NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed: Rhode Islanders Want Better Health Care Not Less Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Whether it’s food safety, preventing disease outbreaks, or ensuring medicine is effective, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for protecting Americans’ health and delivering essential health and social services.  Hollowing it out will not better protect Americans or deliver critical health care services.

    Today, after President Trump’s HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to cut the size of the department by 20,000 employees, shrinking the public health workforce by nearly a quarter, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) called the move short-sighted and says it will needlessly jeopardize public health.

    “This an arbitrary, short-sighted plan that will make America sicker, less healthy, and more contagious.  Don’t be surprised in the weeks ahead when Congressional Republicans piggyback off of this and really go after Medicaid and Medicare.  They’re going to take the so-called ‘savings’ from these cuts to give a bigger tax windfall to billionaires at the expense of the health and safety of American patients and communities.  The average taxpayer is going to get fewer health services and public benefits and there will be a heavier tax burden and health burden on state and local communities,” said Senator Reed.  “I support efficiency and targeted efforts to improve the federal government, but that is not what’s happening here.  Instead, the Trump Administration is irrationally demolishing public health infrastructure.  We must wisely invest every dollar of health care spending, not just set arbitrary quotas that will lead to poorer health outcomes for many.”

    Trump’s health cuts will impact agencies like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which responds to infectious disease outbreaks; the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which ensures the safety and effectiveness of medicines and approves new drugs; the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which conducts life-saving research into chronic diseases; and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which helps states combat the addiction and opioid crisis; as well as smaller agencies that help Americans with health insurance and work closely with communities nationwide to ensure child care, hospitals, and nursing homes are safe, strengthen rural health care, and more.

    Overall, the cuts will shrink HHS’s full-time health workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 when combined with its earlier layoffs. 

    These cuts come at the same time the Trump Administration abruptly cut off and clawed back billions in federal funding to state and local public health departments, and canceled critical research of infectious diseases.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RI Delegation Successfully Works on Bipartisan Basis to Unfreeze Washington Bridge Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo announced significant progress to unfreeze federal funding for reconstruction of the westbound Washington Bridge as the state gained access to the first $30 million wave of funds from over $220.9 million in federal grants for the Interstate-195 Washington Bridge, which has been partially closed since December 2023 due to a catastrophic failure.

    The four members of the state’s Congressional delegation, who led successful efforts to secure the federal funds in 2024, thanked both U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Governor Dan McKee for rolling up their sleeves and working together to ensure the stalled federal highway money was released to advance construction of a new Washington Bridge.

    The federal funding was awarded by the Biden administration.  But it was halted as part of a nationwide freeze after President Donald Trump took office on January 20 and issued executive orders halting the distribution of federal funds as well as other federal administrative actions across a wide range of federal programs, including highway and bridge projects. The orders have resulted in a number of lawsuits challenging them.

    “Everyone recognizes the importance of this project to the community and the need for safe, modern, and resilient infrastructure.  This federal money is vital to completing this massive project that is already underway.  This is a positive outcome and I hope the state will accelerate progress toward a new bridge that meets capacity and safety needs now and in the future,” said Reed, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  “I appreciate Secretary Duffy’s and Governor McKee’s contributions to this process and will continue working with them, RIDOT, FHWA, and other transportation officials to see the project through and ensure it is done right.”

    “Working across the aisle with Chair Capito and in partnership with our delegation, I was glad to help unstick this funding for the Washington Bridge replacement as Wednesday’s committee hearing for the Secretary loomed,” said Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “This relieves needless uncertainty in an urgent situation with this bridge, and I will continue to do everything in my power to secure what Rhode Island needs from the federal government and to keep investing in our infrastructure.”

    “As we work to ensure that federally-appropriated funds are rightfully deposited into our state accounts, I’m pleased RIDOT signed a grant agreement to deliver $30 million in funding for the Washington Bridge,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “These resources will bring us closer to the day when a new westbound span is built, alleviating the burden that residents, commuters, and businesses have had to experience for over a year. I look forward to continuing to work with my delegation colleagues to ensure there are no further delays in obtaining the funds that Rhode Island deserves.”

    “With Rhode Islanders crossing the Washington Bridge every day, releasing federal funding for this project has been a top priority of mine and I understand how urgently Rhode Islanders need this project finished,” said Magaziner. “This first $30 million in federal funding being released is a critical step toward getting traffic moving again and reducing the burden that the bridge’s closure has had on local families and businesses. I’ll keep working with delegation and local leaders to make sure the rest of the federal funding gets delivered as promised.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Calls on Congress to Pass Her Bill to Defund Planned Parenthood

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    Published: March 27, 2025

    WASHINGTON – Following the Trump administration’s plan to temporarily freeze and review any federal funding for Planned Parenthood and its affiliates, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) renewed her push for the Protect Funding for Women’s Health Care Act to permanently prohibit federal tax dollars from funding Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) or its affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, or clinics.
    “As a mother and grandmother, the fight for life is incredibly important to me, and I am committed to defending the most vulnerable among us,” said Ernst. “That’s why I will always stand up to protect taxpayer dollars from funding any organization taking the life of an unborn child. I’m glad the Trump administration is working to end to the left’s radical abortion-on-demand agenda. Now, Congress should build on this momentum and permanently end funding for Planned Parenthood by passing my Protect Funding for Women’s Health Care Act.” 
    Senator Ernst’s unwavering commitment to protecting the rights of the unborn recently earned her an “A+” on the Susan B. Anthony List National Pro-Life Scorecard.
    Background:
    Earlier this month, Ernst pushed the Small Business Administration (SBA) to examine how, under the Biden administration, PPFA unlawfully received millions of dollars in funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and had 34 loans forgiven. 
    Ernst is also leading the Ensuring Accurate and Complete Abortion Data Reporting Act to require all fifty states to report the numbers of abortions performed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This transparency will help ensure that no federal funds are going to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Commends SBA Restoring Responsible Management of 7(a) Lending Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released the following statement in response to the Small Business Administration (SBA) announcing it is restoring lender fees to the 7(a) lending program.
    Ernst discussed undoing the damage of the Biden administration and fixing the financial integrity of the 7(a) loan program with Administrator Kelly Loeffler in her confirmation hearing.
    “I am relieved to see the SBA follow my recommendations to restore the financial foundation of the 7(a) program,” said Chair Ernst. “The Biden administration’s reckless reforms led to rising default rates and declining revenues that threatened to force taxpayers to foot the bill. Administrator Loeffler’s return to responsible management of the program restores its fiscal integrity and ensures it will continue to operate without subsidies.”
    Background:
    During a hearing last month, Ernst detailed how the Biden administration’s loosening of rules and reckless expansion of the program increased the risk for American taxpayers. She went on to describe how the Trump SBA could fix the 7(a) program, including restoring lender fees.
    In a letter to President Trump on his first day in office, Ernst highlighted Biden’s mismanagement of the program that threatened to force taxpayers to foot the bill.
    Ernst repeatedly raised concerns that the Biden administration’s rapid expansion of the 7(a) lending program was leaving taxpayers on the hook for risky lending practices by non-bank lenders.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Cantwell Take Action to Improve Local Overdose Tracking

