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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Shaheen, Blackburn Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Place a WWII Women’s Memorial on National Mall

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    March 26, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of both the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) and Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)—alongside U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to place a memorial honoring women’s contributions to World War II on the National Mall. The legislation builds on Senator Duckworth’s 2023 law that authorized the establishment of a WWII women’s memorial in D.C.
    “It’s long past time we memorialize the contributions hardworking women made during World War II beside all the other historic memorials on the National Mall,” said Senator Duckworth. “I’m proud our legislation was signed into law to establish a memorial in D.C. to honor the millions of women who rolled up their sleeves and took whatever job was necessary to help move our country forward during World War II. Now, Congress must pass this bipartisan legislation to ensure this memorial is rightfully placed on the National Mall where their legacy can be remembered and preserved prominently for generations to come.”
    “The monuments and memorials displayed in Washington tell America’s story,” said Senator Shaheen. “The invaluable contributions of ‘Rosie the Riveters’ during World War II are measured not only by the countless American lives they helped save, but also by the generations of women they inspired to serve our nation. Our bipartisan legislation designates a permanent home to memorialize the brave women who worked on the home front during the second world war.” 
     “Over 18 million women served on the home front during World War II, playing a key role in American history. They helped support their country while inspiring future generations of women to join the workforce,” said Senator Blackburn. “A memorial honoring the sacrifice and service of these women should be placed on the National Mall as a powerful reminder of their legacy in fighting for freedom and building the equipment needed by America’s troops during World War II.” 
    Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) and Russ Fulcher (R-ID-01).
    More than 18 million women answered the call to hold down the home front by working as pilots, engineers, electricians, mechanics, code breakers and more during World War II.   
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Reiterates Urgent Need to Grow Aviation Workforce and Invest in Safety Technology to Safeguard Flying Public at Committee Hearing on Deadly DCA Midair Collision

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    March 27, 2025
    In her opening remarks, the Senator warned, “This collision was horrendous, and it is heartbreaking. But it was NOT a surprise”
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – In her opening remarks 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—reiterated the long-pressing, ever-growing need to expand our air traffic controller workforce and invest in more safety technology in order to safeguard passengers, crew and our entire aviation system. 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. Despite the Senator’s calls, the Trump Administration began making cuts and firing hundreds of FAA employees in the wake of multiple deadline airplane crashes, including the DCA crash that killed 67 passengers and crew on January 29, 2025. Video of Duckworth’s opening remarks can be found on the Senator’s YouTube.
    Key quotes:
    “We have an obligation to the victims to learn what went wrong and prevent a collision like this from ever happening again. As a former Blackhawk pilot, who has flown helicopters out of a very busy Chicago Midway Airport – I know how challenging this type of mixed-use airspace can be. But a challenging airspace is no excuse. This should never happen. This collision was horrendous, and it is heartbreaking. But it was NOT a surprise. Alarm bells about potential collisions have been ringing for years.”
    “At such a dangerous time for aviation safety, when we need to bolster our workforce, and invest in technology – the last thing we should be doing is making cuts. Yet, two weeks after the DCA crash, the Trump administration began firing hundreds of FAA employees. I say all of this because it is important context to keep in mind during today’s hearing. We need to understand what happened at DCA – but we also need to understand how this fits into a much larger threat to aviation safety.”
    “NTSB’s preliminary report raises several questions. Most notably: How did FAA allow a helicopter route to come within 75 feet of a runway approach? […] We also need to know more about what the helicopter pilots knew about their altitude. Was their equipment working properly? […] There are also questions about ADS-B. Why was the helicopter not transmitting ADS-B Out? Do commercial aircraft need to be equipped with ADS-B In?”
    Duckworth’s opening remarks as prepared below:
    I want to extend my condolences to the family members of the victims some of whom are here with us today—both on the commercial airliner, as well as the family members who lost the brave soldiers in the Blackhawk helicopter.
    I also want to thank the first responders, and everyone at NTSB for their tireless work to get us the answers we need.
    There’s a saying and many of you have heard it: Our aviation regulations are written in blood.
    We have an obligation to the victims to learn what went wrong, and prevent a collision like this from ever happening again.
    As a former Blackhawk pilot myself, who has flown helicopters out of a very busy Chicago Midway Airport – I know how challenging this type of mixed-use airspace can be.
    But a challenging airspace is no excuse. This should never happen.
    This collision was horrendous, and it is heartbreaking.
    But it was NOT a surprise.
    Alarm bells about potential collisions have been ringing for years.
    Coming out of the pandemic, we saw a frightening rise in close calls and an erosion of our aviation system’s margin of safety.
    We’ve known for years we need more air traffic controllers and more safety technology.
    The warnings have been clear — and in some cases right here at this committee, in a bipartisan consensus.
    In November 2023, we held a hearing on close calls. NTSB Chair Homendy testified. Citing staffing shortages, fatigue, distraction, deviations from FAA regulations and a lack of runway safety technology, she warned — quote — “The concerning uptick in such incidents is a clear warning sign that the U.S. aviation system is sharply strained . . . We cannot wait until a fatal accident forces action. We must act before there is a tragedy.”
    At the same hearing, the National Air Traffic Controller Association’s president told us that staffing shortages were so bad, many air traffic controllers were working mandatory overtime, 6-day workweeks and 10-hour days. He warned — quote — “Over the long-term, this will continue to introduce unnecessary risk into the system.”
    We passed—in a bipartisan way—an FAA Reauthorization bill last year to help rebuild our aviation workforce and make critical investments in safety.
    FAA is still implementing that new law, but clearly Congress has more work to do to shore up aviation safety.
    In December 2024, we held another hearing. GAO told us that more than 75% of our aging air traffic control systems are unsustainable or potentially unsustainable.
    The deadly collision at DCA is not the only aviation safety incident, so far, this year. We’ve seen deadly crashes in Philadelphia and Alaska, and a crash landing in Toronto that miraculously everyone survived even after the aircraft flipped upside down. Earlier this month, we saw passengers standing on the wing of a 737 in Denver to escape a fire.
    And near misses keep happening. In February a Southwest flight came within 200 ft of colliding with a Flexjet plane at Midway Airport.
    At such a dangerous time for aviation safety, when we need to bolster our workforce, and invest in technology – the last thing we should be doing is making cuts to the FAA. Yet, two weeks after the DCA crash, the Trump administration began firing hundreds of FAA employees.
    I say all of this because it is important context to keep in mind during today’s hearing. We need to understand what happened at DCA – but we also need to understand how this fits into a much larger threat to aviation safety.
    According to NTSB, DCA had many close calls in recent years. Between October 2021 and December 2024 there were more than 15,000 instances of commercial aircraft coming close to helicopters.
    85 of these had a vertical separation of less than 200 ft.
    Last year there were also two high-profile runway close calls at DCA.NTSB’s preliminary report raises several questions.
    Most notably: How did FAA allow a helicopter route to come within 75 feet of a runway approach?
    FAA has deconflicted the airspace, but DCA is not the only airport in the country where airplanes and helicopters share congested airspace.
    Several of us raised this at an earlier briefing and, thankfully, FAA is now evaluating 8 cities where this may also be an issue, including Chicago.
    We also need to know more about what the helicopter pilots knew about their altitude. Was their equipment working properly? Voice recordings showed the pilot and the Instructor pilot indicated different altitudes as they approached the Key Bridge, and NTSB determined that some of the altitude information on the helicopter’s data recorder was invalid.
    There are also questions about ADS-B. Why was the helicopter not transmitting ADS-B Out? Do commercial aircraft need to be equipped with ADS-B In? How come so many helicopters are allowed exemptions at DCA?
    I look forward to hearing from our witnesses.
    I yield back.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch, Crapo, Cotton Introduce Bill to Keep Cellphones Out of Jails

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introduced the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act to prevent inmates from using contraband cellphones in correctional facilities by allowing state and federal prisons to use cellphone jamming systems.
    “Idaho has seen firsthand the grave danger contraband cellphones pose to the public, correctional officers, and inmates,” said Risch. “The Cellphone Jamming Reform Act keeps our communities safe by allowing correctional facilities to block illicit cell signals.”
    “While in prison, criminals should not be able to communicate with the outside world and continue the criminal actions that landed them there in the first place,” said Crapo. “We must pass this commonsense fix to cut off their ability to further their crimes behind bars and protect the citizens of our communities.”
    “For far too long, contraband cellphones have been a major security threat in our prisons, allowing criminals to coordinate crimes from behind bars. This legislation is a common-sense step to cut off their ability to threaten witnesses, organize drug trafficking, and endanger law-abiding citizens from within prison walls,” said Cotton.
    Risch, Crapo, and Cotton are joined by U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) in introducing the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act.
    The use of contraband cellphones is widespread in both federal and state prison facilities. Inmates have used contraband cellphones to conduct illegal activities, including ordering hits on individuals outside of the prison walls, running illegal drug operations, conducting illegal business deals, facilitating sex trafficking, and organizing escapes which endanger correctional employees, other inmates, and members of the public.
    In March 2024, a contraband cell phone was used in Idaho to coordinate the escape of a reputed gang member. During the escape, three Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) officers were ambushed and two were shot. The IDOC confiscated multiple phones in the weeks prior to the incident. A later investigation confirmed the contraband cellphone was used to plan the escape.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden Blasts Republicans for Giving Big Banks the Green Light to Gouge American Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    March 27, 2025
    Republicans Support for Raising Overdraft Fees Will Cost Americans $5 Billion a Year
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement today on Republicans voting to abolish a Biden-era rule that was set to reduce the cost of overdraft fees and improve transparency for consumers: 
    “It comes as no surprise that Republicans have once again broken their promise to lower costs and handed big banks a victory on the backs of American families who are already struggling to keep their heads above water due to Trump’s chaos. Throwing this rule in the trash gives the biggest banks the power to continue charging consumers 5 billion dollars in excessive overdraft fees every year, while Trump and his uber wealthy MAGA friends shamefully showboat their newly purchased Teslas from the richest man alive.”
    Last year, Wyden joined Democratic senators in sending a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) supporting the rule, including a $5 cap on overdraft fees. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SASC Leaders Reed & Wicker Request Inspector General Probe into Signal Incident

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC — Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) sent a letter to the Acting Inspector General of the Department of Defense regarding their bipartisan concern and interest about the Signal group chat involving senior members of the Trump Administration.
    Full text of the letter follows:
    Mr. Steven A. Stebbins
    Acting Inspector General
    U.S. Department of Defense – Office of Inspector General
    4800 Mark Center Drive
    Alexandria, VA 22350-1500
    Dear Mr. Stebbins,
    On March 11, 2025, Jeffrey Goldberg, the Editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was reportedly included on a group chat on the commercially available communications application called Signal, which included members of the National Security Council. This chat was alleged to have included classified information pertaining to sensitive military actions in Yemen. If true, this reporting raises questions as to the use of unclassified networks to discuss sensitive and classified information, as well as the sharing of such information with those who do not have proper clearance and need to know.
    Accordingly, we ask that you conduct an inquiry into, and provide us with an assessment of, the following:
    1. The facts and circumstances surrounding the above referenced Signal chat incident, including an accounting of what was communicated and any remedial actions taken as a result;
    2. Department of Defense (DOD) policies and adherence to policies relating to government officers and employees sharing sensitive and classified information on non-government networks and electronic applications;
    3. An assessment of DOD classification and declassification policies and processes and whether these policies and processes were adhered to;
    4. How the policies of the White House, Department of Defense, the intelligence community, and other Departments and agencies represented on the National Security Council on this subject differ, if at all;
    5. An assessment of whether any individuals transferred classified information, including operational details, from classified systems to unclassified systems, and if so, how;
    6. Any recommendations to address potential issues identified.
    Please include a classified annex to these responses as needed. The Senate Armed Services Committee will work with you to schedule a briefing immediately upon completion of your review.
    Respectfully,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Keep Cellphones Out of Jails, Increase Public Safety

