. 
      • SafeSport in 2023 spent $390,000 on travel, paid 11 executives between $111,000 and $350,000 each, and spent nearly $408,000 on the CEO’s salary – $100,000 more than the highest end of average nonprofit CEO salaries. 

    Read Grassley’s letter to the SafeSport CEO HERE and his letter to the SafeSport Board of Directors HERE. 

    Background:

    Grassley’s bipartisan legislation established SafeSport in 2017 to investigate cases of athlete sex abuse and harassment in Olympic governing bodies. 

    Grassley was the first in history to convene a congressional hearing on athlete protections as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017. He also spearheaded oversight of the U.S. Olympic Committee, the FBI’s failed response to the Larry Nassar abuse scandal and the failures of SafeSport and USA Gymnastics to effectively safeguard athletes.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, 45 Senate Democrats Demand Trump Rescind Illegal Executive Order Threatening Federal Employee Collective Bargaining Agreements

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Wednesday joined the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in a letter urging President Donald Trump to rescind his March 27 executive order to end collective bargaining agreements between public employee unions and dozens of federal agencies and bureaus. The senators blasted the move as a “gross overreach” of presidential authority, asserting that the executive order is a clear attempt to gut the federal merit-based civil service and implement a system of political cronyism. They stressed that the order poses a grave threat to the ability of over one million federal workers to carry out their missions and deliver important services for the American people – and thus should be rescinded immediately.
    “We write today in outrage over your recent executive order entitled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs, a gross overreach of the authority granted in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA). This order is an insult to the hardworking public servants who go to work on behalf of the American people,” the senators began.
    “The executive order effectively classifies two thirds of the federal workforce as having national security missions, a blatant misuse of a limited authority intended to provide operational flexibility to address legitimate security needs,” the senators continued. “There is no evidence that the long-standing collective bargaining agreements at these agencies have jeopardized our nation’s security in any way; to the contrary, the protection collective bargaining has provided for employees allows them to conduct their work on behalf of the American people—including blowing the whistle on fraud or abuse—without political interference.”
    “This Administration clearly does not have even a basic understanding of the legally binding nature of federal collective bargaining agreements and is actively trying to bend the law to undermine protections for federal civil servants. We urge you to immediately rescind this illegal executive order so that our dedicated public servants can continue to work on behalf of the American public without fear for their job or political retribution,” they concluded.
    U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also joined the letter.
    The letter is endorsed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    Dear President Trump: 
    We write today in outrage over your recent executive order entitled Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs, a gross overreach of the authority granted in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA). 
    This order is an insult to the hardworking public servants who go to work on behalf of the American people. They care for our veterans, deliver disaster assistance, prevent wildfires, help farmers improve crop yields, manage health benefits for 9/11 first responders, research treatments and cures for diseases, keep air travel safe, process tax returns, staff our national parks and much, much more. Nearly one third of these dedicated civil servants are veterans seeking to continue their service to our country out of uniform.  
    The executive order effectively classifies two thirds of the federal workforce as having national security missions, a blatant misuse of a limited authority intended to provide operational flexibility to address legitimate security needs. The national security exemption has existed for nearly 50 years and has been used only sparingly by Republican and Democratic Administrations—including during your first term—to exclude federal offices with an unquestionable core function in intelligence, counterintelligence, or national security. There is no evidence that the long-standing collective bargaining agreements at these agencies have jeopardized our nation’s security in any way; to the contrary, the protection collective bargaining has provided for employees allows them to conduct their work on behalf of the American people—including blowing the whistle on fraud or abuse—without political interference. 
    Federal employees’ collective bargaining agreements are critical to ensuring they continue to serve the American people with the peace of mind that comes with being protected from unfair labor practices. Unlike in the private sector, federal employee unions in most cases cannot negotiate pay or benefits, which are set by Congress, and they are legally prohibited from striking. The federal collective bargaining agreements do, however, protect federal employees from illegal firings, retaliation, and discrimination. They also promote resources for whistleblowers and veterans. These federal union contracts give employees in the civil service protections from retaliation so they can serve the American people fairly and effectively without partisan political interference.  
    This executive order, which ruthlessly strips collective bargaining agreements for over one million federal workers, is the most recent attack your Administration has levied against our merit-based civil service in the effort to cut the workforce and replace them with political cronies. While the CSRA does give the president the authority to limit collective bargaining agreements due to national security concerns, the executive order’s direction to terminate mass swaths of federal employee collective bargaining agreements is clearly intended to broadly dismantle the CSRA, which is specifically designed to grant federal employees the right to collective bargaining as a means to resolve workplace issues while maintaining the smooth functioning of government operations.  
    When the Secretary of Labor testified in February in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Members of Congress asked her both in-person and through questions for the record whether she and the Administration would commit to honoring all legally binding collective bargaining agreements signed by federal agencies and labor unions, and whether federal employees have the right to organize and collectively bargain without fear of retaliation. The Secretary answered, “if confirmed, I will follow the law and work with the experts at the Department to understand the collective bargaining process at the Department and the terms and conditions of the collective bargaining agreements in place.” This Administration clearly does not have even a basic understanding of the legally binding nature of federal collective bargaining agreements and is actively trying to bend the law to undermine protections for federal civil servants.  
    We urge you to immediately rescind this illegal executive order so that our dedicated public servants can continue to work on behalf of the American public without fear for their job or political retribution.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Statement on New Tariffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on President Trump’s announcement of additional across-the-board tariffs on all imports, which are in effect a national sales tax on American consumers, farmers, and businesses.
    “The President’s new national sales tax on Americans is reckless, harmful, and could have irreversible consequences. This is the biggest tax increase in a generation, and will increase costs by more than $5,000 a year for the average family. The economic chaos and uncertainty the President is creating is endangering our economy.
    “I support targeted tariffs to take on our adversaries, such as those used by the previous Trump, Biden, and Obama administration to counter China’s steel dumping. But the President’s across-the-board tariffs will only raise costs, hurt businesses, and eliminate jobs.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On Senate Floor, Klobuchar Calls for Congress to Pass Her Legislation to Reverse Canada Tariffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar

    WASHINGTON—On the Senate Floor, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) called for support of her bipartisan legislation with Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) to undo President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs on Canadian imports. The administration is imposing a 10 percent tariff on energy from Canada and a 25 percent tariff on other goods — a move that amounts to a tax hike on American consumers and businesses. Canada is Minnesota’s top trading partner.

    “This resolution is about drawing a line in the sand and saying you cannot abuse your emergency powers to start an unjustified trade war,” said Klobuchar. “You cannot abuse your emergency powers to hurt one of the finest relationships in the world, the relationship between America and Canada, and you cannot drive up prices, eliminate jobs, and put in place a national sales tax.”

    Along with Klobuchar, Kaine, and Warner, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Rand Paul (R-KY).

    Specifically, the senators’ legislation would work by terminating the President’s February 1 declaration that President Trump used to launch his trade war with Canada, and thus eliminate the tariffs on Canadian imports as a result. The declaration invoked the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), an unprecedented use of that law in its nearly 50-year history to justify across-the-board tariffs on a longstanding U.S. ally. 

    A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s remarks is available below. Download video HERE. 

    Senator Klobuchar: Madam President, I rise today in strong support of the bipartisan resolution led by my colleague who is here today, Senator Tim Kaine, which I co-lead with him and Senator Warner to restore stability to our trade with one of our greatest allies, greatest friends, and that is the country of Canada. 

    This resolution does one thing, and it does it clearly. It terminates the President’s declaration related to the Canadian border that he is using as an excuse to impose across-the-board tariffs, which are, in fact, taxes on Canadian imports under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. 

    Passing this resolution just became even more urgent because of the President’s announcement of even more across-the-board tariffs this afternoon, including a minimum 10% tax on all imports and even higher tariffs on certain countries, including our friends and allies. 

    This is a country that has thrived on the fact, and our economy has grown because we do business with the world. And already with the President’s announcement, which he calls Liberation Day, I call it a National Sales Tax Day, because the estimates are that these tariffs will result in about $5,000 in taxes, that’s right, on the average family in America every single year. 

    What has happened? Well, the stock market is closed, but the futures are tanking. They are tanking, and that is because people get that this is not going to work for our American economy. They don’t want a national sales tax. People involved in the economy of this country, everyone from small business owners on and they’re going to be the first hit by this, because they do not actually have the wherewithal and the big conglomeration to try to deal with it. 

    Small farmers in my state that are already dealing with retaliatory tariffs, that are already dealing with the fact that Canadians who used to buy their stuff don’t want to buy it anymore, or other countries aren’t buying their stuff. And what happens then, the Canadians look for other markets, and there’s other countries, other manufacturers, other farmers, and other nations that say “we are more than happy to fill your contract, sir. We are more than happy to help you out with that aluminum, Mam.” Because of these tariffs. 

    …

    This resolution is about drawing a line in the sand and saying you cannot abuse your emergency powers to start an unjustified trade war. You cannot abuse your emergency powers to hurt one of the finest relationships in the world, the relationship between America and Canada, and you cannot drive up prices, eliminate jobs, and put in place a national sales tax. 

    Canada is not just our neighbor with my state, it’s our number one trading partner. In fact, we do so much business with Canada that it is more than the total of our number two, number three, and number four, largest markets combined. We are the fourth biggest ag exporter, the state of Minnesota, in the country. So, we know a little bit about how this works. 

    In 2023 alone, our state exported 7 billion in goods to Canada, including ag products, machinery, and medical devices. That’s a major hit for the retaliatory tariffs that we’re going to see. 

    The damage could extend to every sector of our economy. I just mentioned tourism. So I chair the Canadian American Interparliamentary Group. I go to Canada a lot. I know our partners over there. I know the people in the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party, all of them. And the one thing that has united us to a T is this friendship, that has far transcended this President. 

    I remember it was the Canadian Embassy in one of the worst of times for our country, that had banners draped in the front of their embassy that said, “friends, neighbors, partners, allies.” Those banners aren’t hanging there right now, and they’re not going to put them up any time soon. 

    It was the Canadians that were the first to arrive after 9/11 to volunteer, to help out our country in its greatest moment of need. They fought alongside us in two World Wars. This is a long-standing friendship and an incredible trade relationship based on mutual respect and trust, and yes, two strong economies. 

    Because these new tariffs are already causing harm, as I noted, they amount to a national sales tax. 

    Since the administration began to propose and implement or pause but hang over people’s heads, wide-ranging tariff, wholesale prices have gone up on everything from meat and coffee to natural gas and lumber. 