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced the Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act to help communities identify and tackle drug abuse trends. The bipartisan bill would provide Department of Justice (DOJ) grants to states, cities, law enforcement units and tribes that operate overdose data collection programs, such as the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP). 
    “The fight to end addiction and drug abuse in our communities requires a robust understanding of the problem at hand. By investing in local partners, we empower communities to more effectively track drug abuse trends and prevent future overdoses,” Grassley said. “I’m glad to support this cost-effective plan to expand vital data collection programs.”
    “When responding to fentanyl overdoses, an extra minute can save a life,” Cantwell said. “Tracking fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses will help our first responders, law enforcement, and public health professionals better target and prevent OD spikes and surge resources to communities that need them the most.”
    Additional cosponsors include Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).
    View bill text HERE.
    Background:
    ODMAP is a free, web-based platform that reports in near real-time suspected overdose events, as well as incidents where overdose reversal medications, like Naloxone, were administered. ODMAP helps to identify spikes and clusters of overdoses in communities, neighboring communities and nationwide. While ODMAP is a widely favored platform, the DOJ would retain discretion in determining which data collection program is best for each grant applicant.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 7103(b)(1) of title 5 and 4103(b) of title 22, United States Code, to enhance the national security of the United States, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Determinations.  (a)  The agencies and agency subdivisions set forth in section 2 of this order are hereby determined to have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work.  It is also hereby determined that Chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code, cannot be applied to these agencies and agency subdivisions in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations.
    (b)  The agency subdivisions set forth in section 3 of this order are hereby determined to have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work.  It is also hereby determined that Subchapter X of Chapter 52 of title 22, United States Code, cannot be applied to these subdivisions in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations.
    Sec. 2.  Additional National Security Exclusions.  Executive Order 12171 of November 19, 1979, as amended, is further amended by:
    (a)  In section 1-101, adding “and Section 1-4” after “Section 1-2” in both places that term appears.
    (b)  Adding after section 1-3 a new section 1-4 that reads:
    “1-4.  Additional Exclusions.
    1-401.  The Department of State.
    1-402.  The Department of Defense, except for any subdivisions excluded pursuant to section 4 of the Executive Order of March 27, 2025, entitled ‘Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs.’
    1-403.  The Department of the Treasury, except the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
    1-404.  The Department of Veterans Affairs.
    1-405.  The Department of Justice.
    1-406.  Agencies or subdivisions of the Department of Health and Human Services:
    (a)  Office of the Secretary.
    (b)  Food and Drug Administration.
    (c)  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    (d)  Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.
    (e)  Office of the General Counsel.
    (f)  Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families.
    (g) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health.
    1-407.  Agencies or subdivisions of the Department of Homeland Security:
    (a)  Office of the Secretary.
    (b)  Office of the General Counsel.
    (c)  Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans.
    (d)  Management Directorate.
    (e)  Science and Technology Directorate.
    (f)  Office of Health Security.
    (g)  Office of Homeland Security Situational Awareness.
    (h)  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
    (i)  United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
    (j)  United States Coast Guard.
    (k)  Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
    (l)  Federal Emergency Management Agency.
    1-408.  Agencies or subdivisions of the Department of the Interior:
    (a)  Office of the Secretary.
    (b)  Bureau of Land Management.
    (c)  Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
    (d)  Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
    1-409.  The Department of Energy, except for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
    1-410.  The following agencies or subdivisions of the Department of Agriculture:
    (a)  Food Safety and Inspection Service.
    (b)  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
    1-411.  The International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.   
    1-412.  The Environmental Protection Agency.
    1-413.  The United States Agency for International Development.
    1-414.  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
    1-415.  The National Science Foundation.
    1-416.  The United States International Trade Commission.
    1-417.  The Federal Communications Commission.
    1-418.  The General Services Administration.
    1-419.  The following agencies or subdivisions of each Executive department listed in section 101 of title 5, United States Code, the Social Security Administration, and the Office of Personnel Management:
    (a)  Office of the Chief Information Officer.
    (b)  any other agency or subdivision that has information resources management duties as the agency or subdivision’s primary duty.
    1-499.  Notwithstanding the forgoing, nothing in this section shall exempt from the coverage of Chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code:
    (a)  the immediate, local employing offices of any agency police officers, security guards, or firefighters, provided that this exclusion does not apply to the Bureau of Prisons;
    (b)  subdivisions of the United States Marshals Service not listed in section 1-209 of this order; or
    (c)  any subdivisions of the Departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs for which the applicable Secretary has issued an order suspending the application of this section pursuant to section 4 of the Executive Order of March 27, 2025, entitled ‘Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs.’”
    Sec. 3.  Foreign Service Exclusions.  Executive Order 12171, as amended, is further amended by:
    (a)  In the first paragraph:
    (i)   adding “and Section 4103(b) of Title 22,” after “Title 5”; and
    (ii)  adding “and Subchapter X of Chapter 52 of Title 22” after “Relations Program.”.
    (b)  Adding after section 1-102 a new section 1-103 that reads:
    “1-103.  The Department subdivisions set forth in section 1-5 of this order are hereby determined to have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work.  It is also hereby determined that Subchapter X of Chapter 52 of title 22, United States Code, cannot be applied to those subdivisions in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations.  The subdivisions set forth in section 1-5 of this order are hereby excluded from coverage under Subchapter X of Chapter 52 of title 22, United States Code.”
    (c)  Adding after the new section 1-4 added by section 2(b) of this order a new section 1-5 that reads:
    “1-5.  Subdivisions of Departments Employing Foreign Service Officers.
    1-501.  Subdivisions of the Department of State:
    (a)  Each subdivision reporting directly to the Secretary of State.
    (b)  Each subdivision reporting to the Deputy Secretary of State.
    (c)  Each subdivision reporting to the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources.
    (d)  Each subdivision reporting to the Under Secretary for Management.
    (e)  Each subdivision reporting to the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security.
    (f)  Each subdivision reporting to the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.
    (g)  Each subdivision reporting to the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment.
    (h)  Each subdivision reporting to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs.
    (i)  Each subdivision reporting to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy.
    (j)  Each United States embassy, consulate, diplomatic mission, or office providing consular services.
    1-502.  Subdivisions of the United States Agency for International Development:
    (a)  All Overseas Missions and Field Offices.
    (b)  Each subdivision reporting directly to the Administrator.
    (c)  Each subdivision reporting to the Deputy Administrator for Policy and Programming.
    (d)  Each subdivision reporting to the Deputy Administrator for Management and Resources.”.
    Sec. 4.  Delegation of Authority to the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs.  (a)  Subject to the requirements of subsection (b) of this section, the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs are delegated authority under 5 U.S.C. 7103(b)(1) to issue orders suspending the application of section 1-402 or 1-404 of Executive Order 12171, as amended, to any subdivisions of the departments they supervise, thereby bringing such subdivisions under the coverage of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute.
    (b)  An order described in subsection (a) of this section shall only be effective if:
    (i)   the applicable Secretary certifies to the President that the provisions of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute can be applied to such subdivision in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations; and
    (ii)  such certification is submitted for publication in the Federal Register within 15 days of the date of this order.
    Sec. 5.  Delegation of Authority to the Secretary of Transportation.  (a)  The national security interests of the United States in ensuring the safety and integrity of the national transportation system require that the Secretary of Transportation have maximum flexibility to cultivate an efficient workforce at the Department of Transportation that is adaptive to new technologies and innovation.  Where collective bargaining is incompatible with that mission, the Department of Transportation should not be forced to seek relief through grievances, arbitrations, or administrative proceedings.
    (b)  The Secretary of Transportation is therefore delegated authority under section 7103(b) of title 5, United States Code, to issue orders excluding any subdivision of the Department of Transportation, including the Federal Aviation Administration, from Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute coverage or suspending any provision of that law with respect to any Department of Transportation installation or activity located outside the 50 States and the District of Columbia.  This authority may not be further delegated.  When making the determination required by 5 U.S.C. 7103(b)(1) or 7103(b)(2), the Secretary of Transportation shall publish his determination in the Federal Register.
    Sec. 6.  Implementation.  With respect to employees in agencies or subdivisions thereof that were previously part of a bargaining unit but have been excepted under this order, each applicable agency head shall, upon termination of the applicable collective bargaining agreement:
    (a)  reassign any such employees who performed non-agency business pursuant to section 7131 of title 5 or section 4116 of title 22, United States Code, to performing solely agency business; and
    (b)  terminate agency participation in any pending grievance proceedings under section 7121 of title 5, United States Code, exceptions to arbitral awards under section 7122 of title 5, United States Code, or unfair labor practice proceedings under section 7118 of title 5 or section 4116 of title 22, United States Code, that involve such employees.
    Sec. 7.  Additional Review.  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the head of each agency with employees covered by Chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code, shall submit a report to the President that identifies any agency subdivisions not covered by Executive Order 12171, as amended:
    (a) that have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work, applying the definition of “national security” set forth by the Federal Labor Relations Authority in Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Operations, and National Association of Government Employees Local R5-181, 4 FLRA 644 (1980); and
    (b)  for which the agency head believes the provisions of Chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code, cannot be applied to such subdivision in a manner consistent with national security requirements and considerations, and the reasons therefore.
    Sec. 8.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        March 27, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: At Hearing on Antisemitism on Campuses, Senator Murray Details How Trump and Musk Gutting Office for Civil Rights Worsens the Problem

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Senator Murray: “If you want to fight antisemitism, you should support OCR. It is as straight forward as it gets. It’s like saying if you want to fight fires—you should support the fire department. Well, I hate to tell you all: Trump is axing the fire department. He has fired nearly half of OCR staff, and shuttered more than half of OCR offices. So, I don’t know how anyone can actually say they are serious about stopping antisemitism on campus without also saying that they are concerned by this movement to gut the agency on the frontline of stopping antisemitism.”

    ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Executive Order Seeking to Abolish the Department of Education

    *** VIDEO of Senator Murray’s Remarks and Questioning HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today—at a hearing on antisemitism on college campuses—U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, underscored how President Trump and Elon Musk are gutting the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Education (ED) and seriously impeding ongoing investigations into antisemitism—and other critical investigations to ensure students’ rights are protected on campuses nationwide. OCR is the federal agency tasked with enforcing federal civil rights laws in schools and other recipients of ED funding—but he has fired nearly half its staff.

    Senator Murray began by underscoring that every student should feel safe at school, and not live in fear of harassment—or government retaliation for exercising their first amendment rights: “Everyone in this country should be able to use their voice and exercise their first amendment rights—peacefully—without fear of government retaliation. And at the very same time, no one should ever fear for their safety on campus. No one should ever be forced to tolerate bigotry. That’s a simple principle, and I think it’s one that the vast majority of Americans agree with. In fact, here in Congress, we agree with it so much we have an Office at the Department of Education dedicated to upholding that principle—the Office for Civil Rights, that the Senator from Maine just referenced. And that is why I have fought for years to secure more resources and funding for OCR. It does important work to make sure every student is safe on campus, and it makes sure schools are living up to their obligations under our civil rights laws. When hatred and bigotry are on the march—from recent spikes in antisemitism, and islamophobia, or to the wave of anti-Asian hate during COVID. When student safety is at stake—whether that means addressing hate crimes and hostile environments or actually addressing sexual assault on college campuses. OCR is really our frontline.”

    “So, if you want to fight antisemitism, you should support OCR. It is as straight forward as it gets! It’s like saying if you want to fight fires—you should support the fire department,” Senator Murray continued, noting that Trump and Musk are actually decimating the agency. “Well, I hate to tell you all: Trump is axing the fire department. He has fired nearly half of OCR staff, and shuttered more than half of OCR offices. So, I don’t know how anyone can actually say they are serious about stopping antisemitism on campus–without also saying that they are concerned by this movement to gut the agency on the frontline of stopping antisemitism. Because you can’t upend that entire office–as Trump wants to do–without upending the work. You can’t pause investigations—which Trump already did—without creating a huge backlog that means students will not get the justice that they deserve.”

    “You can’t just cut an agency in half and pretend everything is fine. Closing these offices means throwing 6,000 cases into limbo, leaving students in 28 states without the critical tools to fight back. Firing those workers means doubling the case load for the remaining investigators—who are already stretched thin. I think it’s clear that if we are serious about fighting antisemitism, we need to get serious about fighting this administration’s decimation not only of OCR, but the entire Department.”

    Senator Murray then asked Rabbi David Saperstein, Director Emeritus at Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, “Does drastically eliminating OCR’s capacity help protect students, including Jewish students?”

    Rabbi Saperstein responded, “It harms it in so many ways, Senator. You already talked about how overloaded they were before any of these cuts. Each one of the investigators averaged from 46 cases that they had to deal with, now it’s 86 cases that they’re going to have to deal with, with the staff after the cuts were made. They shut 7 of the 12 regional offices. They’re talking about moving this kind of work, integrating it into the Justice Department. The Justice Department is not an administrative enforcement agency; it doesn’t look at it in a holistic kind of manner. This is really something extraordinary. ProPublica did a deep dive before the cuts happened and in the first few weeks, 20 new cases were opened in the beginning of this administration. In the beginning of the Biden administration in the same period of time, 110 cases. In the last year of the Biden administration 240 cases. Now it was down to 20, they’re grinding it to a halt, and it is the students of America, of all kinds, who are facing discriminations that are going to suffer.”

