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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts: My Tax Cut Bills Are About “Fairness, Common Sense, and Keeping Promises to Seniors and Veterans”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), outlined his Social Security Check Tax Cut Act and Tax Cuts for Veterans Act. These two tax cut bills, introduced Tuesday, will help Americans keep more of their own hard-earned money in retirement. He made the following comments while on a conference call with Nebraska media:

    “Social Security and veterans’ benefits should be completely tax-free,” Ricketts said. “These aren’t government handouts. They’re benefits people have earned. Seniors have paid into Social Security for decades. Veterans have given years of service to protect our freedoms. We should not be double-taxing them.”

    “My bills are about fairness, common sense, and keeping promises to seniors and veterans,” Ricketts continued. “They will boost retirement income to ensure seniors and veterans keep more of their hard-earned money. We proved it in Nebraska. Washington needs to do the same.”

    [embedded content]

    Watch the video here

    TRANSCRIPT:

    Senator Ricketts: “Yesterday, I introduced two bills to help Americans keep more of their hard-earned money in retirement. 

    “I introduced the Social Security Check Tax Cut Act and the Tax Cuts for Veterans Act. 

    “These bills are built on the same common-sense approach we took in Nebraska. 

    “We worked across the aisle to cut taxes on Social Security and military retirement benefits at the state level. 

    “And now, it’s time to do the same thing at the federal level. 

    “From 1935 to 1983, Social Security benefits were not taxed at the federal level.

    “But by 1993, 85% of Social Security benefits were taxable. That needs to change.

    “Here’s the bottom line. Social Security and veterans’ benefits should be completely tax-free. 

    “These aren’t government handouts. They’re benefits people have earned. 

    “Seniors have paid into Social Security for decades. 

    “Veterans have given years of service to protect our freedoms. 

    “We should not be double-taxing them. 

    “My Social Security Check Tax Cut Act will start phasing out the federal tax on Social Security benefits. 

    “This is similar to what we did in Nebraska, where we phased it out over time. 

    “It begins with a 10% cut in year one and grows to 20% in year two.  

    “Congress can continue phasing out taxes by 10% per year and make Social Security income tax free by 2035. 

    “For a typical retiree, it would mean about $800 back in their pocket. 

    “That’s 202 gallons of milk or 270 gallons of gas at today’s prices. 

    “That’s real relief for our seniors. 

    “This is a plan that works. 

    “It’s what we did in Nebraska with LB873 while I was Governor.

    “We eliminated state taxes on Social Security benefits in a bipartisan, 100% unanimous vote.  

    “It wasn’t a Republican or a Democrat solution. It was a Nebraska solution. 

    “Washington should follow Nebraska’s lead. 

    “The second bill I introduced yesterday was the Tax Cuts for Veterans Act. 

    “My bill ensures that military retirement pay is tax-free at the federal level. 

    “In 2021, I signed LB387 into law, eliminating state taxes on military retirement benefits in Nebraska. 

    “We did it with overwhelming bipartisan support. Not a single senator voted against it. 

    “That’s because it was the right thing to do. 

    “We need to take that same approach in Washington. 

    “The Tax Cuts for Veterans Act would give real financial relief to those who served. 

    “Take an enlisted soldier, sailor, airman, marine, or guardian who serves for 20 years. 

    “Under my bill, they could save over $6,000 per year. 

    “That’s an extra $500 every single month. 

    “That’s real money to cover groceries, gas, housing, or other rising costs. 

    “As John F. Kennedy once said, “as we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” 

    “Honoring our veterans isn’t just about words—it’s about action. 

    “We can and should eliminate federal taxes on military retirement benefits for veterans across the country. 

    “My bills are about fairness, common sense, and keeping promises to seniors and veterans. 

    “They will boost retirement income to ensure seniors and veterans keep more of their hard-earned money. 

    “We proved it in Nebraska. Washington needs to do the same. 

    “I’m proud to lead this effort, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this done.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy welcomes debarment of doctor who facilitated gain-of-function research in Wuhan: “We now have justice”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) commended the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for debarring and defunding EcoHealth Alliance and its president, Dr. Peter Daszak, for their role in facilitating gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China, which likely caused the coronavirus pandemic.  

    Key excerpts of the speech are below: 

    “Many commentators and many news accounts say that what Dr. Daszak—with the money from American taxpayers that he had gotten from Dr. Fauci and Dr. Collins—what they were doing was conducting gain-of-function research. . . . Gain-of-function research just means taking, in this context, an animal virus, a bat virus, altering it genetically so it would jump into a human—pretty dangerous stuff.

    “Now Dr. Fauci has said that didn’t happen, Dr. Collins says that didn’t happen, and Dr. Daszak says that didn’t happen, but everybody else says it did. The FBI says it did. The CIA says it did. The top spy agency in Germany says it did. The Department of Energy says it did.

    “So what happened? What happened? Well, we do know that the first two people that we know of in the world who got the coronavirus—the first two humans—were not people in the city of Wuhan; they were workers in the Wuhan lab. . . . We also know that when the virus became really contagious, other than these two people who were working in the Wuhan lab, it became contagious in Wuhan, China, a few miles away from the Wuhan lab—pretty curious. 

    “We also know that when word first broke of the coronavirus, Dr. Fauci learned about it. Do you know one of the first persons he called was Dr. Peter Daszak and said: What is going on?

    “We also know that Dr. Daszak was trying to convince the American people and the people of the world that the virus started naturally—that it didn’t start from his gain-of-function research. We know that he rounded up a bunch of epidemiologists to write a fake article and start publishing it and others in a lot of professional scientific magazines to try to convince the world that the bat virus jumped to human beings naturally. We know that. That has all come out.”

     . . .

    “It took a while, and some will call this only partial justice, but we now have justice—at least for 5 years. I hope forever Dr. Peter Daszak and any company with which he is affiliated will no longer receive taxpayer dollars from the National Institutes of Health because he was doing—according to many people smarter than me and many news reports—he was funding gain research in Wuhan. . . . Pretty scary stuff, and we know how it all turned out.

    Background:

    • On Jan. 17, 2025, HHS announced that it would be defunding and debarring EcoHealth Alliance Inc. and Dr. Daszak for at least five years due to their role in facilitating irresponsible gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
    • HHS determined that Dr. Daszak and EcoHealth Alliance violated the terms of their gain-of-function grant to conduct experiments that modified novel bat coronaviruses to make them 10,000 times more infectious in mice.
    • Dr. Daszak, former National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins and former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci coordinated with other public health officials to propel the theory that COVID-19 originated in nature.

    Watch Kennedy’s full speech here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Coons, Democratic Ranking Members call on Inspectors General to investigate mishandling of classified information by Trump administration officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, led a letter to the Acting Inspectors General of the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, the National Archives and Records Administration, and the Department of State calling for an investigation into senior Trump administration officials for mishandling attack plans and other sensitive information through an unsecure messaging group chat, thereby putting U.S. servicemembers and intelligence officers at risk. The letter comes in response to a series of articles in The Atlantic by Jeffrey Goldberg detailing conversations by high-ranking Trump administration officials about military strikes conducted in Yemen in a Signal group chat in which Goldberg was included.

    The letter details concerns that multiple cabinet officials potentially violated laws and regulations related to the handling of national security information and the retention of federal records, including the precise timing of missile strikes and information about intelligence gathering.

    In the letter to the inspectors general, the senators expressed grave concern “over potential violations of the Presidential Records Act and the Federal Records Act, as the article outlines policy debates between the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, and senior White House officials—discussions that should be preserved as official government records… the use of a messaging application with auto-delete functions raises further questions about whether these records were improperly destroyed.”

    The senators also highlighted how a report to the Department of Justice has been yet to be filed regarding this breach, despite the legal requirement to address leaks of classified material.

    “We note that classified information is designated as such because its release would significantly damage U.S. national security and put at risk our national security personnel,” the senators wrote. “As such, this information can only be shared in a sensitive compartmented facility and such operational information is classified at least the SECRET level or higher based on the Department of Defense’s own guidance. Disclosing classified information on an unsecured messaging group chat, which contained an uncleared individual, could be a violation of 18 U.S. Code § 798. We are unaware of any report to the Department of Justice associated with this event, which is a standard practice when classified information is leaked to the media.”

    “This report, if accurate, indicates multiple violations of law and policy by a host of elected and confirmed officials responsible for national security issues,” the senators added. “Given that this was an accidental disclosure, it also raises the potential that the officials involved in this chat may be conducting other potentially classified and unlawful conversations on this messaging application.”

    In addition to Senator Coons, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee; Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Brian Schatz, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS); and Patty Murray, Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair.

    You can read the full text of the letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Reaction to Antidemocratic Trump Order to Prevent Americans from Voting 

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and a member of the Rules Committee, released the following reaction to President Trump’s Executive Order, signed this week seeking to deny the right to vote to eligible citizens. The order would require the Election Assistance Commission to change its federal voter registration form to require proof of citizenship through a passport or birth certificate, restrict mail-in voting, and allow Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” to infiltrate our election systems:
    “Make no mistake: this is a flagrant, unconstitutional attack on voting rights, designed by the Trump White House and their political enablers to stop Americans from participating in our democracy. Requiring documents that millions of people lack access to—including working voters, voters of color, seniors, young voters, rural voters—is voter suppression, plain and simple,” said Senator Welch. “Donald Trump is shamelessly robbing millions of Americans of their right to vote and allowing Elon Musk to infiltrate our federal elections. It is yet another abuse of executive power by Donald Trump, and we will stand up and fight for the right to vote.” 
    Half of American adults—around 146 million Americans—do not have a valid passport. In Vermont, fewer than half of citizens have a valid passport. Married women and men who have changed their last name could be stopped from using a birth certificate as their proof of citizenship. More than 28 million people hold a license that doesn’t have their current address with their current name. An estimated 21.3 million people—or around 1 in 10 citizens—do not have ready access to their passport, birth certificate, or proof of citizenship. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 03.26.2025 Senate Votes to Advance Sen. Cruz Resolution Overturning IRS Cryptocurrency Regulation for Presidential Signature

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the United States Senate voted 70-28 on final passage of a a resolution authored by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to overturn a Biden administration midnight rule imposing regulations on software developers of decentralized financial (DeFi) technology. The resolution had previously passed the House.
    The rule defined those developers as “brokers,” even though they did not touch any of the cryptocurrency being exchanged. The resolution has passed both chambers of Congress and now awaits the President’s signature to become law.
    Upon passage, Sen. Cruz said, “Cryptocurrency has become a leading driver in creating new markets and diversifying our economy. The American people know it and support crypto, and that support was reflected this evening in the overwhelming bipartisan majority that voted for my resolution. I look forward to the President signing it into law and I am proud to be leading the fight to defend cryptocurrency from Biden’s abusive regulatory assault.”
    An industry letter, signed by more than 75 members of the Blockchain Association, called for passage of Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) CRA.
    BACKGROUND
    The Internal Revenue Service rule that would be repealed by Sen. Cruz’s resolution in Gross Proceeds Reporting by Brokers That Regularly Provide Services Effectuating Digital Asset Sales. The rule was finalized on December 30, 2024.
    Sen. Cruz’s resolution was endorsed by:
    The Digital Chamber, Blockchain Association, DeFi Education Fund, Cedar Innovation Foundation, Uniswap, Paradigm, Cryptocurrency Council for Innovation, DCG, Stand With Crypto, Coin Center, Texas Blockchain Association, Crypto Freedom Alliance of Texas, Pennsylvania Blockchain Coalition, Ohio Blockchain Council, North Carolina Blockchain Initiative, South Carolina Blockchain, Virginia Blockchain Council, and California Blockchain Advocacy Coalition.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Grassley Talks District Judges, Reconciliation and Whistleblowers on The Bottom Line

