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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Establishes the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    CREATING A STRATEGIC BITCOIN RESERVE AND DIGITAL ASSET STOCKPILE: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, positioning the United States as a leader among nations in government digital asset strategy.
    The Order creates a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve that will treat bitcoin as a reserve asset.
    The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve will be capitalized with bitcoin owned by the Department of Treasury that was forfeited as part of criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings.  Other agencies will evaluate their legal authority to transfer any bitcoin owned by those agencies to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
    The United States will not sell bitcoin deposited into this Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, which will be maintained as a store of reserve assets.
    The Secretaries of Treasury and Commerce are authorized to develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional bitcoin, provided that those strategies impose no incremental costs on American taxpayers.

    It also established a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, consisting of digital assets other than bitcoin owned by the Department of Treasury that was forfeited in criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings.
    The government will not acquire additional assets for the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile beyond those obtained through forfeiture proceedings.
    The Secretary of the Treasury may determine strategies for responsible stewardship, including potential sales from the U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile.

    Agencies must provide a full accounting of their digital asset holdings to the Secretary of the Treasury and the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets.
    This Order ensures a strategic approach to managing digital assets under U.S. control.
    ADDRESSING A CRYPTO MANAGEMENT GAP:
    Bitcoin, the original cryptocurrency, is referred to as “digital gold” because of its scarcity and security, having never been hacked.
    With a fixed supply of 21 million coins, there is a strategic advantage to being among the first nations to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
    The United States currently holds a significant amount of bitcoin but has not maximized its strategic position as a unique store of value in the global financial system.
    Premature sales of bitcoin have already cost U.S. taxpayers over $17 billion.

    The Executive Order begins to resolve the current disjointed handling of cryptocurrencies seized through forfeiture by, and scattered across, various Federal agencies.
    Currently, no clear policy exists for managing these assets, leading to a lack of accountability and inadequate exploration of options to centralize, secure, or maximize their value.
    Taking affirmative steps to centralize ownership, control, and management of these assets within the Federal government will ensure proper oversight, accurate tracking, and a cohesive approach to managing the government’s cryptocurrency holdings.
    This move harnesses the power of digital assets for national prosperity, rather than letting them languish in limbo.
    DELIVERING ON PLEDGE TO MAKE AMERICA THE CRYPTO CAPITAL OF THE WORLD: President Trump is fulfilling his promise to position America as the global leader in cryptocurrency.
    President Trump promised to make the United States the “crypto capital of the world,” emphasizing the need to embrace digital assets to drive economic growth and technological leadership.
    In his first week in office, President Trump signed an Executive Order to promote United States leadership in digital assets such as cryptocurrency.
    President Trump has consistently advocated for a forward-thinking approach to crypto, stating: “I am very positive and open minded to cryptocurrency companies, and all things related to this new and burgeoning industry. Our country must be the leader in the field.”
    President Trump promised to create a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a Digital Assets Stockpile.
    President Trump appointed a “crypto czar” and is hosting the first-ever crypto summit at the White House, just a few of the many ways this Administration is demonstrating its strong commitment to this digital asset.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STRATEGIC BITCOIN RESERVE AND UNITED STATES DIGITAL ASSET STOCKPILE

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
         Section 1.  Background.  Bitcoin is the original cryptocurrency.  The Bitcoin protocol permanently caps the total supply of bitcoin (BTC) at 21 million coins, and has never been hacked.  As a result of its scarcity and security, Bitcoin is often referred to as “digital gold”.  Because there is a fixed supply of BTC, there is a strategic advantage to being among the first nations to create a strategic bitcoin reserve.  The United States Government currently holds a significant amount of BTC, but has not implemented a policy to maximize BTC’s strategic position as a unique store of value in the global financial system.  Just as it is in our country’s interest to thoughtfully manage national ownership and control of any other resource, our Nation must harness, not limit, the power of digital assets for our prosperity.  
         Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.  It is further the policy of the United States to establish a United States Digital Asset Stockpile that can serve as a secure account for orderly and strategic management of the United States’ other digital asset holdings.
         Sec. 3.  Creation and Administration of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and United States Digital Asset Stockpile.       (a)  The Secretary of the Treasury shall establish an office to administer and maintain control of custodial accounts collectively known as the “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve,” capitalized with all BTC held by the Department of the Treasury that was finally forfeited as part of criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings or in satisfaction of any civil money penalty imposed by any executive department or agency (agency) and that is not needed to satisfy requirements under 31 U.S.C. 9705 or released pursuant to subsection (d) of this section (Government BTC).  Within 30 days of the date of this order, each agency shall review its authorities to transfer any Government BTC held by it to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and shall submit a report reflecting the result of that review to the Secretary of the Treasury.  Government BTC deposited into the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve shall not be sold and shall be maintained as reserve assets of the United States utilized to meet governmental objectives in accordance with applicable law.       (b)  The Secretary of the Treasury shall establish an office to administer and maintain control of custodial accounts collectively known as the “United States Digital Asset Stockpile,” capitalized with all digital assets owned by the Department of the Treasury, other than BTC, that were finally forfeited as part of criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings and that are not needed to satisfy requirements under 31 U.S.C. 9705 or released pursuant to subsection (d) of this section (Stockpile Assets).  Within 30 days of the date of this order, each agency shall review its authorities to transfer any Stockpile Assets held by it to the United States Digital Asset Stockpile and shall submit a report reflecting the result of that review to the Secretary of the Treasury.  The Secretary of the Treasury shall determine strategies for responsible stewardship of the United States Digital Asset Stockpile in accordance with applicable law.     (c)  The Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Commerce shall develop strategies for acquiring additional Government BTC provided that such strategies are budget neutral and do not impose incremental costs on United States taxpayers.  However, the United States Government shall not acquire additional Stockpile Assets other than in connection with criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings or in satisfaction of any civil money penalty imposed by any agency without further executive or legislative action.        (d)  “Government Digital Assets” means all Government BTC and all Stockpile Assets.  The head of each agency shall not sell or otherwise dispose of any Government Digital Assets, except in connection with the Secretary of the Treasury’s exercise of his lawful authority and responsible stewardship of the United States Digital Asset Stockpile pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, or pursuant to an order from a court of competent jurisdiction, as required by law, or in cases where the Attorney General or other relevant agency head determines that the Government Digital Assets (or the proceeds from the sale or disposition thereof) can and should:           (i)    be returned to identifiable and verifiable victims of crime;           (ii)   be used for law enforcement operations;            (iii)  be equitably shared with State and local law enforcement partners; or           (iv)   be released to satisfy requirements under 31 U.S.C. 9705, 28 U.S.C. 524(c), 18 U.S.C. 981, or 21 U.S.C. 881.      (e)  Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Treasury shall deliver an evaluation of the legal and investment considerations for establishing and managing the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and United States Digital Asset Stockpile going forward, including the accounts in which the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and United States Digital Asset Stockpile should be located and the need for any legislation to operationalize any aspect of this order or the proper management and administration of such accounts.
         Sec. 4.  Accounting.  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the head of each agency shall provide the Secretary of the Treasury and the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets with a full accounting of all Government Digital Assets in such agency’s possession, including any information regarding the custodial accounts in which such Government Digital Assets are currently held that would be necessary to facilitate a transfer of the Government Digital Assets to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve or the United States Digital Asset Stockpile.  If such agency holds no Government Digital Assets, such agency shall confirm such fact to the Secretary of the Treasury and the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets within 30 days of the date of this order.  
         Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:          (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or          (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.     (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.     (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    March 6, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins, Bipartisan Group Introduce Bill to Improve Veterans’ Access to High-Quality Mental Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins, John Cornyn (R-TX), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Gary Peters (D–MI), John Fetterman (D-PA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) today introduced the Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act, bipartisan legislation that would require an independent organization outside of the government to conduct a study to assess the quality of care veterans receive for mental and addiction health treatment from providers within and outside the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

    “Our veterans made the honorable decision to serve our country, and we have a responsibility to ensure they receive the best possible health care during and after their service,” said Senator Collins. “Too many veterans face serious mental health struggles, including PTSD and addiction, yet they often encounter barriers to getting the care they need. By reviewing the quality of mental health and addiction treatment available to them—both within and outside the VA—this bipartisan legislation would help improve access to higher-quality care, so that fewer veterans are left without the support they deserve.”

    The Department of Veterans Affairs is home to the nation’s largest integrated health care system that provides comprehensive health services to U.S. military veterans who are enrolled. However, recent estimates indicate that as many as 70% of VA-eligible veterans received their care from external providers. Given the high rate of veteran suicide due to mental and addiction health conditions, a study is needed to better understand if current practices provide our veterans with the best mental and addiction quality of care.

    Specifically, The Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act would require an independent study to:

    • Analyze the results of comparable instances of addiction and mental health care between inside and outside providers using objective criteria such as symptom scores and suicide risk;
    • Ascertain to what extent outside providers are using evidence-based practices in the treatment of addiction and mental health issues;
    • Identify potential gaps in coordination between internal and external providers in responding to individuals seeking addiction or mental health care;
    • Evaluate the availability of coordinated care for veterans who have separate or related conditions which may be impacting their mental health;
    • Assess providers’ military cultural competency;
    • Gauge the ease and flexibility of sharing medical records with a veteran’s health care team;
    • Consider to what extent providers are conducting outcome monitoring throughout a veteran’s treatment to track progress or lack thereof; and
    • Measure overall patient satisfaction.

    The legislation is supported by the Disabled American Veterans Association, the American Psychological Association, and the Veteran Health Care Policy Initiative.

    The full text of the bill can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Resolution Designating March 6 as “National Slam the Scam Day” Unanimously Passes Senate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins joined Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ashley Moody (R-FL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) in announcing the designation of March 6, 2025 as “National Slam the Scam Day” following the unanimous Senate passage of their bipartisan resolution to raise awareness of scams targeting older Americans. As one in four people have reported being scammed out of money, and with losses surpassing $10 billion in 2023 alone, this growing issue continues to threaten American seniors’ golden years.

    “‘National Slam the Scam Day’ provides a great opportunity for federal, state, and local officials to raise awareness about common financial scams and deliver a clear message to Americans: hang up and tell someone,” said Senator Collins. “Public awareness is key to stopping these scams from the start. Let’s work together to put nefarious scammers out of business once and for all.”

    The Senators’ resolution highlights the importance of education and prevention efforts aimed at combating financial scams, encouraging Americans to stay vigilant, report suspicious activities and share essential information to protect themselves and others.

    The complete text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Members Padilla, Morelle Continue to Press Trump Administration on Firings of Election Security Workers, Pause of Critical Election Security Efforts

    US Senate News:

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

    Ranking Members Padilla, Morelle Continue to Press Trump Administration on Firings of Election Security Workers, Pause of Critical Election Security Efforts

    Lawmakers’ letter follows lack of response to letter about the firings of CISA employees who worked on election security

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and U.S. Representative Joe Morelle (N.Y.-25), Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, continued pressing senior officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for answers on the status of their election-related work. This comes after not receiving a response to their letter last month on the firings of CISA employees who previously worked on election security, including misinformation and disinformation issues.

    “As Ranking Members of the House and Senate Committees with jurisdiction over federal elections, we have a right to understand the changes occurring at CISA given its critical election security mission,” wrote the lawmakers. “Failure to respond to these questions is deeply disturbing given so many high-ranking administration officials’ refusals to accept the outcome of legitimate elections and involvement in spreading election-related mis- and disinformation.”

    Since their original letter, more CISA employees have been put on administrative leave, and CISA has paused election security efforts as they rush through an internal assessment behind closed doors without consulting Congress or state and local election officials. Meanwhile, employees of President Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), including a 19-year-old staffer tied to interactions with cybercriminals, have infiltrated CISA’s systems. 

    “Election infrastructure is critical infrastructure. Changes at CISA could have dramatic impacts on future elections — the cornerstone of our democracy,” continued the lawmakers. “Without a reasonable, transparent process that consults with Congress and Chief Election Officials on a bipartisan basis, we are alarmed that political leadership at DHS and DOGE is directing CISA to undercut the security of our elections, making us more vulnerable to malign foreign actors and risking the safety of election officials.”

    The lawmakers also condemned the permanent termination without notice of federal funds for the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC). EI-ISAC is an essential resource for threat monitoring and coordination between state officials on election security matters.

    Additionally, the lawmakers highlighted a February 21, 2025, letter from the bipartisan National Association of Secretaries of State to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and pushed CISA to consult with election officials while conducting their assessment. The Secretaries’ letter underscores the need for CISA’s services to ensure the successful administration of elections.

    Last week, Padilla and Morelle expressed serious concerns about the dangerous implications for elections following President Trump’s executive order purporting to bring independent regulatory agencies under total control of the White House. Padilla previously denounced the illegal firing of FEC Chair Weintraub and led 10 Democratic Senators to demand President Trump rescind this decision. 

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Ms. Bean and Ms. Harrington:

    We are concerned by the lack of timely written response to our February 13, 2025, letter on the status of the election-related work and the treatment of employees at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Since the sending of that letter, several additional, disturbing reports have come to light, including (1) more CISA employees have been put on administrative leave, (2) election security efforts have been paused during a secretive review that is being rushed through without consultation with Congress or state and local election officials, and (3) employees of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), including at least one who is a known cybersecurity risk, are reworking CISA without any transparency.

    We expect a thorough and substantive response to both letters, and a briefing on the results of the assessment following its anticipated conclusion on March 6, 2025, with a discussion of any anticipated changes to the agency prior to any being finalized. While we recognize that CISA and DOGE is declining to communicate with Congress on individual personnel decisions, Congress has a right to understand the overall personnel numbers and structural changes occurring at CISA. We reiterate our request for information on the numbers of CISA employees whose work, in whole or in part, covered election-related matters that have either been placed on administrative leave or fired. Our committees have received information that the number of election security officials put on leave is greater than initially reported and public reports indicate that 130 CISA employees have been fired already.

    We understand that CISA launched a review of its election security work soon after receiving our February 13 letter. While we understand the assessment of the agency’s work remains ongoing—with a reported March 6 deadline—we urge your continued commitment to maintaining elections as a key component of CISA’s core mission. Additionally, we call your attention to the February 21, 2025, letter from the bipartisan National Association of Secretaries of State and urge you to consult with key Congressional committees and Chief Election Officials before the conclusion of the assessment. In their letter, the Secretaries noted the importance of CISA’s services, including cybersecurity services, physical security assessments, planning resources, and briefings on the foreign threats facing our election systems at the state and local level. While we encourage CISA to ensure these services remain intact, decisions to upend these programs after a three-week review without seriously considering the input of Members of Congress or the individuals running elections in the states would be irresponsible and shortsighted.