    Homeowners Association, Home Builders Association, Retail Association, how many business groups? Are the Republicans not listening to them anymore? And add to that, the Steelworkers. Do they not care about that? They’re opposed to that, and they support this resolution that Senator Kaine, and Warner, and I have come together to introduce.

    With these tariffs across the world, we’re going to see a $20,000 increase to the price of a home and a $3,000 increase to an American-made car. This might not mean much to Elon Musk and the billionaires in Trump’s cabinet, but it means a lot to the people in my state. 

    Tariffs can be an important tool. Sure, you can have targeted tariffs. That’s not what this is. These tariffs on Canada are an abuse of the emergency powers, and if they want to negotiate this, put it in the upcoming negotiations of the USMCA, the United States, Mexico, Canada, Trade Agreement that I supported, that President Trump negotiated in his last administration. Why wouldn’t he do it there? Why, instead, is he doing his usual shock and awe, jarring the economy? This is going to be a blanket permission slip for tariff wars. 

    And I will note again, thank Senator Kaine, our bipartisan group of supporters, and the United Steelworkers, International Association of Machinists, North American Building Trades Union, AFL-CIO, Chamber of Commerce, National Taxpayers Union, and the National Retail Federation have all endorsed this resolution. Maybe we don’t care about all those businesses and all those workers, but maybe we should listen to them. 

    This resolution is about restoring common sense and responsible governance. It is about Congress reasserting its constitutional role on trade, and it’s about standing up for American workers, businesses, and consumers who are being asked to pay the price of this trade war. 

    Let’s change course, before the damage becomes even more permanent. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. 

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Passes Bipartisan Klobuchar Bill to End Tariffs on Canadian Imports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statement on Senate passage of her bipartisan bill with Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) to undo President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs on Canadian goods.  The administration is imposing a 10 percent tariff on energy from Canada and a 25 percent tariff on other goods — a move that amounts to a tax hike on American consumers and businesses.

    “Today, the Senate sent a clear message to the President: You cannot abuse your powers to start an unjustified trade war with one of our strongest allies. Canada is Minnesota’s top trading partner, but the President’s tariffs are jeopardizing that relationship—and the consequences may be irreversible.

    “Our bipartisan bill was supported by a broad coalition—from the United Steelworkers to the Chamber of Commerce—because we need to restore stability, credibility, and sanity to our trade policy with Canada. While tariffs are an important tool for countering unfair trade practices, like China’s steel dumping, we should not raise costs, hurt businesses, and eliminate jobs by attacking our neighbor and ally.”

    Along with Klobuchar, Kaine, and Warner, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angus King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Rand Paul (R-KY).

    Specifically, the senators’ legislation would work by terminating the President’s February 1 declaration that President Trump used to launch his trade war with Canada, and thus eliminate the tariffs on Canadian imports as a result. The declaration invoked the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), an unprecedented use of that law in its nearly 50-year history to justify across-the-board tariffs on a longstanding U.S. ally. 

    Senator Klobuchar spoke about this bill on the Senate floor. A video can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Helps Pass Resolution to Reverse Trump’s Cost-Spiking Tariffs on Canadian Goods

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) voted to pass a Congressional resolution to reverse Trump’s devastating tariffs on virtually all Canadian goods that have raised prices for families and hurt Nevada’s businesses and economy. This resolution passed the U.S. Senate and now heads to the House of Representatives. Earlier this year, President Trump placed a 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy imports and a 25 percent tariff on all other Canadian goods, essentially placing a sales tax on the products Americans purchase every day. Canada is Nevada’s biggest export partner and the top nation from where visitors come to Las Vegas.
    “At a time when Nevada families are already experiencing high prices, Donald Trump is making things more expensive for Nevadans by placing tariffs on nearly every good from Canada,” said Senator Rosen. “These sweeping tariffs amount to a national sales tax, and I voted with a bipartisan group of colleagues to reverse them and help deliver financial relief for Nevada families. I’m glad to see that this legislation passed in the Senate, and I’ll continue fighting to lower costs.”
    Senator Rosen has been fighting back against Trump’s reckless tariffs and the destructive impacts they’re having on Nevada’s economy. She helped introduce legislation to require the United States International Trade Commission to investigate how Donald Trump’s recent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada will impact the American people, and make that information public. Senator 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: Rosen Statement on Trump’s “Liberation Day” Tariff Hike

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement on President Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement imposing broad-based tariffs on other countries, which will lead to higher prices for Americans on everyday essentials.
    “Nevada families are already suffering from high costs on everything from housing, to groceries, to gas. Trump’s sweeping tariffs are a slap in the face to hardworking Nevadans who will now have to bear the full brunt of these additional taxes,” said Senator Rosen. “By raising prices of everyday essentials and hurting families’ budgets, these tariffs will also have a devastating effect on Nevada’s tourism economy. I’ll do everything in my power to reverse these blanket tariffs and lower costs for Nevadans.”
    ICYMI: Below is coverage of Senator Rosen speaking out against tariff hikes:
    ABC: Rosen speaks out against Trump’s price-spiking tariffs, policies

    Anchor: “The Senate is expected to vote on Democratic-backed legislation to curtail Trump’s authority to impose tariffs on Canada. Do you think you’ll have the Republican support to pass the measure?”
    Senator Rosen: “Well, some Republicans are indicating their support, but let’s be clear—this is a tariff, a blanket tariff on all Americans. This is a national sales tax – Trump’s tariffs. So he’s doing this just so he can justify a national sales tax. That’s wrong. Tariffs should be targeted. They should be strategic. They are a tool we can use, but putting a national sales tax on everyone that’s going to have our heating and cooling costs go up, having our food prices to go up, our housing, everything in between. And I can tell you, I live in Las Vegas. We depend on tourism. Canadian tourism [is] down 70% over last year because of what’s happening with our largest trading partner on the Trump tariffs.”
    KLAS Las Vegas: Nevada Sen. Rosen calls for special counsel investigation into Signal chat leak

    Senator Rosen: “What’s going to happen [with tariffs] is food prices go up. Like I said, housing goes up. Cars go up. Gas goes up. The cost of everything goes up. And when that happens, tourism goes down. So Nevada is going to be squeezed both ways. Everybody who lives here – prices going up, and people aren’t going to come because […] they’re going to be hitting their other states. So we’re going to lose it in our economy.”
    KSNV Las Vegas: Rosen speaks out against Trump’s price-spiking tariffs, policies

    Anchor: “Opponents like Senator Jacky Rosen say the tariffs will make everything more expensive for American households and eventually dig into the disposable income that people need to visit Las Vegas.”
    Senator Rosen: “So when travel goes down, that means that there’s less money in our economy. These people don’t get those extra shifts. It means then they don’t work at the casino, and they don’t get their shift. They don’t go home and buy a pizza or go out to dinner. So it has a trickle down effect everywhere. So Nevadans are going to get squeezed by Trump’s reckless tariffs. It’s a national sales tax.”
    KTVN Reno: Rosen speaks out against Trump’s price-spiking tariffs, policies

    Anchor: “We were able to speak with Senator Jacky Rosen today, and she says when you put tariffs across the board, it’s a national sales tax, so whatever you consume, you are paying for. Senator Rosen also told us that she disagrees with these tariffs.”
    Senator Rosen: “By the way, in Nevada, when everything goes up, what goes down? Tourism goes down. So we’re going to get hit with that double whammy because I know Canadian tourism is a 70 percent decrease in tourism from Canada over last year, and so we’re going to get squeezed in Nevada, both sides, and Trump said he doesn’t care.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis, Grassley Introduce Legislation to Rein In Unaccountable Judges

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    Washington, D.C. —  U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) this week joined Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in introducing the Judicial Relief Clarification Act of 2025 (JRCA). The bill would limit federal court orders to parties directly before the court – ending the practice of universal injunctions and clarifying the role of the judicial branch to decide the law in a non-partisan way.

    Under this legislation, parties seeking nationwide relief would be required to file a class action lawsuit. The bill would amend the Administrative Procedure Act and the Declaratory Judgment Act to limit courts’ decisions to the parties before them, and make temporary restraining orders (TROs) immediately appealable.

    “Judges are not policymakers – and they have not been elected by the American people to legislate,” said Lummis. “Our courts should not be a tool for far-left activists to obstruct every part of President Trump’s agenda. I’m pleased to introduce legislation with my colleagues to defend our Constitution and end judicial overreach.”

    “For a number of years, but particularly in the last few months, we’ve increasingly seen sweeping orders from individual district judges that dictate national policy. Our Founders saw an important role for the judiciary, but the Constitution limits judges to exercising power over ‘cases’ or ‘controversies.’ Judges are not policymakers, and allowing them to assume this role is very dangerous,” Grassley said.  “The Judicial Relief Clarification Act clarifies the scope of judicial power and resolves illegitimate judicial infringement upon the executive branch. It’s a commonsense bill that’s needed to provide long-term constitutional clarity and curb district courts’ growing tendency to overstep by issuing sweeping, nationwide orders.

    The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. John Barrasso R-WY, Marsha Blackburn R-TN, Katie Britt R-AL, Ted Budd R-NC, Bill Cassidy R-LA, John Cornyn R-TX, Kevin Cramer R-ND, Ted Cruz R-TX, Steve Daines R-MT, Lindsey Graham R-SC, Bill Hagerty R-TN, Jim Justice R-WV, John Kennedy R-LA, Mike Lee R-UT, Roger Marshall R-KS, Ashley Moody R-FL, Bernie Moreno R-OH, Eric Schmitt R-MO, Thom Tillis R-NC, and Tommy Tuberville R-AL. 

    Download bill text HERE and a fact sheet HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Video: Kaine Speaks on Senate Floor Ahead of Vote on Resolution to Undo Trump’s Taxes on Canadian Goods

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO IS AVAILABLE HERE.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) spoke on the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to pass his joint resolution challenging President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, which amount to a 25 percent tax on goods imported from one of America’s top trading partners and closest allies. The legislation will be voted on today. Estimates have shown that Trump’s tariffs could raise costs for the average American household by thousands of dollars per year. In addition, Trump’s trade wars have hurt American businesses and created needless uncertainty in the U.S. economy.

    “Trump’s aides have basically admitted that this is a new sales tax. The tariff revenue will hit everyday people by making the cost of their goods go up,” said Kaine. “What we are likely to see today with the tariff announcement, it will be the largest tax hike in the United States history.”

    Kaine continued, “This was an economy that was extremely strong just two months ago on President Trump’s inauguration day. It was a very, very strong economy – not a perfect economy. But since that time, we’ve seen volatility in the stock market. We’ve seen growing inflation. We’ve seen reducing consumer confidence. We’ve seen some suggestions of slowing economic growth, even negative economic growth from some, and that is due in large part to the prospect of this national sales tax – tariffs to the degree of $6 trillion dollars – but also somewhat to the chaos about whether and when and how they will be implemented.”

    Kaine then discussed what he’s hearing from Virginia businesses, saying, “I’ve been traveling around the state talking to Virginians, and they’re very, very worried about these Canadian tariffs. And they’re not worried in the abstract. They saw them in 2017, 2018, 2019, so they know what happens with tariffs … From the kitchen table of a family to our nation’s largest shipbuilders, these tariff shenanigans pose a huge economic risk.”

    Kaine pushed back on the Trump Administration’s claims that there is a fentanyl emergency at the U.S.-Canadian border. “No one in this chamber … would dispute that fentanyl is a massive problem and indeed an emergency … There is a fentanyl emergency, but it’s not Canada … It’s not an emergency from Canada, and it’s certainly not an emergency that would justify treating Canadian products with exactly the same tariff that we would levy on products from Mexico and from China,” Kaine said.

    “I think allies are really important, and I think it’s wrong to call an ally an adversary,” Kaine said. “I don’t want an America pushing aside its longstanding allies … This is no way to treat an ally. This is no way to treat a friend.”

    Kaine concluded, “Tariffs are a tax. Tariffs will hurt our families. Canada is not an enemy. Let’s act together to fight fentanyl. We can do that. We have done that – we showed it with the HALT Fentanyl Act we passed two weeks ago. But let’s not label an ally as an enemy. Let’s not impose punishing costs on American families at a time they can’t afford it. Let’s not hurt American small businesses. Let’s not make our national security investments in ships and subs more expensive. I earnestly request that colleagues support S.J. [Res.] 37 when we vote on it later.”

    Ahead of the Senate vote, Kaine’s legislation has garnered support from businesses and organized labor alike, including from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Senator Peters Raises Michigan Defense Priorities with Intended Air Force Secretary Nominee Troy Meink During Confirmation Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Armed Services Committee, raised issues important to Michigan’s defense footprint with Troy Meink, President Trump’s intended nominee for Secretary of the Air Force, during his confirmation hearing. Peters pressed Dr. Meink to work with him to support the recapitalization of Air National Guard fighter missions, including at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County. Peters recently introduced bipartisan legislation that would support this goal by preserving the Air Force’s fighter force structure.  

    “As you know, without recapitalization, the DOD risks losing hundreds of skilled service members at a time when we are already short over 1,000 fighter pilots and over 4,500 maintainers. Of the 25 Air National Guard fighter squadrons in existence today, 15 do not have a recapitalization plan. And being from a National Guard state, Air National Guard state, that concerns me a great deal,” said Senator Peters. “And so, my question for you, sir, is how can we ensure we are taking full advantage of the expertise of our current National Guard aviators and the crews that they have to address this personnel shortfall that the Air Force has?”

    Dr. Meink responded, “One of the things I will be looking at across the board is the procurement plan of fighters to meet the overall requirements that the Department has been given… and Senator, if confirmed, I promise to work directly with you on where we think we’re going to land and have that discussion for sure.”

    During the hearing, Dr. Meink also reiterated the commitment he made to Peters during their meeting prior to the hearing that Selfridge Air National Guard Base will receive a full squadron of new, next-generation KC-46A aircraft tankers, a decision Peters announced last year.  

    Peters also underscored the critical role that Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs) will play in U.S. national security efforts moving forward given their versatile capabilities. Dr. Meink agreed with Peters that CCAs will “have to be a focus” and are required to “deter any aggressor” in the Indo-Pacific and other regions around the world.

    Peters has pushed for and secured language to support the development and integration of CCAs, including during a hearing last year with the former Secretary of Defense and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Peters has also secured language to help position Selfridge Air National Guard Base as a potential location for testing CCAs. He led a provision included in recent government funding legislation requiring a report regarding basing criteria of CCAs. This report will include an evaluation of whether existing Air National Guard bases with legacy fighter missions, such as Selfridge, may be appropriate locations for the basing of CCAs.

    Watch Peters’ full line of questioning HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters Announces Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Access to Infrastructure Funding for Great Lakes Ports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) announced new, bipartisan legislation to help ensure Great Lakes ports can receive a fair share of federal funding available for port infrastructure upgrades and repairs. The Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) is a competitive federal grant program administered by the Maritime Administration that provides funding to improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of our nation’s ports – including investments to reconstruct docks, improve access to key transportation routes, expand storage capacity, and more. From 2019 to 2024, Great Lakes ports received as little as two percent of all available PIDP awards. Meanwhile, ports along the East and West Coasts of the United States were awarded almost 70 percent of PIDP funding available. Peters’ Securing Smart Investments in Our Ports Act – which he introduced with U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN) – would help address this imbalance by directing the Maritime Administration to consider equitable regional distribution of Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) funds when awarding grants.  

    “Michigan’s ports along the Great Lakes play a vital role in both our state and national economy, supporting key shipping and manufacturing industries, creating jobs, and helping to transport goods that American families and businesses rely on every day. Yet, these ports are being overlooked when it comes to receiving federal support to help keep them safe and efficient,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “It’s past time to ensure Great Lakes ports have equitable access to the resources they need to upgrade their infrastructure and compete on a level playing field with larger coastal ports.” 

    “Senator Peters has been the ‘Port Champion’ for the State of Michigan and an unrelenting advocate for the entire Great Lakes Region,” said Captain Paul C. LaMarre III, President of the American Great Lakes Ports Association and Port Director in Monroe, Michigan. “On behalf of all ports on the Great Lakes, we especially appreciate Senator Peters’ efforts to ensure the Great Lakes region receives its fair share of federal funding for critical port infrastructure projects. As a Port Director, mariner, fellow Navy veteran, and friend, I know firsthand that Senator Peters fights each and every day to deliver sustainable economic growth to our nation’s manufacturing heartland. His desire for equitable federal investment is only rivaled by his advocacy for the irreplaceable jobs of the people who continue to breathe life into our industry.” 

    To read more about the PIDP, click here.  

    During his time in the Senate, Peters has prioritized strengthening Michigan’s shipping ports. Peters has helped secure over $42 million in funding for Michigan ports from the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), including investments to expand cargo capacity, purchase new crane equipment and upgrade cargo screening infrastructure. During Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s confirmation hearing in January 2025, Peters underscored the importance of Great Lakes shipping and secured Secretary Duffy’s commitment to take the necessary steps to promote equitable distribution of PIDP funding. In 2021, Peters helped Congress pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the bipartisan infrastructure law, which provided robust funding for transportation and port infrastructure projects across the country. The historic law invested more than $17 billion in U.S. port infrastructure to make needed repairs and upgrades, reduce congestion to strengthen our supply chains and expedite commerce, and lower harmful emissions near ports to reduce environmental impacts on local communities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell On Vote To Support Kentucky, Reject Tariff War: “The Last Thing We Need Is To Pick Fights With… Friends”

    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 following his vote in favor of legislation to undo the tariffs on Canada, Kentucky’s largest trade market:

    “As I have always warned, tariffs are bad policy, and trade wars with our partners hurt working people most. Tariffs drive up the cost of goods and services. They are a tax on everyday working Americans. Preserving the long-term prosperity of American industry and workers requires working with our allies, not against them. With so much at stake globally, the last thing we need is to pick fights with the very friends with whom we should be working with to protect against China’s predatory and unfair trade practices. That includes what we do on trade. Tariffs make it more expensive to do business in America, driving up costs for producers and consumers across the board. In Kentucky, broad-based tariffs could even have long-term consequences right in our backyard. Consider our state’s 69,000 family farms that sell their crops around the globe, or the hardworking Kentuckians who craft 95% of the world’s bourbon, or our automotive and manufacturing industries that rely on global supply chains. Make no mistake: goods made in America will be more expensive to manufacture and, ultimately, for consumers to purchase, with higher broad-based tariffs.  At a time when Americans are tightening their belts, we would do well to avoid policies that heap on the pain. We ought to strengthen our friendships abroad, and reinforce our allies as pillars of American prosperity and security.”

    BACKGROUND: In Kentucky, local storeowners are already hearing about their suppliers’ prices going up. One estimate suggests the president’s tariffs could cost the average Kentuckian up to $1,200 each year. Canada is the top export market for Kentucky, exporting $9.3 billion and importing $6 billion in goods annually.

    Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association and a soy farmer in Magnolia, Kentucky in the Wall Street Journal: “It’s hitting us on all fronts,” said Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association and a soy farmer in Magnolia, Ky. “You’re talking about the potential of a flat-out crisis in rural America and the farm economy.”… Trump’s first trade war led to more than $27 billion in losses of agricultural exports, according to USDA research. Soybeans accounted for nearly 71% of that. In response, China started importing more soybeans from Brazil, and U.S. soybean farmers have yet to regain their market share, according to Ragland of the soybean association.

    McConnell op-ed in the Courier Journal: Kentuckians can’t afford the high cost of Trump’s tariffs

    McConnell article in Foreign Affairs magazine: The Price of American Retreat

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Further Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China as Applied to Low-Value Imports

