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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 03/28/2025 Blackburn, Welch, King Introduce Bicameral States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act to Improve Interstate Health Care Workforce Licensing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Angus King (I-Maine) introduced the States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act, bipartisan legislation to improve interstate health care workforce licensing and improve access to care across America by cutting through red tape. Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Tracey Mann (R-Kan.) and Joe Neguse (D-Colo.).

    “Bureaucratic red tape is delaying critical healthcare workers from serving rural Tennessee, leaving working families without the timely treatment they need,” said Senator Blackburn. “The?SHARE Act delivers a commonsense reform by streamlining background check recognition across states, ensuring patients get proper care while showing Washington can work smarter for everyday people.” 

    “There is no question that the health care industry is facing workforce shortages—and that’s especially true for rural states like Vermont. That’s why it makes no sense that a licensing agency in Vermont can’t see the status of a background check, slowing down valuable time onboarding a new health care provider. The SHARE Act is a good-faith effort to cut through red tape in a commonsense way. This bill would remove a bureaucratic hoop and improve patients’ access to the health care they need while protecting their safety. It is important we find common ground on ways to make Washington work better for working families, which is why I’m pleased to partner with my colleague Senator Blackburn on this bill,” said Sen. Peter Welch. 

    “No matter where you choose to live, you deserve access to quality health care — and boosting our medical workforce is a smart way to do that,” said Senator King. “Communities all across Maine — especially those in rural areas — are facing an unprecedented shortage of health care workers, making it difficult to deliver care. The bipartisan?SHARE Act?would address the health care workforce shortage by allowing health care workers in neighboring states to more easily serve patients across state lines.?This is a commonsense way to increase access via telehealth, streamline the hiring and onboarding processes, eliminating the bureaucratic red tape that stands between rural Maine people and their care providers.”

    “We need flexibility in our health care systems to ensure rural communities like those in the Big First have access to good, quality care,” said Rep. Mann “As hospitals and care giving facilities across rural America navigate the challenges of recruiting and retaining health care providers, Congress should correct this technical error and remove processes that only make that challenge harder. Our bill expedites the licensure process for providers by allowing the FBI to share background checks across state lines and empower health care providers to serve rural communities where care is most needed without being handcuffed by where a state ends or begins. If we want to improve the health of those in the Big First, and in rural areas and communities around the country, we must expand employment opportunities for our rural health care providers.” 

    The States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act amends existing federal law to authorize the FBI to conduct criminal background checks for state licensing agencies and reduce bureaucratic red tape, which can create a barrier to care. Many of these inter-state compacts (or legislatively enacted agreements between states) face a roadblock, as some state regulatory agencies have been denied, or had their authorization revoked, to obtain FBI criminal background checks for verification of a licensee’s eligibility.   

    The legislation ensures criminal history record information is maintained in the same manner as requests for all occupational licenses handled at the state level. In accordance with how compact commissions already operate, the SHARE Act specifies that criminal history record information cannot be shared with any entity other than a state licensing agency which requests the criminal background check. 

    The States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act is supported by the Alliance for Connected Care; American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA); American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Tennessee;  American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); Council of State Governments (CSG); EMS Compact; Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB); Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (ICNLCA); Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC); National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN); Occupational Therapy Compact Commission; and Vermont Board of Medical Practice. 

    “The Alliance for Connected Care believes that one of the most promising capabilities of telehealth is creating health care access where it is currently limited – including through more care across state lines.  We applaud the leaders of the SHARE Act for introducing legislation that would help to reduce barriers to this care,” said Chris Adamec, Executive Director, Alliance for Connected Care. 

    “The American Academy of Physician Associates strongly supports the SHARE Act,” said AAPA CEO Lisa M. Gables, CPA.  “By removing the red tape and administrative burdens on licensure compacts, this legislation will promote workforce development and strengthen the labor market. It will also improve consumer access to highly qualified practitioners and leverage the use of new medical technologies, such as telehealth. The SHARE Act would have a major impact on increasing access to healthcare while allowing states to protect their authority to determine who is eligible to practice in the state.” 

    “The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) strongly supports the SHARE Act. Occupational therapy practitioners are vital to helping individuals live independent, meaningful lives. The SHARE Act will allow practitioners to bring their expertise where it is needed most, ensuring timely access to care for patients and families. We applaud this legislation as a step toward a more flexible and modern healthcare system.” said Katie Jordan, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA, CEO, AOTA.   

    “APTA-Tennessee endorses the SHARE Act, and we hope the 119th Congress will approve this bipartisan legislation.  TheSHARE Act will provide Tennesseans in medically underserved areas with greater access to physical therapy care by ensuring that PTs and other healthcare providers are quickly enabled to treat patients in multiple states,” said Sarah Suddarth, APTA Tennessee President.   

    “The Council of State Governments has worked to develop professional licensure compacts in coordination with numerous state, federal, and professional partners. These combined efforts have contributed to states gaining greater access to qualified professionals across the nation and the essential services they provide. 52 states and territories have enacted at least one of these compacts with each state enacting at least 6, on average. CSG recognizes the importance of passage of the SHARE Actto ensure states can fully operationalize the licensure compacts they have enacted. The states clearly realize the need for improved licensure portability and increasing their healthcare workforce and as a result recognize the importance of the SHARE Act. CSG stands in support of the SHARE Act and the efforts across the nation to ensure its successful passage by Congress,” said Dan Logsdon, Director, National Center for Interstate Compacts. 

    “The EMS Compact strongly supports the SHARE Act as a critical measure to enhance public safety and strengthen the EMS workforce,” said Donnie Woodyard, MAML, NRP, Executive Director of the United States EMS Compact. “It is essential for public protection that state licensing officials have the ability to review criminal history records for all applicants. This fundamental safeguard ensures that only qualified and vetted EMS clinicians are entrusted with patient care, reinforcing the integrity and reliability of our nation’s emergency medical services.”  

    “The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) strongly supports the SHARE Act as a critical step toward addressing our nation’s healthcare workforce shortage and enhancing patient access to care,” said Humayun J. Chaudhry, DO, MACP, President and CEO of FSMB. “The SHARE Act will ensure state medical boards have the information necessary to make licensing decisions and support the interstate practice of medicine.” 

    “The Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (ICNLCA) encourages enactment of the SHARE Act. The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) enables nurses in compact states to hold a multi-state license which authorizes practice in 43 jurisdictions currently.  This model of licensure makes it possible for nurses to assist in other jurisdictions without any impediments or delays,” said Pam Zickafoose, EdD, MSN, RN, Chair of ICNLCA. “Federal criminal background checks are the gold standard for public protection in occupational licensure and are a requirement for a nurse to obtain a multistate license. The SHARE Act will enable states to continue to implement and advance the NLC, therefore bringing vital nursing services to patients in need,” said the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (ICNLCA). 

    The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC) strongly supports the SHARE Act. The Act is needed so that the FBI will have clear guidance about how the information provided enhances public safety, while supporting the public protection mission of the IMLCC member boards.  Our member boards depend on reliable access to the criminal background information, which at times in the past and currently for 4 of our member boards, that access has been denied.  Our member boards have been maintaining and protecting the information they receive for over 7 years,” said the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC). 

    “The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) stands in strong support of the SHARE Act and looks forward to the 119th Congress’s consideration of this important legislation. The SHARE Act represents a critical step forward in facilitating greater access to care for patients across the country,” said Phil Dickison, PhD, RN, Chief Executive Officer of NCSBN. “The legislation will ensure state boards of nursing can vet applicants for multistate licensure to promote safe cross-border practice.” 

    “The Occupational Therapy Compact Commission (OTCC) supports the SHARE Act because it is a crucial step toward ensuring public safety across states that participate in interstate occupational compacts.  This act fosters a more secure and trustworthy collaboration while strengthening the integrity of professional licensing, promoting accountability, and protecting citizens from potential harm.  For the purposes of making informed licensing decisions, state licensing authorities should be afforded timely and relevant information regarding potential licensees’ criminal history that would affect safe practices within professions,” said Amanda Perry, OTCC Executive Director. 

    “Passage of the SHARE Act will benefit both physicians and patients by supporting greater mobility for physicians and expanding access to care for all Vermonters, especially those in our rural communities.” said David K. Herlihy, Executive Director, Vermont Board of Medical Practice. 

    Learn more about the States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act. 

    View and download the bill text. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Warns of Putin’s Deceit in Ukraine-Russia Ceasefire Talks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, yesterday delivered remarks on the Senate floor warning that Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted as negotiations to achieve a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict continue in Riyadh.
    In his remarks, Chairman Wicker explored the 20-year history of Putin’s lies in the service of fulfilling his true ambition: to resuscitate the old Soviet empire. He added analysis on the many ways that Vladimir Putin is still actively trying to undermine American interests, including through the imprisonment of U.S. citizens, previous attacks on U.S. soldiers, and a large nuclear strike complex specifically designed to threaten the United States.
    Chairman Wicker also made brief comments about the state of negotiations with Russia in Riyadh. In his remarks, Wicker noted the extreme asymmetry between Russian and American readouts of negotiations, and how concessions made by Ukraine differ from those made by Russia during talks.
    Ukraine, the Chairman said, has made a good-faith effort to reach an honorable settlement, while Russia appears to be attempting to extract concessions in an effort to boost its negotiating position. Chairman Wicker added that President Trump understands the kind of character that he is dealing with in Vladimir Putin and his true goals.
    Read Chairman Wicker’s full remarks in full below.
    Mr. President, I rise this afternoon to offer some remarks on the situation in Europe and the prospects for peace in Ukraine.
     
    We should start with recent positive developments. President Trump and President Zelenskyy have demonstrated remarkable resolve and remarkable wherewithal.
     
    Just this week, we heard news from the peace talks in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine publicly expressed openness to prisoner exchanges, a welcome development. Notably, Russia did not express such willingness.
     
    We should applaud Ukraine’s overtures. An agreement is within reach that reflects the common cause of the United States and Ukraine.
     
    Separately, much ink has been spilled on the economic investment deal. Less has been said about why the United States is interested in an investment deal with Ukraine. President Trump recognizes that America is better off when Ukraine is free, strong, and industrious. The economic investment deal shows that our president wants peace, and that he wants an honorable peace – one that endures, one that ensures the prosperity and protection of Ukraine and the United States.
     
    This peace will require that Russia put down its weapons in an enduring and verifiable way. It’s clear that Vladimir Putin does not share President Trump’s desire for peace. As Putin’s representatives prepare to sit down with American diplomats, President Putin has ordered salvo after salvo of missiles and drones to strike Ukrainian apartments, killing non-combatant women and children. These are not the gestures of a statesman who wants to negotiate peace. We’re dealing with a tyrant who speaks the language of war and terror.
     
    We have to deal with him, but that’s who he is.
     
    In recent decades, several successive United States presidents have extended the hand of peace to Mr. Putin. Each one of them had different tactics, but none of them achieved the outcome they desired. In this series of failed diplomacy, the common denominator was not the American presidents. Regardless of party, the common denominator was and is Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin, a war criminal.
     
    So, we need to remind the American people of exactly what kind of strongman we’re dealing with here – the  kind of strong man we’re trying to negotiate with, the kind of strong man we’re forced to negotiate with.
     
    Vladimir Putin regrettably is not interested in peace, He’s interested in a phony deal. He’s shown this with his words, his acts of violence, and the peace agreements he has shredded.
     
    Dictators frequently tell us who they really are. In 2007, Putin stood before the Munich Security Conference, and he rejected a world in which nations cooperate. In his other writings, he has publicly mourned the collapse of the Soviet Empire, and he dreams of its resurrection. In 2021, President Putin wrote an essay laying the groundwork for his invasion of Ukraine. This was a year before the recent invasion. In it, he rejected the very right of the Ukrainian people to exist as a distinct and self-governing nation.
     
    This essay is full of lies; it would have made Adolf Hitler proud. But it shows one thing is true: Mr. Putin is a Russian imperialist to the core. Here’s a man who believes the greatest historical tragedy of the last 40 years was the collapse of the Soviet power and influence over Eastern Europe.
     
    Putin publicly proclaims his delusions of grandeur, but he has not stopped at words and speeches. He has used any means necessary to continue his decades-long political warfare against NATO. And he’s ruthlessly worked to achieve the empire he craves.
     
    In the year after his Munich speech, Vladimir Putin and his army invaded their neighbor, the Republic of Georgia. In the year after his essay about Ukraine, he invaded Ukraine. Mr. Putin no longer technically works for the KGB, but he still thinks like a KGB agent – the kind that uses chemical weapons to poison people living in Russia and all over the world. Exacting revenge on his critics without regard for international borders. He jails reporters and activists.
     
    Why does he do this? Because dictators actually live in fear of their own people.
     
    Putin has imprisoned scores of Americans in Russian gulags. He’s killed and kidnapped American citizens across the globe. His commandos have targeted our soldiers in Afghanistan. He has no respect for our country, or for human life in his country or any other country.
     
    And he has the weaponry to back up his threats. Mr. Putin sits atop the world’s largest and most diverse nuclear arsenal. And I might add that this arsenal is postured specifically at us to destroy the United States.
     
    In another perverse action, I have to say this, Mr. Putin has tried to co-opt Christianity, if you can believe that. He’s twisted a religion of repentance into a propaganda machine. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow professes to lead the Russian Orthodox Church. In reality, Kirill is a puppet of Vladimir Putin. His father baptized Vladimir Putin, and now Kirill follows his father’s footsteps by sanctifying the dictator’s crimes, Kirill has blessed the 2022 invasion of Ukraine absurdly claiming that the Russians are fighting against evil. As Patriarch, he blessed the invasion as Russia bombs Ukrainian women and children. Kirill invokes God’s name to justify Putin’s butchery. Kirill is the very definition of the prophet Isaiah’s portrait of corruption: corrupt men like him, those who call evil good, and good evil. Shame on this phony Patriarch.
     
    President Putin has publicly shared his imperialistic dreams. He has violently pursued those goals, even in God’s name. And along the way, he’s torn to shreds every ceasefire deal he’s ever signed.
     
    Now, before World War I, the Kaiser’s regime in Germany called a treaty a “mere scrap of paper.” Well, Vladimir Putin feels the same. He has no regard for the Budapest Memorandum. He has no regard for the INF Treaty. He has no regard for the Minsk Agreement. In each case, Putin has lied, stolen, and misdirected to further his empire-building ambitions.
     