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, joined The Bottom Line on Fox Business to discuss nationwide injunctions, reconciliation and his work to secure the promotion of IRS whistleblowers.
    Audio and excerpts of Grassley’s remarks follow.
    [embedded content]VIDEO
    On Nationwide Injunctions:
    “It ought to be a bipartisan issue, because within the last few years, Democrats have talked about reform, and we have Justice Kagan saying that the national approach is obviously being abused.
    “I would say that the very least we want to do is… limit [district court decisions] to the district court where the district judge sits and listen to the injunction as it applies to the people that are in the court. That eliminates one judge making a decision that affects 93 district court systems that we have in the United States.
    “I can’t wait to see if the Supreme Court does something when I’m Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and we see this process is being vastly abused. For the first 150 years [of the United States], there was never one of these national injunctions. Then, for the next 70 years, [nationwide injunctions were] not used very often. But, within the last 20 years, this has been used [against] both Republican and Democrat administrations.”
    On Reconciliation:
    “Some people are talking about getting [reconciliation] done by August. That’s too late. We had a November 5 election, where this was a big issue, and the President has a mandate… we have a responsibility to carry out the results of the November 5 election.
    “This debt ceiling limit should not be anything that stands in the way of getting the reconciliation bill passed, because [we must] get reconciliation passed to make sure we don’t have the biggest tax cut in the history of the country.
    “I think [President Trump] is going to get a good share of [his tax priorities], but I would doubt if he’s going to get all of them, because of the total cost of all five of them… I think the President needs to pick and choose and tell Congress what’s most important to him.”
    On IRS Whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler:
    “I’ve been protecting these whistleblowers for months, or maybe more than a year and a half, and I’m glad that they are getting their job back, getting a promotion and being able to help this new Trump administration know where the bodies are buried. 
    “Most whistleblowers that I know are very patriotic people. I think that these two that you bring up showed how patriotic they were. They stuck to it. They were willing to go public with it, and we ought to be honoring people that know where the bodies are buried.
    “There’s a lot of other whistleblowers throughout previous administrations that have been ill treated, and I’m going to fight to get their jobs back as well.”
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Baldwin, Welch Lead Schumer, Colleagues Spotlighting Trumps Cuts to Cancer and Alzheimer’s Cures

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    A full recording of the forum is available here
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Peter Welch (D-VT) led Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and 14 of their Senate colleagues at a forum to spotlight Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s efforts to cut cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases treatments and cures. The forum, “Cures in Crisis: What Gutting NIH Research Means for Americans with Cancer, Alzheimer’s, & Other Diseases,” featured witnesses that highlighted the dire impact of cuts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including former Director of the NIH, Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, M.D., two Alzheimer’s disease researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Emory University, and two patients who have benefitted from NIH clinical trials.
    “I truly wish I didn’t need to host this forum but Elon Musk’s DOGE and Donald Trump are quite literally on a path to rip away cures to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease – all to make room in their budget for tax breaks for the richest of the rich. Today, we heard from the people who will be paying the price – and I hope my Republican colleagues and the President were listening,” said Senator Baldwin. “Right now, we are wasting precious time that we cannot get back for American families hoping that their loved one has a chance to get better.”
    “The Trump Administration has taken a wrecking ball to the National Institutes of Health without a care about who gets hurt in the process. The first to feel the impact of these cuts will be American patients who rely on NIH’s cutting-edge research to get new therapies and cure diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer. DOGE’s mass firing spree has also left our nation’s top scientists on the chopping block, stifling American innovation and weakening our leadership in biomedical science for years to come. These cuts and layoffs mean the difference between life and death for communities in both red and blue states,” said Senator Welch. “I’m proud to join Senator Baldwin and our colleagues today to defend our commitment to science, research, and care across America.”
    “I resigned my post as NIH Director in January of this year. Since then, I have had no insight into how decisions are being made by our current leaders at HHS. I can speak, however, about the downstream effects of their decisions, and some irreparable damage that their policies are producing. To date more than 300 grants terminated; and about $1.5 billion in funding delays and barriers that are preventing NIH’s role of ensuring that funding is delivered to outstanding researchers across the nation,” said Dr. Bertagnolli, former Director of the NIH. “Today, we are just beginning to see progress against devastating diseases which have long been hopeless – Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, even pancreatic cancer – all because of NIH funding. And this has proven to be a great investment for American taxpayers – producing both extraordinary improvements in health, and significant profits for our nation’s economy. How can we afford to see this progress stalled? Overall, the loss to our nation on so many levels will be too great.”
    “I’m here to emphasize the critical importance of NIH funding in the fight against Alzheimer’s—a disease that is one of our greatest public health and economic challenges. While deaths from heart disease and cancer have leveled off or declined thanks to decades of NIH investment, deaths from Alzheimer’s and related dementias have increased. Over 6.9 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s today—a number projected to double by 2050 without effective solutions,” said Dr. Sterling Johnson, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor and Associate Director of Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. “Our patients who have this progressive disease don’t have the luxury of time to shoulder the unnecessary delays and uncertainty that we are currently experiencing. The clock is ticking for them and their families. Now more than ever we need the continued full resolve and commitment of the federal government to meet their need.”
    “I am here today as a scientist who has had 2 NIH grants abruptly terminated in the past month. On February 28th my first NIH grant was terminated, which had only 6 months remaining on a 4-year award… While these terminations are devastating for me and my team, particularly junior faculty and students, my primary concern is for the patients, research participants and the families who are already being impacted by the NIH’s recent radical shift in funding priorities,” said Dr. Whitney Wharton, PhD, Emory University Associate Professor and Alzheimer’s Disease researcher. “Termination of my peer reviewed grants, and hundreds of others, which were awarded based on merit, has potentially devastating implications for all Americans. It sets a concerning precedent where scientific inquiry and peer reviewed and awarded projects are turned off and on based on a set of changing priorities. Not only can this cause confusion, but it could also impact the pipeline of new and talented young investigators, and erase entire communities of patients, who are the most impacted by diseases like Alzheimer’s, from research entirely.”
    “I speak here today not only for myself, but for every patient who has ever held out hope that research would buy them another year — or another decade. Without robust, sustained, and predictable funding from the NIH, those bridges to the next treatment won’t be there when patients need them. The bridge that saved me was built through decades of investment, innovation, and relentless commitment from our nation’s scientific community. But those bridges don’t build themselves,” said Dr. Larry Saltzman, M.D., retired physician living with leukemia and former Executive Research Director for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “I am living proof of what NIH research can do, and I don’t think I would be here today without the commitment that Congress has shown by prioritizing NIH funding over the past many decades. I ask you to protect this funding — so that more people can outlive their expiration dates.”
    “The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal agencies have been critical in funding groundbreaking research that offers hope to thousands of individuals like me, including by providing access to experimental treatments for ALS. The experimental drug I am taking could not only extend my life but could also lead to a cure. Access to this drug could mean seeing my son and grandson graduate high school and college, something I did not think was possible when I was diagnosed,” said Mr. Jessy Ybarra, veteran living with ALS and Board of Trustees member for the ALS Association. “But now funding cuts and reductions to funding at NIH and other research agencies threaten to derail decades of progress right when we are at the tipping point of finally finding a cure. But to be clear, this isn’t just about me, and everyone else impacted by ALS now and in the future. ALS costs our nation over one-billion dollars a year. Investing in finding a cure is not only fiscally responsible, but very simply, good public policy. I urge Congress to reject these harmful cuts to NIH and support the funding necessary to make ALS a livable disease and cure it. My life, our lives, and our economy depend on it.”
    Over the last two months, the Trump Administration has attacked, compromised, and gutted research at the NIH for lifesaving cures and treatments, including:
    Cutting Funding for Research Facilities: NIH announced last month that it was planning to arbitrarily cap indirect cost rates at 15%, which would slash billions of dollars in funding that helps research institutions, like the University of Wisconsin, operate their facilities and labs, pay staff, and buy equipment needed for groundbreaking work to find cures for diseases and treatments for patients.
    Funding Freeze for Alzheimer’s Disease: The Trump Administration is jeopardizing $65 million in funding for Alzheimer’s disease research at 14 research institutions across the country. 14 of the 35 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) have had their funding halted because the Trump Administration continues to cancel NIH Advisory Council meetings, which are the final required step in the grant approval process.
    Terminating Grants for Lifesaving Research: The Trump Administration stopped all grant funding at NIH for ten days in February and is continuing to block funding for lifesaving disease research, like finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. This halt in funding is despite two court orders directing the Trump Administration to end its unlawful efforts to freeze all federal grants. This is in addition to Elon Musk indiscriminately terminating hundreds of active NIH grants every week, in direct defiance of federal court orders to stop NIH funding changes amid ongoing litigation.
    Gutting Critical Staff: Mass layoffs at HHS under Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s direction are impacting everything from research to clinical trials, including scientists, nurses, pharmacists, and experts tracking disease spread. Reports show the NIH is expected to cut between 3,400 and 5,000 positions from its workforce of 20,000.
    NIH funding contributed to research for roughly 99 percent of drugs approved between 2010 and 2019, including heart medications, according to the Center for American Progress. The advocacy group United for Medical Research found that in fiscal year 2023, funding from the agency supported more than 410,000 jobs, with 10,000 NIH-supported jobs in some states. In that same year, NIH-funded research fueled nearly $93 billion in economic spending. Overall, the economic benefit of NIH funding is more than twice the investment made through NIH appropriations. For a breakdown of how much funding each state receives from the NIH, click here.
    Joining Senators Baldwin and Welch at the forum were Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Patty Murray (D-WA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
    A full recording of the forum is available here. Witnesses opening statements are available here.
    A one-pager on President Donald Trump’s actions to gut the NIH and its impacts is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Secures Commitment from EPA Nominee to Help Combat Tijuana River Pollution Crisis

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla Secures Commitment from EPA Nominee to Help Combat Tijuana River Pollution Crisis

    WATCH: Padilla highlights importance of federal infrastructure investments to address cross-border sewage flowsWASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) secured a commitment from Jessica Kramer, nominee for Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to help address the ongoing Tijuana River transboundary pollution crisis and its harmful environmental and public health impacts.
    During a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee nominations hearing, Padilla highlighted the hundreds of millions in federal funding he secured along with the late Senator Dianne Feinstein and the San Diego Congressional delegation to expand and upgrade the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) to address harmful sewage flows. Kramer echoed Senator Padilla’s characterization of these transboundary pollution flows as a “crisis” and emphasized the importance of federal infrastructure investments to combat the crisis. Padilla and Kramer agreed that collaboration and communication, with both Mexico and federal partners like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State Department, is essential to address these harmful cross-border flows.
    The hearing comes after Padilla, Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Representatives Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50) and Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-52) recently invited EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to visit San Diego’s South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBITWP) to see firsthand the ongoing environmental and public health consequences of the cross-border Tijuana River sewage crisis on local communities. Administrator Zeldin also recently expressed concern about the flow of sewage flowing across the border, posting about a briefing he received on the crisis and pushing Mexico to “honor its commitments to control this pollution and sewage.”
    PADILLA: I want to begin by expressing my appreciation for EPA Administrator Zeldin’s interest in one of my top EPA priorities, which is finally resolving the Tijuana River sewage crisis. For decades, communities in that part of Southern California have faced persistent both environmental as well as public health impacts of untreated sewage that has flowed across the border. … We recently invited Administrator Zeldin to tour the plant to see firsthand the challenges that we face. So I’d like to just begin by asking you, Ms. Kramer, how familiar you are with this issue, with the projects because assuming you are confirmed, I’d look forward to working with you to bring this project to completion.
    KRAMER: Absolutely. Thank you, Senator, for that question. During my first tenure at EPA under the first Trump Administration, this is, in fact, one of the issues that I worked on. And so EPA had been appropriated that first amount of funding that you referenced, and I was involved in the consideration of the various projects that could be funded to ensure that this transboundary flow crisis — to be completely frank, raw sewage flowing anywhere, in my mind, is a crisis — comes to an end. … I think the challenges that we’re seeing there, one, stems to ensuring that the infrastructure that is in place to ensure that these flows cease, but also two, ensuring that there is communication, robust communication that allows for partnership that is required to ensure that operation and maintenance of those infrastructure investments takes place. And it’s especially easy when it’s in the U.S., and it’s a little bit more challenging when we have infrastructure on the other side of the border that we need to be collaborating on.
    PADILLA: Well, that’s music to my ears, your familiarity with it, your history with it, your commitment to it as a priority. And yes, collaboration is key, not just with partners south of the border, but even within the federal government. We’ve brought to bear U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the intricacies of the State Department involvement here. So thank you for that.
    KRAMER: Absolutely.
    Senator Padilla also questioned Brian Nesvik, nominee to be Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service at the Department of the Interior, highlighting the complexities of California’s water system and threats to the state’s water security and quality in the face of climate change. He urged Nesvik to roll up his sleeves on California water challenges and encouraged him to listen to career professionals at the Fish and Wildlife Service and experts within California’s state agencies to navigate complex water and wildlife issues.
    Video of Padilla’s full line of questioning is available here.
    Since 2018, more than 100 billion gallons of toxic sewage, trash, and unmanaged stormwater have flowed across the United States-Mexico border into the Tijuana River Valley and neighboring communities, forcing long-lasting beach closures and causing harmful impacts on public health, the environment, and water quality. U.S. military personnel, border patrol agents, and the local economy have also suffered harmful impacts from airborne and waterborne transboundary sewage flows. In 2023, sewage flowed across the border at the highest volume in a quarter century, exceeding 44 billion gallons.
    Senator Padilla has prioritized addressing the Tijuana River pollution crisis since he first came to the Senate, recently working with the San Diego Congressional delegation to secure $250 million in the federal disaster relief package to clean up the Tijuana River. This marked the final tranche of funding required to complete the SBIWTP upgrade project. The SBIWTP project broke ground in October 2024, and over the coming years, the SBIWTP will double in capacity, reducing transboundary flows by 90 percent. Importantly, Mexico’s rehabilitated San Antonio de los Buenos wastewater treatment plant is expected to be fully operational by Spring 2025, further reducing flows to California communities. 
    In response to a request from Padilla and the San Diego Congressional delegation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently opened an investigation into the public health impacts of air pollution caused by the ongoing Tijuana River transboundary pollution crisis. Senator Padilla and the delegation also recently secured a $200 million authorization for the Tijuana River Valley Watershed and San Diego County through the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 to help address the ongoing transboundary sewage crisis through stormwater conveyance, environmental and ecosystem restoration, and water quality protection projects. They also delivered over $103 million in additional funding for the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) in the bipartisan FY 2024 appropriations package. Padilla previously successfully secured language in the FY 2023 appropriations package to allow the EPA to unlock $300 million previously secured in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to the IBWC for water infrastructure projects. Last year, Padilla and Representatives Peters and Vargas announced bicameral legislation to help combat the Tijuana River sewage pollution crisis.
    More information on the hearing is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Colleagues Slam Draconian Immigration Registration Order