    Murray concluded by asking the same question of Kenneth Stern, Director of The Bard Center for Study of Hate. Mr. Stern replied, “I had the experience of working with OCR. There were Jewish students outside of Binghamton, NY. There was a ‘kick a Jew day.’ The school district did nothing. I can tell you OCR worked magic—it helped the students. It helped the district do something that was educationally important. Also, there were other students that didn’t want to be part of the complaint because they were worried about the retribution to them. This gave an opportunity to go work with them behind the scenes to make sure their voices were heard too. I agree with Rabbi Saperstein, if this becomes a Department of Justice issue, I think back to that case, I don’t know that there would have been a complainant, I don’t know that the students would have come forward.”

    A senior member and former chair of the HELP Committee, Senator Murray has championed students and families at every stage of her career—fighting to help ensure every child in America can get a high-quality public education. Among other things, Senator Murray negotiated the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), landmark legislation that she got signed into law, replacing the broken No Child Left Behind Act. As a longtime appropriator, she has successfully fought to boost funding to support students and invest in our nation’s K-12 schools, and she has secured significant increases to the Pell Grant so that it goes further for students pursuing a higher education. Senator Murray also successfully negotiated the FAFSA Simplification Act, bipartisan legislation to reform the financial aid application process, simplify the FAFSA form for students and parents, and significantly expand eligibility for federal aid.

    Senator Murray spoke out on the Senate floor against Secretary Linda McMahon’s nomination and sounded the alarm over President Trump and Elon Musk’s plans to dismantle the Department of Education.

    Earlier this month, Senator Murray led a letter demanding detailed answers from the Department of Education about the Trump administration’s mass firings and other detrimental actions, which risk major reductions in support for and oversight of federal investments in our nation’s K-12 schools and institutions of higher education and which threaten vital support for students with disabilities, access to Pell Grants and other financial aid, oversight of student loan servicers, scrutiny of for-profit colleges, and more. The letter follows an earlier letter Senator Murray sent alongside colleagues demanding answers about the chaotic, harmful actions taken by ED since January—which the Department has yet to respond to.

    A fact sheet outlining how the Department of Education supports students in Washington state is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Reintroduces SHORT Act to Roll Back Biden-Era Anti Gun Rule

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) today re-introduced the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act, legislation that removes the unconstitutional taxation, registration, and regulation of short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and any other weapons under the National Firearms Act (NFA).
    Using the NFA, the Biden Administration argued that people who own pistols with stabilizing braces are in possession of illegal short-barreled rifles. The ATF used that argument to facilitate a ban, forcing gun owners to violate their rule or participate in an unconstitutional registry titled “Amnesty Registration of Pistol Brace Weapons,” to keep their firearms. Eliminating unconstitutional and unnecessary restrictions, taxation, and registration placed on NFA firearms will ensure that the ATF does not enact any future version of this ban. Senator Marshall is once again partnering with U.S. Representative Andrew Clyde (R-Georgia-09) who has introduced an identical bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    “‘Shall not be infringed’ is crystal clear – and the Biden-era abuses of the Constitutionally protected rights of gun owners across the country need to be undone,” said Senator Marshall. “The SHORT Act takes a step toward rolling back nonsensical regulations that the National Firearms Act has placed upon gun owners. I challenge my colleagues in both chambers to pass this legislation and join me in fully restoring and protecting our God-given Second Amendment rights.”
    “The Biden-Harris Administration dangerously weaponized the draconian National Firearms Act to further infringe on Americans’ Second Amendment liberties,” said Congressman Clyde. “Yet the American people overwhelmingly rejected the Left’s unconstitutional tactics and backdoor gun control in November. It’s now time for Congress to use this mandate to protect Americans’ unalienable, constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Deregulating SBRs, SBSs, and AOWs is the most effective way to ensure American gun owners are not subjected to unlawful and unnecessary restrictions, taxation, and registration of firearms or pistol braces. I’m proud to partner with Senator Marshall in the fight to defeat this Biden-era rule and safeguard Americans’ Second Amendment freedoms.”
    The legislation is supported by Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the National Association of Gun Rights (NAGR).
    “The Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act will repeal elements of the archaic National Firearms Act, which the Biden ATF abused to justify their unconstitutional pistol brace ban– a policy change that affects millions of law-abiding gun owners and does nothing to curb rising crime,” said Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs for GOA. “GOA is proud to support the SHORT Act, which will repeal archaic short barrel restrictions from the National Firearms Act of 1934 and prevent them from ever being weaponized against the American people ever again.”
    “The SHORT Act is a long overdue step toward restoring the rights of Americans, freeing gun owners from the burdensome and outdated regulations of the National Firearms Act,” said Hunter King, Director of Political Affairs for NAGR. “By removing short-barreled rifles, shotguns, and similar firearms from egregious federal regulations, gun owners would be able to exercise their Second Amendment freedoms without oppressive government interference. This isn’t a measly reform; it’s a declaration of Second Amendment supremacy and will take a sledgehammer to government overreach. The National Association for Gun Rights is pleased to support this bill to reclaim our right to keep and bear arms.”
    This legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), and Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska).
    “The Biden administration spent four long years undermining our Second Amendment rights and attacking law-abiding gun owners,” said Senator Lummis. “The SHORT Act provides a permanent solution to the unconstitutional and unworkable Pistol Brace Rule put forward by unelected ATF bureaucrats. I’m proud to work with my colleagues on this legislation to protect the people of Wyoming’s right to keep and bear arms.”
    “I’m a proud supporter of the 2nd Amendment and will always work to fight against the far-left’s attempts to infringe on the rights of law-abiding Americans,” said Senator Scott. “Our bill, the SHORT Act, supports the 2nd amendment and the actions of President Trump and ATF Acting Director Kash Patel to protect the rights of law-abiding gun owners.”
    “For too long, unelected bureaucrats have misplaced their priorities by overregulating the use of firearms that Americans are legally entitled to own,” said Senator Tuberville. “Every American has a right to bear arms to protect themselves and their families. I’m proud to join legislation that cuts red tape and protects law-abiding gun-owners.”
    “Liberal anti-gun extremists have spent years waging an all-out assault on the Second Amendment, trying everything under the sun to unjustly restrict our right to bear arms,” said Senator Cramer. “I joined Senator Marshall in introducing the SHORT Act to defend our Second Amendment liberties by removing the oppressive taxation, registration, and regulation of short-barreled rifles and shotguns. It’s time to put a stop to federal overreach and defend the fundamental freedoms our Constitution guarantees.”
    “Democrats’ attempts to undermine the Second Amendment are unconstitutional and must be stopped,” said Senator Risch. “The SHORT Act protects law-abiding Idaho gun owners from unlawful registry, taxation, and regulation of commonly owned firearms.”
    “Those seeking to strip away Second Amendment rights have sought every creative way possible to advance their agenda through legislation, regulation and litigation,” said Senator Crapo. “Burdening law-abiding Americans with additional firearm restrictions is not the answer to safeguarding the public.”
    “It is absolutely critical that we protect our 2nd Amendment, because West Virginia has one of the highest gun ownership percentages in the country,” said Senator Justice. “We need to put safeguards in place to protect gun owners from unclear regulations. It’s time we address the issue in a clear fashion once and for all – folks who rely on a pistol stabilizing brace shouldn’t be excluded from their 2nd amendment right because of bureaucratic jargon.”
    “We continue to grapple with the misguided policies that the Biden administration left behind,” said Senator Hyde-Smith. “By reclassifying everyday firearms as dangerous short-barreled rifles, Biden’s ATF has infringed upon Americans’ constitutional rights and imposed unnecessary taxes and regulations on law-abiding firearm owners.  The SHORT Act is a crucial step in halting this government overreach and restoring our Second Amendment freedoms.”
    “There is no reason for unelected D.C. bureaucrats to have the power to unilaterally undermine Americans’ Second Amendment rights,” said Senator Sheehy. “Montana is home to a proud firearms heritage, and I’m proud to join my colleagues on this commonsense legislation to roll back Biden-era federal overreach and ensure law-abiding gun owners can exercise their constitutional right to protect themselves and their families.”
    “The Biden administration violated the Constitution and penalized law-abiding gun owners for owning pistols with stabilizing braces,” said Senator Ricketts. “No more. The SHORT Act will protect the constitutional rights of millions of law-abiding gun owners.”
    Click HERE to read the full bill text.
    Background

    Senator Marshall previously introduced the SHORT Act in the 117th Congress and the 118th Congress.
    In addition to removing the unconstitutional taxation, registration, and regulation of firearms, this legislation would also require the ATF to destroy all records relating to the registration, transfer, or manufacture of these NFA firearms, preventing the ATF from further harassing owners or confiscating these firearms.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall and Scott Introduce Bill to Monitor Treasury Payments After DOGE Finds $4.7 Trillion of Untraced Payments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) today joined Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida) in introducing the Locating Every Disbursement in Government Expenditure Records (LEDGER) Act, which would require the U.S. Department of Treasury to track all payments after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) found $4.7 trillion in payments that were left unmarked and untraceable. 
    “Our national debt has ballooned to over $36 trillion. Just last year, we spent more than $1 trillion on interest payments, and both figures continue to grow because of unbelievable waste, fraud, and abuse in our government,” said Senator Marshall. “The latest revelation that $4.7 trillion in Treasury payments were missing important traceability codes is disgraceful. The American people deserve answers and accountability, and this only reinforces why the work of DOGE is so critical to getting America’s financial house back in order. I am proud to stand alongside Senator Scott to make these traceability codes mandatory in order to enhance payment integrity.”
    “Washington’s dysfunction was at an all-time high before President Trump took office this January. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a massive expansion of government, spending trillions of tax dollars with reckless abandon and nearly zero accountability or consideration of Americans’ best interests, adding $8 trillion to the now $36 trillion federal debt and running a $2 trillion deficit,” said Senator Scott. “The federal government hadn’t completed a comprehensive review since before the world wide web existed when the federal budget was under $1 trillion. That’s changing as President Trump, Treasury Secretary Bessent, DOGE, and the entire administration work to streamline government and crack down on wasteful spending. Like many Americans, I was outraged by DOGE’s findings that the U.S. Treasury made $4.7 trillion in payments that were completely unmarked, unlabeled and therefore, untraceable and unaccountable to the American people. My bill, the LEDGER Act, fixes that by requiring Treasury to track every payment made using Americans’ tax dollars. There’s not a single family or business in America that operates this way – we look at our bank accounts and credit card statements to make sure we know where our money is going and stay on budget. I brought the same common sense of every American family and business as Governor of Florida to get spending under control and balance the budget, and we can do the same on the federal level to save the American dream and support the great work of President Trump, Secretary Bessent and DOGE.”
    Click HERE to read the full bill text.
    Background:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Scott, Rep. Lawler Move to Tackle Antisemitism on College Campuses and Universities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act, which would rescind federal funding from colleges and universities that encourage antisemitism or facilitate antisemitic events on campus. Congressman Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) led the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “The intention of taxpayer dollars for universities is to educate students, not promote and foster hate. We’ve witnessed campuses across our nation turn into cesspools for anti-Jewish, anti-Israel activists,” said Senator Scott. “Let’s make one thing clear: federal funding is a privilege and not a right. Rooting out hate wherever it rears its ugly head will always be in fashion. I remain dedicated to defending the rights of Jewish students to attend class peacefully.”