    And that’s what he’s trying to do with the negotiations today. President Trump is interested in peace. President Zelenskyy is interested in peace. President Putin values peace as little as any piece of shredded paper he would deceitfully sign.
     
    Many people do not realize that the Ukrainians have been valiantly and steadily weakening Putin’s forces. Half a million Russian soldiers – half a million souls – have either been killed or injured so severely that they cannot return to the battlefield. That’s half a million Russian moms without sons, wives without husbands. That toll is steep and the blame rests upon one person: the man who ordered the invasion, Vladimir Putin and his imperialistic vision. Russia is barely managing to sustain this war, and I think Mr. President, the American people do not know this, but Russia’s barely hanging on.
     
    They are struggling from heavy battlefield costs and economic sanctions. We should not support a peace deal that could let Russia up off the mat and reconstitute its army. Both the previous and the current Secretaries-General of NATO expect that Russia will not be ready to threaten NATO conventionally for 5 to 7 years. The wrong deal with Russia could allow them to be off to the races sooner, and Russia wants just that.
     
    As we’ve seen this week, Putin is trying to work the peace process deceptively to skew it in his favor. This week, his office has pushed out messages from the peace talks in Riyadh. Putin’s officials maintain that the United States is prepared to lift a number of sanctions the West imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
     
    I certainly hope that’s not true. These Kremlin officials claim that we will soon readmit Russia to SWIFT. SWIFT, of course, is the global financial system that Russia depends on for global trade. Putin relies on trade to finance his war machine.
     
    The Russians also think we’re prepared to grant sanctions relief for any company that ships goods on vessels flying the Russian flag, or that could claim any ties to food production, shipping, or securities. Such a deal would be full of loopholes. Such a deal would be designed to let Russia, which is on the ropes, off the mat.
     
    Mr. Putin’s men asked for all of this, and yet they offer little in return. They won’t even talk about prisoner exchanges. That’s breathtaking, especially when Ukraine has publicly expressed openness to a ceasefire. They’re the ones that have publicly said they’ll agree to a ceasefire. Mr. Putin and his negotiators have never proclaimed that.
     
    The Ukrainians, who’ve been ruthlessly attacked, have extended the hand of peace. Russia still has not, even though it demands so much. Putin says he’s willing to work toward peace, but his demands show that he is lying. His demands make it clear that he intends to use the sanctions relief to rearm. It would be a mistake to grant sanctions relief to Russia without reciprocal support for Ukraine. Doing so would devastate the prospect of a lasting peace. And let me repeat: Mr. Putin has never agreed to a ceasefire to a treaty that resulted in a lasting peace.
     
    As we negotiate in Saudi Arabia, the United States must remember that Russia is barely managing to sustain this war. The economic and battlefield price is very costly for Mr. Putin. Undoing these sanctions would instantly lower Putin’s cost. It would evaporate the leverage these financial penalties have given to the United States and the free world.
     
    As I close, let me reiterate, Mr. President: many have tried to negotiate with Vladimir Putin on his terms. I think President Trump is beginning to understand that peace comes through American and Ukrainian strength, that dictators respond to power because it’s the only thing they respect.
     
    We need to see this Russian dictator and war criminal for what he is: a murderous dictator who hopes he can back us into a corner during the peace process, and thus pursue another invasion.
     
    If Vladimir Putin lives up to a ceasefire or peace treaty with Ukraine, it will be the first time ever. Vladimir Putin has a long track record and it’s filled with lies, violence, and treachery.
     
    That’s who we’re dealing with. We have to deal with him, but that’s who we’re dealing with. Getting a deal with him will be a challenge. We must bear history in mind if we are to reach a settlement that benefits the free countries of the world.
     
    Thank you, Mr. President, and I yield the floor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch, Booker, Colleagues Introduce Honor Farmer Contracts Act

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) this week joined Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and 15 of his Democratic colleagues in introducing the Honor Farmer Contracts Act, legislation to release illegally withheld funding for all contracts and agreements previously entered into by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  
    President Trump’s USDA has refused to make reimbursement payments to fulfill signed contracts, without any indication of when or whether farmers will be paid the money they laid out and are owed. Farmers and the organizations that serve them operate on tight margins. This legislation would require the USDA to pay farmers all past due payments as quickly as possible to prevent them from having to shut down their operations.   
    “Let’s get one thing straight: the Trump Administration is illegally stiffing our farmers, refusing to reimburse them for funding they’ve been promised. Trump pulled the rug right out from underneath farmers’ feet. Our farmers made these agreements in good faith, and Trump’s decision to go back on his word will hurt Vermont farmers and cause irreversible damage to local food programs across the country,” said Senator Welch. “Our farmers work hard, and they’re already working on the knife’s edge to keep their farm up and running. Our legislation ensures that the Trump Administration holds up its end of the bargain and supports our farmers.” 
    “Farmers across the country have been in limbo ever since the USDA froze previously signed agreements and contracts, with many facing catastrophic consequences if these freezes continue,” said Senator Booker. “USDA’s refusal to pay what is owed to farmers and the organizations that support them is theft, plain and simple. It’s a critical time of year for farmers and ranchers. They should be doing what they love – feeding our communities, not worrying about unpaid contracts. This legislation will fix that by forcing USDA and the Trump Administration to hold up their end of the deal.” 
    “Over the last two months, farmers, ranchers, and rural communities have been left in limbo – waiting for the USDA to honor its promises,” said Representative Vasquez. “The Honor Farmer Contracts Act is about restoring trust and keeping our word to the hardworking people who feed America. When farmers sign contracts, they expect the government to follow through. It’s that simple. This bill will immediately unfreeze critical funding, ensure farmers are paid for their work, and reopen essential USDA offices that were shuttered without notice. This legislation is standing up for rural America, protecting family farms, and strengthening our food system. Let’s do right by our farmers – because when they thrive, we all do.” 
    When farmers successfully apply to USDA programs and then spend their own dollars in reliance upon signed contracts with the agency, they rightfully expect that they will receive reimbursement. Similarly, farmer-serving organizations—which farmers rely upon to connect to local markets and implement practices that make them more productive and less resource intensive—are facing imminent funding crises from not being reimbursed for completed or in-progress contracted work. If not quickly made whole, these organizations will be forced to make agonizing decisions to lay off staff and stop helping farmers, destroying years of progress in advancing local food systems.  
    The Honor Farmer Contracts Act would: 

    Require USDA to unfreeze all signed agreements and contracts; 
    Require USDA to make all past due payments as quickly as possible; 
    Prohibit USDA from cancelling agreements or contracts with farmers or organizations providing assistance to farmers unless there has been a failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement or contract. 
    Prohibit USDA from closing any Farm Service Agency county office, Natural Resources Conservation Service field office or Rural Development Service Center without providing 60 days prior notice and justification to Congress.  

    Organizations endorsing the Honor Farmer Contracts Act include the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, New England Farmers Union, American Agriculture Movement, American Grassfed Association, Farm Action Fund, Farm Aid, Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, National Young Farmers Coalition, Rural Coalition, and more. Read the full list of organizations endorsing the bill here.  
    “On Farm Aid’s hotline, we’re hearing from farmers and farmer-serving organizations who have frozen and canceled federal funding, and we know these are only a few of the thousands from around the country,” said Hannah Tremblay, Farm Aid’s policy and advocacy manager. “USDA’s withholding of payments owed under signed, lawful contracts is causing turmoil across our food system–and it couldn’t come at a worse time. As farmers plan their growing season, uncertainty is among the most dangerous elements they have to grapple with. The effects of this funding freeze are likely to compound and severely impact all aspects of our food system – from seed and soil, to farmer and consumer. Farm Aid fully supports the Honor Farmer Contracts Act to end this unlawful freeze now!” 
    “During the last several months, countless farmers, and the community-based organizations who serve them, have had their livelihoods thrown into doubt as USDA has deliberated whether or not to honor its own legal contracts,” said Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director. “The Honor Farmer Contracts Act unequivocally reiterates a bedrock principle – USDA must honor its own word, and swiftly meet its legal obligations to farmers and organizations by immediately releasing funding on all signed contracts. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition thanks Senator Booker and all Members standing alongside farmers in asking USDA to honor its commitments.” 
    In addition to Sens. Welch and Booker, the Honor Farmer Contacts Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Angus King (I-Maine), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.). U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02) will introduce companion legislation in the House. 
    Read and download the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Speaks on Finance Committee’s Investigation into Pfizer’s Tax Scheme: “What we’re talking about today proves that the suspicion that Vermonters have about things being rigged—they’re right.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, this week took to the Senate Floor to highlight the Senate Finance Committee’s new report that found Pfizer, which generated $20 billion in U.S. sales of prescription drugs in 2019, reported zero taxable U.S. income by claiming 100% of its profits were earned overseas. Pfizer’s scheme enabled the pharmaceutical giant to dodge billions in U.S. taxes. 
    “What did we find out with the Wyden report? We found that a major United States pharmaceutical company was able to make sales of $20 billion of its product in 2019 and report zero in income. Zero in profits here in this country. What that ultimately means is that what Pfizer paid on its taxes—despite this extraordinary profit—they paid less than a mail room clerk pays in Social Security. They paid less than the pharmacist at the drugstore who dispenses the prescriptions. They paid less than the delivery drivers who may have brought these prescriptions to a person’s home. They paid less than the employees of Pfizer, whether it was a lab technician or a clerk or anyone at that company,” said Senator Welch. 
    “This is really shocking, but if any of us wonder why everyday folks, who are showing up to do their job in all of the places of employment—in your state and mine—and then at the end of the month, despite all their hard work, are having trouble paying the utility bill. And they just wonder: is this system rigged? They’re right, And Exhibit A is what has been exposed in this report by the Senate Finance Committee and Senator Wyden.” 
    Watch Senator Welch’s speech below: 
    The Senate Finance Committee’s investigation into Pfizer, led by Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), also revealed that Pfizer signed nondisclosure agreements for special tax deals with the governments of Singapore and Puerto Rico to conceal information how the company conspired to evade billions in taxes from Congressional investigation.   
    The full report containing new findings on Pfizer’s tax dodging scheme is available here. Pfizer joins the growing number of extraordinarily wealthy Big Pharma companies that report minimal or no U.S. profits on tax returns despite American patients providing their largest customer base. 
    Senator Welch’s Committee and Subcommittee Assignments for the 119th Congress include:   
    Senate Committee on Finance   
    Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
    Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit   
    Senate Committee on the Judiciary
    Ranking Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution   
    Senate Committee on Rules & Administration  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Statement on Trump Administration Executive Order Disenfranchising Legal Georgia Voters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock Statement on Trump Administration Executive Order Disenfranchising Legal Georgia Voters

    The Trump Administration’s Executive Order puts onerous requirements that restrict the ability of US citizens to access the ballot
    Under this Executive Order, military IDs or driver’s licenses would not be sufficient in registering to vote in Georgia through the federal voter registration form
    Less than half of Georgians have a current U.S. passport necessary for easily registering to vote under this new executive order
    Noncitizen voting is virtually nonexistent; 2024 audit by Georgia Secretary of State found only 9 instances of noncitizen voting out of 8,200,000 registered voters 

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s unlawful effort to place unnecessary and onerous bureaucracy between eligible Georgians and the ballot box.

    “Today, bad actors in Washington are working to squeeze people out of their democracy by putting bad faith bureaucratic processes between you and your right to vote. Make no mistake: if you are an eligible Georgia voter without a passport, the President is trying to make it harder for you to vote.

    I have always believed that it’s reasonable for voters to have to identify themselves in order to cast a ballot, and I support voter ID policies that don’t unnecessarily burden eligible voters. What I have opposed, and will continue to oppose, is using IDs to target and exclude certain voters by creating another barrier to casting a fair and legal ballot. Bad faith actors want to make voting so hard that even having a driver’s license isn’t enough. This EO is a shameful attempt to disenfranchise eligible Americans. 

    “We will fight this. And win.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Cleaver Lead 100+ Democrats in Condemning HUD Field Office Cuts, Urging Reinstatement of Civil Servants

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Cleaver Lead 100+ Democrats in Condemning HUD Field Office Cuts, Urging Reinstatement of Civil Servants