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and eight Senate colleagues expressed strong disapproval of the Trump Administration’s resurrection of one of the country’s most draconian and discriminatory immigration policies: forcing immigrants to register with the federal government and carry proof of their registration at all times. The Senators urged U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) leadership to reverse this harmful practice and demanded answers on how the program would be implemented. 
    “The Administration has explicitly linked this revived registration requirement to enforcement efforts, empowering federal prosecutors to target immigrants who fail to comply,” wrote the Senators. “This creates a perilous dilemma for immigrants who entered the country without inspection and have had no prior contact with federal authorities. Those who register risk exposing themselves to removal proceedings, while those who refrain from registering face the threat of criminal prosecution. The policy further jeopardizes millions of immigrants—including those with lawful status—by subjecting them to penalties for simply failing to carry proof of registration.” 
    “This registration policy echoes historical precedents that have been widely discredited and condemned. The Alien Registration Act of 1940 was initially implemented during World War II in a climate of fear and xenophobia, requiring noncitizens to register at post offices across the country,” continued the Senators. “Now, by dusting off and weaponizing an outdated law, the Trump administration is reviving a dangerous precedent that will undermine fundamental civil liberties, disproportionately burden immigrant communities and millions of mixed-status families, and transform America into a ‘carry your papers’ country.” 
    The letter, led by Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), was also signed by Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    The lawmakers demanded answers to questions about the implementation of this draconian plan including: 
    How does USCIS plan to implement this registration requirement, and what resources will be allocated to its implementation and enforcement? 
    What mechanisms will be in place to ensure that individuals who register are not automatically placed in removal proceedings or expedited removal? 
    What safeguards exist to prevent racial profiling and discriminatory enforcement practices in the application of this law?  
    Who will have access to any registration database and for what purposes? 
    Senator Padilla is a leading voice in Congress opposing President Trump’s anti-immigrant actions and rhetoric. Last week, Senators Padilla, Durbin, Booker, and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) issued a joint statement slamming President Trump for his attempted invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, wartime law, to deport noncitizens without due process. Padilla also joined other Democratic immigration leaders in challenging the constitutional basis of President Trump’s sham “invasion” proclamation, which the President believes would allow his Administration to circumvent federal immigration law and due process. Padilla also sharply criticized Trump’s harmful executive orders targeting immigrants at the start of his second Administration.
    Additionally, last week, Padilla condemned President Trump’s revival of family detention policies and urged him to reject the harmful practice. In February, Padilla denounced Trump’s transfer of immigrants from the United States to Guantánamo Bay as unlawful and demanded answers regarding these transfers. He also condemned the Trump Administration’s intended use of Bureau of Prisons facilities to detain immigrants as part of President Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Padilla also recently blasted the Trump Administration’s stop work order to organizations that provide legal services for unaccompanied children and demanded they protect Congressionally mandated legal representation for these children in the immigration system. Earlier this year, Padilla cosponsored the Born in the USA Act to effectively block the implementation of Trump’s unconstitutional executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship for certain children born in the United States, or a similar subsequent executive order. Last year, Padilla emphasized the dangers and immense economic costs of the Trump Administration’s mass deportation plans during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Ms. Scott:
    The Trump administration will soon resurrect one of the most draconian and discriminatory immigration policies in our nation’s history, forcing immigrants to register with the federal government and carry proof of their registration at all times. Bringing back this long-dormant policy is the latest salvo in the Administration’s unrelenting campaign to demonize and criminalize immigrants, treating them as threats rather than as individuals seeking opportunity and safety. By reviving a World War II-era registration law, the Administration would take us back to some of the darkest periods of our history, evoking policies that have been widely condemned for their inhumane and immoral treatment of noncitizens. The implications of this measure—both in terms of enforcement and its effect on immigrant communities—are profound, unjust, and unacceptable.
    Following up on President Trump’s day-one executive order on immigration inaccurately entitled Protecting the American People Against Invasion, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will soon reinstate an antiquated requirement that all immigrants who did not enter the United States with a visa must register with the federal government and carry proof of their registration at all times. This provision, originally part of the Alien Registration Act of 1940, had long been rendered obsolete by subsequent immigration policies and practices. Under the new directive, USCIS will develop a registration process for affected individuals, who will then be required to submit a form confirming their presence in the United States. Those who fail to register or fail to carry proof of registration will face criminal prosecution under federal law.
    The Administration has explicitly linked this revived registration requirement to enforcement efforts, empowering federal prosecutors to target immigrants who fail to comply. This creates a perilous dilemma for immigrants who entered the country without inspection and have had no prior contact with federal authorities. Those who register risk exposing themselves to removal proceedings, while those who refrain from registering face the threat of criminal prosecution. The policy further jeopardizes millions of immigrants—including those with lawful status—by subjecting them to penalties for simply failing to carry proof of registration. Any registration requirement should, at a minimum, present immigrants with a path forward to legal status, like the 1986 Immigration Control and Reform Act did. This legislation led to almost 3 million undocumented immigrants gaining legal status, many of whom ultimately became U.S. citizens.
    This registration policy echoes historical precedents that have been widely discredited and condemned. The Alien Registration Act of 1940 was initially implemented during World War II in a climate of fear and xenophobia, requiring noncitizens to register at post offices across the country. Over time, the policy was integrated into routine immigration procedures, making separate registration requirements obsolete. More recently, in the wake of 9/11, the Bush administration’s National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) disproportionately targeted Muslim noncitizens, subjecting them to heightened surveillance and leading to mass deportations. That program was widely criticized for its discriminatory impact and ineffectiveness—having failed to produce a single terrorism conviction—and was ultimately dismantled. Now, by dusting off and weaponizing an outdated law, the Trump administration is reviving a dangerous precedent that will undermine fundamental civil liberties, disproportionately burden immigrant communities and millions of mixed-status families, and transform America into a “carry your papers” country.
    To help us better understand how the Administration intends to implement and enforce its registration policy, please respond in writing by April 8, 2025 to the following questions:
    1. How does USCIS plan to implement this registration requirement, and what resources will be allocated to its implementation and enforcement? Will any resources allocated to the implementation and enforcement of this registration requirement be shifted away from, or taken from, any other USCIS programs, functions, or offices?
    2. What mechanisms will be in place to ensure that individuals who register are not automatically placed in removal proceedings or expedited removal?
    3. The USCIS Alien Registration Requirement webpage includes among those who must register “[a]ll aliens 14 years of age or older who were not registered and fingerprinted (if required) when applying for a visa to enter the United States and who remain in the United States for 30 days or longer.” Does the Trump administration intend to prosecute children ages 14 to 17 for failing to register? Does the Administration intend to split up families if one member has failed to register?
    4. How will USCIS ensure that immigrants are adequately informed about these new registration obligations? Does USCIS plan to prosecute immigrants who failed to register but were unaware of this new registration requirement?
    5. What safeguards exist to prevent racial profiling and discriminatory enforcement practices in the application of this law? What training or guidance, if any, will those responsible for enforcing this requirement on the ground receive? What specific steps will you take to ensure that law enforcement does not use the new registration requirement to disproportionately target certain communities or engage in racial profiling?
    6. Who will have access to any registration database and for what purposes? Under what circumstances will USCIS share data in the database?
    a. Will U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or any other DHS agency, have access to and be permitted to use information in any database for immigration enforcement purposes? Will any other Department, including the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have access to and be permitted to use the information in the database for any purpose?
    b. Will any private companies have access to and be permitted to use the information in the database for any purpose?
    c. Will any states, cities, or localities have access to and be permitted to use the information in the database for any purpose?
    7. What information will be collected from immigrants who register and how will this information be stored? What safeguards will be in place to ensure that any registration database is secure from hacking or intrusion? What safeguards will be in place to ensure the protection of sensitive personal data?
    8. How will this policy impact immigrants who are already registered through other means, and will they be subject to penalties for failing to carry registration documents?
    9. What are the estimated costs associated with implementing this policy, and how does the Administration justify these expenditures given the significant backlog and resource constraints within USCIS?
    The Trump administration’s decision to enforce this archaic law is a regressive and indefensible move that will have lasting consequences for immigrant communities and the integrity of our immigration system. We urge USCIS to immediately reconsider this misguided policy and provide Congress with a full accounting of its intended implementation and enforcement. We will continue to exercise rigorous oversight to ensure that immigrant communities are not subjected to unnecessary and punitive measures that undermine their rights and dignity.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Capito Opening Statement at Hearing to Consider EPA, FWS Nominations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    To watch Chairman Capito’s opening statement, click here or the image above.
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, held ahearing on the nominations of Brian Nesvik to be Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Jessica Kramer to be Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Sean Donahue to be General Counsel of the EPA.
    Below is the opening statement of Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) as delivered.
    “I’m pleased to welcome everyone to today’s hearing, where we’ll consider the nominations of Brigadier General Brain Nesvik to serve as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Jessica Kramer to serve as Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, and Sean Donohue to serve as General Counsel at the EPA.
    “General Nesvik has more than 29 years of experience with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department prior to his retirement last September…during his tenure with the department, he served in various roles, including chief Game Warden and Wildlife Division Chief, until ultimately being appointed the Director in 2019.
    “Wyoming is a world-renowned destination for hunters and anglers, and General Nesvik led the state’s wildlife management programs, ensuring that the conservation of species and recreational existence can coexist for generations to come. Simultaneously to his full-time job with Wyoming Game and Fish, General Nesvik served in the Wyoming Army National Guard.
    “His service included deployments to Kuwait and Iraq, and progressively more senior leadership, culminating in his final posting as the Commander of the Wyoming Army National Guard. After 35 years of service, General Nesvik retired from the National Guard in 2021 at the rank of brigadier general. Thank you, General Nesvik, for your service to our country.
    “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or the Service, needs greater structure and efficiency, so it will benefit to have a former general officer as its Director. As the Director of the Service, General Nesvik will be tasked with overseeing the operations of the agency to conserve and manage our nation’s wildlife and natural habitats.
    “Under the Biden administration, the Endangered Species Act was leveraged to slow down, and sometimes even halt, infrastructure projects going through the federal permitting process. We must be able to efficiently permit projects while protecting wildlife and natural habitats at the same time.
    “General Nesvik will also oversee many other issues, such as the management of over 570 National Wildlife Refuges and implementation of congressionally-authorized conservation programs. I trust that his background will offer him a unique perspective on how the Service can better manage wildlife programs and protect species, without hindering critical infrastructure projects. I look forward to hearing his testimony.   
    “This morning we will also hear from Jess Kramer, we call her Jess, President Trump’s nominee to serve as the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water. This Committee has a long tradition of working in a bipartisan manner to strengthen environmental policies, improve water infrastructure, and ensure federal regulations are effective, not unnecessarily burdensome. Clean water is not a partisan issue, it is essential to the health, safety, and economic well-being of every American. 
    “The Office of Water plays a critical role in ensuring access to safe and reliable water for all Americans. That means ensuring federal programs like the State Revolving Funds are effective, addressing PFAS contamination without undue burdens on ratepayers, and working with state and local governments to streamline permitting.
    “Jess is well-qualified to lead the EPA’s Water Office. She has built a career crafting practical, bipartisan solutions to improve water policy and ensure communities, regardless of their size or geography. She has also worked to have access to safe and reliable drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
    “During Jess’s time working with me on the EPW Committee, she played a key role in shaping the water provisions in the IIJA, securing historic investments to modernize drinking water and wastewater systems, remove lead service lines, and address emerging contaminants.
    “Beyond her experience on Capitol Hill, she has served in both state and federal roles, most recently as Deputy Secretary of Regulatory Programs at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection where she oversaw critical programs related to water quality, permitting, and enforcement. Jess understands that environmental protection and economic growth can go hand in hand, and she knows how to ensure regulations are clear, fair, and based on sound science.
    “This morning, we will also hear from Sean Donahue, the nominee to serve as General Counsel at the EPA. The EPA’s Office of General Counsel serves as the chief legal advisor to the agency, providing critical guidance on implementing environmental laws like the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Superfund.
    “The General Counsel plays a central role in shaping EPA’s policies, ensuring legal compliance, defending the Agency from legal challenges, and advising on matters that impact communities nationwide. The office also works closely with Congress, EPA regional offices, and enforcement teams to provide the legal foundation for strong environmental protections.
    “Mr. Donahue has served for three years in the prior Trump Administration at EPA as a Special Advisor, including working in the Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management. After working at the Agency, Mr. Donahue joined a law firm in Buffalo, New York where he practiced environmental law. In 2024, he served as a counsel for a solar energy development company in New York State.
    “In 2025, Mr. Donahue was appointed Principal Deputy General Counsel at the EPA. He currently serves as a Special Advisor in the EPA Administrator’s Office. With his experience in both private practice and at the Agency, I look forward to hearing more about Sean Donahue’s qualifications and vision for this important role.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Statement On Supreme Court Ruling To Uphold Ghost Gun Rule