    “As Chair of the MENA Subcommittee and a strong supporter of Israel and the Jewish community, I’m committed to ensuring our universities take antisemitism seriously – holding offenders accountable and preventing incidents before they occur. That’s why I’m reintroducing the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act, which will stop universities from allowing antisemitism events on campus in the first place. I am proud to work alongside Senator Scott on this legislation as well as the Antisemitism Awareness Act. Antisemitism has no place on our campuses or in civilized society,” said Congressman Lawler.

    Recently, the Department of Justice the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Education (ED), and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the cancellation of about $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University due to the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students. 

    Senator Scott was joined in introducing this legislation by Senators Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Abraham Hamadeh (R-Ill.), Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), Tom Kean (R-N.J.), Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), and Burgess Owens (R-Utah).

    Read the bill text in full here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Scott’s Antisemitism Awareness Act Praised During Committee Hearing on Antisemitic Disruptions on College Campuses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott

    WASHINGTON — Today, at the hearing for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.)’s Antisemitism Awareness Actreceived praise from hearing witnesses who called on Congress to pass his bill to help protect Jewish students. Additionally, one witness debunked several myths surrounding the legislation. Senator Scott made the following statement on the reception of his legislation:

    Click here to watch the witness’s remarks

    “Now more than ever, we should be standing with our Jewish friends at home and abroad. Over the last three years, Jewish students have been harassed and intimidated; their rights and safety threatened. This is why I have championed this legislation since 2016 and will continue to do so until it is signed into law,” said Senator Scott. “It is time to formally codify the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism for purposes of Title VI. Doing so will provide the Department of Education with a tool and a clear definition of what antisemitism is. It is ghoulish nonsense to oppose this legislation. I remain encouraged by the growing support of the ‘triple A.’ Thank you to Dr. Cassidy for holding today’s hearing and to the supporters of this critical and timely legislation.”

    Background:

    In addition to introducing the Antisemitism Awareness Act during the 119th Congress, Senator Scott has worked relentlessly to push back on the alarming rise of blatant and vile antisemitism on college campuses by:

    • Introducing the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act to defund colleges and universities that enable violent antisemitism on their campuses;
      In 2024, calling on the president of Columbia University to resign over rampant antisemitism on campus;
    • In the 118th Congress, leading a resolution to condemn the explosion of antisemitism on U.S. college campuses, call out university presidents who have enabled and refused to take action against this antisemitism, and urge the Biden Department of Education to take necessary actions to ensure that colleges and universities are complying with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scott Pushes for Blue-Collar Comeback, Highlights Trump Nominees at Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott

    WASHINGTON – At today’s nominations hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) emphasized the importance of confirming President Trump’s nominees to roll back the Biden administration’s burdensome regulations and unleash a new golden age of economic prosperity.

    Senator Scott highlighted the experience and qualifications of:

    • Mr. Paul Atkins, nominee to be Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission
    • Mr. Jonathan Gould, nominee to be Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the Treasury
    • Mr. Luke Pettit, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Department of the Treasury
    • The Honorable Marcus Molinaro, nominee to be Federal Transit Administrator, Department of Transportation

    Watch the full video here.

    Senator Scott’s opening remarks as delivered:

    Today, we have an opportunity to take another step toward reigniting President Trump’s blue-collar comeback.

    That starts with confirming the four well-qualified nominees here today – Paul Atkins, Jonathan Gould, Luke Pettit, and Marcus Molinaro.

    While the title of this committee is the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, I view our work as all-encompassing. It’s our responsibility to solve the kitchen table problems and issues that are causing so much anxiety for hardworking American families.

    The issues we oversee – housing affordability, increasing access to capital, and bolstering our economic national security – impact everyone’s wallets and pocketbooks.  

    The Biden administration stifled innovation and economic growth through its heavy-handed, ideological approach to regulation.

    Nowhere was this clearer than at the SEC under Chair Gary Gensler.

    Paul Atkins, President Trump’s nominee to lead the SEC, has the experience necessary to return the SEC to its core mission.

    Mr. Atkins is a former SEC Commissioner who has dedicated his career to ensuring that our capital markets remain the envy of the world.

    He will roll back the Biden administration’s disastrous policies, promote capital formation and retail investment opportunities, and provide long-overdue clarity for digital assets, ensuring that American innovation does not fall further behind. And frankly, let’s reverse it and become the envy of the world there too.  

    I look forward to working with Mr. Atkins to open our capital markets to all Americans through my legislation, the Empowering Main Street in America Act. 

    My bill will improve access to capital for entrepreneurs nationwide, right-size regulations for small and newly public companies, and create new avenues for hardworking Americans to invest in their own communities.

    Next, we have Jonathan Gould, who was nominated as Comptroller of the Currency.

    Mr. Gould is no stranger to the OCC – he has firsthand experience at the agency. He understands its critical mission: ensuring the safety and soundness of our banking system and ensuring banks provide fair access to financial services, not pushing a far-Left political agenda.

    First, under President Obama, we saw Operation Chokepoint. Then under President Biden, regulators weaponized their authority to “debank” politically disfavored industries and individuals – most recently crypto firms, in what we now call Chokepoint 2.0.

    Mr. Gould, I hope you will end debanking and return the OCC to its true purpose – chartering and supervising banks to ensure they serve all credit-worthy customers, not just those who fit a particular mold. 

    Before I continue, let me thank Rodney Hood, the Acting Comptroller of the OCC. He’s done a great job and formed a foundation that is strong, common-sense, pro-growth reforms that we need to return to. 

    Notably, Mr. Hood has removed references to reputational risk – consistent with my FIRM Act – from the OCC bank examination guidance and instructed examiners to no longer examine for reputational risk.

    Luke Pettit, nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Institutions, brings key experience to this role, including serving on this committee. 

    Mr. Pettit understands the challenges facing American families and businesses and knows how to build consensus and compromise when necessary to solve tough financial policy issues.

    Finally, former congressmember Marcus Molinaro, nominated for Federal Transit Administrator, brings critical experience from his time serving in the House on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a long career in local government, which I really appreciate, making him well-qualified for this role.

    His experience as Dutchess County Executive reinforced his belief that transit and infrastructure challenges require local solutions and oversight.

    I am confident that he will propose common-sense, pragmatic solutions to the agency, ensure that our mass transit is effective and safe, and connect communities with new opportunities – especially new housing opportunities for all Americans. 

    By confirming these nominees, we can unleash a Golden Age of Prosperity where families can once again afford to buy a home, save for their future, and achieve the American Dream.

    Let’s get to work. Let’s get these nominees confirmed. And let’s make America great again.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Exempts Agencies with National Security Missions from Federal Collective Bargaining Requirements

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    PROTECTING OUR NATIONAL SECURITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order using authority granted by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA) to end collective bargaining with Federal unions in the following agencies with national security missions:
    National Defense. Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and Coast Guard.
    VA serves as the backstop healthcare provider for wounded troops in wartime.
    NSF-funded research supports military and cybersecurity breakthroughs. 

    Border Security. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership components, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Executive Office of Immigration Review, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
    Foreign Relations. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, and U.S. International Trade Commission.
    President Trump has demonstrated how trade policy is a national security tool.

    Energy Security. Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Interior units that govern domestic energy production.
    The same Congress that passed the CSRA declared that energy insecurity threatens national security.

    Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention, and Response. Within HHS, the Secretary’s Office, Office of General Counsel, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, Food and Drug Administration, and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. In the Department of Agriculture, the Office of General Counsel, Food Safety and Inspection Service, and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
    COVID-19 and the recent bird flu have demonstrated how foreign pandemics affect national security.
    VA is also a backstop healthcare provider during national emergencies, and served this role during COVID-19.

    Cybersecurity. The Office of the Chief Information Officer in each cabinet-level department, as well as DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the General Services Administration (GSA).
    The FCC protects the reliability and security of America’s telecommunications networks.
    GSA provides cybersecurity related services to agencies and ensures they do not use compromised telecommunications products.

    Economic Defense. Department of Treasury.
    The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) defines national security to include protecting America’s economic and productive strength. The Treasury Department collects the taxes that fund the government and ensures the stable operations of the financial system.

    Public Safety. Most components of the Department of Justice as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
    Law Enforcement Unaffected. Police and firefighters will continue to collectively bargain.
    ENSURING THAT AGENCIES OPERATE EFFECTIVELY: The CSRA enables hostile Federal unions to obstruct agency management. This is dangerous in agencies with national security responsibilities:
    Agencies cannot modify policies in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) until they expire.
    The outgoing Biden Administration renegotiated many agencies’ CBAs to last through President Trump’s second term.