    San Francisco Regional Office among HUD offices rumored to be closing
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-Mo.-05) led more than 100 Democrats in the Senate and House in condemning staffing cuts and potential closures of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Field Offices across the country. In a letter to HUD Secretary Scott Turner, the lawmakers pushed him to fully and immediately reinstate civil servants who were illegally fired from the Department and condemned reports that HUD is considering the illegal closure of nearly two-thirds of field offices nationwide.
    The rumored HUD cuts include San Francisco’s Regional Office, which would leave California with only one operational field office. Field offices provide critical housing services, and staffing reductions at this scale will cripple HUD’s ability to perform its basic responsibilities and legal obligations. HUD only recently rebuilt its workforce after a 20 percent drop between 2012 and 2019, and further cuts threaten disaster recovery efforts while delaying urgently needed housing development.
    Earlier this year, Senator Padilla sounded the alarm that these wide-ranging cuts would hamper HUD’s ability to support vulnerable communities and address the housing and homelessness crises.
    “We write to express concern about reports that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is considering closing nearly two-thirds of the Department’s field offices, leaving most states and the District of Columbia without critical sites or staff,” wrote the lawmakers. “These reports follow the unlawful mass termination of probationary federal employees, HUD’s announcement that employees at GS-13 and below in the Office of Field Policy and Management would be terminated, and reports that the Department plans to cut its agency-wide workforce by at least half.”
    “We strongly urge HUD to maintain existing field offices with adequate staffing levels and to fully and immediately reinstate civil servants who have been illegally terminated,” continued the lawmakers.
    By law, HUD is required to have at least one field office in every state to process mortgage insurance applications, yet the Trump Administration’s plan would leave 34 states without a field office. Additionally, HUD must conduct and publish a cost-benefit analysis before implementing any “plan for the reorganization of any regional, area, insuring, or other field offices of the Department.”
    In addition to Padilla and Cleaver, the letter was also signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.-08), and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    Representatives Gabe Amo (D-R.I.-01), Becca Balint (D-Vt.-AL), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.-44), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio-03), Sanford Bishop (D-G.-02), Shontel Brown (D-Ohio-11), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), Troy Carter (D-La.-02), Sean Casten (D-Ill.-06), Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28), Gilbert Cisneros (D-Calif.-31), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.-09), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.-09), Lou Correa (D-Calif.-46), Jim Costa (D-Calif.-21), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas-30), Danny Davis (D-Ill.-07), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.-06), Dwight Evans (D-Penn.-03), Cleo Fields (D-La.-06), Shomari Figures (D-Ala.-02), Laura Friedman (D-Calif.-30), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas-13), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.-34), Al Green (D-Texas-09), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.-04), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.-06), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.-01), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.-07), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-04), William Keating (D-Mass.-09), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.-02), Timothy Kennedy (D-N.Y.-26), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.-08), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio-01), Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.-16), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.-36), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.-08), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.-04), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Mich.-08), Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.-03), James McGovern (D-Mass.-02), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.-10), Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.-05), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.-08), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.-04), Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.-01), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.-15), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.-14), Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.-02), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.-05), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.-02), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.-07), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.-05), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.-03), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), Deborah Ross (D-N.C.-02), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.-05), David Scott (D-Ga.-13), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.-07), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.-32), Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio-13), Mark Takano (D-Calif.-39), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.-02), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.-20), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.-15), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.-25), Nikema Williams (D-Ga.-05), and Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.-24) also signed the letter.
    Senator Padilla believes everyone deserves access to affordable and safe housing and recognizes the need to drastically increase the affordable housing stock to address the homelessness crisis facing California and the country, including to support disaster victims. In the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires, Padilla introduced the bipartisan Disaster Housing Reform for American Families Act to expedite, expand, and improve temporary housing available to victims of disasters like wildfires and storms. Last year, he announced the reintroduction of his Housing for All Act, a comprehensive approach to invest in proven, locally-developed solutions to address the homelessness and affordable housing crises.
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Secretary Turner:
    We write to express concern about reports that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is considering closing nearly two-thirds of the Department’s field offices, leaving most states and the District of Columbia without critical sites or staff. These reports follow the unlawful mass termination of probationary federal employees, HUD’s announcement that employees at GS-13 and below in the Office of Field Policy and Management would be terminated, and reports that the Department plans to cut its agency-wide workforce by at least half. We urge you to immediately reverse any plans to implement these short-sighted and illegal efforts that undermine the ability of HUD to accomplish its mission and legal obligations.
    The United States faces a severe fair and affordable housing and homelessness crisis. HUD is the Federal agency responsible for national policy and programs that address America’s housing needs, improve and develop communities, and enforce fair housing laws, deeply impacting millions of families across the nation. HUD field offices collect local data to inform policymaking, administer and oversee department programs, manage and distribute funding, enforce department regulations and policies, provide guidance and support to local stakeholders, and play a critical role in developing and maintaining local relationships that ensure the success of initiatives and projects. In many cases, state and local stakeholders operate with limited capacities and require HUD assistance. HUD currently has at least one field office in every State and the District of Columbia to help implement the Department’s important mission at the local level.
    Reports that HUD is planning the illegal closure of field offices are extremely concerning. HUD is expressly required by law to maintain a field office in every state. Federal law also requires HUD to conduct and publish a cost-benefit analysis before implementing any “plan for the reorganization of any regional, area, insuring, or other field office of the Department.” This analysis is required to include, but not be limited to, an analysis of the impact on the local economy, an estimate of the effect of reorganization on the availability, accessibility, and quality of services provided, and credible evidence substantiating the impact of reorganization on department costs. These legal requirements are designed to protect the Department and the nation, including taxpayers, HUD’s business, nonprofit, and government partners, thousands of patriotic civil servants, and millions of families who rely on the services that HUD field offices provide.
    In last year’s report on top management challenges, the HUD Office of Inspector General noted that HUD “still faces capacity challenges that affect its ability to oversee grantees, contractors, and financial services counterparties; provide high-touch technical assistance; and modernize its programs and IT systems.” Despite this reality, a February 11, 2025, Executive Order directed agency heads, including HUD, to “promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force (RIF).” A subsequent memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to agency heads directed each agency to submit Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans to OMB and OPM by Thursday, March 13, 2025.
    We strongly urge HUD to maintain existing field offices with adequate staffing levels and to fully and immediately reinstate civil servants who have been illegally terminated. We also ask for responses to the following information request no later than Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
    1. Please provide a copy of any formal analysis conducted by HUD’s Office of General Counsel regarding HUD’s plans to close field offices, including an analysis of how such plans align with existing legal requirements that HUD maintain an office in each state.
    2. Please provide a copy of the cost-benefit analysis of field reorganizations required at 42 U.S.C. 3535 that HUD has conducted as part of its plans to close field offices. Please indicate when this analysis will be published in the Federal Register and detail any additional actions the agency has already taken to alter, reduce, or reorganize field offices.
    3. Please provide any formal analysis HUD has performed regarding the impact of reported office reductions on the Department’s ability to:
    a. Collect data used to inform HUD’s policy decisions and department strategies.
    b. Administer, monitor, and oversee complex programs including ensuring compliance with regulations and policies.
    c. Manage and distribute federal funding and ensure these funds are used appropriately.
    d. Enforce department policies related to fair housing, including investigating complaints related to violations of the Fair Housing Act.
    e. Provide technical assistance to local and state agencies, non-profit organizations, and other department stakeholders.
    f. Conduct public outreach including educating the local community and developing partnerships with local organizations to address housing and community development challenges.
    4. Please identify the DOGE Team Lead at HUD and the name and employing agency of all DOGE Task Force members working under the team leader.
    5. Please provide a copy of all HUD and DOGE documents reflecting any plans to reduce, alter, or eliminate HUD programs, functions or offices.
    6. Please provide a copy of all HUD and DOGE documents reflecting any staff reduction that has already taken place and future staff reduction plans by program office and further disaggregated by field office and Washington, DC headquarters. Indicate whether the Department plans to eliminate or backfill each impacted position.
    7. Please provide copies of HUD’s formal Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans as submitted to OMB.
    We thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Leads Push Demanding Trump Rescind Illegal Anti-Voter Executive Order

    US Senate News:

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

    Senators to Trump: “Requirements in this illegal order would likely disenfranchise millions of American voters…places a variety of other process burdens on voters, especially married women, rural residents, and low-income voters, and communities of color.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, led 14 Democratic Senators in calling on President Trump to revoke his illegal anti-voter executive order that would disenfranchise millions of Americans.

    “This unlawful directive exceeds your authority over an independent agency and would likely disenfranchise millions of eligible American voters by creating barriers to voting, while also inviting chaos into state voter registration processes – including by inappropriately sharing Americans’ data with the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),” wrote the Senators. “Under the Constitution and existing law, this Executive Order cannot be implemented. Sadly, we are not surprised at your continued efforts to undermine our free and fair elections. From welcoming foreign election interference in our elections, to supporting the January 6 insurrection, to promoting baseless election conspiracy theories, your dangerous rhetoric has undermined public confidence in our election system.”

    The proof of citizenship requirements in the executive order would restrict the right to vote for millions of Americans given the burden it creates to obtain these documents. Nearly half of all American citizens do not have valid passports, and millions more have a legal name that differs from other government-issued documents, including up to 69 million married women whose birth certificates no longer match their legal name.

    The Senators emphasized that the order runs counter to the constitutional foundation that elections are to be primarily administered by the states. They also sounded the alarm on the order’s attempt to empower the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to review state voter registration lists, other state records, and various federal databases, with the power of subpoena.

    “Voting by noncitizens is already a federal crime and, despite unsubstantiated claims to the contrary, is extremely rare. By interjecting DOGE into the process, this order would interfere with states’ maintenance of voter registration lists, compromising voters’ personal information,” continued the Senators.

    “The new federal voter registration requirements in this illegal order would likely disenfranchise millions of American voters. Millions of Americans do not have passports and many face challenges obtaining other documents that would be required by this order, if it was ever implemented,” concluded the Senators. “This order also places a variety of other process burdens on voters, especially married women, rural residents, and low-income voters, and communities of color.”

    In addition to Senator Padilla, the letter is also signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    In a statement earlier this week, Senator Padilla condemned Trump’s unlawful attempt at a Presidential power grab through his anti-voter executive order.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear President Trump,

    We write to demand that you immediately rescind your recent Executive Order “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.” This unlawful directive exceeds your authority over an independent agency and would likely disenfranchise millions of eligible American voters by creating barriers to voting, while also inviting chaos into state voter registration processes – including by inappropriately sharing Americans’ data with the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

    Under the Constitution and existing law, this Executive Order cannot be implemented. Sadly, we are not surprised at your continued efforts to undermine our free and fair elections. From welcoming foreign election interference in our elections, to supporting the January 6 insurrection, to promoting baseless election conspiracy theories, your dangerous rhetoric has undermined public confidence in our election system.

    This order runs counter to the constitutional foundation that elections are to be primarily administered by the states. The Federal role in elections is focused on helping states with the costs and technical challenges and ensuring that the right to vote is appropriately protected. This order places new mandates on the states and inserts new federal interference in state voter registration processes by federal agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. We expect state and local election administrators of both parties to have significant legal and operational concerns about this order.

    One of the most disturbing aspects of this illegal order is Sec. 2(b)(iii), which attempts to empower DHS and the DOGE Administrator to review state voter registration lists, other state records and various federal databases, with the power of subpoena. Voting by noncitizens is already a federal crime and, despite unsubstantiated claims to the contrary, is extremely rare. By interjecting DOGE into the process, this order would interfere with states’ maintenance of voter registration lists, compromising voters’ personal information. This effort by DOGE is similar to your 2017 Executive Order that established the “Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity” that sought voter files from states and was rejected by 44 states and the District of Columbia. If this provision were implemented, it would allow Elon Musk and DOGE to recreate this effort to purge state voter databases, preventing the participation of eligible American voters.

    The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was created as an independent, evenly balanced agency in the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which was enacted on an overwhelming bipartisan basis. The EAC receives appropriations from Congress to support states with the growing financial and technical challenges of administering elections in thousands of jurisdictions across the nation on a nonpartisan basis. This order lacks the authority to place new conditions on Congressionally appropriated funding or order the EAC require documents that many eligible Americans do not have in order to register to vote in federal elections.

    The new federal voter registration requirements in this illegal order would likely disenfranchise millions of American voters. Millions of Americans do not have passports and many face challenges obtaining other documents that would be required by this order, if it was ever implemented. This order also places a variety of other process burdens on voters, especially married women, rural residents, and low-income voters, and communities of color.

    For these reasons, we must urge you to rescind this illegal order.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Former Health Department Leaders, Sound Alarm on Trump and RFK Jr. Gutting HHS

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: At Press Conference on HHS Cuts, Senator Murray Slams Trump Plans to Push Out Thousands of Health Workers, Gut Essential Services

    ***WATCH HERE; DOWNLOAD VIDEO HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, held a virtual press conference with former FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf, former NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, former CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, and Seattle & King County Public Health Director Dr. Faisal Khan, in response to President Trump’s plans to push out roughly 20,000 employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and hollow out the Department, which is responsible for protecting Americans’ health and delivering essential health and social services.

    Yesterday’s announcement follows weeks of mass firings and chaos at HHS that has prevented the Department from executing its mission to protect people’s health, and an onslaught of detrimental policies that are halting lifesaving biomedical research and more. HHS announced yesterday that it plans to cut its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 (a 25% reduction) through a combination of mass firings and buy-outs and remake HHS without thoughtful consideration and partnership with Congress. 

    “Yesterday, President Trump and RFK Jr. announced a major reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services. Long story short—they may as well be renaming it the Department of Disease. Because their plan is putting lives in serious jeopardy. They want to push out 20,000 public health workers, cut essential programs willy nilly, and undermine medical research, health care access, public health, and more—with no concern whatsoever for the fact they are putting this country on a dangerous collision course,” said Senator Murray. “There’s no two ways about it—this is the kind of carelessness that gets people killed. Maybe it doesn’t seem like such a big deal if you are a billionaire like Trump or Elon Musk, whatever happens, they will be able to afford whatever health care they need. But folks back here in Washington state—they are the ones who are going to be left picking up the pieces of the health department Trump is smashing to bits.”

    “I think you all know that a kind of an additional 3,500 people on top of the arbitrary cuts that have already occurred, in addition to all the people who are leaving because of what they’re saying, is likely to leave the FDA unable to do its critical work. And it’s really striking to me how the rhetoric of, for example, better nutrition, enhanced food safety, innovation in medical products runs contrary to what’s being done with the workforce, instead of a carefully thought-out plan. I think all of us will probably agree there are things about the federal government that could be better. Many of us would have loved to have seen the HR system improved. But to make the cuts based on words in someone’s job description or grants that have particular words in them without a thorough consideration of the issues is likely to jeopardize human lives,” said Dr. Robert Califf, former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

    “The current funding cuts and delays, even if temporary, are already producing irreparable harm. Especially to those of the next generation, and not just in a few targeted research areas. Ironically, this approach undermines the success of the laudable initiatives championed by the current administration. Standing research, labs, our staff, as Dr. Kaliff said, clinical trials are halting midstream. Valuable administrative staff that are essential to ensure that our public dollars are spent wisely and that their use is tracked carefully to avoid fraud or any other kind of risk, are being laid off at NIH. And postdoctoral fellows and new faculty members are unable to find jobs,” said Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, former Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). “Promising ongoing research is being stopped midstream, and the effect on the biomedical research workforce is chilling. How can we ask talented young people to continue to devote so many years of study required to succeed as a biomedical researcher when the future is so uncertain? Today, we are just beginning to see progress in such devastating diseases which have long been hopeless, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, pancreatic cancer, there’s cracks in the wall for each one of these terrible things, all because of NIH funding. And this is proven to be a great investment for the American taxpayers, producing not only extraordinary progress against the most common deadly diseases and significant profits for our nation’s economy. How does it make sense to see progress stalled? The loss to our nation on so many levels is so great.”

