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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Passes Cassidy’s Bill to Combat Illegal Fentanyl

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) today celebrated the passage of the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act, which makes permanent the temporary classification of fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I drug of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Cassidy’s bill passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 84-16 and will head to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law. The HALT Fentanyl Act built on the momentum of the Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogues (SOFA) Act introduced by U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI).
    “74,000 people died in 2023 from fentanyl overdoses. Law enforcement needs every tool,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This gives them another tool and makes that tool permanent. We must continue to work until 74,000 becomes 0. I am proud to have led the effort to get this bill to the president’s desk.”
    “The HALT Fentanyl Act is a critical step towards ending the crisis that’s killing hundreds of thousands of precious American lives. I thank my Senate colleagues for passing this bill with broad, overwhelming support,” Senator Grassley. “I urge my House colleagues to swiftly pass the Senate version of this battle-tested, bipartisan bill to save lives, advance research and support our brave men and women in blue.”
    “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). 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. 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. I am pleased that the Senate overwhelmingly passed this important bill that has been proven to keep new kinds of fentanyl-related substances from being manufactured for illicit use in our communities,” said Senator Johnson.
    The bill has 30 U.S. Senate cosponsors, including Democratic lead Martin Heinrich (D-NM).
    “I’m pleased that my HALT Fentanyl Act passed the Senate and is one step closer to becoming law,” said Senator Heinrich. “My legislation now heads to the House and I urge my colleagues to pass it. The HALT Fentanyl Act is urgently needed to help our law enforcement crack down on illegal trafficking, get deadly fentanyl out of our communities, and save lives.”
    The bill has also been endorsed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and is supported by 40 advocacy groups, including 25 State Attorneys General, 11 major law enforcement organizations, nine major medical associations and Facing Fentanyl, a coalition of over 200 impacted family groups.
    Before the vote, Cassidy spoke on the U.S. Senate floor urging his colleague to vote for his HALT Fentanyl Act.
    Background:
    In February, Cassidy spoke on the U.S. Senate floor amid Senate Democrat’s attempt to undermine his HALT Fentanyl Act.
    Drug overdoses, largely driven by fentanyl, are the leading cause of death among young adults 18 to 45 years old. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl account for 66 percent of the total U.S. overdose deaths. In the last two fiscal years, U.S. Customs and Border Protect (CBP) seized record amounts of fentanyl—nearly 50,000 pounds—enough to produce more than 2 billion lethal doses. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2023 there were an estimated 107,543 drug overdose deaths—74,702 of which were attributed to fentanyl. This was primarily fueled by synthetic opioids, including illegal fentanyl, which are largely manufactured in Mexico from raw materials supplied by China. In 2022, there were over 50.6 million fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills seized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), more than doubling the amount seized in 2021.
    In 2017, Johnson introduced SOFA in the U.S. Senate following the Wisconsin legislature’s unanimous adoption of a similar bill. In 2019, Cassidy became a cosponsor of SOFA. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, President Trump’s CMS Nominee Agree on Need to Stop Medicare Overpayments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

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    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) discusses his plan to stop Medicare overpayments during U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Director nominee Mehmet Oz’s confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. Dr. Oz said he agrees with Cassidy there are opportunities to stop Medicare Advantage plans from receiving higher Medicare reimbursements simply if a patient has multiple conditions regardless of whether they are related to the care they receive.  
    “[A]s we look at the [Medicare] trust fund going insolvent and our budget deficit expanding, is [Medicare Advantage] a place you would look? And if so, how would you look in terms of getting better value for the dollar?” asks Dr. Cassidy. 
    “I think there are ways for us to look for example at the upcoding that is going on that is happening systemically… to make sure people are being appropriately paid for taking care of sick patience, but not for patients who aren’t ill,” said Dr. Oz. “We actually have to go after places and areas where we are not managing the American people’s money well… both of us, I think, agree there are opportunities to do that.”  
    “I have a bill—the No UPCODE Act—that actually achieves that. So, I think you are going to be confirmed, and we will discuss that with you at a later date,” said Dr. Cassidy. 
    Last Congress, Cassidy introduced his No UPCODE Act to improve the way Medicare Advantage plans assess patients’ health risks, reduce overpayments for care, and save taxpayers billions by eliminating incentives to overcharge Medicare for care.
    Background:
    Traditional Medicare plans reimburse providers for the cost of treatments rendered, while Medicare Advantage is paid a standard rate based on the health of an individual patient. Because of this, Medicare Advantage plans have a financial incentive to make beneficiaries appear sicker than they may be to receive a higher Medicare reimbursement. 
    The No UPCODE Act would eliminate those incentives by:

    Developing a risk-adjustment model that uses two years of diagnostic data instead of just one year.
    Limiting the ability to use old or unrelated medical conditions when determining the cost of care. 
    Ensuring Medicare is only charged for treatment related to relevant medical conditions.
    Closing the gap between how a patient is assessed under traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Votes to Keep the Government Open

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today released a statement after he voted in support of a continuing resolution to keep the government open.
    “I’m on the same team as President Trump and Speaker Johnson. Despite Democrats stalling, we kept the government open by standing united,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I gladly voted for a bill that kept the flood insurance program going, paid our troops, and cut government waste.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Rand Paul Forces Vote on Codifying Secretary Rubio and DOGE’s Foreign Aid Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
    March 14, 2025
     Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343
     
    The amendment would have saved the American taxpayers $16 billion on an annualized basis, cutting most of the waste, fraud, and abuse that has plagued USAID for decades
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), forced a vote on his amendment to codify Secretary of State Rubio and DOGE’s cuts to foreign aid. Dr. Paul’s amendment would have saved the American taxpayers $16 billion on an annualized basis, cutting most of the waste, fraud, and abuse that has plagued USAID for decades. The final vote was 27-73.
    “If we continue to spend at current levels, as this bill plans to do, it will add $2 trillion to the debt this year. My amendment would have put DOGE’s findings into action, eliminating funding for an agency that spent its taxpayer dollars on woke entertainment and advocacy, and set in law the reductions that the Trump administration has made known to be necessary,” said Dr. Paul. “DOGE’s cuts are only real in the long term if they are reflected in congressional action. If we continue to fund the federal government at the Biden administration’s levels, then the money from DOGE’s hard-found savings will just be spent somewhere else.”
    Secretary Rubio and DOGE have spent months identifying rampant waste in foreign aid. However, the budget proposed by Congress continues to fund those programs. It maintains $400 million more than pre-pandemic levels, despite the nation’s spiraling $36 trillion of debt. Dr. Paul’s amendment reduced USAID’s budget in accordance with Secretary Rubio and DOGE’s cuts, amounting to $16 billion in annualized savings. The amendment set in law the reductions that the Trump administration has made known to be necessary and allowed Congress to put the excess money towards our mounting debt.
    You can read Dr. Paul’s amendment HERE, and watch his floor remarks on the amendment HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Rand Paul to Force Vote on Codifying Secretary Rubio and DOGE’s Foreign Aid Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), will force a vote on his amendment to codify Secretary of State Rubio and DOGE’s cuts to foreign aid. Dr. Paul’s amendment would save the American taxpayers $16 billion on an annualized basis, cutting most of the waste, fraud, and abuse that has plagued USAID for decades.

    “If we continue to spend at current levels, as this bill plans to do, it will add $2 trillion to the debt this year. My amendment puts DOGE’s findings into action, eliminating funding for an agency that spent its taxpayer dollars on woke entertainment and advocacy, and sets in law the reductions that the Trump administration has made known to be necessary,” said Dr. Paul. “DOGE’s cuts are only real in the long term if they are reflected in congressional action. If we continue to fund the federal government at the Biden administration’s levels, then the money from DOGE’s hard-found savings will just be spent somewhere else.”

    Secretary Rubio and DOGE have spent months identifying rampant waste in foreign aid. However, the budget proposed by Congress continues to fund those programs. It maintains $400 million more than pre-pandemic levels, despite the nation’s spiraling $36 trillion of debt. Dr. Paul’s amendment reduces USAID’s budget in accordance with Secretary Rubio and DOGE’s cuts, amounting to $16 billion in annualized savings. The amendment sets in law the reductions that the Trump administration has made known to be necessary and allows Congress to put the excess money towards our mounting debt.