    Agencies cannot make most contractually permissible changes until after finishing “midterm” union bargaining.
    For example, the FLRA ruled that ICE could not modify cybersecurity policies without giving its union an opportunity to negotiate, and then completing midterm bargaining.

    Unions used these powers to block the implementation of the VA Accountability Act; the Biden Administration had to offer reinstatement and backpay to over 4,000 unionized employees that the VA had removed for poor performance or misconduct.
    SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN INTERESTS: President Trump is taking action to ensure that agencies vital to national security can execute their missions without delay and protect the American people. The President needs a responsive and accountable civil service to protect our national security.
    Certain Federal unions have declared war on President Trump’s agenda.
    The largest Federal union describes itself as “fighting back” against Trump. It is widely filing grievances to block Trump policies.
    For example, VA’s unions have filed 70 national and local grievances over President Trump’s policies since the inauguration—an average of over one a day.

    Protecting America’s national security is a core constitutional duty, and President Trump refuses to let union obstruction interfere with his efforts to protect Americans and our national interests.
    President Trump supports constructive partnerships with unions who work with him; he will not tolerate mass obstruction that jeopardizes his ability to manage agencies with vital national security missions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine & Colleagues Demand Senate Hearings on Trump Administration’s Reckless and Dangerous Mishandling of Classified Military Operations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, joined 15 Senate colleagues in a letter calling on the Chairs of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Senate Foreign Relations Committee to hold hearings to investigate why members of President Trump’s Cabinet—including the Vice President and Secretary of Defense—were recklessly and illegally discussing classified military operations on unsecured devices. The senators also criticized the incompetence and carelessness of how Trump officials mishandled the situation and inadvertently added a journalist to the group chat.

    “We write to you with grave concern regarding the recent revelations reported in The Atlantic about the Trump Administration’s reckless handling of classified information about U.S. military operations,” wrote the senators. “This gross mishandling of highly classified information has weakened our national security and could have put at risk American lives, particularly the men and women involved in the military strikes in Yemen.”

    The senators continued, “It is even more outrageous that members of the Trump Administration – from the President to Cabinet officials who were part of the Signal group – have tried to downplay, mislead, and excuse this reckless and likely illegal behavior. During a recent Senate oversight hearing featuring Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Senators and the American people were left with more questions than answers following the officials’ testimony and repeated evasions.”

    “This raises pressing questions regarding the possible spillage of classified information to an uncleared reporter and onto unclassified devices which can be hacked by foreign intelligence agencies, the irresponsibility of high-ranking Administration officials, and the increased risk this created for U.S. troops who carried out the strikes,” wrote the senators. “For this reason, we are calling on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to hold joint or separate hearings to investigate this matter fully and get to the bottom of why members of the National Security Council were using unclassified, internet-connected smartphones and channels to discuss highly sensitive military information, when there are known ways to tamper with unclassified devices and when it is possible that dozens of foreign intelligence agencies are targeting the unclassified smartphones used by these senior U.S. government officials.”

    On Monday, just hours after the release of the first the Atlantic article, Kaine and 13 of his colleagues sent a letter to President Trump demanding answers about the unsecured group chat, the violation of security protocols, and the potential violations of the law.  

    In addition to Kaine, the letter to the Chairmen is signed by U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Chairman Wicker, Chairman Cotton, and Chairman Risch:

    We write to you with grave concern regarding the recent revelations reported in The Atlantic about the Trump Administration’s reckless handling of classified information about U.S. military operations. According to the reporting and the screenshots provided in the original story and a second piece published the following day, the Vice President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the Director of National Intelligence, the National Security Advisor, and other key national security officials discussed classified information about imminent U.S. military operations using internet-connected smartphones that were not approved for discussing classified information, via a commercial, unclassified messaging app called “Signal.” Planning military strikes using consumer-grade, internet-connected smartphones is reckless and illegal because they can be hacked by foreign governments. Additionally, due to their inexcusable carelessness, a reporter was added to this Signal chat and was provided access to incredibly sensitive information about future military operations that included planned air strikes on terrorist targets. This gross mishandling of highly classified information has weakened our national security and could have put at risk American lives, particularly the men and women involved in the military strikes in Yemen.

    It is even more outrageous that members of the Trump Administration – from the President to Cabinet officials who were part of the Signal group – have tried to downplay, mislead, and excuse this reckless and likely illegal behavior. During a recent Senate oversight hearing featuring Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Senators and the American people were left with more questions than answers following the officials’ testimony and repeated evasions.

    Since that initial hearing, and as a direct result of Administration officials’ attempts to downplay the severity of the breach and the importance of the information disclosed, additional reporting from the Atlantic has been published containing further details of what was actually discussed, which included strike planning and explicit operational details like specific timing, types of aircraft used, and sequencing of events related to the pending attack on the Houthi terrorists, any of which could have jeopardized the operation and endangered servicemembers if it had fallen into the hands of our adversaries in advance. This raises pressing questions regarding the possible spillage of classified information to an uncleared reporter and onto unclassified devices which can be hacked by foreign intelligence agencies, the irresponsibility of high-ranking Administration officials, and the increased risk this created for U.S. troops who carried out the strikes.

    For this reason, we are calling on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to hold joint or separate hearings to investigate this matter fully and get to the bottom of why members of the National Security Council were using unclassified, internet-connected smartphones and channels to discuss highly sensitive military information, when there are known ways to tamper with unclassified devices and when it is possible that dozens of foreign intelligence agencies are targeting the unclassified smartphones used by these senior U.S. government officials. The American people deserve answers, and we need to know if there are any other such chat conversations using Signal or any other messaging app or other actions being taken by Trump Administration officials that are putting our national security and military personnel at risk. We urge your committees to use the Senate’s full oversight powers to compel the following individuals, who were part of the messaging group, to speak to the Senate in both open and closed hearings:

    • Vice President JD Vance;
    • Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth;
    • Secretary of State Marco Rubio;
    • National Security Advisory Michael Waltz;
    • Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard;
    • CIA Director John Ratcliffe;
    • White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles;
    • Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller; and
    • U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

    Our national security demands that we act with urgency to uncover the full details of this severe security breach and implement measures to prevent such recklessness in the future. We look forward to your prompt attention to this matter and stand ready to support the committees in any capacity necessary. We trust that you will give this matter the serious attention it requires.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Statement on Mass Firing of Federal Workers from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to fire an additional 10,000 full-time federal workers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which administers critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid:

    “President Trump is so dead-set on funding tax giveaways for billionaires that he’s scrambling to cut corners within the federal government—even if that means risking the health and well-being of Americans that rely on Medicare, Medicaid, and critical research initiatives by slashing HHS. That’s despicable, and the American people see right through it.”

    In addition to health insurance programs like Medicare and Medicaid, HHS oversees critical public health research, public health emergency preparedness, prescription drug approvals, and more.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine & Cruz Applaud Committee Passage of their Bipartisan Bill to Reunite Separated Korean American Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, applauded committee passage of their bipartisan bill to reunite separated Korean American families.

    “I’m glad the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced my bipartisan bill with Senator Cruz to reunite separated Korean families. I’ve heard from Koreans living in Virginia who have been torn apart from family members since the Korean War, and this is an important step to helping them reunite with their loved ones,” said Kaine. “I hope the full Senate will vote to pass this bill as soon as possible.”

    “I am proud to have worked with Senator Kaine on advancing this bipartisan bill. This legislation is an important measure for giving American families peace and reconnecting Americans with family members who have long suffered under the North Korean regime,” said Cruz.

    The Korean American Divided Families National Registry Act would help reunite Korean Americans who have been separated from their relatives in North Korea since the Korean War by creating a national registry with information regarding divided families and allowing the U.S. government to facilitate in-person or virtual opportunities for living and willing family members to meet.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, Merkley Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Wastewater Systems from Non-Flushable Products

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the bipartisan Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act, a bill to address health, ecosystem, and wastewater infrastructure concerns caused by the flushing of non-flushable wet wipes.

    “Many consumers who use wet wipes are unaware that flushing these products creates significant problems for plumbing, wastewater treatment equipment, and septic systems,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would require manufacturers to label non-flushable wet wipes, providing consumers with the information they need to safely dispose of them, and helping prevent homeowners and taxpayers from having to pay for expensive repairs.”

    “When non-flushable wipes are sent through our sewage systems, they plug the pipes. The resulting backups of sewage are not a pretty picture,” said Senator Merkley. “Accurately labelling wipes and other products as ‘non-flushable’ is a necessary step to ensure consumers appropriately dispose of their waste. Doing so will keep our water clean and our wastewater infrastructure safe and efficient.” 

    The WIPPES Act addresses the pervasive, but ultimately preventable, problem of the flushing of non-flushable wet wipes by establishing “Do Not Flush” labeling requirements for products such as baby wipes, household wipes, disinfecting wipes, and personal care wipes. Many of these wipes are composed of manufactured plastic fibers or other strong fibers, and while these products are not marketed as flushable, consumers frequently flush them into sewer systems as a means of disposal. Due to strong fibers, these types of wipes do not break down as they travel through the sewer systems. Instead, the wipes become magnets attracting fats, oils, and grease that become obstructions in sewerage systems pipes. These masses clog pumps, block sewer collection systems, and jam motors, leading to sewage backups and treatment equipment failures.

    The WIPPES Act is endorsed by the American Public Works Association, American Rivers, the Association of Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), the Center for Baby and Adult Hygiene Products, Consumer Healthcare Products Association, ISSA (the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association), National Association of Clean Water Agencies, National Rural Water Association, National Stewardship Action Council, the Coalition for Clean Water, and the Water Environment Federation.

    “American Rivers Action Fund endorses the Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act to address the serious threat that wipes pose to our wastewater systems. Unlike ordinary trash, wipes clog treatment plants, leading to costly shutdowns and increasing the overall expense of water treatment. Each year, millions of tons of debris end up in our waterways—jeopardizing water quality and impacting recreation in our communities. We urge Congress to support this bipartisan bill to tackle this growing infrastructure crisis,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of the American Rivers Action Fund.