    “Any cut you make to a health agency should be done with incredible care and consideration for the hundreds of millions of Americans who rely on their work to stay healthy and get treatment when they’re sick,” said Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, senior fellow at The Century Foundation and former CMS administrator. “When you take a wrecking ball to an agency like CMS, you’re taking a wrecking ball to the people who are out across the country ensuring our parents and grandparents can get safe, affordable care as they age. You’re taking a wrecking ball to cancer patients who need a new, innovative treatment to be covered. You’re taking a wrecking ball to mothers and newborns who are both at the most critical points of their lives. We certainly have progress to make to ensure every American can access safe, affordable, timely health care but laying off thousands of people working toward that progress doesn’t move us forward.”

    “Everything that happens at the federal level eventually filters down to the state level rather quickly. This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak,” said Dr. Faisal Khan, Seattle & King County Director of Public Health. “We are reeling from the news that we received at 3am this past Monday about cancelations, immediate terminations, three federal grants. Our state colleagues in Olympia in Washington State are in the same boat, essentially. I’ll give you one example, 45 community health workers, which are critical to linking people in the most vulnerable and zip codes of greatest need to the services that administrator Brooks was talking about, and my colleagues were talking about, are now at risk in terms of losing their jobs. We’ve spent years training them, embedding them with community-based organizations across the region. That is simply not something we can reconstruct if funding should return in a few months’ time. What incenses me most as a public health professional, is the assumption by decision makers in Washington that somehow, if funding is returned or resurrected six months to a year from now, that we will simply pick up the pieces and continue on from where we were. These are not potted plants. These are highly trained public health professionals. They have moved on. They’ve got busy personal and professional lives. We have just shot ourselves in both feet at the same time. This is a very ill-conceived and ill-considered process, and we are bewildered at what is going on… At the same time, we have an HHS Secretary that keeps talking about stuff that we have to debunk on a daily basis in telling people and convincing people that vitamin A is not the answer a vaccine is. At this point in time, all we can hope for is some reconsideration of the still considered decision. But quite frankly, it is looking pretty bleak. We’re having to look at a systematic disassembly of public health services that we’ve built up over many, many years, if not decades.”

    Among much else, Trump, RFK Jr., and Musk plan to cut:

    • 3,500 employees at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is charged with protecting Americans’ health by ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medicines, biologics (including vaccines), and medical devices–and regulating food safety, cosmetics, and tobacco products.
    • 2,400 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is charged with protecting the American people from health threats, including infectious diseases. 
    • 1,200 employees at NIH, the world’s premier medical research agency, which propels biomedical research that produces life-changing and, in many cases, lifesaving treatments and cures. These cuts come as the Trump administration has already systematically decimated ongoing work at NIH to advance new cures and treatments.
    • 300 employees at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which has long been understaffed and is charged with helping to ensure over 100 million Americans have access to health insurance by overseeing Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. 

    Senator Murray led her colleagues forcefully opposing the nomination of notorious anti-vaccine activist RFK Jr. to be Secretary of HHS and she has long worked to combat vaccine skepticism and highlight the importance of scientific research and vaccines. Murray was also a leading voice against the nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon to lead CDC, repeatedly speaking up about her serious concerns with the nominee immediately after their meeting—after the White House suddenly withdrew Dr. Weldon’s nomination moments before his committee hearing, Murray released a statement calling on the White House to “nominate someone for this position who at bare minimum believes in basic science and will help lead CDC’s important work to monitor and prevent deadly outbreaks.” In 2019, Senator Murray co-led a bipartisan hearing in the HELP Committee on vaccine hesitancy and spoke about the importance of addressing vaccine skepticism and getting people the facts they need to keep their families and communities safe and healthy. Ahead of the 2019 hearing, as multiple states were facing measles outbreaks in under-vaccinated areas, Murray sent a bipartisan letter with former HELP Committee Chair Lamar Alexander pressing Trump’s CDC Director and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health on their efforts to promote vaccination and vaccine confidence.

    As a longtime appropriator and former Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, Murray has long fought to boost biomedical research, strengthen public health infrastructure, and make health care more affordable and accessible. Over her years as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, she has secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. As Chair of the HELP Committee, Murray was also instrumental in crafting the American Rescue Plan Act, including its landmark investments in public health and health care. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments. Murray is also the lead sponsor of thePublic Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act (PHISLA), legislation to establish $4.5 billion in dedicated, annual funding for a grant program to build up and maintain the nation’s public health system across the board. 

    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered on today’s press call, are below and HERE:

    “Thank you all for joining me on this very important call. Yesterday, President Trump and RFK Jr. announced a major reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services.

    “Long story short—they may as well be renaming it the Department of Disease. 

    “Because their plan is putting lives in serious jeopardy. They want to push out 20,000 public health workers, cut essential programs willy nilly, and undermine medical research, health care access, public health, and more—with no concern whatsoever for the fact they are putting this country on a dangerous collision course.

    “Trump and Secretary Kennedy are gutting our ability to track disease outbreaks, like measles and bird flu, in real time and respond to them.

    “They are pushing out people at FDA working to make sure our food and our medicines are safe, working to approve new drugs in a timely manner, and working to make sure we respond quickly to save lives when food and infant formula are contaminated.

    “They are making it harder for Americans to get help accessing health insurance through Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act marketplaces.

    “And let’s not forget how Trump and Kennedy are putting promising biomedical research through the shredder, and they’re empowering anti-vaxxers to light federal dollars on fire by investigating bogus, debunked conspiracies.

    “Preventing pandemics costs something, but failing to prevent them—well, that costs a whole lot more.

    “All of this is making us less prepared for the next public health emergency—whether it’s a pandemic, a natural disaster, a super bug, a food borne outbreak—goodness knows what the next crisis will be!

    “But instead of preparing for it, they are preparing to ignore it. And that’s to say nothing of the fires that are already burning today— like the opioid epidemic, or the maternal mortality crisis, or measles—which is in now 19 states and counting.

    “There’s no two ways about it—this is the kind of carelessness that gets people killed. Everyone needs to understand this—this is not hyperbole. 

    “When our hospitals are overwhelmed with sick kids because our local public health officials can’t track a worsening measles outbreak—that is a life and death issue.

    “When e coli outbreaks become hard to pinpoint, or whooping cough becomes impossible to trace, when cancer cures are tossed in the shredder, or you can’t afford treatment at all because you couldn’t get help enrolling in a health plan—all of that is life and death.

    “Maybe it doesn’t seem like such a big deal if you are a billionaire like Trump or Elon Musk, whatever happens, they will be able to afford whatever health care they need. But folks back here in Washington state are the ones who are going to be left picking up the pieces of the health department Trump is smashing to bits.

    “These are not problems that go away on their own. A fire doesn’t put itself out—at least not until everything is ashes.

    “Trump and RFK Jr. may be content to let the country burn, but I am not. I am sounding the alarm, and doing everything I can to bring attention to this—before things go from bad to worse.

    “And I’m so pleased to have some experts with me today who can speak firsthand about the work that HHS does, why it matters to our families, and what is at stake if Trump and RFK Jr. succeed in dismantling this Department board by board. 

    “So, thank you all to my guests today. And let me start by turning it over to Dr. Califf.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: During Women’s History Month, Cortez Masto Introduces Resolution Recognizing Latinas’ Heritage, Culture, And Contributions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced a resolution celebrating the contributions of Latinas in the U.S. in a variety of fields while acknowledging their continued fight for full equality. The resolution was also introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmembers Lou Correa (D-Calif.) and Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.).

    “While I may the first Latina Senator, I know I won’t be the last,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I stand on the shoulders of giants – Latinas who, through their contributions in arts, culture, science and technology, have had an impact on our nation. That’s why I’m proud to introduce this resolution that celebrates Latinas’ immeasurable contributions to our society and recommits this Congress to building a better future for the next generation.”

    “As America celebrates Women’s History Month, let’s shine a light on Latinas and all the incredible contributions they make to our great nation. They are our mothers, daughters, and sisters. They are our entrepreneurs, scientists, and leaders. More importantly, they are the strength of our families and our communities. They are the unsung heroes. Congress must recognize Latinas—and as a proud Chicano, I’m honored to join Rep. Salinas and Sen. Cortez Masto in leading this resolution to recognize the power and promise of those Latinas who make our communities stronger,” said Congressman Correa.

    Read the full resolution here.

    In addition to Senator Cortez Masto, the resolution is cosponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    The first and only Latina elected to the U.S. Senate, Senator Cortez Masto has been a strong advocate for women’s rights and the Latino community. She passed into law her bipartisan legislation to authorize a series of U.S. quarters to honoring women’s history and suffrage, which featured Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz, among other prominent women. She has pushed legislation to promote women and underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. And she regularly supports legislation to advance women and Latinas’ professional opportunities, such as federal funding for Minority-Serving Institutions, including the four Hispanic-Serving Institutions in Nevada.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Colleagues Call on FIFA to Take Steps to Prevent Human Trafficking at the Upcoming World Cup

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) led a bipartisan group of 17 senators in a letter to officials at the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) urging the organization to ensure they are investing and working to prevent human trafficking before, during, and after the 2026 World Cup. The senators requested that FIFA share information about the steps it is taking to keep people safe in host cities and across North America, and what resources they are providing to help support communities across the continent. This letter is co-led by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.).

    “The FIFA World Cup is considered the world’s largest sporting event and is expected to bring millions of fans to the United States,” wrote the senators. “[…] We want to make sure that FIFA is considering how to combat human trafficking not just in host cities, but throughout North America. This collaboration should include robust preventative measures, partnerships with law enforcement, and engagement with community organizations to ensure that this World Cup serves as a model for future events.”

    “We respectfully request information about the comprehensive efforts FIFA is taking to support the Host City Committees in combatting human trafficking in host cities, states and across the continent, in addition to any financial commitments you are providing to Host Cities, local or national organizations and any education and training you are providing to your teams, players, and staff on the issue,” they continued. “We also request information about any efforts you are making with local and federal law enforcement and non-profits in advance of, during, and after the World Cup to support anti-trafficking and survivor assistance initiatives.”

    The 2026 World Cup will be the largest ever held, with 78 matches to be hosted in 11 American cities. Millions of visitors are expected to travel to the United States for the event. Given the risks of human trafficking associated with mass travel and a large sporting event, the senators are urging FIFA to take proactive steps to prevent trafficking.

    The full text of the letter can be found here.

    Senator Cortez Masto is an outspoken advocate for the survivors of human trafficking and sexual assault. Before Las Vegas hosted Super Bowl LVIII and the 2024 F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Senator Cortez Masto led similar letters, working with the lead sports organizations to support initiatives to combat human trafficking in Las Vegas. Her bipartisan federal bills to help train law enforcement to identify and prevent human trafficking through airports and combat human trafficking activity on social media were signed into law. She has introduced the bipartisan Jimmy Deal Trafficking Survivors Assistance Act to help human trafficking survivors access air travel so they can escape traffickers and get the care they need. And, she has co-sponsored bipartisan legislation that would prevent the trafficking of children by providing grants for the training of students, parents, and school personnel to respond to the signs of human trafficking.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Joins Warren, Pressley, Markey, Congressional Democrats Demanding Explanation for “Disturbing Arrest and Detention” of Tufts University Student

    US Senate News:

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

    Student seemingly arrested for her political views, lawmakers demand due process and answers
    WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) in writing to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Acting Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons, demanding information about the arrest and detention of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk and similar incidents across the country.
    “The Administration should not summarily detain and deport legal residents of this country merely for expressing their political views. Absent compelling evidence justifying her detention and the revocation of her status, we call for Ozturk’s release and the restoration of her visa,” wrote the lawmakers. 
    A total of 34 lawmakers signed the letter. In addition to Sens. Welch, Warren and Markey and Rep. Pressley, the following members joined in signing: Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), along with Representatives Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Don Beyer (D-Va.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii).
    On March 25, 2025, Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested on her way to a Ramadan dinner event by masked, plainclothes officers. Surveillance video shows officers loading Ozturk into an SUV and departing in three unmarked vehicles. Bystanders observed that the incident “looked like a kidnapping.”
    For almost 24 hours, Ozturk’s location was unknown and her lawyer could not locate her. On the afternoon of March 26, more than twelve hours after a district court judge ordered the federal government not to remove Ozturk from Massachusetts without at least 48 hours’ notice, ICE’s locator system was updated to show that she was being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center.
    This arrest appears to be one of the latest examples in a string of ICE arrests of university students with valid green cards and visas, seemingly on the basis of their political views. Ozturk was one of four authors of a 2024 op-ed in the Tufts student paper, which called for the university to “engage with and actualize” Israel- and Palestine-related resolutions passed by the university’s Student Senate.
    Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that the Administration will deny visas to those who “participate in that sort of activity,” referring to protest movements on campuses. Following Ozturk’s arrest, Tufts was informed that her “visa ha[d] been terminated” — similar to other recent cases in which ICE agents have declared, without a judicial or administrative hearing, that they were “terminating” or “revoking” students’ green cards and visas.
    The lawmakers asked the Departments of Homeland Security and State, along with ICE, to provide explanations for Ozturk’s arrest and visa revocation; her transportation to Louisiana despite a court order; officials’ use of unmarked vehicles, face coverings, and plain clothing; the federal government’s policies for terminating a student’s visa without a request from a university; and more. 
    Read the full text of the letter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement of U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine on Trump Executive Order Attacking Collective Bargaining Rights for Federal Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued a statement in response to President Trump’s latest attack on the federal workforce – an executive order targeting collective bargaining rights:

    “This is just another attempt by President Trump to ‘traumatize’ and illegally fire federal workers. Collective bargaining makes the federal workforce stronger, and undermining these rights does nothing to improve our national security. In fact, this order will only make us less safe, as this executive order is only Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s latest gambit to make it easier to fire the people who ensure public safety, prepare for pandemics, respond to natural disasters, and much, much more. This political attack on our civil servants must not stand.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Klobuchar, and Warner Announce Expected Vote Timing on their Bill to Undo Canada Tariffs that will Raise Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Next Tuesday, April 1, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on legislation led by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) to undo President Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, which amount to a 25 percent tax on goods imported from one of America’s top trading partners and closest allies. Since President Trump announced tariffs on Canada, there has been strong pushback from Americans, businesses, trade groups, and industry leaders.

    “President Trump’s taxes on Canadian goods have sent our economy into chaos, and Americans aren’t buying what he’s selling. They know they will pay the price with higher costs for everyday items, and their confidence in the economy is the lowest it has been in recent years,” said Kaine. “Many of my Republican colleagues in Congress have already expressed concerns about these tariffs, so the Senate’s upcoming vote on our legislation provides senators with the perfect opportunity to show Americans that they will stand up for their constituents and reverse the President’s disastrous economic policies.”

