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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Presses Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs on Commitment to Fund and Complete the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, questioned Mr. William Kirkland during a nomination hearing to be Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs within the Department of the Interior. Specifically, Senator Luján pressed Mr. Kirkland on his commitment to support the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, which the Trump administration fails to adequately fund.

    An excerpt of the exchange is available here and below:

    Senator Luján: Mr. Kirkland, do you know how many Navajo brothers and sisters are waiting to have water delivered from the Navajo-Gallup Water project?

    Mr. Kirkland: I can’t give you that.

    Senator Luján: I’ll give it to you. 250,000. Mr. Kirkland, do you know how many recognized Indian water rights settlements are in New Mexico?

    Mr. Kirkland: I’m sure you have that number for me, I look forward to hearing it.

    Senator Luján: I’ll share that with you. Mr. Kirkland, do you know how much funding is needed for the FY26 budget to keep the Navajo-Gallup Water project on track?

    Mr. Kirkland: I look forward to hearing.

    Senator Luján: $175 million. Do you know if this fails, it will be the first Indian water rights settlement to fail in America’s history?

    Mr. Kirkland: No sir, I was not aware of that.

    Senator Luján: It would be. Mr. Kirkland, do you know how much the President’s budget, President Donald Trump, allocated for the Navajo-Gallup Water project?

    Mr. Kirkland: Not offhand, no sir.

    Senator Luján: Zero dollars. Is that okay?

    Background:

    Senator Luján has long supported efforts to fund and complete the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. Senator Luján secured $137 million for the project through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law toward the total authorized project cost.

    In August 2024, Senator Luján and the N.M. Delegation welcomed a $267 million Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project contract to design and build the San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant in northwest New Mexico. The plant is the largest and most important feature of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

    In January 2025, Senator Luján announced $120 million for Fiscal Year 2025 for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project using funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Reclamation Water Settlements Fund. The original version of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project Amendments Act was passed out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in November 2023. However, new legislation is required to authorize additional time and resources to complete the project and for its long-term, sustainable operations and maintenance.

    For more information about the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Following Fischer’s Effort, Education Department Releases Critical Funds

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) announced that the U.S. Department of Education will officially release funds, including those that support 21st Century Community Learning Centers. 

    This announcement comes after Fischer joined her Republican colleagues in a letter this week to Russell Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), advocating to release anticipated education formula funding. Click here to read the letter. 

    “I’m pleased OMB Director Vought followed through on our request to release these funds, which provide critical learning opportunities and support for Nebraska’s students and families,”     Fischer said.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warnock, Ossoff Deliver Upgrades for Johns Creek’s Bridges and Sidewalks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Johns Creek, GA — Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) announced new federal funding to upgrade bridges and sidewalks in Johns Creek.

    Senators Warnock and Ossoff secured a $12.8 million investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program to help Johns Creek replace two bridges, build new sidewalks and a multi-use trail, and upgrade drainage systems on Old Alabama Road over the Chattahoochee Tributary.

    “Smart investments in our communities can bridge any political divide. This infrastructure funding will revitalize key bridges in the Johns Creek community and continue to keep our friends, families, and neighbors connected. I am proud to have worked with Senator Ossoff to get it done and will continue to champion federal investments in Georgia,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.

    “Johns Creek residents deserve safe bridges and sidewalks, and I am pleased to deliver the funds for these vital quality of life upgrades,” said Senator Ossoff. “It has been a pleasure working with Johns Creek leadership to get this done.”

    “This grant will help us improve safety and connectivity in the City and will benefit quality of life for our community,” said John Bradberry, Mayor of Johns Creek. “I’m grateful to our Georgia Congressional leaders for their support of our selection. Projects like this one help make Johns Creek one of the best places to live in the nation.”

    Senators Warnock and Ossoff continue delivering resources to upgrade Georgia’s infrastructure. In May, the senators delivered more than $13 million in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to upgrade and help maintain Georgia’s regional airports.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Condemns Trump Administration for Letting a Credit Union off the Hook for Overcharging Military Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and six of their colleagues sent a letter to the Trump administration condemning its decision to release Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU) from its obligation to pay $95 million in penalties and restitution, effectively excusing them from accountability for charging millions in illegal surprise overdraft fees to their members who are primarily military families and veterans.

    Since the Consumer Bureau opened in 2011, Nevadans have submitted 580 complaints against NFCU, including 433 in just the past three years.

    “In 2024, the CFPB found that between 2017 and 2022, NFCU charged overdraft fees on ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases – even when accounts showed sufficient funds,” the senators wrote in a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Russell Vought. “In response, the Bureau issued a consent order requiring NFCU to pay $95 million in penalties and restitution: $80.6 million directly to harmed consumers and $15 million to the CFPB’s victims relief fund.”

    That order was rescinded on July 1, 2025.

    “As former CFPB officials have noted, this decision raises serious concerns about whether the Bureau is still capable – or even willing – to fulfill its legal mandate,” the senators continue. “At a minimum, the public and Congress deserve answers.”

    The letter is endorsed by the Consumer Federation of America. “The Trump-era CFPB cannot reverse this consent order and simultaneously claim that it is prioritizing the interests of servicemembers,” said Adam Rust, Director of Financial Services for the Consumer Federation of America. “This action has diverted millions of dollars owed to military families—an unacceptable breach of trust. Acting Director Vought owes the public a clear and immediate explanation.”

    Read the full letter, including the questions posed by the senators to Acting Director Vought, here.

    Senator Cortez Masto is a champion for our service members, veterans, and their families. She worked across the aisle to get legislation helping veterans exposed to Agent Orange and expanding benefits for women veterans signed into law. The Senator sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Collins demanding he provide answers on the mass terminations of personnel across the VA, specifically those in Nevada, and how those terminations would impact services to Nevada veterans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Condemns Trump Administration for Letting a Credit Union off the Hook for Overcharging Military Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and six of their colleagues sent a letter to the Trump administration condemning its decision to release Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU) from its obligation to pay $95 million in penalties and restitution, effectively excusing them from accountability for charging millions in illegal surprise overdraft fees to their members who are primarily military families and veterans.

    Since the Consumer Bureau opened in 2011, Nevadans have submitted 580 complaints against NFCU, including 433 in just the past three years.

    “In 2024, the CFPB found that between 2017 and 2022, NFCU charged overdraft fees on ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases – even when accounts showed sufficient funds,” the senators wrote in a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Russell Vought. “In response, the Bureau issued a consent order requiring NFCU to pay $95 million in penalties and restitution: $80.6 million directly to harmed consumers and $15 million to the CFPB’s victims relief fund.”

    That order was rescinded on July 1, 2025.

    “As former CFPB officials have noted, this decision raises serious concerns about whether the Bureau is still capable – or even willing – to fulfill its legal mandate,” the senators continue. “At a minimum, the public and Congress deserve answers.”

    The letter is endorsed by the Consumer Federation of America. “The Trump-era CFPB cannot reverse this consent order and simultaneously claim that it is prioritizing the interests of servicemembers,” said Adam Rust, Director of Financial Services for the Consumer Federation of America. “This action has diverted millions of dollars owed to military families—an unacceptable breach of trust. Acting Director Vought owes the public a clear and immediate explanation.”

    Read the full letter, including the questions posed by the senators to Acting Director Vought, here.

    Senator Cortez Masto is a champion for our service members, veterans, and their families. She worked across the aisle to get legislation helping veterans exposed to Agent Orange and expanding benefits for women veterans signed into law. The Senator sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Collins demanding he provide answers on the mass terminations of personnel across the VA, specifically those in Nevada, and how those terminations would impact services to Nevada veterans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Blocks Fast-Track Consideration of Education Nominee as Trump Continues Blocking Nearly $7 Billion for Students & Schools Nationwide

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Murray, Sanders, Baldwin Lead Colleagues in Demanding Vought, McMahon Stop Blocking Funding for Afterschool Programs, K-12 Schools Across America

    ICYMI: Senator Murray Calls on Trump Admin to Immediately Release Billions in Funds K-12 Schools Across America are Counting On

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, objected to fast-track consideration of Mary Christina Riley, President Trump’s nominee to serve as Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the Department of Education, as President Trump continues to block nearly $7 billion in funding for K-12 schools and adult education programs across America just weeks away from the new school year. Riley’s nomination is privileged and could otherwise have skipped committee consideration; now, Senator Murray is forcing her nomination to go through a full committee process before it can be considered on the Senate floor.

    “As schools nationwide scramble to figure out how many teachers they need to lay off and afterschool programs warn parents to make back up plans—all because President Trump is blocking over $6 billion in education funding he himself signed into law—there is no reason for any Department of Education nominee to skip committee consideration and get fast-tracked for confirmation.

    “Just weeks out from the new school year, families, teachers, and school districts are suffering the consequences of President Trump’s needless and illegal blockade of this funding—and this administration won’t so much as explain why the money is held up or when we can expect it to go out.

    “We need accountability, so I am forcing Mary Christina Riley’s nomination to serve as an assistant secretary at the Department of Education to go back to the HELP Committee, and I am once again calling on the Trump administration to immediately release this funding, as even ten of my Republican colleagues called for yesterday.”

    The Trump administration’s decision to withhold the funding has sent school districts nationwide scrambling to determine how they could fill the, in many cases, massive budget hole and whether they’ll have to lay off teachers or end after school programs in the coming weeks. School districts have made clear they will have to end afterschool programs, already told parents to prepare backup options, and adult literacy programs have already been forced to lay off staff.

    The Trump administration has confirmed it is blocking funding for the following programs—all of which are programs President Trump has requested to eliminate in his budget request, raising serious concerns about this administration’s intentions to simply impound the funding:

    • Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A), which support professional development and other activities to improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders, including reducing class size.
    • 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B), which support high-quality before and after-school programs focused on providing academic enrichment opportunities for students.
    • Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV-A), which provide flexible funding for school districts for a wide range of activities including supporting STEM education, accelerated learning courses, college and career counseling, school-based mental health services, and improving school technology, among many others.
    • English Language Acquisition (Title III-A), which supports language instruction to help English language learners become proficient in English.
    • Migrant Education (Title I-C), which supports the educational needs of migratory children, including children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
    • Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants), which support adult education and literacy programs to provide the basic skills to help prepare adults and out-of-school youth for success in the workforce.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Blocks Fast-Track Consideration of Education Nominee as Trump Continues Blocking Nearly $7 Billion for Students & Schools Nationwide

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Murray, Sanders, Baldwin Lead Colleagues in Demanding Vought, McMahon Stop Blocking Funding for Afterschool Programs, K-12 Schools Across America

    ICYMI: Senator Murray Calls on Trump Admin to Immediately Release Billions in Funds K-12 Schools Across America are Counting On

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, objected to fast-track consideration of Mary Christina Riley, President Trump’s nominee to serve as Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the Department of Education, as President Trump continues to block nearly $7 billion in funding for K-12 schools and adult education programs across America just weeks away from the new school year. Riley’s nomination is privileged and could otherwise have skipped committee consideration; now, Senator Murray is forcing her nomination to go through a full committee process before it can be considered on the Senate floor.

    “As schools nationwide scramble to figure out how many teachers they need to lay off and afterschool programs warn parents to make back up plans—all because President Trump is blocking over $6 billion in education funding he himself signed into law—there is no reason for any Department of Education nominee to skip committee consideration and get fast-tracked for confirmation.

    “Just weeks out from the new school year, families, teachers, and school districts are suffering the consequences of President Trump’s needless and illegal blockade of this funding—and this administration won’t so much as explain why the money is held up or when we can expect it to go out.

    “We need accountability, so I am forcing Mary Christina Riley’s nomination to serve as an assistant secretary at the Department of Education to go back to the HELP Committee, and I am once again calling on the Trump administration to immediately release this funding, as even ten of my Republican colleagues called for yesterday.”

    The Trump administration’s decision to withhold the funding has sent school districts nationwide scrambling to determine how they could fill the, in many cases, massive budget hole and whether they’ll have to lay off teachers or end after school programs in the coming weeks. School districts have made clear they will have to end afterschool programs, already told parents to prepare backup options, and adult literacy programs have already been forced to lay off staff.

    The Trump administration has confirmed it is blocking funding for the following programs—all of which are programs President Trump has requested to eliminate in his budget request, raising serious concerns about this administration’s intentions to simply impound the funding:

    • Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A), which support professional development and other activities to improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders, including reducing class size.
    • 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B), which support high-quality before and after-school programs focused on providing academic enrichment opportunities for students.
    • Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV-A), which provide flexible funding for school districts for a wide range of activities including supporting STEM education, accelerated learning courses, college and career counseling, school-based mental health services, and improving school technology, among many others.
    • English Language Acquisition (Title III-A), which supports language instruction to help English language learners become proficient in English.
    • Migrant Education (Title I-C), which supports the educational needs of migratory children, including children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
    • Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants), which support adult education and literacy programs to provide the basic skills to help prepare adults and out-of-school youth for success in the workforce.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Demands All Remaining Education Funds Blocked By Trump Get Released Immediately

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Trump relents, finally releasing a fraction of withheld education funds while continuing to block $5.5 billion more

    ICYMI: Senator Murray Blocks Fast-Track Consideration of Education Nominee as Trump Continues Blocking Nearly $7 Billion for Students & Schools Nationwide

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called on President Trump to release every penny of the $5.5 billion in federal funding for K-12 schools and adult education programs he continues to block after his administration announced it was releasing one stream of the funding that it has now blocked for three weeks—which has sent after, before, and summer programs scrambling.

    “Over the last few weeks, after school programs across the country have had to tell parents to make alternate plans as President Trump has blocked federal funding provided for them—and at this very moment, schools nationwide are crunching the numbers to figure out how many teachers they will need to lay off as Trump continues to hold up billions in funding. Adult literacy programs have had to lay off staff for no reason except the president felt like illegally blocking these funds.

    “After we spoke up—and after weeks of needless chaos—the Trump administration is now releasing funding for after school programs while continuing to block billions more in funding for our students, teachers, and schools. Every penny of this funding must flow immediately. Whether or not parents know the afterschool program they depend on will exist should not depend on whether Republicans will push back against Trump’s lawlessness—he should simply get the funding out, just as the law requires him to do. I am going to keep pushing until every dollar goes.”

    The Trump administration’s decision to withhold nearly $7 billion dollars in funding has sent school districts nationwide scrambling to determine how they could fill the, in many cases, massive budget hole and whether they’ll have to lay off teachers or end after school programs in the coming weeks. School districts have made clear they will have to end afterschool programs, already told parents to prepare backup options, and adult literacy programs have already been forced to lay off staff.

    Today, the Trump administration is letting states know it will move but one slice of the funding after weeks of creating panic and stress for schools and families alike.

    Here are the funding streams President Trump is still holding up—all of which are programs President Trump has requested to eliminate in his budget request, raising serious concerns about this administration’s intentions to simply impound the funding:

    • $2.19 billion: Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A), which support professional development and other activities to improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders, including reducing class size.
    • $1.33 billion: 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B), which support high-quality before and after-school programs focused on providing academic enrichment opportunities for students. After holding up this stream of funding for three weeks, the Trump administration is expected to finally release it today. The rest remains blocked.
    • $1.38 billion: Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV-A), which provide flexible funding for school districts for a wide range of activities including supporting STEM education, accelerated learning courses, college and career counseling, school-based mental health services, and improving school technology, among many others.
    • $890 million: English Language Acquisition (Title III-A), which supports language instruction to help English language learners become proficient in English.
    • $376 million: Migrant Education (Title I-C), which supports the educational needs of migratory children, including children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
    • $715 million: Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants), which support adult education and literacy programs to provide the basic skills to help prepare adults and out-of-school youth for success in the workforce.

    These funds typically flow on July 1st of every year—but the Trump administration let states and stakeholders know on July 1st it would not be moving the funding. It failed to provide any rationale, with the Department of Education directing questions to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the administration still has not explained why the 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding was held up, why the rest of the funds still is, or when it will be released.

    Senator Murray immediately called on Trump to release the funding, led her colleagues in demanding the funds flow, and just yesterday, objected to fast-track consideration of President Trump’s nominee to serve as Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the Department of Education while the funding blockage continues.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, UW Medicine & Harborview CEOs Sound Alarm on How Republican Medicaid Cuts Will Devastate Hospitals, Threaten Specialty Care People in Washington, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming Rely on

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Hospitals in WA provide essential, high-level specialty care to people across the entire Mountain West and Alaska

    WA hospitals will lose $662 million in Medicaid revenue every year, 400,000 people in Washington state alone expected to lose health coverage under Republicans’ newly-passed bill

    ***WATCH FULL VIDEO from press conference; DOWNLOAD HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S.Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a virtual press conference with Dr. Timothy Dellit, CEO of UW Medicine, and Sommer Kleweno-Walley, CEO of Harborview Medical Center, laying out how the massive health care cuts in Republicans’ reconciliation bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will be devastating for hospitals and all Americans’ access to care. A focus of the press conference was how these cuts will affect people in red states including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming—which, with Washington state, make up the WWAMI region—who rely on Washington state hospital networks for access to high-level specialty care they can’t get in their home states.

    Republicans’ reconciliation bill cuts more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) over the next 10 years. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that Republicans’ health care cuts will terminate health insurance for at least 17 million Americans nationwide and will make health care more expensive and harder to access.

    “It is important for people to understand, Republicans are making health care more expensive and harder to access for everyone, no matter what kind of insurance you’re on, or where you go for care,” Senator Murray said on the press call today. “When people lose their health insurance, they don’t suddenly stop needing care. They’re still going to show up at hospitals and emergency rooms if they break a leg or suffer a heart attack. The difference is, hospitals will no longer be reimbursed by Medicaid for providing that care. Meaning they’ll be forced to raise costs elsewhere, for example, on patients who still have insurance, including private insurance through their employers or otherwise. And what happens at hospitals in Washington state also affects people in Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho—whose senators all voted for the Big Ugly bill, by the way. Because hospitals in Washington state provide essential, high-level specialty care to people across the entire Mountain West… I am going to keep doing everything I possibly can to protect Americans’ health care and make it less expensive, not more—and make sure people know exactly who to hold accountable for their neighbors losing health care, or their local hospital shutting down.”

    “Keeping patients enrolled in Medicaid along with direct Medicaid support to UW Medicine is critical to allow us to serve as the state’s safety net, helping to support the over $688 million in uncompensated care our hospitals provide to the public every year. It also allows us to continue to educate the next generation of healthcare professionals as UW Medicine provides over 68 percent of Washington’s medical education and training. With loss of Medicaid funding, we risk elimination of clinical services, closures of hospitals, and reduced access to care for everyone,” said Dr. Timothy Dellit, CEO of UW Medicine. “This bill has three major impacts for UW Medicine and the communities we serve. First, it removes patients from Medicaid coverage, leaving patients uninsured with limited access to care. Public hospitals like ours will need to provide increased levels of uncompensated care, stressing our ability to stay open and serve the community. Second, it eliminates UW Medicine’s supplemental direct Medicaid funding that was designed to help cover the cost of treating patients with Medicaid and allows us to serve as the safety net for the most vulnerable. And third, it makes pursuing a career in health care more difficult to afford, by reducing student loan and repayment options, essentially eliminating access to medical education for a subset of the population just as we face a shortage of physicians, particularly in our rural and underserved communities.”

    “Harborview Medical Center is the region’s leading safety net hospital, serving a large number of Medicaid and uninsured patients who need our care. Cutting Medicaid coverage and funding threatens our ability to deliver essential care to patients across Washington state and the broader region,” said Sommer Kleweno-Walley, CEO of Harborview Medical Center. “These cuts to federal Medicaid funding will impact hundreds of thousands of patients across not only Washington state, but the entire WWAMI region that Harborview and the rest of UW Medicine serve. Our hospitals play a crucial role in the region, offering highly specialized services that aren’t available in other states… Harborview is the only Level 1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma and Burn Center in Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. UW Medical Center, in partnership with  the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, provides the most highly specialized cancer care in the region. Because of this, UW Medicine takes care of patients from places like Northern Alaska and eastern Montana. Many of these patients are insured by the Medicaid program. People come from all over the region to receive specialized treatment from UW Medicine for conditions and injuries such as severe trauma with complex spine, pelvic, face, eye and hand injuries; heart, lung and multi-organ transplants; complex adult congenital heart repairs; and the most severe pediatric trauma injuries that occur in that WWAMI region, to name just a few. For these patients Harborview or UW Medical Center are the closest medical centers that can provide this level of complex clinical care that they desperately need. Harborview also provides the most acute emergency behavioral health care in the state and region, with services to patients in severe crisis due to mental health and substance use disorder. At Harborview, the region’s largest safety net care hospital, over 34 percent of our patients are reliant on Medicaid for health coverage and another 5 percent of our patients remain uninsured despite the Medicaid expansion. This means that these Medicaid cuts will have an outsized impact here.”

    Washington will be among the states hit hardest by Republicans’ legislation according to an analysis by KFF, which estimates the state will lose an estimated 26 percent of its Medicaid enrollment. Right now in Washington state, nearly 2 million people—roughly 1 in 5—are enrolled in Apple Health, including 800,000 children. Washington state’s 4th and 5th Congressional Districts, represented by Republicans who voted for the reconciliation bill, have the highest percentages of people who rely on Apple Health. About 400,000 Washingtonians are expected to lose health care coverage under the Republican bill, including at least 250,000 who will lose Apple Health coverage and as many as 150,000 who will be newly priced out of the state’s health care exchange, Washington Healthplanfinder. Hospitals in Washington state could lose at least $662 million in Medicaid revenue every year—forcing hospitals to lay off staff, cut services, or close their doors entirely. Overall, Washington state is expected to lose between $31 billion and $51 billion in federal Medicaid dollars over the next decade. Last year, Washington had an uninsured rate of 4.8 percent—the lowest in the country—but the Republican bill is expected to balloon that number into the double digits.

    Nationwide, the Republican health care cuts represent a more than $400 billion dollar hit to America’s hospitals—which are the sixth-largest employer in the country. Over 330 hospitals will likely be forced to close or scale back their services—including 14 hospitals in Washington state—which will force more Americans to travel further for maternity care and emergency rooms, and face longer wait times. An estimated 477,000 health workers will lose their jobs as a result of the Republican cuts to Medicaid.

    Senator Murray has held constant recent events—including multiple events in Washington state—to sound the alarm on Republicans’ devastating reconciliation bill and encourage constituents to raise their voices and call on their Members of Congress to oppose the legislation. Senator Murray and Democrats forced Republicans to take dozens of tough votes over a nonstop 30-hour “vote-a-rama,” which came after Democrats forced a full reading of every word of Republicans’ 940-page bill. During vote-a-rama, Senator Murray put forward an amendment to strike a provision of the legislation that achieves anti-abortion extremists’ long-sought goal of “defunding” Planned Parenthood; Republicans blocked the amendment. Senator Murray spoke repeatedly on the Senate floor during debate over the bill, laying out in detail the harm the legislation would cause. Senator Murray also spoke out repeatedly on the Senate floor against Republicans’ use of a depictive so-called “current policy baseline” to hide the true cost of their deficit-busting tax cuts for billionaires.

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

    “Thank you to everyone for joining us today.

    “You know, just weeks ago, Republicans jammed through Congress—on Trump’s command—a devastating, rushed, and partisan bill that will force 17 million Americans to lose their health care and force hundreds of hospitals and health care clinics across the country to close their doors.

    “President Trump calls it his ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ but the only Big Bill here is the one Americans are going to be stuck paying after they get sick and no longer have health coverage because Republicans ripped it away.

    “It is important for people to understand: Republicans are making health care more expensive and harder to access for everyone, no matter what kind of insurance you’re on, or where you go for care. It makes the largest-ever cuts to Medicaid—which we know in Washington state as Apple Health—and which nearly 2 million people, including the majority of kids in 26 of our state’s 39 counties rely on. Most of them are in districts represented by Republicans!

    “At least 250,000 people in Washington state will lose Apple Health coverage under this bill. And as many as 150,000 more are going to be priced out of our state’s health care exchange because Republicans outright refused to extend important tax credits that lower the cost of health care for middle-class families and small business owners. And it is very hard to overstate how much this bill attacks our hospitals and the care they provide to everyone.

    “So, I’m glad to be joined on this call by folks from Harborview and UW Medicine who will speak more to that.

    “Now, under this bill, Washington state is expected to lose between $31 and $51 billion dollars in federal Medicaid funding over the next 10 years. Hospitals in Washington state alone could lose $662 million in Medicaid revenue every year according to a recent analysis—forcing hospitals to lay off staff, cut their services, or even close their doors entirely.

    “That means that people will have to travel further for care and wait even longer to get it. In fact, over 330 rural hospitals are expected to be forced to close their doors or scale back services because of the cuts in Republicans’ bill—including 14 hospitals in Washington state.

    “And when people lose their health insurance, they don’t suddenly stop needing care. They’re still going to show up at hospitals and emergency rooms if they break a leg or suffer a heart attack. The difference is, hospitals will no longer be reimbursed by Medicaid for providing that care. Meaning they will be forced to raise costs elsewhere, for example, on patients who still have insurance—including private insurance through their employers or otherwise.

    “And what happens at hospitals in Washington state also affects people in Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho—whose senators all voted for this Big Ugly Bill, by the way. Because hospitals in Washington state actually provide essential, high-level specialty care to people across the entire Mountain West.

    “In fact, Harborview is the only Level 1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma and Burn Center for all of Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Alaska. So, any Western senator who thinks their constituents aren’t going to be affected by what happens in Washington state are sorely mistaken.

    “And there’s a reason Republicans refused to hold a single public hearing about this bill before forcing it through the Senate in the dead of night—they want Americans to know as little as possible about what’s actually in it. I mean for goodness sake, they were revising the bill as we were debating it—most Republican Senators didn’t even fully understand what was in it before they voted for it!

    “But here’s the thing: the more people know about what’s in it, the less they like it! Nearly two-in-three Americans view this bill unfavorably, and that goes up to nearly four-in-five when they learn it will cut off funding to local hospitals.

    “But Republicans forced it into law anyway, over the objections of Democrats and members of their own party, because Trump and Republicans really will stop at nothing to pass tax breaks for billionaires. The bottom line is this bill steals from people who need help the most and gives more to people who need help the least.

    “And make no mistake, the harm is already being felt—despite Republicans’ cynical efforts to delay some of the worst provisions from taking effect until after the midterms.

    “Hospitals across the country are already bracing for cuts—it’s law. They know these cuts are coming, they have to plan their budgets over years, not month by month. One clinic in Nebraska already announced it will have to shut its doors because of this bill. More will follow.

    “Now, before I hand it off to our speakers who can say a lot more about what this awful bill will mean for hospitals in Washington state and care for the entire region, I want to make clear: this bill may be law, but that does not mean we stop fighting. That does not mean that we give up.

    “For my part, I am going to keep doing everything I possibly can to protect Americans’ health care and make it less expensive, not more—and make sure people know exactly who to hold accountable for their neighbors losing health care, or their local hospital shutting down.

    “Because, at the end of the day, the American people will have their voices heard. And they will show Republicans exactly how they feel about this Big Ugly Betrayal Bill at the ballot box.

    “Thank you, and I will now turn it over to Dr. Dellit from UW Medicine.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, UW Medicine & Harborview CEOs Sound Alarm on How Republican Medicaid Cuts Will Devastate Hospitals, Threaten Specialty Care People in Washington, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming Rely on

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Hospitals in WA provide essential, high-level specialty care to people across the entire Mountain West and Alaska

    WA hospitals will lose $662 million in Medicaid revenue every year, 400,000 people in Washington state alone expected to lose health coverage under Republicans’ newly-passed bill

    ***WATCH FULL VIDEO from press conference; DOWNLOAD HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S.Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a virtual press conference with Dr. Timothy Dellit, CEO of UW Medicine, and Sommer Kleweno-Walley, CEO of Harborview Medical Center, laying out how the massive health care cuts in Republicans’ reconciliation bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will be devastating for hospitals and all Americans’ access to care. A focus of the press conference was how these cuts will affect people in red states including Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming—which, with Washington state, make up the WWAMI region—who rely on Washington state hospital networks for access to high-level specialty care they can’t get in their home states.

    Republicans’ reconciliation bill cuts more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) over the next 10 years. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that Republicans’ health care cuts will terminate health insurance for at least 17 million Americans nationwide and will make health care more expensive and harder to access.

    “It is important for people to understand, Republicans are making health care more expensive and harder to access for everyone, no matter what kind of insurance you’re on, or where you go for care,” Senator Murray said on the press call today. “When people lose their health insurance, they don’t suddenly stop needing care. They’re still going to show up at hospitals and emergency rooms if they break a leg or suffer a heart attack. The difference is, hospitals will no longer be reimbursed by Medicaid for providing that care. Meaning they’ll be forced to raise costs elsewhere, for example, on patients who still have insurance, including private insurance through their employers or otherwise. And what happens at hospitals in Washington state also affects people in Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho—whose senators all voted for the Big Ugly bill, by the way. Because hospitals in Washington state provide essential, high-level specialty care to people across the entire Mountain West… I am going to keep doing everything I possibly can to protect Americans’ health care and make it less expensive, not more—and make sure people know exactly who to hold accountable for their neighbors losing health care, or their local hospital shutting down.”

    “Keeping patients enrolled in Medicaid along with direct Medicaid support to UW Medicine is critical to allow us to serve as the state’s safety net, helping to support the over $688 million in uncompensated care our hospitals provide to the public every year. It also allows us to continue to educate the next generation of healthcare professionals as UW Medicine provides over 68 percent of Washington’s medical education and training. With loss of Medicaid funding, we risk elimination of clinical services, closures of hospitals, and reduced access to care for everyone,” said Dr. Timothy Dellit, CEO of UW Medicine. “This bill has three major impacts for UW Medicine and the communities we serve. First, it removes patients from Medicaid coverage, leaving patients uninsured with limited access to care. Public hospitals like ours will need to provide increased levels of uncompensated care, stressing our ability to stay open and serve the community. Second, it eliminates UW Medicine’s supplemental direct Medicaid funding that was designed to help cover the cost of treating patients with Medicaid and allows us to serve as the safety net for the most vulnerable. And third, it makes pursuing a career in health care more difficult to afford, by reducing student loan and repayment options, essentially eliminating access to medical education for a subset of the population just as we face a shortage of physicians, particularly in our rural and underserved communities.”

    “Harborview Medical Center is the region’s leading safety net hospital, serving a large number of Medicaid and uninsured patients who need our care. Cutting Medicaid coverage and funding threatens our ability to deliver essential care to patients across Washington state and the broader region,” said Sommer Kleweno-Walley, CEO of Harborview Medical Center. “These cuts to federal Medicaid funding will impact hundreds of thousands of patients across not only Washington state, but the entire WWAMI region that Harborview and the rest of UW Medicine serve. Our hospitals play a crucial role in the region, offering highly specialized services that aren’t available in other states… Harborview is the only Level 1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma and Burn Center in Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. UW Medical Center, in partnership with  the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, provides the most highly specialized cancer care in the region. Because of this, UW Medicine takes care of patients from places like Northern Alaska and eastern Montana. Many of these patients are insured by the Medicaid program. People come from all over the region to receive specialized treatment from UW Medicine for conditions and injuries such as severe trauma with complex spine, pelvic, face, eye and hand injuries; heart, lung and multi-organ transplants; complex adult congenital heart repairs; and the most severe pediatric trauma injuries that occur in that WWAMI region, to name just a few. For these patients Harborview or UW Medical Center are the closest medical centers that can provide this level of complex clinical care that they desperately need. Harborview also provides the most acute emergency behavioral health care in the state and region, with services to patients in severe crisis due to mental health and substance use disorder. At Harborview, the region’s largest safety net care hospital, over 34 percent of our patients are reliant on Medicaid for health coverage and another 5 percent of our patients remain uninsured despite the Medicaid expansion. This means that these Medicaid cuts will have an outsized impact here.”

    Washington will be among the states hit hardest by Republicans’ legislation according to an analysis by KFF, which estimates the state will lose an estimated 26 percent of its Medicaid enrollment. Right now in Washington state, nearly 2 million people—roughly 1 in 5—are enrolled in Apple Health, including 800,000 children. Washington state’s 4th and 5th Congressional Districts, represented by Republicans who voted for the reconciliation bill, have the highest percentages of people who rely on Apple Health. About 400,000 Washingtonians are expected to lose health care coverage under the Republican bill, including at least 250,000 who will lose Apple Health coverage and as many as 150,000 who will be newly priced out of the state’s health care exchange, Washington Healthplanfinder. Hospitals in Washington state could lose at least $662 million in Medicaid revenue every year—forcing hospitals to lay off staff, cut services, or close their doors entirely. Overall, Washington state is expected to lose between $31 billion and $51 billion in federal Medicaid dollars over the next decade. Last year, Washington had an uninsured rate of 4.8 percent—the lowest in the country—but the Republican bill is expected to balloon that number into the double digits.

    Nationwide, the Republican health care cuts represent a more than $400 billion dollar hit to America’s hospitals—which are the sixth-largest employer in the country. Over 330 hospitals will likely be forced to close or scale back their services—including 14 hospitals in Washington state—which will force more Americans to travel further for maternity care and emergency rooms, and face longer wait times. An estimated 477,000 health workers will lose their jobs as a result of the Republican cuts to Medicaid.

    Senator Murray has held constant recent events—including multiple events in Washington state—to sound the alarm on Republicans’ devastating reconciliation bill and encourage constituents to raise their voices and call on their Members of Congress to oppose the legislation. Senator Murray and Democrats forced Republicans to take dozens of tough votes over a nonstop 30-hour “vote-a-rama,” which came after Democrats forced a full reading of every word of Republicans’ 940-page bill. During vote-a-rama, Senator Murray put forward an amendment to strike a provision of the legislation that achieves anti-abortion extremists’ long-sought goal of “defunding” Planned Parenthood; Republicans blocked the amendment. Senator Murray spoke repeatedly on the Senate floor during debate over the bill, laying out in detail the harm the legislation would cause. Senator Murray also spoke out repeatedly on the Senate floor against Republicans’ use of a depictive so-called “current policy baseline” to hide the true cost of their deficit-busting tax cuts for billionaires.

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

    “Thank you to everyone for joining us today.

    “You know, just weeks ago, Republicans jammed through Congress—on Trump’s command—a devastating, rushed, and partisan bill that will force 17 million Americans to lose their health care and force hundreds of hospitals and health care clinics across the country to close their doors.

    “President Trump calls it his ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ but the only Big Bill here is the one Americans are going to be stuck paying after they get sick and no longer have health coverage because Republicans ripped it away.

    “It is important for people to understand: Republicans are making health care more expensive and harder to access for everyone, no matter what kind of insurance you’re on, or where you go for care. It makes the largest-ever cuts to Medicaid—which we know in Washington state as Apple Health—and which nearly 2 million people, including the majority of kids in 26 of our state’s 39 counties rely on. Most of them are in districts represented by Republicans!

    “At least 250,000 people in Washington state will lose Apple Health coverage under this bill. And as many as 150,000 more are going to be priced out of our state’s health care exchange because Republicans outright refused to extend important tax credits that lower the cost of health care for middle-class families and small business owners. And it is very hard to overstate how much this bill attacks our hospitals and the care they provide to everyone.

    “So, I’m glad to be joined on this call by folks from Harborview and UW Medicine who will speak more to that.

    “Now, under this bill, Washington state is expected to lose between $31 and $51 billion dollars in federal Medicaid funding over the next 10 years. Hospitals in Washington state alone could lose $662 million in Medicaid revenue every year according to a recent analysis—forcing hospitals to lay off staff, cut their services, or even close their doors entirely.

    “That means that people will have to travel further for care and wait even longer to get it. In fact, over 330 rural hospitals are expected to be forced to close their doors or scale back services because of the cuts in Republicans’ bill—including 14 hospitals in Washington state.

    “And when people lose their health insurance, they don’t suddenly stop needing care. They’re still going to show up at hospitals and emergency rooms if they break a leg or suffer a heart attack. The difference is, hospitals will no longer be reimbursed by Medicaid for providing that care. Meaning they will be forced to raise costs elsewhere, for example, on patients who still have insurance—including private insurance through their employers or otherwise.

    “And what happens at hospitals in Washington state also affects people in Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho—whose senators all voted for this Big Ugly Bill, by the way. Because hospitals in Washington state actually provide essential, high-level specialty care to people across the entire Mountain West.

    “In fact, Harborview is the only Level 1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma and Burn Center for all of Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Alaska. So, any Western senator who thinks their constituents aren’t going to be affected by what happens in Washington state are sorely mistaken.

    “And there’s a reason Republicans refused to hold a single public hearing about this bill before forcing it through the Senate in the dead of night—they want Americans to know as little as possible about what’s actually in it. I mean for goodness sake, they were revising the bill as we were debating it—most Republican Senators didn’t even fully understand what was in it before they voted for it!

    “But here’s the thing: the more people know about what’s in it, the less they like it! Nearly two-in-three Americans view this bill unfavorably, and that goes up to nearly four-in-five when they learn it will cut off funding to local hospitals.

    “But Republicans forced it into law anyway, over the objections of Democrats and members of their own party, because Trump and Republicans really will stop at nothing to pass tax breaks for billionaires. The bottom line is this bill steals from people who need help the most and gives more to people who need help the least.

    “And make no mistake, the harm is already being felt—despite Republicans’ cynical efforts to delay some of the worst provisions from taking effect until after the midterms.

    “Hospitals across the country are already bracing for cuts—it’s law. They know these cuts are coming, they have to plan their budgets over years, not month by month. One clinic in Nebraska already announced it will have to shut its doors because of this bill. More will follow.

    “Now, before I hand it off to our speakers who can say a lot more about what this awful bill will mean for hospitals in Washington state and care for the entire region, I want to make clear: this bill may be law, but that does not mean we stop fighting. That does not mean that we give up.

    “For my part, I am going to keep doing everything I possibly can to protect Americans’ health care and make it less expensive, not more—and make sure people know exactly who to hold accountable for their neighbors losing health care, or their local hospital shutting down.

    “Because, at the end of the day, the American people will have their voices heard. And they will show Republicans exactly how they feel about this Big Ugly Betrayal Bill at the ballot box.

    “Thank you, and I will now turn it over to Dr. Dellit from UW Medicine.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Senator Mullin tells Indian Affairs Committee: “Leave the Politics Out of it and put Indian Country First.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)

    RELEASE: Senator Mullin tells Indian Affairs Committee: “Leave the Politics Out of it and put Indian Country First.”

    Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, emphasized the importance of seeing Native issues through a nonpartisan lens at the nomination hearing to consider Mr. William Kirkland to be President Trump’s Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs within the Department of the Interior.
    In his remarks, Senator Mullin discussed his experience as a member of Cherokee Nation, Mr. Kirkland’s background, and the crucial responsibility members of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs have to honor America’s federal obligation to Indian Country. Highlights below.

    Sen. Mullin’s full remarks can be found here.
    On being a member of Cherokee Nation and serving in the U.S. Senate:
    “I’m Cherokee, and I never knew I was special for being Cherokee until I came to D.C., because where I’m from, everybody’s Indian or wants to be. And when I came up here, Tom Cole was the first one that came up to me and said, ‘Congratulations, we just doubled the size of our Native American Caucus.’ That was back in 2013. I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ He’s like, ‘Well, I’m Chickasaw and you’re Cherokee.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, we taught you how to read and write.’ No, I’m kidding. And we joked about it, because sometimes there’s a misunderstanding.”
    On those not from Indian Country misunderstanding Tribal issues:
    “But what they don’t understand about Indian Country, and tell me if I’m wrong, is we don’t look at the world through an ‘R’ or ‘D’ lens. We look at it from our heritage perspective… And sometimes people that aren’t from Indian Country and they’re not Native, they don’t understand it. They don’t get it. Because politics is their world… Tribal issues, it’s a federal responsibility we have, and so you can separate the politics out of it, because we have an obligation.”
    On Mr. Kirkland’s background:
    “All our Tribes in Oklahoma are going to be different from the Tribes in the Midwest. And I think one of the coolest things that you have the ability to do is you get to learn all those different needs. And when you go in there with a with a background like yourself, and with Native people at the front of your mind and any decision you make, you have an opportunity to actually get to know them and get to know what their unique challenges are.”
    On the responsibility of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs:
    “I just hope in this committee, that we try to leave the politics out of it and just put Indian Country first. That’s what our responsibility is here. That’s why I think this committee is unique because if there’s ever a committee that works in a real bipartisan manner, it’s this committee, and we have to be careful that we don’t we don’t separate that because, as I repeat myself again, we have a federal obligation. And regardless if you’re a Native or you’re not, if we’re in this position of authority, if we’re in this position to actually affect that, we need to understand that and just all be in the same boat, working together.”
    On Mr. Kirkland’s willingness to serve:
    “So, thank you for standing up. Thank you for your family too, to going through this with you, because it’s a challenge and your ability to continue to stay in the fight for Indian Country is commendable. So, God bless you.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Peters Secures Funding to Strengthen Public Safety, Michigan Manufacturing, and Great Lakes Protections in Appropriations Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped secure funding in the Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to fund Michigan priorities, high-impact local projects, and federal programs that support manufacturing, our environment and Great Lakes, public safety, law enforcement, and cutting-edge research.

    “This bipartisan legislation advances critical projects in Michigan and across the country,” said Senator Peters. “The bill makes needed investments to strengthen public safety, support local law enforcement, and boost Michigan’s economic competitiveness. It will also help safeguard our state’s precious natural resources and the Great Lakes for future generations. I’m proud to have helped secure this funding and will keep working to get it across the finish line.”

    Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is considering their own funding bills. The Senate and House will then need to reach an agreement on a final funding bill and have it pass both chambers before being sent to the President to be signed into law.

    The bill includes numerous measures led and supported by Peters, including:

    Strengthening Michigan’s Manufacturing Sector

    Preventing Illegal Trump Administration Cuts to Manufacturing Programs: The bill included language Senator Peters authored to prevent the Department of Commerce from unilaterally defunding or withdrawing contracts from Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Programs – like the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center. The bill also includes $175 million for the MEP program despite the Trump Administration’s budget proposal to eliminate it. This program helps small and medium manufacturers grow their business, integrate advanced manufacturing techniques and technology, and works to strengthen our domestic manufacturing supply chain. For every dollar of federal investment, MEP generates $24.60 in new sales growth for manufacturers and $27.50 in new investment. This translates into $4.3 billion in new sales annually. In 2024, the Michigan Manufacturing Tech Center estimated they helped 584 businesses produce over $150 million in sales growth and over $100 million in investments. For every $1 of a company’s investment, the Center returns $18 in financial returns.

    Addressing Unfair Chinese Trade Practices: Peters secured language in the bill recognizing that non-allied nations like China are becoming large global exporters of electric vehicles and underscoring a concern that these electric vehicles will soon flood the U.S. market. Some Chinese motor vehicle producers are seeking to establish manufacturing plants in Mexico and other strategic locations to sidestep U.S. tariffs. Peters’ provision in the bill directs the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), in consultation with other relevant departments and agencies, to examine non-allied nations’ non-market policies and practices related to electric vehicles, including policies that prevent U.S auto manufacturers from competing in their markets on a level playing field.

    USMCA: In the summer of 2026, the United States’ trade agreement with Mexico and Canada will undergo a mandatory review period. Peters secured language directing the Office of the United States Trade Representative to pursue changes to the agreement that will improve the agreement’s labor standards, prevent China from taking advantage of it, and onshore more manufacturing jobs throughout the United States, including Michigan.

    National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): The bill invests heavily in the National Institute of Standards and Technology. These resources will help NIST advance research in cutting-edge fields like carbon dioxide removal, artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and cybersecurity. NIST will also develop standards, tools, and tests to help ensure AI systems operate safely.

    Making Michigan Communities Safer

    PAWS Act: Peters secured $3 million in the Fiscal Year 2026?Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for the Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grant Program, which was established by Peters’ Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act. The grant program, administered by the Department of Justice, provides emergency and transitional shelter options for domestic violence survivors with companion animals. Peters secured language in the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act encouraging the Department of Justice to continue providing robust funding for grants under the program.

    Project Safe Neighborhood: Peters secured funding in the bill for the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative – a nationwide law enforcement program that uses evidence-based and data-driven approaches to reduce violent crime. Last Congress, the Senate passed Peters’ bipartisan legislationto reauthorize the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.

    Promoting Community Policing in Oakland County: The bill includes $1 million to modernize Oakland County’s Courts and Law Enforcement Management Information Systems (CLEMIS), which will improve transparency of law enforcement activity and promote community policing.

    Improving Criminal Investigation in Van Buren County: Peters secured $576,000 in the bill for Van Buren County to support purchase of rapid-processing DNA technology, which will reduce a current backlog and enable crimes to be solved more efficiently.

    Purchasing New Patrol Vehicles in Kalamazoo: The bill includes $490,000 to help the City of Kalamazoo upgrade its public safety vehicles, which will allow personnel to respond to service calls safely and efficiently.

    Making Road Patrols Safer in Oakland County: The bill would provide $26,000 for the Oakland County Sherriff’s Office to purchase safety equipment for motorcycle patrol officers.

    Supporting Safe Traffic Stops in Warren: Peters secured $38,000 in the bill to help the City of Warren Police Department purchase new safety equipment to aid officers during traffic stops and investigations.

    Improving the Health of the Great Lakes: The bill includes $1,500,000 for the Great Lakes Commission to improve the health of the Great Lakes. Specifically, funding will help address water quality, nutrient pollution, harmful algal blooms, aquatic invasive species, and coastal management throughout the Great Lakes region.

    Upgrading Police Communications in Marquette: The bill would provide $264,000 for the City of Marquette to purchase new portable radios, which would improve emergency response for Marquette Police Department officers.

    Upgrading Aging Patrol Vehicle Fleet in Houghton: The bill includes $385,000 for the City of Houghton to purchase new police patrol vehicles, helping to improve emergency response throughout the region.

    Bolstering AI Research to Help Small and Medium Sized Manufacturers: Senator Peters secured $2,000,000 in this bill to support Michigan Tech’s research into and deployment of AI standards and practices that would help boost small and medium manufacturers in Michigan.

    Westland Police Technology Update: The bill also includes $100,000 to upgrade aging computer systems in police squad cars in Westland.

    Preventing Violence Against Women: The bill contains increased funding for the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and its lifesaving programs. Grants from OVW programs support training for police officers, state domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, rape prevention programs, homicide reduction initiatives, domestic violence hotlines, women’s shelters, transitional housing, and rural support services. In addition, Peters secured language in the bill directing the Department of Justice to develop best practices, in consultation with Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) community-based organizations, for the investigation and prosecution of violence against MENA women.

    Improving Police-Community Relations: The bill provides funding for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office grant programs which aim to strengthen police-community relations.

    Addressing Substance Use Disorder in Our Communities: The bill provides significant funding to help our communities and first responders address substance use disorders, including opioids, and to address drug trafficking.

    Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program: Peters helped secure funding for the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program. This program is critical to thousands of abused or neglected children who have highly trained and extremely dedicated advocates appointed on their behalf, and to child victims who are still waiting for the presence of a consistent, caring adult to speak for their best interests in the courtroom and in the community. This funding will help improve outcomes for every abused and neglected child, as was the intention of Congress when it enacted the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990.

    Investing in Sustainable Solutions to Protect Michigan’s Environment, Natural Resources

    Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory: The bill provides funding for the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab (GLERL), which studies the dynamic environments and ecosystems of the Great Lakes. The work produced and shared by GLERL informs local decisions for safe and sustainable resource management throughout the Great Lakes Basin. GLERL research also plays a crucial role in the work carried out by the Coast Guard’s Center of Expertise for Oil Spill Preparedness and Response in Sault Ste Marie. Peters secured language in the bill recognizing the importance of continued support for the work of the Great Lakes Center of Expertise for Oil Spill Preparedness and Response, which examines the impacts of oil spills in freshwater environments and develops effective responses. Peters-led efforts made the Great Lakes Center of Expertise a reality. Peters authored and passed legislation into law establishing the Great Lakes Center of Expertise in 2018, and then successfully secured $4.5 million in total to kick-start the initiative the following year. Peters then announced the Great Lakes Center of Expertise will be headquartered in two Michigan locations to maximize research and operational capabilities. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Peters has continued to secure funding to support the Center’s work.

    Great Lakes Monitoring: The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) is the nation’s premier ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes observing program. The bill provides funding to fill critical gaps in our nation’s ocean and Great Lakes observation infrastructure. It will also ensure the availability of coastal data to inform management decisions on oil spill planning and response, navigation safety, fisheries management, and harmful algal blooms.

    Addressing Harmful Algal Blooms: The bill supports the National Ocean Service’s research on harmful algal blooms (HABs). This funding is vital to preserving the health of the Great Lakes, which provide drinking water to more than 40 million people; support a $16 billion recreational boating industry; and draw 37 million anglers, hunters, and bird watchers each year. HABs, which produce toxic or harmful effects on people and wildlife, have been reported in the Great Lakes and in every U.S. coastal state. According to NOAA, their occurrence may be on the rise.

    Coastal Zone Management Grants: This bill provides much-needed funding for NOAA’s Coastal Zone Management Program, which provides grants to states with approved coastal zone management plans for the protection, restoration, and enhancement of coastal zone areas, including those in the Great Lakes region. All eight Great Lakes states have active Coastal Zone Management programs committed to preserving the health of the Lakes and the $6 trillion regional economy they help sustain. This unique program is essential to the economic and ecological importance of our coastlines and Great Lakes shorelines while supporting state and local efforts to address critical management issues such as coastal hazards, habitat, and water quality.

    Marine Debris Program: The NOAA Marine Debris Program is a joint effort that supports national and international efforts to prevent, identify, and reduce the occurrence of marine debris. The program leverages resources from state and local agencies, tribes, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry for innovative research, outreach, and education initiatives. This bill provides funding to allow this important work to continue.

    Improving the Census Process to Ensure Michigan Communities Are Accurately Represented

    Census Bureau: The bill provides funding for the U.S. Census Bureau, however, it provides less funding than is required to meet the needs of the upcoming 2030 decennial census. The census and other key federal surveys are tied to important outcomes for communities in Michigan and across the country, including federal resources for education, health care and infrastructure. The resources allocated by this bill will give the Census Bureau the tools it needs to prepare for the 2030 Census, produce critical economic data, and ensure the public can access high-quality data that keeps pace with the needs of our nation. This funding is essential to ensuring the Bureau does not fall behind on crucial preparations and can control long-term costs. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where Peters serves as Ranking Member, is responsible for conducting oversight of the Census Bureau. Peters previously convened a hearing in downtown Detroit to examine impacts of the 2020 Census on Michigan. Peters also convened a hearing in 2021 with senior federal officials to examine how lawmakers can work to improve operations at the Census Bureau. Peters has also pressed the Census Bureau to ensure it addresses 2020 Census undercounts and improves annual population data.

    Investing in Science, Innovation, and the STEM Workforce

    Michigan Technological University AI Program: Peters secured $2.5 million in funding from the Safe and Secure AI Manufacturing Implementation Program for Michigan Technological University to support research into and deployment of AI standards and practices to support small and medium manufacturers.

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): The bill provides continued funding for key NASA science and STEM education programs that support cutting edge research and scholarships at Michigan’s Universities. The STEM education programs also strengthen our aerospace workforce pipeline. These programs were partially eliminated under the Trump Administration’s budget request.,

    Fully Fund the Artemis Space Mission: This bill includes full funding that Senator Peters’ championed for the Artemis Mission, which is set to take the United States back to the Moon as well as, eventually, to Mars. This mission was partially eliminated under the Trump budget proposal. The Artemis program is supported by Michigan Aerospace manufacturers and one of the astronauts participating in the upcoming Artemis III mission is a Michigander, Christina Koch.

    National Science Foundation: Senator Peters helped secure $9 billion in funding for the National Science Foundation. This level of funding avoids the catastrophic 55% cut proposed by the Trump Administration, which would have devastated U.S. scientific and STEM leadership, and harmed Michigan’s research institutions’ ability to continue to do cutting edge research.

    Implementation of Peters’ PROSWIFT Act: Peters secured funding for the pilot program Peters created through his Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Act. The program aims to strengthen our nation’s ability to predict severe space weather events and mitigate their harmful impacts on Earth – work being spearheaded at Michigan’s own Universities.

    Improving Access to Reentry: Peters secured language in the bill directing Residential Reentry Centers, where individuals often go between prison and full return to their communities, to better collect ID-related data. A 2022 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that opportunities exist to better assist incarcerated people with obtaining ID documents prior to release. Peters’ language requires an assessment from BOP regarding the feasibility of contracting with additional state DMVs to provide identification document services to qualifying individuals prior to release.

    National Marine Fisheries Services – Studying PFAS in Fish: The bill recognizes the threat posed by the concentration of PFAS detected in fish tissue. The bill directs NOAA to conduct fish tissue sampling and monitoring of PFAS to evaluate the impacts on aquatic health.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Calls for Fair Wages, Automation Protections for Fenway Park Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    BURLINGTON, Vt., July 18 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, wrote a letter to the owner of the Boston Red Sox and the CEO of the Red Sox’s concessioner, Aramark, calling on them to respect the dedication and sacrifice of Fenway Park workers by negotiating with them in good faith for living wages and protections from automation.
    “Attending a Red Sox game would not be the memorable experience that it is—and the Red Sox would not draw such crowds—if it were not for your workers. Unfortunately, it is my understanding that you have not been negotiating in good faith on their very reasonable demands for living wages and basic job protections from automation. In my view, that is not acceptable,” Sanders wrote. “I write to urge you to immediately bargain in good faith with UNITE HERE Local 26 and reach a fair union contract with the 1,000 workers employed by Aramark at Fenway Park and MGM Music Hall.” 
    This week, Sanders met with Fenway Park workers, some of whom had worked in the ballpark for decades. They shared with him how they are taking home less and less as their managers try to replace human workers with machines that reduce gratuities and diminish the experience for both fans and workers. In June, Fenway Park workers voted nearly unanimously to authorize a strike if Aramark does not bargain with workers in good faith. 
    “I recently spoke with a number of your workers and what they told me was heartbreaking. All of them told me how much they love working at Fenway Park and how much they have enjoyed the meaningful and lasting relationships that they have developed with your loyal-season ticket holders and fans for years, if not decades. But all of the workers I talked to were sick and tired of being underpaid, underappreciated and overworked,” Sanders continued. “Moreover, many of your workers told me that, as a result of Fenway’s aggressive move to self-service concession machines, jobs have been lost and tips have been cut in half. These machines are not only harming your workers, they are undermining the experience of attending a game at historic Fenway Park.”
    Sanders noted the economic success of both the sports franchise and the concessioner, which are valued in the billions of dollars and which make hundreds of millions of dollars in profits every year.  While many of the workers at Fenway struggle to pay the rent and put food on the table, Mr. Henry, the owner of the Red Sox, has seen his wealth more than double over the past five years from $2.6 billion to $5.5 billion. Since Mr. Henry acquired the Red Sox in 2002 for $380 million, the value of this team has gone up by more than $4.3 billion. Aramark made $262 million in profits last year and is worth over $11 billion.
    To Red Sox owner John Henry, Sanders wrote: “The Boston Red Sox are not a poor baseball team. They are not going broke… If you can afford to sign a $120 million three-year contract for your injured third baseman, you can afford to treat all of your hard-working and dedicated workers at Fenway Park with the dignity and the respect they deserve.”
    To Aramark CEO John Zillmer, Sanders wrote: “If Aramark can afford to pay you $18.7 million in compensation and provide nearly $100 million in dividends for your wealthy shareholders, it can afford to pay all of your workers a living wage and not threaten to take away their jobs and their income with faceless Mashgin touchscreen computers.”
    “Your workers have made years and sometimes decades worth of sacrifices to continue working at Fenway and serving Red Sox fans because they love their jobs and their community. It is not a radical idea to pay your workers a living wage and to treat all of them with respect, not contempt,” Sanders concluded. “[D]o the right thing. Treat all of your workers with the respect and the dignity they deserve. Sit down at the negotiating table with your union workers. Bargain in good faith. Sign a union contract that is fair and that is just.”
    Read the letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Q&A: Organized Retail Crime Costs Families $500 Annually

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    Q: How does organized retail crime impact Main Street businesses and customers?

    A: Organized crime syndicates are rampaging retail stores and cargo fleets across the country through sophisticated criminal schemes. It’s costing businesses and consumers billions of dollars a year. We’re not talking about a kid stealing a candy bar or pack of gum near the checkout counter. These schemes include cybercrime, fraud and other complex cons that have surged in recent years, with the average loss per cargo theft incident exceeding $200,000. Transnational criminal organizations target U.S. shippers, retailers and the supply chain with aggressive tactics overwhelming local law enforcement. Cargo theft costs the supply chain up to $35 billion each year, contributing to higher consumer prices and driving up insurance costs.

    According to the National Retail Federation, more than 73 percent of retailers report shoplifters are exhibiting more violence and aggression than the previous year, putting their employees, customers and law enforcement and security personnel at risk. These orchestrated crimes plunder large quantities of merchandise from retail stores, warehouses and the supply chain. Then criminal enterprises turn around to resell the stolen goods online or through other illicit channels for profit. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I held a congressional hearing in July to hear from retailers, shippers and others impacted along the supply chain by these crimes. An executive with the American Trucking Association called for a coordinated federal response to address this dangerous and costly criminal activity and backed my bipartisan bill, the Combatting Retail Crime Act, to establish a multi-agency response, giving law enforcement new tools to respond to the surge in cargo theft across the country.

    At the hearing I brought up recent efforts by the U.S. Department of Justice that indicted 11 defendants, including nine illegal immigrants, with stealing nearly a half-million dollars of Nike shoes from rail cars. Even more serious is when criminals steal from the food supply chain, like from a pallet of groceries or infant formula, since they break the safety seal of the shipping container and ruin the entire cargo container of goods. I also brought up another investigation that connected thefts at a mall in Katy, Texas to a cartel that’s believed to be responsible for over $100 million in theft across the country. It’s a sweeping problem that demands swift justice. Homeland Security Investigations estimate the average American family will pay more than $500 in additional costs each year due to organized retail crime.

    Q: How would your bill combat these crimes?

    A: A few years ago, I convened a roundtable in Cedar Rapids to hear concerns and learn from local retail leaders and law enforcement about the rise in organized retail crimes. Since then, I’ve pushed for a coordinated response at the federal level. The Department of Homeland Security has found that cartels, terrorists and human traffickers facilitate organized retail and supply chain crime and use the proceeds to finance other crimes. It’s a criminal hamster wheel that spans the globe and demands an informed and beefed up response from the nation’s counterterrorism and intelligence agencies. At the Senate hearing in July, I asked the District Attorney for San Diego County why it’s important for prosecutors to aggregate the value of stolen goods. She explained that aggregation distinguishes between someone who shoplifts food to eat from the repeat criminal offender who goes into a store with a calculator to stay under a $950 threshold so that the criminal would only be subject to a misdemeanor. That misguided policy led to retail stores locking up merchandise, instead of prosecutors locking up the perpetrators stealing the merchandise. I was pleased to hear California changed this poppycock policy to allow prosecutors to aggregate stolen merchandise in the pursuit of justice. I’ll continue pushing in Congress for criminal action to be met with criminal punishment.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: National Anti-Counterfeiting Month Resolution Unanimously Passes Senate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), co-chairs of the Congressional Trademark Caucus, welcomed the Senate’s unanimous passage of their resolution designating July as “National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month.” The bipartisan effort aims to drive awareness of the economic importance of trademarks and their role in protecting consumers.

    Grassley and Coons are joined on the resolution by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

    “Counterfeit products threaten our economy and consumers’ health and well-being,” Grassley said. “I’m glad to lead this bipartisan effort to educate Americans on the dangers of illicit knockoffs and the economic value of trademarks.”

    “Americans should have confidence that the products they’re buying are legitimate and safe – that they have been tested for dangerous chemicals, comply with regulatory standards and aren’t supporting criminal enterprises,” Coons said. “Businesses should be able to protect and sell their innovative products without fear that every new idea will be stolen. My resolution with my Congressional Trademark Caucus co-chair, Senator Grassley, protects American businesses, the public and our economy by raising awareness of counterfeit goods, and I’m glad the Senate has shown it shares this goal by unanimously passing our resolution.”

    “Counterfeit products hurt American businesses and put consumers at serious risk,” Tillis said. “I’m proud to support this resolution recognizing the importance of trademark protections and raising awareness on the dangers of counterfeiting.”

    “The true cost of counterfeiting cannot be measured in dollars alone, but in the injuries to consumers caused by often dangerous fakes, in diminished investments to drive the next wave of innovation by American businesses, in jobs lost to unfair competition, and increasingly, by the threats such products pose to our national security,” said Travis Johnson, Vice President for Legislative Affairs of the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition. “We applaud the passage of S.Res. 314, and thank the sponsors – Senator Grassley, Senator Coons, Senator Hirono and Senator Tillis – both for their leadership on this issue, and for their recognition of the vital role that education can play in helping to protect consumers, legitimate businesses and the economy as a whole.”

    “Illicitly traded goods—including apparel, footwear, accessories, and travel goods—undermine trusted American brands but also threaten the jobs and livelihoods of millions of U.S. workers and the safety of American consumers and the environment. Thank you to Senator Grassley and Senator Coons for again recognizing the need for this ‘National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month’ – bringing vital attention to the role trademarks play in both the U.S. economy and the protection of consumers. AAFA applauds these essential national efforts to continue to raise consumer awareness of the dangerous and growing counterfeit crisis,” said Steve Lamar, President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association.

    Read the full resolution HERE.

    Background:

    As co-chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Grassley is a longtime advocate for consumer safety and intellectual property rights. In 2021, the Grassley-backed INFORM Consumers Act was signed into law, ensuring transparency of third-party sellers in online retail marketplaces. Grassley has also introduced legislation to halt counterfeit imports and spearheaded a resolution highlighting the dangers of counterfeit prescription drugs.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Colleagues Condemn Trump Administration for Letting Credit Union Off the Hook for Overcharging Military Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    July 18, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he has joined Senate colleagues in condemning the Trump administration for its recent decision to terminate the consent order against Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU), effectively excusing it from accountability for charging millions in illegal surprise overdraft fees to their members – primarily active-duty service members, veterans, Department of Defense employees, and their families.

    “In 2024, the CFPB found that between 2017 and 2022, NFCU charged overdraft fees on ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases – even when accounts showed sufficient funds,” the senators wrote in a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Russell Vought. “In response, the Bureau issued a consent order requiring NFCU to pay $95 million in penalties and restitution: $80.6 million directly to harmed consumers and $15 million to the CFPB’s victims relief fund.”

    That order was rescinded on July 1, 2025.

    “As former CFPB officials have noted, this decision raises serious concerns about whether the Bureau is still capable – or even willing – to fulfill its legal mandate,” the senators continue. “At a minimum, the public and Congress deserve answers.”

    The letter was led by U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. In addition to Wyden, the letter was cosigned by U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md.

    “The Trump-era CFPB cannot reverse this consent order and simultaneously claim that it is prioritizing the interests of servicemembers,” said Adam Rust, Director of Financial Services for the Consumer Federation of America. “This action has diverted millions of dollars owed to military families—an unacceptable breach of trust. Acting Director Vought owes the public a clear and immediate explanation.”

    The full text of the letter is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Colleagues Condemn Trump Administration for Letting Credit Union Off the Hook for Overcharging Military Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    July 18, 2025
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he has joined Senate colleagues in condemning the Trump administration for its recent decision to terminate the consent order against Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU), effectively excusing it from accountability for charging millions in illegal surprise overdraft fees to their members – primarily active-duty service members, veterans, Department of Defense employees, and their families.
    “In 2024, the CFPB found that between 2017 and 2022, NFCU charged overdraft fees on ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases – even when accounts showed sufficient funds,” the senators wrote in a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Acting Director Russell Vought. “In response, the Bureau issued a consent order requiring NFCU to pay $95 million in penalties and restitution: $80.6 million directly to harmed consumers and $15 million to the CFPB’s victims relief fund.”
    That order was rescinded on July 1, 2025.
    “As former CFPB officials have noted, this decision raises serious concerns about whether the Bureau is still capable – or even willing – to fulfill its legal mandate,” the senators continue. “At a minimum, the public and Congress deserve answers.”
    The letter was led by U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. In addition to Wyden, the letter was cosigned by U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md.
    “The Trump-era CFPB cannot reverse this consent order and simultaneously claim that it is prioritizing the interests of servicemembers,” said Adam Rust, Director of Financial Services for the Consumer Federation of America. “This action has diverted millions of dollars owed to military families—an unacceptable breach of trust. Acting Director Vought owes the public a clear and immediate explanation.”
    The full text of the letter is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Neguse, DeGette, Crow, Pettersen Invite Postmaster General Steiner to Visit Colorado

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado John Hickenlooper

    WASHINGTON –  U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet and Colorado U.S. Representatives Joe Neguse, Diana DeGette, Jason Crow, and Brittany Pettersen congratulated David Steiner on his appointment as the 76th Postmaster General of the United States, and stressed the need for continued oversight and collaboration with Colorado communities. 

    “As you begin your tenure, we urge you to prioritize improving service for Colorado’s rural and mountain regions that rely on the Postal Service for essential needs. Over the past several years, our offices have repeatedly raised concerns about deteriorating postal service in Colorado’s mountain and rural communities. Residents have experienced unacceptable delivery delays, staffing shortages, facility issues, and a lack of communication from USPS leadership,” wrote the lawmakers.

    The lawmakers highlight that many communities in Colorado rely solely on local post offices for everything from receiving prescription medications to voting by mail.

    “We invite you and Chair McReynolds to visit Colorado to meet with local officials, USPS employees, and residents to understand the challenges our communities face. We believe your leadership offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen USPS’ relationship with Colorado, and we look forward to working together to make that happen,” concluded the lawmakers.

    The text of the letter is available HERE and below:

    Dear Postmaster General Steiner and Chair McReynolds:

    Congratulations to Postmaster General Steiner on your appointment as the 76th Postmaster General of the United States. We look forward to working together to ensure the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) provides accessible, reliable service to every community in Colorado. As you begin your tenure, we urge you to prioritize improving service for Colorado’s rural and mountain regions that rely on the Postal Service for essential needs.

    Over the past several years, our offices have repeatedly raised concerns about deteriorating postal service in Colorado’s mountain and rural communities. Residents have experienced unacceptable delivery delays, staffing shortages, facility issues, and a lack of communication from USPS leadership. Many of these communities lack home delivery and rely entirely on their local post offices for everything from receiving prescription medications to voting by mail. In some cases, these local facilities are at risk of closure or are operating under severe financial and staff constraints.

    We also urge you to focus on USPS’ responsiveness to outreach from local governments and the constituents we represent. In many Colorado communities, local leaders have made repeated attempts to communicate with USPS about urgent issues, such as expiring building leases, repeated mail theft, or interrupted delivery, only to receive limited, delayed, or no response. Increased transparency will be critical to building trust with these communities.

    To that end, we invite you and Chair McReynolds to visit Colorado to meet with local officials, USPS employees, and residents to understand the challenges our communities face. We believe your leadership offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen USPS’ relationship with Colorado, and we look forward to working together to make that happen.


    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Advances $5 Million for Nebraska’s Research Institutions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced $5 million for Nebraska’s research institutions through the Senate Appropriations Committee to fund bioeconomy, biomedical, and water quality research efforts. The funding was included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Appropriations Act, which now awaits consideration on the Senate Floor.

    “Nebraska’s research institutions are the backbone of the future bioeconomy, conservation, and biomedical research workforce. This funding not only fuels groundbreaking research – it strengthens local economies by supporting the contractors and businesses that make this work possible. I’m proud to advance this investment in Nebraska’s innovative research ecosystem and ensure that our institutions have the resources they need to succeed,” Fischer said.

    Funding projects advanced by Fischer for Nebraska are listed below:

    Growing Nebraska’s Bioeconomy
    Project Description:     Purchase equipment and develop space to design, build, test, model, and validate products that grow Nebraska’s bioeconomy.

    The project will provide resources for a new bio-engineering facility to support applications and solutions in biomedical research, agriculture, and biosecurity. Nebraska’s agriculture leadership uniquely positions the state to lead on these solutions across academia, industry, and government.
    Project Location: University of Nebraska – Lincoln
    Amount: $1,000,0000

    Instrumentation for Advanced Water Research
    Project Description:     Equipment upgrades at the Water Sciences Laboratory and Conservation and Survey Division of the University of Nebraska—Lincoln to support water quality research.

    Groundwater as a drinking water source is increasingly impacted by environmental variables and agricultural production. The Water Sciences Laboratory, Conservation and Survey Division, and College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln provide quantitative methods for a wide variety of persistent and emerging challenges in water quality.
    Project Location: University of Nebraska—Lincoln
    Amount: $1,000,000

    Scientific Instrumentation for Biomedical Research
    Project Description:     Modernize and expand comparative biomedical research training at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK).

    At UNK, experiential learning is a cornerstone of the undergraduate learning experience with each student required to complete a hands-on learning project. A growing number of UNK students are pursuing health care careers. This funding expands and modernizes the current comparative biomedical research infrastructure to meet the demands of training these students.
    Project Location: University of Nebraska—Kearney
    Amount: $3,000,000

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Idaho Wins with One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    $3,600 to $6,400 increase in wages, 35,000 jobs protected

    Washington, D.C.–According to estimates from the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) will raise real wages in Idaho by $3,600 to $6,400 over the next four years. The CEA also finds hundreds of thousands of Idahoans will benefit from the bill’s tax benefits for seniors, no tax on tips and no tax on overtime. The legislation will also protect 35,000 jobs in Idaho that would have been at risk if the Trump tax cuts had expired.

    Idaho wages and take-home pay:

    • OBBB will raise wages in Idaho by an inflation-adjusted range of about $3,600 to $6,400 over the next four years.
    • A typical family with two children in Idaho can expect to see higher take-home pay of about $7,200 to $10,200 with OBBB compared to if it had not passed.
    • 300,000 seniors in Idaho could benefit from tax relief for seniors in the legislation.
    • Around 24 percent of all employees in Idaho regularly work overtime and could benefit from the no tax on overtime.

    Idaho jobs, businesses and housing:

    • OBBB will protect about 35,000 full-time equivalent jobs in Idaho over the next four years, relative to if the Trump tax cuts had expired.
    • 41,000 firms in Idaho could be eligible for the law’s permanent small business deduction, or about 45 percent of all firms.
    • OBBB makes the Opportunity Zone program permanent, which will lead to increased investment in low-income communities across Idaho.

    Read the CEA’s summary HERE on how the OBBB will help Idaho.

    Click HERE to learn more about the Finance Committee provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch, Merkley, Van Hollen, Sanders Denounce Threats to West Bank Communities 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States last week, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in issuing the following statement in response to the Israeli Higher Planning Council’s directive on June 18 to reject all zoning and building permits in Masafer Yatta that are not compliant with Israeli military training needs: 
    “We are deeply alarmed by the Israeli Higher Planning Council’s decision to reject all planning and zoning requests in Masafer Yatta that do not align with the Israeli Defense Force’s training needs. This directive places at least 12 Palestinian villages under the threat of imminent demolition – all while illegal Israeli outposts in the area remain untouched. 
    “For decades, the Israeli government has denied residents of Masafer Yatta building permits, confiscated their agricultural lands, and demolished key infrastructure. Taken as a whole, the Council’s decision as well as the recent announcement of 22 new settlements across the West Bank, rising extremist settler violence, and a petition from cabinet ministers urging Netanyahu to apply Israeli sovereignty and law over the West Bank before the end of the month, advance a broader project of de jure and de facto Israeli annexation aimed at preventing the formation of a future Palestinian state. Forced evictions, demolitions, settler violence, and rapid settlement expansion all exacerbate tensions in an already volatile region and put any peaceful future for Israelis and Palestinians further out of reach. 
    “With the ceasefire between Israel and Iran still tenuous and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza already dire, the Netanyahu government’s continued reckless policy in the West Bank is deeply alarming. The Masafer Yatta directive is part of that trajectory, one that pushes us further from a future Palestinian state living peacefully alongside the state of Israel and toward permanent occupation. 
    “We refuse to look away from the injustice unfolding in Masafer Yatta and the escalating violence in the West Bank at large, which has now claimed the lives of five Palestinian Americans since October 7. To ensure lasting peace and stability in the region, we call on the Israeli government to revoke the Higher Planning Council’s directive, impose an immediate moratorium on all demolitions and evictions, halt further military training exercises in Masafer Yatta, and take immediate action to de-escalate the growing violence in the West Bank.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Increase Access to Affordable Childcare in Maine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is joining legislation to lower childcare costs and address the nationwide shortage of affordable childcare. The Child Care for Working Families Act is comprehensive legislation that would put a cap on childcare costs for working families, address childcare deserts by providing grants to open new facilities, support higher wages for childcare workers, provide comprehensive funding for Head Start to provide full-day, full-year programming, and expand access to pre-K programs.
    Included in the legislation is a provision that would enable the typical family in America to pay less than $15 a day for childcare—with many families paying nothing at all—and no eligible family paying more than 7% of their income on childcare.
    “Affordable and accessible childcare is one of the most pressing needs for working families in Maine and across the nation, and it presents a huge hurdle to mothers and fathers who want to enter the workforce,” said Senator King. “The Child Care for Working Families Act would provide ample resources for communities across the country to support childcare options that are open for the full day and don’t break the bank. When families have access to care, they can succeed as parents and professionals.”
    The average cost of childcare is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In 49 states and the District of Columbia, the average annual costs of child care for two children exceeds median rent—and in 41 states and the District of Columbia, the cost of care for one infant exceeds in-state university tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year. An estimated 18,000 people in Maine are currently out of the labor force due to a lack of child care, while the child care crisis costs Maine nearly $403 million in annual costs.
    More specifically, the Child Care for Working Families Act will:
    Make childcare affordable for working families.
    The typical family earning the state median income will pay less than $15 a day for childcare.
    No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on childcare.
    Families earning below 85% of state median income will pay nothing at all for childcare.
    If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    Improve the quality and supply of childcare for all children and expand families’ childcare options by:
    Addressing childcare deserts by providing grants to help open new childcare providers in underserved communities.
    Providing grants to cover start-up and licensing costs to help establish new providers.
    Increasing childcare options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours.
    Supporting childcare for children who are dual-language learners, children who are experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.
    Support higher wages for childcare workers.
    Childcare workers would be paid a living wage and achieve parity with elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.
    Childcare subsidies would cover the cost of providing high-quality care.
    Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K.
    States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
    States must prioritize establishing and expanding universal local preschool programs within and across high-need communities.
    If a state does not choose to receive funding under this program, the Secretary can provide funds to localities, such as cities, counties, local governments, districts, or Head Start agencies.
    Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.
    In addition to King, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-MN), Corey Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-WI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
    Senator King has long worked to expand access to childcare. He secured millions to improve child care services in the 2022 and 2023 omnibus appropriations bills, and worked to authorize the planning and development of a new child development center at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. He is also the cosponsor of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act, which would permanently expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit that helps households offset their childcare costs. Most recently, he joined bipartisan legislation to lower childcare costs and address the nationwide shortage of affordable childcare. The Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act would provide competitive grants for states to train childcare workers and build or renovate childcare facilities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Capito Celebrates Career, Legacy of Outgoing WVU President Gordon Gee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    [embedded content]

    Click here or on the image above to watch Senator Capito’s remarks.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) delivered a speech on the Senate floor celebrating the career and legacy of West Virginia University’s (WVU) outgoing president Dr. Gordon Gee.

    Dr. Gee, who retired this week, dedicated nearly two decades of his life to the service of West Virginia, where he saw the university through many victories and challenges. Dr. Gee worked tirelessly to make education in West Virginia more accessible and obtainable, partnered with Marshall University president Brad Smith to keep the best and brightest students in West Virginia after graduation, and oversaw the addition of 20 hospitals under the WVU Medicine umbrella.

    Senator Capito’s remarks as prepared for delivery: 

    “Mr. President, 

    “I rise today to honor a dear friend of mine, who has dedicated nearly two decades of his life to the service of our great state of West Virginia, and, to the betterment of our students seeking higher education.

    “The man who has been president of more universities than anyone else in the entire world!

    “Doctor E. Gordon Gee, President of West Virginia University, who retired this week.

    “Dr. Gee, or Gordon as we call him, was fortunate to serve two tenures as President of WVU,

    “First from 1981 to 1985, and again from 2013 to 2025.

    “Where he brought his strong desire for community, and love of education, to our Home Among the Hills in Morgantown.

    “I know I speak for everyone when I say how much we will miss his signature bow tie—I believe he has thousands, his love for athletics and impact within the NCAA—he even offered to suit up for the WVU football team, although he’s quick to admit he isn’t much of an athlete—his infectious energy, and his thoughtful guidance.

    “His legacy will be felt at WVU for generations to come.

    “To understand the impact that Gordon has made on West Virginia, I must expand on what WVU means to our state and people far outside our borders.

    “WVU was established in 1867, initially named the Agricultural College of West Virginia, and became our state’s first public land-grant university.

    “Since then, individuals from across our state, country, and world have become Mountaineers – including many members of my own family.

    “There are a couple things that I must note about WVU:

    “First, Mountaineers are everywhere.

    “There isn’t a town across West Virginia, or an airport across our country, where you won’t see the trademark blue and gold flying WV logo.

    “The Mountaineers serve as a point of pride for our state and bring recognition to the wonderful people, passion, culture, and history that we have in West Virginia.

    “Second, Mountaineers are changing the world.

    “Across WVU’s thirteen colleges and schools, whether it be engineering, agriculture, law, or medicine, Mountaineers are making a difference.

    “WVU is our state’s only institution to hold the title of an R-1 University, the benchmark that recognizes exceptional research capacity.

    “This is a status that WVU received in 2016 under Gordon’s leadership.

    “Gordon’s connection to West Virginia isn’t just a professional one. It’s a personal one too.

    “He chose to return to West Virginia not once, but twice, because he believes in West Virginia, our people, and WVU.

    “When he speaks of his love and passion for our state, it is unmistakenly heartfelt.

    “Gordon believes in the power of education, and that belief has left its mark not only on Morgantown, but across every corner of our great state, and honestly, across our entire nation.

    “When Gordon became President of WVU the first time in 1981, he was only 37 years old.

    “When he returned to Blaney House in 2013, he came back seasoned, with the experience and perspective that WVU needed.

    “Through the foundation of his four pillars—education, health care, prosperity, and purpose—Gordon has guided WVU through times both successful and tumultuous—including through a global pandemic—made education for our children in West Virginia more accessible and obtainable, and moved our state towards one of his principles that West Virginians should not have to leave our state’s borders to receive the health services they deserve.

    “The impact that Gordon has made is apparent in many areas, but particularly noteworthy is the impact he has made through the continued expansion of WVU Medicine.

    “As the Chairman of the WVU Medicine Board of Directors, Gordon oversaw the addition of 20 hospitals under the WVU Medicine umbrella that span across our state,

    “And increased the capacity and research support for WVU’s world class facilities like the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, Cancer Institute, Heart and Vascular Institute, and the new Children’s hospital.

    “As West Virginia’s Senator, I’ve had the privilege to work with the wonderful and incredibly impressive people of WVU Medicine and visit these facilities many times.

    “Let me tell you, they are on the cutting edge of medical advancements that will saves live and change our world.

    “Gordon’s leadership has been a critical part of this success, and it’s fitting that his recently finished portrait will live on the WVU Medicine campus.

    “Although Gordon was born in Utah, he is the first to tell you that he is a ‘born-again’ West Virginian.

    “He has made our state his home, and the effort and energy he puts toward benefiting the lives of his fellow West Virginians is evident.

    “Two of Gordon’s four pillars that I mentioned earlier—purpose and prosperity—relate directly to economic development in our state.

    “Along with Marshall President Brad Smith, Gordon was central to developing the ‘First Ascent’ program in West Virginia,

    “This program connects recent WVU and Marshall graduates with workforce opportunities within our state that launch their professional careers, and keep our best and brightest home, contributing to our communities.

    “The duo also worked together to establish ‘Ascend West Virginia,’ which has been a successful effort to attract remote workers to West Virginia’s mountains, highlighting the wonderful outdoor recreation opportunities our state offers to young professionals and their families.

    “Additionally, Gordon has made it a priority to visit and spend time in all 55 of West Virginia’s counties, showing the excellent work of the WVU Extension services, designed to build prosperity, enhance educational opportunities, improve health, and create purpose in communities across the entirety of our state.

    “While Gordon’s presence as WVU President will be missed, we know that he will continue to make a difference in West Virginia.

    “And, as I said when I started this speech, the legacy he has built will continue to be felt for generations to come.

    “I know that I join Gordon and our state when I say we look forward to leadership and experience that the new WVU president, Michael Benson, brings to Morgantown.

    “In a recent article published by WVU Magazine, I found the advice that Gordon gave to his successor to be wise, true, and eloquent:

    “’If you love the state and its people, they will love you back.’

    “That has certainly been the case for Doctor E. Gordon Gee, and the time he has spent in Morgantown.

    “On a personal note, Charlie and I have been the recipients of emails, texts, and letters from Gordon that have lifted us up in tough times, and in good times as well.

    “I have leaned on Gordon’s counsel as I’ve made difficult decisions, and he has always taken the time to give me thoughtful advice.

    “Both Charlie and I can safely say that our lives have been touched by Gordon, and by the friendship we have fostered with him and Laurie.

    “Here in the U.S. Senate, there are members who may have Gordon on speed-dial, but I am eternally grateful that the West Virginians are the ones who get to claim him!

    “Gordon, I wish you the best in your next chapter, and I hope you enjoy the well-deserved time to now spend with your Laurie, who has made an unbelievable mark on our state and the university alongside you, as well as your daughter Rebekah, and your twin granddaughters that you love so dearly.

    “Thank you for all you have done for West Virginia University— for your leadership, your vision, your heart, and all you’ve done for our state and the people who call it home.

    “With that, I yield the floor.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Cotton to Hegseth: DoD Cannot Allow China to Infiltrate its Critical Infrastructure

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    July 18, 2025

    Chairman Cotton to Hegseth: DoD Cannot Allow China to Infiltrate its Critical Infrastructure 

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, requesting information about Department of Defense contractors that hire Chinese personnel to provide maintenance and services to department systems. This letter follows a report about Microsoft currently employing engineers in China to maintain Department of Defense systems.

    In part, Senator Cotton wrote:

    “The U.S. government recognizes that China’s cyber capabilities pose one of the most aggressive and dangerous threats to the United States, as evidenced by infiltration of our critical infrastructure, telecommunications networks, and supply chains. DoD must guard against all potential threats within its supply chain, including those from subcontractors.”

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

    The Honorable Pete Hegseth
    Secretary of Defense
    U.S. Department of Defense
    1000 Defense Pentagon
    Washington, DC 20301

    Dear Secretary Hegseth:

    I write concerning a report that Microsoft is currently employing engineers in China to maintain Department of Defense (DoD) systems, potentially exposing our nation’s most sensitive data to a foreign adversary.[1]

    Chinese state-sponsored hacking campaigns have long targeted U.S. officials through Microsoft systems. Now Microsoft is allegedly relying on U.S. citizens serving as “digital escorts” to supervise these Chinese engineers’ activities on DoD systems. While this arrangement technically meets the requirement that U.S. citizens handle sensitive data, digital escorts often do not have the technical training or expertise needed to catch malicious code or suspicious behavior.

    The U.S. government recognizes that China’s cyber capabilities pose one of the most aggressive and dangerous threats to the United States, as evidenced by infiltration of our critical infrastructure, telecommunications networks, and supply chains. DoD must guard against all potential threats within its supply chain, including those from subcontractors.

    I respectfully request the following information by July 31, 2025.

    1. A list of DoD contractors that hire Chinese personnel to provide maintenance or other services on DoD systems
    2. A list of subcontractors that hire digital escorts for Microsoft, or any other entity, and their interview and technical assessment process for candidates
    3. The training contractors or subcontractors provide to digital escorts on how to identify suspicious activity
    4. Any recommendations for closing existing loopholes in FedRAMP requirements

    Thank you for your attention to this matter.

    Sincerely,

    Tom Cotton

    United States Senator

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: What They Are Saying About the Modern Worker Empowerment Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott

    Since U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) announced the Modern Worker Empowerment Act as a part of a package focused on giving independent contractors greater flexibility and benefits earlier this month, key national and South Carolina organizations have come out in support of passage of the bill. 

    “For decades, our laws have treated flexible work like a fallback, not a choice. Millions are building careers on their own terms—and they deserve benefits and protections that follow the worker, not the job. This legislation is a necessary step toward a future of work that actually reflects how people work today and creates more certainty for innovative companies looking to harness technology to democratize access to work.

    We commend Senators Scott, Cassidy, and Paul for advancing legislation that acknowledges the dignity of all work and helps create a more inclusive, responsive economy. This is where the future of work is headed—and policy should meet it there.” 

    – Regan Parker, Chief Legal and Public Affairs Officer, ShiftKey

    “Under the previous administration, truck drivers’ freedom came under fire when the Department of Labor published a rule that made it more difficult to operate independently, despite our home state of South Carolina’s clear language in this regard. We applaud Senator Scott for standing up for the rights of trucking entrepreneurs whose livelihoods were put in jeopardy.  His legislation will protect the integrity of our interstate supply chain and ensure that South Carolina truckers who choose to work as independent contractors will be able to continue to run their own small businesses and control their own hours and routes.”

    – Rick Todd, President & CEO, South Carolina Trucking Association 

    “The independent truckers who have spent years or even decades building their own small businesses deserve commonsense regulations that ensure their livelihoods will not be uprooted. Senator Scott has been a champion of the more than 350,000 Americans in trucking who chose this entrepreneurial pathway because of the economic opportunity it creates and the flexibility it provides.  ATA strongly supports his legislation to protect independent truckers, and we will continue to work alongside him and other Members of Congress to defend Americans’ right to earn a living in the manner that they choose.” 

    – Henry Hanscom, SVP of Legislative Affairs, American Trucking Associations 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer Advances $9 Million for Key Nebraska Safety Upgrades

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced more than $9 million for critical Nebraska safety priorities through the Senate Appropriations Committee. The funding was included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Appropriations Act, which now awaits consideration on the Senate Floor.

    “Nebraska’s police officers and first responders work around the clock to keep our communities safe, which is why it’s important they have the tools at their disposal to carry out their duties effectively. I’m proud to champion efforts through the Appropriations Committee to bring federal dollars back to Nebraska to support our law enforcement, upgrade our emergency communication systems, and support child trafficking prevention efforts. I will always support our men and women in blue, and I look forward to seeing these important provisions advance through the legislative process,” Fischer said.

    Funding projects advanced by Fischer for Nebraska are listed below:

    Child Trafficking Prevention Project
    Project Description: Implementing and assessing the Missing and Anti-Trafficking Youth Services Program to protect children from exploitation.
    Project Location: University of Nebraska—Omaha
    Amount: $2,000,000

    Communications Modernization Project
    Project Description: System-wide upgrades for emergency communications.
    Project Location: Otoe County
    Amount: $2,700,000

    Emergency Radio System Improvements
    Project Description: Equipment upgrades for emergency radio communications interoperability.
    Project Location: Thayer County
    Amount: $327,000

    Nebraska Online Child Exploitation Prevention Technology Project
    Project Description: Nebraska State Patrol task force technology upgrades to support investigations for the arrest of child predators.
    Amount: $176,000

    Police Public Safety Equipment
    Project Description: Public safety equipment upgrades for the Omaha Police Department.
    Project Location: City of Omaha
    Amount: $1,000,000

    Sheriff’s Office Equipment & Body-Worn Cameras
    Project Description: Acquisition of equipment, including body-worn cameras, for the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.
    Project Location: Lancaster County
    Amount: $1,200,000

    Sheriff’s Office Technology Systems Upgrades
    Project Description: Equipment and technology upgrades for law enforcement information systems.
    Project Location: Douglas County
    Amount: $639,000

    Southeast Communications 911 Center Equipment Upgrades
    Project Description: Emergency communications equipment upgrades at the Southeast Communications 911 Center.
    Project Location: City of Beatrice
    Amount: $782,000

    Region 26 Communications Center Radio Update
    Project Description: Equipment upgrades to support fire, rescue, and law enforcement emergency communications.
    Project Location: Region 26 Council: Thomas, Blaine, Loup, Garfield, Wheeler, Greeley, Valley, and Sherman Counties
    Amount: $415,000

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Introduces Legislation to Support Recruitment and Retention of Paraeducators in Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Bill Text (PDF)
    Washington (July 17, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, today reintroduced the Preparing and Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act, legislation that would establish higher wages, career pipelines, and professional development opportunities for school paraeducators. More than 1.2 million paraeducators across the country provide classroom management support to teachers, assist students with disabilities, and facilitate individual and small group learning.
    “As the Trump administration continues its relentless attack on education, it is more important than ever that we ensure paraprofessionals receive the support, compensation, and professional development opportunities they deserve,” said Senator Markey. “Instructional assistants, teachers’ aides, special education aides, and other educators keep our schools running and students thriving—often with little recognition and low pay. My PARA Educators Act will invest in these educators what they invest in our students, our communities, and our future.”
    “From special education aides and classroom assistants to English language learning specialists and other support staff, paraeducators are the unsung heroes of our public schools, helping students overcome challenges and reach their potential,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “These hardworking professionals – including thousands of AFSCME members – deserve wages and benefits that match the important contributions they make to teaching and learning every single day. We applaud Senator Markey for sponsoring the PARA Educators Act, which will help more schools – especially in high-need and rural districts – recruit and retain the paraeducators they need to support student success in the classroom and beyond.”
    “Students of every color, background and ZIP code deserve qualified and caring educators who are dedicated and have the resources to uncover the passions and potential of every child. Education Support Professionals are essential to supporting students and ensuing we have strong schools and communities across the country. They play a critical role in the lives of students and help keep our schools running and our students safe, healthy, and ready to learn every day,” said Kimberly Johnson Trinca, Director of Government Relations, National Education Association. “The Preparing and Retaining All Educators (PARA) Act will help schools deal with an educator shortage that has been decades in the making. This bill will help schools across the country recruit and retain diverse, qualified and experienced paraeducators in our schools to support our students. This is more important than ever as the Trump Administration continues to take a wrecking ball to public education and the futures of the 50 million students in rural, suburban, and urban communities across America. NEA is pleased to support this legislation, and we applaud Senator Markey for his continued leadership on issues so important to education support professionals.”
    Low wages and a lack of training and professional development opportunities contribute to high rates of turnover and position vacancies among paraeducators, particularly in high-poverty school districts. The PARA Educators Act would support the recruitment and retention of paraeducators by funding state and school level initiatives to improve wages, working conditions, and professional development and credentialing programs for paraprofessionals working in public schools.
    Specifically, the PARA Educators Act would:
    Establish a grant program within the Department of Education to support state and district efforts to recruit and retain paraprofessionals.
    Prioritize high-need rural and urban areas to ensure grant funding is distributed equitably.
    Provide paraprofessionals with access to high-quality professional development programs that will advance in their careers and benefit their students.
    The bill is cosponsored by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
    The bill is endorsed by the National Education Association, AFT, the Advocacy Institute, CommunicationFIRST, Council for Exceptional Children, National Rural Education Association, National Center for Learning Disabilities, AFSCME, The Arc.
    In April 2025, Senator Markey reintroduced the Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights alongside Rep. Jahanna Hayes (D-CT-05), which would establish livable wages, benefits, and dignified working conditions for paraeducators and other essential school support staff. In February 2025, Senator Markey introduced the No Cuts to Public Schools Act, which would block all federal funding cuts to critical education programs serving students with disabilities, English learners, low-income students, and rural students through fiscal year 2027.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 17th, 2025 Heinrich Leads Legislation to Protect Dreamers’ Data, Prevent DHS from Referring Dreamers to ICE & CBP

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) led the introduction of the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act, legislation to provide a statutory guarantee to current and prospective Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program applicants, also known as Dreamers, that the private information they provide in their applications will not be weaponized against them as the Trump Administration increases information sharing to advance their draconian mass deportation agenda.

    Last month, the Trump Administration gave Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personal data, including immigration status, on millions of Medicaid enrollees and announced it would require some undocumented immigrants to register with DHS. The Administration also finalized an agreement giving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to taxpayer data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, the Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) recently gained access to key immigration databases, including the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s (EOIR) Courts and Appeals System (ECAS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Data Business Intelligence Services, which contains information on noncitizens who have applied for DACA, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Unaccompanied Alien Children portal.

    The Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act will prohibit the DHS Secretary from disclosing information included in an individual’s application for the DACA program to law enforcement agencies, including ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), for any purpose other than the implementation of the DACA program, with limited exceptions.

    “Dreamers in New Mexico and across the country are frontline health care workers, teachers, firefighters, police officers, and scientists. These inspiring young people are Americans in every sense of the word except on paper, and they want nothing more than to be productive members of their communities. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration doesn’t care about any of that and is indiscriminately sharing the private information of Dreamers. We need to ensure that Dreamers’ private information is not weaponized against them and is protected — full stop,” said Heinrich. “That’s why, for years, I’ve championed the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act to safeguard Dreamers’ DACA application information and provide DACA applicants with a sense of security as they continue on their paths to citizenship. I call on Congress to quickly take up and pass my legislation to make sure Dreamers are able to stay in school, keep working and contribute to our economy, and remain in their homes and neighborhoods.”

    Since 2012, more than 825,000 people have received deferred action pursuant to DACA, contributing an estimated $140 billion to the U.S. economy in spending power and paying $40 billion in combined federal, payroll, state, and local taxes.

    In 2021, a federal district court judge paused the DACA program and prevented USCIS from approving any new DACA applications. Since then, USCIS has continued to accept and hold initial applications and more than 100,000 initial DACA applications are currently pending. Earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a decision limiting that 2021 injunction to just Texas, allowing USCIS to begin processing those pending applications from the other 49 states. However, USCIS has not done so, nor have they provided the public with a timeline for when those applications will begin to be processed. And many individuals who could be eligible for DACA fear that applying for the protections afforded by DACA will allow the Trump Administration to weaponize the information they provide against them or their family members.

    The Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act sends a clear message of support to the hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients and prospective applicants. Increased protections for their personal information are essential to make sure that they are not unfairly targeted for immigration enforcement and ensure that they can utilize the DACA program and continue to contribute to our communities in New Mexico and across the country without the fear of retribution.

    Specifically, the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act will:

    • Direct the DHS Secretary to protect the information included in an individual’s application to the DACA program from disclosure to ICE, CBP, and any other law enforcement agency for any purpose other than the implementation of the DACA program;
    • Prohibit the DHS Secretary from referring anyone with deferred enforcement protections pursuant to the DACA program to ICE, CBP, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and any other law enforcement agency; and
    • Provide limited exceptions for when an individual’s application information may be shared with national security and law enforcement agencies, namely:
      • To identify or prevent fraudulent claims;
      • For particularized national security concerns; and
      • For the investigation or prosecution of a felony, provided that the felony in question is not related to the applicant’s immigration status.

    The legislation is led by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D- Hawaii), John Fetterman (D-Penn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Angus King (I-Maine), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).

    A one-page summary of the bill is here.

    The text of the bill is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 07.17.2025 Sens. Cruz and Padilla Lead Coalition to Introduce Bill Promoting Space Research and Exploration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and colleagues introduced the Space Exploration Research Act to promote aeronautical and space research, educate a 21st century space workforce, and enhance U.S. commercial competitiveness in the space and aerospace industries.
    The legislation authorizes the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to lease and lease-back certain property to alleviate roadblocks for the development and use of property adjacent to NASA facilities. The bill also helps Johnson Space Center (JSC) remain as a lead center for training and exploration activities, which will make Texas a hub for job growth in the space and aerospace industry.
    Sen. Cruz said, “This is a pivotal moment and exciting time for space exploration. A strong, strategic partnership between NASA and our thriving commercial space sector has made the U.S. a leader in space. This legislation is a big win for Texas jobs, American innovation, and national security. As China races to dominate the final frontier, the U.S. must stay ahead, which means continuing to promote space research and exploration here at home.”
    Sen. Padilla said, “California’s three NASA centers promote vital scientific research and support groundbreaking space innovations critical to our nation’s competitiveness. Our commonsense, bipartisan legislation would allow NASA centers in California and across the country to take advantage of unused facilities to generate revenue and advance scientific research, education, and training.”
    Joining Sens. Cruz and Padilla were Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
    Sen. Britt said, “Our space program is vitally important to both U.S. national and economic security. I am proud that Alabama and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center are right at the heart of fulfilling President Trump’s mission for space exploration. This commonsense measure will allow us to put unused properties to good use — advancing workforce training, allowing the transfer of aeronautical and space technologies to companies and universities, and ensuring our state remains a leader in space research. I’m proud to stand with Chairman Cruz in introducing this legislation.”
    Sen. Luján said,“New Mexico plays a big role in leading the country in space exploration and innovation. By strengthening partnerships between NASA and our universities, we can give more students in New Mexico the chance to get hands-on experience with space research. That’s why I’m proud to introduce a bill that will make it easier for NASA to team up with public and nonprofit groups, helping grow our space economy and create new opportunities.”
    Sen. Wicker said,“Innovation is critical to expanding America’s space exploration capabilities. NASA centers should have the resources and expertise to grow in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This legislation would enable Mississippi’s Stennis Space Center to maximize underutilized areas at its facilities.”
    BACKGROUND
    In June of 2023, as a part of a strategy to build a nearby hub of human spaceflight expertise, JSC announced a solicitation of proposals from civil and commercial entities for use of 240 acres of land on the western end of the property. The proposals were for the lease of all or a portion of the available undeveloped property.
    Texas A&M submitted a proposal to JSC, and the Texas State Legislature passed House Bill 1, which appropriated funding to the Texas Space Commission and Texas A&M University for the construction of facilities adjacent to JSC for mission training, research, and the curation of astronautical materials. Representatives from JSC and Texas A&M broke ground on the Texas A&M Space Institute at Exploration Park in November 2024.
    JSC has expressed interest in utilizing the capabilities of the Space Institute to supplement its facilities. This proposed legislation codifies the ability of NASA facilities to lease the land to state governments, universities, and non-profits. After the land and facilities are developed by the above parties, this legislation also allows NASA to lease back the facilities for its use.
    The Space Exploration Research Act aims to benefit a multitude of educational institutions, commercial space, and surrounding employers. The legislation enables access to cutting-edge facilities, provides students with hands-on opportunities to solve real-world space problems, and builds up a workforce for the rapidly growing space economy.
    Click here for the full bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: $6.5 Million for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Advanced by Senator Collins in Funding Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced $6.5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending to support the necessary design and reconfiguration work to construct a new security facility at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.? The legislation, which was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today, now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House.

    “Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is the gold standard for repairing, retrofitting, and refueling our nation’s nuclear submarines. Its talented workforce helps maintain our Navy’s fleet and our national security, while the Shipyard’s fire department and first responders work long hours to ensure their safety,” said Senator Collins.? “This new, consolidated facility would help to improve response times, mitigate hazards, and provide the PNSY fire department with an adequate space to work, train, and live. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”??????

    “The members of the Shipyard Professional Fire Fighters, IAFF Local F-123 are incredibly grateful and fully support Senator Collins and her hard work on our behalf to advance funding for a new firehouse,” said Kyle Mosher, President Shipyard Professional Fire Fighters, IAFF Local F-123. “This project is long overdue as our current quarters, though historic, no longer meet the day-to-day needs of a modern fire department. Federal Firefighters work a grueling 72-hour work week and, specifically here at the Shipyard, we work in 48 continuous hour shifts, so the firehouse, like all firefighters, is our home away from home.”

    Constructed in the 1800s, the current facility that houses the PNSY fire department is poorly configured and is at maximum capacity. The Shipyard fire department responds to an average of 2,000 calls a year and assists the surrounding communities. This funding would support the planning and design of a renovated and expanded facility to consolidate the Shipyard’s security, police, NCIS, and fire departments.

    This funding advanced through the Committee’s markup of the FY 2026 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill—an important step that now allows the bill to be considered by the full Senate.

    In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending.? Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $1 billion for hundreds of Maine projects for FY 2022, FY 2023, and FY 2024.? As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.??

    MIL OSI USA News –