NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Coons cites his faith as a reason to reject Trump’s budget bill and urges his party to talk openly about faith on SiriusXM’s “Mornings with Zerlina”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined “Mornings with Zerlina” on SiriusXM Progress on Friday as part of her week-long series on faith and politics, where he talked about how his faith motivates his public service, especially in fighting for vulnerable communities impacted by President Trump’s sweeping budget bill and rescissions package which both passed the Senate this month.

    Senator Coons and Zerlina Maxwell discussed the need for Democrats to speak more openly about faith as a source of compassion and how faith plays into issues like climate change, health care, and global affairs. Senator Coons also talks about the rise of Christian nationalism in America right now and how evangelical conservatives have placed themselves at the center of the intersection of faith and politics in the popular imagination.

    A link to the interview and key excerpts are available below.

    LISTEN HERE.

    Republicans push through Trump’s budget reconciliation bill

    Maxwell: As a person of faith, what do you want our listeners at home to know about the damage of this particular law and how it flies in the face of so many faith teachings about how we should take care of people who are vulnerable and hurting?

    Senator Coons: There are lots of us in the Democratic caucus in the Senate who first felt called to public service to help others, to try and strengthen our country, to address the issues of health equity, of hunger, of lack of access to clean air and water, to safe housing through a concern for each other that’s rooted in seeing other Americans of different backgrounds and different states and different needs as children of God – as people fully deserving of the respect and the investment and the support that that entails. This bill – this law now, as you pointed out – is going to do massive damage.

    I recently did an event at the Delaware Food Bank with my colleagues, Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester and Congresswoman Sarah McBride, where we went through in detail the tens of thousands of children, seniors and families who will be hungry as a result of the cuts to the hunger programs of the federal government and the millions of people across the country who will lose access to health care and crowd into emergency rooms sicker with less support, more likely to go bankrupt in ways that will increase their suffering and reduce the health of our country as a whole. The bottom line is that this act, which really was centrally driven by trying to deliver bigger tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, is also going to make us hungrier, sicker, and more divided.

    …

    For a long time in American history, the faith community, broadly understood, was really at the center of social justice movements, whether it was the civil rights movement, or the labor movement, or the environmental movement, and that was motivated by a broadly shared compassion and concern for each other. If you think about the images of who was marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, it included priests and nuns, rabbis and protestant clergy, folks of a wide range of backgrounds. And just two weeks before the final vote on the “Big, Beautiful Bill” – which was anything but beautiful, it was a big, ugly bill – Reverend Jim Wallis and I helped convene literally hundreds of clergy, religious, civic leaders from around the country in a protest on the steps of the Capitol which began by their reading dozens of Scripture passages from Torah, from the Gospels, from other faith traditions that all put a privilege, a focus, a centrality, on caring for the poor, on caring for the needy, for the widow, for the orphan, for the outcast, and then put in sharp contrast how this law does the opposite.

    Democrats needing to open up about their faith

    Maxwell: You mention that more Democrats need to talk about their faith. Why is it that so many Democrats seem uncomfortable or unwilling to lean into their beliefs and to talk about it more openly?

    Senator Coons: I don’t really know what’s the origin of it, other than, you know, look, we have to recognize that organized religion has harmed many people in the United States, there are certainly folks who have become distanced from their faith traditions because of their own experiences. Someone I was quite close to, and remain close to today, in law school confided in me that his initial very negative reaction was frankly because of something horrible that had happened in his parish when he was a child that had driven him away from the Catholic Church. He wasn’t judging me. He was just reflecting on an unpleasant experience. And the more that folks associate public religiosity with aggressive campaigns by Christian nationalists or exclusive focusing on reproductive freedom issues or death penalty issues, the more they think it’s a narrow concern, not something that speaks to broader concerns, but whether it’s about healthcare, the environment, our communities, or economic justice.

    Rise of Christian nationalism

    Maxwell: Does your faith inform the way you talk about the rise in authoritarianism or white Christian nationalism in the country right now? Because I feel like there is a space where we can talk about aligning ourselves with values that have a moral grounding that are not what the folks on the other end of the political spectrum are talking about in a moment like this one.

    Senator Coons: There are passages in the Gospels and the Torah that I think speak clearly to a sense of who is my neighbor. Who are we connected to? In Christ, there is no East or West, nor Greek, nor Jew, for example, and I have always felt that the calling of the United States to be engaged with the rest of the world, to be supportive of development and addressing disasters and crises in the rest of the world, is rooted in that teaching that we are all children of God, regardless of race, religion, background, ethnicity, faith, language. And here at home, similarly, Christian nationalism presumes that we are a country that is uniquely endowed with an historic mission, and at times that has, in my experience, on the Foreign Relations Committee here, that hurts our partnerships around the world, our alliances around the world, but it also fails to reflect a real embrace of the full creation of the world and the full range of humanity, both here in the United States and around the world.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Sponheim Sales and Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    Published: July 21, 2025
    Throughout this Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
    RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Sponheim Sales and Services of Mitchell County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
    “Fourth-generation farmer Dean Sponheim founded Sponheim Sales and Services in 2015 based on decades of agricultural innovation,” said Chair Ernst. “Today, this family-owned business continues to cultivate success as a one-stop shop for farmers looking to learn about conservation farming practices.”
    Founded in 2015 by Dean Sponheim, a fourth-generation farmer, Sponheim Sales and Services has grown from a local conservation effort into a full-service agricultural operation supporting farmers across Iowa. The small business offers custom seed cleaning, drilling, aerial application, interseeding, and contracts with local oat and rye growers. Dean, alongside his son Josh and longtime colleague Rachel Amundson, has expanded the business to help farmers adopt sustainable practices to reduce their environmental footprint.
    Stay tuned as Chair Ernst recognizes more Iowa small businesses across the state with her Small Business of the Week award.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed, Whitehouse & Magaziner Announce $275K for RI Shipyard Modernization

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI – U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Seth Magaziner today announced a new $274,596 federal grant for the J. Goodison Co. shipyard at the Quonset Business Park. The federal funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration Small Shipyards Grant program.

    The federal funds will be used by J. Goodison to modernize equipment and purchase 21 new welder units and a 200-ton press brake to enhance fabrication and welding capabilities. Reliable welding equipment will ensure that projects can be completed in the most efficient manner and reduce the need for outsourcing. This project will help increase the company’s capabilities, improve efficiency and productivity, and create opportunities to provide competitive service.

    “This is good news for J. Goodison and Rhode Island’s maritime industry. Ensuring Rhode Island shipyard’s have the best machinery available to meet their needs increases productivity and efficiency and expands capacity at Quonset. Small shipyards like J. Goodison make big contributions to our economy by building and maintaining the vessels that drive our economy. We’ve got to keep them competitive. I will continue working to bring investment to Rhode Island’s ports, shipbuilders, and shipyards,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee. Senator Reed led efforts to restore funding for the Small Shipyard program after it lapsed for several years.

    “I’m glad to join Senator Reed in helping ensure that Ocean State shipyards have everything they need to grow and create jobs,” said Senator Whitehouse. “Congratulations to J. Goodison on winning this competitive grant, which will support even more economic activity at Quonset.”

    “This federal funding will help J. Goodison modernize its operations, boost productivity, and create good-paying jobs right here in Rhode Island,” said Congressman Magaziner. “I will keep fighting to bring home funds that strengthen the state’s shipyards and grow the local maritime economy.”

    “We thank Senators Reed and Whitehouse and the entire Rhode Island Congressional delegation for their leadership in supporting this project,” said Jack Goodison, President and CEO of J. Goodison Co. “Our State and region succeed when we work together to modernize our shipyards with newer equipment that this grant will help fund.”

    Founded in 1999, J. Goodison is a veteran-owned small business specializing in full-service marine maintenance. In 2016, the company opened a waterfront shipyard facility in the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown. Due to its location and capabilities, the shipyard has become an important asset for marine operators along the Eastern Seaboard. The commercial fishing industry, passenger ferry operators, marine towing operators, and the United States Coast Guard all rely on J. Goodison’s vessel repair services.

    MARAD’s Small Shipyard Grant Program is a competitive grant program designed to support small shipyard projects that make capital and related improvements or provide training for workers in shipbuilding, ship repair, and associated industries.

    In fiscal year 2024, the Small Shipyard Grant Program received 78 grant applications from shipbuilding or repair companies nationwide requesting just under $50 million. The program allocated $8.75 million in available federal funds.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed: Trump Admin. Must Restore Online Public Funding Tracker

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Noting that federal tax dollars belong to the American people – not the President or federal agencies – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today hailed a federal court ruling that the Trump Administration violated the law by taking down a public disclosure website that shows how taxpayer dollars are apportioned to federal agencies and ordered its reinstatement.

    The Constitution clearly mandates that Congress, not the executive branch, has the ‘power of the purse.’ The President signs funding bills and is statutorily responsible for apportioning funds for executive branch agencies to spend in accordance with Congress’s directive under the law. Historically, the responsibility for apportioning funds has been delegated to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) by executive order.

    In an effort to boost government transparency and accountability and ensure the American people know where their tax dollars are going, Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, helped pass a bipartisan provision in the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-103), made permanent in 2023, requiring OMB to publicly disclose how federal funding is disbursed to federal agencies and make the information available on a publicly accessible website. Previously, OMB’s apportionment decisions were rarely made public. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended making this information publicly available in 2021.

    The apportionment database was launched in the summer of 2022. But in March of 2025, the Trump Administration took down the website and dubiously attempted to justify its removal by claiming that apportionments contain deliberative and predecisional information and citing national security risks. However, apportionments are issued only after deliberation and are legally binding decisions that govern agency expenditures. Since March 24, 2025, the public website has been down, and OMB Director Russell Vought said OMB will no longer make apportionments available.

    “Americans deserve to know how their government is using their hard-earned resources, that the President is spending their tax dollars in accordance with the law, and is doing so in an effective and responsible manner. This website was like a dashboard to oversee and review executive branch stewardship of U.S. taxpayer funds. The Trump Administration sought to unlawfully conceal this information. Today’s ruling very clearly orders the Trump Administration to stop hiding data from the American people and reinstate this public website. It’s a positive step for taxpayers and the Trump Administration must comply with the law,” said Reed.

    The judge’s ruling stated: “There is nothing unconstitutional about Congress requiring the Executive Branch to inform the public of how it is apportioning the public’s money. Defendants are therefore required to stop violating the law!”

    The judge ordered the Trump Administration to reinstate the database. But at the Justice Department’s request, the judge paused the order until Thursday morning, so the Administration can decide if it will seek emergency relief from an appeals court.