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Purpose.  Many shippers based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) hide illicit substances and conceal the true contents of shipments sent to the United States through deceptive shipping practices.  These shippers often avoid detection due to administration of the de minimis exemption under section 321(a)(2)(C) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C)).
    As noted in Executive Order 14195 of February 1, 2025 (Imposing Duties to Address the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China), as amended by Executive Order 14228 of March 3, 2025 (Further Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China), these exports play a significant role in the synthetic opioid crisis in the United States.  In Executive Order 14200 of February 5, 2025 (Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China), I suspended the elimination of duty-free de minimis treatment on articles described in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195.  The Secretary of Commerce has notified me that adequate systems are now in place to process and collect tariff revenue for covered goods from the PRC otherwise eligible for duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C).  Accordingly, duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) shall no longer be available for products of the PRC (which include products of Hong Kong) described in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195, as amended by Executive Order 14228, including international postal packages sent to the United States through the international postal network from the PRC or Hong Kong, that are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on May 2, 2025.  Additional duties for such imported merchandise shall be collected at the rates described in this order.
    Sec. 2.  Assessment of Duties on Low-Value Products of the PRC.  (a)  Other than articles sent to the United States through the international postal network (for which a duty is separately provided as described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section), all shipments of articles described in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195, as amended by Executive Order 14228, that are products of the PRC or Hong Kong; that are sent to the United States; that are valued at or under 800 dollars and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption authorized in 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C); and that are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on May 2, 2025, shall be entered by a party qualified to make entry under another appropriate entry type in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security, with all applicable duties, including those imposed by section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195, as amended by Executive Order 14228, and paid in accordance with the applicable entry and payment procedures.  Executive departments and agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, through CBP, shall take all necessary actions to effectuate the objectives of this order, consistent with applicable law, including through temporary suspension or amendment of regulations or notices in the Federal Register.  The United States International Trade Commission shall continue to act ministerially by modifying the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), as needed, to reflect the actions set out in this order.
    (b)  Imposition of Duty. 
    (i)    All postal items containing goods described in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195 and sent to the United States through the international postal network from the PRC or Hong Kong and transported by carriers that are valued at or under 800 dollars and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption authorized in 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) shall be subject to the duties described in subsection (c) of this section.  In order to address the threat of the PRC’s failure to act to blunt the sustained influx of synthetic opioids into the United States, while allowing for the orderly flow of legitimate international mail, the duties imposed in subsection (c) of this section, except as required by applicable law, are imposed in lieu of any other duties that the shipments would otherwise be subject to, including the 20 percent ad valorem duty established in Executive Order 14195, as amended by Executive Order 14228; most-favored nation rates embodied in the HTSUS; and duties imposed pursuant to section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.  
    (ii)   CBP is authorized to require the carrier transporting the international postal package into the United States to remit payment of the duty described in subsection (c) of this section to CBP monthly or on such other periodic time frame as CBP determines appropriate, and CBP may issue regulations and guidance as necessary or appropriate to implement and enforce this requirement.
    (iii)  All carriers that transport international postal packages from the PRC or Hong Kong to the United States as part of or on behalf of the international postal network must report to CBP the total number of postal items containing goods and, if electing the duty rate specified in subsection (c)(i) of this section, the value of each postal item containing goods, transported per conveyance, in a timeframe and manner prescribed by CBP.  CBP may require submission of documentation and information from the carrier to verify the total number and value of individual postal items containing goods to be electronically transmitted through the ACE.
    (c)  Duty Rates.  Transportation carriers delivering shipments to the United States from the PRC or Hong Kong sent through the international postal network must collect and remit duties to CBP under the approach outlined in either subsection (c)(i) or subsection (c)(ii) of this section.  Transportation carriers must apply the same duty collection methodology to all shipments; however, transportation carriers may change their collection methodology once a month or on such other periodic timeframe as CBP determines appropriate, upon providing 24-hour notice to CBP.
    (i)   Ad Valorem Duty.  30 percent of the value of the postal item containing goods for merchandise entered for consumption on or after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on May 2, 2025.
    (ii)  Specific Duty.  25 dollars per postal item containing goods for merchandise entered for consumption on or after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on May 2, 2025, and before 12:01 am eastern daylight time on June 1, 2025, and 50 dollars per postal item containing goods for merchandise entered for consumption on or after 12:01 am eastern daylight time on June 1, 2025.
    (d)  Bond Requirement.  Any carrier that transports international postal items containing goods from the PRC or Hong Kong to the United States, by any mode of transportation, must have an international carrier bond to ensure payment of the duty described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.  CBP is authorized to ensure that the international carrier bonds required by this subsection are sufficient to account for the duty described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.
    (e)  Discretion to Require Formal Entry.  CBP may require formal entry, in accordance with existing regulations, for any international postal package that may otherwise be subject to the duty described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.  An international postal package for which CBP requires formal entry will not be subject to the duty described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, and instead will be subject to all applicable duties, taxes, and fees in accordance with all applicable laws.
    Sec. 3.  Implementation of Duty.  The Secretary of Homeland Security is directed to take all necessary actions to implement this order.  Consistent with section 4 of Executive Order 14195, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Commerce, is authorized to take such actions, including adopting rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to implement this order.
    Sec. 4.  Homeland Security Authorities.  Nothing in this order limits the ability of the Department of Homeland Security to use any available legal authorities granted to ensure compliance with the provisions of this order.
    Sec. 5.  Monitoring.  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, shall submit a report to the President regarding the impact of this order on American industries, consumers, and supply chains and making recommendations for further action as he deems necessary, including a recommendation on whether extending de minimis ineligibility to packages from Macau is necessary to prevent circumvention of this order.
    Sec. 6.  General Provisions. (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. 
    DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    April 2, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Warren, Gillibrand Urge Expanded Investigation into State Oversight of Care Provided to Seniors in Assisted Living Facilities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    April 02, 2025
    Ranking Members of Senate Finance, Banking, and Aging committees say a new report is needed for “a stronger understanding of why assisted living facilities were so rarely held accountable for neglecting the safety of their residents”
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) today demanded a new investigation into the quality of care provided at assisted living facilities to establish whether the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and state Medicaid agencies have improved their ability to protect hundreds of thousands of seniors and people with disabilities in assisted living facilities that participate in Medicaid.   
    “A new GAO report could provide legislators and the American public with a stronger understanding of why assisted living facilities were so rarely held accountable for neglecting the safety of their residents,” the senators wrote the Government Accountability Office (GAO). 
    In 2018, GAO reported on this issue, revealing that the majority of state Medicaid agencies did not track serious health and safety issues at assisted living facilities participating in Medicaid. The report also found state agencies defined critical incidents in different ways, limiting the collection of information. GAO concluded that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services may be unaware of widespread problems affecting Medicaid beneficiaries at assisted living facilities due to a lack of clear federal guidance on reporting issues. 
    Since this initial report, The Washington Post revealed that since 2018, thousands of assisted living residents have “wandered away…or been left unattended for hours outside,” leading to nearly 100 documented deaths and even more residents unaccounted for as a result of “failures by administrators and front-line caregivers” to prevent these incidents.
    “Given GAO’s previous findings on the need for improved oversight of assisted living facilities, and new findings about residents’ health and safety, we request that GAO provide an update on this issue,” concluded the senators. 
    The lawmakers asked for details into the GAO’s investigation, highlighting how oversight of the facilities has changed since the 2018 report, what deficiencies and critical incidents have been identified at the facilities in recent years, how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is implementing the updated monitoring and reporting requirements for state Medicaid programs, and what additional oversight in these facilities is necessary. 
    Wyden is the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee. Warren is the Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee. Gillibrand is the Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee.
    Full text of the letter is here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Releases Statement on New Tariff Proposals, Emergency Tariffs on Canadian Goods