    You can read Dr. Paul’s amendment HERE, and watch his floor remarks on the amendment HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF CONGRESSWOMAN NITA LOWEY

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    Senator Schumer said, “Congresswoman Lowey was the heart of the Hudson Valley and my friend of over 40 years. She was a trailblazer who ran the Appropriations Committee with amazing effectiveness. So many stand on her shoulders and her impact continues to resonate years after her retirement. Above all else though, Congresswoman Lowey was a kind hearted person, always putting others first and caring for their well-being. Her work helped improve the lives of millions, especially in the Hudson Valley where she will forever remain a beloved institution. I will very much miss her.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CDFI Caucus Co-Chairs Warner & Crapo Respond to Executive Order Targeting CDFI Fund

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), co-chairs of the Senate Community Development Finance Caucus, issued the following statement:

    “When the CDFI Fund was developed 30 years ago, it was created in the form of a private-public partnership to promote access to capital in our most underserved urban and rural communities. 

    “Since 1994, the CDFI sector has grown to over 1400 institutions, located in every state and territory in the nation — and leveraging at least $8 in private sector investment for every $1 in public funding received.

    “As co-chairs of the Community Development Finance Caucus, a group which has grown to 28 members, 14 Democrats and 14 Republicans, we are proud to reaffirm our bipartisan commitment to support the CDFI Fund’s mission.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Statement on Tornadoes Across Missouri

    US Senate News:

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

    Saturday, March 15, 2025

    U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) released the following statement after deadly tornadoes touched down across Missouri last night. The Senator and his team are standing by to assist those impacted and are in contact with state and local officials.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Voice of Radical America

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    President Donald J. Trump’s executive order on Friday will ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda.
    Dan Robinson, a 34-year veteran of Voice of America and its former White House correspondent, wrote last year: “I have monitored the agency’s bureaucracy along with many of its reporters and concluded that it has essentially become a hubris-filled rogue operation often reflecting a leftist bias aligned with partisan national media. It has sought to avoid accountability for violations of journalistic standards and mismanagement.”
    Voice of America’s management told staff not to call Hamas and its members terrorists, “except when quoting statements.”
    Daily Caller: “Multiple Voice Of America Reporters Have Posted Anti-Trump Content On Social Media”
    “Multiple Voice of America (VOA) reporters have repeatedly posted anti-Trump comments on their professional Twitter accounts, despite a social media policy requiring employee impartiality on social media platforms.”

    Rep. Scott Perry wrote in a 2022 letter that Voice of America has “grown exceedingly partisan over the past several years.”
    A 2016 report from Office of Personnel Management cited by Rep. Perry revealed that Voice of America Persian employees said that outlet tolerated “coercion for partisan political purposes.”
    The Washington Free Beacon: “VOA Misallocates Funds and Suppresses Negative Stories About Iran. This Lawmaker Wants To Investigate.”

    Voice of America: “What Is ‘White Privilege’ and Whom Does It Help?”
    “Today, the phrase is used passionately and widely in the context of racial profiling — police treatment of people as criminal suspects based on their race.”

    A 2022 lawsuit claimed Voice of America has “been infiltrated by anti-American, pro-Islamic state interests, and that the message of VOA had been compromised in a manner that was biased toward the Islamic state factions in Iran.”
    In October 2020, Voice of America wrote that the “allegations that Russia played a role in perpetuating the scandal to benefit Trump could undermine the emails’ credibility” downplaying the validity of the Hunter Biden laptop story.
    In July 2020, Voice of America faced criticism for “sharing a story and video appearing too favorable to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.”
    In September 2019, the Daily Caller reported that Voice of America employed a Russian anti-U.S. propagandist.
    In May 2019, Voice of America fired reporters for their roles in canceling a broadcast midstream after pressure from the Chinese government.
    In March 2019, Voice of America ran a segment about transgender migrants seeking asylum in the United States.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Is Standing Up to Terrorism and Protecting International Commerce

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    It has been over a year since a U.S.-flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden. No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.
    Our economic and national security have been under attack by the Houthis for too long. Today, President Trump’s action and leadership are moving to end this.
    Shipping Disruption
    Houthi attacks against shipping since 2023 have caused a sustained negative effect on global trade and the economic security of the United States. A 2024 Defense Intelligence Agency report detailed how container shipping through the Red Sea has precipitously declined due to Houthi attacks.
    Before their attacks, 25,000 merchant ships passed through the Red Sea annually. The current number has dropped to around 10,000 ships annually.
    Imports of consumer goods and cars to the United States, as well as agricultural exports from our own Gulf of America, have been rerouted due to the Houthi attacks.
    In November 2023, the Houthis seized the ship M/V Galaxy Leader and began to attack commercial ships with anti-ship missiles and unmanned vehicles.
    Houthi attacks caused approximately 75% of U.S.- and UK-affiliated vessels to reroute around Africa instead of transiting the Red Sea. Traveling around Africa takes an average of ten days longer than sailing through the Red Sea. Additional fuel costs are roughly one million dollars more for each voyage around Africa.
    Higher shipping rates caused by Houthi attacks probably increased global consumer goods inflation between 0.6 and 0.7 percent in 2024.
    Impacts to Allies and Partners
    The Red Sea serves a primary conduit for trade between Europe and Asia. Around 95% of ships traveling between Europe and Asia normally would go through the Red Sea.
    Out of the top ten importers (by value) of trade through the Red Sea, five are EU nations.
    Houthi attacks caused approximately 60% of EU-affiliated vessels to reroute around Africa instead of transiting the Red Sea
    The Houthis have attacked U.S. warships 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023.2023
    October 19, 2023: The USS Carney, a U.S. Navy destroyer, intercepted multiple missiles launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. These missiles posed a threat to U.S. forces.
    November 19, 2023: The Houthis attacked and seized the M/V Galaxy Leader and held the multinational crew hostage for over a year.
    December 3, 2023: Houthi forces launched missiles and drones targeting three commercial ships in the Red Sea. The USS Carney responded to distress calls and intercepted three drones during this assault.
    December 16, 2023: The USS Carney engaged and destroyed 14 drones launched by the Houthis in the southern Red Sea, preventing potential attacks on U.S. military and commercial maritime vessels.
    December 26, 2023: The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gravely responded to a distress call from the commercial vessel Maersk Hangzhou, which was under attack by Houthi forces. U.S. Navy helicopters engaged, resulting in the sinking of three Houthi boats.
    December 30, 2023: Houthi forces fired anti-ship ballistic missiles targeting the USS Gravely. The destroyer successfully intercepted the incoming missiles, preventing any damage.
    2024
    January 10, 2024: The Houthis launched a large-scale missile and drone attack against U.S. and UK naval forces in the Red Sea. The coordinated defense successfully neutralized all incoming threats.
    January 15, 2024: The Houthis rebels targeted the U.S.-owned M/V Gibraltar Eagle with a missile, resulting in damage to the vessel.
    January 17, 2024: The Houthi rebels targeted the U.S.-owned cargo ship Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden using drones, resulting in damage to the vessel.
    January 26, 2024: The oil tanker Marlin Luanda, linked to British interests, was attacked by Houthi missiles in the Gulf of Aden, causing a fire onboard.
    August 21, 2024: The Houthi rebels attack the Greek-flagged oil tanker M/V Sounion, threatening a massive oil-spill and followed by a months-long salvage effort.  
    September 27, 2024: The USS Spruance, USS Stockdale, and USS Indianapolis were targeted by a barrage of missiles and drones launched by Houthi forces in the Red Sea. All threats were intercepted without any damage to the U.S. warships.
    November 11, 2024: Houthi forces launched a coordinated attack involving drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles against the USS Spruance and USS Stockdale in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The U.S. destroyers successfully intercepted all incoming threats.
    December 1, 2024: While escorting U.S.-flagged merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden, the USS Stockdale and USS O’Kane intercepted multiple missiles and drones launched by Houthi forces, ensuring the safety of the convoy.
    December 9–10, 2024: The USS Stockdale and USS O’Kane again faced Houthi-launched drones and missiles while escorting merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden. All threats were neutralized without any damage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall to CMS Administrator Nominee Dr. Oz: We’re Not Going to Save Medicare and Medicaid Unless We Make America Healthy Again

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) participated in the confirmation hearing today for President Donald Trump’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator nominee, Dr. Mehmet Oz, in the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. 
    Dr. Mehmet Oz is a world-class heart surgeon and would be the first doctor at the helm of CMS in more than a decade. He knows the health care system inside and out, as he’s lived it throughout his career, starting with a joint M.D.-MBA education. Having invented life-saving devices, hosted a successful TV show, and touched the lives of millions of patients across the nation, Dr. Oz brings a much-needed perspective to Make America Healthy Again.
    [embedded content]
    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full line of questioning.
    Highlights from Dr. Oz’s confirmation hearing include: 
    On Dr. Oz’s background: 
    Senator Marshall: “Why did you go into medicine? And what are some of the highlights or the most rewarding parts of your career?”
    Dr. Oz: “I don’t think there’s a joy greater than looking a patient in the eyes and recognizing that you’re there for each other, that nothing will get in the way of you providing the best care possible. It’s not that there won’t ever be problems, but you’ll be there emotionally supporting them.
    “And if you’ve been gifted with teachers, as I was, that could educate me about how to take care of patients, you get to watch them get better and feel a joy inside your heart that can’t be matched in another field…
    “I think it’s why I went into medicine, because I saw my father go into the hospital and do things like putting needles in people, which looks painful, but the patients would smile and thank him for it, paradoxically. 
    “And that’s why I think it’s also appropriate for physicians, as you have.. and other physicians on this committee, Dr. Cassidy, to enter government, because we’re trained to tell people things that they need to hear but aren’t pleasant, but that’s how you get the system to work better.” 
    On Dr. Oz’s prescription to Make America Healthy Again: 
    Senator Marshall: “My grandma always said, if you have your health, you have everything. And America doesn’t have her health right now. 60% of us have a chronic disease. Several people pointed out this country is spending multiples more than other countries do to take care of our sick.
    “There’s not enough sick care out there to save Medicare and Medicaid.
    “You and I came here to save Medicare and Medicaid, but part of that is making America healthy again, so that we don’t have to do as many heart bypasses and give as much insulin and diabetic drugs. 
    “What is your prescription for America? How do you work with Medicare and Medicaid patients to help America become healthy again?”
    Dr. Oz: “The deeper promise that we should all be making to America is we’re going to make it easy for America to do the right thing when it comes to their health. Some of these decisions are not difficult. Some of them need to be simplified, and some of them need to be reminded frequently.
    “Senator Wyden and I had spoken about this a little bit, the idea of giving incentives to patients is an idea that I think is a worthy one, especially for Medicaid beneficiaries. If people don’t feel like it matters what they do, if they don’t think they have agency over their future… then they’re not going to take proactive steps to reduce their diabetes or another action that would dramatically reduce their life expectancy and their cost to the health care system. 
    “There’s a lot of opportunity for us to do this, and we should be innovative and explore ideas. And I think there’s an ecosystem we can build together to engender that kind of enthusiasm from people on the outside of medicine who want to make it better. We have got to challenge the incumbents and the system to have new ideas bubble to the top so we can pick the winners based on competition.”
    Senator Marshall: “We’re not going to save Medicare and Medicaid unless we Make America Healthy Again.”
    On maternal care, how to save Medicare and Medicaid:
    Senator Marshall: “I’m going to talk just a second about maternal care. I came to this body, the other side of the Capitol, and people were talking about maternal mortality then. We were seeing a big spike in it. And I asked people, “Why? What? How come?” And we didn’t have an answer.
    “… And not surprising to me, the number one killer of pregnant women that delivered that year after is actually suicide and fentanyl poisoning, overdose. We don’t need to study it more. We need action, early access to prenatal care to be the other action point as well…
    “Half of our patients, half the patients I delivered, were Medicaid patients. They need access to care, and we also need to stop the flow of fentanyl.
    “My last question though, speak briefly to how price tags and health care savings accounts turn patients into consumers again, and how that might actually help save Medicare and Medicaid?”
    Dr. Oz: “There’s a lot we can do with health savings accounts. We could even investigate new ways of using them. Maybe they should be part of your estate and passed on to your children, because so many families don’t really have anything to pass on. 
    “It would incentivize behaviors even at the end of life. But I think there’s an opportunity for us to give consumerism, give the power of the purse back to the American people, especially if they’re beneficiaries on Medicare, and let them make the wisest decisions they can.
    “They got to that age by making some good decisions, and so we might as well let them keep going.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Cramer, Aderholt, Davis, Grassley, Colleagues Urge Administration to Work on Behalf of Families Adopting Children from China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Representatives Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Danny Davis (D-IL) led a bipartisan group of members of Congress in calling on President Trump and the Administration to work on behalf of families devastated by the People’s Republic of China’s decision to halt its intercountry adoption program.
    “We write to you on behalf of hundreds of children and American families who have been devastated by the People’s Republic of China’s decision to halt its intercountry adoption Program,” wrote the Senators. “We request that you act in the best interest of these children and engage the Chinese government to finalize these pending adoption cases.”
    “The sudden termination of China’s adoption program in August 2024 only exacerbated our concern for these children’s well-being,” the Senators continued. “Many of these children have special health care needs, and some will soon age out of care systems without the support of a permanent family. … We urge you to elevate this engagement and press the Chinese government to finalize pending adoption cases so these children may finally be united with their adoptive families in the United States.”
    The letter was also signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ted Cruz (R-TX),  John Curtis (R-UT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hoeven (R-ND), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), James Lankford (R-OK), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Todd Young (R-IN), and Representatives Brian Babin (R-TX), Don Bacon (R-NE), Andy Biggs (R-AZ) Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Mike Carey (R-OH), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Julie Fedorchak (R-ND), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Charles Fleischmann (R-TN), Tony Gonzales (R-TX), Sam Graves (R-MO), Mark Green (R-TN), H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Erin Houchin (R-IN), Julie Johnson (D-TX), Thomas Kean (R-NJ), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Julia Letlow (R-LA), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Richard McCormick (R-GA), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Carol Miller (R-WV), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Zachary Nunn (R-IA), Andrew Ogles (R-TN), Bob Onder (R-MO), Gary Palmer (R-AL), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), August Pfluger (R-TX), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), John Rutherford (R-FL), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Keith Self (R-TX), Jefferson Shreve (IN), Adam Smith (D-WA), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Eric Sorensen (D-IL), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Haley Stevens (D-WI), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), William Timmons (R-SC), Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), and Daniel Webster (R-FL).
    The full text of the letter is available here and below.
    Dear President Trump:
    We write to you on behalf of hundreds of children and American families who have been devastated by the People’s Republic of China’s decision to halt its intercountry adoption program. We request that you act in the best interest of these children and engage the Chinese government to finalize these pending adoption cases.
    As members of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption and other Members of Congress who share these concerns, the safety of adopted children and hundreds of would-be adoptees is our top priority. The sudden termination of China’s adoption program in August 2024 only exacerbated our concern for these children’s well-being. Many of these children have special health care needs, and some will soon age out of care systems without the support of a permanent family. It is particularly critical that these children have access to the care and support that they need — which hundreds of American families approved for adoption are willing to provide. 
    We understand that the State Department is working on behalf of these families and seeking clarity on the Chinese government’s decision. We urge you to elevate this engagement and press the Chinese government to finalize pending adoption cases so these children may finally be united with their adoptive families in the United States.
    Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We are prepared to work closely with you to ensure these children are welcomed into safe and stable homes. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Highlights Health Care Priorities to CMS Nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, laid out his health care priorities during a hearing to consider Dr. Mehmet Oz’s nomination to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Oz committed to supporting Grassley’s efforts to lower prescription drug costs, strengthen rural health care, help kids with exceptional medical needs, preserve transitional health plans and improve the agency’s responsiveness to Congress.

    Video and excerpts from Grassley follow.

    [embedded content]

    PBMs:

    “I’ve been working to hold pharmacy benefit managers accountable to lower prescription drug costs. I expect you to work with us to hold these powerful drug middlemen accountable and support rural pharmacies.”

    Rural Health Care:

    “I expect you to protect and support access to rural health care. To help achieve this, I believe CMS could take the following actions right away:

    1. Fill the open spots in the Rural Community Hospital demonstration program,
    2. Distribute the new physician residency slots to rural hospitals as the law requires, and
    3. Ensure the Rural Emergency Hospital Program is working for rural communities.”

    Kids with Exceptional Needs:

    “I expect you to take action to improve care and reduce red tape for kids with complex medical needs. This includes working with states so they can establish health homes for these kids, as my bipartisan ACE Kids law enabled.”

    Transitional Health Plans:

    “Since 2013, CMS under Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden have issued non-enforcement memos to allow transitional health plans to be maintained. About 35,000 Iowa farmers and small business owners have maintained health insurance coverage with these plans for over a decade. This is health insurance that was purchased after Obamacare became law, but before it was implemented. I expect you to keep access to these health plans.”

    Waste, Fraud and Abuse:

    “Improper payments in our major health care programs have averaged $122 billion annually over the past five years. I’m the author of major and more recent updates to the federal government’s most powerful tool in fighting fraud, the False Claims Act.

    “Since the enactment of these reforms, the federal government has recovered more than $78 billion lost to fraud. It has saved billions more by deterring would-be fraudsters. CMS with the Justice Department must aggressively go after waste, fraud, and abuse and empower whistleblowers.”

    Congressional Oversight:

    “Oversight allows us to hold bureaucrats accountable to the rule of law, and it helps keep faith with taxpayers. I expect CMS to provide timely and complete responses to congressional oversight.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Johnson Release Records Showing FBI Obtained Trump, Pence Cell Phones, Conducted Sweeping Interviews to Advance Anti-Trump Arctic Frost Investigation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) made public legally protected whistleblower disclosures showing the FBI, as part of its Arctic Frost investigation, acquired the government cell phones of President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence, among other government officials. FBI agents used taxpayer dollars to crisscross the country and conduct dozens of interviews in support of the political probe.

    The unclassified FBI records convey the alarming scope and speed of the FBI’s 2022 investigation of President Trump, which they dubbed “Operation Arctic Frost.” The investigation – launched by anti-Trump FBI agent Timothy Thibault in a breach of FBI protocol – formed the basis of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s elector case against Trump. Upon opening the investigation, Thibault vowed it would be “prioritized over all others in the Branch” and commented that “it frankly took too long for us to open this [investigation].”

    “Sunshine is the best disinfectant,” the chairmen wrote to Bondi and Patel. “The American people deserve to know the complete extent of the corruption within the DOJ and FBI that led to the investigation into President Trump. We are making this information public for purposes of public accountability and to provide specific examples of past behavior at your institutions that must not be repeated. Quite simply, the public has a right to know what happened in Arctic Frost and, based on what we’ve exposed to date, the American public deserves better from its law enforcement agencies. It is important that every individual at your agencies maintains the highest level of professionalism, and does not allow political bias to motivate or guide their investigative work.”

    Within weeks of opening Arctic Frost on April 13, 2022, FBI agents began taking aggressive action to build out their case. The following is a summary of some Arctic Frost investigatory updates, based on unclassified internal FBI records:

    Update 1 (April 22-25, 2022):

    • FBI begins scheduling over a dozen interviews in coordination with 13 FBI field offices.
    • DOJ and FBI begin the process of acquiring Trump and Pence’s government phones, which were in the Biden White House’s possession.

    Update 2 (May 2-3, 2022):

    • FBI begins analyzing communications between Trump team members and Republican electors.
    • FBI meets with Justice Department (DOJ) officials to discuss possible search warrants for the Trump and Pence cell phones.           

    Update 3 (May 10, 2022):

    • FBI attempts to contact individuals in states throughout the country to schedule interviews.

    Update 4 (May 13-17, 2022):

    • FBI obtains Trump and Pence’s government phones and enters them into evidence for the case.
    • FBI interviews the first Trump administration’s Deputy White House Counsel.
    • Additional interviews are planned with Trump administration officials, including employees from the Offices of the President and Vice President, DOJ and former Director of National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe.
    • DOJ and FBI begin discussing the possibility of merging the DOJ Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation, which included former Acting Assistant Attorney General (AAG) for the Civil Division, Jeffrey Clark, with the FBI’s Arctic Frost investigation.
    • DOJ OIG makes plans to seek search warrants for phones associated with former AAG Jeffrey Clark, John Eastman, Mark Meadows and Ken Klukowski.

    Update 5 (May 21-24, 2022):

    • FBI makes the decision to add former AAG Jeffrey Clark to the Arctic Frost investigation.
    • FBI drafts a search warrant for the Trump and Pence cell phones in its possession.
    • Plans continue for additional interviews with former Trump administration officials.

    Update 6 (May 27, 2022):

    • FBI plans to conduct approximately 50 interviews, coupled with subpoenas, across at least seven states during the week of June 20, 2022. Interviews are set to take place with those who “signed and/or mailed the certificates in each state, as well as the Trump Campaign’s Directors of Election Day Operations for the relevant states, and certain GOP officials who are believed to have facilitated the scheme by communicating with individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the ‘fraudulent’ or ‘alternate’ electors.”
    • The DOJ OIG investigation that includes Jeffrey Clark is formally merged with the FBI Arctic Frost investigation, providing FBI access to phones and email accounts from a variety of DOJ officials, including former Attorney General Bill Barr.

    Resources and Staffing

    • Over the course of just four days in June 2022, the FBI Arctic Frost team spent approximately $16,000 in taxpayer-funded travel to “conduct more than 40 interviews, serve subpoenas and execute several cellular device search warrants.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Grassley-Led HALT Fentanyl Act to Permanently Schedule Fentanyl-Related Substances

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    Download video HERE

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate overwhelmingly voted to pass the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act. The bipartisan legislation, led by Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), would permanently classify fentanyl-related substances before their temporary Schedule I status expires on March 31, 2025. 

    Last month, the HALT Fentanyl Act was passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee by a bipartisan vote of 16-5. Attorney General Pam Bondi has endorsed the legislation. President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget has confirmed that, if Congress passes the bill in its current form, the president will sign it. The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives.

    “The HALT Fentanyl Act is a critical step towards ending the crisis that’s killing hundreds of thousands of precious American lives. I thank my Senate colleagues for passing this bill with broad, overwhelming support. I urge my House colleagues to swiftly pass the Senate version of this battle-tested, bipartisan bill to save lives, advance research and support our brave men and women in blue,” Grassley said.

    Grassley, Cassidy, and Heinrich introduced the legislation in January, and Grassley has repeatedly spoken in favor of the legislation on the Senate floor and in the Judiciary Committee.

    The HALT Fentanyl Act is supported by over 40 major advocacy groups, including a coalition of over 200 impacted family groups, and law enforcement organizations representing over a million officers. Learn more about the bill’s widespread support HERE.

    Download bill text HERE and a fact sheet HERE.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Statement on Voting to Avert Government Shutdown

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) issued the following statement on voting to avert a government shutdown.

    “My job is to protect people in Hawai‘i. Today’s vote on the continuing resolution was a difficult and close call, but ultimately, I made the determination that a flawed bill was better than no bill at all. A shutdown would enable Donald Trump and Elon Musk to unilaterally determine that the vast majority of federal workers are not essential. And given the number of federal workers in Hawai‘i, mass furloughs would be deeply painful for people across the state.

    “I understand people’s frustration – I share it. But Trump and the Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, presented us with a bad choice and a worse choice. Both would produce terrible outcomes, but a shutdown would be more devastating for everyone.

    “We’re in a fight for democracy itself. We can’t let disagreements about strategy and tactics divide us. We need to focus our energy on the real villain here: Donald Trump.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons statement on funding bill vote

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement after voting against cloture on the Republican continuing resolution:

    “Today, we went to the Senate floor needing to choose between two awful options. We could move forward on a disastrous funding bill that enables Elon Musk’s and President Trump’s ongoing teardown of the government and cuts billions of dollars from defense spending, or we could shut down the government, furloughing hundreds of thousands of federal employees who are already concerned about their job security, and potentially even the courts that are currently the sole check on their power.

    “This was a false choice. There was always a third option: letting the appropriators do their jobs, finish the nearly completed FY25 spending process, and give the American people a bipartisan solution that would allow them to feel confidence in their government. This is the option that we should have taken, and the option that I have spent weeks pushing for. Republican leadership refused to entertain this idea.

    “Given the two choices before us this afternoon, I voted to block the Republican funding bill that enables Musk’s and Trump’s piecemeal government shutdown. Some of my Democratic colleagues chose differently, and I respect their decision. Blame doesn’t lie with Democrats who were forced to choose between two terrible outcomes. It belongs to Trump and his allies in Congress who rammed through a partisan, hardline spending bill so they can move on to their priority of cutting Medicaid to pass more tax cuts for billionaires, and my Republican colleagues who would rather consign themselves to irrelevance than protect their constitutional appropriations responsibility from executive overreach. 

    “Our nation deserves better than flawed processes that lead to terrible outcomes like we’re seeing today. We need to empower appropriators, work together in a bipartisan way to negotiate our spending bills, and complete the FY26 appropriations process smoothly and swiftly.”

    Senator Coons is the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Arkansas Delegation to European Commission: Fix Unworkable Deforestation Rules

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    March 14, 2025

    Arkansas Delegation to European Commission: Fix Unworkable Deforestation Rules

    Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), and Congressmen Rick Crawford (Arkansas-01), French Hill (Arkansas-02), Steve Womack (Arkansas-03), and Bruce Westerman (Arkansas-04) today sent a letter to the European Union raising major concerns with the proposed European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). This impractical regulation will impose an unfair and unnecessary burden on American businesses while failing to effectively combat deforestation.

    In part, the lawmakers wrote: 

    “This regulation is unworkable for the forest products industry in the United States and would jeopardize more than $3.5 billion worth of paper and wood products shipping into the EU market for essential products like timber or pulp for baby diapers.”

    Full text of the letter may be found here and below. 

    March 14, 2025

    Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity

    Jessica Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment

    Marcos Sefcovic, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security 

    Dear Commissioners,

    We write to you today to share our significant concerns with the European Union deforestation-free supply chains regulation (Regulation (EU) No 2023/1115) and to share our perspective on the impact this will have on the more than 900,000 forest products workers throughout the United States and the over 23,000 men and women in Arkansas who are employed by this industry.  This regulation is unworkable for the forest products industry in the United States and would jeopardize more than $3.5 billion worth of paper and wood products shipping into the EU market for essential products like timber or pulp for baby diapers. 

    The U.S. Forest products industry is a strong proponent of international efforts to suppress deforestation and forest degradation. As such, the United States has excellent ratings in this regard and no evidence of deforestation. Unfortunately, as written, this regulation presents severe compliance challenges that constitute technical barriers to trade for the U.S. Forest products industry. The United States is not a source of the EU’s deforestation concerns and the burden this regulation puts on U.S. pulp, paper, and packaging manufacturers will not achieve the EU’s stated policy goal. Furthermore, the U.S. is widely recognized for its sustainable forestry practices, with negligible deforestation risk, as confirmed by the EU Observatory on deforestation and forest degradation.

    The unprecedented and over-prescriptive reporting requirements of the regulation are a one-size-fits-all approach that does not recognize commodity-specific challenges or country differences. The U.S. Forest products sector operates with deep visibility into their supply chains, with clear management rules and strict controls of forestry practices. These practices and performance measures not only deliver the intended goals of EUDR but go beyond the narrow objectives of regulation.

    We are asking you and the European Commission to work with the United States to ensure the United States is recognized as the lowest possible risk for deforestation and to ensure the geolocation traceability requirements in place are proportional to the level of risk for a particular country. These obligations should be simplified, more proportional and with greater distinction among the risk categories. The geospatial coordinate mapping requirement for every individual plot of land should be removed for supply chains that have already achieved deforestation risk status as low risk, negligible, or insignificant. Secondary materials should be exempt from geolocation because traceability is virtually impossible. Unless these key problems are addressed, I am extremely concerned that the EU may lose their trading relationship with the U.S. Forest products industry, which they rely upon every day. 

    We also believe the EUDR fits within President Trump’s “America First Trade Policy” executive order that was signed on January 20th, 2025, and requires key members of his cabinet to identify examples around the world where the United States is being disadvantaged by policies in place from governments that could be considered a technical barrier to trade and submit reports to President Trump by April 1st, 2025. Already, key members of the President’s cabinet, like Mr. Howard Lutnick, the Secretary of Commerce, have identified the EUDR as a potential technical barrier to trade and it will be more important than ever that you and your team address the concerns we have identified here. 

    We look forward to your response. 

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan, Cornyn & Colleagues Introduce Outbound Investment Legislation to Counter China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

    03.14.25

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) and 11 other senators have introduced the Foreign Investment Guardrails to Help Thwart (FIGHT) China Act, which would safeguard the United States’ national security against the growing threat posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) by prohibiting and requiring notification of U.S. investment in certain technologies in China.

    “Our country’s investments in innovative technology give us an enormous advantage over the Chinese Communist Party,” said Sen. Sullivan. “But this advantage is threatened when American financial institutions invest in CCP-controlled companies that develop technology—like advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and hypersonics—that could ultimately be used to kill Americans at home and Marines in the Taiwan Strait. I’m glad to once again join Senator Cornyn on legislation to put safeguards in place to ensure that American investments don’t go to support the nefarious ambitions of dictators around the world.”

    “The threat China poses to the United States’ national and economic security continues to grow, and we have a generational opportunity to confront it with the FIGHT China Act,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By prohibiting and requiring notification of U.S. investments in certain technologies in China, this bill would help ensure American ingenuity, innovation, and investment do not end up in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party to be weaponized against us. The need to address capital flowing from the U.S. to bad actor nations was first realized during the first Trump administration, and I look forward to finishing what we started then by getting this vital priority over the finish line.”

    Senator Sullivan previously spoke on the Senate floor emphasizing the importance of transparency in foreign investments that could pose a threat to American national security.

    In addition to Senators Sullivan and Cornyn, the FIGHT China Act is cosponsored by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Michael Bennet (D-Col.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Dave McCormick (R-Penn.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and John Fetterman (D-Penn.).

    The FIGHT China Act would cover the following investments:

    • Acquisitions, including of limited partners, equity interest, property, or other assets;
    • Loans and debt financing;
    • Joint ventures;
    • And equity interest or debt conversions.

    The legislation would establish exemptions for:

    • Transactions determined to be de minimis or in the national interest;
    • Investments in securities, derivatives of securities, or made as a limited partner in a venture capital fund, private equity fund, fund of funds, or other pooled investment fund;
    • Ancillary transactions undertaken by a financial institution;
    • Acquisitions of entire assets or entities located outside the PRC;
    • Certain transactions secondary to a covered national security transaction;
    • And certain ordinary or administrative business transactions.

    The legislation would prohibit covered investments in the PRC for development or production of:

    • Certain advanced integrated circuits;
    • Certain AI models capable of a high number of operations;
    • Quantum computers and supercomputers;
    • Materials or components for hypersonics; and
    • Any of these technologies that are on the Munitions List, intended for use with nuclear equipment or facilities, or emerging technologies subject to export controls.

    Lastly, the legislation would require U.S. persons to notify the U.S. Department of the Treasury within 14 days when making a covered investment in the PRC for the development or production of:

    • Any non-prohibited integrated circuit;
    • And any non-prohibited AI system which is used for military, surveillance, cybersecurity, penetration, forensics, or robotic system use or which meets a certain computing standard.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Statement at Executive Session to Consider Deputy Treasury Secretary Nominee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) delivered the following remarks at an executive session to consider the nomination of Michael Faulkender to be Deputy Treasury Secretary.

    As prepared for delivery:

    “We meet today to vote on the nomination of Michael Faulkender to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury.

    “Mr. Faulkender has years of public and private sector experience, in addition to strong academic credentials.  His background makes him the quintessential pick to serve as Deputy Treasury Secretary.

    “As I said in my opening statement at Mr. Faulkender’s hearing, the Finance Committee has an arduous nomination process and once the nominee completes all the steps, he or she deserves a public hearing, followed by a vote. 

    “Mr. Faulkender sat for hours of questions from Members and staff of this Committee and provided thoughtful answers.  He also responded judiciously to further questions in writing. 

    “My colleagues received responses to their inquiries on Department of Government Efficiency-related work at Treasury and the IRS, and, if confirmed, Mr. Faulkender pledges to provide a briefing on the Treasury payments system.

    “I thank Mr. Faulkender for this commitment, and for his time working through this rigorous process.

    “Qualified nominees for this position in prior congresses garnered bipartisan support.  I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me today to vote in favor of Mr. Faulkender’s nomination.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Finance Committee Advances Deputy Treasury Secretary Nominee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–The U.S. Senate Finance Committee today advanced the nomination of Michael Faulkender to be Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, by a vote of 14-13.  Following the vote, Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement:

    “Mr. Faulkender’s years of public and private sector experience and impressive academic credentials make him the quintessential pick for this role.  I look forward to his nomination being considered by the full Senate as we continue our important work to prevent a massive tax hike on American families and businesses.”  

    Mr. Faulkender was reported out of the Committee by a vote of 14 to 13.  Executive session information can be found here.

    Download the image here

    Chairman Crapo’s full statement at the nomination hearing can be found here, and his statement at the executive session can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Statement at CMS Nomination Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo delivered the following remarks at a hearing to consider the nomination of Mehmet Oz to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

    As prepared for delivery:

    “Thank you, Dr. Oz, for being here today and for your willingness to serve as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator.

    “My staff and I have enjoyed working with you and your team throughout this committee’s rigorous vetting process, and I appreciate your candor and responsiveness.

    “You have provided significant amounts of documentation to substantiate your tax return positions and followed all applicable law.  You have met the same due diligence standard that has applied to nominees in every previous administration.

    “Thank you for your cooperation throughout this exacting process, and for conducting yourself with kindness and professionalism.  I look forward to continuing our work together.

    “For those outside of Washington, CMS can seem like a bureaucratic black box, largely removed from the everyday challenges facing patients and clinicians. 

    “Dr. Oz, you offer a wealth of firsthand experience and expertise, having studied, practiced and taught as an accomplished physician.  In short, you understand how D.C. legalese looks on the ground and how policy plays out in practice. 

    “That is exactly the mindset we need in a CMS Administrator.

    “From our discussions, you also clearly recognize the importance of this role and the programs CMS manages, along with the tremendous responsibility that taking the helm entails.

    “As the world’s largest health insurer, CMS sets health care coverage and payment policies for tens of millions of Americans and their providers. 

    “Medicare currently enrolls more than 68 million Americans.  Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program comprise close to 80 million.  And more than 24 million consumers have selected individual-market plans. 

    “Over the course of the next 25 years, analysts project the Medicare-aged population will grow by an additional 47 percent, further underscoring the high stakes of CMS policymaking. 

    “Ensuring sustainable, stable and proactive rules of the road for these programs will necessitate a collaborative and constructive approach. 

    “Medicare seniors deserve better prescription drug affordability, along with stronger access to pharmacists and doctors.  This Committee has taken steps to achieve those goals on a broad bipartisan basis, and we look forward to working with you to advance those measures.  This includes pharmaceutical benefit manager reform, a stated priority for President Trump.

    “Your background also offers the ideal experience for guiding efforts to reform our broken clinician payment system, an issue you understand from both a policy standpoint and a pragmatic perspective.  

    “Modernizing federal health care programs will require rethinking our outdated approach to treating the symptoms–rather than the underlying causes–of chronic diseases. 

    “Equipping providers with the training to employ a diverse array of interventions, from nutrition and lifestyle changes to cutting-edge drugs and devices, will save lives and taxpayer dollars.

    “Technological advancements like telehealth also offer an opportunity to reshape health care delivery in rural communities, including in Idaho, where access to basic services remains challenging.

    “Medicare Advantage’s market-driven benefit structure provides seniors with more timely access to these and other novel approaches to care.  Its successes should serve as a model for other federal programs.

    “Similarly, Medicaid’s essential safety-net coverage relies on a balance between state-based flexibilities with key patient protections.  Based on our conversations, I am confident your experience as a physician serving Medicaid beneficiaries will be an asset to CMS. 

    “I look forward to learning more about your vision for how we can work together to strengthen our health care system for patients, providers and taxpayers.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo: No Doubt Dr. Oz is Qualified to be CMS Administrator

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.—At a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing to consider the nomination of Dr. Mehmet Oz to be Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) highlighted Dr. Oz’s wealth of firsthand experience as an accomplished physician and his clear vision for creating a healthier nation.  Crapo and Dr. Oz discussed how he would address the nation’s chronic disease epidemic, as well as how he might approach reforming payment programs to improve efficiency.

    Crapo concluded the hearing with, “There is no doubt you are qualified to serve as the next Administrator of [CMS], and I look forward to voting in favor of your nomination and am urging all of my colleagues to do the same.”

    View Crapo’s opening statement here, and line of questioning here or above.

    On addressing the chronic disease epidemic

    Crapo: As an accomplished physician, you have firsthand experience with not only the bureaucratic nature of federal government payment programs, but also the impact of the chronic disease epidemic on patients from all walks of life.  I’d be curious if you would expand on your vision for CMS, and how you would integrate nutrition and lifestyle-based interventions into our health care system?

    Dr. Oz: One of the points that I mentioned at the end of my opening comment was that if we gave people, in their hands, tools and resources that are useful, not information, but tactics and support teams that could work with them to improve their wellbeing, many would take advantage of it.

    One tactic that I believe will work quite effectively is that we can get real-time information from physicians and other health providers taking care of patients, and using that real-time information give feedback to people who are worried about their wellbeing.  That’s when they’re more likely to use that advice.  That tool would allow them to both call an expert if they needed that resource.  We provide them tools to do that.  We’d reimburse some of the healthy lifestyles that would be generated by these interactions, and we’d make them an active participant in their wellbeing.  I think that dramatically changes the power dynamic.  It makes the American people feel like they actually can be the world-experts on their wellbeing.

    On payment program reforms

    Crapo: I very strongly agree with your focus on lifestyle-based interventions that can actually help people help themselves to get healthier.  I’m also interested in how you might reform our payment programs to become more efficient to save both patient lives and taxpayer dollars.

    Dr. Oz: We spend about 12 percent of the CMS budget on bureaucratic processes and the administration of the program, and most of that money is taken by middlemen in ways that I don’t think need to be true in the long term.  I believe we have the power right now, with technology that didn’t exist even three or four years ago, to automate a lot of these processes, and preauthorization is a good example.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Statement on Speaking with SSA Commissioner Nominee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) released the following statement after speaking with Frank Bisignano, President Trump’s nominee to be Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner:

    “I enjoyed my conversation today with Frank Bisignano, President Trump’s nominee to serve as Commissioner of the Social Security Administration.  Frank’s decades of leadership in the private sector, specializing in financial services and payments, make him exceptionally qualified for the task ahead.  I look forward to swiftly considering his nomination before the Finance Committee.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lee Introduces Stop CARB Act for 119th Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee

    Legislation would reduce California’s control over national emissions standards

    WASHINGTON – Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced the Stop California from Advancing Regulatory Burden Act, or Stop CARB Act, to rein in California’s outsized influence over national emissions standards. For decades, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has used federal waivers under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to set unreasonably stringent emissions standards, forcing businesses and consumers nationwide to comply with California’s radical environmental agenda. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Steve Daines (R-MT), James Risch (R-ID), Rick Scott (R-FL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jim Justice (R-WV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Ted Cruz (R-TX). Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX) has introduced the companion bill in the House of Representatives.  

    “California has abused the Clean Air Act’s waiver provision for years, essentially imposing ridiculous emission standards on the other 49 states,” said Senator Lee. “Fortunately, the rest of the country isn’t governed by far-left extremists like California, and we shouldn’t have to answer to them. By putting an end to this overreach, our legislation will keep costs lower for hardworking American families, increase consumer choice, and restore economic freedom.”

    “The radical liberal state of California should never be able to govern for our great state of Texas,” said Congressman Nehls. “California should not be legislating for the rest of the country. My bill will ensure that California only governs California, not hard-working patriots in my district, by repealing California’s waiver.” 

    In 1970, Congress passed the Clean Air Act, granting California the ability to apply for waivers that allow the state to set emissions standards higher than federal levels. Currently, California holds over 100 active waivers, imposing stringent requirements that affect industries ranging from automotive manufacturing to farming and construction. Other states can adopt these burdensome standards without modification, and 17 states plus the District of Columbia have done so, subjecting nearly half the nation’s new vehicle registrations to California’s draconian rules.

    The Stop CARB Act will:

    • Repeal California’s waiver exemption in Section 209 of the Clean Air Act;
    • Repeal Section 177 of the Clean Air Act, which allows other states to adopt California’s emissions standards; and
    • Nullify any active or pending waivers granted to California.

     The legislation is endorsed by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), American Petroleum Institute (API), American Trucking Associations (ATA) and American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM).

    “California should not be setting what can amount to national emission standards for new motor vehicles and nonroad engines. Yet this is exactly what can happen. If the EPA gets rid of its de facto EV mandate, that’s not the end of the war on gas-powered cars. Among other threats, California has a rule that would kill off gas-powered cars, banning the sale of new gas cars by 2035. There’s nothing de facto about it. The Biden EPA just gave the green light for California to move forward with this car-killing rule. Other states can then adopt the same requirements and even if they don’t, manufacturers may simply adopt the stringent California standards to have a single set of requirements. CEI commends Senator Lee for introducing legislation that would put an end to this attack on our cars and defend consumer freedom. It would do so by finally repealing the special and unjustified treatment California gets under the Clean Air Act. As a result, the extreme and harmful vehicle emission policies of California could no longer set national policy.”  -Daren Bakst, Director, Competitive Enterprise Institute

    “Congress must take the keys away from California regulators whose unachievable EV mandates are undermining our supply chains and derailing the tremendous progress we have made to reduce emissions.  We are grateful for Senator Lee and Representative Nehls’ leadership to restore common sense to our environmental regulations and stopping California from exporting its bad ideas to other states.  We look forward to working with Congress and the Trump Administration to develop realistic, technology-neutral federal emissions standards that will benefit our environment, preserve and create jobs, and set our industry up for success,” -Henry Hanscom, Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs for the American Trucking Associations.  

    Stop CARB Act: One-pager | Bill text

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn-Supported HALT Fentanyl Act Passes Senate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after the Senate passed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, which would help keep this deadly drug off of Texas’ streets by permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I before their temporary status expires at the end of March:

    “This legislation is essential to stopping the flow of illicit fentanyl that has infiltrated our nation like a thief in the night and taken hundreds of thousands of innocent lives,” said Sen. Cornyn. “As the clock ticks down, I urge my colleagues in the House to send it to President Trump’s desk without delay, and I appreciate Attorney General Bondi and my Senate colleagues for their efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis and make our communities safe again.”

    Background:

    Fentanyl is a controlled substance, and U.S. statute prohibits its use. Illicit drug manufacturers and traffickers sidestep the law by producing fentanyl-related substances – drugs that are substantially similar to fentanyl, but chemically tweaked ever so slightly – to push potent drugs into the U.S. on a technicality. Fentanyl-related overdoses account for nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths nationwide, and fentanyl poisoning is the leading cause of death for 18-45 year olds.

    To keep pace with rapidly evolving drugs and combat the epidemic of opioid-related deaths, in 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the leadership of President Trump, temporarily restricted all fentanyl-related substances. Since then, Congress has repeatedly extended President Trump’s temporary scheduling order. The HALT Fentanyl Act would permanently extend the 2018 Schedule I classification for fentanyl-related substances, which is set to expire on March 31, 2025.

    The HALT Fentanyl Act was passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Sen. Cornyn serves on, by a bipartisan vote of 16-5 on Feb. 27, 2025. Attorney General Pam Bondi and President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget have endorsed the legislation.

    The HALT Fentanyl Act would:

    1. Amend the Controlled Substances Act to permanently classify illicit fentanyl knockoffs, known as fentanyl-related substances, as Schedule I;
    2. Protect patients’ access to legitimate, FDA-approved fentanyl for medical purposes directed by a physician;
    3. Support law enforcement and codify existing criminal penalties to ensure illicit manufacturers and traffickers can be fully prosecuted and victims and their families receive justice;
    4. And advance scientific and medical research by streamlining registration processes and allowing more scientists to study fentanyl-related substances.

    The HALT Fentanyl Act is supported by more than 40 major advocacy groups, including a coalition of more than 200 groups made up of families personally impacted by fentanyl.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Blumenthal, Grassley, Durbin Introduce Bill to Spur Drug Pricing Competition

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Drug Competition Enhancement Act, which would spur generic and biosimilar marketplace competition by prohibiting branded drug manufacturers from engaging in “product hopping” to help lower drug prices for patients:

    “Companies who attempt to profit at the expense of Texans’ health must face consequences,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By rooting out this wrongdoing and holding bad actors in the pharmaceutical industry accountable, this legislation would spur competition in the marketplace and make drugs more affordable for patients who depend on them.”

    “Bad actors in Big Pharma have manipulated the rules and prioritized profits over patients—including by encouraging consumers to switch medications for pharmaceutical companies’ gain and leaving Americans stuck paying sky-high costs,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “The Drug Competition Enhancement Act reigns in these monopolistic practices and facilitates competition and market entry. This legislation lowers costs for consumers and puts patient care at the forefront.”

    “One of my top priorities in the Senate is reducing the cost of prescription drugs,” said Sen. Grassley. “Our bill will bring much needed transparency to drug pricing by cracking down on product hopping and giving Iowans more access to lower-cost generic drugs.”

    “Americans shouldn’t be forced to choose between their wallets and their health. But because Big Pharma games the patent system, too many patients face sky-high prescription drug costs,” said Sen. Durbin. “The bipartisan Drug Competition Enhancement Act would prevent pharmaceutical companies from using anti-competitive tactics to keep affordable medications out of reach for patients.”

    Background:

    Some pharmaceutical manufacturers have been deliberately abusing the system to prevent potential competitors from entering the marketplace using tactics like product hopping, which slow the entry of lower-cost alternatives.

    Product hopping is a practice that bad actors in the pharmaceutical industry engage in when their exclusive right to a drug is about to expire, but they do not want to compete with generic alternatives. Rather than simply competing on the merits with their old drug and any generic alternative, companies manipulate the market to move patients off the old drug and onto the new. They “hop” patients from branded product to branded product by engaging in a variety of practices to disadvantage their old drug, including destroying the inventory of their old drug, pulling it from the market, aggressively raising the price, badmouthing their old drug, or even diminishing its safety.  Then, when the market protections for the earlier drug expire and a generic or biosimilar alternative comes to market, it is difficult to switch patients to the cheaper generic or biosimilar. As a result of this abuse of the patent system, patients are stuck paying high costs for a drug that is substantially similar to their old one for many years to come.

    The legislation would put an end to this practice. It would prohibit branded drug manufacturers from engaging in anticompetitive product hopping, making that practice an antitrust violation. If companies engage in this behavior, they would risk enforcement action from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It would also facilitate entry to the market for generics and biosimilars, which drives down drug costs for patients and consumers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Blumenthal, Grassley, Durbin Introduce Bill to Lower Drug Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act, which would help lower drug prices by preventing bad actors in the pharmaceutical industry from deliberately abusing the patent system:

    “Patent thickets stifle innovation, hinder generic drugs from entering the marketplace, and raise prices for consumers,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would help end these abusive and anti-competitive practices to ensure Texans can access the treatments and life-saving medications they need without breaking the bank.”

    “For too long, pharmaceutical companies have been allowed to abuse the patent system, stifling innovation and driving up costs for consumers. This legislation cracks down on drug companies’ manipulative and exploitative practices, promoting competition and lowering prescription drug costs for patients,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “The Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act will give Americans access to essential medications without the outrageous costs.”

    “The steep price of life-saving medication puts a major strain on Iowans,” said Sen. Grassley. “Our legislation will help reduce the cost of prescription drugs by ending the abusive practice of blocking generic and biosimilar drugs from entering the market.”

    “Big Pharma often manipulates the patent system to maximize their profits while patients struggle to pay for their necessary medications.  These practices stifle competition, delay innovation, and prevent Americans from accessing lower-cost drugs,” said Sen. Durbin.“I’m proud to support the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act to ensure that we’re looking out for patients, not Big Pharma.”

    Background:

    Some pharmaceutical manufacturers have been deliberately abusing the patent system to prevent potential competitors from entering the marketplace using tactics like erecting patent thickets, which slow the entry of lower-cost biosimilar products.

    The Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act puts an end to practices that prioritize profits for pharmaceutical companies ahead of Americans’ health. By stopping abuses of our patent system, this legislation will pave the way for biosimilars to compete with branded drugs and aggressively lower drug prices for consumers in the process.

    Biosimilars are to biologics what generic drugs are to branded drugs. In 2010, Congress enacted a law designed to resolve any patent litigation quickly before a biosimilar is introduced to the market, creating a patent dispute resolution process known as the “patent dance.” Under current law, however, there are no limits on the number of patents that a branded manufacturer of biologics can assert during the patent dance – leading some companies to abuse a process designed to facilitate biosimilar entry, not hinder it.

    This bill places a reasonable limit on the number of patents a manufacturer can contest, preventing a “patent thicket.” This will help deter branded manufacturers of biologics from gaming the system to increase the number of patents they assert, while preserving the incentives provided by the patent system to encourage the core innovation that produces new biologic treatments in the first place.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Oz Agrees with Sen. Warren: Cracking Down on Private Health Insurers in Medicare Advantage Will “Improve the Health Care of the American People”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    March 14, 2025

    Dr. Oz: “My goal is to improve the health care of the American people…[cutting Medicare Advantage fraud] sounds like a more rational way to do that [than cutting funding for Medicaid].” 

    The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee projects that CMS overpaid private insurers in MA by $83 billion in 2024 alone.

    Video of Exchange (YouTube)

    Washington, D.C. – At a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pressed Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Trump’s nominee for Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), on taxpayer fraud committed by private, for-profit insurers in the Medicare Advantage program. 

    The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) projects that CMS will overpay private insurers in MA by $83 billion in 2024 alone, largely due to upcoding and favorable selection tactics by the insurers. 

    An investigation led by the Health and Human Services Inspector General (HHS OIG) revealed that private insurers in MA raked in about $4.2 billion in extra CMS payments in 2022 for diagnoses from home visits the companies initiated, even though they led to no treatment. The Wall Street Journal also found that between 2018 and 2021, private insurers in MA raked in $50 billion from CMS for diagnoses that led to no treatment. 

    Dr. Oz previously called the Traditional Medicare program “highly dysfunctional” and argued that private Medicaid Advantage insurers offer cheaper and more accessible coverage. He outlined a “Medicare Advantage for All” plan, which would move all non-Medicaid eligible Americans into MA. During this time, Dr. Oz held over $500,000 in stock with the largest private insurer in Massachusetts, UnitedHealth. 

    When questioned if he would rather cut waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare Advantage, or cut funding for Medicaid during his confirmation hearing, Dr. Oz agreed that “the former sounds like a more rational way to do that.” Last month, Republicans in the House passed a spending bill with $88 billion in annual cuts to Medicaid. 

    Senator Warren has led strong oversight on Dr. Oz through his confirmation process and, ahead of his confirmation hearing, sent 176 questions demanding answers to his plan to eliminate traditional Medicare, his serious conflicts of interest, his dangerous anti-abortion views, and more.

    Transcript: Hearing to examine the nomination of Mehmet Oz, of Pennsylvania, to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
    Senate Finance Committee
    March 14, 2025

    Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, Dr. Oz, if confirmed, you would oversee Medicare coverage for more than 66 million Americans. Nearly half have traditional Medicare, where the federal government provides health care coverage directly. The other half are on Medicare Advantage, where the federal government pays a private for-profit insurer to administer the health benefits instead. And surprise, surprise, the privatized Medicare costs a whole lot more. 

    So, let’s talk about the top trick that Medicare Advantage insurers use to gouge taxpayers up coding. I understand Senator Cassidy started on this this morning, and I just want to dig a little deeper in Medicare Advantage. Taxpayers give insurers a set amount per patient. The more diagnoses, or the more codes, the patient has, the higher the payment. Now, in theory, this covers higher costs for sicker patients, but insurance companies get the money for the codes, not actually for the services they do or don’t deliver. 

    Medicare Advantage insurers have figured out that if they can add a bunch of fake diagnoses that they don’t actually have to spend money treating, they can really boost their profits. One example, last year, the Wall Street Journal identified 66,000 Medicare Advantage patients diagnosed with diabetic cataracts who had already gotten cataract surgery. Now that is, as you know, anatomically impossible. 

    So, Dr. Oz, insurers pocketed an extra $178 million in taxpayer money last year thanks to just this one fake diagnosis. Does that sound like Medicare fraud to you?

    Dr. Mehmet Oz: Senator Warren, I appreciate you spending time with me in your office. The answer is yes, anatomically impossible. 

    And I’ll give you one more example, okay, which is sending someone to your home, which you brought up in the office. If you’re going to say it, I won’t say it, but you pointed out something that’s very real, which is if you send someone to, someone to, if an insurance company sends someone to your home, there’s probably a reason for it. And so if they’re doing ultrasounds to look for minor atherosclerotic plaques, which is not really something that needs to be treated and most Americans have, it’s primarily done to upcode you. Which has two problems. One, it’s cheating, because you’re able to charge more for those patients. But then people who truly have limb-threatening peripheral vascular disease, who have that box checked in their care, those companies—insurance companies—don’t get paid more, those doctors don’t get reimbursed more for doing what is ethically correct. So it doesn’t just help the scoundrels who are stealing from the vulnerable, it’s actually hurting the people trying to take care of those vulnerable populations. 

    Senator Warren: In fact, let’s talk about how bad that upcoding is that comes from the home visits. HHS Inspector General found that in 2022 alone, United Health used these home visits to add about $2.3 billion worth of diagnoses, diagnoses that led to absolutely no treatment. 

    And I take it, you think that sounds like fraud, as well?

    Dr. Oz: We are, I think, as an agency aware of this. I haven’t been in there yet, but if confirmed, this will be one of the topics that is relatively enjoyable to go after, because I think we have bipartisan support.

    Senator Warren: I love hearing this. So, upcoding is a scandal, and overall, we know that Medicare Advantage overpayments cost at least $83 billion in a single year. So, $83 billion—remember that number. Last month, Republicans in the House passed a budget framework that sets up $88 billion in annual cuts to health care, Medicaid funding for seniors in nursing homes, and for people with disabilities who have a home health aide, and more. 

    Dr. Oz, I have a simple question: If you had the choice, would you rather cut waste, fraud and abuse by a Fortune 50 health insurance company in Medicare Advantage or cut funding for Medicaid, which covers half of all seniors in nursing homes and one in three of America’s children?

    Dr. Oz: My goal is to improve the health care of the American people, and as you create the argument, the former sounds like a more rational way to do that.

    Senator Warren: I appreciate that. You know, I am happy to work with Republicans to go after waste, fraud and abuse, but let’s cut out waste, fraud and abuse where it actually occurs, like upcoding in Medicare Advantage. Republicans cutting health care for seniors and for babies and for people with disabilities, while the waste and the fraud just roll right along for a multibillion-dollar insurance company is sickening, and I will fight that every step of the way. Thank you, Dr. Oz.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Presses Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s Pick to Oversee Medicare & Medicaid Services, on Protecting Patients from Rip-Offs 

    US Senate News:

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

    Welch garners pledge from Oz to address excessive pricing from insurance companies 
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Finance Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) questioned Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Trump’s nominee to be the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that provides health care to over 100 million Americans. Senator Welch pressed Dr. Oz about how the Trump Administration plans to eliminate rip-offs for patients and tackle excessive pricing in private equity and Medicare Advantage to help lower prescription drug prices.  
    “The big concern I have about our health care system is it costs too much. It’s a real disgrace that we spend the most and get the least. So, many other countries—with all the problems they may have with their health care system—citizens are not anxious about whether they can afford the care that they need. Here, that’s not the case. And one of the big problems is that private equity, pharmaceutical pricing power, device manufacture pricing power, consolidation in the industry—all of this has made the cost of health care brutal. It’s brutal on taxpayers, it’s brutal on employers…we just can’t afford this,” said Senator Welch. 
    “My expectation is you’d be able to come in in six months, let’s say, and report on whether there is progress on all of these things: Squeezing out the rip-off in private equity, squeezing out the rip-off in Medicare Advantage, and having lower drug prices.” 
    Watch the exchange between Senator Welch and Mehmet Oz, President Trump’s pick for Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: 

    Read excerpts of Senator Welch’s questioning below: 
    Sen. Welch: I believe a major responsibility that you would have in your job would be to fight the excessive charging…In his first term, President Trump said he favored a reference price for drugs. So, you know, we’re paying three, four, five times for the same drug that they buy in Canada or in Europe. Would you support reference pricing so that we don’t get ripped off compared to everybody else, even though we do the research?   
    Dr. Oz: President Trump has been very clear that he wants me to reduce drug prices, not just for the government payees, but also for beneficiaries. International reference pricing is a way of doing that. 
    Sen. Welch: Here’s what I think we all need: We have got to get a fair price. And it’s not a fair price when we’re paying six or seven times what they’re paying for the same thing in France, or in Canada, or wherever else, okay? So, I’m just going to stop here but say that is absolutely top of mind. President Trump has indicated a concern about this, and I hope you follow through.  
    Second, Medicare Advantage—it sounds good, but it’s an incredible rip-off in some cases…It’s going to be your job to crack down on that. Are you going have any tolerance for that kind of rip-off from our insurance companies?   
    Dr. Oz: No. I think you have identified a place where a system which was, in theory, a good one—Medicare Advantage is a community health-focused effort… 
    Sen. Welch: I understand that. I don’t mean to interrupt, but I just want to stay on this. We cannot afford to have the health care system be taken over for private profit when it doesn’t provide good service at an affordable price for our citizens. Do you agree with that?  
    Dr. Oz: I agree, and I think that the upcoding in Medicare Advantage programs has become the best example of this out there and it is something that is addressable. And I pledge, if confirmed, I will go after it.   

    MIL OSI USA News –