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and a group of Republican colleagues introduced the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of 2025 to prevent inmates from using contraband cellphone use in prison facilities by allowing state and federal prisons to use cellphone jamming systems. 
    “Cellphone use behind bars allows criminals to commit more crimes,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This is a simple way to cut them off and keep our communities safe.”
    “For far too long, contraband cellphones have been a major security threat in our prisons, allowing criminals to coordinate crimes from behind bars. This legislation is a common-sense step to cut off their ability to threaten witnesses, organize drug trafficking, and endanger law-abiding citizens from within prison walls,” said Senator Cotton.
    Cassidy and Cotton were joined by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Cyndi Hyde-Smith (R-MS), James Lankford (R-OK), and James Risch (R-ID) also joined the legislation. U.S. Representative David Kustoff (R-TN-08) is leading companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    “Criminals are using contraband cellphones to commit crimes while in prison. The extent of coordinated criminal activity carried out by inmates is a serious threat to public safety,” said Representative Kustoff. “As a former United States Attorney, I have seen first-hand the dangerous effects of contraband cellphone use to both law enforcement officers and our communities. It should be impossible for prisoners to organize gang activity, traffic drugs, and coordinate any other wrongdoing from behind bars. The Cellphone Jamming Reform Act is commonsense legislation that will crack down on cellphones in prisons and protect inmates, guards, and the public at large.”
    Background
    The use of contraband cellphones is widespread in both federal and state prison facilities. Inmates have used contraband cellphones to conduct illegal activities, including ordering hits on individuals outside of the prison walls, running illegal drug operations, conducting illegal business deals, facilitating sex trafficking, and organizing escapes that endanger correctional employees, other inmates, and members of the public.
    Last year, two 13-year-old boys were killed at a birthday party in Atlanta after inmates in a Georgia prison used contraband cellphones to order their murder. In December 2024, two California inmates were convicted of murder, racketeering, and other RICO-related crimes for running a heroin and meth trafficking operation from their prison cells. In 2018, a gang fight over territory using cellphones to trade contraband sparked a brawl inside the Lee Correctional Institution in South Carolina and left seven inmates dead and 20 injured.
    Bureau of Prisons Correctional officer Lt. Osvaldo Albarati was murdered in 2013 for interrupting an illicit contraband cellphone business. His assassination was initiated by an inmate using a contraband cellphone to contact the gunman as outlined in the indictment.    

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Booker, Cramer, Heinrich Reintroduce Bill to Protect Dialysis Patients

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) reintroduced the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act to ensure individuals with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or kidney failure, continue to have access to private health care.
    “ESRD patients need dialysis treatments to survive,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We must ensure their access to treatment is continued and their choice of care is protected.”
    “Three years ago, the Supreme Court made the decision to allow private health care companies to kick patients suffering from kidney failure off their plan, forcing many people into financial hardship,” said Senator Booker. “No one should lose their insurance, especially when they need it most. The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act is critical legislation that will ensure ESRD patients’ right to choose their care is protected.”
    “The last thing patients should be worried about when dealing with kidney failure is being kicked off their insurance while undergoing treatment,” said Senator Heinrich. “I’m proud to support the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act to help ensure that every New Mexican can access life-saving care when they need it most.”   
    “Dialysis is a vital treatment for over a thousand North Dakotans living with kidney failure,” said Senator Cramer. “Our legislation protects access to private health insurance for dialysis patients and supports the stability of the Medicare Trust Fund into the future.”
    The Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act is endorsed by Akebia Therapeutics, American Kidney Fund, American Nephrology Nurses Association, American Society of Nephrology, American Society of Pediatric Nephrology, Ardelyx, AstraZeneca, Atlantic Dialysis Management Services, Baxter, Centers for Dialysis Care, CorMedix, CSL Vifor, DaVita, Dialysis Care Center, Dialysis Patient Citizens, Fresenius Medical Care, Greenfield Health Systems, The Kidney Care Council, NATCO, Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission, Renal Healthcare Association, Renal Physicians Association, Renal Support Network, Rogosin Institute, U.S. Renal Care, Unicycive Therapeutics, and Diality.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Johnson Joins Sens. Barrasso, Booker, Van Hollen, Ricketts in Applauding Passage of Resolution Honoring Greek Independence Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) joined U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) in applauding the Senate passage of a bipartisan resolution to commemorate the 204th anniversary of Greek Independence Day (March 25). In addition to celebrating Greece’s historic role as the birthplace of democracy and its immense contributions to global society, the bipartisan resolution also recognizes the strength of the United States’ enduring partnership and friendship with Greece.
    Sens. Johnson, Barrasso, Booker, Van Hollen, and Ricketts were joined by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.).
    The full text of the resolution can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Case You Missed It: Capito Op-Ed: The Surface Transportation Opportunity Before Us

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an op-ed published in the Washington Times, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, detailed her vision for the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill. In the piece, Chairman Capito outlines three key principles that she believes are important for this reauthorization to achieve, and priorities that will address issues within our country’s surface transportation network. 
    “When it comes to my vision for the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill, I have three key principles that I believe will jumpstart this conversation. By focusing on these fundamental outcomes, I’m confident that we can work towards a legislative solution that will deliver results for the American people,” Chairman Capito writes.
    The full op-ed is available here and below.
    The Surface Transportation Opportunity Before Us
    By: U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
    The Washington Times 
    March 27, 2025
    Our roads and bridges are what connect us to the people and things that matter most in our lives, and all the places we travel to every day. They help American businesses, large and small, create jobs and economic opportunities, and enable their competitiveness in the global marketplace. They connect everything around us from Point A to Point B.
    The responsibility given to Congress to ensure a safe and reliable transportation network for our country originates in Article One of our Constitution and was affirmed when the Federal Aid Road Act was enacted in 1916. Today, the Federal-aid Highway Program provides the funding and policy for the transportation network that all Americans and businesses rely on — and that network requires continued investment and improvement. This is something I know well, and I’m thrilled to be the chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee during a Congress where we will need to pass a surface transportation reauthorization bill.
    This legislation supports the Federal-aid Highway Program, among other important policies and funding priorities that impact surface transportation in our country. While some might look at this as a legislative challenge, I view it as an incredible opportunity. Throughout my tenure on the EPW Committee, I have made infrastructure a central priority. Now as chairman, I look forward to continuing my work to modernize our transportation network.
    When it comes to my vision for the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill, I have three key principles that I believe will jumpstart this conversation. By focusing on these fundamental outcomes, I’m confident that we can work towards a legislative solution that will deliver results for the American people.
    Principle One: Improving the safety and reliability of America’s surface transportation network with impactful investments. In recent years, we’ve seen a major increase in the number of federal transportation programs. This leads to a duplicative and confusing process to get funding out the door, disrupts the focus of federal funding, and lessens the impact that the Federal-aid Highway Program can make.
    We can make investments that instead optimize the impact of federal funding by prioritizing our commitment to the safe and reliable movement of goods and people, and giving project partners certainty to invest over a longer period of time. We should focus on eliminating duplicative programs that often invite regulatory overreach, and rather increase funding for the highway formula programs that our states rely on.
    Principle Two: Reforming and modernizing federal programs and policies to increase efficiency. We all know that, as currently structured, federal requirements can add red tape that increases costs and slows down project completion. We all want to deliver transportation benefits faster and save money for American taxpayers. That’s truly a win-win.
    We need to take a serious look at federal requirements to determine how to best make improvements to our planning and procurement procedures, environmental review process for projects, and discretionary grants and loans requirements. By reforming and modernizing these requirements, we can create certainty for partners who make these projects happen.
    Principle Three: Addressing the variety of surface transportation needs across all states. Obviously, different states have different needs. I wouldn’t expect West Virginia, with our mountainous peaks and valleys, to prioritize the same transportation projects as other states in different parts of the country.
    By avoiding top-down mandates from Washington, D.C., we can provide the flexibility needed to address the individual improvements our states require. The Federal-aid Highway Program can support our common goals while ensuring that federal rules, regulations, programs, or policies recognize these different needs in our states.
    The vision I’ve laid out is broad, but that’s intentional. It will take the collaboration of my Senate colleagues and many others as we move toward completing the bill before September 2026. We must always be pragmatic, and work in a bipartisan fashion to develop a bill in the Senate that sets us up for a productive conversation on this reauthorization effort across both chambers of Congress.
    At the end of the day, we all know how important our surface transportation is, and the role that it plays in keeping our country’s economy and people on the move. There is an excellent opportunity ahead of us to make a pivotal impact on our transportation network, and one that I intend to see through.
    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito is the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and also serves on the Appropriations, Commerce, and Rules Committees. She is the Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, making her the fourth highest ranked Senate Republican.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford, Cotton Introduce Bill to Keep Contraband Cellphones Out of Jails

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford
    Washington, DC— Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) yesterday introduced the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act of 2025, legislation which would prevent inmates from using contraband cellphones in prisons by allowing state and federal prisons to use cellphone jamming technology. Congressman David Kustoff (TN-08) is leading companion legislation in the House. 
    Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Jim Risch (R-ID) are cosponsoring the legislation. Rep. David Kustoff (R-RN) introduced companion legislation in the House.
    “Cell phones are being slipped into jails and prisons, but federal policy prevents local law enforcement from jamming the cell signal. That needs to stop,” said Lankford. “After years of work and conversations with law enforcement, the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Justice, and Oklahoma prison leadership, we finally have a bill to allow states to jam illegal cell phones in their prisons to prevent prisoners from contacting their victims or coordinating even more crime while they are incarcerated. This bill simply allows state and federal prisons to use cell phone jammers to ensure they have the tools they need to combat illegal activity in a prison.” 
    “For far too long, contraband cellphones have been a major security threat in our prisons, allowing criminals to coordinate crimes from behind bars. This legislation is a common-sense step to cut off their ability to threaten witnesses, organize drug trafficking, and endanger law-abiding citizens from within prison walls,” said Senator Cotton.
    “Criminals are using contraband cellphones to commit crimes while in prison. The extent of coordinated criminal activity carried out by inmates is a serious threat to public safety,” said Congressman Kustoff. “As a former United States Attorney, I have seen first-hand the dangerous effects of contraband cellphone use to both law enforcement officers and our communities. It should be impossible for prisoners to organize gang activity, traffic drugs, and coordinate any other wrongdoing from behind bars. The Cellphone Jamming Reform Act is commonsense legislation that will crack down on cellphones in prisons and protect inmates, guards, and the public at large.”
    Text of the legislation may be found here. 
    Background:
    The use of contraband cellphones is widespread in both federal and state prison facilities. Inmates have used contraband cellphones to conduct illegal activities, including ordering hits on individuals outside of the prison walls, running illegal drug operations, conducting illegal business deals, facilitating sex trafficking, and organizing escapes which endanger correctional employees, other inmates, and members of the public.
    Last year, two 13-year-old boys were killed at a birthday party in Atlanta after inmates in a Georgia prison used contraband cellphones to order their murder. In 2024, Georgia authorities confiscated more than 15,500 contraband cellphones and seized more than 8,000 in 2023.
    In December 2024, two California inmates were convicted of murder, racketeering, and other RICO-related crimes for running a heroin and meth trafficking operation from their prison cells. 
    In 2018, a gang fight over territory using cellphones to trade contraband sparked a brawl inside the Lee Correctional Institution near Bishopville, South Carolina, and left seven inmates dead and 20 injured.
    Bureau of Prisons Correctional officer Lt. Osvaldo Albarati was murdered in 2013 for interrupting an illicit contraband cellphone business. His actual assassination was initiated by an inmate using a contraband cellphone to contact the gunman as outlined in the indictment.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lee and Tuberville Introduce Bill to Abolish the TSA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee
    Bill would privatize airport security under federal oversight
    WASHINGTON – Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) today introduced the Abolish the TSA Act, which would dissolve the bloated and ineffective Transportation Security Administration while allowing America’s airports to compete to provide the safest, most efficient, and least intrusive security measures, under a new Office of Aviation Security Oversight.
    “The TSA has not only intruded into the privacy and personal space of most Americans, it has also repeatedly failed tests to find weapons and explosives,” said Sen. Lee. “Our bill privatizes security functions at American airports under the eye of an Office of Aviation Security Oversight, bringing this bureaucratic behemoth to a welcome end. American families can travel safely without feeling the hands of an army of federal employees.” 
    “The TSA is an inefficient, bureaucratic mess that infringes on Americans’ freedoms,” said Sen. Tuberville. “It’s a bloated agency—riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars—that has led to unnecessary delays, invasive pat downs and bag checks, and frustration for travelers. We need to focus on more efficient and effective methods to protect our country without sacrificing the liberties and freedoms of American citizens. The TSA should be eliminated and replaced with privatized solutions that are more targeted, streamlined, and where appropriate, accountable to limited government oversight.”
     
    BACKGROUND 
    Within 90 days of enactment, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, shall submit a reorganization plan to Congress that includes: 
    Creation of the Office of Aviation Security Oversight within the FAA, solely responsible for overseeing the privatization of aviation security screening.
    Rapid transfer of security activities and equipment to qualified private companies.
    Transfer of non-aviation security functions to DOT (mass transit, freight rail, pipelines, etc.).
    Proportional reductions of TSA operations and personnel to facilitate transfer of duties.
    The reorganization plan cannot include requirements for private security companies to conduct warrantless searches and seizures or extend the TSA’s existence. Congress will consider, amend, vote up or down on the reorganization plan through expedited and privileged procedure. Compliance will be monitored by the GAO and regular reports to Congress.
    You can read the one pager HERE.
    You can read the bill text HERE.
    You can read the FOX exclusive HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 03/27/2025 Blackburn, Cassidy, Hyde-Smith Reintroduce Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) reintroduced the Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act to criminalize individuals who leak confidential information from the Supreme Court of the United States.
    “Individuals who aim to undermine the highest Court in our nation and intimidate its justices should be held accountable for their actions,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act is a vital piece of legislation, which would ensure that the Court’s work remains free from unwanted outside interference by cracking down on those who leak confidential information.”
    “Supreme Court leaks should be a criminal offense. Leakers threaten the safety of justices, damage the Court’s reputation, and put lives at risk,”said Dr. Cassidy. “They must be held accountable, not celebrated.”
    “Supreme Court justices must be able to carry out their responsibilities without the threat of their every action being leaked, whether to influence, embarrass, or threaten them.  Such actions, which we’ve seen in recent years, only undermine public trust and the Supreme Court as an institution,” said Senator Hyde-Smith. “This legislation is needed to establish significant criminal penalties and fines for those who cross that line and betray the Court.”
    The Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act requires a $10,000 fine and imposes up to a 10-year prison sentence on those who leak confidential information from the Supreme Court. Additionally, Cassidy’s legislation goes one step further by enforcing a seizure of profits derived from the leak which could include book deals or cable television contributor contracts.
    The Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act criminalizes leaks of the following information:
    Internal notes on cases heard by the Supreme Court of the United States.
    Any communication between the Chief Justice or an associate justice and an employee or officer of the Supreme Court on a matter pending before the Supreme Court.
    A draft opinion or a final opinion prior to the date on which such opinion is released to the public.
    Personal information of the chief justice or an associate justice that is not otherwise legally available to the public.
    Any other information designated to be confidential by the chief justice.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Condemns Trump Policy Making It Harder For Veterans To Get Mental Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Trump’s Indiscriminate, Haphazard Policies Are Once Again Hurting Americans 
    U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a virtual press conference to highlight a Trump administration policy that is making it harder for veterans to receive mental health care. 
    On his first day in office, President Trump issued a memo demanding that federal employees return to in-person work. The order included VA mental health professionals, who often worked remotely as a way to reach patients in isolated rural areas. As a result, many VA psychiatrists and therapists are now forced to conduct sensitive telehealth appointments from crowded offices, compromising patient privacy and potentially violating ethics regulations and professional mental health care standards. Trump has additionally paused hiring for critical positions that support veteran mental health, including suicide crisis hotline responders, and plans to fire 80,000 VA staff by the end of the year. Gillibrand sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins urging him to work with President Trump to reevaluate return to office policies and ensure that veterans’ needs are being met.
    “Veterans in need of mental health care deserve easily accessible treatment from qualified professionals with a guarantee of confidentiality. President Trump is making care harder to access, firing or otherwise driving off VA psychiatrists and therapists, and potentially violating privacy regulations,” said Senator Gillibrand. “We owe better to the people who have served our country. President Trump must reevaluate his poorly considered return to office order and implement policies that are in the best interests of our veterans and those who serve them.”  
    The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins is available here or below: 
    Dear Secretary Collins, 
    I write to ask that you take immediate steps to reverse the damage caused to the provision of mental health care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) due to the Trump Administration’s return to office order, which has jeopardized the ability for veterans to receive quality and confidential care. I also ask that you work to reverse the impact of cuts to the VA led by Elon Musk’s so-called ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE) which has reduced the number of support staff, exacerbating the VA’s ability to provide care to some of the most vulnerable populations of veterans, including those in need of the VA’s Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), and sown chaos and confusion among veterans in need of care and VA staff alike.  
    As you know, on January 20, 2025, the Trump Administration issued memoranda to all agency and department heads to ‘terminate remote work arrangements’, allowing agencies and departments to make exemptions when necessary. Public reporting has shown that this policy change has now forced psychiatrists and other mental health professionals at the VA back to crowded work stations, forcing them to carry out therapy and other mental health services for veterans without the guarantee of privacy for their patients, potentially in violation of professional mental health care standards. This return to office order only increases the mental and emotional burden on veterans seeking care, who may require months or even years to develop a relationship with their mental health provider to privately discuss their conditions. Like any other patient, if our veterans feel that they cannot privately receive treatment, then they may withdraw from treatment altogether.  
     Further, inhibiting the ability for mental health providers to carry out their duty to veterans – and moving them to work stations miles away – will only hurt our ability to retain these providers, at the expense of veterans in need of care. While the VA has made the correct decision in allowing VCL employees to continue remote work, Congress is also aware that cuts to probationary employees by DOGE have also led to the firing of some VCL staff tasked with responding to veterans suffering from a mental health crisis. 
    These changes by the Administration and Elon Musk have led to growing fear and anxiety among veterans and their families that they will not receive quality, timely, and private care. I urge you to work with President Trump to ensure that this chaos and confusion is remedied immediately. 
    Sincerely, 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Smith Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Address Veterinarian Shortage in Rural America

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Finance Committee member Tina Smith (D-Minnesota) reintroduced bipartisan legislation designed to address the chronic shortage of veterinary services available in rural communities.
    The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act would allow veterinarians practicing in underserved areas to exempt student loan repayments from their taxable income.  A similar provision exists for physicians who practice in underserved states.  The legislation would give veterinarians a similar opportunity to serve the areas that most need their help.
    “Access to quality veterinary care is vital for Idaho’s agricultural industry,” said Senator Crapo.  “By addressing the burdensome taxes on the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, this legislation would allow more veterinarians to serve in the rural and underserved communities most in need and help ensure ranchers and farmers have access to these essential veterinary services.”
    “In nearly every state in the country, there are shortages for veterinarians, especially in rural areas,” said Senator Smith.  “This record shortage causes serious harm to the health of animals and the public.  Providing additional funding to the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program and updating the tax code to better serve veterinarians will allow more qualified vets to do vital work with our animals in underserved communities.”
    Almost every rural state faces a shortage of veterinarians needed in order to maintain an agricultural economy and ensure public health.  To address this crisis, Congress established the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) to help qualified veterinarians repay their student loans in exchange for practicing for three years in underserved communities.
    However, the VMLRP is subject to a significant federal withholding tax, which limits the program’s benefits.  This legislation would lift this burden by allowing recipients to exempt payments received under this and similar state programs.  This change would enable veterinarians to practice in the underserved areas that may otherwise be unaffordable. 
    In addition to Crapo and Smith, the bill is co-sponsored by Senators John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Jerry Moran (R-Kanas), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) and Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia).
    View the legislative text here.
    Representatives Adrian Smith (R-Nebraska) and John Larson (D-Connecticut) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Plans to Hollow Out HHS, Risking Americans’ Health and Safety

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), responded to President Trump’s plans announced today to push out roughly 20,000 employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and hollow out the Department, which is responsible for protecting Americans’ health and delivering essential health and social services.
    “In the middle of worsening nationwide outbreaks of bird flu and measles, not to mention a fentanyl epidemic, Trump is wrecking vital health agencies with the precision of a bull in a china shop. RFK Jr.’s absurd suggestion that hollowing out the Department will somehow allow it to better protect Americans’ health defies common sense—and everything we have witnessed with our own eyes over the last two months. 
    “Looking for new ways to make government more efficient is important, but it does not take a genius to understand that pushing out 20,000 workers at our preeminent health agencies won’t make Americans healthier—it’ll just mean fewer health services for our communities, more opportunities for disease to spread, and longer waits for lifesaving treatments and cures. Importantly, Congress just provided funding for specific agencies to administer the very programs and functions that Trump has unilaterally decided should no longer exist—this flies in the face of the law and congressional intent, and will leave our most vulnerable populations at risk.
    “When our health agencies are unprepared for a deadly pandemic or our hospitals are overwhelmed with sick kids because our local public health officials can’t track a worsening measles outbreak, the American people should remember it was thanks to the Measles President, Donald Trump, callously hollowing out HHS. People will suffer because this administration is hell-bent on cutting essential services—that keep Americans safe and healthy—down to the bone for no reason. These cuts will not reduce the deficit in any appreciable way and threaten to incur massive costs down the road when we are caught flat-footed by the next health crisis.
    “Over the last few weeks, Trump and Musk have chaotically fired cancer researchers and food safety inspectors, single-handedly choked off lifesaving medical research, ripped away resources for our communities to address public health threats, and empowered anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists at every level of government. I have never seen an administration so determined to tear down public health and biomedical research. and make no mistake: the consequences will be deadly.”
    Today’s announcement follows weeks of mass firings across HHS, creating chaos at the Department that has prevented it from executing its mission to protect people’s health, and an onslaught of detrimental policies that are halting lifesaving biomedical research and more. HHS announced that it plans to cut its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 (a 25% reduction) through a combination of mass firings and buy-outs and remake HHS without thoughtful consideration and partnership with Congress. 
    Among others, Trump, RFK Jr., and Musk plan to cut:
    3,500 employees at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is charged with protecting Americans’ health by ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medicines, biologics (including vaccines), and medical devices–and regulating food safety, cosmetics, and tobacco products.
    2,400 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is charged with protecting the American people from health threats, including infectious diseases. 
    1,200 employees at NIH, the world’s premier medical research agency, which propels biomedical research that produces life-changing and, in many cases, lifesaving treatments and cures. These cuts come as the Trump administration has already systematically decimated ongoing work at NIH to advance new cures and treatments.
    300 employees at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which has long been understaffed and is charged with helping to ensure over 100 million Americans have access to health insurance by overseeing Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, Murray Challenge the Administration’s Treatment of Emergency Spending in Continuing Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee respectively, sent a letter to Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russ Vought challenging the Administration’s decision and authority to concur with only a portion of the emergency-designated funding included in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025.
    “Regardless of our views on the Fiscal Responsibility Act and accompanying implementation agreement, it is incumbent on all of us to follow the law as written—not as we would like it to be,” the Senators wrote. 
    The Senators noted that the Administration did not request an anomaly to remove this funding or related requirements, which were included in the two prior continuing resolutions for fiscal year 2025.
    “We are concerned that sudden changes to OMB’s interpretation of long-standing statutory provisions could be disruptive to the appropriations process and make it more difficult for the Appropriations Committee to work in a collaborative fashion with the Administration to advance priorities on behalf of the American people,” the Senators continued.  “Collaboration will become even more challenging when the Committee is first informed of such developments through the press, rather than notified through official channels, as was the case here.”
    Click HERE to read the letter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Sends Letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom Urging Him to Protect Women’s Sports in California Ahead of 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) sent a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom following his recent comments on his podcast questioning the “fairness” of allowing men to compete in women’s sports. In the letter, Senator Tuberville thanks Governor Newsom for having the courage to speak up about this important issue and urges the Governor to ban men from competing in women’s sports in California ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
    Outkick previewed the letter here.
    Read the letter below or here.
    Governor Newsom,
    I was very pleased to hear the comments you made on your podcast earlier this month affirming you do not think it is “fair” for men to be allowed to compete in women’s sports. This really shouldn’t be controversial as 79% of Americans – and 67% of Democrats – agree on this. Unfortunately, that polling memo has not reached Democrat headquarters as every single U.S. Senate Democrat voted against the Protection of Women and Girls Act, which would have protected women’s sports, when it came to the Senate floor earlier this month. While I would have preferred your comments to have come before the pivotal vote, I still commend you for your courage and am hopeful that your Democrat colleagues might follow your lead and vote differently on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in the future.
    All of America is looking forward to Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics. It doesn’t matter who you are – whether Democrat or Republican, rich or poor, male or female – we all come together under the red, white, and blue during these games. The Olympics are a celebration of human excellence, diversity, and sportsmanship, but it’s also an opportunity to show the world what we stand for.
    As Governor of California, you have a massive opportunity to send a clear message to the world: in the United States, we protect the rights of women to fairly and safely compete.  As we welcome athletes from all backgrounds, it is crucial that we strike a balance between fair competition and inclusivity. The current debate surrounding transgender athletes is an important one, and I believe that thoughtful, evidence-based guidelines can ensure that the spirit of fairness and opportunity is preserved for all competitors. This isn’t about excluding transgender athletes – it is about protecting the rights of female athletes who have worked their entire lives to compete and deserve a fair opportunity.
    I encourage you, in collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to advocate for and implement clear, transparent, and scientifically supported rules for these Games. The last thing the world wants to see in 2028 is a repeat of the Paris Olympics, where we witnessed a person with male chromosomes repeatedly punch a female athlete in the face in the women’s boxing competition.
    Women and girls around the world deserve to see the most elite female athletes thrive, compete and win. After all, what kind of a message are we communicating to our daughters if we encourage them to work hard and practice, but at the end of the day their rights to make a team or earn a medal could be stripped away and handed to a man? This is a punch in the face to the thousands of feminists who fought so hard for the rights of women in America. Women make up 50% of this country – and it is our obligation to honor and protect them in the 2028 Games.
    I look forward to working with you to accomplish these shared goals. Together, we can bring sanity back to women’s sports and showcase that in America, women have the same rights to equal, fair competition as men.
    Sincerely,
    U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
    BACKGROUND:
    During the Biden administration, more than 900 women lost medals to men competing in women’s sports. The issue of men in girls’ and women’s sports proved to be one of the top concerns of voters during the 2024 Presidential Election. A recent New York Times (NYT) poll found 79% of respondents said men should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports. This is a bipartisan issue—the same recent NYT poll found that 67% of Democrats agree that male athletes shouldn’t be allowed in women’s sports.
    In February, President Trump signed a historic Executive Order banning men from competing in women’s sports. President Trump has spoken about the need to keep men out of women’s sports on multiple occasions.
    Unfortunately, Executive Orders can be reversed. That’s why on Monday, March 3, 2025, the Senate voted on Senator Tuberville’s bill, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would make President Trump’s Executive Order permanent. 45 Democrats voted to block the bill from proceeding. 
    Earlier this year, Senator Tuberville also introduced a bill to ban men from competing in women’s U.S. Olympic sports, following USA Boxing’s announcement that it would allow men to box against women.
    Senator Tuberville has vowed to continue fighting until women’s rights to compete fairly and safely are protected.
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, Blunt Rochester join Senate Democratic Caucus in reintroducing Paycheck Fairness Act to end wage discrimination and close the gender pay gap

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester (both D-Del.) joined the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in reintroducing Senator Patty Murray’s (D-Wash.) Paycheck Fairness Act on Equal Pay Day this week. This legislation would combat pay discrimination and help close the gender pay gap by strengthening the Equal Pay Act of 1963, ending the practice of pay secrecy, and strengthening available remedies to ensure wronged employees can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable. U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) led the reintroduction of the Paycheck Fairness Act in the House.

    More than six decades after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the gender wage gap still exists. While Delaware is better than most, women in the First State still only earn an average of 87% of what a man makes, according to the Delaware Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy. Over the course of a 40 year career, a typical American woman stands to earn $460,000 less than a man doing the same job, according to the National Women’s Law Center.

    “Guaranteeing equal pay for equal work isn’t just about fairness—it would strengthen our economy and improve quality of life for Delaware’s women and families,” said Senator Coons. “Fixing the gender pay gap through the Paycheck Fairness Act is a critical step towards ensuring that hard work is valued equally, regardless of your sex.”

    “It has been 50 years since the Equal Pay Act became law, yet the gender pay gap persists. It is simply unacceptable that for every dollar a man makes nationally, a woman is paid 75 cents,” said Senator Blunt Rochester, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. “As Delaware’s former Secretary of Labor and State Personnel Director, I am proud to be standing with all my Democratic colleagues in reintroducing the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation I have long supported. Now is the time for us to deliver on the promise of the Equal Pay Act and make equal pay for equal work a reality.”

    “When you do the same work as your colleagues, you should get the same pay, and no one should get to rip you off and pay you less because you are a woman. The principle is simple—but the problem we are talking about is far from trivial; it’s an injustice that compounds over time, robbing women of hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of their career,” said Senator Murray. “For anyone who is serious about fighting for women, for anyone who is serious about ensuring our economy is built on merit and not undermined by discrimination, this is basic stuff. But Trump and Elon—some of the richest men in the world—are right now eliminating a 60-year old executive order that helped ensure federal contractors don’t discriminate against women, illegally firing commissioners at the EEOC, which enforces existing pay discrimination laws, and making it easier to rip workers off. Women don’t want more discrimination. They don’t want more of their pay stolen by bosses like Elon. They just want the pay they earned. They just want to be treated decently—and paid fairly no matter who they are. Republicans can choose to stand with billionaires who cheat their workers—but by reintroducing the Paycheck Fairness Act today, Democrats are showing that we stand with women, we stand with workers, we stand for fairness, and we are going to keep fighting to make sure people get the pay they have rightfully earned, down to the last dime.”

    “Equal Pay Day marks how far into the current year a woman must work to catch up to what her male counterpart earned in the previous year,” said Representative DeLauro. “Six decades after passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, women working full-time or part-time still earn 75 cents for every dollar earned by men. We are in a cost of living crisis – this must end. Equal pay for equal work is a simple concept – men and women in the same job deserve the same pay. It is time we make it real for the millions of American women who are being unfairly undervalued in the workplace. Let’s enact the Paycheck Fairness Act and empower working women by giving them the tools to ensure their contributions to the workplace are properly respected and reflected in their pay.”

    Specifically, the Paycheck Fairness Act would:

    • Require employers to prove that pay disparities exist for legitimate, job-related reasons. In doing so, it ensures that employers who try to justify paying a man more than a woman for the same job must show the disparity is not sex-based, but job-related and necessary.
    • Ban retaliation against workers who discuss their wages.
    • Remove obstacles in the Equal Pay Act to facilitate participation in class action lawsuits that challenge systemic pay discrimination by allowing workers to opt-out, rather than requiring them to opt-in.
    • Improve the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s and Department of Labor’s tools for enforcing the Equal Pay Act. To help these enforcement agencies better uncover and remedy wage discrimination, the bill will require the collection of compensation data from certain employers, including federal contractors.
    • Provide assistance to all businesses to help them with their equal pay practices, recognize excellence in pay practices by businesses, and empower women and girls by creating a negotiation skills training program.
    • Prohibit employers from relying on and seeking the salary history of prospective employees.

    Throughout his career, Senator Coons has supported efforts to close the gender pay gap and ensure equal pay for equal work, and he has cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act since it was first introduced.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, Colleagues Press USDA to Reinstate Food Shipments to Maine Food Banks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) has joined his colleagues to press the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in reinstating previously approved shipments of food to Maine food banks. In a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, King and his colleagues asked for the concrete reasoning of the cancellation of congressionally approved funding through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). More than 250 organizations across Maine participate in this program to combat food insecurity.

    The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal program that helps supplement the diets of lower-income Americans by providing them with emergency food assistance. USDA provides 100% American-grown USDA Foods and administrative funds to states to operate TEFAP. In fiscal year (FY) 2024, TEFAP received $461.5 million to purchase USDA Foods and $80 million for TEFAP administrative costs. This cancellation takes food away from hungry Maine people already facing high grocery prices and hurts Maine farmers who are already squeezed by tariffs and other cuts to domestic markets.

    “We write regarding the reported cancellation of hundreds of millions of dollars in previously approved funding for food banks and other emergency food providers through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP),” wrote the Senators. “A cancellation of these funds could result in $500 million in lost food provisions to feed millions of Americans at a time when the need for food shelves is extremely high due to costly groceries and an uncertain economy.” 

    “If true, this major shift in a program utilized by emergency food providers in every state in the nation will have a significant and damaging impact upon millions of people who depend upon this program for critical food assistance,” the Senators continued. “In addition, this program consists of purchases of U.S. commodities at a time when America’s growers and producers are struggling due to tariffs, proposed tariffs, animal disease and many other challenges.”

    In addition to King, the letter was signed by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT),  Adam Schiff (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

    The full letter is available here and below. 

    +++

    Dear Secretary Rollins: 

    We write regarding the reported cancellation of hundreds of millions of dollars in previously approved funding for food banks and other emergency food providers through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). A cancellation of these funds could result in $500 million in lost food provisions to feed millions of Americans at a time when the need for food shelves is extremely high due to costly groceries and an uncertain economy. If true, this major shift in a program utilized by emergency food providers in every state in the nation will have a significant and damaging impact upon millions of people who depend upon this program for critical food assistance. 

    In addition, this program consists of purchases of U.S. commodities at a time when America’s growers and producers are struggling due to tariffs, proposed tariffs, animal disease and many other challenges. 

    According to recent statistics, nearly one in every seven Americans have faced food insecurity. Many of these households turn to community and emergency relief organizations such as food banks and food pantries to help them obtain sufficient nutrition. In 2023 alone, 50 million Americans turned to emergency food providers, according to a report from Feeding America, America’s largest network of food banks. While food banks rely on a variety of sources (including private) to obtain food for distribution through their networks, federally purchased commodities are a key part of how they provide nutritious meals to Americans.  

    Due to this reported change, a number of us have heard that trucks delivering American-grown foods may not arrive. These trucks represent hundreds of thousands of nutritious meals containing poultry, fruits, vegetables, and dairy. If confirmed, the cancellation of this previously announced funding also comes on top of the cancellation of Local Food for School Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program funding, which also helps farmers deliver nutritious foods to schools and food banks. These cuts will deprive Americans of food assistance, emergency food providers of necessary support to carry out their work, and American farmers of vital domestic markets. 

    To help us understand USDA’s actions and their impact on communities around the country, we ask that you answer the following questions. 

    1.      Has USDA cancelled previously approved purchases of food provided through TEFAP? If so, what level of funding has been cancelled thus far and when will state agencies be notified of any cancelled TEFAP purchases? 

    2.      Does USDA plan to cancel additional purchases of food provided through TEFAP? 

    3.      Has USDA paused any TEFAP food orders or purchases? If so, what is the current status of those orders or purchases? Does USDA intend to un-pause these funds?  

    4.      Please provide information on what types of funding, by commodity, have been cancelled and the financial impact of those cancellations on producers such as pork, chicken, turkey and dairy farmers. 

    5.      Is the funding announced on October 1, 2024 and detailed in the implementation memo that the Food and Nutrition Service sent to state agencies on December 2 rescinded? 

    6. Does USDA intend to use Commodity Credit Corporation funds in Fiscal Year 2025 for future purchases that will be distributed through TEFAP?  

    We ask for a prompt response to these questions by the end of the week. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bipartisan Shaheen, Kennedy Legislation to Improve Support for Rural Small Businesses Advances out of Small Business Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – Today, bipartisan legislation co-led by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and John Kennedy (R-LA) was advanced out of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (SBC). The Coordinated Support for Rural Small Businesses Act would direct the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to designate an Assistant Administrator for its Office of Rural Affairs and codifies ongoing cooperative efforts between the SBA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to improve support for rural small businesses. The bill now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

    “Small businesses are the backbone of rural communities but often face higher barriers to accessing federal programs and resources that would help them thrive,” said Shaheen. “I’m pleased that my colleagues on the Small Business Committee cleared the way for our bipartisan bill to increase coordination between federal agencies—bringing us one step closer to delivering more support for rural small businesses across the country.”

    “Louisiana’s small businesses provide good paying jobs to folks throughout our state and support local economic growth. I’m glad to introduce this bipartisan bill to continue our investments in rural America,” said Kennedy.

    To help rural small businesses, the Coordinated Support for Rural Small Businesses Act directs SBA and USDA to expand outreach to rural lenders and small businesses about agency programs and convene working groups to:

    • Identify synergies among the two agencies’ loan programs.
    • Assess where SBA and USDA can coordinate in delivering resources through lenders, resource partners like Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and others.
    • Coordinate SBA’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program and USDA’s Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC) program, as well as disaster recovery programs at both agencies.
    • Share best practices among the two agencies, rural economic development groups and others, and evaluate how cooperatives can access SBA programs.
    • Collaborate on technical assistance with procurement, exporting and innovation.

    A one pager of the bill is available here.

    As a former small business owner and now a top member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, Shaheen fights for New Hampshire’s—and America’s—small businesses. During her time as Chair of the committee, Shaheen focused on addressing some of the biggest challenges small business owners face. Shaheen also leads the bipartisan Helping Small Businesses THRIVE Act with Kennedy that would direct SBA to create a new program that helps small businesses lock in the cost of commodities, like gasoline or lumber, in order to protect against the future volatile price of energy and other expenses. Shaheen also recently joined her Senate colleagues in introducing the Small Business Technological Advancement Act to help small business owners integrate digital tools into their businesses.

    Shaheen is the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees funding for USDA and leads efforts to ensure rural small businesses can access the resources they need. Shaheen has supported more than 230 New Hampshire small businesses who have received over $25 million to lower energy bills and cut costs through USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program. Shaheen recently visited a small business in Lisbon that is using funding she championed to make energy efficiency upgrades.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Hassan, Shaheen, Goodlander Urge Department of Justice to Protect Retention Incentives for FCI Berlin Workforce

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), along with U.S. Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), are urging the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to reverse a recent decision to cut retention incentives provided to several federal corrections facilities across the country, including at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Berlin. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Associate Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Shaheen, Hassan and Goodlander highlight that the decision would worsen persistent staffing shortages that threaten FCI Berlin’s operational capacity and security. 

    The lawmakers wrote, in part: “FCI Berlin has had a 25 percent retention incentive authorized since 2023. As the nationwide staffing crisis makes it difficult to recruit new officers, these retention incentives have been instrumental in ensuring that the facility is able to retain and adequately pay existing staff, keeping the facility operational. However, even despite this critical assistance, FCI Berlin’s custody department is currently staffed at only 64 percent, with far reaching consequences as stretched-thin correctional officers must take on unreasonable amounts of overtime to help maintain the daily operations of the facility.” 

    They continued: “There is no doubt that the abrupt reduction in retention benefits will have real financial impacts on those who bravely serve FCI Berlin and its population. We urge you to find a solution to provide the highly professional and dedicated staff at FCI Berlin with the compensation they deserve for their work and, at a minimum, allow this facility and others facing chronic understaffing to continue to receive their full retention incentives as originally authorized.” 

    The lawmakers concluded: “Now more than ever, we remain committed to working with you to ensure FCI Berlin has the resources and support it requires to continue its integral work in our state.” 

    Read the full text of the letter here. 

    Shaheen has long advocated on behalf of FCI Berlin. In 2011, Shaheen fought to get FCI Berlin open. During the 2019 government shutdown, Shaheen spoke on the Senate floor about the damaging impacts the shuttered federal government had on FCI Berlin staff members. In 2023, Shaheen was instrumental in ensuring corrections officers, medical personnel and support staff at the facility received access to these critical retention incentives. Further, during her time as Chair of the Senate Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, Shaheen repeatedly secured language in annual government funding legislation calling attention to the BOP staffing crisis nationwide.  

    Last month, Shaheen offered an amendment to the Republican budget resolution that would have raised pay for Federal Bureau of Prisons correctional officers in New Hampshire and across the country. Additionally, Shaheen offered an amendment to last week’s continuing resolution that would have preserved retention incentives at federal correctional facilities ahead of this weekend’s impending cut. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Trump’s Sweeping New Illegal Cuts to Critical National Security Initiatives

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Trump seeks to gut funding to: combat global narcotics trade, support allies’ defenses, strengthen American competitiveness, and more

    Illegal move threatens billions of dollars more for Americans’ housing, NASA, and other critical programs

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair, issued the following statement on illegal cuts President Trump sought to make on Monday to critical investments in America’s national security and competitiveness, which were enacted into law under the yearlong continuing resolution (CR) he signed earlier this month.

    “In the latest installment of the president’s campaign to defy our laws and jeopardize our national security in the process, President Trump is attempting to choke off critical investments to combat the flow of fentanyl globally, slash support for the defense of American allies, weaken the competitiveness of U.S. businesses, set back next-generation weather forecasting, and much more. Trump is even slashing investments to help communities that are too often left behind finally get ahead–and his illegal move threatens billions of dollars more in funding to help people keep a roof over their head.

    “Cutting off these resources will devastate ongoing national security initiatives that advance our interests across the globe, and I trust Presidents Xi and Putin thank Trump for this latest gift he has delivered them.

    “What President Trump has just done is wrongheaded, counterproductive, and unlawful, and I hope my colleagues in Congress join me in working to protect these investments and ensure the law is followed.”

    In the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills, Congress included $12.5 billion in emergency funding for key priorities as allowed by the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) agreement. Congress routinely includes funds designated as emergency, which are not subject to statutory spending caps, in its spending laws—in both annual funding bills and legislation like the disaster relief package passed in December. House Republicans’ yearlong fiscal year 2025 continuing resolution, which was approved by nearly every Republican Member of Congress and signed into law earlier this month, continued the vast majority of emergency funding included in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations laws.

    When statutory caps on discretionary funding are in effect—as they are now under the FRA—Congress has been careful to ensure emergency funding it provides is also designated by the president as emergency funding in order to prevent a sequester of discretionary funding under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, which would result in across-the-board cuts. This is a decades-old practice that has been followed without incident under Democratic and Republican presidents alike. But the law is very clear: the President must certify all or none of the emergency funds provided by Congress. Presidents cannot pick and choose which funds to designate as emergency and keep flowing, as President Trump has now unlawfully done by certifying some but not all of the emergency funding provided for fiscal year 2025. House Republicans’ fiscal year 2025 CR cites fiscal year 2024 appropriations laws that state emergency funding shall be made available “only if the President subsequently so designates all such amounts and transmits such designations to the Congress.” Section 1110 of the fiscal year 2025 CR continues these requirements, which the President is now flouting–effectively seeking to exercise a line-item veto of emergency funding that he simply does not have.

    President Trump’s illegal cuts will seriously harm ongoing national security initiatives that keep our country safe and competitive. 

    In refusing to designate $2.934 billion of the $12.4 billion in emergency funding provided under House Republicans’ yearlong CR, President Trump is attempting to choke off critical investments that keep America and our allies safe. This includes:

    • $115 million cut to the State Department’s work combatting international fentanyl and narcotics trade, human trafficking, and other crimes across the globe that impact American communities and other U.S. national security interests.
    • $275 million cut to foreign military financing that enables eligible partner nations to purchase U.S.-made weapons, promoting U.S. interests and security cooperation.
    • $1.5 billion cut (-17%) to lifesaving U.S. humanitarian assistance.
    • $310 million cut (-40%) to U.S. assistance in Europe and Eurasia, which is critical to counter-Russia efforts.
    • $300 million cut to economic growth programs that Congress established to increase investment in secure supply chains, digital connectivity and security, and other critical sectors, including to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. businesses.
    • $50 million cut to the International Trade Administration’s work to strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. industry abroad and ensure fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements. These resources play a critical role in U.S. efforts to counter the People’s Republic of China, Russia, and other competitors and adversaries.
    • $20 million cut (-10.5%) to the Bureau of Industry and Security’s vital work advancing U.S. national security through vigilant export controls and the promotion of continued U.S. leadership in technology. These resources play a critical role in U.S. efforts to counter the People’s Republic of China, Russia, and other competitors and adversaries.
    • $30 million cut (-7.5%) to the Economic Development Administration’s investments in economically distressed communities across the U.S. and its ongoing work to build durable regional economies across the country.
    • $100 million cut to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) procurement, acquisition, and construction budget, which—among other things—funds the procurement of next-generation weather radars and satellites that play an indispensable role in providing the American people with accurate weather forecasting.
    • $234 million cut (-100%) to the National Science Foundation’s equipment and facilities construction budget, which funds essential upgrades to and construction of new, cutting-edge scientific facilities. This funding supports the new Leadership-Class Computing Facility based in Texas to facilitate and support domestic AI research, the Antarctic Infrastructure Recapitalization, and other projects advancing American innovation, discovery, and security.

    President Trump’s illegal attempt to cherry-pick what emergency funding moves–when the law clearly states that the President must certify all or none of the emergency funding provided by Congress–threatens the availability of the entire $12.4 billion in emergency funding provided for fiscal year 2025, which includes more than $9 billion in funding for other critical programs. None of the emergency funding is available to be spent under the law until the President designates all of it. This includes funding for: 

    • Critical rental assistance that serves more than 7 million people, ensuring they keep a roof over their heads at a time when homelessness and housing unaffordability have hit an all-time high;
    • Salaries of Drug Enforcement Administration agents who are combatting the fentanyl crisis;
    • Ongoing NASA missions, including the Artemis mission to return Americans to the Moon;
    • More.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray, SSA Employees and WA State Residents Who Rely on Social Security Sound Alarm on DOGE Decimating Social Security Administration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    FACT SHEET: Trump and Musk’s Plot to Make It Harder for Americans to Get Their Social Security Benefits

    Current SSA employee retiring because of overwhelming demoralization and stress SSA staff are experiencing from Trump and Elon’s attacks on SSA: “I was not expecting to leave now, but I’m exhausted and demoralized, like many other employees around the region… I feel immense guilt for leaving my coworkers behind—like I’m in the last lifeboat of a sinking ship.”

    *** WATCH HERE; DOWNLOAD HERE ***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a virtual press conference with current and former Social Security Administration employees and people in Washington state who rely on Social Security benefits and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) calling out Trump, Elon Musk, and Congressional Republicans for their plans to dismantle the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the real threats it poses to Americans’ hard-earned Social Security benefits.

    SSA has plans to lay off thousands of employees—a significant proportion of its workforce at a time when SSA is already at a 50-year staffing lows—shutter local offices across the country, and cut phone services. In just the last week, Trump’s SSA has begun requiring Americans who file for benefits by phone to verify their identity using an online system or provide documentation in person at a field office—creating serious hardships for millions of elderly and disabled Americans who lack computers and have limited mobility to access in-person help. Trump and Musk’s actions to gut SSA will make it harder for Americans who have spent their lives paying into Social Security to get the benefits they have earned—and to get the help accessing those benefits they need. The Republican Continuing Resolution, written without any Democratic input, effectively endorses many of these plans by forcing staffing reductions due to inadequate funding.

    “Cutting Social Security staff and closing offices isn’t going to reduce the deficit or make the government more efficient. Instead, making it harder for millions of Americans to apply for the benefits they have earned, and delaying processing is simply another way of cutting Social Security benefits. That appears to be the goal here, all to make more room for tax cuts for billionaires,” said Senator Murray. “Social Security is a promise. But more than that—it’s a lifeline that keeps millions of people afloat, sometimes with heads just above the water. That was my parents once upon a time. It is countless other families today. And Trump and Musk are trying to cut that lifeline. I am not going to let them get away with sabotaging Social Security in the shadows, and neither are the American people.”

    The Trump administration’s plans to gut SSA come as Elon Musk calls Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time,” and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested people wouldn’t mind if the government simply skipped sending one of their Social Security checks, and if they complained otherwise they were “fraudsters.”

    “Every single retirement claim that we do, every disability claim, every Social Security number replacement card, those are all real people—and we know that. We work directly with the public, who are often in very difficult times in their lives when they need us. We need to be able to help them quickly,” said Laura Novakoski, who has worked at the Social Security Administration for more than 30 years, including at the Portland Metro field office for the last 12 years—where she served constituents from Southwest Washington and Oregon. Laura is retiring from SSA in large part because of the overwhelming demoralization and stress SSA staff are experiencing as a direct result of Trump and Elon’s reckless actions. Laura also serves as Secretary of AFGE Local 3937, which represents SSA employees throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. “Appointing Acting Commissioner Dudek and nominating Bisignano for Commissioner continues a trend of this administration appointing agency heads who don’t believe in the mission of their own agency, and will actively work to dismantle it.”

    “I was not expecting to leave now, but I’m exhausted and demoralized, like many other employees around the region. The constant stress has a real impact on our physical and mental health,” Laura continued. “I feel immense guilt for leaving my coworkers behind—like I’m in the last lifeboat of a sinking ship. We are serious, hardworking people. We are taxpayers. The people who rely on Social Security are, too. We expect the representatives we elected to take care of the program and strengthen it. I don’t think we should let Social Security be toyed with by those who have no stake in it and no concern for the ramifications to real people. I don’t think we should let it be taken apart and taken over by private interests and billionaires.”

    “The Social Security Administration is under a withering attack.  Sensitive information about past and present workers and their families has been compromised. Thousands of workers have been lost from an Agency already at a 50-year staffing low. Disability benefit applicants wait years for final decisions. 30,000 died last year while waiting. All of this crushes employee morale and public confidence, and is a prelude to privatization,” said Steve Kofahl, a retired SSA employee and President Emeritus of AFGE Local 3937, which represents SSA employees throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska.

    “I have been on Social Security since the age of 18 and on Social Security Disability Income since I was 22. My schizophrenia symptoms started when I was 12. I was officially diagnosed at 19 and placed in a group home run by Transitional Resources. At 23, with the help of Transitional Resources, I moved into an apartment in the neighborhood where I grew up, close to my family and friends. Social Security subsidizes a portion of my rent, which has allowed me to live on my own for more than 10 years,” said Joey Wilson, a Washington state resident who relies on SSDI benefits and has previously shared his story with the Seattle Times. “Social Security is in the crosshairs of budget cuts, cuts that would completely throw millions of Americans living with disabilities into chaos. These are people who need responsive services for emergencies, people who count on regular appointments, people whose consistency of care cannot be jeopardized. It already takes hours to get hold of Social Security on an average day of the week over the phone. Think about the impact and damage the proposed cuts will do to individuals with disabilities. Please help support those who cannot advocate for themselves.”

    “Last week in class we talked about changes coming to Social Security access. I’ve encouraged them to create accounts on SSA.gov to avoid in-person visits — a hardship for those who don’t drive. As we age, it’s more likely that we need to move to a smaller home, or an assistive environment. We may want to change banks or designate someone to manage our account should we become unable. All of this could be an easy phone call to direct SSA in the changes needed,” said Sara Lambert, a senior in Carnation, WA who receives Social Security benefits and volunteers her time at a local Sno-Valley Senior Center helping other seniors sign up for the Social Security benefits they have earned. “I continue to hear news reports of unelected, unvetted, and unknown people invading Social Security looking for supposed fraud, but I’ve yet to see documented proof of any fraud. Also, I’d like to know how my personal information will be safeguarded, and that my guaranteed benefits will continue. A missed Social Security check will create hardship for honest, hardworking taxpayers who are supposed to be in their “golden years.” We’re experiencing frustration and fear in Carnation, as I expect is the case around the country. Maybe the billionaires trying to run the country haven’t experienced living paycheck to paycheck recently. Can we at least ask that they learn a little Civics 101?”

    Senator Murray has an extensive record of protecting Social Security benefits and fighting to secure essential funding for the SSA—and she has been tirelessly raising the alarm about the threat Elon Musk’s DOGE poses to Americans’ hard-earned benefits. Under Senator Murray’s leadership as Chair last Congress, the Senate Appropriations Committee secured $14.2 billion for SSA in the Fiscal Year 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill—a $100 million increase over Fiscal Year 2023 funding levels—and advanced a draft Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Bill that would provide another $509 million increase for SSA. Millions of Americans rely on Social Security and have earned benefits over lifetimes of work. Half of seniors rely on Social Security for most of their income and a quarter of seniors rely on Social Security for at least 90% of their income.   

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

    “We are here today to sound the alarm. Because Social Security is a promise—and Trump and Musk are doing everything they possibly they can do to break that promise.

    “Trump can huff and puff and promise he won’t touch Social Security until he’s blue in the face.

    “But here are the facts: they are firing workers and encouraging them to leave en masse. They are shuttering offices across the country. They are throwing up barriers for seniors and people with disabilities. They are jamming up the phone lines and wait times—and they are doing it all without a care in the world.

    “Seriously—they may as well be telling people who need Social Security, ‘good luck you’re on your own.’

    “After all, Trump’s own Commerce Secretary basically said he doesn’t think anyone will mind if their benefits get cut off for a month or two—and if you did complain, you’re probably a fraudster. Well, does he know any real people? I don’t think so.

    “And Elon hasn’t shown the slightest concern that while he is leading a witch hunt for dead people on Social Security, SSA has incorrectly declared living people dead—including here in Washington state—and wrongly stole thousands of dollars in benefits out of people’s bank accounts. 

    “Not to mention, Trump administration officials are accidentally sending war plans to reporters over text message—and now we’re supposed to trust a 20-year old DOGE employee with every piece of data SSA has on everyone? I don’ think so!

    “Career civil servants and leadership with decades of experience at SSA have resigned because of what Elon Musk and DOGE are trying to do.

    “Meanwhile, Trump’s acting head of the Social Security Administration… First, tried to stop parents in Maine from being able to apply for a Social Security number for their newborns at the hospital, after Trump got into a fight with the governor. Then, threw an entirely different tantrum and threatened to shut down the entire agency because a Judge said he couldn’t hand over everyone’s private financial data to Elon Musk’s DOGE minions.

    “And now, on Trump’s orders, is requiring people go to Social Security offices in person to verify their identity—at the same time they are firing workers and shuttering offices!

    “Now, it’s not hard to imagine why some of the richest people in the world don’t get it. Elon Musk is never going to go hungry because he missed a Social Security check.

    “But it’s also not hard to see how what they are doing is really dangerous. If Social Security wrongly declares you dead in Elon’s conspiracy purge—that is a problem. If you can’t verify your identity because there is no office near you, and no appointment available for months—that is a problem. If your private financial data is compromised because Elon’s DOGE minions are mucking around with no oversight—that is a problem.

    “And if Social Security breaks down and misses payments because billionaires like Trump and Elon don’t care, or because the Acting Commissioner doesn’t have the first clue what he’s doing, or because they are all actively sabotaging the entire program—that is a MAJOR problem, for tens of millions of Americans.

    “Social Security administrative expenses represent less than 1 percent of benefits paid. It’s about 0.2 percent of total government spending. Cutting Social Security staff and closing offices is not going to reduce the deficit or make the government more efficient.

    “Instead, it is making it harder for millions of Americans to apply for the benefits they have earned, and delayed processing. And it’s simply another way of cutting Social Security benefits.

    “That appears to be the goal here, all why? To make more room for tax cuts for billionaires.

    “And I think there’s a pretty basic reason I understand that while all these clueless, careless, and completely out of touch billionaires don’t seem to know or care.

    “It’s because I actually hear from people every day who rely on Social Security. And I actually remember how badly my parents needed Social Security. I know what a weight was lifted when they were finally eligible for their benefits, and I know how crushing it will be for families if Trump and Musk succeed in grinding this program into the ground.

    “Because here is the thing: Social Security is a promise, but more than that—it’s a lifeline that keeps millions of people afloat, sometimes with their heads just above the water.

    “That was my parents once upon a time. It is countless other families today. And Trump and Musk are trying to cut that lifeline.

    “Well I am not going to let them get away with sabotaging social security in the shadows, and neither are the American people.

    “I am going to keep this in the spotlight, and keep pushing back with everything I’ve got to protect Social Security, and keep our promise to Americans.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Admin Ripping Away Billions—Including Over $160 Million for Washington State—to Protect People from Public Health Threats

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Massive cuts put more than 200 jobs at WA State Department of Health and other health partners at risk

    Trump admin revoking funding will severely curtail WA & other states’ ability to respond to the measles outbreak, avian flu, and other infectious diseases in real time and threaten local work to combat mental health and opioid crises

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), issued the following statement on the Trump administration’s sudden decision to cancel billions of dollars in already-awarded funding for states, Tribes, and localities to address public health threats, tackle the mental health crisis, connect people to substance abuse treatment, and more. Revoking this funding puts at least 200 jobs in Washington state immediately at risk.

    “Senselessly ripping away this funding Congress provided will undermine our state’s ability to protect families from infectious diseases like measles and bird flu and to help people get the mental health care and substance use treatment they need—causing immediate harm for millions of real people and communities across America.

    “The loss of more than $160 million in funding that has already been awarded to Washington state’s health department, Tribes, and other organizations could mean cuts to essential health services and layoffs of staff on the frontlines working to keep communities healthy, address public health threats and outbreaks, tackle the opioid epidemic and mental health crisis, and so much else.

    “This is another destructive move by an administration intent on breaking government with no discernible strategy or plan—making our communities less safe in the process—and it should be immediately reversed.”

    This week, the Trump administration cancelled over $11 billion in funding awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and roughly $1 billion in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funding. The CDC cuts will severely harm Washington state and other states’ ability to respond to the measles outbreak, avian flu, and other infectious diseases in real time due to rescissions of funding for the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Program in particular.

    The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) received notices from the Trump administration immediately terminating—effective March 24th —more than $130 million in funding that supports critical public health systems including disease monitoring, reporting, and vaccine efforts for COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses. The funding also supports critical DOH IT systems for public health (e.g. disease surveillance, lab reporting), and key capabilities that prevent and address outbreaks of respiratory illnesses and vaccine preventable disease. In addition, the Trump administration is terminating approximately $34 million in SAMHSA funding for the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) which funds local efforts to combat the mental health and opioid crises. These funds mainly support grants directly to hundreds of small community organizations throughout the state.

    The immediate cuts hurt work carried out by more than 200 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff at the Washington state Department of Health and additional partners, which include local health jurisdictions, Tribal health clinics and organizations, and community-based organizations. Now, the jobs of these employees—who were, up until the recissions notices were received this week, hard at work on critical public health projects funded by these grants—are at risk.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Senate Forum on NIH Research, Senator Murray Highlights How Trump and Elon’s Devastating Funding Cuts and Mass Layoffs are Putting Lifesaving Research At Risk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Senator Murray: “There are patients today in clinical trials that are praying for a breakthrough… and they’re seeing the best hope for a cure cut off by the richest two people in the world.

    ICYMI: Murray Presses NIH Nominee on Mass Firings, Trump Attempts to Cut Billions from Biomedical Research, Unprecedented Halt on NIH Advisory Council Meetings

    *** VIDEO of Senator Murray’s Q&A with former NIH Director HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chairof the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined a Senate forum hosted by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Peter Welch (D-VT), calling out how President Trump and Elon Musk’s attacks on the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—from gutting critical funding and freezing grants, to halting advisory committee meetings and clinical trials, to senselessly mass firing thousands of staff, and other attempts to hobble biomedical research—will have generational impacts on finding cures and treatments for serious illnesses that affect millions of Americans each year.

    At the forum today, Senator Murray and her colleagues heard from Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, M.D., former Director of the NIH; Dr. Sterling Johnson, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor and Associate Director of Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center; Dr. Whitney Wharton, PhD, Emory University Associate Professor and Alzheimer’s Disease researcher; Mr. Jessy Ybarra, a veteran living with ALS and Board of Trustees member for the ALS Association; and Dr. Larry Saltzman, M.D., a retired physician living with leukemia and former Executive Research Director for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

    Senator Murray began by emphasizing how the NIH is currently in a state of crisis, with Trump and Elon Musk’s wide-ranging attacks on biomedical research and NIH’s mission: “We have DOGE freezing research grants mid-study. There is mass firing of researchers who are on the cutting edge of discovery. They’re slashing funds for our world-class institutions, and they’re setting back work—work on childhood cancers, on Alzheimer’s disease, on improving women’s health. There are patients today in clinical trials that are praying for a breakthrough… and they’re seeing the best hope for a cure cut off by the richest two people in the world. This is just crazy,” Murray said at the forum today.

    “I have four NIH grants in my home state of Washington that have been canceled so far, including one that was focused on improving vaccine delivery for hospitalized children. There’s countless other awards that are being held up. They’re threatening the lifesaving research work that every single one of us either depend on today, or may depend on, or know somebody who depends on. I just can’t express how outrageous this is.”

    “We know that in the first four weeks of this administration, NIH funding to research institutions was an astonishing 1 billion—that is a ‘b’—less than the same period last year. That is outrageous,” Murray continued. “From your time as NIH Director, is it normal at this point in this year—we’re almost the end of March—for so little grant funding to have gone out the door at NIH? And what is the impact on researchers, universities, and people?

    “It’s not at all normal,” Dr. Bertagnolli, who served as the 17th Director of the NIH from November 9th, 2023 to January 17th, 2025, replied. “The fundamental research that we all need, the understanding the biology that our drug companies need to make drugs, or that our device makers need to be able to diagnose better diagnosis—that’s funded by the NIH, overwhelmingly. That’s not funded by any other sector. So, without NIH, we don’t have any of these kinds of progress. That’s what’s not getting out the door.”

    “The confusion is rampant,” Dr. Bertagnolli continued. “At this time, we would have had fully a third of the total budget out the door, already funding very high-level research… and I believe we are so far behind that right now.”

    “We are far behind,” Murray echoed. “And my understanding is, 14 NIH grants focused on cancer have been terminated so far this year, and at least six of those focused on cancers impacting women. Dr. Bertagnolli, you’re a surgical oncologist—how is this going to impact women?”

    Dr. Bertagnolli responded, “We identified that women’s health was a high priority area for us at NIH over the last year, and so, launched many new programs to really begin to address the deficiencies that we’ve had in women’s health.”

    “So… now the direction from the Trump administration is, we don’t take care of women?” Murray asked.

    Dr. Bertagnolli said, “Well, nothing new is going forward that I can see. Nothing new… University of Utah, my alma mater, just had a Clinical and Translational Research Award canceled in its second of seven years —just terminated, CTSA Award. This award, the aims are: genetic testing to improve treatment and diagnosis of critically ill newborns, skin cancer reduction programs throughout rural communities, support young adults with heart disease to be able to live lives and be better connected to their doctors if they live in rural locations, and to identify genetic causes of bipolar disorder—canceled in its second year. So that’s what we’re seeing.”

    Murray concluded by emphasizing, “I mean, this is outrageous. I would just have a word for Elon Musk and President Trump: women are a part of your life too, and without them, you won’t be where you are. So, you better focus on their health and get this research funding back in place.”

    Senator Murray was a leading voice opposing Dr. Jay Bhattacharya’s nomination to lead NIH, and at his nomination hearing earlier this month, Murray pressed him on Elon Musk’s unprecedented influence at the agency and the massive, indiscriminate firings of skilled scientists and researchers. The Trump administration recently attempted to illegally cap indirect cost rates at 15 percent—a move Senator Murray immediately and forcefully condemned, led the entire Senate Democratic caucus in a letter decrying the proposed change, and introduced amendments to Senate Republicans’ budget resolution to reverse it, which Republicans blocked.

    As a longtime appropriator and former Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, Murray has long fought to boost biomedical research, strengthen public health infrastructure, and make health care more affordable and accessible. Over her years as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, she has secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee, she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments. 

    Video of the entire NIH forum is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Hyde-Smith, Blackburn Reintroduce Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) today reintroduced the Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act to criminalize individuals who leak confidential information from the Supreme Court of the United States.
    “Supreme Court leaks should be a criminal offense. Leakers threaten the safety of justices, damage the Court’s reputation, and put lives at risk,” said Dr. Cassidy. “They must be held accountable, not celebrated.”
    “Supreme Court justices must be able to carry out their responsibilities without the threat of their every action being leaked, whether to influence, embarrass, or threaten them.  Such actions, which we’ve seen in recent years, only undermine public trust and the Supreme Court as an institution,” said Senator Hyde-Smith.   “This legislation is needed to establish significant criminal penalties and fines for those who cross that line and betray the Court.”
    “Individuals who aim to undermine the highest Court in our nation and intimidate its justices should be held accountable for their actions,” said Senator Blackburn. “The Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act is a vital piece of legislation, which would ensure that the Court’s work remains free from unwanted outside interference by cracking down on those who leak confidential information.”
    The Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act requires a $10,000 fine and imposes up to a 10-year prison sentence on those who leak confidential information from the Supreme Court. Additionally, Cassidy’s legislation goes one step further by enforcing a seizure of profits derived from the leak which could include book deals or cable television contributor contracts.
    The Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act criminalizes leaks of the following information:

    Internal notes on cases heard by the Supreme Court of the United States.
    Any communication between the Chief Justice or an associate justice and an employee or officer of the Supreme Court on a matter pending before the Supreme Court.
    A draft opinion or a final opinion prior to the date on which such opinion is released to the public.
    Personal information of the chief justice or an associate justice that is not otherwise legally available to the public.
    Any other information designated to be confidential by the chief justice.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Colleagues Seek to Permanently Authorize, Expand E-Verify

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced the Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act to assist employers in certifying the legal status of their workforce. Grassley was joined by Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).

    Specifically, the legislation would permanently authorize, expand and require employers to participate in the free, internet-based E-Verify program, which helps determine if a current or prospective employee is authorized to work in the United States. The bill includes provisions to provide E-Verify access to businesses in rural communities or areas without internet capabilities. 

    “E-Verify is a proven tool for employers, including myself, to ensure our businesses are legally staffed. By reducing incentives for illegal immigration and safeguarding job opportunities for Americans and other legal workers, our bill would boost accountability in the workforce and support our nation’s small businesses,” Grassley said.  

    “So many families are still struggling to make ends meet from four years of Joe Biden’s disastrous economic policies. Congress’ top priority should be strengthening American businesses and protecting good-paying jobs. Expanding the E-Verify program to every business across the country will protect jobs for American workers and give employers the tools they need to legally staff their companies. We must get serious about enforcing all of our country’s immigration laws, including those pertaining to participation in the workforce,” Tuberville said.

    “E-verify is a proven, cost-effective way to ensure businesses are following our laws and a tool to deter illegal immigration,” Ernst said. “Through this commonsense bill, I’m proud to work with Senator Grassley to support our employers and ease the burden on Iowa small businesses to ensure the legal status of our workforce.”

    “I’m proud to support legislation that protects American workers and deters illegal migration. The E-Verify program is critical to ensuring that illegal aliens cannot work unlawfully in the United States. The American people delivered a clear verdict on this issue last November, and I will continue working to ensure that verdict is carried out,” Britt said.

    Find bill text HERE.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Shares Memories of Northwest Arkansas Veteran Who Helped Paved the Way for Expanded Roles for Women

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON––The Veterans History Project, an initiative of the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center, is marking its 25th year collecting and retaining the oral histories of our nation’s veterans. U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), whose office has actively promoted and participated in the program including training more than 1,200 Arkansans to engage with it and conducting more than 100 veteran interviews, continues to commemorate its impact and significance.

    One of Boozman’s latest submissions recognized the service and sacrifice of Northwest Arkansas U.S. Army veteran Debra Holmes in his office’s ‘Salute to Veterans’ series highlighting the military service of Arkansans.

    Holmes grew up in Derby, Kansas, a location that inspired her love of aviation.

    “We lived six miles off the Boeing Aircraft runway that was adjacent to an Air Force base, McConnell Air Force Base. And so, as a young girl, I would get to see the B-52s climbing slowly up into the air,” Holmes said. 

    As the daughter of a WWII Army medic who served at the Battle of the Bulge and stepdaughter of a Navy WWII veteran, she learned early on about the importance of patriotism and service. 

    In high school, she talked with her classmates’ parents stationed at the local Air Force base and gained their perspective on military service. 

    “It’s an incredible honor to serve your country,” she said. “That was very appealing to me.”

    While her family had a history of working at Boeing, Holmes had other plans. 

    “I wanted to see the world, so I couldn’t wait until I could get enough money or education and go out into the world. At that time the Army had a slogan ‘Join the Army, See the World.’”

    In 1974, the week of her 19th birthday, she went to a recruiting office to enlist in military service.

    “My brothers had had draft numbers so we had sat up and watched the draft. And my mother never thought in any way, shape or form that her youngest and only daughter would join the military. She was not thrilled,” Holmes recalled.

    The Army had recently started expanding opportunities for women beyond administrative and nursing roles to include military occupational specialties, allowing Holmes to pursue her interest in air traffic control.

    She attended basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

    While she didn’t know what to expect in basic training, she had some previous shooting experience that helped her on the range. Her first shots with an M16 hit the target and her sergeant asked her where she learned to shoot.

    “My uncle worked for Daisy BB company, and I’ve shot BB guns,” she shared with him. “He was not impressed.”

    Following basic training she attended air traffic control school at Fort Rucker, Alabama (today known as Fort Novosel.) Holmes was enrolled in an accelerated training course that was challenging, but the practice and persistence paid off giving her the tools to be a good controller. 

    She was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where the military was running simulations. She was often the only female air traffic controller.

    “The soldiers, sailors and marines that I primarily engaged with who had either been to Vietnam or who had been drafted – because I was a woman and also a volunteer – they were not happy,” she recalled, shaking her head. “They voiced the fact that they didn’t think it was appropriate for women in the miliary especially in these new roles that they were rolling out. The other male volunteers were much more accepting.”

    Holmes expected an assignment to Germany based on her enlistment. However, the Army reassigned her to Yongsan, South Korea, where she was initially nervous to be in a new location. She remembered asking for a sign that things would be okay.

    “We’re all going along on this bus and I look up, and I don’t think I ever saw another one after that and I was there for two years, but it was a Coca-Cola billboard in Korean,” she said. “That was the answer to my prayer. And I thought ‘oh yeah. I can do this now.’ I used to put in my letters a Korean Coca-Cola bottle cap to my family. It was kind of a fun message that I would make it.” 

    She recalled her living conditions in a Quonset Hut that included dangerously cold temperatures, forcing her to chip ice off the toilet, followed by the rainy monsoon season. 

    She was stationed close to the demilitarized zone which put her in dangerous situations, but her training gave her the tools to succeed.

    Her fondest memory of her time in South Korea was the engagement with locals on her way to do laundry. Every two weeks she looked forward to dancing and singing with area kids as she made her way through the village. She learned it was something her hosts also cherished when, on one of her last visits, the men, women and children showed their appreciation by bowing to her and honoring her with a gift.

    “They had heard that American women like two things: gum and perfume, so they put their money together and bought me a pack of Chanel No. 5 gum,” she said. “They had put this together to give me a gift because I had sang and danced and played with the kids. I was so honored.” 

    She recalled arriving stateside in her uniform to unexpected hostility. Not only were travelers at the airport calling her names, but a passenger on her domestic flight threw a drink on her. 

    “It was really difficult. It was really difficult,” she said. “Once I got out of the military I didn’t mention it for 33 more years. I wouldn’t tell anybody. I just didn’t mention it. I didn’t put it on any resume, anything. I’m not going to chance it,” she recalled.

    Holmes finished her military service at Fort Eustis, Virginia. By this point, she had been certified in all types of air traffic control.

    “There weren’t many of us in the world at that point in time that had that certification.” She credits her commander in South Korea for providing her with the opportunities that led to her success. 

    Holmes loved air traffic control, but things changed after she was in a tower hit by lightning during a tropical storm. She sustained serious injuries. 

    “I could go back to air traffic control, but I was never as sharp. I was never as quick at it. And I couldn’t settle for that.”

    Following military service, Holmes pursued a career in technology and later transitioned to a hospice chaplain.

    Today she calls Springdale home and participates in a number of veteran organizations to support her fellow servicemembers.

    “I have fulfilled a promise I made a very young girl in me, that I would see the world and I would have adventures. And the Army kicked that off for me. If you can go to a country where you know nobody and nothing, you can find your way. And in the military people do have your back. And I don’t think a civilian can quite understand what that means. I don’t think I could even put it into words, but it’s something sacred.”

    “I’m grateful for Debra Holmes’ dedication and service to our nation. Her time in uniform serves as a reminder of the adversity women faced on their path to military success and the responsibility we have to honor our commitment to support the men and women who answered the call to serve. I’m honored to collect and preserve her memories,” Boozman said.

    Boozman submitted Holmes’ entire interview to the Veterans History Project and will continue to mark the program’s 25th anniversary this year with events in several Arkansas communities to conduct interviews with veterans and train those interested in learning how to participate.

    An interview day is scheduled for April 30 at the Fort Chaffee Barbershop and Military Museum. To learn more, contact Kathy Watson in the senator’s Fort Smith office at 479-573-0189.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Barrasso, Van Hollen, Ricketts Lead and Applaud Passage of Resolution Honoring Greek Independence Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Barrasso (R-WY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) led and applauded the Senate passage of a bipartisan resolution to commemorate the 204th anniversary of Greek Independence Day (March 25). In addition to celebrating Greece’s historic role as the birthplace of democracy and its immense contributions to global society, the bipartisan resolution also recognizes the strength of the United States’ enduring partnership and friendship with Greece.

    “For hundreds of years the United States and Greece have worked together, inspired each other, and fought alongside each other to protect democracy everywhere,” said Senator Booker. “I extend my deepest congratulations to the people of Greece as they celebrate 204 years of democracy, and I am pleased to see this resolution recognizing Greek Independence Day pass the Senate.”

    “Congratulations to the people of Greece as they celebrate the anniversary of their independence. The U.S. Senate is honoring our strong partner and important ally with this bipartisan Greek Independence Day Resolution,” said Senator Barrasso. “For over 200 years, our nations have fought side by side to advance freedom, liberty and democracy around the world. The U.S. – Greece relationship is built on shared values and a lasting partnership. We look forward to finding additional ways to strengthen our close cooperation and friendship in the years ahead.”

    “In 1821, America proudly stood in support of the new Greek Republic emerging from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire – and ever since then, we have enjoyed a strong cultural, economic, and security partnership. With this resolution, we commemorate 204 years of self-determination for the people of Greece and the enduring bonds between our two nations,” said Senator Van Hollen.

    “I want to congratulate Greece on its 204th Independence Day. Greece is a steadfast ally of the United States,” said Senator Ricketts. “Omaha, NE is home to an amazing Greek community. Today, we all celebrate its independence—and look forward to continued partnership in the years ahead!”

    The resolution is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jim Justice (R-WV), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Todd Young (R-IN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Michael Bennet (D-CO).

    To read the full text of the resolution, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters and Moreno to Lead Senate Great Lakes Task Force

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Bernie Moreno (R-OH) will lead the Senate Great Lakes Task Force in the 119th Congress. Founded in 1987, the Task Force is a bipartisan working group that advocates for the protection of the Great Lakes. As Co-Chairs, Peters and Moreno will convene meetings between Great Lakes Senators and staff to coordinate legislative initiatives, funding priorities, and oversight efforts to address the most important issues facing the Great Lakes.

    “The Great Lakes are essential to our economy, environment, and way of life in Michigan,” said Senator Peters. “As someone who has made protecting the Great Lakes a top priority throughout my years in public service, I’m honored to serve as Co-Chair of this important Task Force. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make sure we’re providing the resources necessary to keep the Great Lakes healthy and vibrant for generations to come.”

    “The Great Lakes are a cornerstone of our lifestyle in the Midwest, and Lake Erie is a crucial resource for Northeast Ohio,” said Senator Moreno. “I’m grateful to serve as the Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force to protect the Great Lakes and ensure our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are able to utilize them.”

    Peters has been a steadfast supporter of the Great Lakes, advocating for policies that safeguard Michigan waters, support local economies, and enhance environmental protections. Earlier this year, Peters introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2025 to reauthorize and expand resources for the GLRI program, which has carried out the most significant investment ever made to restore our Great Lakes. As Co-Chair, he will play a key role in uniting Great Lakes Basin states to address pressing issues like invasive species, environmental contamination, shoreline erosion, water quality, infrastructure needs, and more.

    The Senate Great Lakes Task Force, founded in the mid-1980s, is an influential bipartisan group associated with the Northeast-Midwest Institute. The Task Force works to ensure the Great Lakes continue to thrive.

    MIL OSI USA News –