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator Angus King released the following statement after the White House announced sweeping new tariffs, and the Senate voted on a resolution dissolving the national emergency at the northern border imposing tariffs placed on Canada in February. The bill passed the Senate in a 51-48 vote:
    “Today, the White House announced sweeping new tariffs that will upend our economy, increase the cost of consumer goods, and isolate the United States on the global stage. The announcement comes on the same day as the Senate voted in a bipartisan manner to undo a demonstrably false national emergency on the northern border which the President used to impose tariffs on our northern neighbor.
    “Canada is not only our neighbor, but it is also our ally and strategic economic partner. As Maine people, we have family, friends and business associates across the border that we work and socialize with in our daily lives.
    “The partnership between our two nations supports countless industries, creates millions of jobs and helps ensure our shared economic successes. In fact, annually, Maine exports more than $1.8 billion in goods to Canada and provides $233 million in services to our close neighbors. That is a significant part of our state’s economy.
    “The Senate vote today underlines the lack of any basis for asserting a national emergency on our northern border. The claim that these tariffs are a retaliation against drug trafficking doesn’t pass the straight face test – fentanyl seizures at the United States-Canada border make up a tenth of a percent of Customs and Border Protection seizures of this dangerous drug. To make things worse, a tariff hike based on a false narrative would have drastic costs for American households, especially those closest to the border. Launching a trade war with Canada will harm Maine families and many key industries our state relies upon like the lobster fishery and agriculture.
    “As co-chair of the bicameral, bipartisan American-Canadian Economy and Security (ACES) Caucus, I will always vote to protect our economy and partnership with Canada. But I’m also committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to protect Maine people and Americans from harmful policies that threaten existing relationships with our strongest allies.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen: Extreme Trump Tariffs on All Imported Goods Amount to a National Sales Tax That Will Punish Granite State Families and Small Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) released the following statement in response to President Trump imposing 10 percent tariffs on all imported goods, with far higher taxes on many more countries:  
    “President Trump’s extreme, sweeping tariffs amount to a national sales tax—which may be the largest tax increase during peacetime in U.S. history—that will indeed punish Granite State families, consumers and small businesses the most. Instead of focusing on how to lower costs for families who are struggling to make ends meet, the President is insistent on starting an unnecessary trade war.  
    “Make no mistake: hardworking Americans—not foreign nations—will be forced to pick up the tab. And in the President’s own words, he ‘couldn’t care less’ if prices go up. 
    “If the impact here at home wasn’t enough, the President’s reckless tariffs will harm our global standing – weakening our national security and fueling China’s growth. To punish families with higher prices while driving our trading partners towards one of our top adversaries is simply putting America Last. 
    “Families will foot the bill so that the administration can pay for tax cuts for billionaires. The President must immediately reverse course before he isolates America further and runs our economy into the ground.” 
    Economists and business leaders alike have said broad tariffs could stoke further inflation, worsen the risk of a recession and raise prices on consumers. 
    In recent weeks, Senator Shaheen has traveled across the Granite State to hear from multiple small business owners—including C&J, DCI Furniture, Mount Cabot Maple and American Calan Inc.—about how President Trump’s threat of sweeping tariffs has already harmed their ability to maintain current operations, let alone grow and compete. 
    Last month, Shaheen invited Rebecca Hamilton, the co-owner and co-CEO of Badger in Gilsum, New Hampshire, to be her guest for President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress. Badger is one of many New Hampshire small businesses that will be badly hit by today’s tariffs. A day prior, Shaheen took to the Senate floor to call for unanimous consent to pass her legislation—the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act. If Republicans had not blocked passage, Shaheen’s bill would have shielded American consumers and businesses from rising prices and higher taxes caused by President Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico. 

    MIL OSI USA News –