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    March 26, 2025

    WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday released the following statement after the Supreme Court upheld the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) rule to rein in the proliferation of ghost guns in a 7-2 decision:

    “Today’s ruling is a major defeat for the gun lobby and a big win for the movement to stop gun violence. No matter what the gun lobby says, ghost guns are guns. They’re easy to get and practically untraceable, which is why dangerous criminals love them. Requiring serial numbers and background checks for ghost guns makes our communities safer, and I’ll be pushing the Trump administration to make sure this rule is enforced.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Intel Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner Pushes FBI Director to Confirm Investigation into Misuse of Messaging App Signal by Senior Trump Officials

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON – Today, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Mark R. Warner (D-VA) wrote Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel requesting he confirm that the FBI will open an investigation into the Signal group chat that senior Trump administration officials used to discuss classified information, including information revealing that the United States was preparing to conduct airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

    “Department of Defense policies dictate that information concerning military plans, such as contained in the messages sent by the Secretary of Defense, is classified, and no reasonable process would allow for communication of this information over a commercial messaging application before U.S. pilots had completed and safely returned from their mission,” Sen. Warner wrote.   

    Director Patel, who was not part of the Signal chat, testified yesterday before Senate Intelligence Committee stating he could not provide information on this matter because he had only recently been made aware of it.

    “Yesterday you testified that you could not provide information to the Committee concerning this matter because you had only recently been made aware of it,” Sen. Warner continued. “In other contexts, the FBI has acted promptly to open an investigation when information of a similar nature has been mishandled.”

    Now, two days later, Sen. Warner is requesting that Director Patel clarify the actions the FBI will take to investigate this matter:

    1. Will you commit to opening an investigation of this matter, if you have not already done so?
    2. Will you collect the devices involved, whether government-issued or otherwise?
    3. Will you scan those devices for malware or other indications of unauthorized access?

    A copy of letter is available here and text is below.

    Director Patel,

    Between March 11th and 15th, the Secretary of Defense and other senior Trump Administration officials used a commercial messaging application to communicate information revealing that the United States was preparing to conduct airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The messages were sent as U.S. pilots were preparing to fly U.S. military aircraft into enemy-controlled airspace defended by surface-to-air missiles in order to strike targets known to change their location. Messages sent by the Secretary of Defense not only revealed, in advance, that the U.S. was planning airstrikes in Yemen, but also disclosed details concerning the timing, sequencing, and weapons to be used.  This information could have been used by the Houthis to shoot down U.S. aircraft, thereby endangering the lives of the U.S. pilots, as well as to relocate enemy targets or otherwise disrupt the mission.

    Department of Defense policies dictate that information concerning military plans, such as contained in the messages sent by the Secretary of Defense, is classified, and no reasonable process would allow for communication of this information over a commercial messaging application before U.S. pilots had completed and safely returned from their mission.  

    Yesterday you testified that you could not provide information to the Committee concerning this matter because you had only recently been made aware of it.

    In other contexts, the FBI has acted promptly to open an investigation when information of a similar nature has been mishandled.  As you have now had two days to consider the details of this matter, can you confirm the following:

    1. Will you commit to opening an investigation of this matter, if you have not already done so?
    2. Will you collect the devices involved, whether government-issued or otherwise?
    3. Will you scan those devices for malware or other indications of unauthorized access?

     Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Coons calls on Secretary Hegseth to resign

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, issued the following statement calling on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to resign: 
    “The full set of Signal messages released by The Atlantic today make it clear that Secretary Hegseth and our nation’s highest ranking civilian officials exposed information about military operations that put American servicemembers in harm’s way. The nation needs an independent investigation to understand the full scope of these risks, and the intelligence community must assess the full scope of the damage to intelligence-gathering sources and methods resulting from this failure to keep sensitive information secure.
    “Any servicemember who acted with such blatant disregard for our national security would be unceremoniously dismissed, at the very least. Our nation’s highest ranking defense official should not be held to a lower standard than the men and women he oversees. Secretary Hegseth has put our servicemembers in danger and our credibility as a security partner at risk. He can no longer credibly claim that he makes our country safer. For the good of our nation, he must resign.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Bennet, Marshall Lead Senate Push to Address Shortages in TSP Access

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) and Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) introduced S. 1150, the Increased TSP Access Act of 2025, to improve access to Technical Service Providers (TSP) in the agriculture community amid ongoing shortages.
    “Idaho’s farmers and ranchers actively participate in conservation efforts to enhance the environment and preserve the long-term viability of our agriculture industry,” said Crapo.  “Their success depends on access to third-party technical service providers who have a wide range of scientific disciplines necessary for addressing water, soil, air quality, crop nutrients and other components critical for conservation.  Increasing access to TSPs is vital for the industry.”
    “As Colorado faces a future that’s going to be hotter and drier, we need to make it easier to access USDA conservation programs.  But red tape and understaffing at the NRCS make these programs difficult for Coloradans to apply to,” said Bennet.  “The future of rural America depends on whether the next generation decides to continue their family farms and ranches – and to protect that future, the Increased TSP Access Act makes assistance more accessible and helps conservation programs live up to their potential.”  
    “Increasing the amount of Technical Service Providers is a commonsense approach that moves us toward our goal by cutting red tape that’s holding back farm participation in NRCS programs,” Senator Marshall said.  “Certified Crop Advisors and other similar professionals are already equipped with the skills necessary to help farmers and ranchers reach a variety of conservation goals.  Establishing an expedited pathway to deliver conservation goals, especially as it relates to nutrient management plans, is the free-market answer to increasing agriculture-friendly conservation efforts.”
    TSPs are a critical component of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  They provide tailored, one-on-one assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners to address natural resources concerns with regard to soil erosion, water supplies, water quality, grazing management, nutrient management and forestry plans.  TSPs must be certified by NRCS to work on behalf of farmers to offer the planning, design and implementation of these conservation programs.
    There is currently a significant backlog of farmers who have requested to receive assistance from TSPs to help in writing detailed conservation plans for their specific operation. 
    The 2018 Farm Bill included language to allow the USDA to approve non-federal entities to certify TSPs, but the language did not include clear deadlines and lacked certain guardrails necessary for implementation.
    The Increased TSP Access Act of 2025 would enhance the work initiated by the 2018 Farm Bill by:
    Giving the USDA 180 days to establish a non-federal certifying process;
    Streamlining the USDA’s TSP certification process to reduce the backlog of conservation plans that farmers need written, reviewed and approved; and
    Ensuring parity in compensation for the services TSP provide.   
    The legislation is supported by the Idaho Farm Bureau, Idaho Dairymen’s Association, Ducks Unlimited, the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, the National Milk Producers Federation and the North American Millers’ Association.
    “The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives applauds Senator Crapo’s efforts to strengthen the technical service provider program by tapping into private-sector expertise while maintaining farmers’ trust in USDA,” said Chuck Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.  “This bill rightly acknowledges the critical role co-ops play in American agriculture and their deep connections with farmers nationwide. By expanding access to the expertise needed to tackle on-farm resource challenges, it supports the long-term sustainability and economic success of U.S. farms and ranches.”
    “Thank you to Sens. Crapo and Bennet for introducing this legislation to streamline the TSP certification process,” said Adam Putnam, CEO of Ducks Unlimited.  “Ducks Unlimited agronomists and biologists work closely with NRCS to provide technical assistance to landowners and help agricultural producers get the most out of their operation.  The Increased TSP Access Act will make voluntary, incentive-based conservation practices more accessible to producers and provide greater flexibility to reach their production and conservation goals.”
    U.S. Representative James Baird (R-Indiana) led companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    Download text of the bill HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Presses FBI to Probe Biden-Era Targeting of Christians

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, seeking documents related to the Biden administration’s targeting of Christians. Mere months after calling for a new Church Committee to investigate abuses by the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ), Senator Hawley is now asking the new administration to turn over the details of religious targeting by the Biden DOJ and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    “Under President Biden, the FBI targeted people of faith. The FBI’s Richmond Field Office went so far as to issue a memorandum suggesting that certain traditionalist Catholics might be security risks and proposed infiltrating Catholic parishes. President Biden’s FBI also weaponized the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (‘FACE’) Act to target pro-life protesters and discourage people of faith from exercising their First Amendment rights. No doubt this is merely the tip of the iceberg,” asserted Senator Hawley.

    Hawley’s letter calls on the FBI to share any emails, memoranda, directives, and policy guidance related to the targeting of religious Americans under the Biden Administration. 

    “I trust that, under your leadership, this misconduct will end. But those responsible must be held accountable,” Hawley stated. 

    Senator Hawley concluded, “I appreciated our conversations before and during your confirmation hearing, and I was particularly grateful for your willingness to cooperate with our investigations into the FBI’s violations of First Amendment rights. Transparency and accountability will be paramount in restoring Americans’ faith in the Bureau. Getting to the bottom of the Biden Administration’s violations of religious liberty is an excellent place to start.”

    Read the full letter here or below. 

    The Honorable Kash Patel
    Director
    Federal Bureau of Investigation
    935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
    Washington, D.C. 20535

    Dear Director Patel:

    Under President Biden, the FBI targeted people of faith. The FBI’s Richmond Field Office went so far as to issue a memorandum suggesting that certain traditionalist Catholics might be security risks, and proposed infiltrating Catholic parishes.[1] President Biden’s FBI also weaponized the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (“FACE”) Act to target pro-life protesters and discourage people of faith from exercising their First Amendment rights. No doubt this is merely the tip of the iceberg.

    I trust that, under your leadership, this misconduct will end. But those responsible must be held accountable. As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, I write to formally request the production of agency records concerning these FBI abuses, as detailed in the attached appendix, by April 30, 2025.

    I appreciated our conversations before and during your confirmation hearing, and I was particularly grateful for your willingness to cooperate with our investigations into the FBI’s violations of First Amendment rights. Transparency and accountability will be paramount in restoring Americans’ faith in the Bureau. Getting to the bottom of the Biden Administration’s violations of religious liberty is an excellent place to start.

    Richmond Field Office Memorandum and Related Memoranda

    1. All versions, drafts, or revisions of the memorandum issued by the FBI Richmond Field Office regarding “radical-traditionalist Catholics” as potential domestic terrorists, including any related memoranda issued by other FBI field offices or headquarters.
    2. All internal FBI communications, including emails, text messages, chat logs, and memoranda, discussing the development, approval, modification, or rescission of the Richmond Field Office memorandum.
    3. All documents identifying the FBI personnel, offices, or divisions involved in drafting, reviewing, approving, or disseminating the Richmond Field Office memorandum, including, but not limited to, communications between the Richmond, Portland, and Los Angeles field offices.
    4. All communications between the FBI and the DOJ regarding the content, approval, or implementation of the Richmond Field Office memorandum and any related memoranda.
    5. All policy guidance, directives, training materials, or enforcement plans related to the FBI’s monitoring of religious organizations, including, but not limited to, Catholic churches, as part of domestic terrorism investigations.
    6. All documents, including email communications, meeting notes, and memoranda, that reference or discuss any directive, instruction, or guidance issued by the White House, DOJ, National Security Council, or any other federal agency regarding the FBI’s monitoring of religious groups, including Catholic organizations.
    7. All internal assessments, audits, or reports evaluating the Richmond Field Office memorandum, including any documents analyzing its compliance with FBI policies, legal frameworks, or constitutional protections of religious freedom.
    8. All documents reflecting FBI efforts to collect intelligence, recruit informants, or conduct surveillance within churches or affiliated organizations based on the Richmond Field Office memorandum or other guidance.
    9. All documents relating to investigations, surveillance operations, or law enforcement actions initiated as a result of the Richmond Field Office memorandum or related memoranda, including any records of individuals or groups targeted under this initiative.
    10. All documents reflecting the role of the FBI’s Portland and Los Angeles Field Offices in the drafting, review, or dissemination of the Richmond Field Office memorandum, including any documents that identify officials responsible for coordinating these efforts.
    11. All communications, including emails, memoranda, and reports, between FBI officials and any external organizations, think tanks, or academic institutions that provided input on the characterization of Catholic Americans or other religious groups in domestic terrorism assessments.
    12. All documents, including communications with state and local law enforcement agencies, that discuss how the Richmond Field Office memorandum or similar FBI policies were implemented or considered for enforcement at the state or local level.

    FACE Act Abuses

    1. The identity of all individuals involved with the FBI’s enforcement of the FACE Act under the Biden Administration.
    2. All communications, including, but not limited to, emails, memoranda, directives, and policy guidance, sent to or from the FBI Director, Deputy Director, or any other senior official regarding the enforcement of the FACE Act under the Biden Administration.
    3. All documents reflecting internal FBI deliberations, discussions, or decisions regarding prioritization, enforcement strategy, or policy direction related to the FACE Act, including, but not limited to, any documents identifying the individuals or offices responsible for making those determinations.
    4. All communications, including emails, text messages, or memoranda, between the FBI and the DOJ regarding the enforcement or non-enforcement of the FACE Act under the Biden Administration.
    5. All documents, including briefing materials, talking points, or internal reports, prepared for or provided to the FBI Director or other senior officials regarding the enforcement of the FACE Act under the Biden Administration.
    6. All documents, including, but not limited to, policy memoranda, internal directives, guidance documents, or other materials issued by the FBI that establish, modify, or explain the agency’s enforcement priorities under the FACE Act, including any documents identifying the officials responsible for setting such priorities.
    7. All documents, including email communications, meeting notes, or internal memoranda, that reference or discuss any directive, instruction, or guidance issued by the White House, DOJ, or any other federal agency regarding the FBI’s enforcement of the FACE Act.
    8. All drafts, revisions, or final versions of any FBI policies, reports, or legal analyses concerning the enforcement of the FACE Act that relates to enforcement discrepancies between abortion-related clinics and religious institutions, including any records identifying the individuals responsible for such policies.
    9. All communications, including emails, memoranda, text messages, or meeting minutes, reflecting any discussions between FBI field offices and FBI headquarters regarding the prioritization or de-prioritization of FACE Act investigations.
    10. All internal FBI evaluations, audits, or assessments that discuss the agency’s approach to enforcing the FACE Act, including any discussions of political, policy, or strategic considerations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Pushes Back on Attempts to Use AI to Raise Prices

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Andrew Ferguson expressing concern over the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by corporations to target individuals with different prices for the same products through surveillance pricing. Senator Rosen urged Chair Ferguson to reverse his decision to close a public comment window early so the FTC can fully understand how large retailers are using technology to hurt consumers’ budgets.
    “I write to express my concern with your recent decision to close the public comment window two months early on the FTC’s Request for Information regarding retailers’ use of such surveillance pricing,” wrote Senator Rosen. “I urge you to reopen this public comment period, as it is important for the agency to fully understand how surveillance pricing is potentially driving up costs for consumers.”
    “Recent improvements in artificial intelligence (AI) and the accumulation of specific consumer data like geographic location and demographic information are allowing large corporate retailers to raise prices artificially, inconsistently, and unfairly,” she continued. “With Nevadans already experiencing some of the
    highest grocery prices in the United States, consumers’ ability to compare costs across stores and find the lowest price is important for putting food on the table.”
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been pushing back on the Trump Administration’s actions that raise prices for hardworking Nevadans. Last month, she took to the Senate floor to call out the Trump Administration for its lack of actions to lower grocery prices and address the egg shortage. Senator Rosen has also been urging her colleagues to reject Congressional Republicans’ legislative plans to increase the cost of living for Americans. Additionally, she sent a letter urging the Trump Administration to reverse course on imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico to prevent housing prices from rising even further. Earlier this month, Senator Rosen strongly criticized President Trump for resuming the implementation of his across-the-board tariffs on imported goods from Mexico and Canada.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Fights to Keep Resources Meant for Iowans in Iowa

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – To protect housing for rural Iowa communities, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is introducing her Rural Housing Accessibility Act. 
    In recent years, there has been a troubling trend where individuals from urban areas – where wait lists for affordable housing vouchers are long – are moving to rural states like Iowa to apply for and receive federal housing assistance but then leave, effectively taking away an Iowan’s chance to obtain a resource meant for them.
    “I’m ensuring rural Iowa communities have the housing resources they need to thrive. By protecting our in-state public housing authorities, we can make sure low-income Iowa families, seniors, and the disabled receive the assistance meant for them,” said Senator Ernst. “My bill will close gaps that have let too many game the system, help alleviate some of the housing challenges facing rural America, and ensure that these programs are effectively supporting the Iowans who need them most.”
    “The Rural Housing Accessibility Act ensures that Iowans have access to the resources meant for them. Community Housing Initiatives is thankful for Senator Ernst’s leadership on legislation to preserve affordable housing resources in Iowa’s rural communities,” said Sam Erickson, CEO of Community Housing Initiatives.
    Read the bill here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Hosts Office Hours on Importance of Protecting SNAP and Food Security Benefits as Trump Administration, Congressional Republicans Plan for Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Massachusetts receives $2.6 billion in SNAP annually

    Washington (March 26, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today hosted a virtual meeting with Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02), advocates from Mass Law Reform Institute, Project Bread, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Greater Boston Food Bank, Worcester County Food Bank, Massachusetts Food System Collaborative, and Merrimack Valley Food Bank, and hundreds of constituents on the importance of protecting SNAP and other essential food security benefits for people in Massachusetts. Last month, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Republicans in Congress advanced their plan to cut billions from SNAP, school meals, food banks, and farmers markets after stripping funding for programs that help schools purchase locally grown food.

    Massachusetts receives $220 million in federal funding for food security monthly, reaching families in every city and town in the Commonwealth. SNAP helps one in six Massachusetts residents, or about 670,000 families, put food on their table, but nearly 20 percent of families in Massachusetts still report struggling with food access. Families across the Commonwealth are seeing their purchasing power decrease as food costs increase at the sixth-highest rate in the country.

    “Food is essential—it is how we feed our families and sustain ourselves; how children get the nutrition they need to learn; and how we share our cultures and build our community. SNAP is a critical lifeline in uplifting millions of families to put food on their table,” said Senator Markey. “I heard stories from early educators, community college students, food bank leaders, and advocates that I can use to show Republicans what cuts to food security benefits will mean. If they want to make these cuts, I’m going to make sure every American knows that Republicans are taking food from people’s dinner tables to fuel billionaires’ tax breaks.”

    “The proposed twenty percent cuts to SNAP pose a significant threat to food insecurity here in the Commonwealth,” said Catherine D’Amato, President, and CEO of the Greater Boston Food Bank. “GBFB estimates that the proposed reduction in SNAP benefits equal 118 million meals lost throughout the state. To put that in perspective, imagine a packed Gillette Stadium with around 65,000 fans. If each person there needed three meals a day, 118 million meals could feed a sold-out crowd every day for over 600 days—almost two years! The already overburdened emergency food system here in Massachusetts will not be able to bridge this gap without significant philanthropic support and policy interventions.”

    “MLRI is grateful to Senator Markey and our entire delegation for their work to protect SNAP, Medicaid, and our safety-net,” said Vicky Negus, Benefits Policy Advocate at the Mass Law Reform Institute. “SNAP is our country’s most effective anti-poverty program – helping 1 in 6 MA residents put food on the table. Cutting SNAP would harm families struggling to get by for generations to come, worsen hunger, and harm health and our local economies.”

    “Each month, SNAP benefits support approximately 194,000 individuals in Western Massachusetts, bringing in around $35 million in federal dollars to the region,” said Christina Maxwell, Director of Programs at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. “Reducing SNAP benefits will not only increase hunger but also hurt farmers, local economies, and small businesses that depend on these federal dollars.”

    “The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the very foundation and source of nutritious food for 42 million children, older adults, and hard-working adults in every community in the United States. People who are constituents of every Senator and Representative in Congress. We applaud Senator Markey and the entire MA delegation for their vigorous and vigilant protection of SNAP. It is immoral for elected officials to take money from SNAP, which is food for their constituents, to free billions of dollars for tax cuts for billionaires. Food Banks and food pantries cannot fill the food gap created by a reduction in federal financial support.  The federal budget is the people’s budget, and Congress should ensure that SNAP thrives,” said Jean McMurray, CEO of the Worcester County Food Bank.

    “The Massachusetts Food System Collaborative appreciates Senator Ed Markey’s leadership in supporting SNAP and the federal grant programs that help make Massachusetts farms more sustainable and feed hungry residents. At a time of heightened food insecurity, proposed cuts to SNAP will only put more pressure on the emergency food system, force families to make impossible choices between food and rent, increase diet-related illness, and take dollars out of the local economy. Massachusetts farmers are facing significant cuts to grant programs that helped feed more food insecure residents and provided expanded market channels, and cuts to SNAP will further destabilize the local food system,” said Rebecca Miller, Policy Director at the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative.

    “SNAP is the most effective solution we have in the fight against hunger,” said Erin McAleer, President and CEO of Project Bread, the leading statewide food security organization in Massachusetts. “We need to strengthen and expand SNAP’s impact to support our neighbors experiencing food insecurity, instead of cutting into a critical lifeline for over 1 million Massachusetts residents. We are asking Congress to reject cuts to SNAP and reject the harm that would impact our communities nationwide.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King: America “Woefully Behind” on Hypersonic Weapons, Directed Energy Capabilities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) raised concerns over the United States’ hypersonic missile defense capabilities at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. King, the ranking member of the subcommittee, urged General Anthony J. Cotton, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command for the Air Force, and General Stephen N. Whiting, Commander of U.S. Space Command for the Air Force, to support investments in U.S. hypersonic missile technologies to keep up with Russia, China, and North Korea.
    “Two things, I just wanted to follow-up on the discussion of hypersonics. I believe we have missed two critical strategic technologies and are woefully behind, hypersonics and directed energy. These are things that we should have seen coming and now we are playing catch up. I just want to emphasize not only do we need a hypersonic weapon for deterrent possibilities, but we need hypersonic defense. Those aircraft carriers in the pacific are sitting ducks for hypersonic missiles coming at them 4,000 to 5,000 miles an hour, 100 feet above the surface of the ocean. So, hypersonic defense is something I think we need to invest in, as well as the development of a hypersonic offensive capacity in order, again, to provide a deterrent. General Cotton, would you agree?” asked Senator King.
    “I do agree with that statement,” replied General Cotton.
    “The other thing I wanted to mention, it has, sort of, become conventional wisdom here that we are going from one near peer adversary to two. I believe we are going from one near peer adversary to three and a half because of, as I think you touched upon this, the growing cooperation between China and Russia. And then you put in Iran, which has also become a contributor to Russia’s war machine, as well as North Korea, which is also contributing to Russia’s efforts in Ukraine. I think we need to think strategically, not two near peer adversaries, but the potential of two near peer adversaries who are working together. And that creates its own strategic challenges. General Cotton, what are your thoughts on that?” Senator King asked.
    “Senator, you are absolutely right and that is what we are actually doing at STRATCOM today. When we look at, and you are right, I call them third-party influencers. And what I mean by that and to your point, I would add, one, I think is a little different nuance, that is the new relationship that we are seeing that is happening between Russia and the DPRK. So, we are talking about DPRK. We’re talking about Iran, we’re talking about China, as well as the Russian Federation,” General Cotton confirmed.
    “I think we have to assume that, in a time of serious conflict, it would not be just with one or the other. It could well and probably would involve all four of those powers that you’ve mentioned,” argued Senator King.
    “That is why I call them the third-party influencers because what they could do is they can be a distraction from the main effort that could be launched by any one of those that we had mentioned,” replied General Cotton.
    As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator King is recognized as an authoritative voice on national security and foreign policy issues. Senator King has previously spoken up about the emerging threats of Russia and China’s development of “nightmare weapon” hypersonic missiles, which he has described as “strategic game-changers.” He previously urged the Department of Defense (DoD) to take advantage of private sector technologies or risk losing access to innovative defense technologies and encouraged the (DoD) to reevaluate its acquisition process of defense technologies. Additionally, Senator King has been a steady voice on the need to address the growing nuclear capacity of our adversaries.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Reintroduces Bipartisan Legislation to Boost the American Mining Workforce

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced bipartisan legislation with Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) to bolster America’s mining workforce. The Mining Schools Act will establish a grant program for use by higher education institutions to recruit students and carry out research projects related to mineral production.
    “Nevada is on the forefront of the growing critical mineral industry,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This legislation will provide needed resources to universities in the Silver State to prepare young Nevadans for good-paying jobs that support our state’s economy and promote green energy production.”
    The Mining Schools Act of 2025 would establish a grant program for mining schools to receive funds in order to recruit students and carry out studies, research projects, or demonstration projects related to the production of minerals. In addition to the grant program, the Act would establish the Mining Professional Development Advisory Board to evaluate applications and recommend recipients to the Secretary of Energy, as well as conduct oversight to ensure that grant funds are appropriately used. University of Nevada, Reno’s Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering is one such mining school that would qualify for funding under this act.
    Cosponsors of this legislation include U.S Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).
    Full text of the legislation can be found here.
    Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts in Congress to support Nevada’s mining industry, protecting more than 83,000 local jobs and paving the way for Nevada to power the clean energy economy. She has consistently blocked burdensome taxes on mining and wrote important provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bolster Nevada’s critical mineral supply chain and fund battery recycling programs in the state. She’s also introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the domestic supply chain for rare-earth magnets.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Delegation Hails AIDEA’s Coastal Plain Court Victory

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski
    03.26.25
    Washington, DC— U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and U.S. Representative Nick Begich (all R-Alaska) today issued the following statements after the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska ruled that the Biden administration illegally canceled seven leases in the non-wilderness Coastal Plain of ANWR in 2023. The leases were bid on, won, and held by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), which filed the successful court challenge. 
    “As we wrote the Coastal Plain program in 2017, we adopted a legal framework substantially similar to the one in place for the NPR-A. After the first Trump administration developed a good program and AIDEA secured seven leases, the Biden administration spent four years attempting to turn the program on its head. From their initial pause and then the cancelation of these leases, to the arbitrary closure of 74 percent of the program area and a lease sale that was designed to fail, I can’t think of a single lawful thing the last administration did on the Coastal Plain,” Senator Murkowski said. “While we lost years of development to their willful intransigence, this decision is an important step to getting things back on track. I appreciate Judge Gleason’s clear-eyed reading of the law we wrote and congratulate AIDEA on their victory. I hope their leases are immediately reinstated and thank them for persevering in their effort to help develop our state’s abundant resources for the benefit of all Alaskans.” 
    “I’ve said for years that not only were President Biden’s 70 executive orders and actions shutting down Alaska harmful to our state and working families, but many of them were also illegal,” said Senator Dan Sullivan. “The District Court ruled yesterday that the administration’s cancellation of ANWR leases was a ‘serious’ error that violated ‘congressionally mandated procedures.’ That is an important rebuke, but I don’t believe that this was an honest mistake. President Biden’s lawyers likely knew this cancellation was illegal, but they did it anyway in order to have a chilling impact on future Coastal Plain lease sales and to kill hundreds, if not thousands of jobs for Alaskans. But it is a new day for our state. We now have an administration that is committed to unleashing our extraordinary resources, growing our economy and creating good-paying jobs for hardworking Alaskans.”  
    “The Biden Administration’s illegal cancellation of leases in ANWR was a reckless act of overreach that hurt Alaska families and threatened America’s path to energy security,” said Congressman Begich. “The law could not be more clear: the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed by Congress in 2017 and signed into law by President Trump mandates the responsible development of ANWR. This ruling brings us one step closer to restoring the promise of ANWR and putting Alaska back on the map as a cornerstone of America’s energy dominance.”
    In September 2023, the Department of the Interior canceled all seven of AIDEA’s leases on the Coastal Plain. AIDEA sued the Department the following month. In her opinion finding for AIDEA, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason wrote that, “Federal Defendants’ cancellation of AIDEA’s leases was not in accordance with law because it failed to seek a court order…The Court finds that vacatur is appropriate. DOI’s error is serious: DOI cancelled AIDEA’s leases without following the congressionally-mandated procedure for doing so… DOI’s Lease Cancellation Decision of AIDEA’s ANWR leases is VACATED.”
    Judge Gleason has sent the matter back to the Department of the Interior for further action.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Warnock Reintroduce Bill Supporting Forest Landowners Following Natural Disasters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) reintroduced legislation to help America’s landowners recover from the loss of timber after natural disasters. The Disaster Reforestation Act amends and makes improvements to the tax code to allow forest owners to deduct the value of their timber prior to the loss caused by a natural disaster.
    “Louisianans know too well the importance of natural disaster relief,” said Dr. Cassidy. “When their lives and communities are torn apart by storms, they need a tax fix like this.”
    “Our rural communities need all the help they can get after a disaster like Hurricane Helene devastates farmland and forests. The bipartisan Disaster Reforestation Act will help lessen the burden on forest owners during a recovery process following a natural disaster,” said Senator Warnock. “The forestry industry is central to Georgia’s economy and ecology, and I’m happy to work alongside Senator Cassidy in this.”
    “Landowners currently have no tools to recover after a disaster destroys their forests,” said Scott Jones CEO of the Forest Landowners Association. “The Disaster Reforestation Act is not a handout or a subsidy—it simply corrects the casualty loss deduction so landowners can claim the true value of their damaged timber. This is a necessary step to ensure family forestry businesses can survive future disasters and keep our working forests intact.”
    “Natural disasters create havoc on forest resources but more importantly on the lives of people who manage them. Often when disasters hit it is financially overwhelming for a landowner to get back on their feet and begin the recovery process. The Disaster Reforestation Act offers a helping hand to the landowner to get their land back into production as quickly as possible. The Louisiana Forestry Association supports this effort on behalf of all forest landowners throughout Louisiana and the nation,” said C.A. “Buck” Vandersteen, Louisiana Forestry Association. 
    The Disaster Reforestation Act is supported by: Alabama Forestry Association, American Forest Foundation, Arkansas Forestry Association, Association of Consulting Foresters, California Forestry Association, Florida Forestry Association, Forest Resources Association, Forestry Association of South Carolina, Georgia Forestry Association, Hardwood Federation, Iowa Coalition For Trees and Forests, Iowa Woodland Owners, Kentucky Forest Industries Association, Louisiana Forestry Association, Massachusetts Forest Alliance, Mississippi Forestry Association, National Alliance of Forest Owners, National Association of State Foresters, National Woodlands Association, North Carolina Forestry Association, Ohio Forestry Association, Oklahoma Forestry Association, Pennsylvania Forestry Association, Society of American Foresters, Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association, Southern Group of State Foresters, Tennessee Forestry Association, Texas Forestry Association, The Carbon Fund, Trees Forever, Virginia Forestry Association, Washington Farm Forestry Association, Washington Forest Protection Association, and Wildlife Mississippi.
    “The introduction of the Disaster Reforestation Act by Senator Cassidy and Senator Warnock is a crucial step in ensuring that private forest landowners have the resources needed to recover and reforest after catastrophic events. Timber is a long-term investment, and without the certainty this legislation provides—especially as natural disasters become more frequent—the health of our forests and the stability of our wood products sector are at risk. This bipartisan bill offers a much-needed solution, recognizing the essential role private forests play in strengthening rural economies, sustaining wildlife habitats, improving air quality, and securing a reliable domestic supply of timber and wood products. We urge Congress to act swiftly on this legislation to protect these critical resources for future generations,” said Scott Jones, CEO, Forest Landowners Association.
    “All of agriculture is risky and subject to Mother Nature. Forestry and timber production are no exception. Senator Cassidy and Louisiana Farm Bureau recognize that. Our members are grateful that he and Senator Warnock are once again imploring Congress to recognize it too. The Disaster Reforestation Act would give forest landowners some sign of hope when a disaster strikes. It is only right to provide these hardworking folks some relief when they’ve been knocked down. This bill would go a long way in doing just that,” said Richard Fontenot, President, Louisiana Farm Bureau.
    Louisiana timberland play a critical role in the state’s economy, communities, and environment. There are 15 million acres of private forest in Louisiana producing enough oxygen for 148 million residents to breathe every year and sequester the emissions of 2.5 million cars annually driven on Louisiana’s roads. According to the Forest Landowners Association, they provide an impact of $13 billion on the Louisiana economy. 48,000 Louisiana jobs are supported by forestry providing $1 billion in salaries and wages and $328 million in state taxes.  
    Background
    Previous disaster relief policies and programs provide much-needed relief for agriculture crops and farmers, however, they do not provide any economic relief for farmers whose timber crops were destroyed. The Disaster Reforestation Act allows landowners to deduct the full value of timber destroyed during disaster events in the same way the tax code treats other crops.
    In the case of the loss of uncut timber from fire, storm, other casualty, or theft, the basis used for determining the amount of the deduction may not be less than the excess of (1) the appraised value of the uncut timber determined immediately before the loss was sustained, over (2) the salvage value of the timber.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Introduces the Defining Male and Female Act of 2025

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) today introduced the Defining Male and Female Act of 2025, a bill codifying the legal definitions of male, female, and sex to ensure they are based on biological reality rather than radical, left-wing ideology. 
    This bill specifically would enshrine into law President Trump’s Executive Order entitled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which clarifies that sex is determined at conception and is dependent on the size of reproductive cells and ensures the federal government uses this sex dichotomy.
    “The Democrats’ radical transgender agenda is dangerous and wrong. We shouldn’t need legislation to tell us the basic reality that there are only two sexes, but here we are,” Senator Marshall said. “I’m thankful President Trump has made this a top priority and signed an Executive Order on his first day in office recognizing that there are only two sexes. Congress must ensure this historic action is written into law by passing the Defining Male and Female Act.”
    U.S. Representative Mary Miller (R-Illinois-15) introduced the House companion version of the bill. 
    “Now more than ever, we must unite to uphold the truth and biological reality established by God that there are only two sexes,” said Congresswoman Mary Miller. “I am proud to stand alongside Senator Marshall in introducing the House companion to the Defining Male and Female Act to ensure our nation upholds common sense and puts an end to the Left’s dangerous and extreme sexual fantasies.”
    Senator Marshall’s bill is cosponsored in the Senate by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), and Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska).
    “Common sense and science tell us there are two sexes,” said Senator Cassidy. “You are born a male or a female.”
    “Boys are boys, girls are girls, and gone are the days of woke nonsense like calling mothers ‘birthing persons.’ Supporting this legislation is a no-brainer and I’m proud to be restoring common sense in America,” Senator Sheehy said.
    “By affirming biological truth, we defend fairness in sports, safeguard women and children, and uphold the principles of Title IX as Congress intended,”Senator Hyde-Smith said. “Because the other side spent four years pretending boys were girls, it’s time to restore common sense once and for all by establishing clear, legal, and biologically-accurate definitions of male and female.”
    “This bill is simple. It defines the most basic science. There are only two sexes: male and female,” Senator Ricketts said. “Defining males and females is an important step to helping protect our women and girls across America.”
    Click HERE to read the full bill text.
    BACKGROUND:
    Specifically, the Defining Male and Female Act recognizes:

    The definition of male and female on the basis of a person belonging, at conception, to the sex characterized by a reproductive system with the biological function of producing eggs or producing sperm.
    The right of girls and women to sex-separate sports and scholarships.
    The sex separation of restrooms, locker and dorm rooms, prisons, and shelters for victims of sexual assault.

    Senator Marshall has been a leader in defending biological reality and protecting children from radical gender ideology. His actions include:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Joins Newsmax to Discuss the Defining Male and Female Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined National Report on Newsmax to discuss the Defining Male and Female Act, legislation he reintroduced today to codify the legal definitions of male, female, and sex to ensure they are based on biological reality rather than radical, left-wing ideology.
    This bill would enshrine into law President Donald Trump’s Executive Order entitled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which clarifies that sex is determined at conception and is dependent on the size of reproductive cells and ensures the federal government uses this sex dichotomy.

    [embedded content]

    You may click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    Highlights from Senator Marshall’s interview include:
    On the Defining Male and Female Act:
    “I can’t believe it’s necessary. But as you all know, I was an obstetrician for 30 years of my life. I delivered a baby almost every day. I delivered the baby, and I would say a prayer until it made its first cry, and then as the baby started crying, I would hand the baby to the new mom and the new dad and say, it’s a boy, it’s a girl. I never said, well, we’re not sure what this is. We’re going to do a little gender affirmation later and we’re going to assess this baby in three years. And I’d fill out the birth certificate. I would check male or female.
    “So, what this bill does, and I’m embarrassed that we have to do this, is say, look, if this child, if this baby, if this future young man, makes sperm, then he’s a male. He’s a dude. And if it’s a person that makes oocytes, makes eggs, then guess what? It’s a girl.”
    On President Trump’s executive order recognizing only two sexes:
    “[President Trump] [issued] an executive order on day number one to protect the rights, the safety and dignity of women and this, this bill would codify that, that boys are boys and girls are girls. Let’s keep boys out of girls’ sports. Let’s keep boys out of the girls’ locker room.
    “If you have a passport, you need to put on your biological sex, not your gender identity. If you’re in a public place, like a prison, a jail, some type of housing situation, public housing, the boys go on the boys’ side, and the girls go on the girls’ side… We just need a little more common sense. But this bill would codify exactly what President Trump did in his executive order.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Introduces Legislation to Reform Dietary Guidelines for Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) introduced the Dietary Guidelines Reform Act of 2025, legislation that will amend the National Nutrition Monitoring & Related Research Act of 1990 and modernize the development of federal dietary guidelines with up-to-date, evidence-based nutritional information. 
    The Dietary Guidelines Advisory (DGAC) Committee makes dietary recommendations for tens of millions of Americans, and this bill will provide more transparency and public input to ensure positive nutrition outcomes for all. DGAC guides recommendations for federal food package programs like the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which has a massive participation of nearly 30 million school children. In addition to advising federal meal programs, the DGAC report also serves as a guide for nutrition education programs such as MyPlate and the Healthy Eating Index. 
    “Despite decades of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, our citizens have only become sicker and more obese, while taxpayer dollars continue to fund this chaotic and broken process,” Senator Marshall said. “The Dietary Guidelines Reform Act brings much-needed transparency and scientific integrity to the dietary guidelines process, restores public trust, and aims for healthier outcomes by ensuring the recommendations truly serve the American people.”
    U.S. Representative Ronny Jackson (R-Texas-13) introduced the House companion version of the bill.
    “The Biden administration has weaponized the dietary guidelines to push a partisan agenda instead of sound nutritional science,” Representative Ronny Jackson said. “My bill will ensure these dietary guidelines are based on transparent, evidence-based research – not political ideologies – so Americans can trust they are getting real, science-backed recommendations that support their health and well-being.”
    Specifically, the Dietary Guidelines Reform Act of 2025:

    Reforms the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) drafting process and adds transparency by subjecting the report to the federal rulemaking process.
    Expands the DGA report timeline from every fix to every ten years and requires public notice and comment rulemaking to finalize the DGA report.
    Requires members of the DGAC to provide full disclosure of all relevant financial and nonfinancial conflicts of interest.
    Establishes a bipartisan panel of experts to draft scientific questions intended to direct the work of the DGAC as they draft the DGA report.
    Designs dietary guidelines to improve long-term health outcomes and advance nutritional adequacy by addressing current, high-priority health concerns.

    Click HERE to read the full bill text.
    Background:

    Senator Marshall has long been an advocate for food as medicine, working with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to ensure Americans have improved access to whole, nutrient-dense food.
    Nutrition plays a critical role in long-term health outcomes and in preventing chronic illness, making access to accurate and accessible dietary guidelines vital to Americans’ health.
    America is facing a chronic disease epidemic, with poor diet serving as the primary culprit for obesity, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses.
    Over 60% of Americans have at least one chronic illness, with over 40% suffering from at least two.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 03/26/2025 PHOTO: Blackburn Hosts Tele-Town Hall with Middle and East Tennesseans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after hosting a telephone town hall with residents from Campbell, Cumberland, Fentress, Grundy, Jackson, Macon, Marshall, Moore, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Roane, Scott, Smith, and Warren counties:
    “Last night, I heard from individuals across Middle and East Tennessee who are so pleased with President Trump’s actions to secure our border and hold the federal government accountable for spending taxpayer dollars wisely,” said Senator Blackburn. “Just this week, the Trump administration arrested 370 illegal aliens in Boston, including many facing charges or convictions for murder, drug trafficking, organized crime, and child sex abuse. The Trump administration is already Making America Safe Again, and Tennesseans can sleep better at night knowing they have a president who is working around the clock to make their communities safer.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Scott, Luján Lead Efforts to Grow Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) reintroduced the Pregnant and Postpartum Women Treatment Reauthorization Act, which ensures pregnant and postpartum women across the U.S. are able to access mental health and substance use disorder care.
    “By extending and strengthening these essential programs, we are ensuring pregnant and postpartum women are receiving the support and care they need to navigate substance abuse use disorders and mental health challenges,” said Senator Scott. “I’m proud to lead legislation that helps to build a future where every mother and child can thrive.”
    “I’m proud to reintroduce bipartisan legislation that strengthens resources for pregnant and postpartum women, supports families, and tackles health disparities in reproductive care,” said Senator Luján. “Substance use disorder continues to significantly impact New Mexico, and this legislation will help address the issue by reauthorizing funding to ensure that all communities have access to the necessary resources for preventing health complications and treating substance use disorders.”
    The Pregnant and Postpartum Women Treatment Reauthorization Act would also reauthorize a South Carolina pilot program called Mom’s IMProving Access to Maternal Health and Substance Use Disorder Care Through Telemedicine and Telemonitoring (IMPACTT). Mom’s IMPACTT is part of an ongoing partnership between the Medical University of South Carolina and SC Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services.
    Senators Scott and Luján were joined on the legislation by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).
    Read the full text of the Pregnant and Postpartum Women Treatment Reauthorization Act here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff, Join Congressmembers Scott, Bishop, to Reintroduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Establish Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s First National Park & Preserve

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff, Join Congressmembers Scott, Bishop, to Reintroduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Establish Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s First National Park & Preserve


    Bipartisan, bicameral bill would establish Georgia’s first U.S. National Park & Preserve
    Bill introduction follows years of advocacy by Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Middle Georgia leaders
    Senator Reverend Warnock toured the Ocmulgee Mounds in Macon in November 2023
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “Ocmulgee Mounds is a living testament to our intertwined histories and a robust source of economic and cultural vitality, so I’m proud to continue supporting the bipartisan, bicameral efforts to establish Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve”

    Above: Senator Reverend Warnock’s visit to Ocmulgee Mounds in November 2023

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), alongside U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and U.S. Representatives Austin Scott (R-GA-08) and Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-02) reintroduced the bipartisan Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Establishment Act, which would establish the Ocmulgee Mounds and surrounding areas in Middle Georgia as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve.

    “Ocmulgee Mounds is a living testament to our intertwined histories and a robust source of economic and cultural vitality, so I’m proud to continue supporting the bipartisan, bicameral efforts to establish Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I want to thank Congressmen Scott and Bishop for their yearslong efforts on this in the U.S. House, as well as Senator Ossoff for his leadership. Local leaders and everyday Georgians have been waiting for Congress to act and now is the time. Working together, we can prove what is possible when we put politics aside to serve the people of Georgia.”

    “We made unprecedented progress last Congress toward creating Georgia’s first ever National Park,” Senator Ossoff said. “I look forward to working alongside Congressman Scott, Senator Reverend Warnock, Congressman Bishop, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and local leaders to successfully establish Georgia’s first national park.”

    “Establishing the Ocmulgee Mounds and surrounding areas as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve remains a top bipartisan initiative for all lawmakers and stakeholders involved,” said Rep. Austin Scott. “The Ocmulgee Mounds are of invaluable cultural, communal, and economic significance to our state, and I am committed to keeping this initiative moving forward.”

    “I am proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing this bipartisan bill. By establishing the Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve, we are highlighting over 17,000 years of history and culture as well as welcoming people from across the country to enjoy Georgia’s natural beauty,” said Rep. Bishop. “Elevating the status of and expanding this site to a national park and preserve will raise awareness about it, increase public hunting and fishing grounds, encourage more visitors to our area, and boost the local economy.”

    The bill is cosponsored by 11 other members of Georgia’s Congressional Delegation: Representatives Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA-01), Brian Jack (R-GA-03), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (D-GA-04), Nikema Williams (D-GA-05), Lucy McBath (D-GA-06), Rich McCormick (R-GA-07), Mike Collins (R-GA-10), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11), Rick Allen (R-GA-12), David Scott (D-GA-13), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14).

    The area is the ancestral home of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and has been inhabited continuously by humans for over 12,000 years. American Indians first arrived in the area during the Paleo-Indian Period hunting Ice Age mammals. Around 900 CE, the Mississippian Period began, and Muskogean people constructed mounds for meeting, living, burial, agricultural, and other purposes, many of which remain today and would be encompassed in the new U.S. National Park and Preserve.

    “The Muscogee (Creek) Nation remains steadfast in our support of the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park and Preserve Bill. The opportunity to make the historic Ocmulgee Mounds a national park is so important to us because we have been included, we have been shown the respect of collaboration, and because of that we can feel confident that the living history that will be told here is authentic and has the power to elevate Georgia forever. We are thrilled to continue offering our support for this legislation every step of the way,” said David Hill, Principal Chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

    “I cannot overstate the importance of this legislation to our region, state, and country. Tens of millions of private dollars have been leveraged to conserve the precious cultural and ecological resources of the Ocmulgee Corridor and this bipartisan legislation allows us to continue to grow the middle Georgia economy, protect our national security interests at Robin Air Force Base, expand hunting and fishing access, and authentically preserve some of the most culturally significant sites in the country,” said Seth Clark, Macon Mayor Pro Tempore and Executive Director of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative.“We’re grateful for the continued bipartisan dedication of the Georgia delegation. And call for the swift passage of this legislation this year so that we can continue our stewardship of this landscape and our economy.” 