    “This Administration is igniting a reckless trade war and regular Americans are paying the price,” said Klobuchar. “Costs for everyone will go up and our farmers and businesses will suffer. Canada is Minnesota’s top trading partner and is a key U.S. ally. We must reverse these damaging tariffs before it’s too late.”

    “Trump’s tariffs on Canada are a self-inflicted wound—raising prices for American consumers, hurting workers, and straining one of our closest trade partnerships,” said Warner. “Now my Republican colleagues have an opportunity to weigh in—will they stand up for the American people or continue us down this damaging path?”

    In total, the tariffs President Trump announced on February 1 would cost the average American household up to $2,000 a year, with the Canada tariffs making up a significant portion of that. These tariffs represent the largest tax increase on American families in recent history. Polls have overwhelmingly demonstrated that the American people do not support Trump’s trade wars. According to a survey by Public First, just 28 percent of American adults supported specifically applying tariffs to Canada, while 43 percent opposed.

    In Virginia in 2024, Canada was the largest export market and accounted for 15 percent of Virginia exports. In Virginia in 2022, top goods exports to Canada included motor vehicles and transportation equipment, such as medium- and heavy-duty trucks. 56.1 percent of Southwest Virginia’s economic output is dependent on trade.

    Below is what Americans are saying about Trump’s tariffs on Canada:

    AFL-CIO Director of Government Affairs Jody Calemine: “On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to support S.J. Res. 37, a resolution introduced by Senator Tim Kaine to terminate the national emergency that was declared to justify tariffs on imports from Canada under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)… However, imposing large, across the board tariffs on Canada aimed at non-trade objectives will only cause unnecessary economic pain for workers and businesses on both sides of the border.”

    International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) International President Brian Bryant: “On behalf of the 600,000 active and retired members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), I write today in strong support of S.J. Res. 37… These new tariffs on Canada, one of our closest allies and largest trading partners, are unjust and will have lasting negative impacts on American and Canadian workers… The Trump administration’s erratic approach to tariffs is wreaking havoc on workers and businesses in the United States and Canada. Punishing one of our nation’s closest trading partners based on a false pretense is wrong and the action needs to be reversed.”

    International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) President Matthew S. Biggs and Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson: “As the Executive Officers of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), representing 90,000 workers in the private, public, and federal sectors across North America, we are writing in support of S.J. Res. 37… Canada is America’s closest ally and number one trading partner. Our trading relationship uplifts American and Canadian working families alike. Imposing reckless tariffs on Canadian imports will harm both the U.S. and Canadian economies and do even greater harm to working families on both sides of the border. Congress must step in now to block this reckless and destructive policy.”

    National Taxpayers Union: “Canada is an important supplier of goods that strengthen U.S. security, including crude oil, natural gas, steel, and aluminum. Tariffs that restrict our access to these supplies and increase their cost will weaken our industrial base and undermine our ability to sustain our defense in the event of a national emergency.”

    Taxpayers Protection Alliance President David Williams: “TPA enthusiastically supports Sens. Tim Kaine and Rand Paul’s CRA to overturn President Trump’s February 1, 2025, national emergency declaration. This use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) is fraught with issues. The ensuing trade war will inevitably raise costs for consumers. Placing a 25 percent tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico will harm consumers and the vast majority of American businesses.”

    United Steelworkers (USW) International President David McCall: “On behalf of the 850,000 active members of the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW), I urge you to support S.J. Res. 37, a resolution introduced by Senator Tim Kaine to terminate the national emergency that was declared to impose duties on imports from Canada, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)… These new tariffs are misdirected, unsubstantiated by facts, and harmful to the very workers we represent.”

    The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board: “None of this is supposed to happen under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that Mr. Trump negotiated and signed in his first term. The U.S. willingness to ignore its treaty obligations, even with friends, won’t make other countries eager to do deals. Maybe Mr. Trump will claim victory and pull back if he wins some token concessions. But if a North American trade war persists, it will qualify as one of the dumbest in history.”

    The Washington Post Editorial Board: “Markets have plummeted since Trump announced new levies on Canada, Mexico and China, erasing nearly all gains since his election… The tariffs are still likely to be economically destructive: They will snarl global supply chains, raise costs to consumers and cause layoffs in industries that depend on imported inputs like steel… This means more than just additional pain for consumers whipsawed by inflation, higher prices on imports and, now, the possibility of a recession.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Lankford Announces Yearlong Effort to Highlight the Work Ethic of Everyday Oklahomans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford

    Oklahoma City, OK— Sen. Lankford is launching a yearlong initiative to highlight the people who make Oklahoma strong—everyday Oklahomans who show up, get the job done, and help their neighbors along the way. “Oklahoma Works” is a new video series that will follow Sen. Lankford around the state as he meets with Oklahomans from all walks of life, including construction workers, teachers, first responders, farmers, mechanics, small business owners, healthcare workers, retail workers, and more. The goal is simple—highlight the work ethic and values of the people who make Oklahoma work.

    Watch Sen. Lankford explain the purpose of the project here and below:

    Below are three videos Sen. Lankford filmed to start this series:

    You can view the video here

    Sen. Lankford speaks with Ivy and James, workers at Warren Cat, which has been serving people by helping to fix heavy machinery for 40 years.

    You can view the video here

    Sen. Lankford speaks with Dawson and Blake, who live at A New Leaf, where people with intellectual disabilities can find safe and affordable housing, as well as vocational training.

    You can view the video here

    Sen. Lankford speaks with Lonnie, who has owned Limestone Construction for 16 years.

    Videos will be released throughout the year on social media and Sen. Lankford’s website. Each video will share the story of a different Oklahoman and the values that drive them. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lee Introduces the Working Families Flexibility Act for the 119th Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee

    Bill Would End the Unfair Discrimination Against Private-Sector Employees Caring for Families

    WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced a bill to help workers handle the constant challenge of work-life balance by allowing all individuals who work overtime to choose between monetary compensation or comp-time. The Working Family Flexibility Act would free workers to choose the best way to alleviate the difficulties of juggling work, home, kids, and community.  The legislation is co-sponsored by Sens. James Lankford (R-OK), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).

    “For many families, especially with young children, their most precious commodity is time,” said Sen. Lee. “But today, federal labor laws restrict the way moms, dads, and everyone else can use their time. For decades, Congress has given a special exemption from these laws to government employees. This is unacceptable. The same work-life options available to government employees should be available to private-sector workers, as well.” 

    “Working parents provide for their families, make ends meet, and take care of all the responsibilities that come with maintaining a household. That’s why now more than ever, moms and dads need the flexibility to maintain work-life balance at home,” said Sen. Capito. “Our legislation, the Working Families Flexibility Act, would help provide that flexibility by lifting restrictions on private-sector workers and affording them the same options government workers have when it comes to using their overtime benefits.”

    How It Works

    Gives employers the ability to offer their employees the option of comp time or overtime pay, both accrued at 1½ times the overtime hours worked.

    Requires employers who decide to offer this option to their employees to establish a written agreement with the employee outlining the options and to allow each employee to voluntarily choose the option that best fits his needs.

    Requires that comp time agreements be included in the collective bargaining agreement negotiated between the union and the employer for any employee represented by a union.

    Allows employees who choose to accrue comp time to accrue up to 160 hours each year.

    Allows employees to “cash out” their accrued comp time at the traditional overtime pay rate at any time throughout the year.

    Maintains all existing employee protections, including the current 40-hour workweek and overtime accrual, and provides additional safeguards to ensure that the choice to use comp time is voluntary.

    Requires employers to pay employees at the traditional overtime rate for any unused comp time at the end of each calendar year. 

    What It Accomplishes

    Ends the unfair discrimination against private-sector employees

    Enables parents to better balance work and family obligations

    Frees all workers to choose which commodity – time or money – is the more important resource at a given time

    Lessens the burden of unnecessary federal regulation

    You can read the one-pager HERE.

    You can read the bill text HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey, Warren, Pressley, Congressional Democrats Demand Explanation for “Disturbing Arrest and Detention” of Tufts University Student

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Student seemingly arrested for her political views, Sen. Markey demands her release 

    Letter Text (PDF) 

    Washington (March 28, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), today led over 30 lawmakers in writing to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Acting Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons, demanding information about the arrest and detention of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk and similar incidents across the country.

    “The Administration should not summarily detain and deport legal residents of this country merely for expressing their political views. Absent compelling evidence justifying her detention and the revocation of her status, we call for Ozturk’s release and the restoration of her visa,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    A total of 34 lawmakers signed the letter. In addition to Sens. Markey and Warren and Rep. Pressley, the following members joined in signing: Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), along with Representatives Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Don Beyer (D-Va.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii).

    On March 25, 2025, Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested on her way to a Ramadan dinner event by masked, plainclothes officers. Surveillance video shows officers loading Ozturk into an SUV and departing in three unmarked vehicles. Bystanders observed that the incident “looked like a kidnapping.”

    For almost 24 hours, Ozturk’s location was unknown and her lawyer could not locate her. On the afternoon of March 26, more than twelve hours after a district court judge ordered the federal government not to remove Ozturk from Massachusetts without at least 48 hours’ notice, ICE’s locator system was updated to show that she was being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center.

    This arrest appears to be one of the latest examples in a string of ICE arrests of university students with valid green cards and visas, seemingly on the basis of their political views. Ozturk was one of four authors of a 2024 op-ed in the Tufts student paper, which called for the university to “engage with and actualize” Israel- and Palestine-related resolutions passed by the university’s Student Senate.

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that the Administration will deny visas to those who “participate in that sort of activity,” referring to protest movements on campuses. Following Ozturk’s arrest, Tufts was informed that her “visa ha(d) been terminated” — similar to other recent cases in which ICE agents have declared, without a judicial or administrative hearing, that they were “terminating” or “revoking” students’ green cards and visas.

    The lawmakers asked the Departments of Homeland Security and State, along with ICE, to provide explanations for Ozturk’s arrest and visa revocation; her transportation to Louisiana despite a court order; officials’ use of unmarked vehicles, face coverings, and plain clothing; the federal government’s policies for terminating a student’s visa without a request from a university; and more. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Angling to Boost RI Fishing Industry, RI Delegation Introduces Bill to Give Ocean State Fishermen Greater Say on Catch Quotas

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to give Rhode Island fishermen a voice and voting power on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), which manages some of the most important fish stocks for the state’s commercial fishing industry – chief among them squid, the Rhode Island congressional delegation today announced the reintroduction of the Rhode Island Fishermen’s Fairness Act (S.1152/H.R.2375).
    The legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo would add Rhode Island to the list of states with voting representation on the MAFMC. Currently, the regional management board, which establishes fishery management rules for stocks primarily caught in the federal waters adjacent to the mid-Atlantic coast, consists of 21 voting members and four non-voting members from seven states.
    In 2023 – the most recent year for which data is available – Rhode Island led Atlantic states in the harvest of squid, landing more than 30.7 million pounds in the Ocean State and helping to make Point Judith one of the most productive and valuable commercial fishing ports in the nation.
    “Every decision the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council makes has a big impact on the livelihoods of Ocean State fishermen and the state’s economy.  Ensuring that Rhode Island has a voice and voting power on the council is a critical issue of fairness that I’ve led the charge on for years,” said Senator Reed, who has been pushing this issue since 2005. 
    “As climate change warms the oceans, fish traditionally found in the mid-Atlantic are moving north to the waters off southern New England,” said Whitehouse, Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee.  “Rhode Island fishermen play an important role in our economy, and our legislation will finally get them fair representation on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, where decisions are made about fish they’re catching.”
    “Fishing supports thousands of jobs in the Ocean State, yet Rhode Island lacks a voice on one of the most important committees that oversees the industry,” said Representative Magaziner.  “Our bill finally adds Rhode Island to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, ensuring Rhode Island fishermen have a seat at the table where key decisions about their livelihoods are made.”
    “In Rhode Island, fish are friends — and also food. Rhode Island’s commercial fishing industry supports thousands of jobs and plays a key role in our Blue Economy,” said Congressman Gabe Amo, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Environment.  “I’m glad to introduce this bill alongside my delegation colleagues to ensure our fishermen’s voices are heard on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.”
    The catch of Rhode Island commercial fishermen represents a significant percentage of commercial landings of the Mid-Atlantic fishery, and is greater than most of the states represented on the Council.  In fact, the Port of Galilee is the fourth highest valued fishing port on the East Coast and Rhode Island commercial fishermen landed nearly $82 million of seafood in 2023 alone. And in 2022, the commercial fishing industry contributed 9,342 jobs and an economic impact of $872 million for the Ocean State.
    Without representation on the MAFMC, Rhode Island cannot participate fully in development of fishery management plans for Mid-Atlantic stocks, many of which are crucial to the Rhode Island seafood economy.
    The Rhode Island Fishermen Fairness Act would add two places for Rhode Island representation to MAFMC.  One seat would be appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce under recommendations from Rhode Island’s Governor.  The second seat would be filled by Rhode Island’s principal state official with marine fishery management responsibility.  To accommodate these new members, the MAFMC would increase in size from 21 voting members to 23.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Frankel, Lawmakers Urge Trump Administration To Reverse Illegal Gutting Of U.S. Agency For Global Media

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    Lawmakers: These Actions Are Not Just Illegal And Wasteful, They Run Counter To Our Interests of Promoting Free Expression, Combating Censorship

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, and U.S. Representative Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security and Department of State, led a bicameral letter urging United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) Acting CEO Victor Morales and Special Advisor Kari Lake to rescind the Trump administration’s illegal actions to dismantle the agency, terminate grants for several government-funded outlets worldwide, and place Voice of America and other federal staff on administrative leave. In addition to Schatz and Frankel, the letter was signed by Democratic members of the their respective committees including U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), as well as U.S. Representatives Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Norma Torres (D-Calif.), and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.).

    “Congress reaffirmed its commitment to your agency, its mission, and its personnel by funding the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) at $866.9 million in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025, and expects that each of the entities will continue their unique mission of broadcasting content to audiences around the world,” the lawmakers wrote. “Your decisions to terminate the grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia (RFA) (in addition to withholding funds for the BenarNews service), Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and Open Technology Fund; place on administrative leave Voice of America (VOA), Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Technology, Services, and Innovation, and other federal staff; cancel hundreds of contracts; and pull transmissions from the air violate several provisions in the appropriations bill.”

    The lawmakers continued, “These actions are not just illegal and wasteful, they run counter to our interests. America’s authoritarian adversaries are investing billions in state-backed media, targeting the same countries USAGM entities reach. With an audience of 427 million people speaking more than 60 languages, USAGM networks are a trusted and reliable source of information in the face of state censorship, including in the People’s Republic of China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Afghanistan, and across Eastern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The technology developed by the Open Technology Fund and used across grantees will leave users who are dependent on their tools to circumvent censorship stranded. Once America loses the trust of these audiences, it will be difficult to get it back.”

    “We respectfully request that you rescind the actions you have taken to date and refrain from any further downsizing or terminations, and that you ensure you are in compliance with your legal requirements, including to consult and notify Congress of any proposed changes and to meet congressional spending directives,” the lawmakers concluded.

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

    Dear Acting CEO Morales and Ms. Lake:

    You are at the helm of an agency with a critical mission to increase freedom of expression, circumvent censorship, and deliver objective, accurate, and relevant information to hundreds of millions of people worldwide. This mission directly supports U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.

    Given its importance, we write to express our concerns with the decisions you have made in response to the March 14, 2025 Executive Order titled “Executive Order on Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.”

    Congress reaffirmed its commitment to your agency, its mission, and its personnel by funding the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) at $866.9 million in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025, and expects that each of the entities will continue their unique mission of broadcasting content to audiences around the world. Your decisions to terminate the grants to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia (RFA) (in addition to withholding funds for the BenarNews service), Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and Open Technology Fund; place on administrative leave Voice of America (VOA), Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Technology, Services, and Innovation, and other federal staff; cancel hundreds of contracts; and pull transmissions from the air violate several provisions in the appropriations bill. This includes sections 7015 and 7063, and the provisions under the United States Agency for Global Media heading, of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024, as carried forward by the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extension Act, 2025.

    Additionally, the actions you have taken to significantly downsize the agency, including termination of the new building lease and closeout costs, will cost the U.S. taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars.

    These actions are not just illegal and wasteful, they run counter to our interests. America’s authoritarian adversaries are investing billions in state-backed media, targeting the same countries USAGM entities reach. With an audience of 427 million people speaking more than 60 languages, USAGM networks are a trusted and reliable source of information in the face of state censorship, including in the People’s Republic of China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Afghanistan, and across Eastern Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The technology developed by the Open Technology Fund and used across grantees will leave users who are dependent on their tools to circumvent censorship stranded. Once America loses the trust of these audiences, it will be difficult to get it back.

    In 2020, when then-USAGM CEO Michael Pack instituted mass firings, then-Senator Rubio led a bipartisan effort to have such actions reversed. In the letter, Senator Rubio and colleagues stated:

    “We are at a critical moment in history where malign actors including Russia, China, and Iran, are using advanced tools and technology to undermine global democratic norms, spreading disinformation, and severely restricting their own free press to hamper access to independent news for their citizens. As these and other authoritarian regimes further crack down domestically, their citizens turn to outside media as their only trustworthy source of unbiased, accurate news.”

    This is no less true today.

    We are equally troubled that these actions put staff across all of those entities, who have faithfully served the interests of the U.S. government, at risk if they are forced to return to authoritarian countries where they may be subject to harassment, persecution, or arbitrary arrest. The agency appears to have no plan in place to address these risks. Already, 1,300 VOA staff and 75 percent of RFA U.S.-based staff have been put on leave.

    We respectfully request that you rescind the actions you have taken to date and refrain from any further downsizing or terminations, and that you ensure you are in compliance with your legal requirements, including to consult and notify Congress of any proposed changes and to meet congressional spending directives. We request that you respond to this letter no later than April 4, 2025 confirming your intent to do so.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Remarks On Accepting Star of Ukraine Award

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) received the Star of Ukraine Award, the U.S. Ukraine Foundation’s highest honor, on March 27, 2025. Below are the Senator’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

    “I am so humbled by this recognition. Clearly, in the selection process, Nadia and Bob McConnell didn’t mind a bit of good old-fashioned nepotism! No, no. The fact that I get to share a name with the longest-standing advocates for Ukraine in Washington is just a very fortunate coincidence. On the other hand, it is not by chance that Ukraine emerged from the Soviet Union onto the long, arduous path toward proud and sovereign democracy. It is not by accident that the Ukrainian people have repeatedly resisted Russian subversion and invasion with their flag planted firmly in the West.

    “From Nadia and Bob’s vision grew an institution that has walked hand-in-hand with our Ukrainian friends at every step of the way. I’m grateful to the entire Foundation team for the essential work you’ve done over the past three decades to help sustain and enrich the U.S.-Ukraine relationship. And I’ve been proud to share your cause.

    “I was proud to stand with freedom-loving people trapped behind the Iron Curtain, and to take up President Reagan’s promise in his message to the Captive Nations: that ‘your struggle is our struggle, your dream is our dream, and someday you, too, will be free.’ I believed then – and believe now – that when Soviet communism crumbled, the West had an interest in helping newly liberated nations like Ukraine find their way. I believed then – and now – that even as NATO fulfilled its founding purpose, the trans-Atlantic alliance would remain the essential cornerstone of the West’s defense.

    “In pursuit of a freer and more stable world, it’s been a privilege to work over the years with so many of you here tonight. But it is also an obligation. So I hope you’ll forgive me for saying things that those in this room already understand…Reiterating principles you already believe in…Acknowledging a reality you already know to be true…But which we cannot fail to impress upon others.

    “Peace is a noble goal. And few deserve it more than the people of Ukraine, who feel the absence of peace most viscerally…When they stand in the rubble of their homes, their schools, and their churches…And when they say goodbye to children or parents bound for the front, some never to return.

    “If there’s anyone who I’ll take at their word when they say they want peace, it’s the people who had peace stolen from them…The nation whose unique identity has led Kremlin totalitarians – time and time again – to starve, subjugate, and try to destroy it.

    “If the past three years of suffering have served any purpose, it has been to remind the West of a truth that Ukraine has known for generations. Peace is a noble goal. But as our friends on the front lines understand in their bones, the price of peace matters. It matters today like it mattered in 1938, when the West took an aggressor at his word and trusted that his aims were modest, that he acted in good faith, and that appeasement would yield ‘peace for our time’.

    “Will the price of peace yet again be fawning Western weakness? Will we entertain Putin’s claim on Russian speakers beyond his borders like the West acquiesced to Hitler’s claim on German speakers?

    “The past three years have shown again how easily aggressors can twist history to suit their whims and provide fig leaves for their apologists, fifth columns, and useful idiots in the West.

    “We’ve seen a neo-Soviet imperialist spin medieval fictions to erase Ukraine’s history while his troops work to erase its modern sovereignty. But real history still offers real lessons. And if we fail to heed them, we only have ourselves to blame.

    “In 1985, when I was very new to the Senate, Margaret Thatcher came to Washington and addressed a joint session of Congress. Her message was clear: ‘Wars are not caused by the build up of weapons. They are caused when an aggressor believes he can achieve his objectives at an acceptable price. The war of 1939 was not caused by an arms race. It sprang from a tyrant’s belief that other countries lacked the means and the will to resist him.’ We know the Iron Lady was right. And we saw her words ring true three years ago.

    “America was in retreat from Afghanistan. Despite Putin’s invasions of Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014, Europe was still in denial about the urgent requirements of collective security. And a tyrant concluded – rightly – that our deterrence was neither capable nor credible. Of course, what he failed to account for was the unshakeable resolve of Ukraine. For three years now, we’ve watched the Ukrainian military adapt and innovate faster than America and Western allies could hope to, ourselves. Under constant siege, they’ve managed – for one thing – to become world leaders in tactical drones.

    “Ukrainians have seen the future of war…and they’re mastering it. Turning our backs on such capable partners isn’t just immoral. It’s self-defeating. Today – finally – European allies are making strides toward more capable forces of their own. But after three years, America is no more credible in the commitments we make to stand with our allies or defend our own clear interests. And our own capabilities are in decline. The continuing resolution Congress passed earlier this month was only the latest missed opportunity to get serious about restoring American hard power.

    “This war is a reminder that what happens in one region has implications in another… That weakness in the face of one adversary would invite aggression from another even closer to home…That our credibility was not divisible. Allies half a world away in Asia have told us the same – that Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression matters to those who live in China’s shadow. America can’t afford to ignore these lessons. But that’s exactly what some of the President’s advisors are urging him to do.

    “When the President’s envoys trumpet the magnanimity of a thuggish autocrat, they do so under the watchful eyes of his friends in Beijing, Tehran, and Pyongyang. When his representatives in negotiations masquerade as neutral arbiters, or legitimize sham elections, or treat aggressor and victim as morally equivalent, they do so in full view of longtime partners across the globe – some who know the taste of aggression, and some who have good reason to fear its imminent arrival.

    “When American officials court the favor of an adversary at the expense of allies…When they mock our friends to impress an enemy…They reveal their embarrassing naivete.

    “Unless we change course, the outcome we’re headed for today is the one we can least afford: a headline that reads ‘Russia wins, America loses’…An illusory peace that shreds America’s credibility, leaves Ukraine under threat, weakens our alliances, and emboldens our enemies.

    “Back in 1940, FDR warned that ‘no man can tame a tiger into a kitten by stroking it’. But of course, by then, stroking and appeasement had already invited world war. And America was already on its way to spending more than a third of its GDP on fighting and winning it.

    “War is a heck of a lot more expensive than deterrence. After military spending hit 37% of GDP during World War II, it reached 13.8% during Korea, 9.1% during Vietnam, and 6% during the Reagan buildup that sealed the Cold War. The principle behind that build-up has returned as the most popular phrase in Washington today: peace through strength. But too many of those who use it – particularly among the President’s advisors – don’t seem ready to summon the resources and national will it requires. They ought to go back to the wisdom of President Reagan’s friend, Mrs. Thatcher. The rest of her advice to Congress goes like this: ‘Our task is to see that potential aggressors, from whatever quarter, understand plainly that the capacity and the resolve of the West would deny them victory in war and that the price they would pay would be intolerable.’

    “We have a lot of work to do on this front. The ‘resolve of the West’ will require that we actually stand with the West. Instead of mocking European allies and partners, it’ll mean building a stronger trans-Atlantic alliance…And continuing the work championed by another of tonight’s worthy honorees, Jens Stoltenberg.

    “Threatening ‘intolerable costs’ will require credibility. The best way to lose credibility – with allies in Europe and with friends further afield – is to abandon Ukraine as beyond the scope of our interests.

    “Just this week, the director of the CIA told my Senate colleagues that Ukraine and its people have been underestimated, and that they would ‘fight with their bare hands if they have to, if they don’t have terms that are acceptable to an enduring peace.’

    “Imagine, then, what would be possible at the negotiating table if we had given Ukraine the tools it needed on the battlefield when they needed them most. Imagine Ukraine’s leverage today if the West had armed it to the teeth from the get-go. And consider what’s still possible if America chooses today to stand behind our friends…If we committed to helping Ukraine secure a just and enduring peace.

    “I’ll close with an observation the great historian, Bernard Lewis, attributed to a Turkish general. It goes like this: ‘The Americans are dangerous allies. You never know when they are going to turn around and stab themselves in the back.’

    “To cut off Ukraine is to stab ourselves in the back. So is the denigration of allies who have fought and died alongside us. The Americans should be dangerous allies. The kind so dangerous that enemies of democracy, sovereignty, and free commerce wouldn’t dare to doubt our commitments or our resolve.

    “We’ve got a long road ahead. But I’m proud to share it with all of you. Thank you very much.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy in The Advocate: Unwinding Biden-era energy rules crucial for Louisiana

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today penned this op-ed in The Advocate praising the joint effort between Congress and the Trump administration to unleash Louisiana’s energy production through deregulation.
    Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:
    “President Joe Biden spent four years trying to drag the U.S. into the dark ages with his anti-energy policies. Thanks to the wisdom of the American people, though, those days are over.
    “American energy independence is back on the horizon under President Trump’s leadership. He just signed my resolution to repeal the first of many Biden-era rules that were crushing Louisiana’s energy producers. This is only the beginning of our shared effort to clean up the massive mess that the Biden administration left behind.”
     
    . . .
     
    “While President Trump’s team has made some tremendous progress in scaling back these anti-energy policies, they cannot do it all on their own. If the Biden administration implemented these changes as formal rules, the Trump administration must introduce its own formal rules to reverse the initial policies. This can take months.
    “Congress, however, has a tool to help the Trump administration expedite rule changes. It’s called the Congressional Review Act (CRA), and it allows lawmakers to wipe bad rules off the books.
    “I’ve already started putting this tool to work for the American people. I introduced a joint resolution of disapproval under the CRA to eliminate a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management rule that required oil and gas producers in the Gulf of America to submit archaeological reports to the federal government before drilling or laying pipelines.”
     
    . . .
     
    “Small and independent operations make up roughly one-third of all oil production in the Gulf, and this rule would have cost them millions of dollars. Fortunately, my colleagues in Congress agreed that this rule was bogus. Last week, President Trump signed my CRA into law and rendered that rule void.
    “President Biden made a disgusting mess of America’s energy sector by sticking bad regulations on producers like gum to a park bench. Louisianians can count on us to keep scraping away at these terrible regulations until each one is repealed and America has returned to a position of energy dominance.”
    Read Kennedy’s full op-ed here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Moran Provides Opening Remarks at Hearing to Review NTSB Preliminary Report on DCA Flight Tragedy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation – today provided opening remarks during a hearing to examine the preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on the deadly crash involving American Airlines 5342 and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
    “Sixty-seven lives that were lost on January 29th were taken prematurely in an accident that by all indications should have been avoided,” said Sen. Moran. “NTSB’s preliminary report into the midair collision provides insights into the events of January 29th, but many questions still need to be answered, not only by the NTSB’s investigation, but by our nation’s aviation safety regulator and by the Army.”
    Click HERE to View Sen. Moran’s Opening Remarks
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: D.C. District Court Dismisses Standing Rock DAPL Lawsuit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    BISMARCK, N.D. – Judge James Boasberg of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted North Dakota’s motion to dismiss the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s latest lawsuit to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline. 
    U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement after the dismissal:
    “Even Judge Boasberg could barely make sense of the latest spaghetti against the wall lawsuit seeking a shutdown of a vital part of our nation’s energy backbone. Today’s dismissal is a win for rationality and sanity. Thank you to the state of North Dakota and Energy Transfer, who have fought for years to put an end to this legal nonsense.”
    Click here for the Memorandum Opinion.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Announces Upcoming Mobile Office Hours

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) announced his constituent casework staff will be hosting Mobile Office Hours around the state.

    At Mobile Office Hours, Ricketts’ staff will be on-site to assist Nebraskans with their casework needs. If Nebraskans can’t get an answer in a timely manner or feel they have been treated unfairly, Ricketts and his staff may be able to help resolve the issue or help them get in touch with the correct people.

    All times below are local. For more information about Ricketts’ constituent services, please visit https://www.ricketts.senate.gov/services.

    Monday, March 31, 2025

    Kimball County

    KCTS Building

    10:30 am – 11:30 am MT

    233 S. Chestnut Street

    Kimball, NE 69145

    Banner County

    Banner County Courthouse

    9:00 am – 10:00 am MT

    204 State Street

    Harrisburg, NE 69345

    Tuesday, April 1, 2025

    Fillmore County

    Fillmore County Courthouse

    County Board of Supervisors Room

    10:00 am – 11:00 am 

    900 G Street

    Geneva, NE 68361

    Thayer County

    Thayer County Courthouse

    Commissioner’s Room

    1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

    225 N 4th Street

    Hebron, NE 68370

    Thomas County

    Thomas County Courthouse
    1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

    503 Main Street

    Thedford, NE 69166

    Friday, April 4, 2025

    Cuming County 

    Cuming County Courthouse

    1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

    200 S. Lincoln Street

    West Point, NE 68788

    Tuesday, April 8, 2025

    Perkins County

    Perkins County Courthouse 

    9:00 am – 10:00 am MT

    200 Lincoln Avenue

    Grant, NE 69140

    Washington County

    Washington County Courthouse

    10:00 am – 11:00 am

    1555 Colfax Street

    Blair, NE 68008

    Nemaha County

    Nemaha County Courthouse

    10:30 am – 11:30 am 

    1824 N Street

    Basement Meeting Room

    Auburn, NE 68305 

    Chase County

    Chase County Courthouse

    11:00 am – 12:00 pm MT

    921 Broadway 

    Drivers Examiner’s Room

    Imperial, NE 69033

    Dundy County

    Dundy County Courthouse

    1:00 pm – 2:00 pm MT

    112 W 7th Avenue

    Benkelman, NE 69021

    Richardson County

    Richardson County Courthouse

    1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

    1700 Stone Street

    Commissioner Room

    Falls City, NE 68355

    Hitchcock County

    Hitchcock County Courthouse

    3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

    229 East D Street

    Trenton, NE 69044

    Wednesday, April 9, 2025 

    Hayes County

    Hayes County Courthouse

    9:00 am – 10:00 am 

    505 Troth Street

    Hayes Center, NE 69032

    Sherman County 

    Sherman County Courthouse 

    11:00 am – 12:00 pm 

    630 O Street 

    Loup City, NE 68853

    Frontier County

    Frontier County Courthouse

    11:30 am – 12:30 pm

    1 Wellington Street

    Stockville, NE 69042

    Thursday, April 10, 2025

    Deuel County

    Deuel County Courthouse 

    10:30 am – 11:30 am MT

    718 3rd Street 

    Chappell, NE 69129

    Keith County

    Keith County Courthouse 

    1:00 pm – 2:00 pm MT

    511 N Spruce Street

    Ogallala, NE 69153

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Defense Officials to Fischer: Without Full Access to Spectrum, Golden Dome Could Not Be Executed

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Today, during a hearing on the Senate Armed Services’ Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) questioned defense officials who confirmed that if portions of certain bands of spectrum currently utilized by the Department of Defense were auctioned off, President Trump’s Golden Dome could not be executed.
    Click the image above to watch a video of Senator Fischer’s questioning
    Click here to download audio
    Click here to download video
    Fischer Questions Defense Leadership:
    Senator Fischer: General Whiting, what would be the impacts to the mission effectiveness of SPACECOM were the government to auction off spectrum currently utilized by the Department? Could golden dome even take place?
    General Whiting: Ma’am, we could not execute golden dome without full access to those two spectrums that we discussed earlier, the lower three, and then the 7-8 GHz. We use that lower three band, again, through so many of our radars to be able to track from the ground, and then the 7-8 GHz band is so important for our communications and other special missions. I can only see those requirements getting bigger for those spectrums as Golden Dome delivers.
    Senator Fischer: And if it was auctioned off, and if it was vacated by the Department, what’s the time frame, not to mention the cost? What is the time frame in research development for those new sensors to be even located in another spectrum that wouldn’t have the capability that the current spectrum has to even to even accomplish that 10 years, 20 years?
    General Whiting: Madam Chair, I don’t have a timeline because I think our focus has been not on vacating that but figuring out if there’s a way to share that spectrum through dynamic spectrum sharing. And I understand there’s technologies there that may make that available. The Department has done some studies on that and laid out a series of conditions that would need to be met if dynamic spectrum sharing can occur. And I endorse that those conditions must be met if we’re going to figure out a way to share that spectrum with commercial industry.
    Senator Fischer: Can dynamic sharing take place now?
    General Whiting: Ma’am, I am told the technology is close to being ready. I don’t know if it is actually ready today, but we would want to verify that.
    Senator Fischer: Do we need to test?
    General Whiting: Yes, Ma’am, absolutely.
    Senator Fischer: General Cotton, same question to you, if the government were to auction off spectrum currently utilized by the Department. How would STRATCOM’s mission effectiveness be impacted?
    General Cotton: It would be impacted, Madam Chair, because of what would happen is, to the point that was made by General Whiting, you know, we count on understanding what the threat looks like, being able to see that threat before it actually comes. We call that left of launch type of activities, as well as what we’re talking about in the higher bands on what is the capacity and capability of my three legs to be able to utilize SATCOM, etc. It would absolutely affect us.
    Senator Fischer: Thank you, sir.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Pressley, Markey, Congressional Democrats Demand Explanation for “Disturbing Arrest and Detention” of Tufts University Student

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    March 28, 2025
    Student seemingly arrested for her political views, lawmakers demand due process and answers
    Text of Letter (PDF) 
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) led over 30 lawmakers in writing to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Acting Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons, demanding information about the arrest and detention of Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk and similar incidents across the country.
    “The Administration should not summarily detain and deport legal residents of this country merely for expressing their political views. Absent compelling evidence justifying her detention and the revocation of her status, we call for Ozturk’s release and the restoration of her visa,” wrote the lawmakers. 
    A total of 34 lawmakers signed the letter. In addition to Sens. Warren and Markey and Rep. Pressley, the following members joined in signing: Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), along with Representatives Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Don Beyer (D-Va.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), and Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii).
    On March 25, 2025, Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested on her way to a Ramadan dinner event by masked, plainclothes officers. Surveillance video shows officers loading Ozturk into an SUV and departing in three unmarked vehicles. Bystanders observed that the incident “looked like a kidnapping.”
    For almost 24 hours, Ozturk’s location was unknown and her lawyer could not locate her. On the afternoon of March 26, more than twelve hours after a district court judge ordered the federal government not to remove Ozturk from Massachusetts without at least 48 hours’ notice, ICE’s locator system was updated to show that she was being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center.
    This arrest appears to be one of the latest examples in a string of ICE arrests of university students with valid green cards and visas, seemingly on the basis of their political views. Ozturk was one of four authors of a 2024 op-ed in the Tufts student paper, which called for the university to “engage with and actualize” Israel- and Palestine-related resolutions passed by the university’s Student Senate.
    Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that the Administration will deny visas to those who “participate in that sort of activity,” referring to protest movements on campuses. Following Ozturk’s arrest, Tufts was informed that her “visa ha(d) been terminated” — similar to other recent cases in which ICE agents have declared, without a judicial or administrative hearing, that they were “terminating” or “revoking” students’ green cards and visas.
    The lawmakers asked the Departments of Homeland Security and State, along with ICE, to provide explanations for Ozturk’s arrest and visa revocation; her transportation to Louisiana despite a court order; officials’ use of unmarked vehicles, face coverings, and plain clothing; the federal government’s policies for terminating a student’s visa without a request from a university; and more. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: At Hearing, Warren Highlights Risk of DoD Drug Supply Produced Overseas, Military Leader Agrees on the Need For Domestic Drug Manufacturing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    March 28, 2025
    A report reveals supply chain for a third of all drugs on the FDA essential medicines list is at very high risk because the ingredients are sourced from foreign countries. 
    “This overreliance gives our adversaries the power to restrict DoD access to drugs when we need to be able to treat our men and women in uniform.”
    Video of Exchange (YouTube)
    Washington, D.C. – At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioned Mr. Keith M. Bass, nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, on the Department of Defense’s (DoD) pharmaceutical supply chain vulnerabilities. Mr. Bass committed to purchasing essential drugs from domestic manufacturers and working to expand DoD’s capabilities of manufacturing essential drugs in-house.
    Senator Warren has raised concerns about the DoD’s overreliance on foreign drug manufacturers and ensuing supply chain risks, including drug shortages and their impact on service members’ health and national security. 
    “DoD should prioritize domestic purchasing, but there are some instances where it makes sense for DOD to actually produce the medication itself,” said the senator.
    Mr. Bass agreed with the Senator on the need to have onshore capabilities: “The health and well-being of all of our military members is a priority… I commit to working with you and your staff.”
    Senator Warren secured provisions in the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act that requires the Pentagon to establish a plan to ensure access to safe, high-quality pharmaceutical products and eliminate or mitigate risks in the pharmacy supply chain, including the feasibility of establishing a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility owned and operated by the Department of Defense (DoD).
    Transcript: Hearings to examine the nominations of Troy Meink, Michael Duffy, Emil Michael, and Keith BassSenate Armed Services CommitteeMarch 27, 2025
    Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you. Mr. Chairman, healthcare for our men and women in uniform is critical in peacetime and even more so in wartime. Mr. Bass, if you are confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, you’re going to be responsible for ensuring nearly 10 million service members and their families receive quality health care, including timely access to medication. I am very concerned about our overreliance on foreign nations for the very medications that put the health of service members at risk and our national security along with it. 
    DoD spends over $5 billion on prescription drugs each year. It’s a lot of money. But in November 2023, the Defense Logistics Agency released a report revealing that the supply chain for a third of all drugs on the FDA essential medicines list is at very high risk. Why? Because the ingredients from these drugs are sourced from China, or we don’t even know where they’re sourced from. 
    So, Mr. Bass, do you agree that it is a threat to our readiness and to the potential health of our service members that DoD’s pharmaceutical supply chain relies so heavily on China?
    Mr. Keith Bass: Thank you, Senator, and thank you again for meeting with me. I do agree that it is a threat. It is a vulnerability.
    Senator Warren: This overreliance gives our adversaries the power to restrict DoD access to drugs when we need to be able to treat our men and women in uniform. It also leaves us with much less visibility into the practices of foreign manufacturers, which, by the way, routinely have quality issues that threaten both the efficacy and the safety of these drugs. For these reasons, the DoD report recommends boosting the production of finished drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and other key starting materials so that we are making more of this right here in the United States. 
    Mr. Bass, do you think DoD should work to onshore the critical drugs the military needs, including writing contracts that require manufacturers to onshore these capabilities? 
    Mr. Bass: Thank you, Senator. I do. I think that we need to work with our industrial base, our private and public partners, and we need to have rapid response contracts, and we need to make sure that we have either onshore or near-shore capabilities.
    Senator Warren: Good. I’m glad to hear you say this. DoD should prioritize domestic purchasing, but there are some instances where it makes sense for DoD to actually produce the medication itself, like when the DoD is the sole customer for that medication. One example: the adenovirus vaccine, which is critical in preventing serious respiratory illness among service members, particularly service members in basic training. DoD developed the vaccine and licensed it then to private industry, but because the military is basically the only buyer, DoD couldn’t find a commercial manufacturer for nearly a decade. DoD eventually had to pay a private manufacturer nearly $100 million just to resume production. And during the years that the private sector refused to manufacture for DoD, there were thousands of cases of adenovirus per month and service members who actually died. 
    So Mr. Bass, if confirmed, will you commit to expanding DoD’s capabilities of producing essential drugs in-house to reduce risk and to secure DoD’s medical supply chain?
    Mr. Bass: Thank you, Senator. The health and well-being of all of our military members is a priority. I’m not familiar with the report, but I commit to working with you and your staff. 
    Senator Warren: All right, I appreciate that, because this is a serious problem, and ultimately, these are investments that will pay off. One expert estimated that the DoD would make its money back in three years after building its own adenovirus manufacturing facility. This is a long-standing, bipartisan concern. I worked with Senator Rubio for years on this, and last year, the Senate adopted our language directing the DoD to enter into contracts to domestically manufactured drugs and drug components that are currently sourced overseas and that are used exclusively by the military. I want to see us get that in the final version of the NDAA. There’s more work to do, and I look forward to working with you on this, Mr. Bass. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: March 27th, 2025 Heinrich Joins Bicameral Push Urging Trump Administration to Reinstate Executive Order Supporting Tribal Self-Determination

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) and the New Mexico Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to reinstate Biden-era Executive Order 14112, titled “Reforming Federal Funding and Support for Tribal Nations to Better Embrace Our Trust Responsibilities and Promote the Next Era of Tribal Self-Determination.”

    President Trump’s decision to revoke the Executive Order reversed a significant policy designed to empower Tribal Nations by improving their access to federal funding and reducing bureaucratic hurdles. Signed by President Biden in 2023, the order aimed to reduce government interference on Tribal funding, and to make sure federal agencies meet their legal obligations for tribes.

    The order had tangible positive impacts, including facilitating federal support for tribal emergency response efforts and funding critical infrastructure projects such as fisheries management and broadband connectivity. It also established the Tribal Access to Capital Clearinghouse, a centralized hub for Native businesses to navigate federal funding opportunities. Its revocation creates uncertainty for Tribal Nations, potentially reinstating restrictive barriers to funding and creating instability in federally supported tribal programs.

    The letter pointed to key provisions of the rescinded executive order that aligned with the administration’s stated goals, including increasing “accessibility, flexibility, and utility of Federal funding and programs for Tribal Nations, while increasing the transparency, and efficiency of Federal funding processes.” The lawmakers warned that removing these provisions will exacerbate challenges that already hinder Tribal Nations’ ability to meet their communities’ needs.

    “Too often, federal funding processes impose unnecessary barriers for Tribal Nations, including restrictive limitations and burdensome reporting requirements,” the lawmakers wrote. “Without the coordination and efficiency processes established under the Tribal Self-Determination EO, these challenges will only grow, creating uncertainty and instability that directly undermines tribal self-determination.”

    The lawmakers called on the administration to immediately reinstate Executive Order 14112 and engage in meaningful consultation with Tribal Nations moving forward.

    “We urge you to restore [the Biden-era executive order] and work directly with Tribal Nations, Congress, and your federal agencies to ensure Tribal Nations are able to exercise their sovereignty and more efficiently access federal support,” the letter concluded.

    The full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:

    Dear President Trump: 

    We write to request your reconsideration of your recent decision1 to rescind Executive Order 14112, “Reforming Federal Funding and Support for Tribal Nations to Better Embrace Our Trust Responsibilities and Promote the Next Era of Tribal Self-Determination” (Tribal Self-Determination EO). The Tribal Self Determination EO was designed to improve the efficiency and coordination of federal funding and demonstrate the Federal Government’s commitment to upholding its treaty and trust obligations to Tribal Nations. Because the Tribal Self-Determination EO is intended to improve efficiency, coordination, and respect for Native American Tribes, we believe it is a policy position that your administration and all subsequent administrations would favor. 

    Tribal Nations have a legal, government-to-government relationship with the United States. The inherent sovereignty of Tribal Nations is recognized in the U.S. Constitution, in treaties, and across many federal laws and policies. It is important that your administration not include Tribes in any efforts to target diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Tribal Nations have legal status as a political, not racial class and the United States has a trust responsibility to them.

    Section five of the Tribal Self-Determination EO directed agencies to increase the accessibility, flexibility, and utility of Federal funding and programs for Tribal Nations, while increasing the transparency and efficiency of Federal funding processes. This aligns closely with the administration’s stated goals to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity. Too often, federal funding processes impose unnecessary barriers for Tribal Nations, including restrictive limitations and burdensome reporting requirements that hinder Tribal Nations from meeting their communities’ needs. Without the coordination and efficiency processes established under the Tribal Self-Determination EO, these challenges will only grow, creating uncertainty and instability that directly undermines tribal self-determination. 

    We request an explanation of why the Tribal Self-Determination EO was rescinded, and whether any Tribal Nations were consulted prior to its rescission. We urge you to restore Executive Order 14112 and work directly with Tribal Nations, Congress, and your federal agencies to ensure Tribal Nations are able to exercise their sovereignty and more efficiently access federal support.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Announces Senate Votes to Block Arms Sales to Israel

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, March 27 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) today released the following statement announcing his intention to bring to the Senate floor two Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) to block the sale of certain offensive U.S. weaponry to Israel:

    Next week, I will force Senate votes on two Joint Resolutions of Disapproval I have introduced to block certain offensive arms sales to Israel. These sales, proposed by the Trump Administration, would provide $8.8 billion in bombs and other munitions to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s extremist government to continue its destruction of Gaza. Netanyahu has clearly violated U.S. and international law in this brutal war, and we must end our complicity in the carnage.  

    No humanitarian aid has entered Gaza in more than three and a half weeks, since Israeli authorities announced a complete blockade – that’s no food, water, medicine, or fuel since the start of March. Blocking humanitarian aid is morally abhorrent and a clear violation of both the Geneva Convention and the Foreign Assistance Act. 

    This war has been conducted almost entirely with American weapons and some $18 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars. Israel has dropped U.S.-provided 2,000-pound bombs into crowded neighborhoods, killing hundreds of civilians to take out a handful of Hamas fighters, and made little effort to distinguish between civilians and combatants. These actions are immoral and illegal. The latest Trump sales provide almost $8.8 billion more in U.S. bombs and other munitions, including more than 35,000 massive 2,000-pound bombs. 

    The United States must not continue to supply endless amounts of military aid and weaponry to the Netanyahu government. It is particularly unconscionable while President Trump and Israeli officials openly talk of forcibly displacing millions of people from Gaza to make way for what Trump calls a “Riviera.” There is a name for such a policy — ethnic cleansing — and it’s a war crime. 

    Hamas started this war with its brutal terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 innocent people and took 250 hostages. Israel had a right to respond against Hamas. But Netanyahu’s extremist government has instead waged an all-out war against the entire Palestinian people. Out of a population of 2.2 million, more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 112,000 have been injured – 60 percent of whom are women, children, and elderly people. In the last week alone, eight aid workers have been killed in Gaza, bringing the total to 399. Israel’s bombardment has damaged or destroyed 92 percent of the housing in Gaza, and devastated the civilian infrastructure and the health care system. Every single one of Gaza’s 12 universities has been bombed, as have hundreds of schools. 

    Congress must act to block these arms sales.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch, Blackburn, King Introduce Bicameral States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act to Improve Interstate Health Care Workforce Licensing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Angus King (I-Maine) introduced the States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act, bipartisan legislation to improve interstate health care workforce licensing and improve access to care across America by cutting through red tape.  
    Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Tracey Mann (R-KS-01) and Joe Neguse (D-CO-02).  
    “There is no question that the health care industry is facing workforce shortages—and that’s especially true for rural states like Vermont. That’s why it makes no sense that a licensing agency in Vermont can’t see the status of a background check, slowing down valuable time onboarding a new health care provider. The SHARE Act is a good-faith effort to cut through red tape in a commonsense way. This bill would remove a bureaucratic hoop and improve patients’ access to the health care they need while protecting their safety. It is important we find common ground on ways to make Washington work better for working families, which is why I’m pleased to partner with my colleague Senator Blackburn on this bill,” said Sen. Peter Welch. 
    “Bureaucratic red tape is delaying critical healthcare workers from serving rural Tennessee, leaving working families without the timely treatment they need,” said Senator Blackburn. “The SHARE Act delivers a commonsense reform by streamlining background check recognition across states, ensuring patients get proper care while showing Washington can work smarter for everyday people.” 
    “No matter where you choose to live, you deserve access to quality health care — and boosting our medical workforce is a smart way to do that,” said Senator King. “Communities all across Maine — especially those in rural areas — are facing an unprecedented shortage of health care workers, making it difficult to deliver care. The bipartisan SHARE Act would address the health care workforce shortage by allowing health care workers in neighboring states to more easily serve patients across state lines. This is a commonsense way to increase access via telehealth, streamline the hiring and onboarding processes, eliminating the bureaucratic red tape that stands between rural Maine people and their care providers.” 
    “We need flexibility in our health care systems to ensure rural communities like those in the Big First have access to good, quality care,” said Rep. Mann “As hospitals and care giving facilities across rural America navigate the challenges of recruiting and retaining health care providers, Congress should correct this technical error and remove processes that only make that challenge harder. Our bill expedites the licensure process for providers by allowing the FBI to share background checks across state lines and empower health care providers to serve rural communities where care is most needed without being handcuffed by where a state ends or begins. If we want to improve the health of those in the Big First, and in rural areas and communities around the country, we must expand employment opportunities for our rural health care providers.” 
    The States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act amends existing federal law to authorize the FBI to conduct criminal background checks for state licensing agencies and reduce bureaucratic red tape, which can create a barrier to care. Many of these inter-state compacts (or legislatively enacted agreements between states) face a roadblock, as some state regulatory agencies have been denied, or had their authorization revoked, to obtain FBI criminal background checks for verification of a licensee’s eligibility.   
    The legislation ensures criminal history record information is maintained in the same manner as requests for all occupational licenses handled at the state level. In accordance with how compact commissions already operate, the SHARE Act specifies that criminal history record information cannot be shared with any entity other than a state licensing agency which requests the criminal background check. 
    The States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act is supported by the Alliance for Connected Care; American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA); American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Tennessee;  American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); Council of State Governments (CSG); EMS Compact; Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB); Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (ICNLCA); Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC); National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN); Occupational Therapy Compact Commission; and Vermont Board of Medical Practice. 
    “The Alliance for Connected Care believes that one of the most promising capabilities of telehealth is creating health care access where it is currently limited – including through more care across state lines.  We applaud the leaders of the SHARE Act for introducing legislation that would help to reduce barriers to this care,” said Chris Adamec, Executive Director, Alliance for Connected Care. 
    “The American Academy of Physician Associates strongly supports the SHARE Act,” said AAPA CEO Lisa M. Gables, CPA.  “By removing the red tape and administrative burdens on licensure compacts, this legislation will promote workforce development and strengthen the labor market. It will also improve consumer access to highly qualified practitioners and leverage the use of new medical technologies, such as telehealth. The SHARE Act would have a major impact on increasing access to healthcare while allowing states to protect their authority to determine who is eligible to practice in the state.” 
    “The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) strongly supports the SHARE Act. Occupational therapy practitioners are vital to helping individuals live independent, meaningful lives. The SHARE Act will allow practitioners to bring their expertise where it is needed most, ensuring timely access to care for patients and families. We applaud this legislation as a step toward a more flexible and modern healthcare system.” said Katie Jordan, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA, CEO, AOTA.   
    “APTA-Tennessee endorses the SHARE Act, and we hope the 119th Congress will approve this bipartisan legislation.  The SHARE Act will provide Tennesseans in medically underserved areas with greater access to physical therapy care by ensuring that PTs and other healthcare providers are quickly enabled to treat patients in multiple states,” said Sarah Suddarth, APTA Tennessee President.   
    “The Council of State Governments has worked to develop professional licensure compacts in coordination with numerous state, federal, and professional partners. These combined efforts have contributed to states gaining greater access to qualified professionals across the nation and the essential services they provide. 52 states and territories have enacted at least one of these compacts with each state enacting at least 6, on average. CSG recognizes the importance of passage of the SHARE Act to ensure states can fully operationalize the licensure compacts they have enacted. The states clearly realize the need for improved licensure portability and increasing their healthcare workforce and as a result recognize the importance of the SHARE Act. CSG stands in support of the SHARE Act and the efforts across the nation to ensure its successful passage by Congress,” said Dan Logsdon, Director, National Center for Interstate Compacts. 
    “The EMS Compact strongly supports the SHARE Act as a critical measure to enhance public safety and strengthen the EMS workforce,” said Donnie Woodyard, MAML, NRP, Executive Director of the United States EMS Compact. “It is essential for public protection that state licensing officials have the ability to review criminal history records for all applicants. This fundamental safeguard ensures that only qualified and vetted EMS clinicians are entrusted with patient care, reinforcing the integrity and reliability of our nation’s emergency medical services.” 
    “The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) strongly supports the SHARE Act as a critical step toward addressing our nation’s healthcare workforce shortage and enhancing patient access to care,” said Humayun J. Chaudhry, DO, MACP, President and CEO of FSMB. “The SHARE Act will ensure state medical boards have the information necessary to make licensing decisions and support the interstate practice of medicine.” 
    “The Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (ICNLCA) encourages enactment of the SHARE Act. The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) enables nurses in compact states to hold a multi-state license which authorizes practice in 43 jurisdictions currently.  This model of licensure makes it possible for nurses to assist in other jurisdictions without any impediments or delays,” said Pam Zickafoose, EdD, MSN, RN, Chair of ICNLCA. “Federal criminal background checks are the gold standard for public protection in occupational licensure and are a requirement for a nurse to obtain a multistate license. The SHARE Act will enable states to continue to implement and advance the NLC, therefore bringing vital nursing services to patients in need,” said the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (ICNLCA). 
    The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC) strongly supports the SHARE Act. The Act is needed so that the FBI will have clear guidance about how the information provided enhances public safety, while supporting the public protection mission of the IMLCC member boards.  Our member boards depend on reliable access to the criminal background information, which at times in the past and currently for 4 of our member boards, that access has been denied.  Our member boards have been maintaining and protecting the information they receive for over 7 years,” said the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC). 
    “The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) stands in strong support of the SHARE Act and looks forward to the 119th Congress’s consideration of this important legislation. The SHARE Act represents a critical step forward in facilitating greater access to care for patients across the country,” said Phil Dickison, PhD, RN, Chief Executive Officer of NCSBN. “The legislation will ensure state boards of nursing can vet applicants for multistate licensure to promote safe cross-border practice.” 
    “The Occupational Therapy Compact Commission (OTCC) supports the SHARE Act because it is a crucial step toward ensuring public safety across states that participate in interstate occupational compacts.  This act fosters a more secure and trustworthy collaboration while strengthening the integrity of professional licensing, promoting accountability, and protecting citizens from potential harm.  For the purposes of making informed licensing decisions, state licensing authorities should be afforded timely and relevant information regarding potential licensees’ criminal history that would affect safe practices within professions,” said Amanda Perry, OTCC Executive Director. 
    “Passage of the SHARE Act will benefit both physicians and patients by supporting greater mobility for physicians and expanding access to care for all Vermonters, especially those in our rural communities.” said David K. Herlihy, Executive Director, Vermont Board of Medical Practice. 
    Learn more about the States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act. 
    View and download the bill text. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Connecticut Congressional Delegation Statement On Trump Administration’s Cuts To Public Health Services In Connecticut

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    March 27, 2025

    WASHINGTON–U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-Conn.-01), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.-02), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03), Jim Himes (D-Conn.-04), and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05) on Thursday released the following statement on the Trump administration’s sudden termination of federal public health grants to state and local health departments in Connecticut, totaling $150 million.  
    “The Trump administration’s sudden termination of funding – appropriated and authorized by Congress – for state and local public health departments in Connecticut is both illegal and morally bankrupt. These cuts will have devastating impacts on our communities. Fewer people will have access to the mental health and addiction treatment they need, and it will hamstring our efforts to stop the spread of infectious diseases like measles. Our delegation will fight tooth and nail to reverse this dangerous decision.”

    MIL OSI USA News –