    Bipartisan members of Congress have publicly declared the Trump Administration is required by law to operate the public website and ensure accountability for stewardship of taxpayer funds.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Joins Amicus Brief Urging Federal Appeals Court to Strike Down Trump’s Illegal Cost-Raising Tariffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined colleagues in filing an amicus brief urging a federal appeals court to strike down Donald Trump’s illegal, cost-raising tariffs. The case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is an appeal of a decision made last month by the U.S. Court of International Trade, which ruled that the Trump Administration lacked authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a statute that no other president has ever used to levy tariffs. The senators and representatives argue in their brief that the lower court correctly ruled Trump’s actions are unlawful and that the President’s actions have caused chaos and uncertainty to businesses nationwide.
    “Nevadans are being squeezed by high costs and rising prices, and President Trump’s tariffs are effectively a new tax for hardworking families,” said Senator Rosen. “The Constitution gives Congress, not the President, the authority to regulate trade, and I’m urging the courts to reaffirm Congress’s authority. I’ll keep doing everything I can to repeal Trump’s sweeping, cost-raising tariffs.”
    The full amicus brief can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has helped lead the fight opposing Trump’s reckless tariffs. She signed on to a different amicus brief challenging them in court last month. Senator Rosen also helped introduce the Tariff Transparency Act, which would require the U.S. International Trade Commission to study and publicly report on the economic effects of tariffs on Canada and Mexico– key trading partners for Nevada industries. She also helped pass a bipartisan resolution to strike down Trump’s tariffs on Canada earlier this year, which is awaiting action in the House of Representatives.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Kudlow on Fox Business to Discuss GENIUS Act Signing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    WASHINGTON—Last week, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Kudlow on Fox Business live from the White House after President Donald Trump signed his GENIUS Act into law.
    *Click the photo above or here to watch*Partial Transcript
    Hagerty on the impact of the GENIUS Act: “What this [the GENIUS Act] does is it takes a payment system that was designed in the 1970s out of business. We go into the blockchain—much more efficient, much more effective. Trades that took five or 10 days to clear now can be done almost instantaneously. If you think about the working capital that comes out of the system, the counterparty risk that goes away, the currency risk if you’re doing a cross-border transaction—all of that is minimized because of the speed of these transactions.”
    Hagerty on increased demand for U.S. Treasuries: “In terms of the impact on the dollar and on Treasuries, I think that’s going to be very significant. The demand for U.S. treasuries is going to go up significantly. In fact, every projection shows that stablecoin issuers will become the largest holders of U.S. Treasuries, because every stablecoin in America has to be backed dollar-for-dollar by a U.S. Treasury or cash. That’s going to stimulate Treasury demand. That’s going to have a great impact on rates, bringing them down. It’ll help the Treasury secretary manage much better. And as we look at the environment we’re in right now, with rates too high and the cost of our debt too high, this is going to be a definite help.”
    Hagerty on global dollar dominance: “This [the GENIUS Act] will cement the U.S. dollar as the reserve currency of the world. People around the world would much rather own a decentralized, U.S. dollar-denominated currency that they know is backed up by U.S. Treasuries than a Chinese yuan or a euro, currencies that are centralized and controlled by their governments. This is going to be a far better product. And I think what this does is it takes us from being on our heels, which is where we were for the last four years, when the Biden administration waged war on the industry, and moves us into the 21st century.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The One Big Beautiful Bill Cuts Taxes for Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–The One Big Beautiful Bill Act invests in workers, delivering on President Trump’s promises to end tax on tips and overtime for millions of hardworking Americans. It also lessens the administrative burden on gig workers and small businesses.
    “This legislation enables the tipped and hourly workers who keep our economy running to keep more of each hard-earned paycheck,” said Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).
    Key wins:
    No tax on tips for millions of tipped workers.
    No tax on overtime for millions of America’s hourly workers.
    Repeals the Democrats’ onerous IRS reporting requirements on gig workers.
    Increases the 1099-MISC threshold, reducing the paperwork burden for small businesses and workers.
    What they are saying:
    “We greatly appreciate the Senate’s inclusion of other AICPA priorities in its bill, particularly: repealing the American Rescue Plan Act’s lowered threshold for Form 1099-K to $600 for an unlimited number of transactions; and increasing the filing threshold for Forms 1099-NEC and Forms 1099-MISC from $600 to $2,000, adjusted for inflation.” – AICPA
    “The Coalition for 1099-K Fairness strongly supports the Senate Finance package’s inclusion of language to raise the 1099-K reporting threshold. This commonsense provision would increase the threshold to over $20,000 in total payments and more than 200 transactions per calendar year—effectively stopping the implementation of a burdensome $600 threshold, regardless of transaction count, scheduled to take effect in 2026 under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP).” – Coalition for 1099K Fairness
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Risch Reintroduce Bill to Split Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) have reintroduced the Judicial Reorganization Act that would split the current Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and create a new Twelfth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
    “The nation’s largest and busiest circuit court of appeals has been overburdened for years–covering more than 11,000 cases annually from nine Western states and two U.S. territories,” Crapo said.  “The Ninth Circuit’s significant backlog and inefficiency impedes the administration of justice throughout the region.  The time is now to divide the court to reflect the West’s massive population growth and provide greater access to justice for all.”
    “The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has long reflected the values of California, which dominates its justices and judicial cases,” said Risch.  “The Judicial Reorganization Act would split and modernize the Ninth Circuit, allowing for more manageable caseloads and justice that aligns with the values of Idaho.”
    Currently, western states are subjected to an overly encumbered, inconsistent and slow judiciary.  This stems from having the largest circuit court in the nation in terms of geography, population and workload.  The Ninth Circuit has jurisdiction over 40 percent of the landmass of the United States and one-in-five Americans.  One fifth of all pending federal appeals and 56 percent of all immigration cases in the nation are filed within the Ninth Circuit.  With 29 appellate judges, the court also has more than double the average number of authorized judgeships among the 13 circuits.
    Additionally, the population and geographic expanse the Ninth Circuit covers have experienced explosive growth since the court’s creation in 1891.  Creating a new circuit would solve the inefficiencies associated with the size of the Ninth Circuit and expand many Americans’ access to justice.
    The Judicial Reorganization Act would divide the current Ninth Circuit into two new circuits:
    A new Ninth Circuit covering California, Guam and Hawai’i;
    A Twelfth Circuit with jurisdiction over Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
    The legislation would also increase the total number of judges in the two circuits to 31–adding one appellate judge to each court, as requested by the United States Judicial Conference.  Eighteen appellate judges would serve in the Ninth Circuit and 13 appellate judges in the Twelfth Circuit.
    The legislation would authorize the appropriation of funds needed to provide additional court facilities and implement the change.
    The full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Applauds CMS Efforts to Root Out Fraud, Saving Taxpayers Billions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.– Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) praised the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) efforts to protect taxpayer dollars after the Agency announced it has found 2.8 million Americans enrolled in multiple Medicaid or Affordable Care Act Exchange plans, the removal of which is projected to save taxpayers $14 billion annually.

    “This effort builds on our work in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, guarding the integrity of our health care programs and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent on the populations they were designed to serve. These are the commonsense steps all agencies should be taking, and I applaud Administrator Oz for his commitment to cracking down on waste, fraud and abuse,” Crapo said.

    Background:

    • CMS announced that an analysis of 2024 enrollment data identified 2.8 million Americans either enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in multiple states or simultaneously enrolled in both Medicaid/CHIP and a subsidized Affordable Care Act (ACA) Exchange plan.
    • As a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, CMS now has new tools it needs to prevent the federal government from paying twice for the same person’s care.
    • CMS will continue to partner with states by providing the necessary resources and guidance to reduce duplicate enrollment.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Marshall Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Make Health Care Costs Transparent

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado

    Transparency for medical services will lower cost of health care and help Coloradans compare prices

    WASHINGTON –U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Roger Marshall recently introduced the bipartisan Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, which would make health care costs more transparent. The bill requires providers to publish the costs of services so Americans understand what a specific visit or procedure will cost, and have the opportunity to compare prices and get the best deal. 

    “You wouldn’t book a flight if you couldn’t find out the ticket price until you land — or check into a hotel without knowing if you’re paying for the Ritz or a dump. But that’s the absurd guessing game Americans play every time they need medical care,” said Hickenlooper, who sits on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. “We deserve to know exactly what we are paying for whether it’s a lab test, a colonoscopy, or an MRI. Our bill gives Americans that peace of mind.”

    “Customers don’t walk into a restaurant only to find out how much the food costs when they get the bill. Patients should know the price of the service they need before they make any decisions,” said Marshall. “Making America Healthy Again requires empowering Americans with the best information possible to inform their life and healthcare choices: the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act will ensure prices are available to patients to support a more competitive, innovative, affordable, and high-quality healthcare system.”

    “We applaud Senators Roger Marshall and John Hickenlooper for their strong, bipartisan leadership on the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act. With actual, upfront, and accountable prices, patients will be able to shop for the best care with protection from rampant overcharges hiding in the shadows. We urge all senators to support this bill and pass it without delay to protect America’s patients,” said Cynthia Fisher, Founder and Chairman of Patient Rights Advocate.

    When Americans go to the hospital, they often don’t know what services will cost beforehand. This forces patients to rely on their insurance to pay as much as possible and negotiate rates with providers, and robs patients of the ability to shop around for a better deal. There’s also a lack of transparency in agreements between insurance and providers. 

    The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act would create true transparency for health care pricing by requiring all negotiated rates and cash prices between plans and providers to be accessible. 

    Specifically, the bill would:

    • Require machine-readable files of all negotiated rates and cash prices between plans and providers, not estimates.
    • Require hospitals to post actual prices for 300 shoppable services (and for all services starting in 2026). 
    • Create a requirement for each patient to receive an Explanation of Benefits statement
    • Require providers or facilities to include a detailed itemized bill of each distinct item or service, or an all-in total price for bundled items if offered to the patient as an option.

    For full text of the legislation, click HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Welcomes U.S. TRANSCOM General Randall Reed to Pease Air National Guard Base, Following First Overseas Deployment of the KC-46

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Portsmouth, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, visited the Pease Air National Guard Base with the Commander of U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), General Randall Reed. The visit is General Reed’s first to the Pease Air National Guard Base and comes after Shaheen extended an invitation during a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in March. During the visit, Shaheen and Reed received an outbrief of the 157th’s successful deployment to the Middle East – the first-ever KC-46 overseas deployment – and met with Base leadership, including Major General David Mikolaities, to discuss the157th Air Refueling Wing’s essential role in global TRANSCOM operations. You can view photos from the visit here.

    “I was glad to welcome General Reed to the Granite State to see first-hand the essential role that New Hampshire’s 157th Air Refueling Wing plays in maintaining our national security, especially after their return from the first-ever overseas KC-46 deployment,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’ll continue working to support the service members at Pease Air National Guard Base, including by ensuring they have the personnel and resources required to maintain and support their exceptional record of service. I look forward to working with General Reed to do just that.”

    In response to strong advocacy by Shaheen, Pease was selected as the Air Force’s first Air National Guard KC-46 main operating base. The KC-46 replaces the Air Force’s 1950’s-era aerial refueling fleet of KC-135s and will serve as the backbone of American air operations for decades to come. The last KC-135 departed Pease in March 2019 to make way for the KC-46. Shaheen participated in the arrival event for the first KC-46 to Pease in August that same year. In 2021, Shaheen attended the ceremony for the delivery of the 12th and final KC-46 refueling tanker to be stationed at the Pease. In September 2024, Shaheen attended the sendoff ceremony for the first-ever deployment of the KC-46 squadron to U.S. Central Command.

    Shaheen has continued to support the members of the New Hampshire National Guard, including by pressing the National Guard Bureau to exempt New Hampshire from any changes to its personnel who operate and maintain the KC-46. Due to Shaheen’s advocacy, the Guard Bureau granted New Hampshire an extension to implement the policy. The FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) included a provision from Shaheen that would require the Guard Bureau to grant a similar extension to any state who requests one, and report to Congress on any operational impact of future force re-leveling.