    “Preserving the undeveloped lands within the Ocmulgee River Corridor is critical to safeguarding Robins Air Force Base from incompatible land use, ensuring we can sustain our national security missions,” said Brig. Gen. John C. Kubinec, USAF (ret), President/CEO of 21st Century Partnership. “This park and preserve will also provide our military members and their families with valuable opportunities for outdoor recreation and leisure, enhancing their quality of life while strengthening the economic vitality of Middle Georgia.”

    “Establishing Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve at Ocmulgee Mounds will serve as a robust form of economic development for Middle Georgia while conserving the site’s important series of ecological and cultural assets. Representatives Austin Scott and Sanford Bishop with their bipartisan leadership and admirable partnership with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation have assembled a broad statewide coalition including chambers of commerce, hunters and anglers, and conservation organizations working to pass this legislation. The formal process of creating a National Monument out of the Ocmulgee Old Fields formally began in 1933, when the Macon Junior Chamber of Commerce purchased the sites and requested their protection. Today, through the leadership of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce and other local leaders, we are one step closer to making that a reality. The Georgia Chamber is proud to support Representatives Scott and Bishop’s legislation to create Georgia’s first National Park and Preserve, after almost a century of civic advocacy,” said Chris Clark, CCE, President and CEO of the Georgia Chamber.

    “The Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce has long seen the national park and preserve designation as a top congressional priority. Getting this done this year is vital to the economic viability and stability of middle Georgia. Being home to Georgia’s first and only national park and preserve will create a better business climate, allow for lower taxes, and create thousands of good paying, sustainable jobs. Our members have marshaled tens of millions of dollars in preparing middle Georgia for the passage of this legislation and as we have for almost a century, we and the greater middle Georgia business community fully support and call for getting it done this year,” said Jessica Walden, President and CEO of the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce.

    The full text of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Leads Bipartisan Effort to Preserve Support for Public Libraries & Museums

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the leading champion for public libraries in the U.S. Congress, today led the co-authors of the last reauthorization of the Museum and Library Services Act in sending a letter to the acting director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) seeking assurances that allocated federal funding for IMLS will be implemented in a manner that is consistent with bipartisan approved appropriations laws.

    Senator Reed was joined by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in writing to IMLS Acting Director Keith Sonderling urging him to continue IMLS’s mission to engage with and support libraries and museums, as Congress intended when it created the agency. The letter comes in response to a March 14, 2025 executive order issued by President Trump that seeks to eliminate the IMLS to the greatest extent possible under the law along with several other federal agencies and services.

    “As the lead authors of the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) of 2018 (PL 115-40), which was signed into law by President Trump, we write to remind the Administration of its obligation to faithfully execute the provisions of the law as authorized,” the Senators wrote.  “The MLSA established the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and tasked the Director with the “primary responsibility for the development and implementation of policy to ensure the availability of museum, library, and information services adequate to meet the essential information, education, research, economic, cultural, and civic needs of the people of the United States.””

    Senator Reed and his colleagues called attention to the fact that IMLS is the largest supporter and investor in public libraries, museums, and archives across the nation which all play critical roles in strengthening local communities.

    Federal funding made available through IMLS programs help to ensure that all Americans, regardless of income or socioeconomic background, have access to free books, services, skills and career training, internet connection, and much more that is provided through the nation’s system of public libraries as well as educational and cultural enrichment provided through local museums.

    The Senators continued: “Libraries and museums play a vital role in our communities. Libraries offer access for all to essential information and engagement on a wide range of topics, including skills and career training, broadband, and computing services. IMLS grants enable libraries to develop services in every community throughout the nation, including people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, residents of rural and urban areas, Native Americans, military families, veterans, and caregivers. Museums serve not only as centers for education but also as drivers of local economic development.”

    In an effort to ensure that the Trump Administration keeps true to the spirit of the law when it comes to funding IMLS and disbursing federal funding through its grant programs, the Senators said: “We expect that the Administration will implement the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025 in a manner consistent with these allocations enacted in Fiscal Year 2024. We also expect that the Administration will allow the IMLS to engage with and support both libraries and museums as Congress intended and as authorized in the MLSA.”

    Full text of the letter follows:

    The Honorable Keith Sonderling

    Acting Director

    Institute of Museum and Library Services

    955 L’Enfant Plaza, North, SW, Suite 4000

    Washington, D.C. 20024

    Dear Mr. Sonderling:

    As the lead authors of the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) of 2018 (PL 115-40), which was signed into law by President Trump, we write to remind the Administration of its obligation to faithfully execute the provisions of the law as authorized. The MLSA established the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and tasked the Director with the “primary responsibility for the development and implementation of policy to ensure the availability of museum, library, and information services adequate to meet the essential information, education, research, economic, cultural, and civic needs of the people of the United States.” It requires that the Institute has an Office of Museum Services and an Office of Library Services and details the federal programs to support museums and libraries that are to be carried out by each office.

    For Fiscal Year 2024, Congress appropriated $294.8 million for IMLS, specifying that funding should be allotted across the programs in the following manner:

    Library Services Technology Act

    Grants to States $180,000,000

    Native American Library Services $5,763,000

    National Leadership: Libraries $15,287,000

    Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian $10,000,000

    Museum Services Act

    Museums for America $30,330,000

    Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services $3,772,000

    National Leadership: Museums $9,348,000

    African American History and Culture Act $6,000,000

    National Museum of the American Latino Act $6,000,000

    Research, Analysis, and Data Collection $5,650,000

    Program Administration $22,650,000

    We expect that the Administration will implement the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025 in a manner consistent with these allocations enacted in Fiscal Year 2024. We also expect that the Administration will allow the IMLS to engage with and support both libraries and museums as Congress intended and as authorized in the MLSA.

    Libraries and museums play a vital role in our communities. Libraries offer access for all to essential information and engagement on a wide range of topics, including skills and career training, broadband, and computing services. IMLS grants enable libraries to develop services in every community throughout the nation, including people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, residents of rural and urban areas, Native Americans, military families, veterans, and caregivers. Museums serve not only as centers for education but also as drivers of local economic development. The IMLS Office of Museum Services is the largest dedicated source of investment in our nation’s museums, which typically support more than 700,000 jobs and contribute $50 billion annually to the U.S. economy. IMLS funding plays a significant role in this economic impact by helping museums

    reach more visitors and spur community development.

    We look forward to working with you to support IMLS in fulfilling its purpose and meeting all of its statutory requirements.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed, Senate Democrats Demand Transparency and Accountability on Trump Admin. Sharing Attack Plans Over Signal Chat

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee today joined Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and top Senate Democrats on key national security committees in seeking information about members of President Trump’s cabinet using the Signal app to convene a group chat to “coordinate and share classified information about sensitive military planning operations.”                   

    In a letter to President Trump, the U.S. Senators sounded the alarm over the public discovery that the Trump Administration has been sharing discussions of classified military operations via unsecured text chains, jeopardizing national security, and endangering the lives of American servicemembers.  The letter was also cc’ed to Attorney General Pam Bondi as well as numerous Trump administration officials who were reportedly members of the Signal group chat, including: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

    Reed and Schumer, along with U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee; U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee; U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; and U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, are pressing for answers to questions after The Atlantic revealed that an unsecured text chain with at least 18 senior-level Trump administration officials was used to coordinate and share highly sensitive military planning and operations information. This reckless operational security failure made a sensitive military mission vulnerable to interception by U.S. adversaries, and was exposed after the group inexplicably included a journalist, damaging our national security and risking the lives of American servicemembers.

    “We write to you with extreme alarm about the astonishingly poor judgment shown by your Cabinet and national security advisors,” the seven Senators wrote. “You have long advocated for accountability and transparency in the government, particularly as it relates to the handling of classified information, national security, and the safety of American servicemembers. As such, it is imperative that you address this breach with the seriousness and diligence that it demands.”

    The Senators note the willful or negligent disclosure of classified information constitutes a criminal offense and call for Attorney General Bondi to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation.

    Additionally, the Senators demanded answers to ten questions, more information about the “Houthi PC small group” chat, and if any other classified information is currently being discussed on unsecured text chains in a similar fashion by senior administration officials. 

    Full text of the letter follows:

    Dear President Trump,

    We have learned that members of your Cabinet recently convened a group chat on the commercial messaging app “Signal” to discuss active, highly classified military plans and operations, and that they mistakenly included the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic in this group. The group, which was titled “Houthi PC small group,” apparently encompassed at least 18 people including your Vice President; Secretaries of Defense, State, and Treasury; National Security Advisor; CIA Director; Director of National Intelligence; White House Chief of Staff; and several other senior appointees.

    Over the course of several days, this group chat reportedly discussed operational plans, targets, and weapon systems for upcoming U.S. military strikes in Yemen, and provided after-action battlefield damage assessments. These messages allegedly provided detailed intelligence about the movements and future locations of specific military assets and personnel in active combat zones. The group chat also contained extremely sensitive conversations between the Vice President and Cabinet officials that could have a negative impact on our diplomatic efforts with foreign allies and partners, particularly in Europe. We are aware that the Director of National Intelligence, and possibly others, appears to have been overseas while this group chat was active, making the entire discussion more vulnerable to interception by foreign adversaries. Inexplicably, throughout the days-long chat conversation, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic remained in the group chat and his presence was never questioned.

    Let us be clear, if any American military servicemember, intelligence official, or law enforcement officer committed such an egregious breach of operational security and endangered the lives of their comrades downrange, they would be investigated and likely prosecuted.

    We write to you with extreme alarm about the astonishingly poor judgment shown by your Cabinet and national security advisors. You have long advocated for accountability and transparency in the government, particularly as it relates to the handling of classified information, national security, and the safety of American servicemembers. As such, it is imperative that you address this breach with the seriousness and diligence that it demands.

    Our committees have serious questions about this incident, and members need a full accounting to ensure it never happens again. Moreover, given that willful or negligent disclosure of classified or sensitive national security information may constitute a criminal violation of the Espionage Act or other laws, we expect Attorney General Bondi, copied here, to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation of the conduct of the government officials involved in improperly sharing or discussing such information. We also ask that you immediately direct relevant officials to preserve records of these communications and any other discussions of government business occurring on any messaging application. Some of the messages in the Signal chat were apparently set to disappear after a certain period of time – a potential violation of both the Federal Records Act and the Presidential Records Act.

    We hereby request answers to the following:

    1.         Please provide a complete and unredacted transcript of the “Houthi PC small group” chat for review by our appropriate committees in a secure setting.

    2.         Please provide a complete list of all personnel who participated in or had access to the “Houthi PC small group” chat.

    3.         What dates was the “Houthi PC small group” established and when was the last message transmitted to the Signal group chat?

    4.         Were there any other individuals, in addition to Jeffrey Goldberg, who were erroneously included in the “Houthi PC small group” chat?

    5.         Did any U.S. government personnel access the “Houthi PC small group” chat using personal communication devices?

    6.         Were any personnel who participated in or had access to the “Houthi PC small group” chat traveling overseas while the group chat was active? If yes, on which devices did group members operate while accessing the group chat?

    7.         Did any individuals transfer classified information, including operational war plans, from classified systems to unclassified systems, and if so, how?

    8.         Has the intelligence community conducted a damage assessment of the potential leakage of classified and sensitive information via the “Houthi PC small group” chat and subsequent reporting?

    9.         Are any Cabinet level officials, their deputies or other designees, or White House officials using Signal or other commercial products to discuss classified or sensitive information or any communications subject to statutory recordkeeping requirements?

    10.       If so, how is the Administration ensuring that it meets its statutory requirements with regard to these conversations?

    You and your Cabinet are responsible for the safety and security of the American people, as well as our military servicemembers and intelligence personnel in the field. We expect your Administration to address this dangerous lapse in security protocol—whether intended or not—with the utmost seriousness, and to uphold the ethic of accountability that our nation holds sacred. We must work together to ensure this does not happen again, and we look forward to reviewing the forthcoming reports.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –