NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Following Ernst Advocacy, USDA Reduces Regulatory Burden, Provides Certainty for Pork Processors

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – After years of continued pressure from U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it would maintain increased line speeds and reduce duplicative regulatory burdens on American pork and poultry processors.
    Under the new rulemaking, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will extend waivers allowing pork and poultry facilities to operate under higher line speeds, ensuring they can meet demand without unnecessary bureaucracy.
    “After years of working to cut the red tape and reduce regulatory burdens on our pork processors, I’m thrilled President Trump and Secretary Rollins have taken quick action on this issue,” said Senator Ernst. “By integrating proven results from research into policy, we can increase processing capacity, expand options when selling hogs, decrease transportation costs, increase certainty for producers, and more. Iowa is proud to lead the nation in pork production, and now our producers can go the ‘whole hog’ without the burden of excessive government oversight.”
    Background:
    Senator Ernst has long been at the forefront of discussions to protect Iowa’s pork producers and ensure they can remain competitive. In 2021, she spoke up in defense of producers after an unfair court decision to vacate a portion of the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) line speeds. Then in February 2023, Ernst took action again to secure an additional nine months for the NSIS trial. In November 2023, she once again renewed her call for an extension to maintain critical pork processing capacity.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Celebrates Iowa Agriculture on National Ag Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) celebrated National Agriculture Day in honor of the Iowa agriculture community that works so hard to feed and fuel our world.
    “Agriculture shapes our way of life in Iowa. Growing up on a farm in the Heartland, I have a deep-rooted understanding of all our farmers do to make sure folks have food on their tables, gas in their tanks, clothes in their closet, and so much more,” said Senator Ernst. “This year and every year, I am proud to celebrate National Agriculture Day to recognize our hardworking farmers and all those involved in Iowa agriculture.”
    Ernst poses with the Super Bull at the 2024 Iowa State Fair. Click here to download more agriculture photos featuring Senator Ernst.
    Background: 
    Ernst works tirelessly on behalf of Iowa farmers and producers.
    She has been a leading advocate for homegrown, Iowa biofuels, taken action to protect our farmland from foreign adversaries, and stood up for Iowa farmers on trade issues. Ernst has also been on the front lines of helping Iowa farmers get the resources they need to recover from natural disasters and is fighting back against the spread of foreign animal disease.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, 45 Colleagues File Amicus Brief To Protect Access To Reproductive Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    March 19, 2025

    HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)  joined the Senate Democratic caucus in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of protecting the right of millions of Americans to receive reproductive health care from the provider of their choosing. The case, Medina v. Planned Parenthood of South Atlantic, challenges South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster’s attempt to block in-state Medicaid program beneficiaries from accessing reproductive health care at the Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (PPSAT) affiliate’s health centers.
    The case is centered around whether individuals can privately enforce the “free-choice-of-provider provision” in the Medicaid statute, which gives Medicaid beneficiaries the right to choose among any qualified health care provider that agrees to participate in Medicaid. A loss at the Supreme Court would pave the way for states to arbitrarily exclude Planned Parenthood from the Medicaid program and deny tens of millions of Americans the ability to receive comprehensive, essential reproductive health care from the provider of their choosing.
    In their amicus brief, the senators argue that the plain text of the Medicaid statute and legislative history make clear that Congress enacted the free-choice-of-provider provision to provide any individual eligible for Medicaid with the right to choose among qualified health care and that Congress has provided beneficiaries the ability to enforce that right in court.
    “The right to select one’s own healthcare provider has been a core promise of the program ever since. And for decades, Congress has approved of — indeed, relied on — private enforcement in federal court as a critical means of protecting that right,” the senators wrote.
    The senators continued: “Limiting Medicaid beneficiaries’ access to healthcare providers who specialize in women’s health care — merely because they separately provide abortion services — limits their access to all healthcare and erects false barriers to care.”
    “Private enforcement enables Medicaid beneficiaries to hold states accountable when they accept federal taxpayer money while violating beneficiaries’ right to choose the providers on whom that money is spent. Without such individual enforcement, vital healthcare facilities shutter, leaving our least resourced without access to affordable or accessible healthcare,” the senators added.
    Close to 70% of Planned Parenthood’s health centers are located in communities with a shortage of primary care services and unmet health care needs. This makes them critical heath care access points for people across the country, providing a number of essential health care services from wellness exams, cancer screenings, contraception and more.
    “Congress intentionally established Medicaid beneficiaries’ right to receive health care services from the provider of their choice when it enacted the free-choice-of-provider provision nearly sixty years ago. That promise to Medicaid beneficiaries should be honored,” the senators concluded.
    U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) also joined the senators in filing the brief. 
    The senators’ amicus brief to the Supreme Court can be read in full HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, Shaheen Stress Important Role of Military Firefighters at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), members of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), are expressing their concerns about the potential loss of Department of Defense (DoD) firefighters on probationary status at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). In a letter to Acting Secretary of the Navy Terrence Emmert, the Senators make clear the importance of having a highly trained firefighting force, and urged the Secretary to provide clear and consistent guidance regarding the seemingly arbitrary hiring freezes and terminations requested by the Trump Administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
    The effects of inadequate firefighter staffing are profound; insufficient fire protection has the potential to halt shipyard operations, threatening safety for military personnel and undermining national security. ‘Hot work’ — like welding — on submarines in the shipyard will stop if there are not enough firefighters. 
    “We are writing to express deep concern regarding manning challenges faced by Department of Defense firefighters, particularly those responsible for protecting critical naval installations at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). Recent administration actions create a significant degree of uncertainty and operational risk, which demand urgent attention. We urge you to bring clarity to your most valuable asset—the people who serve the Department of the Navy,” began the Senators.
    One of the most pressing concerns is the uncertain job environment for these essential personnel. Probationary firefighters face an alarming risk of termination due to haphazard workforce reductions and unclear guidance on exceptions. While federal police personnel appear to be granted certain protections, there is no specific indication that firefighters are similarly excepted. This lack of clarity has led to unnecessary distress and instability within the workforce,” wrote the Senators.
    Firefighting is an arduous profession requiring specialized training and expertise. At Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Cutler, it took two years to reach full manning levels, underscoring the challenge of adequately staffing these critical roles. The firefighters at such remote bases are indispensable, as they provide emergency response capabilities in areas without local fire department support. Their work directly supports sensitive national security missions, making their continued employment a matter of national security, not just workforce planning,” the Senators continued.
    As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, Senator King is a steadfast supporter of the Navy and Coast Guard. He recently secured key provisions in the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to support the maritime forces and ensure that America’s military can continue providing best in class services to protect the ‘territory of the brave.’ In 2023, he was honored with the Congressional Sea Services Award by the Navy League Capital Council and accepted it on behalf of the men and women of the sea services and the shipbuilders at Bath Iron Works (BIW) and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Additionally, at the personal invitation of Senator King, former Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro visited Maine shipyards, like Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, regularly during his service. Most recently, he expressed gratitude that the Coast Guard funding bill passed the Senate unanimously.
    The full letter sent to Acting Secretary Emmert can be found here and below.
    +++
    We are writing to express deep concern regarding manning challenges faced by Department of Defense firefighters, particularly those responsible for protecting critical naval installations at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). Recent administration actions create a significant degree of uncertainty and operational risk, which demand urgent attention. We urge you to bring clarity to your most valuable asset—the people who serve the Department of the Navy.
    One of the most pressing concerns is the uncertain job environment for these essential personnel. Probationary firefighters face an alarming risk of termination due to haphazard workforce reductions and unclear guidance on exceptions. While federal police personnel appear to be granted certain protections, there is no specific indication that firefighters are similarly excepted. This lack of clarity has led to unnecessary distress and instability within the workforce.
    The potential loss of probationary employees at PNSY would be particularly devastating. If these individuals are terminated, the shipyard would lose an entire shift—amounting to a 22% reduction in its firefighting workforce. This level of loss in staffing would severely compromise emergency response capabilities and overall operational safety.
    Compounding this issue is the seemingly arbitrary hiring freeze, which has abruptly halted employment commitments. Some prospective hires, who had already made significant life changes, including relocating hundreds of miles to accept these positions, were suddenly told to stop and that their hiring would not proceed. This approach not only disrupts lives but also undermines the Department’s ability to attract and retain top-tier firefighting talent in an already competitive job market.
    Firefighting is an arduous profession requiring specialized training and expertise. At Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Cutler, it took two years to reach full manning levels, underscoring the challenge of adequately staffing these critical roles. The firefighters at such remote bases are indispensable, as they provide emergency response capabilities in areas without local fire department support. Their work directly supports sensitive national security missions, making their continued employment a matter of national security, not just workforce planning.
    Furthermore, the national shortage of firefighters extends beyond the Department, which means that arbitrarily cutting positions and telling personnel to reapply later is not a viable option. Unlike other fields outside of the Department of the Navy, where hiring and layoffs can be more flexible, firefighting requires continuous training and preparedness. A break in service could result in skill degradation and loss of qualified personnel to other sectors that provide greater stability.
    The importance of base fire departments cannot be overstated. Fires do not stop at the gates of a base, and present hazards to the surrounding population. Shipyards are especially vulnerable due to the inherently hazardous nature of their operations. History has demonstrated the catastrophic consequences of shipyard fires, making it imperative that we maintain adequate firefighting staffing levels. Without sufficient personnel, shipyard operations may come to a halt, delaying essential maintenance and production work vital to fleet readiness.
    Ultimately, this is not just a matter of workforce numbers—it is a matter of safety for our military personnel, our local communities, and the security of our nation. The firefighters protecting our bases and shipyards are essential to ensuring operational continuity and emergency preparedness. We urge you to address these concerns and provide clear, consistent guidance to stabilize this critical workforce.
    We appreciate your time and consideration in addressing these urgent matters and look forward to your timely response.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Wyden Demand Answers on DHS, DOGE Requests to Access Sensitive IRS Information

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) led 15 of their Democratic Senate colleagues in a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Acting Commissioner Melanie Krause, IRS Acting Chief Counsel Andrew De Mello, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem demanding answers on reports that DHS and the “Department of Government Efficiency” have illegally requested sensitive taxpayer information from the IRS. The Senators also expressed concern at the abrupt replacement of previous Acting Chief Counsel William Paul.
    “We write about alarming reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has asked for unprecedented access to private taxpayer data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS),” wrote the Senators. “Elon Musk and his associates at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have also reportedly sought to cross-reference taxpayer data with sensitive personal data held by other agencies that provide public benefits.”
    According to a Washington Post report, DHS officials requested the IRS turn over home addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of over 700,000 people in an apparent attempt to weaponize the tax system against those suspected of being undocumented immigrants. This unlawful move would target people paying taxes and contributing to American communities and is the latest attempt from the Trump Administration to target immigrant communities. It was also reported that DOGE sought access to sensitive personal tax records, the sharing of which would be illegal.
    “In addition to violating tax privacy laws, the wholesale sharing of tax return information with DHS or DOGE, as described in the press, would also penalize individuals for complying with federal tax law and undermine the IRS’s core mission of tax collection by reducing voluntary tax compliance,” continued the Senators. “According to official government data, millions of taxpayers who do not have a social security number file their taxes with the IRS each year using an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), including many undocumented individuals. Such voluntary tax compliance depends on trust that the IRS will keep taxpayer data confidential.”
    Additional signatories to the letter include Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
    Read the full letter here.
    Senator Cortez Masto has pushed multiple Departments under the Trump Administration for detailed, public information regarding the impacts of President Trump’s federal funding freeze, hiring freeze, and terminations on Nevada – including to the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, and General Services Administration.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Discusses Attacks on Medicaid & Bipartisan Bill to Support Rural Access to Care in Brattleboro

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    BRATTLEBORO, VT – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, toured the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, where he discussed his new bipartisan bill to support rural health care providers, the Rural Hospital Support Act, and the impact of President Trump’s and Congressional Republicans’ proposed Medicaid cuts on Vermonters. 
    “Rural hospitals are in trouble—that’s true in Vermont and it’s true in Iowa. They need a lifeline like the bipartisan Rural Hospital Support Act, which will help keep the doors open for patients who rely on our rural health care providers every day,” said Senator Welch ahead of the tour.  
    Welch continued: “Medicaid is essential for patients and our rural hospitals in Vermont, and that’s true across America. Vermonters I speak with have a genuine fear for how this budget will hurt their access to care—I share that, and I’m pushing back on this appalling agenda. There should be bipartisan support to protect this essential service—not slash it.” 
    See photos from the event below:  
    Senator Welch has slammed President Trump and Congressional Republicans for their budget, which would slash Medicaid and increase health care costs for millions of seniors, children, veterans, people with disabilities, and people with chronic diseases like cancer—all to give tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy. 
    More than 157,000 Vermonters rely on Medicaid for their health coverage and access to care. Medicaid provides around 41% of children in Vermont with health care, and nearly 2,000 births per year are covered by Medicaid. More than 38,000 people with a disability in Vermont are covered by Medicaid. More than 60% of nursing home residents in Vermont rely on Medicaid to pay for the care in the nursing home. Every hospital in Vermont serves Medicaid beneficiaries. The Republican budget threatens to slash Medicaid funding by a third, which means 32,000 rural residents in Vermont could lose their coverage.  
    Nationally, nearly 80 million Americans rely on Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Medicaid covers nearly a quarter of Americans in rural areas. Medicaid pays for nearly half of all births in the U.S., covers nearly half of all of America’s children, provides care to 2 in 3 nursing home residents, and provides peace of mind to 17 million women of reproductive age. More than 15.5 million Americans with a disability are covered by Medicaid. This program is a lifeline for rural communities and our rural hospitals, and any cuts to this funding could result in hospitals closures in rural communities like VT and across the country. The Washington Post recently highlighted the impact of Medicaid cuts to rural hospitals and maternity care. The reporting highlighted widespread concerns from rural health leaders about the detrimental impact of the Republicans’ budget. 
    Senator Welch and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) recently introduced the bipartisan Rural Hospital Support Act, legislation to prevent rural hospital closures by extending and modernizing critical Medicare programs. The bill would permanently extend the Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) program to ensure eligible rural hospitals are reimbursed for their costs. The bill would also permanently extend the Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) program to level the playing field for rural hospitals whose operating costs often outpace their revenue.  Rural hospitals provide critical care for patients, many of whom rely on Medicare and Medicaid. These hospitals also serve as economic anchors – accounting for around 14% of total employment in rural areas.  
    Learn more about the Rural Hospital Support Act. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, colleagues introduce bipartisan bill to strengthen medical supply chains

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced the Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act, bipartisan legislation to jump start trade negotiations to ensure that hospitals, doctors, and patients have access to critical medical goods. U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) introduced companion legislation in the House. 
    “Life-threatening shortages of testing kits, drugs, and masks during the COVID-19 pandemic showed us just how fragile our medical supply chains are. If we are caught off-guard like we were during COVID once again, more Americans will die,” said Senator Coons. “Working with our most trusted trading partners to make our supply chains more resilient will strengthen our response to future public health emergencies while ensuring that health care providers have access to essential medical products and patients have access to life-saving care.”
    “The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is a critical step toward ensuring that America’s healthcare providers have reliable access to the essential supplies they need,” said Senator Tillis. “By strengthening trade partnerships with our allies and expanding domestic manufacturing, we can enhance our nation’s preparedness for future health challenges. I’m proud to support this bipartisan effort to reinforce our medical supply chains and protect public health.” 
    “America’s medical supply chains rely heavily on China, posing risks to U.S. national security and public health,” said Senator Bennet. “Our bipartisan bill will address this vulnerability by authorizing the president to deepen relationships with our trading partners.”
    “During the pandemic, the U.S. faced severe shortages of medical supplies due to overreliance on foreign adversaries like China,” said Senator Cornyn. “This legislation would allow the U.S. to engage in trade negotiations with trusted allies for medical goods and services, helping ensure we’re better prepared to respond to future global health crises.”
    “The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is the type of positive approach to trade America must embrace to deepen its economic partnerships with key allies,” said Brad Wood, Senior Director for Trade and Innovation Policy, National Foreign Trade Council.“By empowering the United States Trade Representative to negotiate new agreements with trusted trade partners, the United States has the opportunity to strengthen supply chain security, support U.S. innovation and jobs, and, ultimately, improve health outcomes. It is critically important that the United States collaborate with its allies to support the public health demands of our populations and prepare to meet the challenges of the next global health emergency. NFTC applauds Senators Tillis, Coons, Cornyn, and Bennet for championing this legislation, and urges Congress to support its swift passage.”
    “Premier commends Senators Thom Tillis, Chris Coons, John Cornyn and Michael Bennet and Representatives Brad Schneider and Nicole Malliotakis for their bipartisan leadership in reinforcing the resilience of our nation’s healthcare supply chain,” said Soumi Saha, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Premier Inc. “Building a stronger, more sustainable, and secure supply chain demands a balanced approach – expanding domestic manufacturing while fostering strategic trade partnerships. The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act is a critical step toward this goal by enabling the designation of trusted trade partners to diversify sourcing for medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Ensuring providers have reliable access to the essential supplies needed to deliver quality patient care is a paramount priority for our nation.”
    “The Chamber strongly supports the Medical Supply Chain Resilience Act, which will strengthen supply chains for medical goods and services while bolstering manufacturing in the U.S. and among our close allies and partners,” said John Murphy, Senior Vice President for International Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Enhancing the resilience of medical supply chains is important to both our public health and our national security. The bill would direct the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate trade agreements with trusted allies to eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers that weaken the U.S. medical goods manufacturing base and that of our allies. These agreements would also support intellectual property protection, regulatory cooperation, and collaboration on public and private R&D efforts. Only close allies and partners would qualify for such agreements. Close consultation with the legislative branch would be essential, and Congress would retain a right to disapprove any agreements. This is practical legislation that, if enacted, will apply lessons learned in the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen America’s health preparedness. The Chamber urges Congress to pass it into law.”
    “Authorizing the administration to negotiate meaningful trade agreements with trusted partners, including the European Union, Japan, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, would reduce trade barriers and strengthen medical supply chains. The biopharmaceutical industry, whose exports exceeded $101 billion in 2023, welcomes the Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act and encourages the administration to embrace this pathway to expand trade with allies,” said PhRMA. 
    The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges for supply chains around the world, disproportionately hampering health care providers’ access to medical devices, treatments, and equipment at a time when these products were desperately needed. By expanding U.S. engagement with our allies across the globe, this legislation would combat shortages of medical products and supplies by strengthening supply chain resiliency and safeguarding against future health crises. 
    You can read the full text of the bill here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Johnson, Grassley Continue to Fight for Unredacted Crossfire Hurricane Interview Transcripts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

    WASHINGTON – On Monday, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) sent a letter to Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel requesting their offices take immediate action to remove all redactions from interview transcripts relating to the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General’s (DOJ OIG) examination of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation.

    In April 2023, the senators requested these unredacted transcripts from the DOJ OIG. However, the DOJ OIG informed the senators that the redactions in those transcripts were made by other government agencies, such as the FBI and DOJ, and the DOJ OIG lacked the authority to release the information.

    The senators’ recent letter calls on DOJ and FBI to work with the DOJ OIG to produce these unredacted versions of the transcripts as soon as possible.

    Read more about the letter in Daily Mail.

    The full text of the letter can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wisconsinites’ Years of Work Fighting Fentanyl

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

    The Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl (HALT) Act passed the Senate last week with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 84-16. 

    The HALT Fentanyl Act incorporates the permanent scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, which I first introduced in 2017 in the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues Act (SOFA). It ensures law enforcement has the tools they need to stop fentanyl’s flow into our country. 

    SOFA served as the template for the Trump administration’s temporary scheduling rule in 2018, and it recognizes the admirable devotion of Wisconsinites Dr. Tim Westlake and Lauri Badura (pictured above). Ms. Badura, who founded Saving Others for Archie, made it her life’s mission to end the fentanyl crisis after tragically losing her son, Archie, to fentanyl poisoning. 