    “INDA is proud to continue its support for the WIPPES Act, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives by an overwhelming bipartisan margin in 2024. The industry is committed to responsibly managing wipe products that are not designed to be flushable, protecting public infrastructure and the environment,” said INDA President Tony Fragnito. “The passage of this important legislation will have positive impacts on the environment, wastewater agencies, consumers, and manufacturers by mandating uniform ‘Do Not Flush’ labeling for covered products. This clear visual symbol, coupled with robust consumer education programs, are raising awareness about the proper disposal of these products. INDA applauds the sponsor’s vision to address this issue in a comprehensive and meaningful way. We look forward to our continued collaboration with the wastewater sector and other stakeholders to support this bill’s swift passage in Congress.”

    “We are thrilled to have bi-partisan support to make this “truth in labeling” law the standard nationally.  When labels say “flushable” people believe it, they flush them, then have expensive clogs and added stress in their lives that is totally avoidable with standardized truthful labeling,” said Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director of the National Stewardship Action Council.

    The full text of the bill can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Rated Second-Most Effective U.S. Senator in 118th Congress

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla Rated Second-Most Effective U.S. Senator in 118th Congress

    ICYMI: SacBee: How effective are California’s senators and representatives? New survey rates them

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was rated as the second-most effective U.S. Senator in the 118th Congress by a nonpartisan report from the Center for Effective Lawmaking.

    “My top priority in the Senate is fighting on behalf of the people of California and delivering results for our state,” said Senator Padilla. “I will continue working to deliver solutions that advance California’s leadership in combating the climate crisis and improve our resiliency to natural disasters, and I will keep standing up for working families across the state.”

    The Sacramento Bee recently highlighted the report, noting that Senator Padilla sponsored 92 bills last Congress and reporting that nine passed the Senate and two became law. It also discusses three more of his bills that became law through larger legislative vehicles. The article specifically features his bipartisan Fusion Energy Act, which will accelerate the development of commercial fusion energy, as well as his bipartisan Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience Act, which establishes a permanent Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience within the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to support the short- and long-term economic recovery efforts of communities impacted by natural disasters.

    Key Article Excerpts:

    • Sen. Alex Padilla and Rep. Doris Matsui ranked among the most effective members of the last Congress, a new survey found Tuesday.
    • The study rated Padilla the Senate’s second most effective Democrat last year.
    • Also becoming law was the Fusion Energy Act of 2024, which wound up in budget legislation. The act is designed to allow the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to have regulatory authority over commercial fusion energy systems for certain purposes.
    • “The fact that both of these sponsored bills were referred to committees where he sat presumably provided him with opportunities to ensure that these measures were incorporated into other bills that were likely to advance further in the legislative process,” the report said. 

    Full text of the article is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Meets With Israeli Ambassador To The United States, Michael Leiter

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    March 27, 2025

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the new Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Leiter, to discuss the return of remaining hostages and an end to the war in Gaza, Iran’s continued destabilizing actions in the region, and the need for a long-term two state solution.  

    “After a relatively successful phase one in the ceasefire deal, I am concerned with the impasse to move to the next stage and a failure by all parties to present a vision for the day after the war,” said Durbin. “As I said to Ambassador Leiter, the United States must continue pushing for long-term security for Israel, humanitarian aid and rebuilding of Gaza that is free from Hamas control, a reformed Palestinian Authority, and a two-state solution. The United States has a responsibility to push towards finding a solution that allows Israeli and Palestinian children to once and for all live together in peace and dignity.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Slams Trump Administration’s Cuts To Social Security Administration As Trump, Musk Call Beneficiaries “Parasites”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    March 27, 2025

    In his remarks, Durbin admonished the Trump Administration for spreading misinformation about fraud within the Social Security Administration

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor admonishing the Trump Administration for its assault on Social Security, a program that millions of Americans rely on.  During his remarks, Durbin pushed back against President Trump and Elon Musk’s claims that the Social Security Administration (SSA) is riddled with frauded.

    “He [President Trump] delivered this address to the Joint Session of Congress and the American people, the one time each year we’re focused on the President’s words, and he made these deliberate misrepresentations of the Social Security Administration.  He claimed that the unelected billionaire Elon Musk and his DOGE boys had identified ‘shocking levels of incompetence and probable fraud’ within Social Security.  Mr. Musk then claimed, at a later point, that tens of millions of dead people over the age of 100 are still receiving Social Security benefits.  [That’s] outrageous and untrue,” Durbin began.

    In his Joint Address, President Trump claimed that a 360-year-old was receiving Social Security benefits.  The Washington Post investigated President Trump’s nonsensical claims by obtaining internal records from SSA.  The investigation, which found that only 1,300 Americans over the age of 100 were receiving benefits, debunked the Trump Administration’s claims that “tens of millions of dead people over the age of 100” were cashing in on Social Security benefits. 

    “The truth is you’d be hard-pressed to find another agency that is more closely scrutinized than Social Security.  It routinely audits benefit payments to make sure they’re accurate.  The Office of Inspector General conducted a report in 2024 which found that less than one percent of Social Security payments were improper.  Less than one percent.  President Trump’s statement made it seem like Social Security is riddled with fraud and incompetence.  Payments to a 360-year-old individual?  Outrageous, untrue,” Durbin continued.

    Durbin argued that President Trump and Elon Musk are attacking SSA as a means to justify the Administration’s destruction of the federal workforce and agencies.

    “I believe President Trump and Mr. Musk are intentionally misrepresenting the challenges Social Security faces as the rationale to implement their harmful policies.  The Trump Administration’s disdain for Social Security is clear.  Elon Musk, the President’s unelected buddy, describes Social Security [as] ‘the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time…’  And [Musk] shared a post on Twitter that called those who benefit from federal programs, get ready, ‘the parasite class,’” Durbin continued.  

    “Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick called Americans who were calling in to report missing Social Security benefits ‘fraudsters.’  The same billionaire, Mr. Lutnick, bragged that his mother-in-law wouldn’t care if she didn’t receive a monthly check from Social Security,” said Durbin.  “Well perhaps, if your son-in-law is a billionaire, you don’t care.”

    “These comments are not only wrong and misleading, they are sickening, sickening.  These people work their whole lives paying into Social Security with the promise it will take care of them when they decided to retire.  Now, the question is raised whether they are ‘parasites’ throughout their lives,” Durbin said.

    Durbin then spoke about the Trump Administration’s recent actions to harm the Social Security Administration’s operations by slashing its workforce, announcing plans to terminate 7,000 workers, 12 percent of the workforce at SSA.  The Trump Administration also plans to limit phone services despite constituents already reporting that they must wait several hours to have their call answered.  Further, the Administration has announced that it will close some Social Security offices across the country, including in Illinois.

    “I ran into an individual in a coffee shop in Springfield, [Illinois], a few weeks ago.  He’s retired now, and he said, ‘Senator, it was smarter for me to get in the car and drive 40 minutes each way to Litchfield, Illinois, to the Social Security office, rather than wait in line for hours at the Springfield office.  Each of the actions taken by the Trump Administration has made it more difficult forseniors and people with disabilities to access their benefits.  Americans are worried, some even terrified, questioning whether or not they will continue to have access to earned benefits and essential services,” Durbin said.

    Durbin concluded his remarks by emphasizing that Social Security is an earned benefit that Americans pay into, not a handout, contrary to President Trump’s claims.

    “Americans depend on Social Security and its workers to pick up the phone, answer the questions, and help them secure their benefits.  Social Security is a bedrock of American society.  It is a promise.  All of us contribute to it, expecting it will be there when we need,” Durbin said.  “For too long we’ve asked the Social Security Administration to do more with less, and now President Trump has taken that to an extreme.  I’m calling on him to abandon these plans.”

    “If you actually want to make Social Security more efficient, it needs more well-trained people, more resources, more funding.  We do not need the recent college graduates in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency taking Social Security for a joyride while their grandparents are in the back holding on for dear life,” Durbin said.  “We certainly don’t need the sage advice of billionaires who cannot begin to understand what it means to live month-to-month waiting for your Social Security check as so many Americans do.”

    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEW REPORT: Trump Leaves Over 46 Million Students Without Protection from Discrimination

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, March 27 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today released a new report finding that the Trump administration has left more than 46 million students in 27 states and territories without dedicated investigators to protect their educational civil rights. Due to President Trump’s efforts to abolish the Department of Education and fire half of its workforce, millions of students who face antisemitism and Islamophobia, students with disabilities, students who are sexually harassed and LGBTQ+ students who are bullied have been left without recourse or protection. Staffers who were abruptly fired were actively investigating over 6,800 civil rights cases throughout the country – including cases of antisemitism and many other forms of hate and discrimination. The report comes on the heels of a Republican-led hearing on antisemitism on college campuses. 

    The department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) receives thousands of complaints alleging civil rights violations annually – including a record of nearly 22,700 complaints last year. Trump’s reckless layoffs have impacted at least 43 percent of OCR’s staff, including the entire staff at seven out of 12 of OCR’s regional offices. These firings subject thousands of students to potentially unsafe learning environments – or leave them out of school entirely. The department has not communicated any plan to schools, students or families to ensure continued civil rights enforcement. 

    “If we are serious about reducing the unacceptable rise in antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism on college campuses, we should not be defunding and dismantling the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights,” said Sanders. “Unfortunately and unacceptably, that is precisely what President Trump, Elon Musk and his minions at DOGE are doing. 46 million students in 27 states and territories have been left without dedicated staff to investigate their discrimination complaints. The staffers who were abruptly fired were investigating over 6,800 civil rights cases throughout the country – including cases of antisemitism and many other forms of hate and discrimination. These cases are still pending. They have not been resolved. That is unacceptable.” 

    Here are some of the key findings from the report: 

    • Over 46 million students in 27 states and territories have been left without dedicated civil rights investigators to protect their rights and investigate their complaints.
    • Staff investigating over 6,800 cases of discrimination have been fired – including staff investigating 74 percent of the nation’s open cases regarding national origin discrimination involving religion, including antisemitism and Islamophobia.
    • OCR investigators caseloads will explode by over 200 percent and may rise from 42 cases per investigator to 86 cases.