    We are also gravely concerned about the permanent termination of federal funds for the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC). The EI-ISAC played a critical role in threat monitoring and coordination between state officials, and the lack of notice prior to the termination of federal funding has left states unable to accept the services of the Center for Internet Security. We recommend restoring federal funding for the EI-ISAC as soon as possible. If CISA or DOGE refuse to do so, they owe Congress a substantive explanation for this decision and details of how CISA will be providing these services to states in the absence of the EI-ISAC.

    Furthermore, we are shocked by public reporting that an inexperienced DOGE staffer with a history of engagement with hacking groups, and who was fired for leaking sensitive information from a previous job, is now working at CISA. We demand an immediate answer as to how many DOGE employees are currently housed at CISA, as well as the level of access they have been given to sensitive information. Senior Advisor to the President Elon Musk has publicly committed the Administration and DOGE to the highest levels of transparency, and we expect a full accounting for DOGE’s activities at an agency with a mission as sensitive as CISA’s.

    As Ranking Members of the House and Senate Committees with jurisdiction over federal elections, we have a right to understand the changes occurring at CISA given its critical election security mission. Failure to respond to these questions is deeply disturbing given so many high-ranking administration officials’ refusals to accept the outcome of legitimate elections and involvement in spreading election-related mis- and disinformation. Election infrastructure is critical infrastructure. Changes at CISA could have dramatic impacts on future elections – the cornerstone of our democracy. Without a reasonable, transparent process that consults with Congress and Chief Election Officials on a bipartisan basis, we are alarmed that political leadership at DHS and DOGE is directing CISA to undercut the security of our elections, making us more vulnerable to malign foreign actors and risking the safety of election officials.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to your prompt response, no later than Monday, March 17.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Klobuchar Lead Charge Urging USDA to Reinstate Hispanic-Serving Institution Fellowship Program

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Klobuchar Lead Charge Urging USDA to Reinstate Hispanic-Serving Institution Fellowship Program

    Senators to USDA: “The Department’s decision to suspend EKDLG Fellowship Program threatens the U.S. agricultural workforce pipeline and the opportunities this program provides educators and students nationwide”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), chair of the Senate Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Caucus, and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, led 11 Democratic Senators in calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately reinstate its HSI E. Kika De La Garza (EKDLG) Fellowship Program. The program, suspended by the Trump Administration, supports the nation’s agricultural workforce while uplifting professionals and students of all backgrounds at HSIs, including non-Latino students.

    USDA established the nonpartisan EKDLG Fellowship Program in 1998, designing the program to strengthen educational partnerships between faculty, staff, and administrators from HSIs and USDA. These partnerships support professional development, workforce development, and exposure opportunities for HSIs nationwide, offering critical insight and understanding of the federal government.

    “USDA’s partnership with HSIs and Hispanic Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACUs) plays a vital role in establishing a collaborative relationship and creating a nationwide network of educators working with USDA to help grow the next generation of the American agricultural workforce,” wrote the Senators.

    “The Department’s decision to suspend EKDLG Fellowship Program threatens the U.S. agricultural workforce pipeline and the opportunities this program provides educators and students nationwide,” continued the Senators. “We urge you to immediately reinstate the E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program, similar to Department’s reinstatement of the 1890 National Scholars Program, and to collaborate with Congress to ensure its long-term stability.”

    Programs like the USDA EKDLG Fellowship Program are built to help students reach their full potential and reinforce America’s agricultural workforce pipeline. The 2024 EKDLG Program included eight fellowships in Texas, six in Arizona, five in California, four in New York, two in Illinois, one in New Mexico, one in Colorado, one in New Jersey, one in Florida, one in Connecticut, and one in Washington.

    Hispanic-Serving Institutions are not-for-profit institutions of higher learning with 25 percent or higher total undergraduate Hispanic or Latino full-time students. There are 600 HSIs in the United States that enroll over 5.2 million Hispanic students, two-thirds of all Hispanic undergraduates, and 32.2 percent of total Pell Grant recipients — empowering and improving communities. California is home to 172 HSIs and 45 Emerging HSIs.

    In addition to Senators Padilla and Klobuchar, the letter is also signed by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    The letter is endorsed by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and UnidosUS.

    As chair of the Senate HSI Caucus, Senator Padilla has been a strong advocate for expanding educational opportunities for Latino students. Last year, Padilla passed a bipartisan resolution to designate National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week. In 2023, Padilla introduced the bicameral, bipartisan Hispanic Educational Resources and Empowerment (HERE) Act, which aims to provide Hispanic and Latino students with the necessary tools and resources to lessen the higher education achievement gap.

    Previously, Padilla and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) passed a bipartisan resolution expressing support to close the gap in STEM jobs among Latino students and young professionals entering the workforce. Padilla also unveiled a bipartisan resolution in 2022 recognizing the 30th anniversary of the Hispanic National Internship Program (HNIP), a seminal program of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities known for promoting Latino excellence and creating greater career development opportunities for Latino and Hispanic students across the country.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Rollins,

    We write to express our significant concerns about the suspension of the USDA Hispanic-Serving (HSI) E. Kika De La Garza (EKDLG) Fellowship Program and to ask that you immediately reinstate it.

    The EKDLG Fellowship Program was established in 1998 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the program has had consistent support from every presidential administration since its establishment. The program strengthens educational partnerships between faculty, staff, and administrators from HSIs and USDA.

    The EKDLG Fellowship Program is non-partisan and supports increasing the professional development, workforce development, and exposure opportunities for faculty, staff, and students nationwide. USDA’s partnership with HSIs and Hispanic Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACUs) plays a vital role in establishing a collaborative relationship and creating a nationwide network of educators working with USDA to help grow the next generation of the American agricultural workforce. These fellowships are open to faculty, staff, and administrators of all backgrounds that are employed at HSIs or Hispanic-Serving School Districts and students of all backgrounds are eligible to participate.

    HSIs are economic engines and shape our nation’s agricultural workforce. In 2022, HSIs enrolled 5.2 million students, including 66% of all Hispanic undergraduate students and over 31% of all college students in non-profit postsecondary institutions in the country. Programs like the EKDLG Fellowship Program equip educators with the tools to help students reach their full potential and support the nation’s agricultural workforce pipeline. For example, the list of 2024 EKDLG participants shows the program’s nationwide impact:

    1. University of Houston, Sugar Land, Texas

    2. New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico

    3. The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

    4. Arizona Western College, Yuma, Arizona

    5. Coastal Bend College, Beeville, Texas

    6. Adams State University, Alamosa, Colorado

    7. California State University, Chico, Chico, California

    8. Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey

    9. Texas A&M University, Kingsville, Texas

    10. Mesa Community College, Mesa, Arizona

    11. Hartnell College, Salinas, California

    12. Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

    13. City Colleges of Chicago, Harold Washington College, Chicago, Illinois

    14. Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas

    15. Maricopa Community Colleges, Tempe, Arizona

    16. University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut

    17. Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, Illinois

    18. Northern Arizona University, Yuma, Arizona

    19. University of California, Santa Barbara, California

    20. Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, California

    21. University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas

    22. CUNY New York City College of Technology, Brooklyn, New York

    23. CUNY Hunter College, New York, New York

    24. Florida International University, Miami, Florida

    25. California State University, Fresno, California

    26. Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona

    27. Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas

    28. The University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas

    29. Mt. Adams School District #209, White Swan, Washington

    30. The Urban Assembly New York Harbor School, New York, New York

    31. John Bowne High School, Flushing, New York

    The Department’s decision to suspend EKDLG Fellowship Program threatens the U.S. agricultural workforce pipeline and the opportunities this program provides educators and students nationwide.

    We urge you to immediately reinstate the E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program, similar to Department’s reinstatement of the 1890 National Scholars Program, and to collaborate with Congress to ensure its long-term stability.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Whitehouse Blast Trump and Zeldin’s Weaponization of EPA as GAO Determines Clean Air Act Waivers Not Subject to Congressional Review Act

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff, Whitehouse Blast Trump and Zeldin’s Weaponization of EPA as GAO Determines Clean Air Act Waivers Not Subject to Congressional Review Act

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, in response to the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) finding that Clean Air Act waivers to California are not subject to the Congressional Review Act, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, issued the following joint statement:

    “By ignoring decades of precedent and the plain text of the Congressional Review Act, the Trump EPA is attempting to sell out our nation’s public health and environmental protections to the same polluting industries that bankrolled much of Trump’s campaign. Congress put in place California’s ability to set vehicle emissions standards in the Clean Air Act, and California emission standards have protected generations of Americans against fossil fuel emissions that poison our air and heat our planet. President Trump and Administrator Zeldin’s weaponization of the EPA in service of the polluters the agency is tasked with policing directly attacks our nation’s ability to breathe clean air and reduce the planet-warming carbon pollution that is fueling extreme weather. 

    “GAO’s views on what agency actions are subject to the Congressional Review Act have historically carried great weight, and we thank the agency for its attention to this matter.” 

    Yesterday, Senator Padilla questioned nominees for senior posts at the Environmental Protection Agency on California’s Clean Air Act waivers, stressing that they do not fall under the purview of the Congressional Review Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff Urge Interior Department to Halt Further Workforce Cuts at Bureau of Reclamation

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff Urge Interior Department to Halt Further Workforce Cuts at Bureau of Reclamation

    Senators to DOI: “Rather than decimating the agency and its dedicated staff, Interior should work with Congress to bolster Reclamation’s workforce to meet the growing demands of extreme weather, population growth, and increasing pressures on our water supply systems.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, pushed the Department of the Interior to ensure there are no further federal workforce cuts to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). The letter comes after the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memo last week requiring agency heads to submit guidance on large-scale reductions in force and their reorganization plans by March 15. Due to the chaos of the Trump Administration’s reckless cuts, Reclamation is already set to lose about 100 employees in California, which is 10 percent of its regional staff.

    Despite its tradition of operating as a lean agency, Reclamation supports and operates many critical California water management projects and delivers water to more than 31 million Americans and 10 million acres of farmland. This farmland managed by Reclamation produces over 60 percent of the nation’s vegetables and more than 25 percent of its fruits and nuts.

    “Any federal dollars ‘saved’ from a reduction in staffing will ultimately cost taxpayers more through disrupted supply chains, increased burdens on state taxpayers, and emergency response due to the instability created by these reductions,” wrote the Senators. “Aging dams, reservoirs, and conveyance systems require continuous monitoring and maintenance, and without adequate staffing, the risk of infrastructure failures increases. Such failures could have catastrophic consequences, including flooding, water contamination, and severe disruptions to California’s agricultural and urban economies.”

    “We strongly urge you to reconsider the termination of these critical Reclamation employees and halt further workforce reductions at Reclamation,” continued the Senators. “Rather than decimating the agency and its dedicated staff, Interior should work with Congress to bolster Reclamation’s workforce to meet the growing demands of extreme weather, population growth, and increasing pressures on our water supply systems.”

    Padilla and Schiff highlighted three essential water projects that depend on the expertise of Reclamation staff for managing water in the West, where water systems are extremely complex and are closely coordinated with state, tribal, and local authorities:

    • The Klamath Project provides critical water supplies to farms, wildlife refuges, and tribal communities in Oregon and California. Reclamation staff are essential to balancing competing demands for tribal cultural protection, agricultural water deliveries, and ecological health.
    • The Central Valley Project (CVP) operates in tandem with the State Water Project (SWP) to supply water to farms, businesses, and residents. The two systems are deeply interconnected, and CVP staff is essential to SWP operations and water deliveries. The CVP is a federal responsibility, and maintaining full Reclamation staffing is essential to protect California’s water supply and agricultural economy.
    • The Lower Colorado Regional Office operates Hoover Dam — one of the federal government’s most critical infrastructure assets. Its staff provide real-time data and operational oversight that is vital for Colorado River management, and for ensuring reliable water deliveries to three Western states, millions of people, and some of the nation’s most productive farmland.

    The Senators also highlighted concerns from many California water contractors who have warned Interior Secretary Burgum against eliminating essential Reclamation staff with the knowledge necessary to safely and reliably deliver water throughout California. Many of these contractors have emphasized that Reclamation is a service organization, not funded by taxpayers but rather water and power customers.

    Last week, Senators Padilla and Schiff urged the Department of the Interior to immediately stop its freeze of Inflation Reduction Act funding for the Lower Colorado River System Conservation and Efficiency Program, which is managed by the Bureau of Reclamation.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Burgum, Acting Commissioner Palumbo, Director Stock, and Director Johnson:

    We write to express serious concerns regarding (i) alleged staff terminations at the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) in California and (ii) the recent Office of Personnel Management (OPM) memo calling for significant federal workforce reductions. On March 3, 2025, it was reported that Reclamation is set to lose about 100 employees in California, which is 10 percent of its regional staff. In the strongest terms, we ask that you provide further information and justification about these reductions and ensure that any additional cuts at the Department of the Interior (Interior) do not further impact Reclamation, an already lean agency that delivers water to more than 31 million Americans and 10 million acres of farmland that produce 60% of the nation’s vegetables and 25% of its fruits and nuts.

    Reclamation staff are indispensable to managing water in the West, where water systems are highly technical, complex, and closely coordinated with state, tribal, and local authorities. For example:

    The Klamath Project provides critical water supplies to farms, wildlife refuges, and tribal communities in Oregon and California. Reclamation staff are essential to balancing competing demands for Tribal cultural protection, agricultural water deliveries, and ecological health.

    The Central Valley Project (CVP) operates in tandem with the State Water Project (SWP) to supply water to farms, businesses, and residents. The two systems are deeply interconnected, making CVP staffing essential to SWP operations and water deliveries. As the CVP is a federal responsibility, Interior must ensure it remains fully staffed to protect California’s water supply and agricultural economy.

    The Lower Colorado Regional Office operates Hoover Dam – one of the federal government’s most critical infrastructure assets. Its staff provide real-time data and operational oversight essential for managing the Colorado River, ensuring reliable water deliveries to three western states, millions of people, and some of the nation’s most productive farmland.

    As a large coalition of California federal water contractors wrote to you in the attached letter, “In our experience, the vast majority of staff throughout Reclamation’s California-Great Basin region is comprised of dedicated, talented federal employees, possessing specialized skills, knowledge, and the relevant and specific experience necessary to safely and efficiently manage, operate and maintain one of the largest, most complex water projects in the world… This knowledge is absolutely essential to assuring the continued safe and reliable delivery of water throughout the state.” The staffing cuts previously made by and deferred resignations conducted through this Administration have already led to the loss of many experienced employees. As the water contractors point out, additional losses will threaten public health and safety and negatively impact the water delivery system for the nation’s largest state economy.

    Any federal dollars “saved” from a reduction in staffing will ultimately cost taxpayers more through disrupted supply chains, increased burdens on state taxpayers, and emergency response due to the instability created by these reductions. Aging dams, reservoirs, and conveyance systems require continuous monitoring and maintenance, and without adequate staffing, the risk of infrastructure failures increases. Such failures could have catastrophic consequences, including flooding, water contamination, and severe disruptions to California’s agricultural and urban economies.

    In light of these challenges, please answer the following questions by March 13, 2025.

    1. What analyses, if any, have been completed to determine the budgetary and broader economic impacts of losing Reclamation employees that have already been or will be lost?

    2. How does Interior plan to make up for the current and anticipated loss of specialized knowledge about California’s water systems, including the CVP, given these terminations?

    3. How will Interior and Reclamation continue to manage, operate, and maintain California’s aging infrastructure in light of these staffing losses?

    4. According to OPM’s FedScope, there were 5,739 employees at Reclamation as of September 2024. How many Reclamation employees are there as of March 6, 2025?

    5. What are the job functions and employment locations of Reclamation employees in California who have been terminated and accepted deferred resignation?

    6. Please describe in detail, the degree to which Mr. Elon Musk and/or representatives from the “Department of Government Efficiency” or “United States DOGE Service” have been involved in any part of these firings within Interior and Reclamation.

    We strongly urge you to reconsider the termination of these critical Reclamation employees and halt further workforce reductions at Reclamation. Rather than decimating the agency and its dedicated staff, Interior should work with Congress to bolster Reclamation’s workforce to meet the growing demands of extreme weather, population growth, and increasing pressures on our water supply systems.

    We welcome the opportunity to further discuss these concerns and would be happy to host you for a visit at any time to give you a tour of California’s vital water infrastructure and introduce you to the outstanding Reclamation staff in California.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER SAYS: HANDS OFF SOUTHERN TIER SENIORS’ & FAMILIES’ SOCIAL SECURITY; SENATOR DEMANDS ANSWERS ON POTENTIAL CLOSURE OF CHEMUNG COUNTY SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    Big Flats Social Security Office Is Only Office In Chemung County, And It Was Just Listed On ‘DOGE’s Wall Of Receipts For Chopping Block, Senator Says Staff & Thousands Of Southern Tier Seniors & Families Who Rely On Office To Help With Social Security Checks Need Answers Now
    Senator Says Taking Away The Only In-Person Social Security Office For Miles Would Hurt Our Seniors And Others Who Need In Person Services, And Will Make It More Difficult For New Yorkers To Access Their Hard-Earned Social Security Benefits
    Schumer: Closing Big Flats Social Security Office Will Hurt Southern Tier Seniors And Families – So Don’t Do It!
    After ‘DOGE’ placed the Big Flats Social Security Administration office on a list of leases to be terminated, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today demanded answers for the thousands of Southern Tier seniors and families who rely on this office for their hard-earned Social Security checks and administrative assistance. This comes as the new administration has proposed massive cuts —more than 7,000 people— in the Social Security Administration across the country, which would radically diminish service, responsiveness and timeliness of benefit delivery and processing.
    “The Big Flats Social Security office is the only location in Chemung County, and with no clarity about the future of the office’s over a dozen employees or assurances about continuity of operations for the Southern Tier local residents deserve answers and – above all – they deserve an open office that continues to provide vital in-person services,” said Schumer.
    “Social Security allows seniors in New York and across the country to retire in dignity and provides vital support for those who become disabled, and tens of millions of seniors, families, and children depend on these hard-earned benefits. Closing the Big Flats Social Security office could result in untenable reductions in local staff, and will make it harder for New Yorkers to get the benefits they are owed and deserve,” said Senator Schumer. “Social Security is a lifeline and we can’t have it cut. That’s why I’m demanding answers on why this office was listed for closure and to ensure Southern Tier residents can access their hard-earned Social Security benefits uninterrupted.”
    “The potential closure of our local Social Security office would have a significant impact on Chemung County’s older and most vulnerable adults, many of whom rely on in-person services and have limited access to transportation,” said Chemung County Dept. of Aging & Long Term Care Director Beth Stranges. “This decision would create unnecessary barriers, increasing the already lengthy wait times and reducing access to the vital resources that our most vulnerable residents, which include our friends, neighbors, parents, grandparents, and many children, depend on. We must continue to advocate to keep access to these essential services within our county to ensure all older adults receive the access to support they need without added hardship.”
    “The lack of information from this Administration on the closing of the Big Flats Office is frightening. Our employees show up to work each day looking to help their community and provide these much-needed services, now they have been left in the dark,” said Shawn Halloran AFGE Local President 3342. “Closing this office can have devasting impacts on the workforce and the ability to provide assistance to local residents. This entire situation has been cruel and stressful.”
    Schumer said this follows the alarming pattern of abrupt SSA office closures across New York State. Last month, the White Plains office was placed on a list of office spaces for potential sale, and earlier this week, the Poughkeepsie office was placed on a similar list as well. Local Social Security offices offer a full range of Social Security services, including applying for new or replacement Social Security cards, applying for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits, making changes to your benefits information and more. In rural communities like Chemung County, having local access to their hard earned benefits is crucial for Southern Tier seniors and their families.
    Social Security has been a crucial piece of the social safety net since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the law creating it in 1935, and it was designed to be self-sufficient. It has a dedicated revenue source from payroll taxes, which workers split with their employers. In a letter to Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration LeLand Dudek, Schumer demanded answers about the sudden closures across New York State and the future of the SSA office in Big Flats. Schumer expressed concerns that these sudden closures mean tens of millions of Americans who depend on Social Security could be in serious trouble.
    Amid Elon Musk’s comments that Social Security is a scam and a “ponzi scheme,” Schumer warned that Americans’ social security payments are under attack by ’ Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE’s online “wall of receipts” lists office leases that it plans to cancel, including Social Security Administration offices in New York. This is the second federal office in the Southern Tier affected after job cuts were issued by DOGE at the Bath Veterans Affairs facility.
    Schumer’s letter to Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration LeLand Dudek below:
    Dear Acting Commissioner Dudek,
    I write with deep concerns about the potential closure of the Social Security Administration office in Big Flats, NY. Social Security offices in New York and across the country are essential to ensuring that Americans can access their hard-earned benefits. The Big Flats office is the only office in Chemung County and serves New Yorkers across New York’s Southern Tier, and its closure will make it more difficult for New Yorkers to access the benefits they have earned and depend on.
    People in New York and across the country depend on local Social Security offices. Social Security field offices offer a full range of Social Security services, including applying for new or replacement Social Security cards, applying for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits, making changes to benefits information and more. 
    Your plans for the future of the Big Flats Social Security office remain unclear, jeopardizing the payments for New Yorkers across the Southern Tier. The office was placed on a list of leased offices that will no longer have leases renewed. There has been no communication from ‘DOGE’ about how New Yorkers can receive help with their Social Security benefits if this office closes.
    I am also concerned about the office’s 14 staff members. They deserve clarity about the future of their work and where they should go if this building is sold.
    In an effort to cut through this chaos and get answers for New Yorkers, I seek answers on the following:
    What factors led to the Big Flats Social Security office’s placement on this list of properties not to have leases reviewed?
    Who is making the decisions on this lease, and what involvement does DOGE have in that process?
    Where should this office’s 14 employees report to work if this building is sold?
    Is there an alternative plan for this office’s operations to ensure New Yorkers across the Southern Tier can access Social Security services?
    Tens of millions of seniors, families, and children depend on hard-earned Social Security benefits. Closing the Big Flats office will make it more difficult for New Yorkers across the Southern Tier to access their hard-earned Social Security benefits, and that is unacceptable.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER DEMANDS ANSWERS & THAT ALBANY FED BUILDING REMAIN OPEN: AFTER BEING LISTED BY GSA FOR SALE AMID ‘DOGE’ CUTS, SENATOR SAYS WE NEED ANSWERS & ASSURANCES THAT VITAL SERVICES AND FED OFFICES WILL…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    This Week GSA Listed The Leo W. O’Brien Federal Building In Albany And 400+ Other Fed Properties As ‘Designated For Disposal,’ But Mysteriously Removed List On That Same Day – Creating Confusion & Concern Building Could Close And Services Could Get Cut For Capital Region
    O’Brien Building Hosts Offices For Social Security, IRS, Military Processing And Its Presence Has Been Essential To Providing Federal Services To Albany Area For Over 50 Years
    Schumer: Capital Region Families, Seniors Can’t Have Fed Building Close And Services Cut Off, We Need Answers & Clarity ASAP
    After the Trump administration placed the Leo W. O’Brien Federal Building on a list of federal properties “designated for disposal” and abruptly removed that list, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today demanded answers from the General Services Administration (GSA) and assurances that the building will remain open and services uninterrupted for Capital Region residents. Schumer said the building is critical to the Capital Region and that seniors, workers, and families that rely on services in the building need clarity on future plans for this vital hub for services. 
    “This week, Albany’s O’Brien Federal Building was placed on GSA’s list of federal properties for sale and within a day, that list disappeared, creating confusion, concern, and chaos. Now many are worried this could mean the building will close and services, including a Social Security office, will be interrupted for thousands of Capital Region families, workers and seniors. GSA won’t say what its plans are and ‘DOGE’ is being dodgey about whether this Albany building is next on their chaotic chopping block. This building is where Capital Region families and seniors get help with Social Security checks, where military recruits get processed, where people go with questions on the status of their tax returns, and thousands have gotten help with other vital federal services for 50 years,”  said Senator Schumer. “My constituents in the Capital Region deserve to know what caused this chaos and who is making these decisions. They deserve certainty on the future of this building and the vital services it hosts. I am all for cutting waste and making government more efficient, but selling a property for nickels only to have taxpayers pay significantly more to lease and maintain access to these services just isn’t smart business. It’s penny wise and pound foolish, and a giveaway to private landlords. Capital Region families and federal workers have little clarity on what the future holds and we need answers now.” 
    Albany’s Leo W. O’Brien Federal Building is home to 20 federal government agencies including the Social Security Administration office, a day care for children of federal employees, a U.S. Military Entrance Processing Station, the IRS, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and the senator’s Capital Region office. Schumer said that since it was listed earlier this week for potential disposal, his office has been inundated with inquiries on the future of the building, whether it will be closed or sold and whether services will be cut off. Schumer said it is imperative the building remain open and services are maintained, and is now demanding answers on what happened. 
    Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said, “The Leo O’Brien Building is a hub of vital federal government services, and our residents must have access to these services and the ability to interact with federal agencies — particularly in one of the most underserved census tracts in the entire region. I commend Senator Schumer for demanding answers of this administration and for calling out yet another example of the mismanagement and chaos carried out by DOGE.”
    This would not be the first instance of offices that provide vital federal services in NY being potentially shut down by DOGE. Social Security offices in the Hudson Valley have already been listed on the DOGE “wall of receipts” which could impact services for thousands who rely on them to help with payments.
    Schumer’s letter to General Services Administration Deputy Administrator and Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian can be found below:
    Dear Acting Administrator Ehikian,
    I write with deep concern over the Leo W. O’Brien Federal Building in Albany N.Y. appearing on a list of buildings potentially being listed for sale or closure amid cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). On Tuesday, the Leo W. O’Brien Federal Building and over 400 other federal properties were placed on a list of “non-core” properties that the General Services Administration (GSA) said are “designated for disposal.” Later that same day, GSA abruptly removed this list, creating chaos and confusion for the people who work in these buildings. The people of the Capital Region and I need answers on your plans for this building, assurances that it will remain open and that the critical services it hosts will continue uninterrupted for the thousands of New Yorkers who rely on them. 
    The Leo W. O’Brien Federal Building is home to 20 federal government agencies including the Social Security Administration office, a day care for children of federal employees, a U.S. Military Entrance Processing Station, and my Capital Region office. For 50 years, it has been where Capital Region residents interact with the federal government for essential services like assistance with Social Security checks and the IRS or seeking justice in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. This is where new military recruits from the Capital Region are processed for service. Seeing this building on a list of properties “designated for disposal” created panic for Albany’s federal workers, who are already seeing the federal workforce slashed by DOGE. The list’s sudden removal within hours of first being posted has raised even more questions and caused even more chaos and uncertainty.
    Your plans and process for determining the future of the building remain unclear. The GSA is listing the building as a “non-core” property despite the essential services the federal agencies within the building provide on a daily basis. The public has yet to see any cost-benefit studies to justify a potential major sale like this, and many have raised serious concerns that a measure like this would end up costing taxpayers significantly more by forcing federal offices to be leased by a private landlord. To add to the concerns, removing this list with no communication about if or when the list will be re-posted or updated underscores the complete disorganization and inefficiency of a process that potentially impacts jobs and vital services for my constituents. The hard-working federal workers in this building and the communities who rely on their services in New York’s Capital Region deserve clarity and certainty.
    In an effort to cut through the confusion, I seek answers on the following:
    What factors led to the Leo W. O’Brien Federal Building’s placement on this list of properties “designated for disposal”? 
    Who is making the decisions on this lease, and what involvement does DOGE have in that process?
    Why was this list taken down so quickly? If so, will the list be updated and what criteria are being used for determining whether a property remains on an updated list?
    Why did you not follow the standard processes of seeking public input about the loss of a federal building? Please provide any and all cost-benefit analysis studies that have been done relevant to the decision-making process for this property. 
    If the building is sold, is there an alternative plan for the federal offices located in the building? What assurances can be given that existing services in the building will not be disrupted due to a sale of this property? 
    This building has been integral to the federal government’s work in the Capital Region for 50 years, and its abrupt closure and sale would disrupt essential services my constituents rely on. We should not be haphazardly selling America’s real estate portfolio and causing chaos and uncertainty for the American people. This process is everything but efficient. I ask for your prompt answers to my questions above and urge you to maintain the Leo W. O’Brien Federal Building in Albany so federal workers can continue to support and serve the Capital Region and all of New York State.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King: Congress’s Inability to Pass Spending Bills Harms National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King questioned three witnesses about the adverse impact of the Republican-led House and Senate not passing annual federal spending bills on military capability and production. During the hearing, Senator King spoke with David Berteau, the President and Chief Executive Office of the Professional Services Council; Dr. Christine Michienzi, the former Senior Technology Advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment; and Dr. John McGinn, the Executive Director of the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University’s Costello College of Business.
    The exchange comes as Congress has struggled to negotiate a federal spending law that would pass with bipartisan support and be approved by the White House. Now, with less than 10 days to avert a government shutdown, Congressional appropriators are pursuing a continuing resolution that would temporarily fund the government at the previous year’s levels — therefore not adding new policies or investments that the military needs.
    “Could we all agree that continuing resolutions absolutely are not part of the solution to this problem,” asked Senator King.
    “Franklin Roosevelt did not face a single continuing resolution in the entire buildup to World War II and the entire execution thereof,” replied Berteau.
    “I concur,” said Dr. McGinn.
    “I concur,” echoed Dr. Michienzi.
    “All of you agree with that. That is one of the difficulties we are in now. It creates all kinds of downstream in the industrial base and preparation. Thank you for that. Let the record show, continuing resolutions are not the way to do business, particularly in the defense area,” said Senator King. “All of you have mentioned something very interesting which is allies are part of the solution. It concerns me that we are embarked on a course that is not encouraging to our allies, and in some cases poking our allies in the eye. Talk to me about the importance of allies in dealing with the production necessary for significant conflict whether it is Japan, U.K., Canada, or other countries.”
    “Our allies are a key part of our industrial base. We have a number of agreements and collaborative programs. The largest fighter program in the world, the F-35, we have a dozen partner countries I believe,” responded Dr. McGinn. 
    “We cannot do this by ourselves, correct,” asked Senator King. “All of you are nodding, could you say yes? They don’t show up in the transcript.” 
    “Yes,” Berteau, Dr. Michienzi and Dr. McGinn agreed unanimously.
    A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator King is recognized as an authoritative voice on national security and foreign policy issues who has also been named a “fiscal hero” by government watchdogs for responsible spending. Senator King has previously urged the Department of Defense (DoD) to take advantage of private sector technologies or risk losing access to innovative defense technologies and encouraged the (DoD) to reevaluate its acquisition process of defense technologies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHOTO: Cornyn Meets Houstonian & Honorary Secret Service Agent DJ Daniel

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today met Houstonian and 13-year-old cancer survivor DJ Daniel, whom President Trump named an honorary Secret Service Agent during his Joint Address to Congress on Tuesday. See photo below.

    “I know I’m not alone in saying that 13-year-old Texan DJ Daniel, who proudly wore a Houston Police Department uniform… was one of the highlights of POTUS’ address to Congress. DJ is an inspiration and a great example of resilience. DJ, you are amazing, and I know you will be a fantastic Secret Service agent.” 

    This image is in the public domain, but those wishing to do so may credit the Office of U.S. Senator John Cornyn.

    Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, is a member of the Senate Finance, Judiciary, Intelligence, Foreign Relations, and Budget Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Scott Reintroduce Bill to Strengthen Protections, Restore Intent of Federal Religious Freedom Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker reintroduced the Do No Harm Act, which will restore the original intent of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), and prohibit individuals and businesses from using religion to deny others’ civil rights. Companion  legislation was reintroduced in the House by Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Committee on the Judiciary Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government Ranking Member Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05), and Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-09).
    The legislation comes amid a sharp rise in the misapplication of RFRA to justify discrimination in a wide range of scenarios.
    The Trump Administration is poised to supercharge the misapplication of RFRA through executive actions. For example, on February 7, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14205 titled “Establishment of the White House Faith Office” directing the White House Faith Office to support federal agencies in providing training and education on the availability of religious exemptions.
    The Do No Harm Act limits the use of RFRA in cases involving discrimination, child labor and abuse, wages and collective bargaining, access to health care, public accommodations, and social services provided through government contracts.
    “Freedom of religion is one of our country’s founding principles, but freely exercising one’s faith does not create the right to deny another person of their civil liberties,” said Senator Booker. “The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) was never meant to create a loophole for discrimination. The Do No Harm Act is critical legislation that will restore the careful balance of the First Amendment and RFRA’s original intent by ensuring that religious beliefs cannot be used to deny people of their right to live free from discrimination.
    “When Congress passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 1993, it was intended to protect religious exercise—not to erode civil rights under the guise of religious freedom.  Regrettably, we have seen RFRA repeatedly used to attack civil rights protections, deny access to health care, and allow discrimination in federal contracts and programs,” said Ranking Member Scott. “The Do No Harm Act simply provides that RFRA cannot be used to limit access to health care, deny services supported by taxpayer dollars, or undermine the Civil Rights Act or other anti-discrimination protections.  Congress must take this critical step to ensure no one can weaponize religious freedom to erode our fundamental civil and legal rights.”
    “Our constitutional right to worship freely is not a right to violate the civil rights of other people,” said Ranking Member Raskin.  “That’s why I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Do No Harm Act, a bill which will make sure that we respect the universal free exercise of religion but that no one can turn it into a weapon against other people’s equality and freedom.”
    “The free exercise of religious beliefs is one of our country’s founding principles,” said Congresswoman Scanlon.  “But religious freedom laws are increasingly being weaponized to justify discrimination and undermine civil rights protections.  I’m proud to introduce the Do No Harm Act to restore the chronically misused Religious Freedom Restoration Act to its original intent – which is to provide protections for religious exercise while ensuring that RFRA is not used to erode civil rights under the guise of religious freedom.”
    “Civil rights grow.  We can enforce and protect one person’s rights without sacrificing another’s.  And in so doing, we can apply our laws to expand the rights of all. We don’t need to pit one group against another,” said Congressman Cohen. “The Do No Harm Act advances the original intent of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and corrects the courts’ misguided interpretations that have allowed the religious rights of some to be used to undermine the civil rights of others.  I’m pleased to join Congressman Scott in this effort.”
    For a list of the endorsing organizations of the Do No Harm Act, click here.
    To read the full text of the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Warren, Senators Raise Alarm About Reports of X Officials Leveraging Elon Musk’s Government Position to Drive Ad Revenue & Enrich the Billionaire

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) led Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in sending a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, raising concerns about reports that Elon Musk’s social media company “X” (formerly Twitter) is leveraging his influential position in the Trump Administration to extract revenue from advertisers and enrich himself. If Musk uses his government position to interfere with federal antitrust enforcement, allegedly threatening to stall or block an advertiser’s merger if they do not pay up, then he risks running afoul of criminal ethics laws.
    In 2023, a wave of advertisers withdrew ads from X after Musk “endorsed an antisemitic post” and loosened content moderation rules in ways that increased inflammatory content on the platform, reportedly costing the company as much as $75 million in ad revenue that year.
    In 2024, as Musk prepared to begin his new role in the federal government, an attorney at X allegedly demanded that the advertising conglomerate Interpublic Group “get its clients to spend more on Elon Musk’s social-media platform, or else.” 
    Interpublic has reportedly interpreted these communications to mean that Musk will leverage his influence over President Trump to stall or block Interpublic’s $13 billion deal to merge with advertising competitor Omnicom Group,” weaponizing federal antitrust enforcers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
    In the first letter, the Senators raise concerns that “X officials could … be attempting to strike a quid-pro-quo deal, pressuring Interpublic to get its clients to spend a certain amount on advertising on X in exchange for directing President Trump to use his antitrust enforcement agencies to allow Interpublic’s merger with Omnicom to proceed.”
    “The fear that the FTC and DOJ could be used in such a way is not unfounded. There is precedent for the Trump Administration weaponizing federal antitrust enforcers to punish his perceived opponents. During his first term, President Trump allegedly interfered with the AT&T-Time Warner merger, in which the DOJ sued to block the merger, to punish CNN for the news agency’s reporting on the President,” wrote the Senators.
    The Senators request that the FTC and DOJ inform the undersigned of any attempts made by Elon Musk or his associates to interfere with federal antitrust enforcement writing, “The federal government’s antitrust enforcers should be prioritizing lowering costs for American consumers, empowering workers, and supporting small businesses. They should not be weaponized by wealthy business owners to put more money in the hands of billionaires or retaliate against American businesses.”
    Additionally, in a related letter sent today, the senators urge Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Special Government Employee Elon Musk if he uses his government position to protect those who engage in business with him as he would risk violating criminal ethics laws.  
    “Musk is not above the law by virtue of being the world’s richest man,” continued the senators. “If evidence emerges that Musk is, in fact, using his official role to coerce advertisers or is participating in particular matters in which he has a financial interest, we ask that DOJ investigate the potential violation of federal ethics laws, as the Department should for any other federal employee who appears to be breaking the law.”
    To read the full text of the letter, click here and here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Senator Peters Calls for Passage of the PRO Act to Protect American Workers’ Right to Organize

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    Published: 03.06.2025
    Peters Again Cosponsored and Helped Reintroduce the Bill to Support Workers in Michigan and Across the Country

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) called for passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, comprehensive legislation to protect workers’ right to stand together and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces. The PRO Act, which Peters again cosponsored and helped reintroduce this Congress, would restore fairness to the economy by strengthening the federal laws that protect workers’ right to join a union freely and fairly.
    “Labor unions created the American middle class,” said Senator Peters. “The PRO Act will make it easier for folks to organize, to become a member of a union, and be able to stand up for the rights that they deserve. I come from a union household. My parents were both members of the union. I am who I am because of the love and support that they gave me, and the fact that they were part of a union allowed them to provide for my future. That’s why we’ve got to pass the PRO Act.”

    To watch the video, click here.
    The PRO Act, which Peters previously spoke in favor of on the Senate floor, would protect every American’s right to organize in their workplace and collectively bargain. The bill specifically includes measures that would:
    Hold employers accountable for violating workers’ rights by authorizing meaningful penalties, facilitating initial collective bargaining agreements, and closing loopholes that allow employers to misclassify their employees as supervisors and independent contractors.
    Empower workers to exercise their right to organize by strengthening support for workers who suffer retaliation for exercising their rights, protecting workers’ right to support secondary boycotts, ensuring workers can collect “fair share” fees, and authorizing a private right of action for violation of workers’ rights.
    Secure free, fair, and safe union elections by preventing employers from interfering in union elections, prohibiting captive audience meetings, and requiring employers to be transparent with their workers.
    Peters grew up in a union household, where his mother was a Service Employees International Union (SEIU) steward, and his father was a member of the National Education Association (NEA). During his annual motorcycle tour across Michigan last year, Peters met with local union members and retirees at IBEW Local 131 in Kalamazoo to underscore the need to protect workers’ right to collectively bargain. Peters also joined UAW members on the picket line in Michigan as they negotiated for better wages, benefits, and job security. Then, following the UAW’s historic contracts in 2024, Peters led his colleagues in sending a letter to 13 non-unionized automakers urging them not to illegally block UAW unionization efforts at their manufacturing plants. Peters invited UAW Region 1 Director LaShawn English to be his guest for the 2024 State of the Union Address last year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth and Fellow Veterans’ Affairs Committee Democrats Demand Immediate Answers on VA Secretary Collins’ Disastrous Plan to Cut 83,000 VA Jobs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    March 06, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC)—joined SVAC Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), all other SVAC Democrats and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA-39) in demanding immediate answers from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins regarding the disastrous impact of the Trump Administration’s plans to cut more than 80,000 VA employees this year—including at least 20,000 Veterans. The lawmakers’ bicameral letter comes after an internal memo leaked earlier this week detailed a plan to slash VA’s workforce to fiscal year 2019 levels.

    The lawmakers expressed their extreme concern with the impact this massive reduction in force plan will have on Veterans—despite Collins’ unsupported claims that scaling back VA’s workforce by at least 15% will have no impact on VA care or benefits: “This planned [Reduction in Force] and [Reorganization Plan], coupled with the ongoing hiring freeze and illegal terminations of probationary employees, will be catastrophic for the agency; its workforce; and for the veterans, caregivers, and survivors it serves… You have promised on several occasions that any reductions in the VA workforce will not impact delivery of care and benefits to veterans. It defies logic and reason that the agency could cut an additional  83,000 employees, beyond the 2,400 or more you have already terminated, without healthcare and benefits being interrupted.”

    The lawmakers emphasized the harm in reducing VA’s workforce back to pre-PACT Act levels: “Congress passed the Honoring Our PACT Act in 2022, which authorized the largest expansion of veterans’ benefits in decades. Millions of veterans either became newly eligible for VA benefits or saw their benefits increase due to authorities in the PACT Act. To meet the growth in demand and to deliver the care and benefits veterans earned, Congress included provisions in the legislation that allowed VA to grow its workforce across the system…These new hires made the Department more efficient and productive, and the reduction in claims processing turnaround can be directly attributed to the growth in the workforce. Returning to pre-PACT levels explicitly goes against Congressional intent.”

    The lawmakers concluded their letter by demanding immediate answers to a series of questions and requests for documentation, including:

    • A full and unredacted copy of the memo leaked this week including attachments referenced;
    • Full and unredacted copies of the information gathered and submitted by Administrations and Staff Offices that is due by March 10, 2025, as referenced in the memo;
    • The names, jobs titles, job duties and onboarding dates of the “DOGE leads” and “VA liaisons to DOGE” referenced in the memo;
    • A detailed list of VA Administration and Staff Office personnel who will be detailed to support the Reduction in Force and Reorganization Plan efforts referenced in the memo;
    • A detailed timeline of the proposed Reduction in Force and Reorganization Plan;
    • A list of the designated senior leaders who will serve as central points of contact for time sensitive issues designated by Administration and Staff Offices as referenced in the memo;
    • What future objectives related to any RIFs or adjustments to VA staffing levels are being contemplated or planned; and
    • To confirm the exact data and goals the Secretary is referencing to implement these plans. 

    Along with Duckworth, the letter was co-signed in the Senate by SVAC Ranking Member Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Angus King (I-ME), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

    In the House, the letter is also co-signed by House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) and numerous House Democratic Committee members.

    The full text of the letter is available on the Committee Democrats’ website and below.

    Dear Secretary Collins:

    We write to express our extreme concern regarding reports that through Agency Reductions in Force (RIF) and Reorganization Plan (ARRP), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans to cut its staff by an estimated 83,000 employees by the end of this fiscal year. VA Chief of Staff Christopher Syrek stated in a March 4, 2025, memorandum to key VA officials that the “initial objective” at the agency will be to reduce the VA workforce to end of fiscal year 2019 levels. This planned RIF and ARRP, coupled with the ongoing hiring freeze and illegal terminations of probationary employees, will be catastrophic for the agency; its workforce; and for the veterans, caregivers, and survivors it serves.

    Congress passed the Honoring Our PACT Act in 2022, which authorized the largest expansion of veterans’ benefits in decades. Millions of veterans either became newly eligible for VA benefits or saw their benefits increase due to authorities in the PACT Act. To meet the growth in demand and to deliver the care and benefits veterans earned, Congress included provisions in the legislation that allowed VA to grow its workforce across the system. Those new hires were not limited to clinicians who provide direct care. Claims processors, benefits counselors, IT professionals, and essential support staff were also onboarded to ensure veterans could access their earned disability compensation and programs like the G.I. Bill and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E). These new hires made the Department more efficient and productive, and the reduction in claims processing turnaround can be directly attributed to the growth in the workforce. Returning to pre-PACT levels explicitly goes against Congressional intent.

    You have promised on several occasions that any reductions in the VA workforce will not impact delivery of care and benefits to veterans. It defies logic and reason that the agency could cut an additional 83,000 employees, beyond the 2,400 or more you have already terminated, without healthcare and benefits being interrupted. To that end and due to the urgency of this matter, we request answers to the following questions by March 14, 2025. We also request our staff be briefed on these RIF and ARRP plans by March 12, 2025.

    1. Please provide a full and unredacted copy of the March 4, 2025, memorandum from the VA Chief of Staff to key Administration officials, “Department of Veterans Affairs Agency Reduction in Force (RIF) and Reorganization Plan (ARRP)” including “Attachment 1”. 
    2. Please provide full and unredacted copies of the information gathered and submitted by Administrations and Staff Offices that is due by March 10, 2025, as referenced in the March 4, 2025 memorandum related to the proposed RIF and ARRP. 
    3. Please provide the names, jobs titles, job duties, and onboarding dates of the “DOGE leads” and “VA liaisons to DOGE” referenced in the March 4, 2025 memorandum. 
    4. Please provide a detailed list of VA Administration and Staff Office personnel who will be detailed to support the RIF and ARRP efforts, as referenced in the March 4, 2025, memorandum. Please include the following data: name, occupation, job description, work experience, job location, and other relevant information. 
    5. Please provide a detailed timeline of the proposed RIF and ARRP plans, including all due dates for information from VA Administrations and Staff Offices and dates on which each step in the RIF and ARRP plan will be executed. 
    6. Please provide a list of the designated senior leaders who will serve as central points of contact for time sensitive issues designated by Administration and Staff Offices as referenced in the March 4, 2025 memorandum. 
    7. Please provide a list of Under Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, other Key Officials, Senior Advisors, DOGE liaisons, and any other personnel who will serve on the Executive Review Group (ERG) referenced in the March 4, 2025 memorandum. 
    8. Please provide a list of participants and a detailed summary of the initial senior level meeting chaired by the Secretary that is planned for March 5, 2025 as referenced in the March 4, 2025 memorandum. 
    9. In the March 4, 2025 memorandum, the VA Chief of Staff states, “…the Department’s initial objective is to return to 2019 end-strength numbers of 399, 957 employees.” What future objectives related to any RIFs or adjustments to VA staffing levels are being contemplated or planned? 
    10. In the March 4, 2025 memorandum, the Chief of Staff refers to 2019 numbers as 399,957 employees, but according to data reported as required by Section 505 of Public Law 115-82, the MISSION Act, the Department’s numbers were below that level until 2020. Please confirm the exact data and goals you’ll be referencing as you implement these plans.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo: Faulkender Highly Qualified to Serve as Deputy Treasury Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–During a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing to consider the nomination of Michael Faulkender to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) praised Mr. Faulkender’s qualifications, saying, in part, “Based upon your public and private sector experience, academic credentials and areas of focus and training, you are highly qualified to serve as Deputy Treasury Secretary in this Administration,” adding that he looked forward to supporting his nomination.   

    During the hearing, Chairman Crapo underscored the importance of eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in federal spending.  Mr. Faulkender outlined ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of financial systems, modernizing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to better serve taxpayers and strengthening federal accountability measures. 

    Watch Senator Crapo’s opening statement here and line of questioning here.

    On President Trump’s efforts to improve government efficiency

    Crapo: I am sure you have noticed the daily news on President Trump’s efforts to improve the efficiency of the federal government and get rid of waste, fraud and abuse.  Though I understand you have a very limited role currently in advising Secretary Bessent on these issues, I would like to give you an opportunity to provide your perspective on these efforts.  For example: what is your understanding of the focus of the President’s efforts?  How does one ensure that taxpayer money is well spent? 

    Faulkender: . . . It’s my understanding that the objective is to improve the effectiveness of those systems and provide modern levels of customer service, privacy and collections at the IRS. . . . The purpose of [these improvements] is to help departments’ matrices better understand how money is being spent and be more accountable to Congress and the American people for those funds.

    On IRS modernization

    Crapo: . . .  I understand the President and Treasury Secretary Bessent are interested in taking a different approach at the IRS, both by trimming waste and also planning for and investing in real technological change.  I also understand that all evaluation and modernization work will be undertaken using usual and customary safeguards, including not exposing any taxpayer’s personally identifiable information.  I also understand Secretary Bessent is fully committed to ensuring tax filing season will not be disrupted by these processes.  Can you confirm my understanding and provide additional detail about efficiency and modernization activities at the IRS? 

    Faulkender: Yes, Mr. Chairman, the Secretary’s objective is to ensure that the American people realize a “2025 experience” when they interact with the IRS, and he has prioritized collection, customer service and privacy.  The challenge that we have is that both Democrat and Republican Administrations have recognized that the technology at the IRS is built on top of 1960s systems. . . . What we’re doing is asking for a review of what systems are being built at the IRS.  We have people who have worked with financial institutions and technology companies who understand how to build modern systems architecture . . .  to ensure that the right systems architecture is being created to provide that level of 2025 service to the American people.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Leads Bipartisan Legislation to Ban Foreign Adversaries from Buying American Farmland

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) reintroduced the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act, bipartisan legislation to ban individuals and entities controlled by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing agricultural land and businesses located near U.S. military installations or sensitive sites. The PASS Act is cosponsored by Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).
    “Nevada is home to many sensitive sites that are critical to our national security,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “It is common sense that we should not allow our foreign adversaries to buy agricultural land next to these locations. This bipartisan bill will keep Nevadans safe and protect American national security.”
    “Our near-peer adversaries such as China are looking for any possible opportunity to surveil our nation’s capabilities and resources,” said Senator Rounds. “One example occurred in 2021 when the Fufeng Group purchased 300 acres of land in North Dakota, located near the Grand Forks Air Force Base. We can’t risk this happening again. The PASS Act would prevent entities of foreign adversaries from purchasing agricultural land and businesses near our military bases and sensitive sites. I am hopeful that with President Trump’s recent National Security Presidential Memorandum on this issue, we can finally get it across the finish line.”
    Specifically, the PASS Act would:
    Ban purchases of agricultural land near military installations and sensitive sites by individuals/entities controlled by North Korea, China, Russia and Iran.
    Make the Secretary of Agriculture a voting member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) for transactions involving the purchase of agricultural land, biotechnology, and any other transaction related to the agriculture industry in the United States.
    Give the U.S. Department of Agriculture the ability to refer cases to CFIUS for review if there is reason to believe an agriculture land transaction may raise a national security concern.
    The full text of the bill can be found here.
    Senator Cortez Masto has consistently advocated for strengthening American national security and standing up to our foreign adversaries. She recently introduced legislation to promote innovative businesses in direct competition with Communist China. Earlier this year, she introduced the HONOR Act to prevent businesses from claiming a foreign tax credit or deduction against taxes paid to fund the Russian government’s war machine. Cortez Masto has also led legislation to strengthen American partnership with Pacific Island nations to counter growing Chinese influence in the region.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Ensures Legal Representation for Vulnerable Children in Immigration System

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined 31 of her Senate colleagues in a letter led by Senators Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum demanding that they continue legal services for unaccompanied children caught up in the immigration system as required by law.
    Earlier this month, the Trump Administration issued a stop work order to organizations that provide legal services for unaccompanied children. Last week, following public pressure, the order was rescinded.
    “Pausing or terminating the provision of legal services to unaccompanied children under this contract runs directly counter to the requirements of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and places 26,000 unaccompanied children at increased risk of trafficking, exploitation, and other harm,” wrote the Senators. “The TVPRA, passed by Congress in 2008 on a bipartisan basis, requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure, to the greatest extent practicable, that all unaccompanied children have counsel to represent them in legal proceedings and protect them from mistreatment, exploitation, and trafficking.”
    According to a report by the Guardian this month, the organizations affected by the previous stop work order provide legal counsel for around 26,000 unaccompanied minors.
    “Cutting off access to legal services makes it more likely that the government will lose track of unaccompanied children, given the challenges such children would face in independently appearing for immigration court hearings, submitting address updates, or otherwise communicating with immigration authorities,” continued the Senators. “Not only will this make children more vulnerable to trafficking, but it will also create further inefficiencies in an already backlogged immigration court system.”
    Read the full letter here.
    The first and only Latina senator, Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported immigrant communities in Nevada, calling on both administrations to protect TPS holders and other immigrants, as well as leading commonsense legislation to fix our broken immigration system. Cortez Masto joined Senator Rosen (D-Nev.) in introducing the Born in the USA Act to effectively block the implementation of President Trump’s unconstitutional Executive Order attempting to end automatic citizenship for children born in the United States. She has worked to pass meaningful immigration reform that balances critical border security measures with a path to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, and essential workers, and she’s pushed legislation to allow Dreamers and TPS holders to work in Congress.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Cries ‘Fowl’ Over Big Corporate Egg Producers Padding Profits & Stock Buybacks at the Expense of Consumers & Taxpayers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – The top five egg producing companies in the U.S. own almost half of all egg-laying commercial hens. 
    While consumers and small businesses are feeling the pain from high egg prices at restaurants and supermarkets, the largest egg conglomerates are doing remarkably well.  One egg company which produces one in every five eggs eaten in the U.S. has seen profits soar to record heights and is issuing exponentially higher shareholder dividends than it did before the outbreak and egg price increases.
    U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) says something smells rotten and wants the Trump Administration to ensure the biggest corporate egg producers in the highly concentrated egg industry aren’t unfairly padding their profits, contributing to inflated prices, and then turning around and feathering their C suites with stock buybacks that are subsidized by U.S. taxpayers and windfall profits. 
    Reed, who has led efforts to crack down on egg price gouging since 2023, is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) “to ensure that taxpayer funding intended to fight the avian flu outbreak is used responsibly to eradicate the disease and lower the cost of eggs, and does not go to publicly traded companies that are conducting stock buybacks.” 
    Senator Reed sent a letter today to the head of the USDA expressing deep concern about the impact that the avian flu outbreak is having on the price of eggs and American consumers.  Reed noted USDA has exacerbated this problem by recently laying off key workers on the frontlines of combating avian: “Since President Trump took office, the price of a dozen eggs has nearly doubled, and the Administration fired several employees working to combat avian flu.  While the Administration has since announced a new effort to rehire those employees and invest in solutions, it must do better to coordinate an effective response that actually results in lower prices for Americans.”
    The avian flu outbreak has proven to be incredibly profitable for Cal-Maine Foods Inc., the nation’s largest egg producer and distributor.  Due to the fact that Cal-Maine Foods Inc. is a publicly-traded egg producer, it must report basic financial data.  Last month, Cal-Maine reported price hikes have been good for business: generating over $350 million in gross quarterly profits, a fourfold increase from a year prior.  With the excess profits, Cal-Maine executives announced a $500 million stock buyback program, which enriches corporate executives and wealthy investors while consumers continue paying record prices.
    Stock buybacks are a controversial financial maneuver by large corporations that remove shares from the market and enable a company to increase its share price and earnings per share and offset dilution when executives exercise stock options or when insiders want to sell their shares. Until 1982, buybacks were uncommon and generally considered a form of market manipulation. But during the Reagan Administration, when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted rule 10b-18 that year, it gave large companies a “safe harbor” to buy back stock.
    Despite its tremendous profits, and the fact that Cal-Maine has 75 percent more hens than the next largest company, Cal-Maine received $44 million in USDA indemnity payments to compensate for bird deaths due to the avian flu outbreak.
    Reed’s letter states that USDA“should ensure the funding it does make available for the avian flu response is used effectively to help producers who need it most – not highly-profitable companies.  A company that has earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars of cash on-hand and expected earnings for stock buybacks also has the resources to recover from losses and implement biosecurity measures without taxpayer assistance.” 
    While USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins outlined a plan to invest $1 billion in curbing avian flu, that figure represents about half of what the Biden Administration was spending to tackle the problem.  And coupled with the USDA layoffs, the Trump Administration’s inadequate attention to the problem is exacerbating the situation.
    “Donald Trump said he’d bring down egg prices on day one.  Since he took office, the price of a dozen eggs has nearly doubled.  I guess the “yolk” is on every consumer and business who are now paying a higher price,” said Senator Reed.  “Trump finds time to bully America’s allies and trading partners, but he chickens out when it comes to antitrust enforcement and special interests.  He won’t take five minutes to call the top egg producers together to ensure consumers are getting a fair deal and egg prices aren’t manipulated to artificially high levels.”
    Full text of the letter follows:
    March 6, 2025
    The Honorable Brooke Rollins, Secretary
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    1400 Independence Ave., S.W.
    Washington, DC 20250
    Dear Secretary Rollins:
    I write to urge you to ensure that taxpayer funding intended to fight the avian flu outbreak is used responsibly to eradicate the disease and lower the cost of eggs, and does not go to publicly traded companies that are conducting stock buybacks. 
    As I wrote to you before your confirmation, I am deeply concerned about the impact that the avian flu outbreak is having on the price of eggs and American consumers.  I am also concerned about the effects of possible price gouging by large egg producers, which I expressed in a previous letter to the Biden Administration.  Since President Trump took office, the price of a dozen eggs has nearly doubled, and the Administration fired several employees working to combat avian flu.  While the Administration has since announced a new effort to rehire those employees and invest in solutions, it must do better to coordinate an effective response that actually results in lower prices for Americans.
    A key piece of this effort includes ensuring taxpayer dollars are invested wisely and effectively.  In your first two weeks on the job, you visited a Cal-Maine Foods facility in Bogata, Texas to view the company’s implementation of biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of avian flu.  You may know that Cal-Maine Foods is the largest U.S. egg producer and recently announced in a SEC filing that it is spending up to $500 million to buy back shares for the benefit of the founder’s family.  Cal-Maine last month also reported over $350 million in gross quarterly profits, a fourfold increase from a year prior.  Despite its tremendous profits, last year the company received $44 million in USDA indemnity payments to compensate for bird deaths due to the avian flu outbreak.
    As the Trump Administration limits federal resources, including for USDA, it should ensure the funding it does make available for the avian flu response is used effectively to help producers who need it most – not highly-profitable companies.  A company that has earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars of cash on-hand and expected earnings for stock buybacks also has the resources to recover from losses and implement biosecurity measures without taxpayer assistance. 
    I appreciate your attention to this important issue, and look forward to your prompt reply.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan, Murkowski Seek to Extend Alaska Native Vietnam-Era Veterans Allotment Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan
    03.06.25
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski (both R-Alaska) have re-introduced legislation to extend the Alaska Native Vietnam-Era Veterans Land Allotment Program for five additional years. Without such an extension, the program will expire in December 2025 and potentially leave well over a thousand eligible Alaska Native Vietnam veterans and their heirs without their rightful land allotments.
    “While serving their country during the Vietnam War era, many Alaska Native veterans missed the deadline to apply for their legally entitled land allotment—an injustice that we are still working to fix nearly 70 years later,” said Senator Sullivan. “I’ve been working on this issue since I came into office. In 2019, President Trump signed into law a major lands package led by Senator Murkowski that included an allotment program I authored with a five-year window to apply. Unfortunately, throughout the implementation of this program, the Biden administration callously threw up endless regulatory hurdles and delays, dramatically limited the lands available for selection, and ended up delivering allotments to about 40 Alaskans out of more than 2,000 eligible veterans. We are reintroducing this legislation to extend this program and finally secure these land allotments for our courageous veterans who sacrificed greatly on behalf of our country. I look forward to working with the Trump administration to see this legislation signed into law and successfully implemented to fix this historic injustice and honor our Vietnam veterans’ heroic service.”
    “As thousands of Alaska Natives served our nation during the Vietnam War, they missed their opportunity to select the land allotments they are rightfully owed,” Senator Murkowski said. “With roughly 150 veterans remaining to be notified, and the pace of allotment certifications slower than we hoped it would be, an extension has become necessary—especially as we push to open additional lands closer to where many of these veterans and their families actually live.”
    The Alaska Native Vietnam-Era Veterans Land Allotment Program was established through a Sullivan-Murkowski provision in Murkowski’s 2019 lands package. The program has enabled thousands of Alaska Native veterans to apply for their congressionally-pledged land allotments, which can range from 2.5 to 160 acres, on certain Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in Alaska.
    As of February 13, 2025, BLM Alaska reported that it has received 453 applications for allotments and completed certifications for 41 of them. Hundreds of eligible veterans and their heirs—especially those who live in southeast, western, and northern Alaska—have not submitted applications because no lands are available within hundreds of miles of their place of residence or ancestral homelands.   
    Timeline:
    In 1906, Congress passed a law allowing Alaska Native individuals to acquire 160-acre parcels of land.
    In 1971, at a time when many Alaska Native men were serving in the military during the Vietnam War, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) extinguished the 1906 allotment rights.
    In 1998, the Alaska congressional delegation secured legislation to partially fix the injustice of Alaska Native veterans who missed the chance to apply for an allotment. However, due to certain restrictions, only about 500 veterans ultimately applied out more than 3,000 who were eligible.
    On February 12, 2019, the Senate passed Sen. Murkowski’s S.47, the National Resources Management Act, including a Sen. Sullivan provision to establish the Alaska Native Vietnam Veteran Land Allotment Program. The late Congressman Don Young (R-Alaska) shepherded the legislation through the House.
    On March 12, 2019, President Donald Trump signed S.47, and the Trump administration began working on its implementation.
    In January 2021, then-Interior Secretary David Bernhardt signed the revocation of 11 outdated public land orders (PLOs) issued in 1972 and 1973 that were put in place to allow Alaska Native Corporations to select lands promised to them by Congress 50 years ago. This important step allowed for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to revoke the PLOs.
    In 2021, Senator Sullivan met twice with Secretary Haaland prior to her confirmation vote to be the Secretary of Interior. In both meetings, she committed to rapidly implement the Alaska Native Vietnam Veteran Land Allotment Program. She subsequently refused to follow through on this commitment.
    In February 2021, members of the Alaska congressional delegation condemned the Biden administration Department of the Interior’s (DOI) action to postpone the revocation of PLOs signed by former Interior Secretary Bernhardt.
    In April 2021, in a unilateral and unnecessary action, the BLM postponed the PLO revocations, requiring further environmental analysis on five public land orders with a two-year stay on the implementation of the PLO revocations.
    On May 7, 2021, Sen. Sullivan and Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-Alaska) penned an op-ed in the Juneau Empire outlining the State of Alaska’s legislative effort to make state lands available to eligible Alaska Native veterans.
    In June 2021, Sens. Sullivan and Murkowski introduced legislation to amend the Alaska Native Vietnam Veteran Land Allotment Program and make an additional 3.7 million acres of federal land in the National Wildlife Refuge System available for selection.
    On April 18, 2022, Sens. Sullivan and Murkowski sent a letter to Secretary Haaland urging her to lift the PLOs that would make over 28 million acres of federal land available for selection by eligible veterans or their heirs.
    On April 21, 2022, Sen. Sullivan disputed Secretary Haaland’s claim that she is “[moving] expeditiously to deliver on [her] promise” to Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans as she accepted a “Finding of No Significant Impact” (FONSI) from the acting Alaska BLM director on the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Alaska Native Vietnam Veteran Land Allotment Program.
    In February 2023, Sens. Sullivan and Murkowski reintroduced S.175, legislation to codify the revocation of the five PLOs signed during the Trump administration and undoing the Biden administration’s efforts to unfairly halt access to federal public lands in Alaska.
    In April 2023, Sen. Sullivan condemned Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s decision to order a new full environmental impact statement (EIS), which delays the implementation of the allotment program even further.
    On August 10, 2023, Sen. Sullivan criticized Secretary Haaland’s announcement of a PLO to open about 812,000 additional acres of public lands managed by BLM Alaska for selection, noting that the “new” land has already been spoken for by the state, and the decision will result in more delays and legal hurdles for eligible veterans.
    In February 2024, Sens. Sullivan and Murkowski introduced S.3790, which would extend the program for another five years before its expiration in December 2025. The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent on the final day of the 118th Congress, but did not clear the House of Representatives.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Baldwin, Collins Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support the Health and Wellbeing of Family Caregivers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced bipartisan legislation to support the health and wellbeing of family caregivers. The Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2025 would reauthorize the Lifespan Respite Care program through fiscal year 2030.

    “I was proud to serve as the primary caregiver for my grandmother as she got older, which is why I understand firsthand the financial and emotional strain of taking care of a loved one,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to work with Republicans and Democrats to deliver some much-needed relief and support for family caregivers so that when Americans step up to keep their loved ones safe and well at home, they can be confident we have their backs.”

    “Caregivers provide an estimated $600 billion in uncompensated care each year. Yet, an astounding 85 percent of caregivers have not received any respite services at all. I saw this in my own family, where my mother took care of my father who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for eight years. Respite care was almost nonexistent for her, other than that provided by family members,” said Senator Collins. “Respite care helps to reduce mental stress and physical health issues that caregivers may experience, keeping them healthy and families intact. This bill would help give family caregivers and their loved ones the support they need by ensuring that quality respite is available and accessible.”

    Specifically, the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2025 would:

    1. Reauthorize the Lifespan Respite Care program at current appropriations levels for five years (FY25-30); and
    2. Clarify that youth caregivers (those under 18 who are providing care or helping to provide care to family members) are eligible for the program.

    According to AARP, more than a third of family caregivers report wanting support like respite services, yet only 14 percent receive them, even as research indicates that caregivers who use respite have lower caregiver distress and better health and sense of well-being.

    Respite care provides temporary relief to caregivers from their ongoing responsibilities. By protecting the health of caregivers, respite care decreases the need for professional long-term care and allows individuals who require care to remain at home. To date, 38 states have received funding through the Lifespan Respite Care program, which provides competitive grants to states to establish or enhance statewide respite resources and help ensure that quality respite is available and accessible to all family caregivers.

    Senators Baldwin and Collins championed legislation in 2020 to authorize the Lifespan Respite Care program through fiscal year 2024. The Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act of 2025 would reauthorize this programming through fiscal year 2030.

    In addition to the ARCH National Respite Coalition, this bill is endorsed by the Autism Society of America and the Alzheimer’s Association.

    Full text of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Markey Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Secure Fair Pay for Truckers Working Overtime

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Markey Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Secure Fair Pay for Truckers Working Overtime

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), along with U.S. Representatives Mark Takano (D-Calif.-39) and Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.-02), introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to ensure that truckers are compensated fairly for the hours that they are on the clock, including overtime. The Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act would repeal the motor carrier provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which excludes many truckers from overtime protections enjoyed by other workers.

    In response to an Executive Order by former President Biden, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a Freight and Logistics Supply Chain Assessment in February 2022, which highlights high turnover rates and compensation issues in the trucking industry. Among its recommendations, the Department called on Congress to repeal the motor carrier provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to allow truckers to earn fair overtime pay.

    “America’s truck drivers are on the frontlines of our economy, enduring long hours away from home, and all too often, unpaid wait times at congested ports and warehouses. Unfortunately, truck drivers have been excluded from overtime pay protections for decades,” said Senator Padilla. “If truckers are forced to wait while on the job, they should be paid. This is not just a matter of fairness; it’s a matter of public safety. Experienced truckers are safer truckers, and better compensation and overtime pay will help more of them stay in the profession.”

    “Truck drivers are the engines of our economy, making sure that our supply chain keeps moving at full speed, and yet they are denied the fundamental worker protection of overtime. The Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act would reverse this injustice and ensure that truck drivers are paid their due,” said Senator Markey.

    “Truckers are vital for our supply chain, manufacturing, and the American way of life,” said Representative Takano. “It is unfair that they are singled out as somehow unworthy of overtime pay. This legislation will help right that wrong and make sure they are fairly compensated for the hours they work. I am proud to partner with Congressman Van Drew and Senator Padilla to build up workers and guarantee more money in their paychecks.”

    “Truck drivers keep our supply chain moving, often working long, exhausting hours to make sure goods get where they need to go,” said Representative Van Drew. “But right now, they are not guaranteed overtime pay like most other workers. It is just not right. The Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act is a simple fix—it ensures that truckers are fairly compensated for the extra hours they put in. These men and women do critical work, and it’s time we make sure their pay reflects that.”

    “The exclusion of truck drivers from federal overtime protections must come to an end,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “The Teamsters Union is proud to support the Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act, which will right the decades long wrong that serves only to harm drivers to the benefit of their employers.”

    “America’s truckers are the backbone of our economy, keeping goods moving and ensuring our supply chain stays strong,” said Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President Todd Spencer. “Yet, despite their essential role, trucking remains one of the few professions in America denied guaranteed overtime pay. It’s long past time the hard work of the men and women behind the wheel are fairly compensated. By discounting a trucker’s time, ‘big trucking’ has driven wages downward, treating truckers as disposable rather than the skilled professionals they are. We appreciate Representative Van Drew, Representative Takano, and Senator Padilla for championing the bipartisan GOT Truckers Act, which will right this wrong by securing overtime pay. This legislation is an investment in truckers, road safety, and the strength of America’s supply chain.”

    In addition to Senators Padilla and Markey, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    The Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act is supported by Teamsters and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

    Senator Padilla is a longtime advocate for improving workplace safety standards and helping workers secure fair wages. In the aftermath of the Southern California fires, Padilla introduced the bipartisan Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act to protect wildland firefighter pay and provide long-term workforce stability. Additionally, he introduced the Wildland Firefighter Fair Pay Act to permanently raise the caps on overtime premium pay for federal wildland firefighters. Previously, Padilla introduced the Fairness for Farm Workers Act, legislation to update the nation’s labor laws to ensure farm workers receive fairer wages and compensation. In 2023, Padilla announced the Asunción Valdivia Heat, Illness, Injury and Fatality Prevention Act to protect the safety and health of workers who are exposed to dangerous heat conditions in the workplace. Padilla is also a proud cosponsor of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act of 2025.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Advances Bipartisan Bill to Permanently Classify Illicit Fentanyl Knockoffs as Schedule I Drugs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    03.06.25
    Senate Advances Bipartisan Bill to Permanently Classify Illicit Fentanyl Knockoffs as Schedule I Drugs
    Legislation would also enable research into fentanyl-related substances
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the United States Senate voted 82-12 to advance the bipartisan Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, voted in favor of the bill.
    “The HALT Fentanyl Act maintains strong penalties for trafficking fentanyl, while allowing for important scientific research and medical applications to continue,” said Sen. Cantwell. “We still have more work to do on other bills to address the fentanyl scourge, from providing more treatment options, to additional resources for first responders, to more tools for law enforcement to stop traffickers and dealers.”
    The bill now awaits final passage by the Senate.
    The legislation would:
    Permanently schedule illicit fentanyl-related substances:
    Amends the Controlled Substances Act to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I.
    Ends the game of whack-a-mole Congress has played since 2018; Congress has repeatedly extended the first Trump administration’s temporary Schedule I classification of fentanyl-related substances.
    Locks in permanent classification of fentanyl-related substances before its temporary Schedule I status expires on March 31, 2025.
    Protect patients’ access to legitimate, FDA-approved fentanyl:
    Preserves the Schedule II status and FDA-approved use of fentanyl for legitimate medical purposes:
    Nine major medical associations affirmed the HALT Fentanyl Act’s distinction between illicit, fentanyl-related substances and FDA-approved fentanyl, citing the bill’s ability to, “effectively combat the illicit fentanyl epidemic while preserving access to legitimate, physician-directed pain management.”
    Support law enforcement and codify existing penalties:
    Maintains existing criminal penalties for fentanyl trafficking to ensure illicit manufacturers and traffickers can be fully prosecuted and victims and their families receive justice.
    Penalties under the HALT Fentanyl Act are identical to what current law dictates under the temporary scheduling of fentanyl-related substances.
    Utilizes the same class-scheduling rubric enacted seven years ago. This rubric has only ever been used to target lethal fentanyl-related substances and arrest defendants convicted of illicit drug trafficking and manufacturing.
    Advance scientific and medical research:
    Streamlines the registration process for Schedule I researchers, allowing more scientists to study fentanyl-related substances.
    Includes provisions to permit a single registration for related research sites, allowing researchers with ongoing studies to examine newly added fentanyl-related substances and authorize registered researchers to manufacture small quantities of fentanyl-related substances without a separate registration.
    In 2023 and 2024, Sen. Cantwell traveled across the State of Washington to 10 communities — Tacoma, Everett, Tri-Cities, Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver, Port Angeles, Walla Walla, Yakima, and Longview – hearing from people on the front lines of the fentanyl crisis, including first responders, law enforcement, health care providers, and people with firsthand experience of fentanyl addiction.  She also participated in the National Tribal Opioid Summit, a gathering of approximately 900 tribal leaders, health care workers, and first responders from across the country hosted by the Tulalip Tribes following the first-ever statewide summit hosted by the Lummi Nation.  Sen. Cantwell has since used what she heard in those roundtables and related events to craft and champion specific legislative solutions, including:
    The Stop Smuggling Illicit Synthetic Drugs on U.S. Transportation Networks Act, which would crack down on the trafficking of illicit synthetic drugs, like fentanyl, using the U.S. transportation network;
    The Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act, which would expand the use of tools that record fatal and nonfatal overdoses in near-real time and help first responders deploy resources faster;
    The FEND Off Fentanyl Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden, which will help U.S. government agencies disrupt opioid supply chains by imposing sanctions on traffickers and fighting money laundering;
    The Fight Illicit Pill Presses Act, which would require that all pill presses be engraved with a serial number and impose penalties for the removal or alteration of the number.;
    The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, which would list xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance while protecting the drug’s legal use by veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers, enable the Drug Enforcement Administration to track xylazine’s manufacturing to ensure it is not diverted to the illicit market;
    The TRANQ Research Act of 2023, signed into law by President Biden, which will spur more research into xylazine (also called “tranq”) and other novel synthetic drugs by directing the National Institute of Standards and Technology to tackle these issues; and
    The Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act, which would bolster Tribal law enforcement agencies by helping them hire and retain tribal law enforcement officers by raising their retirement, pension, death, and injury benefits to be on part with those of federal law enforcement officers.
    In addition, Sen. Cantwell voted for a series of federal funding bills allocating $1.69 billion to combat fentanyl and other illicit drugs coming into the United States, including an additional $385.2 million to increase security at U.S. ports of entry, with the goal of catching more illegal drugs like fentanyl before they make it across the border.  Critical funding will go toward Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) technology at land and sea ports of entries. NII technologies—like large-scale X-ray and Gamma ray imaging systems, as well as a variety of portable and handheld technologies—allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help detect and prevent contraband from being smuggled into the country without disrupting flow at the border.
    A full timeline of Sen. Cantwell’s actions to combat the fentanyl crisis is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy: Billionaires Don’t Need Public Schools, But Millions Of Americans Do

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    March 06, 2025

    [embedded content]
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Thursday joined Senate Democrats for a media availability following reports that President Trump will soon sign an executive order abolishing the U.S. Department of Education. Murphy slammed the plan as a dangerous move that would hurt families across the country and prioritize profits for the billionaire and corporate class over ensuring every kid in America has access to a quality education.
    Murphy blasted the out-of-touch billionaires in the Trump Administration who are dismantling programs ordinary Americans rely on: “The billionaires that are in charge of our government right now send their kids to the most elite private schools, and if every public school disappears in this country, they will still be able to get their kids an education. And it’s consistent with the entire way they are approaching the first six months of this administration. Billionaires don’t need Medicaid. So, to them, it doesn’t matter if Medicaid disappears, and rural hospitals close and addiction treatment centers shutter their doors– because the billionaires will still get their healthcare. They talk about Social Security being a Ponzi scheme. They’re shutting down Social Security offices around the country because they don’t need Social Security. They’re billionaires–they’re never going to need a Social Security check – like millions of American seniors do – in order to put food on the table.”
    Murphy tore into Trump and his corporate backers for prioritizing their tax cut over meeting the basic needs of working-class Americans: “All that matters is hoarding as much money – stealing as much money – from middle class and poor families in this country, so that they can pass that money along to the billionaires, the millionaires, and the corporations. Everything that they are doing is about making sure that they shrink the parts of government that help regular people, so that they can pass along more benefits and more help to their billionaire friends.”
    Murphy condemned the administration for trying to sell off America’s public schools to the highest bidder at the expense of millions of families: “The voucher program that they are talking about, that they will be more easily able to implement if the Department of Education is gone, is really about just making it easier for the billionaire and corporate class to be able to buy up our schools, so that they can make money off of it like they make money off of the Medicare program, like they make money off of so many other aspects of our government. So if the Department of Education closes, it’s going to hurt millions of families in this country– it is just going to enable the theft of resources from regular families to pad the pockets of the billionaires – but is also likely to result in you waking up one day and finding out that your local elementary school that your kids go to is owned by a private equity firm on the other side of the country and is being run for profit instead of being run for the education of your kids.”
    A full transcript of his remarks can be found below:
    MURPHY: “Thanks, Chuck, for gathering us here today. So, nobody wants this. Nobody in America wants the destruction of public education. The plan to eliminate the Department of Education is wildly unpopular in this country except for a handful of people on the fringy right. So the question is, why are they doing it? 
    “I think Bernie’s point is really important. Billionaires do not need public schools. Billionaires don’t understand the magic that happens in public schools. The billionaires that are in charge of our government right now send their kids to the most elite private schools, and if every public school disappears in this country, they will still be able to get their kids an education. 
    “And it’s consistent with the entire way they are approaching the first six months of this administration. Billionaires don’t need Medicaid. So to them, it doesn’t matter if Medicaid disappears and rural hospitals close and addiction treatment centers shutter their doors– because the billionaires will still get their healthcare. 
    “They talk about Social Security being a Ponzi scheme. They’re shutting down Social Security offices around the country because they don’t need Social Security. They’re billionaires–they’re never going to need a Social Security check – like millions of American seniors do – in order to put food on the table. So the billionaire mindset is just different than ordinary, average Americans. And that’s why, to them, public education doesn’t matter.
    “But to Senator Schumer’s point, here’s the other reason why: all that matters right now is the billionaire and corporate tax cut. All that matters is hoarding as much money – stealing as much money – from middle class and poor families in this country, so that they can pass that money along to the billionaires, the millionaires, and the corporations. Everything that they are doing is about making sure that they shrink the parts of government that help regular people, so that they can pass along more benefits and more help to their billionaire friends.
    “But then here’s the last piece of the story of why. The billionaire class, the corporate class, the private equity class– they are sick to death that they don’t have their hands inside the Department of Education treasury; that they can’t get their hands on our schools like they’ve gotten their hands into our healthcare system and every other aspect of our economy. 
    “What they want to do is to sell off our public schools to the highest bidder. The voucher program that they are talking about, that they will be more easily able to implement if the Department of Education is gone, is really about just making it easier for the billionaire and corporate class to be able to buy up our schools, so that they can make money off of it like they make money off of the Medicare program, like they make money off of so many other aspects of our government. 
    “So if the Department of Education closes, it’s going to hurt millions of families in this country– it is just going to enable the theft of resources from regular families to pad the pockets of the billionaires – but is also likely to result in you waking up one day and finding out that your local elementary school that your kids go to is owned by a private equity firm on the other side of the country and is being run for profit instead of being run for the education of your kids.
    “So this is deeply unpopular, nobody wants the Department of Education eliminated, and it’s really important for us to explain to the American people why it’s happening.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Moran Introduce Bill to Expand Capital for Rural Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) in reintroducing the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act. This legislation would benefit American families, farmers, and rural communities nationwide by providing greater flexibility to more financial institutions to offer affordable lines of credit to rural and agricultural borrowers. 
    Senator Tuberville cosponsored this legislation in the 118th Congress.
    “As Alabama’s voice on the Senate Ag Committee, I will always advocate for Alabama’s farmers and rural communities here in Washington,” said Senator Tuberville. “Our farmers are struggling with cash flow and desperately need expanded access to credit to continue their farm operations. I’m proud to join my colleagues in cosponsoring this bill that would bolster our agricultural economy and stimulate rural housing for all Alabamians.”
    “Persistent inflation and high interest rates are putting a strain on farmers and rural homeowners in Kansas and across the country,” said Senator Moran. “Rural Americans should have the flexibility to access the capital needed to expand their family farms and achieve the dream of homeownership. This legislation will help to boost rural housing and support the agricultural economy that plays a vital role in small towns across America.”
    Senators Tuberville and Moran were joined by Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), and Roger Marshall (R-KS) in cosponsoring the legislation.
    American Bankers Association and Independent Community Bankers of America endorsed the legislation.
    Read full text of the legislation here. 
    BACKGROUND:
    The ACRE Act would:
    Amend the Internal Revenue Code to exclude interest received on certain loans secured by rural or agricultural real property from gross income
    Allow farm real estate borrowers and rural homeowners access to lower interest rates by expanding the same tax-exempt status on certain earned interest that applies to other lenders
    Apply to agricultural real estate and single-family home mortgage loans in rural communities with fewer than 2,500 residents and for mortgages less than $750,000
    Expand access to affordable agricultural and home loans to over 4,000 rural communities nationwide and save family farmers and producers well over $400 million in annual interest expenses
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Introduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Proposal to Make Child Care More Affordable

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act and the Child Care Workforce Act—bipartisan, bicameral legislation that together form a bold proposal to make child care more affordable and accessible by strengthening existing tax credits to lower child care costs and increase the supply of child care providers. The bill was co-led by U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-AL), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA). U.S. Representatives Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Salud Carbajal (CA-24) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill includes language from Shaheen’s Right Start Child Care and Education Act legislation.
    “I hear time and again from parents in New Hampshire who are desperate for reliable, affordable child care options, but for too many families, their options are limited at best and nonexistent at worst,” said Senator Shaheen. “For an issue that impacts so many families in every corner of every state, it’s time we find a bipartisan path forward, which is why I’m proud to join my colleagues on this commonsense, bipartisan proposal to lower child care costs, increase wages for the workforce and ensure providers can keep their doors open.”
    Additional cosponsors of the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act include U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT), Angus King (I-ME), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Susan Collins (R-ME). The bill text can be viewed here.
    The Child Care Workforce Act is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators King and Gillibrand. The proposal contains two bills because one proposes changes to existing tax credits, falling under the jurisdiction of the Senate Finance Committee, and the other authorizes a new pilot program, falling under the jurisdiction of the Senate HELP Committee. The bill text can be viewed here.
    The worsening child care crisis is holding families, child care workers, businesses and our entire economy back. Across the country, too many families cannot find—or afford—the high-quality child care they need so parents can go to work and children can thrive. Over the last few decades, the cost of child care has increased by 263%, forcing families—and mothers, in particular—to make impossible choices.
    More than half of all families live in child care deserts. Meanwhile, child care workers are struggling to make ends meet on their poverty-level wages and child care providers are struggling to simply stay afloat. The crisis—which was exacerbated by the pandemic—is costing our economy approximately $122 billion in economic losses each year.
    New national polling in conjunction with First Five Years Fund (FFYF) reflects overwhelming bipartisan support for the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC), with 86% of voters in support of increasing the CDCTC. Additionally, 79% of Republican voters say they want President Trump and Republicans in Congress to do more to help hardworking families afford child care with 72% saying investing in child care is a good use of tax dollars. According to polling from Fabrizio Ward, 63% of all voters say helping working class families is their top priority when it comes to changes in tax policy.
    Senator Shaheen has been a leader in advocating for more affordable and accessible child care, including by delivering more than $77 million to New Hampshire through the American Rescue Plan and other COVID relief laws to the Granite State. Since then, Shaheen had urged state and local officials to distribute those federal funds, especially in communities that lack access to child care. In August, Shaheen visited Colebrook Community Child Care Center to discuss challenges and solutions to the child care crisis in rural communities, and in October Shaheen hosted Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su for a discussion on child care and workforce challenges in Brentwood. 
    Last year, Shaheen introduced the Right Start Child Care and Education Act, which would make child care more affordable and accessible for working families by reforming the federal tax code. She also introduced the bipartisan Expanding Child Care for Military Families Act. Additionally, she helped introduce the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act to permanently expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, which helps households offset their child care costs.
    Last April, Shaheen convened a hearing as former Chair of the U.S. Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee to hear testimony from expert witnesses on the child care industry’s broken business model and what Congress can do to support small business child care providers, employees and families. A subsequent U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy issue brief, in response to data challenges raised at the hearing, details the role of small businesses in the child care industry and fills data gaps in child care industry research.
    Last Congress, Shaheen helped introduce the Child Care Stabilization Act, which would provide additional federal child care stabilization funding—which was provided in the American Rescue Plan—and ensure that child care providers can keep their doors open and continue serving children and families in every part of the country. Shaheen joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) to introduce the Child Care for Working Families Act, which would provide affordable child care for all working families, expand access to preschool programs and increase wages for early childhood workers. She also joined U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) in reintroducing the bipartisan Childcare Workforce and Facilities Act to address the national shortage of affordable, quality child care, especially in rural communities. In the government funding bill for fiscal year (FY) 2024, Senator Shaheen worked to include a $1 billion increase for early education, including a $725 million increase to $8.75 billion for Child Care and Development Block Grants to states and a $275 million increase to Head Start4. The law additionally included $315 million for Preschool Development Grants.
    The Child Care Availability and Affordability Act is endorsed by A+ Education Partnership, Alabama Arise, Alabama School Readiness Alliance, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Bipartisan Policy Center Action (BPCA), Business Council of Alabama, Care.com, Chamber of Progress, Chamber RVA, Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA), Child Care Aware of Virginia, Children’s Institute, Early Care & Education Consortium (ECEC), Educare Learning Network, FFYF, Gingerbread Kids Academy, Hampton Roads Chamber, Healthy Kids AL, KinderCare Learning Companies, Manufacture Alabama, Metrix IQ, Mobile Area Education Foundation, National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), National Child Care Association (NCCA), Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce (NVC), Save the Children, Small Business Majority, Start Early, Third Way, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), VOICES for Alabama’s Children and Voices for Virginia’s Kids. In addition to those groups, the Child Care Workforce Act is endorsed by the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and ZERO TO THREE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Ossoff, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Ensure Legal Representation for Vulnerable Children in Immigration System

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and 33 other senators in a letter demanding the Trump Administration ensures legal representation for children caught up in the immigration system. In their letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the senators urged the administration to continue legal services for unaccompanied children caught up in the immigration system as required by law. Earlier this month, the Trump Administration issued a stop work order to organizations that provide legal services for unaccompanied children. Last week, following public pressure, the order was rescinded.
    “Pausing or terminating the provision of legal services to unaccompanied children under this contract runs directly counter to the requirements of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) and places 26,000 unaccompanied children at increased risk of trafficking, exploitation, and other harm,” the senators wrote to Secretaries Kennedy and Burgum. “The TVPRA, passed by Congress in 2008 on a bipartisan basis, requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure, to the greatest extent practicable, that all unaccompanied children have counsel to represent them in legal proceedings and protect them from mistreatment, exploitation, and trafficking.”
    According to a report by the Guardian this month, the organizations affected by the previous stop work order provide legal counsel for around 26,000 unaccompanied minors.
    “Cutting off access to legal services makes it more likely that the government will lose track of unaccompanied children, given the challenges such children would face in independently appearing for immigration court hearings, submitting address updates, or otherwise communicating with immigration authorities,” the group of senators continued. “Not only will this make children more vulnerable to trafficking, but it will also create further inefficiencies in an already backlogged immigration court system.”
    Joining Sens. Murray and Ossoff in sending the letter were Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angus King (I-ME), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE).
    The full text of the letter is available HERE.
    Senator Murray has championed comprehensive and humane immigration reform throughout her Senate career, repeatedly pushing for legislative solutions that would offer a fair pathway to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants living in America, including Dreamers, farmworkers, and those with Temporary Protected Status. During Trump’s first administration, Senator Murray helped lead the charge in pushing back against Trump’s appalling treatment of migrant children and families at the southern border— cosponsoring the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act, which would require unaccompanied children and vulnerable individuals to be provided with legal assistance during immigration court proceedings, the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act to end family separations at the border, and legislation to prevent the separation of families at sensitive locations such as schools, religious institutions, and hospitals, among many other efforts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Questions Expert Witnesses on Defense Mobilization

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned expert witnesses about the use of the Defense Protection Act (DPA) for defense mobilization. She asked the witnesses about ensuring that the DPA is invoked only for situations that truly relate to national defense.
    During the hearing, Senator Fischer questioned Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MMR Defense Solutions Dr. Christine Michienzi on whether she recommends any statutory changes to better define what qualifies as national defense.
    Additionally, Senator Fischer asked Dr. John McGinn, Executive Director of the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University’s Costello College of Business, for his assessment of the Department of Defense’s National Defense Industrial Strategy and any recommendations he would propose for implementation.
    Click the image above to watch a video of Senator Fischer’s questioning
    Click here to download audio
    Click here to download video
    Fischer Questions Expert Witnesses:
    Senator Fischer: I strongly believe the administration should maximize its use of the Defense Production Act. They have the authority to address challenges in our defense industrial base. However, I am concerned by the expanding definition of what qualifies as national defense. For example, in 2022 President Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to ramp up domestic production of clean energy technologies. Dr. McGinn, how should the Defense Production Act be used for defense mobilization? Should the DPA investments be focused on areas clearly related to the national defense of this country?
    Dr. McGinn: Thank you very much, Senator Fischer. Yes, the Defense Production Act is an incredibly powerful tool, and it is best used for national security defense purposes. And that’s how it’s been used during the development of the MRAP during the Afghanistan and Iraq War. That’s how it was used during COVID, and that’s how it’s being used to rebuild our defense industrial base in areas such as rare earth processing, castings, and forgings and the like, specialty chemicals. So, that is how it is best used. And the more it is focused on national defense, it is not a political issue, therefore it’s a national security issue.Senator Fischer: Thank you. And how should the Act be used for defense mobilization? Should the investments be focused on areas clearly related to being able to get that done?Dr. Michienzi: Thank you. I just wanted to make sure, it should absolutely be focused on mobilization efforts. But some of the efforts that DPA is funding now, it’s difficult sometimes to realize that those go towards mobilization—so things that Jerry mentioned, such as rare earth processing and critical chemicals.Senator Fischer: Would you look at any statutory changes to be able to make it work and make it identify, truly, what is national defense? Is there anything we need to be looking at here?
    Dr. Michienzi: I think making sure that it is centered on national defense issues and national security is critically important, as Dr. McGinn mentioned, because we don’t want to dilute the efforts of the DPA that are being very successfully used currently and can be used going forward. 
    Senator Fischer: Thank you. Dr. McGinn, in January of 2024, the Department released its first National Defense Industrial Strategy, and later in October, released an implementation plan. What’s your assessment of the strategy?
    Dr. McGinn: Well, I think the strategy did a very good job at kind of bringing together a lot of efforts that have been led across recent administrations. One of the good things about this area is it’s very bipartisan. There’s been a lot of similar themes being addressed across the Obama administration, through the Trump administration first, through Biden and today’s. So, I think that the strategy did a good job at identifying the progress that has been made, but also setting a vector for the future. And I think that there were a number of good things in that report. I particularly like the focus on importance of production as well as the importance of working with allies and partners. The key will be kind of how that’s instantiated in the FY26 budget submission.
    Senator Fischer: Are there any additional areas that you’d recommend the Department would consider that maybe were lacking from the previous strategies?
    Dr. McGinn: I think two things I would recommend. One is mobilization. I mean it’s mentioned briefly in the strategy, but there’s no talking about restarting mobilization planning. I mean there actually are program elements in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, Marines for mobilization, but they’re really all about pre-positioning equipment and the like. There’s no planning function that’s being done today; that all stopped and that needs to be restarted. And then the other area that is on—the strategy talks a lot about it—building exportability in systems. That is building systems so that we can share them with our partners and allies. That requires investment in terms of—because you’re going to have different capability levels—of different missiles going to different partners, depending on how close they are. So that requires investment up front, and that’s a big priority that needs to be invested in, in terms of making exportability a priority in acquisition and also investing in the technology needed to build that capability.Senator Fischer: Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Democrats Demand Answers from Trump and VA Secretary Collins on Indiscriminate Firing of Veterans and VA Employees, Including Veterans Crisis Line Staff

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    March 06, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (SVAC)—led her fellow Democratic colleagues in demanding answers from President Donald Trump and Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins on their indiscriminate purge of Veterans and VA employees, including staff who help operate the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), under the direction of unelected co-president Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. Veterans make up more than 30 percent of the federal workforce and it is estimated that the Trump Administration has already fired more than 6,000 men and women who have served in uniform. Duckworth and her fellow lawmakers are calling on Trump and Secretary Collins to immediately outline how many Veterans and VA employees have been fired since the start of this Administration and to tell the truth about how the VCL has been impacted by these terminations. For weeks, Duckworth has repeatedly called out Secretary Collins for denying the Trump Administration inflicted any damage on the VCL.

    In their letter, the lawmakers slammed Trump and Secretary Collins for smearing those who help prevent Veteran suicide as supposedly “non-essential” employees: “Claiming that only those who answer the phones at VCL are essential is an insult to the service and commitment to Veterans of the many dedicated employees who ensure that someone is ready to listen and help in a moment of crisis. We are shocked that Secretary Collins, who claimed that one of his top priorities as VA Secretary would be to address Veteran suicide, would participate in such a cynical cover-up for the Trump administration’s error— not only by going along with the lies, but also justifying them.”

    After the VA has refused to be transparent about the layoffs, Duckworth and her colleagues are demanding a list of public answers detailing the specific job categories that were impacted, how many of those fired were Veterans and more. The lawmakers are also asking how many VCL employees were terminated as part of each VA purge last month, the specific jobs they held at VCL, whether they’ve been reinstated at this time and if not, why. The lawmakers are requesting answers these questions by no later than March 12, 2025.

    The lawmakers concluded: “Our Veterans deserve honest and transparent answers. As a reminder, the American public elected President Trump into office to represent their best interests, and the actions of the VA Secretary are a direct reflection of President Trump’s leadership and priorities. Our Veterans’ interests should always come before any selfish agenda, and actions that impact their access to care and benefits should require immense scrutiny prior to implementation. We believe this close review has not been conducted, as evidenced by the VA’s scramble to rehire mission-critical positions such as VCL employees.”

    Along with Duckworth, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

    A copy of the full letter is available on the Senator’s website and below:

    Dear President Trump and Secretary Collins:

    We write today to call into question President Trump’s series of egregious Executive Orders and other illegal actions in coordination with unelected co-president Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and with unquestioning execution by Secretary Collins, that have had increasingly detrimental impacts on the Veteran community and continue to create capability gaps that threaten the well-being of Veterans. The indiscriminate purge of Veterans and other federal employees at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) means slower claims processing, longer wait times for Veterans seeking access to their medical care and the end of important research that benefits Veterans and all Americans. We demand that you take accountability for these actions and share with the American people what exactly the plan is for the future of VA.

    Just last week, the VA announced a second wave of mass terminations, totaling 1,400 employees, claiming in the announcement that these are “non-mission critical” positions and exclude the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) – though we have already learned of at least two cases that prove this claim wrong. We challenge this disregard for the important work of the entire VA ecosystem that provides comprehensive and timely care and benefits to our Veterans, and we have yet to learn about a day-after plan that explains how exactly VA will function with so many sudden and senseless cuts. Claiming that only those who answer the phones at VCL are essential is an insult to the service and commitment to Veterans of the many dedicated employees who ensure that someone is ready to listen and help in a moment of crisis. We are shocked that Secretary Collins, who claimed that one of his top priorities as VA Secretary would be to address Veteran suicide, would participate in such a cynical cover-up for the Trump administration’s error— not only by going along with the lies, but also justifying them.

    Nearly 6,000 Veterans across the federal government have been terminated to date. Among the most patriotic people in our Nation, Veterans make up 30 percent of the federal workforce, which is a true reflection of their exceptional dedication to our country. Yet, their President will not even publicly acknowledge his error of judgment in allowing Elon Musk unfettered access across federal agencies in his quest to dismantle their critical contributions that save lives and deliver essential services. Instead, he quietly rehired certain mission-critical VA positions that never should have been terminated and brushed off the significant impact that this indiscriminate mass firing would have on morale, workflow and ability of the Department to deliver critical services to Veterans in a timely manner.

    We demand that you respond to the following questions no later than March 12, 2025, and that this information be made available to the public, and particularly Veterans, who are owed accountability and transparency from the administration that represents them.

    1. Please provide a list detailing, by job category, how many VA employees were terminated during the February 13, 2025, dismissal of 1,000 VA employees, as well as the February 24, 2025, dismissal of an additional 1,400 VA employees.
      1. How many of these employees are Veterans themselves? Please provide a numeric breakdown by job category and duty station.
      1. How many of these employees are disabled Veterans? Please provide a numeric breakdown by job category and duty station.
      1. How many of these employees were eligible for Veterans’ preference? Please provide a numeric breakdown by job category and duty station.
      1. How many of these employees were on probationary status because they had just been promoted? Please provide a numeric breakdown by job category and duty station.
      1. What is the administration’s plan, if any, to assist these dismissed Veterans with obtaining employment elsewhere? Has the administration considered how these terminations may increase the risk of Veteran homelessness?
      1. How many of these employees were military spouses? Please provide a numeric breakdown by job category and duty station.
    1. How many employees working for the VCL received notice of dismissal on February 13, 2025? Have all dismissed VCL employees been reinstated?
      1. If all dismissed VCL employees have not been reinstated, why not? How many positions remain open, and what are the functions of these positions?
      1. Assuming these dismissals were accidental, what error led to these employees being wrongfully terminated? Has this error been addressed in the evaluation process?
    1. How many employees working for the VCL received notice of dismissal on February 24, 2025? Have all dismissed VCL employees been reinstated?
      1. If all dismissed VCL employees have not been reinstated, why not? How many positions remain open, and what are the functions of these positions?
      1. Assuming these dismissals were accidental, what error led to these employees being wrongfully terminated? Has this error been addressed in the evaluation process?
    1. Do you acknowledge that all employees working for the VCL, including and not limited to phone operators, are critical to its mission to ensure that at-risk Veterans receive the assistance they need?
    1. Can you provide a justification for the numerous public reports that describe terminations of probationary employees despite positive evaluations by their respective management?
    1. What analysis is used, if any, to ensure that disabled Veterans using their Veterans’ Preference are not wrongfully wrapped into the administration’s attack on probationary employees?
    1. Can you please describe, in detail, DOGE’s evaluation process in determining cuts to VA employment? What checks are in place to ensure that these cuts do not continue to harm critical programs that provide care and benefits, including mental health services, to Veterans?
    1. What was the total cost spent by the U.S. government on recruiting and training the VA employees who have since been fired by DOGE?
    1. What is the administration’s plan to swiftly address postponements and cancellations of suicide prevention training sessions, health care appointment cancellations and new clinic opening delays?
      1. Please provide a list of programs and services that have been cancelled or delayed since February 13, 2025.
      1. Please include the number of Veterans or VA employees impacted by these cancelations and delays.
    1. How exactly will the claimed savings as a result of the mass terminations at VA be redirected back toward health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries?
      1. Please provide an itemized list of savings in dollar amounts by account, and for each amount, specify whether these are mandatory or appropriated funds.
      1. Please provide your spend plan for savings that you claim to recoup through these terminations. Which accounts do you intend to redirect these funds to, and which new services would these funds provide?
      1. For each of these proposed changes, specify whether you have the legal authority to reprogram these funds in the way intended. 
    1. Regarding the February 22, 2025, emails sent to all federal employees requiring an explanation of tasks completed the week prior, what exactly will be done with this information?
      1. Did all Veterans Crisis Line employees receive this email?
      1. Did all physicians and nurses employed in VA hospitals receive this email?
      1. Who is reading and analyzing responses to this email?
      1. Are responses being used to determine future layoffs or personnel changes?
    1. What analysis – if any – did the U.S. Office of Personnel Management conduct to examine the impact terminations or resignations resulting from this email would have on critical services across government?

    Our Veterans deserve honest and transparent answers. As a reminder, the American public elected President Trump into office to represent their best interests, and the actions of the VA Secretary are a direct reflection of President Trump’s leadership and priorities. Our Veterans’ interests should always come before any selfish agenda, and actions that impact their access to care and benefits should require immense scrutiny prior to implementation. We believe this close review has not been conducted, as evidenced by the VA’s scramble to rehire mission-critical positions such as VCL employees.

    We stand ready and willing to reach across the aisle for the best interests of our Veterans – a sentiment that Secretary Collins will recall from his hearing before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Support to our Veterans has historically been a bipartisan issue, and we do not want this long-standing tradition to fall because of a President and his VA Secretary turning their backs on our Veterans due to the influence of an unelected co-president who yields illegal privilege to invoke Executive authorities. He fools no one with his efforts to line the pockets of the wealthy, and we will not stand by while there is an active attack against our Nation’s Veterans.

    President Trump, Secretary Collins – we urge you to uphold with integrity your commitment to our Nation’s Veterans.

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    MIL OSI USA News –