    Shaheen has also been a fierce advocate for ensuring the KC-46’s Remote Vision System (RVS) stays on schedule and keeps the KC-46 fully operational. This has ensured that the New Hampshire National Guard’s full fleet of tankers can fly real-world missions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Cassidy Outlines How the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Supports the American Dream in Op-Ed

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) penned an op-ed in State Affairs outlining the ways President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill supports the American Dream for Louisianans by boosting take-home pay, expanding school choice, and creating high-paying jobs throughout the state.  
    “Republicans promised to create jobs, lower costs, and build a better future for Americans. We wasted no time doing it. I voted to pass President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill to give Louisianans a better chance at a good education, high-paying jobs, and a chance at the American Dream,” wrote Dr. Cassidy. 
    Read the full op-ed here or below.
    Here’s How the ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ Supports the American Dream
    I voted to pass President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill to preserve the American Dream for Louisianans. Low taxes, more of your paycheck, a safe community, high-paying jobs and a good education. That’s the American Dream.
    How are we accomplishing this? First, by ensuring Louisianans keep more of their paychecks and have a better chance at financial stability. We cut taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security. We extend the Child Tax Credit, making it easier for moms and dads to start and sustain a family. 
    Our agenda supports our military and makes President Trump’s quick work to secure the southern border permanent.
    As for jobs, the bill boosts U.S. manufacturing, strengthening Louisiana businesses and creating permanent, better-paying jobs throughout our state. One way it accomplishes this is by cracking down on China and other countries abusing our trade loopholes and stealing our jobs. I introduced legislation last Congress to correct that. President Trump and I worked together to achieve that goal. 
    I promised to deliver higher paychecks and lower costs for people in my state, and that’s what we delivered. We cut taxes on tips for beauty industry small businesses.
    Along with better jobs, I fought for a historic school choice expansion in President Trump’s agenda—now law. I also secured a provision to eliminate inflationary loan programs that have resulted in higher tuition costs. Thanks to increased access to Pell Grants, more low-income Americans will now be able to attend college, and the 87 percent of Americans who choose not to attend college will no longer have to worry about shouldering the cost of others’ loans.
    Louisianans pursuing a career or technical-based education will also benefit from this legislation through Workforce Pell Grants. President Trump and I agree—it’s time to bring skilled jobs back to America from China and Mexico.
    We eliminate the $200 tax stamp for short-barreled firearms.
    We raise the annual cap on offshore energy revenue sharing with Gulf states from $500 million to $650 million through 2034.
    We hold more lease sales in the Gulf of America—something the Biden administration refused to do.
    We invest $389 million in America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to bolster U.S. energy security.
    We unleash American energy by allowing energy companies to deduct costs, including labor and safety, associated with oil and gas exploration.
    We expand access to direct primary care arrangements by allowing the use of Health Savings Account—or HSA—dollars to pay for such services.
    Republicans promised to create jobs, lower costs, and build a better future for Americans. We wasted no time doing it. I voted to pass President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill to give Louisianans a better chance at a good education, high-paying jobs, and a chance at the American Dream.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Riverhead, Gillibrand Sounds The Alarm On The Disastrous $8 Million Cut To National Estuary Program Funding Proposed In FY26 Budget That Would Endanger Americans’ Health

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Contaminated water can lead to a plethora of health risks; cutting funding to maintain estuary water quality will endanger Americans’ well-being

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand sounded the alarm on the proposed $8 million funding cut from the National Estuary Program (NEP) in the president’s FY26 budget. The NEP works to maintain and restore water quality of 28 estuaries across the United States, including the Peconic Estuary and Long Island Sound. Without sufficient funding, the NEP will not be able to monitor New York’s estuaries and keep them safe from threats such as excess nitrogen pollution, pathogens, and harmful algal blooms, which have been shown to be harmful to public health and the environment. Funding to restore and protect our estuaries also boosts coastal resilience from storms, improves tourism and recreation, and supports local jobs.

    “The NEP’s work is not only necessary for the health of the environment, but more importantly, it is necessary for the health of the American people. Cutting the NEP’s funding will lead to disastrous consequences,” said U.S. Senator Gillibrand. “Protecting our estuaries is of the utmost importance, and the president’s proposed funding cut would jeopardize these critical efforts. This is unacceptable.”

    Senator Gillibrand has been a longtime environmental advocate and has previously passed legislation to protect the public from environmental risks. In 2018, Senator Gillibrand’s Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act, which combined and reauthorized two complementary water quality and habitat restoration programs, was enacted as a part of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. In February 2025, Senator Gillibrand reintroduced the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act to again reauthorize the program. Senator Gillibrand is dedicated to protecting and preserving New York’s natural treasures, and she will continue to fight against any funding cuts to the NEP.

    “I lead the bipartisan ESTUARIES Act in the House because I represent two of our nation’s 28 nationally recognized estuaries—and I know they’re vital to our economy, our fisheries, and the coastal way of life we cherish,” said Rep. Nick LaLota. “That’s why I’m proud to join Senator Gillibrand and colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure clean water and healthy habitats remain national priorities for generations to come.”

    “Reauthorization of EPA’s National Estuary Program is imperative if we want to protect the environment and economy of the East End,” said New York State Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni. “The Peconic Estuary Partnership is at the forefront of a collaborative approach to improving water, restoring habitats, and ensuring the resiliency of our communities in the wake of climate change. The continued influx of federal funds is absolutely necessary, and I thank our bipartisan representatives for their unwavering support. “

    “As the Suffolk County Legislator for the 1st District, I understand how vital our estuaries are to both the health of our environment and the strength of our local economy,” said Suffolk County Legislator Catherine Stark. “Fully funding the National Estuary Programs is a bipartisan imperative that is essential to safeguarding our coastal communities and preserving these critical natural resources for generations to come.”

    “The Peconic Estuary, one of 28 National Estuary Programs in the United States, is a precious jewel in the crown of New York State waterways. One of two National Estuary programs on Long Island, the other being the Long Island Sound Study, Peconic Estuary Partnership relies on federal funding as a critical component for the success of their work,” said Suffolk County Legislator Ann Welker. “We are grateful to Senator Gillibrand for her commitment to protect the funding for  this important economic and recreational natural resource that provides so much for so many on Eastern Long Island, and throughout the region. “

    “On eastern Long Island, our environment is our economy, and the National Estuary Program stands as a bi-partisan, stakeholder driven success story,” said Bob DeLuca, President of the Group for the East End. “Without question, the program’s generational investment in science-based, clean water and coastal habitat solutions holds the key to solving our most challenging ecological problems. But only through a fully funded National Estuary Program can we and so many other coastal communities hope to continue the critical progress made and meet the many challenges that lie ahead. “

    “Operating from the easternmost tip of LI for 55 years, Concerned Citizens of Montauk (CCOM) has been creating awareness and advocacy around the importance of protecting our fragile ecosystems upon which the health of our marine environment depends,” said Kay Tyler, Executive Director of CCOM. “Preserving the National Estuary Program—renowned as one of the most cost-effective environmental initiatives in the nation—is essential for safeguarding the health of our estuaries, which are the seeding grounds to ensuring a harmonious equilibrium among our ecology, environment, and economy.”

    “We are grateful for the support of Senator Gillibrand and her recognition of the power of the National Estuary Program to protect both ecosystems and economies. Her commitment to clean water in New York is outstanding,” said Joyce Novak, PhD, Executive Director of the Peconic Estuary Partnership and Chair of the Association of National Estuary Programs.  “The National Estuary Program is one of the smartest investments Congress can make in clean water, resilient infrastructure, and local economies. Fully funding the NEP ensures that coastal communities can continue to lead with science, partner across sectors, and deliver real results where they matter most.”

    “New York is blessed to have 3 waterways in the National Estuary Program. The Long Island Sound, Peconic Estuary and the NY NJ Harbor have all been designated as Estuaries of National Significance,” said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “They are some of our favorite places for boating, kayaking, fishing, crabbing, and swimming. A fully funded NEP program leverages private and state funding for on the ground restoration and protection projects. Thank you to Senator Gillibrand for her commitment to healthy waters in NY.” 

    “We are grateful to Senator Gillibrand for leading the call to fully fund the National Estuary Program for FY 2026, and to her, and Majority Leader Schumer, Senator Blumenthal, and Senator Murphy for their relentless commitment to ensuring this crucial investment in Long Island Sound and the other 27 estuaries in the program,” said Denise Stranko, Executive Vice President of Programs at Save the Sound. “This is an exciting time, as earlier this summer the Long Island Sound Partnership released its new Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, providing a blueprint to forge ahead with efforts to restore Long Island Sound. The investment in a fully funded NEP is indispensable in strengthening our Great Urban Estuary and our coastlines and communities that depend on a healthy, thriving Long Island Sound.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Elmira, As New York Police Departments Face Staffing Shortages, Gillibrand Announces Bill To Keep New Yorkers And Law Enforcement Families Safe

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act would establish a pilot program to provide child care services for police officers to accommodate their work hours and enhance officer recruitment and retention

    Today, standing with law enforcement officials, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called for the passage of the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act. The bipartisan bill would provide $24 million in federal funding for each of the next 5 fiscal years to establish a pilot child care services program to support law enforcement families.

    “Law enforcement is one of the most critical components of keeping communities safe, and police officers should not have to choose between taking care of their children and staying in the police force,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Providing child care options will open the professional door to aspiring police officers who do not want to worry about child care while also providing stability to current officers struggling to find child care options.”

    The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act would establish a grant pilot program to provide child care services for the children of police officers to accommodate the shift work and abnormal work hours of the officers, and to enhance recruitment and retention of the workforce. Specifically, the bill authorizes $24 million in funding for each of the next 5 fiscal years and allows for grants of up to $3 million to individual law enforcement agencies or consortia to establish child care programs for their police personnel. In addition, to ensure parents employed by smaller police departments receive support, 20% of the total grant funding will be set aside for law enforcement agencies employing fewer than 200 officers.

    Police officers often work extended hours on a nontraditional schedule. In a recent survey, more than 70% of law enforcement agencies reported that recruitment is more difficult now than five years ago, and at one major metropolitan police department, more than half of officers reported having to leave or miss work due to child care issues. This issue disproportionately impacts women, who make up less than 14% of sworn officers and 4% of police chiefs. Senator Gillibrand’s bill would help increase public safety by reducing barriers to a career in law enforcement and by ensuring the best talent is recruited into our police departments.

    Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) cosponsors this bill in the Senate and Representative Scott Peters (D-CA-50) leads the bill in the House of Representatives.

    “I thank Senator Gillibrand on her efforts to reintroduce this legislation,” said Mayor Dan Mandell of Elmira. “If passed, this legislation would immensely benefit those police officers with children who struggle to find child care due to their diverse work hours.”

    “Funding for law enforcement child care ensures that whatever the circumstance — but especially in the most dire of circumstance — they can protect and defend without the distraction of concern for the wellness of their own children moment to moment, and fully concentrate on providing the utmost safety for all of the community, secure in the knowledge that their own family is safe and being well cared for,” said Chemung County Legislator Brent Stermer.

    This legislation is supported by the following organizations: 30×30, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), International Union of Police Associations (IUPA), National Asian Peace Officers Association (NAPOA), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA), International Association of Chiefs of Police, Central New York Association of Chiefs of Police, New York State Association of Chief of Police, AFSCME, and Third Way.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Poughkeepsie, As New York Police Departments Face Staffing Shortages, Gillibrand Announces Bill To Keep New Yorkers And Law Enforcement Families Safe

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act would establish a pilot program to provide child care services for police officers to accommodate their work hours and enhance officer recruitment and retention

    Today, standing with law enforcement officials,U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called for the passage of the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act. The bipartisan bill would provide $24 million in federal funding for each of the next 5 fiscal years to establish a pilot child care services program to support law enforcement families.

    “Law enforcement is one of the most critical components of keeping communities safe, and police officers should not have to choose between taking care of their children and staying in the police force,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Providing child care options will open the professional door to aspiring police officers who do not want to worry about child care while also providing stability to current officers struggling to find child care options.”