    Even before Trump’s layoffs, caseloads for OCR staff were far too high. Now, fewer staff will lead to fewer investigations conducted and completed and to more students facing harassment, abuse, and discrimination. This undermines the department’s ability to protect students’ civil rights and compromises its ability to deliver a high-quality education to 26 million children living in high-poverty school districts, 7 million students receiving Pell Grants, and 9.5 million students with disabilities, no matter their race, ethnicity, income, zip code or disability status.

    Sanders concluded: “We are the wealthiest country in the history of the world. We should have the best education system of any country in the world and ensure all of our kids can get a decent education no matter what their race, creed, color or gender may be.”

    Read the full report here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Statement on Washington Republicans’ Siding with Big Banks in Removing Protections from Junk Fees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock Statement on Washington Republicans’ Siding with Big Banks in Removing Protections from Junk Fees

    Senator Reverend Warnock has spent years urging federal financial regulators to crack down on onerous junk fees
    ICYMI from WSBTV: Georgia leaders fighting rule to cap overdraft fees
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “Financial institutions shouldn’t be padding their profits on the backs of struggling Georgia families; that is why I am voting no on this resolution, because I will always be on the side of lowering costs for hard working Americans instead of raising profits for big banks”

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) released the following statement after the Republican-controlled Senate passed legislation to remove protections from junk fees for working Americans: 

    “I spent years fighting to cap overdraft fees at $5. That cap is finally announced and months away from giving ordinary people some breathing room by saving them some $5 billion a year in overdraft fees, but now, Washington Republicans are serving wealthy banks instead of the working people. Financial institutions shouldn’t be padding their profits on the backs of struggling Georgia families; that is why I am voting no on this legislation, because I will always be on the side of lowering costs for hard working Americans instead of raising profits for big banks,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Secures Commitments from FAA Acting Administrator to Address Number of Air Traffic Controllers Awaiting Medical Clearances to Return to Work in Chicago and Nationwide

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    March 27, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – At today’s committee hearing on the horrific DCA aircraft collision, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Ranking Member of the CST Aviation Subcommittee—secured a commitment from Acting Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Chris Rocheleau to report back to her on how many certified air traffic controllers around the country are waiting for medical clearances to return to work and to help ensure these medical reviews are happening in a timely manner. Duckworth is hearing air traffic controllers in the Chicagoland area have been caught up in this backlog that is keeping them from getting back on the job to help keep our aviation system safe for the flying public. Duckworth’s exchange with Acting Administrator Rocheleau can be found on the Senator’s YouTube.

    “I’m being told there are certified controllers in Chicago who are waiting for their FAA medical clearances in order to return to work—which is extremely concerning as we continue to face a shortage of air traffic controllers,” said Duckworth. “I worry this issue may be happening elsewhere as well. I appreciate that Acting Administrator Rocheleau committed to working with me to ensure controllers in Chicago and around the country receive medical reviews in a timely manner so they can get back on the job.”

    As our nation continues to experience an air traffic controller shortage amid multiple near-misses and midair collisions, Duckworth underscored how critical it is that the FAA does not lower its longstanding high standard and potentially sacrifice effectiveness for efficiency. Two weeks after the horrific DCA aircraft collision that killed 67 passengers and crew, the Trump Administration began firing hundreds of FAA employees. Last month, Duckworth sent a letter to FAA Acting Administrator Rocheleau on the reasoning behind these cuts to the workforce.

    For years, Duckworth has been sounding the alarm that we must make these critical aviation safety investments immediately to prevent all-too-often near-misses from becoming catastrophic tragedies. Last Congress, Duckworth chaired two CST Aviation Subcommittee hearings—one last December and the other a year prior—to address our aviation industry’s chilling surge in near-deadly close calls and underscore the urgent need to improve air traffic control systems to protect the flying public.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Colleagues Demand Senate Hearings on Trump Administration’s Reckless Mishandling of Classified Military Operations That Put Our Troops at Greater Risk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    March 27, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of both the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—joined fellow SASC and SFRC member Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and 14 other Senate colleagues in calling on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), SASC and SFRC to hold hearings to investigate why members of President Trump’s national security team were recklessly discussing classified military operations on unsecured devices. In the letter, the Senators also criticized the incompetence and carelessness of how these Trump officials mishandled the situation and inadvertently added a journalist to the group chat. The letter comes after new reporting detailed the classified military plans that were discussed in the commercial, unclassified messaging app.
    “We write to you with grave concern regarding the recent revelations reported in The Atlantic about the Trump Administration’s reckless handling of classified information about U.S. military operations,” wrote the Senators. “This gross mishandling of highly classified information has weakened our national security and could have put at risk American lives, particularly the men and women involved in the military strikes in Yemen.”
    “For this reason, we are calling on the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to hold joint or separate hearings to investigate this matter fully and get to the bottom of why members of the National Security Council were using unclassified, internet-connected smartphones and channels to discuss highly sensitive military information, when there are known ways to tamper with unclassified devices and when it is possible that dozens of foreign intelligence agencies are targeting the unclassified smartphones used by these senior U.S. government officials,” they continued. “Our national security demands that we act with urgency to uncover the full details of this severe security breach and implement measures to prevent such recklessness in the future.”
    In addition to Duckworth and Rosen, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ). All of the Senators who signed are members of SASC, SSCI or SFRC.
    The full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch, Issa, Hudson Introduce Bill to Prohibit State Excise Taxes on Firearms

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Representatives Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) today introduced the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act. This bill would prohibit states from implementing excise taxes on firearms and ammunition to fund gun control programs.

    “Blue states that implement an excessive excise tax to fund gun control initiatives are exploiting the Second Amendment,” said Risch. “The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act ensures states do not place a significant financial burden on law-abiding gun owners to advance their anti-Second Amendment agenda.”

    “For too many years, extreme state policies — including from my home state — have targeted our fundamental Second Amendment rights and the American citizens who exercise them,” said Issa. “The latest attack is California’s imposition of a ‘sin tax’ on firearms and ammunition. This outrageous and unfair burden on law-abiding citizens is why Sen. Risch, Rep. Hudson, and I are working to stop this and other attempts to penalize our people and put the price of self-defense out of reach of any American.”

    “Far-left politicians will stop at nothing to undermine the Second Amendment,” said Hudson. “Their latest scheme is an unconstitutional tax that seeks to price you out of your right to keep and bear arms, and this legislation will put a stop to it.”

    In 2024, California implemented a new 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition to discourage the purchase of firearms and fund gun control programs. Colorado is set to implement a 6.5% excise tax in April 2025. Maryland, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, and New Mexico have proposed similar taxes. 

    Risch, Issa, and Hudson are joined by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Hoeven (R-Mont.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), and Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) in introducing the legislation.

    The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act has received support from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and National Rifle Association (NRA).

    “There is a growing effort among states to levy excise taxes to discourage firearm ownership. California and Colorado have already implemented a gun tax to fund their gun control efforts and dismantle the Second Amendment,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action. “Senator Risch’s bill would prevent these blatant and egregious attacks on the rights of Americans, and the National Rifle Association is proud to support this legislation.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND DEMAND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IMMEDIATELY REVERSE CRUEL & CALLOUS DECISION TO CUT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN FUNDING FOR NEW YORK’S ADDICTION RECOVERY, MENTAL HEALTH, AND HEALTHCARE…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    Trump Administration Suddenly Cut Billions In Fed Funding For State Health Services Yesterday Which Will Reduce Disease Preparedness For Everything From Measles To HIV, Cut Support For Addiction Programs, Slash Mental Health Services, Jeopardizing Jobs And Risking a Public Health Crisis
    Schumer, Gillibrand: Stopping The Spread Of Measles And Cutting Off Help For Addiction Recovery Is Not Government Waste
    After Trump abruptly cut billions of dollars from state health services, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today called on the Trump administration to reverse this harmful decision which would rip away $300 million for New York State’s health services. The senators said these cuts will impact New Yorkers in every corner of the state because they will reduce New York State’s preparedness for infectious diseases and ability to provide mental health services.
    “Stopping the spread of measles is not government waste. Cutting off funding for addiction recovery programs in the middle of a fentanyl crisis and slashing mental health support is just plain cruel. Ripping away this $300 million in federal support for New York State’s health services with no warning or explanation while these programs are ongoing will risk people’s lives,” said Senator Schumer. “If these cuts are implemented, taxpayer-funded research projects will be abandoned, jobs lost, and – worst of all – it could create a healthcare crisis. ‘DOGE’ claims to eliminate government waste, but this newest announcement will only create more waste because we have already invested so much funding into this and now they will need to be abandoned. I’m calling on Secretary Kennedy to immediately reverse these cuts to protect New Yorkers’ and all Americans’ healthcare.”
    “This previously awarded federal funding is incredibly important for infectious disease preparedness, and for providing mental health and substance use recovery services for vulnerable New Yorkers,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Canceling this funding will devastate our communities, making people more vulnerable to disease, mental health challenges and substance use disorders. Now is the time to invest in these important initiatives, not cut them, and I demand that this funding be reinstated immediately.”
    Schumer and Gillibrand’s letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. can be found HERE or below:
    Dear Secretary Kennedy,
    We are writing to denounce and demand reversal of the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) cancellation of previously awarded funding for public health and mental health services to New York State. We are greatly concerned by the reckless and rash cancellation of funds spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which clearly failed to gauge the detrimental impact that these cuts will have on the entire country.
    The funding that HHS plans to cancel, which includes over $300 million in funding for the New York State Department of Health, Office of Addiction Supports and Services, and Office of Mental Health, is a lifeline for New Yorkers. Retracting this funding would mean weakening infectious disease preparedness, as well as mental health and substance use recovery services, provided by hundreds of entities across the state of New York, including county health departments and school systems. New Yorkers are greatly deserving of this federal support and we reiterate our demand for HHS to reinstate these funds.
    This federal funding is being used to defend against infectious disease at a time when threats are growing, most imminently with the rapid rise of measles cases which have already exceeded the 2024 national case count. As of March 26th, there were three measles cases detected in New York State. Measles is a highly infectious disease that requires robust state and local public health coordination to ensure that cases and exposures are tracked appropriately. It is especially reckless to reduce infectious disease funding to New York during a time of concern over measles spread, especially considering New York City welcomes over 50 million Americans in tourism each year. Cutting funds to this extent is putting the health and well-being of all Americans at risk, especially children, seniors, and those with compromised immune systems. These cuts threaten one of the largest sources of funding for state and local health departments nationwide. Funding supports statewide laboratory capacity, community health workers, tribal nations, and 51 local health departments. Now is the time to invest further in the entities doing this important work, not to pull back on previously awarded funding.
    These resources also provide tools to community members in the fight against the ongoing opioid epidemic. Municipalities of all sizes are working with the state to pursue evidence-based solutions to minimize the scourge of substance use disorder in New York. Grants are also used to support statewide response to the mental health crisis, and rescinding this funding puts meaningful progress in jeopardy.
    Clawing back federal funding that was awarded before the grant end date puts the health of New Yorkers at risk, and jeopardizes hundreds of jobs at organizations and agencies. There is still a lack of information about what funding is at risk, what organizations and agencies will lose funding, and what research and services will be ended as a result. Despite this uncertainty, it is clear that cutting funding will unnecessarily put the lives of New Yorkers at risk.
    We demand that you reinstate this important funding immediately. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Introduces Paul Atkins, Trump’s Nominee to be SEC Commissioner

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today introduced Paul Atkins at his nomination hearing to be Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Partial Transcript:
    Thank you Mr. Chairman, and it’s a great honor for me to be with such a wonderful group of nominees today.
    I have a particular pleasure today, though, to introduce a longtime friend of mine. We were roommates in law school. Actually, when I talked with President Trump about Paul, when he was considering his nomination, I begged him not to hold that against Paul, and he certainly didn’t.
    But as I said, I’ve known him for a very long time. And since before I met Paul, I knew about him, and he has been known forever for his character, for his intellect, and his unrelenting work ethic.
    Today, those qualities are going to serve the American people exceptionally well. Given the many years of private practice and his prior service as SEC Commissioner, Paul has developed an unmatched understanding of financial markets and their regulatory challenges.
    And I’ve known Paul not only as a friend, but as a client, because I’ve called Paul and his team in to help the companies that I’ve invested in navigate some of the great challenges of the financial services’ regulatory environment, and his skill has been unwavering.
    Paul knows better than anyone that our nation’s global competitiveness fundamentally rests on the strength of our capital markets. He’s a true public servant and a great American.
    And if you have the opportunity to meet his three sons—two of them are here today that he and Sarah have raised together—you’ll know that Paul is a man of the highest caliber and character.
    Our nation deserves a man of Paul’s caliber steering the SEC. I urge all my colleagues to support his confirmation. Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced 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 and cannot be left waiting for weeks and months without funding they rightfully planned for and need to keep operating. 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. U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02) will introduce companion legislation in the House.
    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.
    “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.”
    “Regardless of the size of the farm, the crops grown, or the geographic location, interrupting or terminating farmer contracts undermines our nation’s economic, military, and food security, and as a whole hampers community efforts to support the overall well-being of Americans,” said Devin Cornia, Executive Director, Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey. “We are grateful to Senator Booker and his Team for their efforts to resume basic investments in our country’s future.” 
    “We thank Senator Booker and Congressman Vasquez for their leadership in forcing Secretary Rollins to honor USDA obligations. Farm Action Fund was proud to lead more than 300 organizations in support of their efforts,” said Joe Maxwell, president of Farm Action Fund. “When farmers shake hands, it’s a deal. No less should be expected of our government or the Trump administration.” 
    “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.”
    “Senator Booker’s proposed legislation to unfreeze funding for promises made to the Family Farmers who feed the rest of us is timely and appropriate,” said Michael Kovach, President, Pennsylvania Farmers Union. “It is unfortunate that it has been necessitated by some well-intentioned, but ill-conceived actions that effectively broke these promises. As so few charged with feeding so many, American Farmers need more support, not less.” 
    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.
    To see the full list of organizations endorsing the Honors Farmers Contacts, click here.
    The Honors Farmers Contacts is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Peter Welch (D-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Angus King (I-ME), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-Ill), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). 
    To read the full text of the bill, click here

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Questions Defense Nominees at Confirmation Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned Secretary of the Air Force nominee Dr. Troy Meink and Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment nominee Michael Duffey at their confirmation hearing.During the hearing, Senator Fischer urged Dr. Meink to utilize all available tools to accelerate the Sentinel program and ensure that the Department of Defense works to improve the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capability. She also asked him about his plans to grow and evolve the Space Force.
    Additionally, Senator Fischer questioned Mr. Duffey about his views on the importance of maintaining a strong nuclear deterrent. She emphasized that strengthening our nuclear triad and nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) systems should be the top priority of the Department and the foundation of our strategic planning.Fischer Questions Defense Leadership:
    Senator Fischer: Having a safe, effective, reliable, and credible nuclear deterrent is the cornerstone of our national defense. Currently, each leg of our nuclear triad is undergoing a generational recapitalization to better align with the projected threat. The Department of the Air Force is responsible for two of the three legs: the land-based ICBMs and our bomber fleet. Dr. Meink, in your answers to the committee’s advance policy questions, you stated that, “the ground leg of the nuclear triad – Minuteman III and, over time, Sentinel – are foundational to strategic deterrence and defense of the homeland.” I agree with that. I also believe that we have an opportunity, following the analysis done during the Nunn-McCurdy breach, to incorporate lessons learned and build a stronger, more enduring Sentinel program than was originally proposed. Dr. Meink, if confirmed, will you commit to utilizing all available tools to accelerate Sentinel emplacement and ensure that our nation’s ICBM capability does move forward?
    Dr. Meink: 
    Thank you, Senator. If confirmed, I will do so, and I do appreciate the one-on-one conversation we had on this topic. I am looking forward to diving into the results of the Nunn-McCurdy, and then also obviously working the B-21 and the other activities, from a nuclear perspective, the Department supports.
    Senator Fischer: 
    Thank you. Mr. Duffey, if confirmed as Under Secretary of Acquisition and Sustainment, you will oversee all nuclear modernization efforts and serve as chair of the Nuclear Weapons Council. Can you provide us with a short summary of your views on why we need such a strong nuclear deterrent?
    Mr. Duffey: 
    Madam Chair, thank you for the question, and yes, I look forward, if confirmed, to assisting in leading the department in the oversight of the nuclear modernization program. Nuclear modernization, as you mentioned, is the backbone of our strategic deterrent, and ensuring that we have a modern, capable nuclear enterprise that not only includes the B-21, which is a successful acquisition program by all accounts, but the Columbia-class submarine and the Sentinel nuclear ICBM are critical. As chair of the Nuclear Weapons Council, I look forward to the partnership with the National Nuclear Security Administration, working with this committee to ensure that we maintain the highest quality systems that not only deliver the weapons but the nuclear command and control system that would be required for a safe and secure deployment, if necessary. And I think it’s absolutely critical that we ensure that we have accelerated acquisition of those capabilities. Thank you.
    Senator Fischer: 
    Thank you. Would you agree that our triad, along with NC3, the deterrent it provides, truly is the priority of the department, and that it underpins all of our strategic planning?
    Mr. Duffey: 
    I absolutely agree with that. Yes, ma’am.
    Senator Fischer: 
    Thank you. Dr. Meink, I believe we’re finally on a better path when it comes to space programs, and I’m impressed by what our Guardians have achieved over the last several years. But the Space Force is still a young organization, and there are likely still growing pains ahead. I am encouraged that the President nominated someone for this program with deep expertise in space programs. Dr. Meink, what’s your vision for how the Space Force should grow and how it should evolve as a service?
    Dr. Meink: 
    Thank you for the question, Senator. Yes, I’ve been fortunate enough to work space systems, both on the Air Force side, which then became the Space Force side, as well as from the IC side. Space is critical. This is actually one of the areas that we’re most challenged, I believe, from the rapidly evolving threat from China and others, both the direct threat to our systems as well as the threat those systems pose to our operations across the Department in general. I think the key to both acquisition and operations is making sure you have the best talented workforce. These are some of the most complicated systems, and if the U.S. is going to maintain our advantage, which we need to do in space, we need to make sure we have the right workforce. The Space Force is in the process of growing. I will support that activity to make sure we have the right numbers and the right skill set, and then make sure that the acquisitions themselves are delivering and that they’re getting into operation.
    Senator Fischer: 
    Can you give me a quick example of what new capabilities you think Space Force should be focusing on to acquire? Just a quick example?
    Dr. Meink:
     I think some of the space control and counter space systems are critical. Senator, I can’t dive into too many of the details, but that is probably the area that we’re being most stressed from a threat perspective.
    Senator Fischer:
     Okay, thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Welcomes Secretary Hegseth to Mississippi, Showcases State’s Role in National Defense

    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, today welcomed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to various national defense installations in Mississippi, highlighting the state’s growing role in the defense industrial base and in support of the American warfighter.
    Specifically, Chairman Wicker and Secretary Hegseth visited the Army Aviation Support Facility in Tupelo, where they met with members of the Mississippi National Guard and participated in flight operations aboard Apache attack aircraft. Wicker and Hegseth also toured the General Atomics facility in Tupelo, where they received a brief on some of the advanced military technologies under production, including hypersonic capabilities. Finally, Hegseth and Wicker were welcomed at “A Southern Salute to the Troops,” an event run by multiple veterans’ advocacy organizations such as Purple Heart Homes and 7 Days for the Troops.
    Separately, Chairman Wicker delivered a keynote address at the University of Mississippi’s National Center for Narrative Intelligence, where he discussed the unique contributions of cognitive warfare capabilities in the broader effort to improve our national defense preparedness against threats like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
    “It was great to host Secretary Hegseth in Mississippi this week as we engaged with some of our state’s best-in-class defense capabilities. I am glad that the Secretary saw firsthand why our state is increasingly becoming a powerhouse in military technology and preparedness,” Chairman Wicker said. “As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will always showcase Mississippi’s leading contributions for the warfighter and work to expand our state’s growing role in the defense industrial base. I also appreciate Secretary Hegseth’s continued partnership as we both work to reform and rebuild to achieve one of President Trump’s most important promises to the American people: the restoration of peace through strength.”

    MIL OSI USA News –