    WATCH: Video message from families (including Baduras) to pass the HALT Act

    WATCH: 2017 video with Lauri telling Archie’s story

    As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, I met with President Trump last week and we discussed my plan to get spending back to pre-pandemic levels – saving a minimum of $700 billion.

    There is so much room for reducing the size of the federal government and balancing the budget is entirely doable. I look forward to working with the White House and getting spending under control.

    Thank you to Kevin O’Leary for highlighting my chart on Fox Business. This is an eminently reasonable approach to returning to a pre-pandemic level of spending. 

    WATCH: Sen. Johnson on Fox Business discusses his White House meeting 

    WATCH: Sen. Johnson on the Jesse Kelly podcast reviews his plan to balance budget

    • LISTEN: I joined the MAHA Alliance podcast for a powerful discussion on the MAHA movement, RFK Jr., and government corruption.
    • I was highly disappointed to hear that the nomination of Dr. David Weldon to lead the CDC has been withdrawn. Although we will never know exactly why his nomination was pulled, I suspect it had something to do with the fact he has had the courage to be skeptical of the consensus “narrative” surrounding the childhood vaccine schedule. Skepticism is the vital attribute of true science, and it is beyond unfortunate that someone with his background and integrity will not be able to help fix what is broken at the CDC. (I discussed this on Off the Record podcast with Emily Jashinsky.)
    • My X post on the news that Steak n’ Shake will soon be using Wisconsin butter instead of a “buttery blend”. 

    I helped introduce a bipartisan, bicameral bill to expand federal funding for bike and pedestrian safety. The bill is named for American diplomat and Wisconsin native Sarah Debbink Langenkamp, who was killed in 2022 while riding her bicycle in Bethesda. 

    The Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Safety Transportation Act will expand federal funding opportunities for local governments to improve roadway safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.  

    While honoring Sarah, this bill will protect Wisconsinites by investing in infrastructure to enhance road safety for pedestrians and cyclists. By using taxpayer dollars effectively, it will help prevent further deaths from preventable traffic accidents and ensure Americans feel safe when using our roads.

    Thank you to everyone who participated in my 114th telephone town hall last week. 

    We are now streaming our town halls on X, so you can listen to it here.
     
    Questions asked include:

    11:45    Introduction
    13:45    Protecting personal information from DOGE 
    16:27    Will there be cuts to Social Security and Medicare?
    18:40    Justice System transparency 
    20:20    Wasteful spending examples
    24:00    Is Social Security a legal Ponzi scheme?
    29:00    ICE and deportations
    31:31    Federal worker layoffs 
    35:04    How do we make the spending cuts permanent?
    40:55    Inspector Generals and oversight
    43:30    Support for Veterans and the VA
    46:08    COVID-19 vaccine requirements for citizenship
    48:04    Wisconsin manufacturing and tariffs
    51:35    Controlling crime and fentanyl 
    54:35    Taxing pensions
    56:45    Bipartisanship
    1:00:25 Federal voter ID and proof of citizenship 
    1:02:36 Balancing the budget

     
    To join future telephone town halls live, sign up here. There is also a link on that page to submit written questions during the live town halls.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Raises Concerns About How NOAA Firings Will Impact Great Lakes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and a group of her colleagues are pressing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for more information about the termination of staff and the potential impact these firings will have on the health and commerce on the Great Lakes, including the countless Wisconsin communities who rely on Lake Michigan and Superior for fresh drinking water and to support their local economies.

    “We write to express our deep concern over the firing of probationary staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the potential impact these firings will have on the Great Lakes,” wrote the Senators in a letter to NOAA’s Vice Admiral Nancy Hann.

    “The Great Lakes are among the United States’ greatest natural treasures, strengthening our economy and attracting millions of visitors each year. The Lakes provide drinking water to over 30 million people, generate clean hydropower, and generate $3.1 trillion in gross domestic product,” the Senators continued. “National and regional NOAA programs help protect these lakes and support our constituents who call the Great Lakes home.

    The Senators pressed Admiral Hann to detail (1) the number of people fired at NOAA during her tenure as Acting Administrator, (2) the number of people fired at each NOAA program serving the Great Lakes, (3) the services that will be terminated as a result, and (4) her plan to preserve these services.

    In addition to Senator Baldwin, the letter was led by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and co-signed by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Gary Peters (D-MI).

    A full version of this letter is available here and below.

    Dear Vice Admiral Nancy Hann:

    We write to express our deep concern over the firing of probationary staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the potential impact these firings will have on the Great Lakes. We request information on these firings—including at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and any other NOAA installations and programs that serve the Great Lakes area—as well as a concrete plan for re-establishing terminated public services.

    The Great Lakes are among the United States’ greatest natural treasures, strengthening our economy and attracting millions of visitors each year. The Lakes provide drinking water to over 30 million people, generate clean hydropower, and generate $3.1 trillion in gross domestic product.

    National and regional NOAA programs help protect these lakes and support our constituents who call the Great Lakes home. The National Weather Service provides our weather and climate forecasts and warnings. The National Sea Grant Program helps conserve our aquatic resources. The Marine Debris Program prevents microplastics and litter from entering the Great Lakes, protecting our wildlife, natural resources, fishing and boating economy, and nearby residents’ health. The Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research invests in our clean drinking water. And the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) provides critical information for resource use and management decisions, including information on algal blooms and hypoxia, invasive species, ice cover and shipping navigability, and storm surges and coastal flooding.

    We are deeply concerned that the layoffs at NOAA will harm these critical initiatives. The staffing reductions have already required the GLERL, for example, to take an “indefinite hiatus” from its public communications, depriving the public of critical information such as what to do during a flood warning and how to stay safe in the extreme cold. When these communications go dark, the public suffers.

    Therefore, we request the following information by March 28, 2025:

    1. The number of people fired at NOAA during your tenure as Acting Administrator.
    2. The number of people fired at each NOAA program that serves the Great Lakes:
      1. National Weather Service
      2. National Estuarine Research Reserve System
      3. NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries
      4. National Sea Grant Program
      5. NOAA Marine Debris Program
      6. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)
      7. Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET)
      8. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
      9. Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN)
      10. Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR)
      11. Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS)
      12. Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC)
    3. The services that will be terminated as a result of the firings at each of the above programs.
    4. Your plan to maintain or restore these services.

    Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy announces passport acceptance event for constituents

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today announced that his office will host a passport acceptance event with the New Orleans Passport Agency for constituents to obtain or renew their passports.
    Date: March 26, 2025
    Time: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
    Location: 7932 Wrenwood Blvd., Suites A and B, Baton Rouge, La.
    “My staff is working with our local passport agency to help Louisianians apply for and renew their passports. I hope this event will help Louisiana families enjoy their summer travel plans without any last-minute delays,” said Kennedy. 
    Although appointments are not required, applicants can contact Kathy Manuel at (337) 541-7990 or Christy Tate at (337) 541-7991 to schedule an appointment ahead of the event.
    Applicants must bring the following items with them:
    Completed passport application
    Passport photo
    Government-issued I.D. or driver’s license
    Proof of U.S. citizenship
    Payment by check, credit card or money order only

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Removing Discrimination and Discriminatory Equity Ideology From the Foreign Service

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATETHE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURETHE SECRETARY OF COMMERCETHE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE UNITED STATES AGENCYFOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTTHE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THEUNITED STATES AGENCY FOR GLOBAL MEDIA
    SUBJECT: Removing Discrimination and Discriminatory EquityIdeology From the Foreign Service
    Section 1. Policy and Purpose. Over the last 4 years, divisive and discriminatory policies were systematically embedded into every part of the Federal Government, including hiring processes and employee performance evaluations in the Foreign Service. It is the policy of the Federal Government that hiring in foreign policy positions, like hiring in all other parts of the Government, shall be based solely on merit.
    Sec. 2. Definitions. For the purposes of this memorandum:
    (a) “discriminatory equity ideology” shall have the meaning given that phrase in section 2 of Executive Order 14190 of January 29, 2025 (Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling);
    (b) “Department,” “Foreign Service,” and “Secretary” shall have the meanings given those terms in 22 U.S.C. 3902; and(c) “Foreign Service Member” means an individual described by 22 U.S.C. 3903.
    Sec. 3. Equality and Non-Discrimination in the Foreign Service. (a) The Secretary of State shall, consistent with applicable law, promptly revise the 2022-2025 Decision Criteria for Tenure and Promotion in the Foreign Service, issued under section 2326.2 of title 3 of the Foreign Affairs Manual, to remove any reference to the Core Precept entitled “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.” The Secretaries shall promptly direct all employees of their Departments not to give this Core Precept any force or effect.
    (b) The Secretaries shall direct all officers and employees of their Departments not to:
    (i) base Foreign Service recruitment, hiring, promotion, or retention decisions upon an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; or
    (ii) while acting in an official capacity, promote, advocate for, or otherwise inculcate support for discriminatory equity ideology.
    (c) The Secretaries shall determine if any current Foreign Service Members have knowingly and willfully engaged in unconstitutional or otherwise illegal discrimination based upon race or other protected characteristics, including actions motivated by discriminatory equity ideology. Consistent with Executive Order 14211 of February 12, 2025 (One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations) the Secretaries shall:
    (i) with respect to Foreign Service Members appointed by a Secretary whom that Secretary finds to have engaged in such discrimination, take appropriate action; and
    (ii) with respect to Foreign Service Members appointed by the President, determine whether to refer any findings of discrimination for the President’s consideration or take appropriate action under the Secretary’s own authority.
    Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
    DONALD J. TRUMP

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Removes DEI From the Foreign Service

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    RESTORING THE VALUES OF INDIVIDUAL DIGNITY, HARD WORK, AND EXCELLENCE: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a memorandum removing radical “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) from the Foreign Service.
    The memorandum directs the Secretary of State to remove the “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility” Core Precept from Foreign Service tenure and promotion criteria.
    It further directs that the U.S. government will not base Foreign Service recruitment, hiring, promotion, or retention decisions on an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, nor embed discriminatory equity ideology within any element of the Foreign Service.
    Relevant agencies shall identify and take appropriate action regarding any Foreign Service Officer who knowingly and willfully engaged in illegal discrimination.
    PUTTING MERIT FIRST: President Trump believes that hiring in all parts of government should be based solely on merit.
    Under the previous administration, divisive and discriminatory policies were systematically embedded into every part of the State Department.
    Biden’s State Department conditioned eligibility for promotions on an employee’s ability to pass a DEI loyalty test.
    In 2023, Biden’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the State Department, Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, said: “We made the change that if you wanted to be considered for promotion at the Department of State, you must be able to document what you are doing to support diversity, equity and inclusion and accessibility. This is how you are judged for promotion.”