    The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act would establish a grant pilot program to provide child care services for the children of police officers to accommodate the shift work and abnormal work hours of the officers, and to enhance recruitment and retention of the workforce. Specifically, the bill authorizes $24 million in funding for each of the next 5 fiscal years and allows for grants of up to $3 million to individual law enforcement agencies or consortia to establish child care programs for their police personnel. In addition, to ensure parents employed by smaller police departments receive support, 20% of the total grant funding will be set aside for law enforcement agencies employing fewer than 200 officers.

    Police officers often work extended hours on a nontraditional schedule. In a recent survey, more than 70% of law enforcement agencies reported that recruitment is more difficult now than five years ago, and at one major metropolitan police department, more than half of officers reported having to leave or miss work due to child care issues. This issue disproportionately impacts women, who make up less than 14% of sworn officers and 4% of police chiefs. Senator Gillibrand’s bill would help increase public safety by reducing barriers to a career in law enforcement and by ensuring the best talent is recruited into our police departments.

    Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) cosponsors this bill in the Senate and Representative Scott Peters (D-CA-50) leads the bill in the House of Representatives.

    “Our cops are heroes, we’ve got to have their back and make sure they have all the tools they need to take care of our families as well as their own,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “My number one priority is making sure our communities are safe and that all starts with taking care of our cops. This is commonsense legislation – it’s a win for working parents, a win for law enforcement recruitment, a win for our cops and a win for public safety across the entire country. As a father and a public servant, I will push relentlessly to get this bill signed into law.”

    “Finding affordable, reliable childcare is one of the biggest challenges facing families today – and for law enforcement officers working nights, weekends, and unpredictable shifts, it can feel nearly impossible,” said Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino. “This bill tackles a real barrier that keeps too many parents, especially women, from staying in the profession. I’m grateful to Senator Gillibrand for working across the aisle to bring attention to this issue and advance a practical solution that supports the people behind the badge and strengthens public safety in communities like ours.”

    “Our law enforcement partners put their lives on the line to protect us every day, around the clock and under intense pressure. Senator Gillibrand’s Child Care for Police Officers Act establishes reliable childcare services for our police officers, which in turn strengthens public safety in Dutchess County,” said Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi. “This legislation is about supporting those who protect our communities and giving them the same peace of mind they provide us every day.  I’m proud to support this important legislation.”

    This legislation is supported by the following organizations: 30×30, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), International Union of Police Associations (IUPA), National Asian Peace Officers Association (NAPOA), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA), International Association of Chiefs of Police, Central New York Association of Chiefs of Police, New York State Association of Chief of Police, AFSCME, and Third Way.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Presidential Message on the 81st Anniversary of the Liberation of Guam

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    Today, on the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Guam from Imperial Japanese control, our Nation proudly honors the strength, courage, and unbreakable resilience of every hero of liberty who gallantly fought to free the people of Guam and establish a foothold from which we would win the Second World War.
    On July 21, 1944, American forces stormed the beaches of Guam to conquer tyranny and restore the righteous promise of American sovereignty in the Pacific.  As Imperial Japanese forces tried to hold their ground, they struggled to withstand the full might of the U.S. Armed Forces.  After three weeks of gruesome and blood-soaked warfare in jungles, caves, and rugged hills, America triumphed—regaining control of Guam and putting U.S. forces within striking distance of ending the war in the Pacific.
    As we commemorate America’s hard-earned victory in Guam, our Nation also solemnly pays tribute to the more than 1,200 Service members and more than 1,000 residents of Guam who made the ultimate sacrifice to liberate the American territory.
    To this day, the liberation of Guam remains etched upon our Nation’s history as a bold reassertion of American sovereignty at a time when our future and our freedom were in peril.  Under my leadership, the United States remains committed to upholding a foreign policy of peace through strength—and we will never waver in defending our interests, our citizens, our territory, and our glorious way of life from all enemies, foreign and domestic. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Colleagues Call for Foreign Nations to Pay Their Share in Pharmaceutical R&D

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) in sending a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick urging the Trump Administration to use ongoing trade negotiations to eliminate foreign price controls that leave American patients footing the cost for pharmaceutical research and development. 

    “We welcome President Trump’s efforts to ensure foreign nations pay their fair share toward the cost of pharmaceutical research and development. For too long, some developed nations have benefited from American-financed innovation by implementing policies that suppress prices and limit spending on new medicines in their own markets,” wrote the Senators. “These actions have contributed to American patients bearing a disproportionate share of global pharmaceutical innovation costs. U.S. trade negotiations offer a valuable mechanism to address these unfair practices, which not only burden Americans, but also function as non-tariff barriers to trade.”

    Sens. Tuberville and Young were joined by Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Boozman. (R-AR), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Steve Daines (R-MT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Jon Husted (R-OH), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ashley Moody (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in sending the letter.

    Full text of the letter can be read below or here. 

    “Dear Secretary Lutnick and Ambassador Greer,

    We welcome President Trump’s efforts to ensure foreign nations pay their fair share toward the cost of pharmaceutical research and development. For too long, some developed nations have benefited from American-financed innovation by implementing policies that suppress prices and limit spending on new medicines in their own markets. These actions have contributed to American patients bearing a disproportionate share of global pharmaceutical innovation costs. U.S. trade negotiations offer a valuable mechanism to address these unfair practices, which not only burden Americans, but also function as non-tariff barriers to trade.

    Executive Order 14297, issued on May 12, directed the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to pursue the removal of policies and practices abroad that have “the effect of forcing American patients to pay for a disproportionate amount of global pharmaceutical research and development, including by suppressing the price of pharmaceutical products below fair market value in foreign countries.”

    Consistent with this directive, it is important that Commerce and USTR engage with U.S. trading partners to negotiate binding commitments to remove these market-distorting price controls.

    Currently, dozens of countries—including those with longstanding pricing policies affecting U.S. pharmaceutical products—have expressed interest or are currently undergoing tariff negotiations. Now is the time for Commerce and USTR to clarify top priorities, capitalize on opportunities, and resolve unfair foreign government policies in support of American workers and patients. 

    Given the complexity of the issues and their importance to the American public, we urge the Administration to immediately designate a senior political official at USTR to lead the effort to secure and enforce pharmaceutical pricing commitments through trade negotiations and also to promptly nominate a qualified individual to fill the vacant position of Chief Innovation and Intellectual Property Negotiator. Congress created this important position in 2015 to “address acts, policies, and practices of foreign governments that have a significant adverse impact on the value of United States innovation.” Once filled, we recommend this role—supported by a team within USTR—be charged with leading this effort.

    Appointing an experienced Chief Innovation and Intellectual Property Negotiator would send a strong signal to our trading partners that the United States is committed to addressing imbalanced pharmaceutical pricing and ensuring that any commitments secured are effectively implemented and enforced over the long term. 

    We look forward to working with you as you confront these longstanding and unfair price controls that leave Americans disproportionately funding global health care innovation. Eliminating these egregious practices could increase investment in medical research and development by billions of dollars and lower overall health care costs for Americans. In addition, encouraging foreign governments to appropriately value medicines developed and produced in the United States would significantly bolster U.S. exports and jobs. We appreciate your continued attention to this issue and stand ready to support efforts that promote fair and sustainable trade outcomes.

    Sincerely,”

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Colleagues Call for Foreign Nations to Pay Their Share in Pharmaceutical R&D

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) in sending a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick urging the Trump Administration to use ongoing trade negotiations to eliminate foreign price controls that leave American patients footing the cost for pharmaceutical research and development. 

    “We welcome President Trump’s efforts to ensure foreign nations pay their fair share toward the cost of pharmaceutical research and development. For too long, some developed nations have benefited from American-financed innovation by implementing policies that suppress prices and limit spending on new medicines in their own markets,” wrote the Senators. “These actions have contributed to American patients bearing a disproportionate share of global pharmaceutical innovation costs. U.S. trade negotiations offer a valuable mechanism to address these unfair practices, which not only burden Americans, but also function as non-tariff barriers to trade.”

    Sens. Tuberville and Young were joined by Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), Ted Budd (R-NC), John Boozman. (R-AR), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Steve Daines (R-MT), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Jon Husted (R-OH), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Ashley Moody (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in sending the letter.

    Full text of the letter can be read below or here. 

    “Dear Secretary Lutnick and Ambassador Greer,

    We welcome President Trump’s efforts to ensure foreign nations pay their fair share toward the cost of pharmaceutical research and development. For too long, some developed nations have benefited from American-financed innovation by implementing policies that suppress prices and limit spending on new medicines in their own markets. These actions have contributed to American patients bearing a disproportionate share of global pharmaceutical innovation costs. U.S. trade negotiations offer a valuable mechanism to address these unfair practices, which not only burden Americans, but also function as non-tariff barriers to trade.

    Executive Order 14297, issued on May 12, directed the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to pursue the removal of policies and practices abroad that have “the effect of forcing American patients to pay for a disproportionate amount of global pharmaceutical research and development, including by suppressing the price of pharmaceutical products below fair market value in foreign countries.”

    Consistent with this directive, it is important that Commerce and USTR engage with U.S. trading partners to negotiate binding commitments to remove these market-distorting price controls.

    Currently, dozens of countries—including those with longstanding pricing policies affecting U.S. pharmaceutical products—have expressed interest or are currently undergoing tariff negotiations. Now is the time for Commerce and USTR to clarify top priorities, capitalize on opportunities, and resolve unfair foreign government policies in support of American workers and patients. 

    Given the complexity of the issues and their importance to the American public, we urge the Administration to immediately designate a senior political official at USTR to lead the effort to secure and enforce pharmaceutical pricing commitments through trade negotiations and also to promptly nominate a qualified individual to fill the vacant position of Chief Innovation and Intellectual Property Negotiator. Congress created this important position in 2015 to “address acts, policies, and practices of foreign governments that have a significant adverse impact on the value of United States innovation.” Once filled, we recommend this role—supported by a team within USTR—be charged with leading this effort.

    Appointing an experienced Chief Innovation and Intellectual Property Negotiator would send a strong signal to our trading partners that the United States is committed to addressing imbalanced pharmaceutical pricing and ensuring that any commitments secured are effectively implemented and enforced over the long term. 

    We look forward to working with you as you confront these longstanding and unfair price controls that leave Americans disproportionately funding global health care innovation. Eliminating these egregious practices could increase investment in medical research and development by billions of dollars and lower overall health care costs for Americans. In addition, encouraging foreign governments to appropriately value medicines developed and produced in the United States would significantly bolster U.S. exports and jobs. We appreciate your continued attention to this issue and stand ready to support efforts that promote fair and sustainable trade outcomes.

    Sincerely,”

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville Exposes Left-wing Bias in NPR, PBS on Ingraham Angle

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined Ingraham Angle on Fox News to tout the Senate passing President Trump’s first rescissions package that cuts taxpayer funding for woke propaganda outlets like NPR and PBS.

    Excerpts from the interview can be found below and the full interview can be viewed on YouTube or Rumble.

    INGRAHAM: “Senator, when you think about what the complaints were—a lot of them were centered on the stories that NPR—let’s focus on NPR for a moment and NewsHour, but NPR especially—chose to cover. So it was the plight of transgender kids, it was the ice flows getting smaller in Antarctica, it was the various other minority interests, it was anti-Trump, but a lot of the time it was the stories they covered and not the stuff let’s say conservative parents were worried about—keeping parents out of school during COVID, etcetera, etcetera.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well Laura, we did our research on this. We don’t just vote on something and say we’re going to cut something. 90% of the product that they were putting out on NPR was left-leaning. Very little right. Anything positive about the right was never on. And so, we did our due diligence. We looked at it all. We were about 30 years too late. This should have been gone a long time ago. After the internet, after the Weather Channel all over the news for 24 hours. People can get their news [without public broadcasting]. They can get their weather [without public broadcasting]. Farmers are not going to miss this. [NPR and PBS has] been a disaster. It is a left-wing propaganda network. It is gone. And thank God.”

    INGRAHAM: “Jason, of course the Democrats losing a propaganda machine—it’s not sitting too well with them. They’re mad. Watch. […]”

    “Jason, they are fighting to keep funding organizations that American taxpayers partly funded and knew and understood with their very eyes—were biased. But they think they can win on saying, ‘Oh, you killed Big Bird.’ That’s gonna be their argument. ‘You killed Big Bird. Put us back into control.’”

    CHAFFETZ: “Yeah, ‘people are going to die’ is just sort of the common week in and week out thing. Seriously? By not having PBS broadcasts down in Blanding, Utah? You think people are going to die because of that? I’m tired of paying it. We’re $36 trillion dollars in debt, folks. We gotta make some cuts around here. We lived high on the hog when you Democrats had all the control, just kept spending money, wasn’t responsible, and for that CEO to go before Congress and go back on television and start lecturing us about how fair and balanced she is—are you kidding me? How about looking at all the stories? Because Congress did, and she is flat-out, totally wrong, and now she doesn’t have any money—at least not from taxpayers.”

    INGRAHAM: “Well Senator, last year a whistleblower actually testified—a whistleblower of sorts, he’s a former staffer of NPR—and he was like, ‘Look, there’s credence to what the conservatives are saying. The people who work there, the people who are getting paid, making salaries—they all think the same way.’ I’m summing up his point of view. So, insiders were even blowing the lid off this.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Yeah, we looked at the employment of the NPR and the people that were employed there and did some background stuff. They were all DEI. They were all woke. And so, they get what they asked for. At the end of the day, they thought that Democrats were going to continue to control [the government] for years and years and years, and they stuck their foot in their mouth by spending way too much money for several years—open borders. Trump gets back in, and he was bound and determined to get rid of this. Now, it was like pulling teeth to get this thing passed. We almost didn’t get it done because of the three of four people on the Republican side. It was close, just like the [One] Big Beautiful Bill was. But, at the end of the day, we got it done.” 

    INGRAHAM: “Well Senator, Jason—both of you—thank you very much tonight.”

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan Recognizes “Riverboat Discovery” Co-Founder Mary Binkley as “Alaskan of the Week”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

    07.21.25

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) recognized longtime Fairbanks resident and tourism pioneer Mary Binkley on the Senate floor last week. For 75 years, Mary has been a central figure in Alaska’s visitor industry, co-founding the iconic Riverboat Discovery and helping to showcase the culture, history, and beauty of Interior Alaska to generations of travelers. She was recognized as part of Sen. Sullivan’s series, “Alaskan of the Week.”

    Click here or the image above to watch Sen. Sullivan’s remarks.


    Tribute to Mary Binkley

    Mr. President, what I really want to do is do something that I think is probably the best highlight of Thursday speeches in the Senate—I think the pages all certainly agree; they are all nodding—for the people watching across America. It is the “Alaskan of the Week.” This is a great tradition. I have been doing it for many, many years. I try to get down here on the Senate floor on Thursday, wrapping up—not every week but a lot of weeks. And I like to talk about an Alaskan who is doing something really important for our State, community, maybe the country, maybe the world, and then talk a little bit about what is going on back home. So I am going to do that.

    But we also had another neat tradition today here in the Senate: our Thursday lunch group in the Senate on the Republican side. One Senator hosts lunch for his or her colleagues and talks a little bit about their home State. Today was my opportunity to host. I am not bragging, but I do think when Senator Murkowski and I—and by the way, Senator Collins, with Maine lobster—but when Senator Murkowski and I host, we have good attendance because we have great seafood: fresh halibut, fresh salmon. We did that. I did that again today. It was great. The whole room was decorated with Alaskan perfect peonies. We have great peonies in Alaska too—holy cow. So this is a perfect time for the “Alaskan of the Week.”

    First, I want to give a little snapshot of what is going on back home, what life is like in Alaska right now. The midnight sun is out. A few weeks ago, I was in Fairbanks, the home of Mary Binkley, who is our Alaskan of the Week—we are going to talk a lot about Mary—and we had our famous Midnight Sun Baseball Game. Thousands of baseball fans across the world, literally, come to see this game, which started in 1906. Some minors, some military guys came together for a baseball game in 1906. It is going strong more than 100 years later.

    This year, the Fairbanks Goldpanners played the Glacier Pilots, an Anchorage baseball team that is part of the Alaska Baseball Summer League. Now, this is one of the premier collegiate summer baseball leagues in the country. It is something a lot of people don’t know about. I was talking a little bit about it at our lunch today. Great college players come to Alaska to play baseball under the midnight sun, and so many of them have gone on to do great things. So many of them have not only gone on to the majors; so many of them have gone on to the Baseball Hall of Fame and have been some of America’s greatest players. Think about it. All these guys came up to Alaska to play summer baseball: Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Tom Seaver, Dave Winfield, Randy Johnson, Andy Messersmith. This is hall-of-fame baseball. And we get that in Alaska. It is really a great league. So if you are a baseball fan, make sure you come up to Fairbanks for next year’s game.

    We were also in Fairbanks a couple of weeks ago, and I had the opportunity to run the Midnight Sun Run 10K. It is a great run—again, people from all over the world. We had 4,000 runners this year. I do it every year. I am definitely getting slower, but it is one fun 10K. It is great. So come on up if you are a racer. You will love that one too.

    So while you are in Fairbanks, if you come up for a game or the 10K, make sure you get out on Fairbanks’ beautiful rivers, the lifeblood of the community. When you do so, on a sunny summer day on the Chena River or the Tanana, chances are you will spot a vintage-style sternwheel paddleboat belonging to Riverboat Discovery gliding along the channel, carrying passengers through one of the most scenic river routes in Alaska—really, in the world. If you are one of those lucky passengers, there is a good chance you will catch sight of a familiar figure waving from the shore, and that is 99-year-old Mary Binkley, cofounder of Riverboat Discovery and our Alaskan of the Week.

    So let’s dive into the Alaska institution that is Riverboat Discovery. This year, we will celebrate—the Binkley family will celebrate—the 75th anniversary of this incredible institution. Now, it is made up of three iconic paddleboats: Discovery I, Discovery II, and Discovery III. Riverboat Discovery shows off the best of Alaska’s interior landscape, including a bush plane demonstration, a visit to a recreated Athabascan Native village, and learning about traditional subsistence lifestyles. For tourists, it is a 3-hour snapshot of Alaskan history. For locals, it is a beloved institution and a summer job for many young Fairbanksans, including my sister-in-law Janine, who many, many years ago worked for Riverboat Discovery.

    While Riverboat Discovery preserves the history of the interior, the Binkley family, who has owned and operated Riverboat Discovery for 75 years, has its own great history of Alaskan grit and innovation and hospitality and generosity. The center of that history and that great family, the Binkleys, is Mary Binkley, our Alaskan of the Week.

    She was born in Vernonia, OR, in 1926—the youngest of six children. You know that is a tough time in our country’s history. Mary’s story began in hardship. Her mother passed away soon after her birth. Her father, a logger, couldn’t raise the children alone. Her siblings were scattered, but they were bonded for life.

    Her brothers, who went on to become fishermen off the coast of rugged Kodiak, AK—rugged but beautiful Kodiak, AK—wanted something for their baby sister Mary. They scraped together a college scholarship fund, determined that Mary would be the first in the family to attend college. Isn’t that great—brothers taking care of the little sister?

    So Mary, from Oregon, journeyed north to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she had a cousin who was a professor there. It was at UAF, as we call it in Alaska, that she met a young, handsome riverboat captain named Jim Binkley, a third-generation steamboater from Wrangell, AK. They married back in Mary’s home State of Oregon in 1946 but quickly returned to Fairbanks that same year.

    With nothing more than a $4,000 loan and a dream, Jim and Mary purchased their first vessel, the Godspeed, and began a river cruise business that would become synonymous with Fairbanks tourism and the interior Alaska river culture. Mary greeted every guest personally, often serving as a tour guide, a deckhand, and a hospitality manager all in one. To her, they weren’t just tourists; they were her guests.

    She worked alongside her husband Jim, the captain. And the popularity in Alaska—in America—of this riverboat cruise on one of Fairbanks’ great rivers grew and kept growing. By 1955, the Godspeed could no longer keep up with the demand, so Jim built the Discovery I in his backyard with Mary by his side. Jim called her his “lifeline and anchor.”

    Mary did it all: first mate, deckhand, ticket taker, mother of four kids—who, by the way, have grown up to be pillars of the Alaska community in so many ways. I could do whole speeches on the Binkley kids. Later, she was a grandmother while watching three generations of Binkleys get involved in this great family business. And they have expanded into other things really important to Alaska. Taking tickets with Mary remains a rite of passage for Binkley grandchildren to this day.

    As the tour company expanded, Mary remained its heart—greeting travelers on the riverbanks, hiring Alaska Native guides to share their knowledge and traditions of Native Athabascan life during Chena Village visits, and helping to craft that Alaskan hospitality that guests feel to this day. “My grandma has the ability to make meaningful connections with perfect strangers,” her granddaughter Kai recently said. “She treats them less like tourists and more like family.” That is Mary. Everybody who meets her thinks she is incredible.

    So this fleet, the Binkley fleet, would grow and continue to grow to Discovery II, launched in 1971, which was a converted freighter; then Discovery III, in 1987, a grand, 900-passenger vessel, launched fittingly on the Fourth of July in Fairbanks. That day, as the boat pulled away from the dock, generations of Binkleys waved from the deck. Waving from the shore was Mary, and she still is waving from that same Fairbanks riverbank at 99 years young.

    So what began in 1950 as a modest river tour on a converted missionary boat has grown into the cornerstone of Fairbanks’ tourism economy, and Mary has been at the center of it all—welcoming guests, sharing the experience, and setting a tone of genuine hospitality that endures to this day. At 99 years young, Mary is still part of the fabric of the business, waving from the riverbank as Discovery III rounds the river bend.

    This weekend, the Binkley family will gather together to celebrate 75 years of operation but, more importantly, 75 years of a family legacy with Mary at the front and center. More than 500 family members and friends and guests from across America and from across Alaska will join Mary at Steamboat Landing this Saturday for a nighttime cruise on the Discovery III, which will be a fitting celebration for this incredible woman and incredible family behind an Alaskan institution.

    So congratulations, Riverboat Discovery, to 75 years. And to Mary: Congratulations on one of the most prestigious awards you can ever receive—the Alaskan of the Week from the U.S. Senate.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHOTOS: Senator Peters Attends Ceremony Rededicating the Mt. Clemens Post Office as the “Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jefferson Post Office”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    MT. CLEMENS, MI – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) attended a ceremony to rededicate the Mt. Clemens Post Office as the “Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jefferson Post Office.” In 2024, Peters led legislation signed into law dedicating the post office in Lt. Col. Jefferson’s name to recognize his service as a member of the famous Tuskegee Airmen of the U.S. Army Air Forces with the 332nd Fighter Group during World War II, a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, and an educator with Detroit Public Schools.

    “Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jefferson served his country with distinction with the Tuskegee Airmen, and cemented himself in local history as a dedicated educator and letter carrier,” said Senator Peters. “I was proud to lead legislation dedicating the Mount Clemens post office in his name, helping to ensure his life and legacy are remembered for future generations.”

    “We honor Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jefferson by dedicating the Mt. Clemens Post Office building for his dedicated service to his country as one of the Tuskegee Airmen,” said Rick Moreton, USPS District Manager, Michigan One. “Dedicating the plaque, which will be placed in the post office lobby, we have an obligation in the Postal Service to preserve his memory for the community, his students, his family and those that were personally touched by Alexander Jefferson’s sacrifice.”

    Below are photos of Senator Peters at today’s ceremony alongside members of Lt. Col. Jefferson’s family, representatives of the Detroit Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, and local elected officials.

    Alexander Jefferson was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1921. Jefferson completed combat training at Selfridge Field in Mount Clemens and pilot training at the Tuskegee Army Airfield. He served in the military during World War II. During his time with the Tuskegee Airmen, Jefferson was shot down in France and captured by Nazi ground troops. He was a prisoner of war in German-occupied Poland before he was freed by General George Patton’s U.S. Third Army. Jefferson returned to Michigan, where he became a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, earned a teaching certificate, and obtained a master’s degree in education from Wayne State University. He was discharged from active duty in 1947 and retired from the Reserves in 1969 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

    Jefferson taught elementary school science in Detroit, was appointed assistant principal, and retired in 1979 after 31 years of service to Detroit Public Schools. In 2016, Senator Peters helped honor Jefferson at a ceremony for France’s Knight of the Legion of Honor Medal. This award is the highest honor France bestows on people who have carried out actions of great value to their nation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Visits Hardwick, Burke to Discuss Flood Recovery and FEMA Reform 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    BURKE, VT—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today met with flood-impacted Vermonters and community leaders in northern Vermont. Senator Welch also held a Listening Session in Hardwick last week.  
    “Hardwick and Burke know all too well—climate change is here, and we need to empower small towns with the tools and resources they need to recover. My new bill, the Disaster AID Act, will help cut through red tape and improve the disaster recovery process,” said Senator Welch. “The input I received from Vermont communities about their experience with FEMA shaped this bill, and am committed to making Washington work better for Vermont.”  
    View photos here and on Senator Welch’s website:  

    Senator Welch hosts a Listening Session in Hardwick on Monday, July 14 

     Senator Welch hosts a Listening Session in Burke on Monday, July 21 
    West Burke, as well as Sutton and Lyndon, were hit by more flash flooding in 2025 on the anniversary of the 2023 and 2024 floods. Senator Welch’s visits to Hardwick and Burke follow visits to flood-impacted communities across Vermont, including Killington, Ludlow, Weston, Barre, and Montpelier.  
    This month, Senator Welch introduced the Disaster Assistance Improvement and Decentralization (AID) Act. Senator Welch’s bill will cut red tape and empower state and local governments to access recovery assistance when it is needed. The bill will support hazard mitigation efforts, make the delivery of disaster aid more efficient and effective, provide technical assistance to small towns and communities impacted by natural disasters, and block the White House from withholding funding for disaster response. 
    Last week, Senator Welch called for the resignation of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, citing Secretary Noem’s mishandling of FEMA and record of undermining FEMA’s work, as well as her handling of President Trump’s cruel and illegal mass deportation campaign. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Warner Sound the Alarm on Hospital Cybersecurity Risks Following Republican Medicaid Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner D-Va. and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore. called for the Trump administration to share its plan to prevent cyberattacks on rural hospitals following the largest health care cuts in American history in the Republican budget bill. 

    “Trumpcare will harm the cybersecurity resiliency of rural and small hospitals just as this Administration has chosen to gut cybersecurity operations at HHS,” Wyden and Warner wrote. “As rural and small hospitals confront even lower operating margins due to Republican health care cuts, they will be less likely to prioritize spending on cybersecurity infrastructure. The lack of federal oversight and resources, coupled with historic cuts to Medicaid and the ACA, only serve to increase rural and small hospitals’ cybersecurity vulnerabilities.” 

    The letter, sent to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, calls on the Administration to share its plans to help small and rural hospitals meet federal cybersecurity standards, as well as its plan to use the so-called “rural health transformation program” to fund cybersecurity improvements – a fund that is dwarfed by more than $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)  under Trumpcare. 

    Hospitals, particularly smaller facilities and those in rural areas, are a prime target for cyber criminals. Hospitals are also very likely to pay a ransom in order to maintain the continuity of health care given the lack of nearby providers, especially emergency services and procedures, and their top priority is protecting the health and well-being of patients they serve.

    Last year, Wyden and Warner introduced legislation to strengthen federal cybersecurity standards across the health care system. Independent analysis has confirmed that over 330 rural hospitals are at risk of deep financial hardship or even closure due to Trumpcare’s cuts to Medicaid, forcing facilities into impossible choices to stay open and continue serving their community.

    The full letter is here.

    A web version of this release is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Warner Sound the Alarm on Hospital Cybersecurity Risks Following Republican Medicaid Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner D-Va. and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore. called for the Trump administration to share its plan to prevent cyberattacks on rural hospitals following the largest health care cuts in American history in the Republican budget bill. 

    “Trumpcare will harm the cybersecurity resiliency of rural and small hospitals just as this Administration has chosen to gut cybersecurity operations at HHS,” Wyden and Warner wrote. “As rural and small hospitals confront even lower operating margins due to Republican health care cuts, they will be less likely to prioritize spending on cybersecurity infrastructure. The lack of federal oversight and resources, coupled with historic cuts to Medicaid and the ACA, only serve to increase rural and small hospitals’ cybersecurity vulnerabilities.” 

    The letter, sent to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz, calls on the Administration to share its plans to help small and rural hospitals meet federal cybersecurity standards, as well as its plan to use the so-called “rural health transformation program” to fund cybersecurity improvements – a fund that is dwarfed by more than $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)  under Trumpcare. 

    Hospitals, particularly smaller facilities and those in rural areas, are a prime target for cyber criminals. Hospitals are also very likely to pay a ransom in order to maintain the continuity of health care given the lack of nearby providers, especially emergency services and procedures, and their top priority is protecting the health and well-being of patients they serve.

    Last year, Wyden and Warner introduced legislation to strengthen federal cybersecurity standards across the health care system. Independent analysis has confirmed that over 330 rural hospitals are at risk of deep financial hardship or even closure due to Trumpcare’s cuts to Medicaid, forcing facilities into impossible choices to stay open and continue serving their community.

    The full letter is here.

    A web version of this release is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Blumenthal Put VA Secretary Collins on Blast for His Lack of Transparency and Accountability

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Democrats also launch new website to track Trump VA’s responsiveness to oversight letters from Congress

    Washington, D.C. – In a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), called out Secretary Collins for his failure to be transparent and accountable to veterans, Congress, and American taxpayers around his cuts and recent policy changes at VA.

    “Congress and this Administration should be working together to provide the best possible care, benefits and services for our nation’s veterans and their families, and your failure to be transparent about your actions at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is wholly unacceptable,” the senators wrote in a letter to VA Secretary Collins. “As you are aware, Congress has a constitutionally-mandated obligation of oversight over executive agencies. However, VA under your leadership has been historically secretive and partisan, and overtly adversarial to any attempts at such oversight.”

    The senators delivered a searing review of Collins’ leadership and lack of communication with Congress: “…[Y]our communications lack timeliness, facts, and adequacy…Since your confirmation, the Department has also reduced or cancelled regular briefings on numerous topics, including homelessness, caregiver support and community care. And you have refused to allow members of Congress and staff to conduct roundtables and town halls at VA facilities to hear directly from employees and veterans about their concerns – violating years of precedent.” In an unprecedented move in April, the Trump administration refused to allow VA Puget Sound to participate in a roundtable discussion Senator Murray held in Seattle on women veterans’ health care.

    The senators also slammed Collins’ denial of basic Freedom of Information Act requests and insistence that media outlets change evidence-based reporting with no substantial proof to support those requests: “This vindictive secrecy is unprecedented, and demonstrates your consistent unwillingness to allow anyone to hold you accountable for your actions…This blatant obstruction of Congress, and lack of transparency and accountability to America’s veterans and taxpayers must not continue. ” The senators concluded their letter by demanding Collins commit to new timeliness and oversight parameters, including allowing members of Congress and staff to visit VA facilities and ensuring VA answer Congressional Requests for Information with 45 calendar days.

    The text of the senators’ letter is available HERE.

    In an effort to publicly track Trump VA’s responsiveness to Congress, Democrats on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee recently rolled out a new website page website to track responses to oversight letters Ranking Member Blumenthal has sent since the beginning of the Trump administration, January 18, 2025. This web page reveals the majority of oversight letters to VA either get no response or responses with minimal or inaccurate information.

    This oversight website page can be found HERE and will be updated regularly.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Letter to Trump, Cantwell Unveils 5-Point Plan to Improve Nation’s Weather Readiness in the Face of NOAA Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    07.21.25

    In Letter to Trump, Cantwell Unveils 5-Point Plan to Improve Nation’s Weather Readiness in the Face of NOAA Cuts

    Cantwell to Trump: “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create the world’s best weather forecasting system…”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation – the committee that oversees the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) – today sent a letter to President Donald Trump outlining her five-point plan to bolster the United States’ weather readiness.

    “Communities across the United States are experiencing more frequent, intense, and costly flash floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, atmospheric rivers, landslides, heatwaves, and wildfires,” Sen. Cantwell wrote. “The lessons from Kerrville, Palisades, Asheville, Lahaina, and too many other natural disasters are that providing Americans with more timely and accurate weather information can avoid billions in property losses and save lives. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create the world’s best weather forecasting system that would provide Americans with much more detailed and customized alerts days instead of minutes ahead of a looming extreme weather event.”

    Sen. Cantwell’s five recommendations for President Trump are:

    1. Modernize Weather Data Collection: The United States needs to collect and compile more data by land, air, space, and sea by modernizing our weather data infrastructure and other tools, including better radars, hurricane hunters, weather satellites, and ocean buoys.
    • Radar: Upgrading the nation’s aging Doppler radar network will enable meteorologists to deliver more accurate forecasts and provide longer warning lead times. Higher resolution data from new technology called phased array radar can “see” into the storm in ways not visible on current radar. It can zoom in on the most dangerous features of extreme weather and scan the atmosphere in under a minute, six times faster than current radar, to detect rapid changes like tornado formation or microbursts. NOAA is planning to replace the current outdated Doppler network but lacks the resources necessary to develop the best radar technology and infrastructure at the pace we need them to.
    • Hurricane Hunters: NOAA studies have found that including data collected by the Hurricane Hunters improved forecast accuracy by at least 10 to 15 percent. NOAA needs to rebuild its Hurricane Hunter aircraft fleet by replacing the current WP-3D Hurricane Hunter aircraft that have been in service since the 1970s and will be decommissioned by 2030. NOAA’s 2022 Aircraft Plan calls for four new C-130 aircraft to meet this mission, and the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (P.L. 117-263, § 11708(b)) included authorization for up to six new aircraft.
    • Weather Satellites: NOAA’s satellites are its “eyes in the sky” that stay locked in place above the United States and give scientists continuous data on storms as they develop. NOAA needs to expand these capabilities with the next generation of weather satellites like the Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite system. Updated satellites will be able to track lightning strikes that start wildfires and smoke which impacts air quality and human health.
    • Buoys and Ocean Data: NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) is a network of buoys, gliders, high frequency radar arrays, and other instruments that gather ocean data critical for weather forecasting, search and rescue, and navigation. we need to modernize and recapitalize aging infrastructure and better integrate ocean data into our weather forecasting models. Enacting the Integrated Ocean Observation System Reauthorization Act of 2025 (S.2126), bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senators Roger Wicker and Cantwell, will help maintain and resource IOOS infrastructure and networks.
    1. World Leading Analytics: We need to catch up with and surpass European weather forecasting capabilities, which will require more supercomputing and improvements in data analytics including assimilation.
    • We want the best forecasts in the world, but the U.S. models are often outperformed by the European model.
    • NOAA needs to increase its focus and investment in supercomputing, data analytics, and data assimilation, a key technique in weather forecasting that combines real-world observations with a numerical weather model.
    • Better forecasts are in reach, we just need to invest in the people and the computing power to be competitive.
    1. Cutting Edge Research: As our communities experience more frequent and extreme weather, now is the time to invest in additional cutting-edge basic and applied research.
    • For decades, NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) has supported next-generation science and technology that enables increasingly adept forecasting products and services that save lives from extreme weather events.
    • While NOAA’s OAR only accounts for about 10 percent of the agency’s funding, its work has far-reaching impacts including better flash flood and precipitation prediction, developing next generation hurricane models, and improving extreme heat planning scenarios.
    • The office also focuses on ways to better communicate extreme weather threats to the public. For example, NOAA’s National Severe Storm Laboratory in Oklahoma is testing a new tornado and extreme weather early warning system. Even though it’s still in the testing phase, in March the system provided Missouri communities two hours of lead time, allowing 120 people to seek shelter before a dangerous EF-3 tornado touched down. Current tornado warnings only give communities 13 minutes of warning on average.
    1. Modernizing Alert Systems: We must strengthen and expand weather emergency communication channels to keep the public informed and help first responders prepare and react to natural disasters.
    • Americans need more timely, relevant, and actionable information so they know when to get out of harm’s way. Investments like upgrading NOAA’s weather radio technology from obsolete copper technologies to Internet or satellite-based systems are vital to providing reliable and continuous weather and emergency alerts.
    • Expanding NOAA’s VHF broadcasts to reach rural areas that other systems do not reliably cover will provide irreplaceable hazard alerts for campers, tourists, hunters, and tribal members, as well as mining, forestry, and agriculture workers living in remote areas.
    • However, no single alert technology should be considered sufficient in an emergency. We should augment both public and private alert communications and embrace multi-channel delivery systems to ensure messages reach users via their preferred platforms, whether that is through FM and AM radio, apps, websites, SMS, push notifications, television, or social media. The private sector can provide value-added information including more customized alerts and warnings and giving people additional ways to access critical and timely information.
    • Expanding current FEMA programs to build out local sirens and provide first responders with crucial flood maps and satellite images will also significantly enhance local disaster response capabilities.
    1. Advance Bipartisan Legislation: The bipartisan Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2024 would strengthen weather research and forecasting and expand commercial data partnerships.
    • A bipartisan bill Chairman Ted Cruz and I introduced last year, the Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2024 (S. 5601), would modernize the essential research programs you signed into law in the 2017 Weather Act and establish new programs to advance forecasting, strengthen emergency preparedness, and support farmers and resource managers with better tools for agriculture and water management.
    • The legislation would take the critical first steps in addressing NOAA’s aging radar network by directing the agency to design and deploy the next generation of weather radar technology. It also expands and codifies public-private partnerships to acquire and utilize innovative data sources, supporting efforts like the Commercial Data Program. Former House Science Chairman Frank Lucas and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren introduced a bipartisan companion bill in the House (H.R. 3816) last month, which will be marked up by the full Committee this Wednesday.

    This morning, Sen. Cantwell joined CNN’s Pamela Brown to discuss her plan to improve the nation’s weather readiness. The interview is HERE.

    On Sunday, July 13, Sen. Cantwell joined CBS’s Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan to discuss the importance of funding and staffing for NOAA and the NWS.

    “The more you can move people and resources out of the way of a storm, the more you can predict what might happen, the better prepared we’re going to be. And that’s going to help us save lives, and certainly save dollars,” Sen. Cantwell told Brennan. Video of her segment is HERE and HERE; a transcript is HERE.

    NOAA’s cutting-edge science informs NWS weather forecasts, which help local communities prepare for and respond to events like the recent deadly floods in Central Texas. President Trump’s proposed budget would slash NOAA’s funding by $2.2 billion – a 27% cut – and his DOGE team has caused over 2,000 job losses at the agency since January.

    Earlier this month, Sen. Cantwell questioned Dr. Neil Jacobs, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head NOAA, about his plans to preserve the agency’s mission as the administration continues to hack away at NOAA’s budget, workforce, and programs.

    Last month, Sen. Cantwell joined renowned meteorologists from across the country for a virtual presser to sound the alarm on the NWS cuts, and called on the Trump Administration to restore the agency to full capacity.

    The full text of the letter to President Trump is below:

    July 21, 2025

    The Honorable Donald J. Trump

    The White House

    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

    Washington, DC 20500

    Dear Mr. President,

    Communities across the United States are experiencing more frequent, intense, and costly flash floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, atmospheric rivers, landslides, heatwaves, and wildfires. The lessons from Kerrville, Palisades, Asheville, Lahaina, and too many other natural disasters are that providing Americans with more timely and accurate weather information can avoid billions in property losses and save lives. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create the world’s best weather forecasting system that would provide Americans with much more detailed and customized alerts days instead of minutes ahead of a looming extreme weather event.

    There is strong support for making the generational investments necessary to become a weather ready nation that will empower Americans to get out of harm’s way. It will take better weather data collection, world leading analytics, cutting edge research, modernizing alert systems, and a partnership between your Administration and Congress to pass enabling legislation. To that end, I offer the following five recommendations that if pursued on a bipartisan basis would make America the world leader in weather forecasting:

    1) Modernizing Weather Data Collection

    We need to compile more data by land, air, space, and sea by modernizing our weather data collection tools, including better radar, hurricane hunters, weather satellites, and ocean buoys

    Radar: Upgrading the nation’s aging Doppler radar network will enable meteorologists to deliver more accurate forecasts and provide longer warning lead times. It does this with higher resolution data from phased array radar (PAR) to “see” into the storm in ways not visible on current radar. PAR can detect rapid changes in storms like tornado formation or microbursts, improve tracking of hazards like hail, and zoom in on the most dangerous features of extreme weather. These systems can also scan the atmosphere in under a minute, six times faster than current radar, detecting rapid changes in the storm for increased warning lead times and fewer false alarms.

    This new technology should replace the current analog Doppler radar systems from the 1980s, which are increasingly costly to maintain and risks failure every day. NOAA is planning to replace the current outdated Doppler network but lacks the resources necessary to develop the best radar technology and infrastructure at the pace we need them to.

    Hurricane Hunter Aircraft: NOAA studies have found that including data collected by the Hurricane Hunters improved forecast accuracy by at least 10 to 15 percent. However, NOAA needs to rebuild its Hurricane Hunter aircraft fleet by replacing the current WP-3D Hurricane Hunter aircraft that have been in service since the 1970s and will be decommissioned by 2030. New C-130 Hurricane Hunter aircraft are more capable than the half-century old WP-3D aircraft, with the ability to deploy more drones and uncrewed systems, conduct higher resolution scans from more advanced radar, and provide highly accurate wind, temperature, pressure, and humidity measurements from additional sensors.

    NOAA’s 2022 Aircraft Plan calls for four new C-130 aircraft to meet this mission, and the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (P.L. 117-263, § 11708(b)) included authorization for up to six new aircraft. While two C-130 aircraft are funded, completing the fleet modernization in fiscal year 2026 will ensure forecasters can utilize this irreplaceable data source to better predict the path and intensity of hurricanes headed toward the United States, which is crucial for first responders to inform evacuations and pre-position emergency resources.

    Weather Satellites: NOAA’s satellites are its “eyes in the sky” that stay locked in place above the United States and give scientists continuous data on storms as they develop. NOAA needs to expand these capabilities with the next generation of weather satellites, the Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) satellite system. Once launched, GeoXO can track lightning strikes that start wildfires, wildfire smoke, red tides that poison fisheries, and generally provide better extreme weather early warning capabilities. For example, if GeoXO had been deployed during the 2023 Canadian wildfire smoke event that blanketed much of the eastern United States, its instruments could have provided hourly, high-resolution maps of smoke pollution, enabling more accurate health advisories and allowing schools, airlines, and outdoor workers to make safer decisions. This year, smoke from massive Canadian wildfires is again posing health risks to Americans across the country. This is new technology that does not exist in today’s satellite system.

    To get these next generation satellites built, NOAA must proceed with the recommendations laid out under your first Administration and build the planned network of six satellites, five instruments, and supporting ground systems. The data from the Lightning Mapper (LMX), Sounder (GXS), Atmospheric Composition (ACX), Imager (GXI), and Ocean Color (OCX) instruments are key and necessary inputs for any world leading forecasting model.

    Buoys and Ocean Data: NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) is a network of buoys, gliders, high frequency radar arrays, and other instruments that gather ocean data critical for weather forecasting, search and rescue, and navigation. The IOOS network provides real-time surface and subsurface ocean temperature measurements that feed into NOAA’s hurricane forecast model to detect rapid intensification of hurricanes and other extreme storms. For example, the above average warm water in the Gulf contributed to the recent flash flooding in Central Texas, while changes to tropical weather patterns and ocean temperatures have contributed to flooding across the country, from the Southwest through the Mid-Atlantic and into the Northeast. Just halfway through the summer, according to the National Weather Service, the country has already experienced twice as many floods in July as usual.

    To preserve and expand the critical real-time data these buoys provide, we need to modernize and recapitalize aging infrastructure and better integrate ocean data into our weather forecasting models. Enacting the Integrated Ocean Observation System Reauthorization Act of 2025 (S.2126), bipartisan legislation Senator Roger Wicker and I introduced, will help maintain and resource IOOS infrastructure and networks.

    2) World Leading Analytics

    Catching up with and surpassing European weather forecasting capabilities will require more supercomputing and improvements in data analytics

    NOAA has long aimed to close the performance gap between its Global Forecast System (GFS) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which often outperforms U.S. forecasts. For example, in October 2012, the European model correctly predicted Hurricane Sandy would turn toward the U.S. East Coast seven to eight days in advance, while the U.S. model initially forecast it would head out to sea, missing the U.S. entirely. Of course, Sandy did hit the U.S., with devastating effects for the entire Mid-Atlantic region, killing 254 people and causing nearly $70 billion in damages. Conversely, in 2015, the European model predicted Hurricane Joaquin would stay offshore, which it did, while the U.S. model forecast a direct hit on the East Coast, prompting costly emergency preparations that were ultimately unnecessary. And in February 2021, when a historic Arctic outbreak plunged Texas and much of the South into record cold with heavy snow and ice, and the European model provided more accurate early guidance on the extent and longevity of the cold air mass. According to NOAA and the Texas Department of State Health Services, at its peak, the power outages that resulted left nearly 10 million people in the cold and dark, unable to cook food, and resulted in more than 200 deaths.

    In order to catch up to Europe’s highly advanced weather modeling, NOAA needs to increase its focus and investment in supercomputing, data analytics, and data assimilation, a key technique in weather forecasting that combines real-world observations with a numerical weather model. We need to take steps to expand the GFS ensemble system with higher resolution and better physics, refine the Unified Forecast System, and streamline the path from research to operations with projects like the Earth Prediction Innovation Center (EPIC) to improve collaboration with external scientists and the private sector. All of this will require Congress to provide NOAA with more supercomputing resources if we are to lead the world in weather forecasting.

    3) Cutting Edge Research

    As our communities experience more frequent and extreme weather, now is the time to invest in additional cutting-edge basic and applied research

    For decades, NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research has supported next-generation science and technology that enables increasingly adept forecasting products and services that save lives from extreme weather events. While NOAA research only accounts for about 10 percent of the agency’s funding, its work has far-reaching impacts including better flash flood and precipitation prediction, developing next generation hurricane models, and improving extreme heat planning scenarios. The research arm also operates testbeds where new technologies and models are rigorously evaluated before they are transitioned to NOAA operations or private sector applications.

    The office also focuses on ways to better communicate extreme weather threats to the public. For example, NOAA’s National Severe Storm Laboratory in Oklahoma is testing a new tornado and extreme weather early warning system. Even though it’s still in the testing phase, in March the system provided Missouri communities two hours of lead time, allowing 120 people to seek shelter before a dangerous EF-3 tornado touched down. Current tornado warnings only give communities 13 minutes of warning on average.

    4) Modernizing Alert Systems

    We must strengthen and expand weather emergency communication channels to keep the public informed and help first responders prepare and react to natural disasters

    Americans need more timely, relevant, and actionable information so they know when to get out of harm’s way. Investments like upgrading NOAA’s weather radio technology from obsolete copper technologies to Internet or satellite-based systems are vital to providing reliable and continuous weather and emergency alerts. Expanding NOAA’s VHF broadcasts to reach rural areas that other systems do not reliably cover will provide irreplaceable hazard alerts for campers, tourists, hunters, and tribal members, as well as mining, forestry, and agriculture workers living in remote areas. Expanding current FEMA programs to build out local sirens and provide first responders with crucial flood maps and satellite images will also significantly enhance local disaster response capabilities.

    However, no single alert technology should be considered sufficient in an emergency. We should augment both public and private alert communications and embrace multi-channel delivery systems to ensure messages reach users via their preferred platforms, whether that is through FM and AM radio, apps, websites, SMS, push notifications, television, or social media. The private sector can provide value-added information including more customized alerts and warnings, giving people additional ways to access critical and timely information.

    5) Advancing Bipartisan Legislation

    The bipartisan Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2024 would strengthen weather research and forecasting and expand commercial data partnerships

    A bipartisan bill Chairman Ted Cruz and I introduced last year, the Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2024 (S. 5601) would modernize the essential research programs you signed into law in the 2017 Weather Act and establish new programs to advance forecasting, strengthen emergency preparedness, and support farmers and resource managers with better tools for agriculture and water management. The legislation also expands and codifies public-private partnerships to acquire and utilize innovative data sources, supporting efforts like the Commercial Data Program. Former House Science Chairman Frank Lucas and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren introduced a bipartisan companion bill in the House (H.R. 3816) last month.

    Now is the time to take the tough lessons learned in the wake of the recent natural disasters and human tragedies in places like Texas, North Carolina, and New Mexico and create the world’s best weather prediction system. We must meet the moment or the situation is only going to get worse. The United States used to experience an average of nine extreme weather events every year that cost over $1 billion each, but in the last five years the number of disasters has spiked to an average of 23 per year, and last year it was 27 events. A recent comprehensive government study predicted that extreme weather will cost Americans $1.5 trillion over the next decade, not including loss of life or health-related costs. That’s why the costs of making the once-in-a-lifetime smart investments described above are minuscule compared to savings that better weather forecasting will provide every American.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Cosponsors Bill to Label Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) cosponsored the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, which would direct the U.S. Secretary of State to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group:

    “Hamas – who is responsible for the mass murder of more than 1,200 civilians in the brutal attack against Israel on October 7 – openly identifies as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This bill rightfully directs the Secretary of State to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization and imposes strict sanctions against them and their proxies who chant ‘death to America,’ sending a clear message that their anti-western agenda and threats to the American people and our allies will not be tolerated.”

    Background:

    The Muslim Brotherhood is a transnational Islamist organization that supports a wide array of regional affiliates, including groups actively engaged in terrorism. Hamas, already designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the United States, openly identifies as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Other branches, such as HASM and Liwa al-Thawra, have been linked to the Muslim Brotherhood by the U.S. Department of State and designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. Muslim Brotherhood branches have also been implicated in planning or supporting attacks in Jordan and are outlawed as terrorist groups by Austria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Several European countries are evaluating similar measures.

    The bill modernizes previous efforts by shifting to a bottom-up approach, requiring the U.S. Secretary of State to record and evaluate individual Muslim Brotherhood branches annually, designate those that meet terrorism criteria, and impose sanctions accordingly. This is modeled after the successful approach taken to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2017.

    The Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act would:

    • Designate the Muslim Brotherhood under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987;
    • Require the U.S. Secretary of State to report annually on Muslim Brotherhood branches and assess their designation eligibility under FTO or SDGT authorities;
    • Mandate sanctions against the global Muslim Brotherhood and any branch found to meet terrorism criteria; and
    • Impose visa restrictions and immigration ineligibility on identified members.

    The Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, led by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), was cosponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Boozman (R-AR.), Rick Scott (R-FL), Ashley Moody (R-FL), and Dave McCormick (R-PA).

    The legislation is endorsed by FDD Action, Christians United for Israel Action Fund, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and the Republican Jewish Coalition.

    Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Idaho to Receive $42.9 Million in PILT Funding for Community Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-Idaho) announced 44 local governments in Idaho will receive a total of $42.9 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2025. Since local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual PILT payments help cover the costs associated with maintaining community services.

    “Where the federal government owns large plots of land and does not pay local property taxes in rural communities, it has a responsibility to provide resources for vital services such as firefighting, police protection, construction of public schools and roads, and search-and-rescue operations,” said Crapo. “PILT payments give Idaho’s 44 counties much-needed stability for essential services.”

    “Each of Idaho’s 44 counties rely on PILT payments to maintain and provide essential community services,” said Risch. “I remain fully committed to funding PILT to ensure local governments can offset the nontaxable, federal land within their borders.”

    Crapo and Risch have been long-term proponents of ensuring the long-term viability of the PILT program.

    The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) collects more than $20.7 billion in revenue annually from commercial activities on public lands. A portion of those revenues is shared with states and counties. The balance is deposited into the U.S. Treasury, which, in turn, pays for a broad array of federal activities, including PILT funding.

    Payments are calculated based on the number of acres of federal land within each county or jurisdiction and the population of that county or jurisdiction.

    A full list of funding by state and county is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Luján Pens Joint Op-Ed on 80th Anniversary of the Trinity Test and Extension and Expansion of RECA

    US Senate News:

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

    Washington, D.C. – In Case You Missed It: U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Tina Cordova, co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, published an opinion piece in the Albuquerque Journal reflecting on the 80th anniversary of the Trinity Test and highlighting decades-long work that led to the recent expansion and extension of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) program by Congress.

    Since being elected to Congress, Senator Luján has played a leading role in advancing legislation to strengthen the RECA program, introducing RECA legislation in every Congress and twice passing it through the Senate.

    Read the full op-ed here or below:

    Albuquerque Journal: 80 years later, we’re still fighting for justice

    Ben Ray Luján and Tina Cordova | July 20, 2025

    On July 16, 1945 — 80 years ago — the federal government detonated the first atomic bomb in the Tularosa Basin of New Mexico. That test, known as the Trinity Test, changed the world — and it changed our home forever.

    We write this together, as two New Mexicans who have fought side-by-side for justice over a decade, because the 80th anniversary of the Trinity Test calls for both recognition and reckoning.

    We both know families who lived near the Trinity site. Families who were never warned, never evacuated and never told what happened. They kept drinking the water, eating the produce and breathing the air, not knowing it had been poisoned, until it was too late.

    They raised children and grandchildren in these communities. And in the years that followed, they watched loved ones suffer and die of rare and aggressive cancers. They buried neighbors and loved ones. They kept asking questions. And for decades, they were denied answers. They were ignored by the government that created this crisis.

    We’ve spent years listening to these stories around kitchen tables, at church, in congressional offices and in communities all across New Mexico. For far too long, Washington turned a blind eye to them, and it’s why we’ve worked together to deliver justice to the people of New Mexico.

    Together with other advocates, survivors and bipartisan allies in Congress, we finally succeeded. Earlier this month, legislation to extend and expand Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was signed into law. For the first time, New Mexico’s Downwinders and the post 1971 uranium workers are eligible for federal compensation and support.

    This was a historic first step, following years of advocacy and bipartisan momentum that we started in the U.S. Senate, but it is only the beginning.

    Now our attention is focused on ensuring RECA is implemented urgently. Impacted families must be given clear, accurate guidance on how to apply for compensation. The federal government must move quickly to implement a program that meets the needs of the people it was designed to serve.

    For those who have been waiting — some for a lifetime — time is of the essence. We cannot let delays, lack of outreach, or misinformation deny families the compensation they deserve.

    RECA isn’t just about financial compensation. No dollar amount can ever repay the sacrifice. It’s about acknowledging that what happened to New Mexicans after the Trinity Test was wrong, and that the federal government has a responsibility to make it right.

    We know this work is not easy. But we also know what’s possible when New Mexicans organize and speak with one loud voice. The passage of RECA was made possible because survivors told their stories, and because lawmakers on both sides of the aisle finally listened and acted. We’re grateful to every person who made their voice heard.

    On this solemn anniversary, we recommit ourselves to the work ahead. To honor the lives lost. To amplify the stories of those still living. And to ensure this country never forgets the cost to the people of New Mexico.

    The road to justice has been 80 years too long. But we are finally moving forward together.

    More information for New Mexico Downwinders can be found here.

    More information for New Mexico uranium workers & on-site participants can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: “A Big Difference”: Trump Administration’s Tomato Tariffs Already a Game Changer for American Farmers

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    In a decisive move to protect American agriculture and restore fairness, the Trump Administration’s tariffs on fresh Mexican tomato imports are already boosting American farmers, growers, and business owners.
    Here’s what they’re saying:
    Chad Smith, Smith Tomato Farm (Steele, AL): “It’s only been two days now, and we actually have a lot more calls of people having interest in doing business — and the price hasn’t even changed.”
    Matt Rudd, Rudd Family Farm (Browns Summit, NC): “What you see in the grocery store now, instead of all those tomatoes from Mexico and everywhere else, it should be more local and United States-grown — where we can compete with those prices.”
    Rich Troccio, Bloomfield Groceria (Pittsburgh, PA): “It will not bother me if he put a 50% tariff on Mexico. It wouldn’t bother me because I don’t buy from there. It’s just the way I am. As long as it’s something grown here, this is where I want to buy my product.”
    Sam Newell, Fruit Fair (Chicopee, MA): “It’s a win-win for the community and us. Having tariffs on imported goods gives us a more level playing field.”
    Mark Reuben, Gilcrease Orchard (Las Vegas, NV): “We won’t raise our price, so it will stay $1.50/pound, which is what we charge.”
    Logan Duvall, Me and McGee Market (Little Rock, AR): “I can’t see how the tariffs are going to be negative on us at all. Being as tomatoes are a massive part of what we do, and we see the impact when that money goes directly to our farmers in our community versus a multinational conglomerate — it’s a big difference.”
    Steve Longmire, Tennessee Homegrown Tomatoes (Rutledge, TN): “In the fall and wintertime, we have to count on — and, you know, the nation does — tomatoes in the warmer climates, so that’s where it’s going to be a good thing for the farmer. Hopefully more of their tomatoes are going to sell at a little bit better price because of the tariff on the imports.”
    Patty Morgan, Grainger County (TN) Tomato Festival: “It’s a huge industry in our county.”

    MIL OSI USA News –