    Biden’s State Department published a “Five-Year Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Strategic Plan” that included a department-wide “DEIA Climate Survey” and implemented a comprehensive recruitment plan to aggressively target so-called “underrepresented groups.”
    Foreign policy positions should be filled by the most qualified individuals, not by discriminatory quotas or ideological requirements.
    SERVING AMERICA, NOT IDEOLOGICAL AGENDAS: President Trump is restoring fairness and accountability in federal hiring, and terminating DEI across the federal government.
    In his first week in office, President Trump signed an Executive Order restoring merit-based hiring and promotions across the federal government.
    President Trump also signed an Executive Order ending radical and wasteful DEI programs and preferencing.
    President Trump: “We will terminate every diversity, equity, and inclusion program across the entire federal government.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Meets Tech Leaders in Lafayette

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    LAFAYETTE – This afternoon, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) met with leaders of the Lafayette Regional Technology Council to discuss their efforts to encourage the growth of high-tech businesses in their community. They also discussed how the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Opportunity Machine incubator is supporting their efforts.
    “We want the next Amazon, Google, or SpaceX to lay roots in Louisiana,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Tech entrepreneurs and academic leaders are making that possible in Acadiana. And my infrastructure bill helps by extending high-speed broadband, so high-tech businesses can emerge and our young people have the same access to online resources no matter where they live.”
    During his time in Congress, Cassidy has worked to provide resources that make it possible for high-tech businesses to grow throughout Louisiana. In 2021, Cassidy secured $65 billion for broadband in his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will connect communities throughout America to high-speed Internet. This includes a $1.35 billion investment announced for Louisiana last year to connect 100,000 homes and 35,000 businesses.
    Cassidy also secured funds in Fiscal Year 2024 for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to help attract bio-medical start-up companies to Lafayette. He also visited FlyGuys, Inc. in February of 2022, an example of a Lafayette-based company using modern drone technology to perform aerial data collection for governmental and commercial entities.
    Founded in February, the Lafayette Regional Technology Council is working to develop and retain talent in the technology sector, facilitate connections and knowledge sharing across the technology community, promote Lafayette’s technology capabilities outside the region to encourage business growth and advocate for policies that support their efforts. A 15-member Steering Committee is at the heart of the council, uniting leaders from across Lafayette’s technology landscape.
    After the meeting, Cassidy took a tour of Opportunity Machine’s incubator and met young entrepreneurs building their businesses. He was welcomed to the meeting by Mr. Ben Johnson, chair of the council.
    “We are grateful to Senator Cassidy for taking the time to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Lafayette Regional Technology Council about the critical role technology and innovation play in driving economic growth and ensuring our community, state and nation remain competitive in a rapidly evolving world,” said Mr. Johnson. “His willingness to listen and explore solutions reinforces the importance of investing in innovation to strengthen our future.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues To Push Back On Proposed Cuts To Disaster Recovery Programs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    March 18, 2025
    In a new letter, the lawmakers pushed back against U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner’s proposed cuts to critical disaster recovery programs
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), along with 40 of their Senate colleagues, in pushing back on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner’s proposed cuts to crucial disaster recovery programs that are under the umbrella of HUD.
    The cuts would reduce employees at HUD’s office of Community Planning and Development, which administers the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program, a crucial pot of funding that helps impacted communities with disaster recovery following extreme weather events including tornadoes and severe flooding. Under this program, Illinois is scheduled to receive more than $856.3 million for disaster recovery, which would likely be in jeopardy due to the cuts.
    This disaster relief work includes rebuilding houses and small businesses, repairing roads and bridges, restoring water services, and investing in workforce development for Illinoisans who’ve lost jobs.
    “Communities across the country experienced significant natural disasters in 2023 and 2024… Alaska, Louisiana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Illinois experienced severe storms,” the Senators wrote to Secretary Turner. “CDBG-DR provides states, cities, counties, and Tribes with funding to support recovery efforts in the wake of natural disasters.  In December 2024, Congress appropriated $12 billion in emergency supplemental CDBG-DR funding. During your confirmation process, you made clear that, if confirmed, you would prioritize getting our constituents CDBG-DR funding as quickly as possible.”
      
    “Specifically, you [Secretary Turner] stated that ‘one of [your] top priorities’ as HUD Secretary would ‘be to ensure that the disaster recovery funding passed by Congress gets out to communities swiftly’ and ‘into the hands of Americans who have been impacted by recent disasters.’  Your statements indicated a strong commitment to providing our disaster-impacted communities with the resources they need, but we are concerned that recent actions at the Department have not matched that verbal commitment,” the Senators continued.
    “We urge you to immediately stop any additional cuts to the workforce and contracts involved in disaster recovery oversight, and reinstate any recently terminated probationary staff,” the lawmakers concluded.
    A copy of the letter is available here and below:
    March 17, 2025
    Dear Secretary Turner:
    We write today regarding our concerns that recent actions taken by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are hampering our states’ ability to access (CDBG-DR) funds. The CDBG-DR program is critical to our states’ ability to recover from natural disasters, and it is essential that HUD distributes funding as quickly and efficiently as possible. We request additional information on your plans to ensure that communities continue to receive the resources they need to rebuild.
    Communities across the country experienced significant natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. States across the South—including Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia—were devastated by Hurricanes Milton and Helene, while Alaska, Louisiana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Illinois experienced severe storms.  States in the Northeast—including, Vermont, and Massachusetts —faced life-threatening floods, while states in the West – including California, Washington State, and Hawaii – saw catastrophic wildfires in Maui. 
    CDBG-DR provides states, cities, counties, and Tribes with funding to support recovery efforts in the wake of natural disasters.  In December 2024, Congress appropriated $12 billion in emergency supplemental CDBG-DR funding. During your confirmation process, you made clear that, if confirmed, you would prioritize getting our constituents CDBG-DR funding as quickly as possible. Specifically, you stated that “one of [your] top priorities” as HUD Secretary would “be to ensure that the disaster recovery funding passed by Congress gets out to communities swiftly” and “into the hands of Americans who have been impacted by recent disasters.”  Your statements indicated a strong commitment to providing our disaster-impacted communities with the resources they need, but we are concerned that recent actions at the Department have not matched that verbal commitment.
    For years, the HUD Office of Inspector General listed disaster recovery oversight as a top management challenge at HUD, noting the need for systems and staff to keep pace with increases in CDBG-DR funding, as well as the need to build the capacity of CDBG-DR grantees.  The latest Top Management Challenges report highlighted multiple ways in which HUD has made “meaningful progress,” largely due to the investment Congress has made over the years to support staff, systems, and capacity building. Over the last week, however more than one thousand HUD employees (13% of HUD’s workforce) were fired or accepted the Administration’s deferred resignation offer – including staff supporting the CDBG-DR program. Furthermore, according to recent reports, HUD “plans to discharge 50% of its overall workforce”, and the Office of Community Planning and Development, which is responsible for supporting disaster recovery efforts, is targeted for a staggering 84% cut.  Should such cuts move forward, it is unclear how the Department will continue to ensure the efficient delivery of CDBG-DR funds so our states and communities can continue to rebuild after devastating disasters. 
    HUD has also postponed previously scheduled trainings designed to help grantees understand CDBG-DR program requirements, and it is not clear when those trainings will resume.  Moreover, continued uncertainty on whether and the extent to which HUD may change the current Universal Notice governing the latest allocations from the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025 (Public Law 118-158) could cause additional delays. At least one grantee has already started accepting public comments on their draft action plan. Any major deviations from current requirements could be a huge setback forcommunities, adding months to recovery efforts. 
    We urge you to immediately stop any additional cuts to the workforce and contracts involved in disaster recovery oversight, and reinstate any recently terminated probationary staff.
    To help us better understand the current status of the CDBG-DR program and your plans to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of CDBG-DR funds for our states and others across the country, we request information to the following questions no later than Monday, March 24, 2025:
    All grantees who received allocations from Public Law 118-158 have been using the CDBG-DR Universal Notice to develop their action plans.
    Do you intend to make changes to the Universal Notice?
    If so, how will HUD do that in a way that is minimally disruptive to the grantees whose actions plans are underway and to avoid delaying assistance?
    What is HUD’s timeline for reissuing the second allocation notice for Public Law 118-158 funding that was posted to the Federal Register for public inspection on January 21, 2025 but withdrawn on January 22, 2025?

    How many HUD employees were responsible for supporting the implementation of the CDBG-DR program, including the delivery of recently appropriated supplemental funding, on January 20, 2025? Please delineate by field versus headquarters and employee status (e.g., career, conditional, term, etc.).
    How many HUD employees are responsible for supporting the implementation of the CDBG-DR program, including the delivery of recently appropriated supplemental funding, on[March 17, 2025]? Please delineate by field versus headquarters and employee status (e.g., career, conditional, term, etc.).
    What additional plans, if any, does the Department have to further reduce the number of HUD employees responsible for implementing the CDBG-DR program?
    What analyses, if any, has HUD conducted to assess the impact of any proposed or implemented workforce reductions on the Department’s ability to implement CDBG-DR funding? Please provide copies of any written communications, analyses, and other documentation on how workforce reductions could impact the CDBG-DR program produced between January 21, 2025, and [March 17, 2025].
    What services, such as trainings and the provision of technical assistance, was HUD providing to CDBG-DR grantees on January 20, 2025?
    What services, if any, is HUD currently providing to CDBG-DR grantees? What changes, if any, have occurred to the services provided to CDBG-DR grantees since January 20, 2025?
    What additional plans, if any, does the Department have to alter the available services provided to CDBG-DR grantees? 
    Have any contracts related to the CDBG-DR program been terminated since January 20, 2025, as a result of the ongoing review of the ongoing reviews of HUD programs?  If so, please detail which contracts, the reason for termination, and the plan for addressing the contracted work, if applicable.
    Sincerely,
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Announces Winners of Fifteenth Annual State of the Union Essay Contest for Vermont Students

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    BURLINGTON, Vt., March 19 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday announced the winners of his fifteenth annual State of the Union Essay Contest, which gives Vermont high school students the opportunity to describe a major issue facing our country and propose what they would do to solve it. This year, 475 students from 25 Vermont high schools submitted essays. A panel of nine Vermont educators served as volunteer judges, ranking the essays and selecting 12 finalists and three winners.

    Since Sanders started the contest, over 6,600 students throughout Vermont – representing almost every high school in the state – have written essays about critically important issues, including climate change, access to mental health care, immigration reform, the housing crisis, political polarization, and the cost of higher education.

    “In difficult times, what makes me most hopeful is seeing young people engaged, thinking critically about the challenges we face as a country,” said Sanders. “Thank you to all the students who participated in this year’s contest. I look forward to hearing from the finalists and discussing their ideas about how to move forward on some very important issues.”

    Sanders has invited the 15 winners and finalists to join him for a roundtable discussion, which will be held at the Vermont State House on March 29. Sanders has also entered the finalists’ essays into the Congressional Record, the official archive of the U.S. Congress. The contest is timed to coincide with the President’s annual address to a joint session of Congress, which took place on Tuesday, March 4.

    Justason Lahue, from Burr and Burton Academy, won first-place with an essay on the effects of social media on adolescents’ mental health: “A 2023 Gallup survey found that teenagers spend an average of 4.8 hours on social media daily. Alarmingly, a longitudinal study involving 6,595 adolescents revealed that spending over 3 hours daily on social media doubled the risk of poor mental health outcomes, such as anxiety and depression…I propose a bill called the Youth Mental Health Protection Act. This act would target a root cause of social media-related youth mental health issues by changing the legal age of ‘internet adulthood’ (i.e., when one can sign up for most online platforms, consent to terms of service, and share personal data). This act would make 16 the legally required age to access social media.”

    Ari Glasser, the second-place winner from Essex High School, wrote about the influence of billionaires in our political system: “Today, America is in a sort of Second Gilded Age-complete with drastic wealth inequality and a dangerous level of influence by the ultra-wealthy that is becoming ever nearer to oligarchy. Just 735 billionaires hold more wealth than the bottom half of all American households. In order to reduce the concerning level of billionaire influence, many reforms must be enacted, but perhaps most important is a wealth tax. This could raise trillions of dollars for the government while also reducing the wealth and influence of billionaires over time… In addition to reducing the economic power of billionaires, their political influence must be reduced through the use of campaign finance reform-most importantly, overturning the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC.”

    Ely White, the third-place winner from Leland and Gray Union Middle High School, wrote about political polarization: “Political polarization has grown in the past decade in the United States, transforming healthy debates of ideas into an endless battle of ‘us’ against ‘them’… This deepening division threatens the ideals of our democracy, making it nearly impossible to address the critical issues that face our country today…Ranked-choice voting (RCV) is a system that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, the votes for the lowest-ranking candidate then redistributed to voters’ next choice until a majority is achieved. RCV would encourage candidates to appeal to broader ranges of voters rather than just their base, incentivizing politicians to take moderate stances rather than extreme party-driven positions…. Integrating civic education and media literacy into our schools and communities could also work as a grassroots solution in helping individuals evaluate information and recognize bias in misinformation and ideological chambers.”

    The winners of this year’s contest:

    • First place: Justason Lahue, Burr and Burton Academy, Junior
    • Second place: Ari Glasser, Essex High School, Junior
    • Third place: Ely White, Leland and Gray Union Middle High School, Senior

    The finalists of this year’s contest (in alphabetical order by last name):

    • Leo Beebe, Winooski High School, Senior
    • Emilee Brownell, Essex High School, Junior
    • Sofia Bush, Mount Mansfield Union High School, Junior
    • Aleksandra Cirovic, Woodstock Union High School, Junior
    • Allie Hamilton, Mount Mansfield Union High School, Junior
    • Mia Konefal, South Burlington High School, Freshman
    • Hazel O’Brien, Twinfield Union School, Senior
    • Mackenzie Russell, Harwood Union High School, Junior
    • Hannah Smiley, Milton High School, Senior
    • Winslow Solomon, Vermont Commons School, Senior
    • Owen Stygles, Bellows Free Academy Fairfax, Senior
    • Amy Vaughan, Oxbow High School, Junior

    Read the essays of the winners and finalists here.

    Learn more about opportunities for Vermont students through Sanders’ office by visiting https://www.sanders.senate.gov/vermont/students/.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff Demand USDA Reverse $1 Billion in Canceled Local Food Purchases for Schools, Farmers

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff Demand USDA Reverse $1 Billion in Canceled Local Food Purchases for Schools, Farmers

    Padilla joins effort to stop “further pain at a time of high food prices and instability within U.S. agricultural markets”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined Senator Adam Schiff and 29 other Senators in demanding that the U.S. Department of Agriculture reverse its cancellation of food purchase programs across the United States. The Senators warned of the harmful impacts this move will have on both families and American farmers, asserting that the reported $1 billion in canceled purchases by the USDA adds further pain at a time of high food prices and instability within U.S. agricultural markets. 

    “We ask that you reverse the cancellation,” wrote the Senators. “We have grave concerns that the cancellation … poses extreme harm to producers and communities in every state across the country. At a time of uncertainty in farm country, farmers need every opportunity to be able to expand market access for their products.” 

    The purchases from American famers fund food for food banks, schools, and child care centers in all 50 states, territories, tribal governments, and the District of Columbia. 

    In California, cancellation of purchases through the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS) puts more than $118 million in food purchases at risk in Fiscal Year 2025. 

    The letter was led by Schiff and Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). Senator Padilla signed the letter alongside Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-N.M.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.),  Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Angus King (I-Maine), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Peter Welch (Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). 

    Full text of the letter sent to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins is available here and below: 

    Dear Secretary Rollins:  

    We write to express serious concerns regarding the cancellation of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs supporting local and regional food purchases providing assistance to those in need. These successful programs, the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS), allow states, territories, and Tribes to purchase local foods from nearby farmers and ranchers to be used for emergency food providers, schools, and child care centers.  

    At a time when food insecurity remains high, providing affordable, fresh food to food banks and families while supporting American farmers is critical. Notably, LFPA and LFS have benefitted producers and consumers by providing funding for purchases through all 50 states, four territories, and 84 tribal governments. Through LFPA and LFS, USDA has prioritized the procurement and distribution of healthy, nutritious, domestic food. It has also taken an important step towards igniting rural prosperity by expanding and strengthening markets among farmers and rural economies. As of December 2024, the programs had supported over 8,000 producers, providing increased marketing opportunities.  

    Most importantly, we ask that you reverse the cancellation of LFPA and LFS. We also ask that you provide a thorough and complete update on USDA’s implementation of LFPA and LFS, including answers to the following questions:  

    1. What is the status of reimbursements for entities that have agreements with USDA through LFPA and LFS? What is the last date for which states, territories, and Tribes received reimbursements for food purchases under LFPA and LFS?

    2. Has the Administration conducted any assessments of how these program cancellations will impact producers and recipient organizations (e.g., food banks, schools, child care centers)? If so, please provide a copy of any such assessments.  

    We have grave concerns that the cancellation of LFPA and LFS poses extreme harm to producers and communities in every state across the country. At a time of uncertainty in farm country, farmers need every opportunity to be able to expand market access for their products.  

    Please provide responses to the information requested in our questions no later than Friday, April 4. Thank you for your attention to this urgent and important matter.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Blasts Trump’s Illegal Firing of FTC Commissioners As “Abuse of Power”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Donald Trump fired the two Democratic commissioners on the five-member U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), an independent agency charged with enforcing consumer protection and antitrust laws.  The unlawful move directly contradicts nearly a century of case law that has allowed the FTC to act solely in the public interest and free from short-term political considerations.

    After the firings were reported, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Subcommittee, which oversees funding for the FTC, issued the following statement:

    “This is an abuse of power and a blatant attempt to undermine the law and public good in order for Donald Trump to consolidate power for himself and his favored cronies.  It would completely undercut the independence that Congress lawfully bestowed upon the FTC and subject Americans to higher prices, more frequent scams, and will breed unchecked anticompetitive consolidation.  President Trump is flouting the rule of law in favor of the wealthiest Americans, causing economic instability, and putting the welfare of Americans at risk.  If President Trump gets away with this move, there is nothing to stop him from paralyzing the FTC or weaponizing it, depending on who’s in power or what company is at issue.  Removal of these FTC commissioners—solely because they are Democrats and not because they have done anything wrong—follows a pattern of this White House brazenly grabbing political power for itself.  President Trump has also removed Democratic members of other multi-member boards and commissions dedicated to protecting labor rights, enforcing government ethics rules, and preventing violations of civil liberties. President Trump is trying to drag the country down a dead end that endangers citizens and consumers, prevents accountability, emboldens corruption and autocracy, and could bleed taxpayers dry.  He is betting on a complaisant Supreme Court to validate this blatant executive overreach.  I hope the Court has some backbone, asserts itself as a co-equal branch of government, and affirms the 90 years of established legal precedent prohibiting Trump’s actions today.”

    The FTC is an independent agency created by Congress and led by a bipartisan panel of five commissioners – three selected from the president’s party and two from the minority party, and staffed nearly exclusively by nonpartisan experts, lawyers, and non-partisan civil servants who help safeguard the public interest.  FTC employees do the highly complex and technical work that lawmakers do not have the expertise to perform themselves like devising rules, investigating complaints, and penalizing lawbreakers.

    To insulate FTC commissioners from day-to-day political influence, by law they can be removed only for good cause like neglecting their official duties.  But Trump hasn’t provided any reason or cause whatsoever for removing these commissioners.

    FTC commissioners are unlike appointees who run executive departments directly under the president’s control, such as the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which has a single presidential cabinet official leading the department who is confirmed by the Senate and has wide latitude to work directly with the president to determine the direction of the agency.  Notably, FTC commissioners are appointed by the president and confirmed by Congress for lengthy terms at staggered intervals in order to serve across multiple administrations.  That continuity of service provides stability that benefits taxpayers and industry alike.

    The Center for American Progress notes: “Independent agencies exist today, in large part, thanks to the Supreme Court’s foundational opinion in Humphrey’s Executor v. United States in 1935. In that case, President Franklin Roosevelt tried to fire FTC Commissioner William Humphrey because Roosevelt worried that Humphrey would block his policies. The FTC Act, however, only allowed commissioners to be fired for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or wrongdoing while in office (i.e., “for cause”). Congress felt that FTC commissioners needed to be insulated from politics in order to serve the American people. If commissioners were replaced after every presidential election, that would lead to a constant policy back and forth that would ultimately harm American consumers and undermine the agency’s mission.

    “The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the president does not have unlimited power to fire independent agency heads. According to the court, Congress’ power to insulate independent agency heads from removal “cannot be doubted.” When agency heads perform “quasi-legislative” or “quasi-judicial” functions (i.e., policymaking or adjudicating), they are not exercising pure executive power, and thus the president does not have or need the ability to remove them at will. This case solidified independent agencies’ ability to serve the American people without fear of political reprisal.

    “In 1958, the Supreme Court reinforced Humphrey’s Executor in Wiener v. United States. In another unanimous opinion, the court held that the president does not have unlimited removal powers: “no such power is given the President directly by the Constitution, and none is impliedly conferred upon him by statute.” The court again evaluated removal protections in Morrison v. Olson in 1988. In Morrison, the court approved the extension of removal protections from independent agency heads to lower executive branch officers without policymaking abilities. In a 7-1 opinion, the court held that the for-cause restriction did not violate the separation of powers because it did not “unduly trammel on executive authority.”

    “Then, in 2020, the conservative-dominated Supreme Court indicated that there may be a small exception to Humphrey’s Executor. In Seila Law v. CFPB, the court narrowed Humphrey’s Executor by finding unconstitutional the for-cause removal protections for the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, who manages the agency alone without fellow commissioners. In a 5-4 decision, the court held that removal protections for agency heads can only apply in two situations: 1) agencies with multimember commissioners and 2) agencies that do not wield substantial executive power. Seila Law adopted a more expansive vision of presidential power than Humphrey’s Executor and marked a troubling shift in the law for the millions of Americans who rely on independent agencies.”

    Senator Reed noted Trump’s partisan dismissals of FTC commissioner are the latest instance of Trump wrongfully terminating critical federal employees without cause and trying to consolidate power for himself by turning independent federal watchdogs into lapdogs.  The terminated commissioners indicate they plan to sue to reverse the firings.  Senator Reed urged the federal courts and U.S. Supreme Court to expedite review of multiple cases moving through the system and to uphold the law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Ossoff Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Child Trafficking

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) in introducing the Preventing Child Trafficking Act. The bipartisan legislation aims to strengthen federal child trafficking prevention initiatives by enhancing coordination between the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Health and Human Services (HHS). The bill unanimously passed the Senate last Congress.
    “The federal government can and must do more to prevent children from falling prey to the evils of human trafficking. By strengthening collaboration between federal agencies, our bill aims to more effectively prevent future instances of trafficking, prosecute criminals and safeguard vulnerable children,” Grassley said.
    “Child trafficking in Georgia and nationwide is a crisis. That’s why I’m introducing this bipartisan bill with Senator Grassley to strengthen Federal protections for vulnerable children and increase support for victims of trafficking,” Ossoff said.
    Bill text is available HERE.
    Background:
    A 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found agencies within the DOJ and HHS lack collaboration mechanisms dedicated solely to combatting child trafficking. The GAO report notes this type of collaboration is a critical first line of defense against trafficking, and would allow federal agencies to better address the distinct needs of child trafficking survivors.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden: Bipartisan Deliver for Democracy Act Will Help Get Crucial Local News into the Hands of Oregonians

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    March 18, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined Vermont’s U.S. Senator Peter Welch and South Dakota’s U.S. Senator Mike Rounds to reintroduce the bipartisan, bicameral Deliver for Democracy Act. This legislation would incentivize reliable service from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and limit excessive rate increases. In recent years, the USPS has raised rates for periodicals under the guise of increased efficiency and improved service, but the changes have not addressed persistent postal delays.
    “Local papers are the backbones of our communities—they shine a light on the issues, large and small, that affect the daily lives of folks in Oregon and across the country. We must do all we can to protect local journalism—especially now,” said Merkley. “The bipartisan Deliver for Democracy Act is a critical piece of the puzzle of keeping local journalism alive by addressing the persistent local delivery delays that plague community news outlets and insisting on adequate service from USPS before any rate increases.”
    “You can’t know what is going on in your backyard if you don’t have the information on hand. Local journalism is the lifeblood that helps protect American democracy, combat misinformation, and empower communities small or large,” said Wyden. “The Deliver for Democracy Act ensures that USPS makes deliveries on time so local journalism doesn’t become history. As the son of a journalist and as an elected official who holds townhalls each year in each of Oregon’s 36 counties, I won’t stop fighting to help local journalism deliver news coverage right to your doorstep.”
    The Deliver for Democracy Act is led in the House by U.S. Representatives Robert Aderholt (R-AL-04) and Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-05). 
    The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 established an inflation-based cap to annual price increases for all market-dominant postal products, including periodicals. In January 2021, the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) finalized regulations that established three additional forms of rate authority, including one for non-compensatory classes of mail such as periodicals and package services. Under those regulations, USPS is provided an additional two percentage points of rate authority for any class or product of mail where costs exceed revenue. Since then, USPS has maximally exercised that authority and raised periodical postage rates by over 40 percent.
    Despite such significant rate increases, however, the Postal Service has routinely failed to meet periodicals’ basic needs and achieve the 95 percent on-time delivery performance standard outlined in Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year plan. As a result, local news outlets, which must already navigate other existential challenges, are simultaneously subject to high distribution costs and poor service. 
    The Deliver for Democracy Act would: 
    Require USPS to either achieve at least a 95 percent on-time delivery rate for periodicals or an improvement of at least 2 percentage points to unlock its 2 percent surcharge authority for that class of mail;  
    Direct the USPS to annually report to the PRC on its progress in including on-time delivery data for newspapers in its periodical service performance measurement; and 
    Instruct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study and submit a report to Congress on options for alternate USPS pricing schemes to improve the financial position of periodicals. 
    The Deliver for Democracy Act is endorsed by the National Newspaper Association and News/Media Alliance.
    Click here to learn more about the Deliver for Democracy Act. 
    Read the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey Blasts Trump’s Illegal Firing of Democratic FTC Commissioners

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Boston (March 18, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, released the following statement after Trump fired the Federal Trade Commission’s only two Democratic Commissioners, Rebecca Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya.

    “For more than a century, the independent Federal Trade Commission has played a critical role in protecting American consumers and promoting competition. By attempting to illegally fire Commissioner Slaughter and Commissioner Bedoya, Trump is sending a clear message that he wants to Forget The Consumers and Fast Track Corruption. Make no mistake: These illegal actions are a sign of weakness, not strength. With the Trump administration imminently having a majority at the FTC, the only reason to fire the Democratic commissioners is to shut down dissent and hide his efforts to pad the pockets of his billionaire buddies. Trump is scared that the Democratic commissioners will unmask his radical and unpopular agenda. 

    “It won’t work. We won’t let the FTC stand for Favoring Trump’s Cronies—we’ll fight back against Trump’s unconstitutional actions to make sure the FTC can continue to protect all Americans from scams, fraud, and other online and offline threats.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan, Murkowski, Colleagues Reintroduce Volcano Warning and Monitoring Legislation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

    03.14.25

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski (both R-Alaska), and Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize a domestic program focused on detecting and warning about volcanic threats. Their bill will enable the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to continue to improve its volcano monitoring and early warning capabilities around the country.

    “Our state constitutes the northern flank of the Pacific Ring of Fire, making Alaska the most volcanically active in the country by far,” Senator Sullivan said. “Just this week, experts predicted Mount Spurr in Southcentral could erupt in a matter of weeks, less than 100 miles west of Ted Stevens International—the fourth largest air cargo hub in the world. Volcanic eruptions not only threaten Alaska communities, but can also disrupt global trade and aviation along the heavily trafficked flight paths over our state. I’m glad to introduce legislation with Senator Murkowski and our colleagues to reauthorize NVEWS, invest in critical monitoring technologies and resources, and help ensure we can effectively plan for and respond to any future eruptions.”

    “With 141 active volcanoes in our state, volcanic threats are real for Alaskans,” said Senator Murkowski. “The Alaska Volcano Observatory is actively monitoring increased activity at Mount Spurr, just west of Anchorage, reminding us how vital continuous and reliable detection, warning, and response systems are across the Pacific Ring of Fire. I’m hopeful we can move this noncontroversial legislation quickly through Congress and to the President’s desk.”

    “The State of Washington is home to four of the most dangerous volcanoes in the nation,” Senator Cantwell said. “We must invest in the right science and fund robust monitoring to keep our communities informed, mitigate future threats, and save lives.”

    “In 2022, Hawaii Island residents experienced an eruption from Mauna Loa for the first time in nearly 40 years and they have continued to see new eruptions from the summit of Kilauea volcano,” said Senator Hirono. “This program, first authorized in 2019, will help scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to continue improving their volcanomonitoring and warning capabilities through expanded infrastructure and modernized technology. These improvements will further enable our scientists to provide comprehensive, up-to-date volcanic hazard information that keeps our communities safe. Reauthorizing this program is necessary to ensure that officials at volcano observatories throughout the country can continue to provide real-time hazard information for residents, visitors, and emergency responders.”

    “Volcanic eruptions pose an increasing threat to a growing, globally connected population and economy. Unlike some other hazards, volcanic eruptions can be accurately forecast if the necessary equipment has been installed and data have been acquired. The recent unrest of Mount Spurr, a very high threat volcano near Anchorage, Alaska, is an excellent example of how volcano scientists can provide warning prior to a possible eruption when sufficient instrumentation and scientific knowledge are available. However, most volcanoes in the U.S. are not adequately monitored. The reauthorization of NVEWS would provide the necessary means to sufficiently monitor volcanoes across the U.S. and improve public safety. We thank the Senator and her staff for their efforts in supporting this legislation,” said David Fee, Coordinating Scientist at the Alaska Volcano Observatory.

    Background

    Murkowski’s National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System Act passed Congress in 2018. The legislation provides USGS with the resources needed to organize, modernize, standardize, and stabilize the monitoring systems of U.S. volcanoobservatories and centralizes the collected data. The original Act’s authorizations expired at the end of Fiscal Year 2023, but Murkowski, now Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, has ensured this important priority continues to receive federal funding.

    The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) is a “consortium of the USGS, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, and the State of Alaska Geological and Geophysical Surveys.” Mount Spurr, located 75 miles west of Anchorage, is projected to erupt “within weeks or months,” with ash “likely” to impact Alaska’s most populated areas.

    The reauthorization of the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring Systems Act:

    • Authorizes a total of $75 million over a ten-year period;
    • Adds the U.S. Forest Service to the interagency coordination list;
    • Requires five-year management plans on a regular basis, and includes coordination with new or existing cooperative partners;
    • Establishes an Implementation Committee to help provide recommended requirements, implementation steps, and performance standards for the system;
    • Establishes public communication and messaging responsibilities for coordination between partners to avoid confusion or duplication;
    • Expands the list of emerging technologies for advanced monitoring networks to support modernization of data collection and networks; and
    • Updates technical language.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, 36 Colleagues To Education Secretary: “We Will Not Stand By As You Attempt To Turn Back The Clock On Education In This Country”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Tuesday joined 36 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon expressing outrage at the administration’s reckless and illegal firing of half of the workforce at the U.S. Department of Education. The senators condemned the mass layoffs— part of a broader effort by the Trump administration and Elon Musk to attack public education—warning that closing offices and cutting 1,300 jobs will devastate America’s schools and harm students across the country.
    “At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, when 60 percent of people live paycheck to paycheck, millions of Americans cannot afford higher education, and 40 percent of our nation’s 4th graders and 33 percent of 8th graders read below basic proficiency, it is a national disgrace that the Trump Administration is attempting to illegally abolish the Department of Education and thus, undermine a high-quality education for our students,” the senators wrote.
    The senators noted that these layoffs and closures will have devastating effects on the nation’s students, including by limiting the department’s ability to guarantee federal funding reaches communities that rely on it, ensure students can access federal financial aid, and uphold students’ civil rights. Not even 24 hours after the staff reductions were announced, the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) experienced a glitch that prevented students and families from accessing the application. Education Department workers responsible for fixing it had reportedly been fired.
    The senators continued: “[The layoffs] would also mean decreased enforcement of rights for children with disabilities and fewer resources for students from low-income backgrounds and children with disabilities, like the 26 million students from low-income backgrounds and over 100,000 public schools in every community across this country that rely on Title I funding; the 7.5 million students with disabilities who benefit under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the 7 million students who receive Pell grants to help access higher education.”
    In Connecticut, 1,000 K-12 schools and over 533,000 K-12 students, including those with disabilities, from low-income backgrounds, and English learners, rely on critical federal funding coming into Connecticut. Financial aid and support also support students across Connecticut attend and complete college including through $286 million in Pell Grants for 63,000 students in Connecticut and $19 billion in current and outstanding federal student loans supporting the education of 517,000 borrowers in Connecticut.
    They concluded: “We will not stand by as you attempt to turn back the clock on education in this country through gutting the Department of Education. Our nation’s public schools, colleges, and universities are preparing the next generation of America’s leaders—we must take steps to strengthen education in this country, not take a wrecking ball to the agency that exists to do so.”
    U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Maize Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Chuck Schumer  (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Mark Warner  (D-Va.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) also signed the letter.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    Dear Secretary McMahon:
    We write to express our outrage that you, President Trump, and unelected billionaire Elon Musk are taking steps to abolish the Department of Education (“the Department”) and eliminate educational opportunities for millions of students across the country, something that 61 percent of Americans oppose. This most recently includes a 50 percent cut to the workforce, resulting in the termination of over 1,300 workers at the Department of Education, as well as the abrupt, last-minute closure of all Department of Education buildings beginning at 6:00 PM on the same day that these terminations were announced.
    At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, when 60 percent of people live paycheck to paycheck, millions of Americans cannot afford higher education, and 40 percent of our nation’s 4th graders and 33 percent of 8th graders read below basic proficiency, it is a national disgrace that the Trump Administration is attempting to illegally abolish the Department of Education and thus, undermine a high-quality education for our students.
    As Secretary of Education, you are the foremost public servant responsible for carrying out the Department of Education’s mission to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access. Despite that responsibility, your first act as Secretary was announcing it was your “final mission” to dismantle the Department of Education, fire the public servants who keep it running, and terminate opportunities for students in public schools, colleges, and universities across the country.
    The false claims of financial savings by dismantling the Department of Education so that billionaires can receive huge tax breaks is bad public policy and morally reprehensible. The billionaires that are in charge of our federal government right now will not be harmed by these egregious attacks: wealthy families sending their children to elite, private schools will still be able to get a quality education even if every public school disappears in this country. But for working-class families, high-quality public education is an opportunity they rely on for their children to have a path to do well in life.
    Defunding federal support for public education would result in either higher property taxes or decreased funding for public schools, including in rural areas. It would also mean decreased enforcement of rights for children with disabilities and fewer resources for students from low-income backgrounds and children with disabilities, like the 26 million students from low-income backgrounds and over 100,000 public schools in every community across this country that rely on Title I funding; the 7.5 million students with disabilities who benefit under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the 7 million students who receive Pell grants to help access higher education.
    It is undeniable that terminating 50 percent of the Department of Education’s workers will have harmful effects on public education in this country. The Department of Education already has the smallest staff of the 15 Cabinet agencies despite having the third largest discretionary budget, behind only the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services. These reductions will have devastating impacts on our nation’s students and we are deeply concerned that without staff, the Department will be unable to fulfill critical functions, such as ensuring students can access federal financial aid, upholding students’ civil rights, and guaranteeing that federal funding reaches communities promptly and is well-spent. Not even 24 hours after the staff reductions were announced, the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) experienced a glitch that prevented students and families from accessing the application, but the staff normally responsible for fixing those errors had reportedly been cut. The Department has also reportedly shuttered several regional offices responsible for investigating potential violations of students’ civil rights in local schools. We are deeply alarmed that cases will go uninvestigated and that students will be left in unsafe learning environments as a result.
    The Trump Administration also says it wants to ‘return education back to the states.’ Let us be very clear—public education is already run by states and local school boards. While just 11 percent of public education is federally funded, the Department of Education has a necessary and irreplaceable responsibility to implement federal laws that ensure equal opportunity for all children in this country. These laws guarantee fundamental protections, such as ensuring that children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, that students from low-income backgrounds and students of color will not be disproportionately taught by less experienced and qualified teachers, and that parents will receive information about their child’s academic achievement.
    Without the Department of Education, there is no guarantee that states would uphold students’ civil and educational rights. Let us not forget that it was federal troops who protected the “Little Rock Nine” from a violent mob of segregationists when they integrated Central High School in the wake of the Brown v. Board U.S. Supreme Court decision. Not only was the state not going to provide this protection, but it was then-Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus who ordered the state’s National Guard to bar Black students from entering the school. Even today, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights regularly investigates and resolves complaints of student discrimination related to students’ race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability status.
    We will not stand by as you attempt to turn back the clock on education in this country through gutting the Department of Education. Our nation’s public schools, colleges, and universities are preparing the next generation of America’s leaders—we must take steps to strengthen education in this country, not take a wrecking ball to the agency that exists to do so.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Baldwin Continues “Hands Off Medicaid Tour” in Eau Claire

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    EAU CLAIRE, WI – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) continued her “Hands Off Medicaid Tour” in Eau Claire, calling out President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans’ plan to slash Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. In Eau Claire, Senator Baldwin was joined by Wisconsinites who shared their stories about how Medicaid helps them and their families afford the care they need to stay healthy. About 152,900 Wisconsinites in Western Wisconsin – or Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District – utilize Medicaid for health care, including 21,600 seniors and 50,000 children.
    “Republicans are planning to terminate health care for our neighbors, friends, and loved ones on Medicaid – all to make room in the budget for new tax breaks for big corporations and the wealthiest. In Western Wisconsin, over 150,000 Wisconsinites’ care would be in jeopardy, from low-income children to seniors in nursing homes,” said Senator Baldwin. “Today, I was in Eau Claire to hear exactly what taking away this lifeline would mean for Wisconsinites and send the message loudly and clearly: Hands off Medicaid.”
    Senator Baldwin was joined by the following Wisconsinites who shared their stories and appealed to Congressional Republicans to stop their efforts to terminate the health care that keeps them and their families well:
    Adam and Janice Wojak – Fall Creek, WI – Adam and Janice shared the story of their son Chase who was diagnosed with autism at around three years old and uses Wisconsin’s Medicaid programs, which allows him to live at home under the care of his parents rather than in an institutional setting.
    Sharen Warden – Eleva, WI – Sharen shared that her husband is at an assisted living facility after he suffered a massive stroke, and relies on Medicaid. She shared she isn’t sure what they would do without Medicaid.
    Sandra Dye – Eau Claire, WI – Sandra’s son is 30 years old and has been suffering from chronic migraines since he was eight. Medicaid has made it possible for him to get the care that he needs to continue fighting for relief from his symptoms.
    Sharon Dillon – Eau Claire, WI – Sharon cannot afford medications for her chronic illnesses without Medicaid. She also has two adult children with autism that utilize Medicaid for care.
    Republicans are planning deep cuts to Medicaid that will jeopardize the coverage of 72 million Americans. In Wisconsin, over 1.2 million are enrolled in Medicaid. About 1 in 3 children in both Wisconsin’s rural and metro communities have Medicaid coverage. More than 300,000 kids under age 19 are members of BadgerCare Plus or another Wisconsin Medicaid program.
    Across the country, Medicaid covers nearly half of all children, 31.5 million, over 8.3 million seniors, and around 15 million people with disabilities. Medicaid also pays for 6 out of 10 residents in nursing homes, with 5.6 million Americans counting on Medicaid for their long-term care bills and Medicaid paying for over half of long-term care in the United States. Severe cuts to Medicaid will also jeopardize rural hospitals and clinics’ ability to keep their doors open. Over 12 million rural Americans rely on Medicaid for health care.
    The next stops of the “Hands Off Medicaid Tour” include:
    Madison and Racine on Thursday, March 20, 2025
    Waukesha on Friday, March 21, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Statement on Illegal Firings of FTC Commissioners

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Santa Fe, N.M. — U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement on President Trump’s illegal firings of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter: 
    “The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency in charge of protecting American consumers and promoting competition. From combating fraud and deception to tackling unfair business practices, the FTC is there to serve the American people’s interests. President Trump’s illegal firings of Senate-confirmed Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter are unlawful and should be reversed immediately.
    “President Trump is once again subverting the law to exert his own political agenda – one that serves the wealthiest and largest corporations and not the American people. The law — which makes it clear that the president cannot fire commissioners without cause — must be upheld.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Rosen Join Colleagues in Demanding Trump Administration Reverse Major Cuts to Food Assistance for Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and 29 of their colleagues in demanding the Department of Agriculture reverse its cancellation of food purchase programs across the United States, warning of the harmful impacts this move will have on both families and American farmers. Nevada utilizes these federal funds to support the state’s food bank network and school nutrition programs by purchasing local foods from farmers and producers in Nevada, benefiting students, families, and the local economy.

    “We write to express serious concerns regarding the cancellation of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs supporting local and regional food purchases providing assistance to those in need,” wrote the Senators. “These successful programs, the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS), allow states, territories, and Tribes to purchase local foods from nearby farmers and ranchers to be used for emergency food providers, schools, and child care centers.”

    “At a time when food insecurity remains high, providing affordable, fresh food to food banks and families while supporting American farmers is critical,” they continued. “We have grave concerns that the cancellation of LFPA and LFS poses extreme harm to producers and communities in every state across the country.”

    The full letter can be found here.

    Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have been vocal opponents of the Trump Administration’s efforts to cut critical programs Nevadans rely on all while trying to give further tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. The Senators have pushed multiple Departments under the Trump Administration for detailed, public information regarding the impacts of President Trump’s federal funding freeze, hiring freeze, and terminations on Nevada – including to the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, and the General Services Administration. Earlier this year, Cortez Masto and Rosen urged the Department of the Interior to immediately cease its freeze of Inflation Reduction Act funding for the Lower Colorado River System Conservation and Efficiency Program.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Leads Colleagues in Reintroducing Legislation to Prevent the Shackling and Mistreatment of Pregnant Women in ICE and CBP Custody

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Legislation would provide permanent safeguards for pregnant and postpartum women in ICE and CBP custody; Rep. Garcia to introduce companion legislation in the House

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) led 22 senators last week in reintroducing her Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act. The legislation will protect the health and safety of pregnant, postpartum, and lactating women in immigration detention by establishing a presumption of release, prohibiting any agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from shackling pregnant women in its custody—including those in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—and setting new standards of care and transparency for the treatment of pregnant women and youth. Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia (D, TX-29) will soon be reintroducing companion legislation in the House.

    “Shackling pregnant women in immigration custody is not only unnecessary, it is dangerous and traumatic for women and their pregnancies—and there is simply no justifiable reason for this barbaric practice,” said Senator Murray. “At a time that we have a president whose approach to immigration appears to be cruelty for cruelty’s sake, it is more important than ever that we act to ensure all pregnant women in custody are treated humanely and with respect. I will continue to fight against the gross mistreatment of pregnant women in immigration detention and am proud to join my friend Rep. Garcia in reintroducing this important legislation.”

    The mistreatment of pregnant women in ICE detention has been well-documented—and without basic protections, pregnant women in ICE detention are at higher risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and other pregnancy-related health complications. A Government Accountability Office study published in 2020 found that between 2016 and 2018, ICE detained pregnant women over 4,600 times. As Congress increased its oversight of the detention of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women that number has dropped to just 158 pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women detained in the first half of Fiscal Year 2024.

    The Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act is supported by: The American Civil Liberties Union, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Center for Reproductive Rights, Church World Service, Families USA, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, MomsRising, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Council of Jewish Women, National Immigrant Justice Center, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, National Women’s Law Center, Reproductive Freedom for All, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

    In the Senate, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    A one-pager on the legislation is HERE.

    The full text of the legislation is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Durbin, Welch Announce Reintroduction of Legislation to Improve Access to Counsel Guaranteed by Constitution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Ranking Member Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) announced the reintroduction of the Providing a Quality Defense Act in commemoration of Gideon Day, the day in 1963 when the Supreme Court decided Gideon v. Wainwright, a landmark case that recognized the constitutional imperative that the government must provide counsel to those who are too poor to afford their own criminal defense. The Providing a Quality Defense Act would help provide indigent criminal defendants with meaningful and competent representation. 
    “Today marks the 62nd anniversary of Gideon v. Wainright, the landmark Supreme Court decision which affirmed that in order to ensure a fair trial, every person charged with a crime deserves adequate legal representation, regardless of their socioeconomic background,” said Senator Booker. “Public defenders help fulfill the promise of Gideon by serving as a lifeline for people navigating the criminal justice system. But far too often, public defenders are overworked, underpaid, and lack the necessary resources to effectively represent criminal defendants in the legal system. The Providing a Quality Defense Act seeks to change that by establishing grant programs for public defense offices to hire more public defenders, increase salaries to ensure pay parity with prosecutors, and provide the tools and resources public defenders need to handle their caseloads and provide competent legal defense.”
    “Public defenders bear the responsibility of ensuring our right to due process, a cornerstone of the American justice system,” said Senator Durbin. “They ought to have the necessary resources to fulfill their critical mission. Our bill helps support public defenders by bolstering resources to ensure public defense remains a competitive field of law that can attract and retain quality talent. This is an important step toward ensuring a fair justice system for all.”
    “As the Senate’s only former public defender, I have enormous respect for how essential this workforce is to our criminal judicial system and democratic institutions. Ensuring the country’s public defenders and panel attorneys are adequately trained with the necessary resources is crucial for improving access to justice,” said Senator Welch. “I’m proud to partner with my Judiciary Committee colleagues on this bill to support our public defender workforce and ensure the right to counsel is protected.”
    Specifically, the Providing a Quality Defense Act would: 
    Establish a grant program for public defense offices to hire public defenders or panel attorneys, case workers, social workers, investigators, or paralegals. These grants could also be used to achieve pay parity for public defenders or panel attorneys with prosecutors’ offices
    Provide grant funds to public defense offices to establish loan repayment assistance programs for public defenders
    Direct the Attorney General to develop best practices and recommendations for public defender and panel attorney caseloads and for the compensation of public defenders and panel attorneys
    Allow states to report data about criminal cases heard by courts to the Attorney General for the purpose of developing best practices
    Establish grants for educational programs for public defenders and panel attorneys, including for ongoing training and support
    To read the full text of the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Peters Helps Lead Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Access to Broadband Service for Rural and Underserved Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    Published: 03.18.2025

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped lead bipartisan legislation to improve federal programs that help ensure rural and underserved communities have equitable access to broadband service. The Rural Broadband Protection Act – which Peters cosponsored with U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and John Curtis (R-UT) – would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to certify that federal funding goes toward companies and internet service providers with proven track records in deploying broadband in rural areas. The bill recently passed the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. 
    “Access to affordable, high-speed internet is essential, whether it’s for school, work, seeing your doctor, or running a business, and I’ve been proud to secure robust federal investments in our state to help ensure every Michigander can get connected,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “This bipartisan legislation would make sure these federal resources are awarded to organizations with experience in effectively delivering broadband service to rural and underserved communities who need it most.”   
    The FCC’s Connect America Fund (CAF) provides funding to ensure consumers in rural, insular, and high-cost areas have access to essential broadband services. In 2022, more than $8 million in fines were filed against CAF awardees who did not meet the requirements of their funding agreements to improve service in underserved areas. The Rural Broadband Protection Act would require future applicants, either under CAF or a new high-cost universal service program, to undergo a vetting process to help ensure broadband infrastructure investments are effectively implemented in the intended communities.   
    Peters is committed to expanding high-speed internet access across Michigan. In June 2023, he announced that Michigan would receive more than $1.5 billion in federal funding from the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, known as BEAD, to increase high-speed internet access. In 2023, Peters announced a more than $38 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support rural communities across Michigan, which was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law. In 2024, he secured $27 million for Northern Michigan University to upgrade their Educational Access Network, enabling the university to expand broadband access beyond the thousands of students and families they serve in communities across the Upper Peninsula.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Statement on the Firing of Two Federal Trade Commissioners

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    March 18, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – Following the news that President Trump fired Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released the following statement: 
    “Donald Trump just illegally fired two independent commissioners at the FTC who fight big corporations that abuse consumers and workers. 
    “Why? Trump’s billionaire donors expect a return on their investment. He works for them, not you. 
    “The courts must reinstate the commissioners.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –