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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Response to President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the below statement following President Donald Trump’s Joint Address to Congress tonight. 
    “Nevadans sent me to the U.S. Senate to work with anyone – no matter the political party – to deliver for our state. While I’ve been open to working with President Donald Trump when it’s right for Nevada, he has made it clear that he’s not interested in taking meaningful bipartisan action to lower costs for families,” said Senator Rosen. “Instead, Trump is looking to cut Medicaid to pay for more tax giveaways for billionaires, add new taxes on products from Mexico and Canada, and give Elon Musk unprecedented control over the federal government with no guardrails to prevent conflicts of interest. This is not what Nevadans voted for, and I’ll continue pushing back on actions that hurt our state.”
    Senator Rosen has strongly opposed Republicans’ budget plans that would give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy by cutting programs Nevadans rely on. Earlier this month, Senator Rosen opposed Republicans’ extreme budget resolution that will gut programs like Medicaid and SNAP to pay for more tax cuts for the richest Americans. She also took to the Senate floor to call out Congressional Republicans for this extreme budget plan. Senator Rosen joined her Senate colleagues in urging President Donald Trump to reject Congressional Republicans’ legislative plans to increase the cost of living for Americans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Statement on President Trump’s Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) after attending President Trump’s Address to Congress.
    “President Trump spent tonight’s address repeating falsehoods and attacking our allies without actually offering solutions to lower costs. From raising prices on families to threatening to gut Medicaid, Social Security, and public education funding – Donald Trump is focused on paying for tax breaks for his billionaire friends and seems happy to leave middle-class Americans with the bill. While the President offers empty words, my priority will continue to be delivering for Nevadans and lowering the cost of living.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed: Trump’s Speech Fell Flat Because His Rhetoric Failed to Meet Reality & Economy is Backsliding Under Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s address to Congress:
    “Tonight, the American people heard a lot of hot air from President Trump.  What they didn’t hear was a credible plan to lower prices, help working families, and address middle-class concerns. 
    “President Trump’s speech fell flat because his rhetoric failed to meet reality.  The facts speak for themselves: Trump’s policies are raising costs and weakening America.  He’s laying off air safety and defense workers.  He’s imposing costly tariffs and increasing health care costs by threatening Medicaid and Medicare.  President Trump is undermining confidence in U.S. governance, fueling uncertainty, and stoking inflation.  The economy is backsliding and prices are rising due to Trump’s toxic mismanagement.
    “His misguided actions make it clear he’s prioritizing his fellow billionaires over working Americans.  President Trump is racing to try and jam through a billionaires-first tax cut that will leave everyday Americans behind.
    “You don’t need a fact-checker for all the whoppers he told because people can simply look at their wallets and grocery bills to see Trump sold them a bad bill of goods.  Americans are rightfully frustrated that Donald Trump is breaking promises and giving the working-class a raw deal. 
    “It was incredibly tone deaf to declare ‘the days of being ruled by unelected bureaucrats are over’ and then he went on to spotlight Elon Musk in his guest box.  What Trump and Musk are systematically attempting to do is undermine and politicize institutions and conventions that are foundational to democracy. 
    “Congress must wisely invest in people and infrastructure to effectively serve taxpayers, expand opportunity, and build for the future. 
    “President Trump needs to change course.  Progress is possible.  Not with speeches or gaslighting, but with action, innovation, and a principled commitment to building a stronger, more resilient, competitive, and prosperous United States of America.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Statement on Trump’s Joint Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement after the conclusion of President Trump’s first joint address to Congress of his second White House term:
    “Prices are rising, government services are declining, and Putin is smiling — all as the results of the President’s recent actions with tariff threats, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and Ukraine. Nothing said or claimed tonight changes any of that. I stand ready to work with any of my colleagues from either party — or the administration — to improve conditions for the American people, and defend our national interest.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of Joint Address, Senator Murray Highlights Stories of Former Federal Workers at VA, CFPB, National Park Service, Forest Service Fired Without Cause By Trump—Leaving Everyone Worse Off

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI: Senator Murray statement on why she won’t be attending Trump’s Joint Address
    Murray has been a leading voice raising the alarm on Trump and Musk’s indiscriminate mass firings that are hurting people in Washington state and across the country— holding multiple press calls with WA federal workers, releasing fact sheets, and speaking out at every opportunity
    ***WATCH VIDEO HERE; 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 federal workers in Washington state who worked at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), U.S. Forest Service, and National Park Service before being recently fired—through no fault of their own and with zero justification—as part of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s unprecedented assault on the federal workforce. Joining Senator Murray for the press conference today were: Scott Olson, a disabled veteran in Seattle who previously worked at the VA helping homeless veterans; Jordan Lewis from Seattle, a former landscape architect designing projects for the National Parks Service across Washington state; Ray Beaupre, a former seasonal worker with the U.S. Forest Service in the Methow Valley; and Ambrose Dieringer, an analyst in the supervision division of the CFPB who lives in West Seattle.
    Ahead of President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress, Senator Murray is lifting up the stories of real people in Washington state who are being hurt by Donald Trump’s reckless and illegal moves—from his indiscriminate mass firings across the federal workforce that will undermine services we all rely on and put lives at risk, to his illegal funding freezes that are seriously harming businesses and organizations across Washington state and putting them in financial jeopardy. Senator Murray’s statement on why she won’t be attending the Joint Address tonight is HERE.
    “President Trump is coming here to the Capitol… this evening to give what he is calling the State of the Union. But I expect that he will give his own fantasy version of an update on how he and Elon Musk are running the country. Because it is pretty painfully clear to me… that these two out-of-touch billionaires really have no idea what they are doing… In short, they really have no sense at all of the actual state of our union. Because they have never really taken the time to listen to the people on the frontlines who are serving our communities before they fired them!” Senator Murray said on the press call today. “Elon and Trump may not care about what these workers did; they may not get that it matters—probably because they don’t take commercial flights, or rely on Social Security benefits, or send their kids to public schools, or struggle to get health care, or have to worry about being scammed by predatory lenders. But you know what? Regular people get it. Regular people understand their work has value, it has dignity, and it makes our lives better. And regular people also understand that mass firing people, like the workers we’ll hear from right now, will make their lives worse.”
    “That may not be the narrative Elon Musk and Donald Trump try and spin tonight. But it is the truth, and the people need to hear it,” Murray continued. “I am going to keep doing what I can to lift up federal workers who can share their stories, warn everyone about what is happening, and what it’s going to mean for our country, and push to reverse as much of this damage as possible as fast as possible.”
    “Working at the VA gave me purpose. I understood the struggles veterans faced, whether physical, mental, or emotional. I took pride in being part of something bigger than myself, in continuing to serve even after taking off the uniform,” said Scott Olson, a disabled veteran who served for eight years in the Army, including time in combat, and was diagnosed with cancer twice after serving in Iraq for 15 months. Scott worked at the VA in Seattle in Program Support for VA’s Community Housing Program—helping homeless veterans—before he was suddenly fired without cause last Monday, as part of Trump and Elon Musk’s mass layoffs at VA. “The next chapter in my service led me to working with unhoused Veterans. My role was to serve as the initial contact when they came in looking for help with resources. I supported the social workers ensuring they had the ability to transport Veterans in the community. Limiting roles like mine, means other VA employees will have to take on more and cutting into valuable clinical time directly serving veterans. That’s why it was so devastating when, without warning, without cause, I was terminated. No explanation, no justification just a cold dismissal from a role that meant everything to me. It felt like a betrayal, not just of my dedication but of the values I thought the VA stood for. I had fought through war, through cancer, and through every challenge life had thrown at me only to be cast aside by the very system I had believed in.”
    “The CFPB has been open for less than 14 years, but in that time has returned over $21 billion dollars to harmed consumers in the form of compensation, principal reduction, canceled debts, and other relief. Fo every $1 spent, about $2.85 has been returned to consumers. How is that inefficient?,” said Ambrose Dieringer, an analyst in the supervision division of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) who resides in Seattle. Ambrose and many of his colleagues were suddenly put on administrative leave last month and ordered to cease working after Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought took over as Acting Director of the CFPB, where he is working with Trump and Elon Musk to cripple the nation’s leading agency protecting consumers from financial fraud—raising serious conflict of interest concerns.
    “These recent firings are a disaster for public lands, we are already suffering from years of backlog maintenance and the effects of heavy wildfire damage across the landscape. If we do not act now to save these recreation programs, they will be lost forever along with our beloved trails,” said Ray Beaupre, who was a permanent seasonal volunteer coordinator and trails lead with the U.S. Forest Service in the Methow Valley Ranger District, before being recently laid off without cause by Trump and Musk.
    “In my role with the NPS, I was responsible for planning and implementing critical repair and upgrade projects across national park sites in the Pacific West Region, including Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. My work included renovating campgrounds impacted by wildfires, upgrades to picnic areas and outdoor restroom facilities, implementing trail projects, and much needed visitor center improvements for accessibility,” said Jordan Lewis from Seattle, a former landscape architect with the National Park Service who worked on several important projects across Washington state including: a trail project at San Juan Island National Historical Park to protect endangered Marble Butterfly habitat, a roadway safety project for bicyclists and pedestrians also at San Juan Island National Historic Park, critical upgrades to aging visitor facilities at Ross Lake Overlook and Cascade Pass in North Cascades National Park, and needed accessibility improvements at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site to meet compliance with ADA laws. “On February 14th at 4:50 PM, without warning, I received a generic email terminating me immediately. The letter stated that my skills and abilities did not meet the needs of the Department and that my position was no longer required—despite an exceptional performance review and a backlog of urgent repair projects I was hired to implement. Overnight, my dream job was taken from me and my life has been turned upside down by people I have never met. But beyond my personal loss, these mass firings of probationary employees are already having serious consequences for our national parks. On February 14th, more than 1,000 probationary employees were fired from NPS alone, creating staffing shortages that are now affecting park units nationwide. Our division has been forced to indefinitely suspend several critical projects due to the indiscriminate removal of dedicated NPS employees.”
    Senator Murray has been raising the alarm nonstop about how mass firings at all manner of federal agencies will hurt families, veterans, small businesses, farmers, and so many others in Washington state and across the country. Senator Murray has spoken out on the Senate floor against this administration’s attacks on federal workers and held multiple press conferences to call attention to how Trump and Musk’s mass layoffs are hurting federal workers in Washington state and undermining services for everyone. Earlier this month, she released both a national fact sheet and a Washington state fact sheet detailing what we know about the mass layoffs so far. Senator Murray also sent an open letter to federal workers and a newsletter to her constituents in Washington state outlining her concerns with the administration’s so-called “Fork in the Road” offer.
    Senator Murray has also sent a flurry of recent oversight letters demanding answers about indiscriminate staffing reductions across federal agencies—including letters to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on mass firings across HHS as well as a letter focused specifically on firings at FDA, Energy Secretary Chris Wright on indiscriminate firings at BPA, HUD Secretary Scott Turner on reports of massive staff cuts at HUD, Interior Secretary Doug Burham on National Parks Service staffing cuts, and Acting USDA Secretary Gary Washington on the universal hiring pause for USDA firefighters, among others.
    Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered on today’s press call, are below and video is HERE:
    “Thank you to all of you for joining us today. I think as everybody knows, President Trump is coming here to the Capitol, where I am, this evening, to give what he is calling the State of the Union. But I expect that he will give his own fantasy version of an update on how he and Elon Musk are running the country.
    “Because it is pretty painfully clear to me, from all of the contacts we are getting from around our state and everywhere, that it’s pretty clear that these two out-of-touch billionaires really have no idea what they are doing. They have no idea how painful cuts and mass firings they have gone on with such glee—how that’s hurting our families, and in short, they really have no sense at all of the actual state of our union.
    “Because they have never really taken the time to listen to the people on the frontlines who are serving our communities before they fired them.
    “So on this call, today, I am going to make sure we hear from some real people, real federal workers who were actually doing the work of the American people, and know what the damaging effects have been over the last few weeks.  
    “Because the truth is: the state of the union is that Trump fired forest rangers. The state of the union is that he fired cancer researchers. He fired people who keep Social Security running. And he fired thousands upon thousands of veterans who work to serve all of our communities.
    “And at risk of saying the obvious—that will make our country weaker, it will make life a lot worse for folks back home. It is going to mean less safe conditions, longer lines at our National Parks and forests, places like Mt. Rainer, and North Cascades, and Olympic National Park, and Mount St. Helens. […]
    “It’s going to mean longer wait times to get help with Social Security benefits. It is going to mean clinical trials at the Fred Hutch getting canceled, and promising cures will not happen, they’ll just get tossed in the shredder. It is going to mean slower response to disease outbreaks, and slower recalls of contaminated food. It is going to mean less help for people trying to get health insurance, or find child care. Fewer workers supporting air traffic control that keeps our skies safe at SeaTac.
    “And despite what we might hear from Trump tonight, we know it’s not about saving money. Because we actually saw them fire Bonneville Power Administration workers—they are not paid by taxpayers, they are paid by ratepayers in the Pacific Northwest.
    “We also know this is not about merit, because they mass fired so many people who had recently been promoted for doing a good job!
    “Right here in Washington state, they even fired a NOAA employee of the year—someone who worked on saving orcas, and salmon, and wildlife from oil spills.
    “I don’t know who Trump and Musk think they are fooling, but it doesn’t take a lot of common sense to realize: you don’t make the government work better by giving the richest man in the world a baseball bat and letting him smash it to pieces. This has been just heartbreaking, and infuriating.
    “I have spoken to so many federal workers, public servants—who took so much pride in the work they do to strengthen our country, building our communities, supporting families, helping our neighbors.
    “As you will hear this evening, the work they do is because they care. Because they know it’s important. And that’s why they were federal employees.
    “Elon and Trump may not care about what these workers did; they may not get that it matters—probably because they don’t take commercial flights, or rely on Social Security benefits, or send their kids to public schools, or struggle to get health care, or have to worry about being scammed by predatory lenders.
    “But you know what? Regular people get it. Regular people understand their work has value, it has dignity, and it makes our lives better. And regular people also understand that mass firing people, like the workers we’ll hear from right now, will make their lives worse.
    “That may not be the narrative that Elon Musk and Donald Trump try to spin tonight for everybody. But it’s the truth, and it’s really important that people hear it.
    “And I am going to keep doing what I can to lift up our federal workers, help share their stories, warn people about what’s happening, what it will mean for our communities and our country, and really work hard to reverse the damage that’s happening so fast. 
    “So I really appreciate the workers who are on here tonight to share their personal stories. I know it’s been really traumatic and difficult for all of you, so thank you for coming on this evening.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Reacts to President Trump’s Address to Congress, Ready to Work Together

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    [embedded content]
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) issued the following statement after President Trump’s first address of his second term to a Joint Session of Congress.
    “We have begun securing the border. People attempting to cross the border illegally is way down. We’re sending back criminals who came here illegally and committed a crime. They’re going back to the country from which they came. The Mexican government is finally helping to stop the flow of fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexican border because of President Trump’s pressure,” said Dr. Cassidy. 
    “On the economy, President Trump’s message was one of hope—the American Dream still alive! We will do everything in our power to protect and strengthen it. I am looking forward to continuing to work with President Trump to advance a Pro-America agenda to renew the American Dream,” said Dr. Cassidy. 
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Meets With His Guest, Dr. Sokol, Ahead of President Trump’s Address To Joint Session Of Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    March 04, 2025
    Dr. Sokol, whose medical research on neuroblastoma has been jeopardized by Trump’s funding freeze, is a practicing oncologist and researcher from Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with his guest for President Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress, Dr. Elizabeth Sokol, a practicing oncologist and medical researcher at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.  Dr. Sokol specializes in treating children with neuroblastoma, the leading cause of cancer death for children aged one to five.  Dr. Sokol is in the midst of conducting federally-supported clinical trials that are now being endangered by the Trump Administration’s devastating, and illegal, cuts to funding and resources at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 
    Like Dr. Sokol, many NIH-funded researchers and institutions are facing an uncertain future because of President Trump and Elon Musk’s move to shut off critical research funding.  Illinois universities and hospitals receive approximately $1.2 billion annually in NIH funding—which supports 14,000 jobs in the state and $3.5 billion in economic activity.  Reports indicate that 1,200 NIH employees have been fired so far under President Trump and Musk’s direction—from experienced vaccine researchers and the next generation of scientists, to the Acting Director of the NIH’s Alzheimer’s and dementia program. Further, President Trump and Musk have reportedly ended a popular trainee program that brought 1,600 young scientists just out of college to the NIH’s world-renowned campus in Maryland to help run labs.
    “President Trump and Elon Musk are carrying out an unprecedented and devastating campaign to cut research funding for cancers, ALS, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and infectious disease.  NIH funding is why people are beating cancer, why babies are being spared from preventable illnesses, why HIV is no longer a death sentence, and why progress is being made on neurodegenerative diseases.  There are millions of Americans impacted by these diseases, and any move to slash medical research funding will have long-term consequences for the health of our country,” Durbin said.
    Durbin continued, “These haphazard decisions by President Trump have real, serious repercussions.  Dr. Sokol, a pediatric oncologist and researcher at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, has dedicated more than a decade to the research and treatment of children suffering from neuroblastoma.  Today, her research, which helps kids lead healthier lives after surviving cancer, is in jeopardy because of Donald Trump.”
    Durbin concluded, “Additionally, plans by Congressional Republicans to slash Medicaid funding to pay for tax breaks for billionaires like Elon Musk mean that Lurie’s in Chicago and other children’s hospitals nationwide are facing devastating cuts to their lifesaving treatment for critically ill kids.”
    “It’s an honor to be here representing pediatric researchers from Illinois,” said Dr. Sokol. “ As a physician-scientist at the bedside at one of our nation’s premier children’s research hospitals, I have witnessed firsthand how federally funded research—including the essential indirect costs that support it—has allowed for remarkable breakthroughs that help children faced with devastating diagnoses including childhood cancer. It is critically important to have congressional leaders such as Senator Durbin working hard to protect NIH funding including indirect costs, which are vital for sustaining the scientific and clinical research infrastructure. These costs help researchers translate basic discoveries into new treatments and cures for children, who have their whole lives ahead of them.”
    Photos of the meeting can be found here.
    B-roll for TV stations can be found here.
    Last week, Durbin asked for unanimous consent (UC) to pass a resolution he introduced with U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), as well as 21 other Senators, that would pledge support for NIH.  The resolution simply said that the work of NIH should not be subject to interruption, delay, or funding disruptions in violation of the law, and it reaffirmed that the NIH workforce is essential to sustaining medical progress.  U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) rejected Durbin’s UC request.
    Durbin has long been a strong advocate for robust medical research. His legislation, the American Cures Act, would provide annual budget increases of five percent plus inflation at America’s top four biomedical research agencies: NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense Health Program, and the Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program. Thanks to Durbin’s efforts to increase medical research funding, Congress has provided NIH with a 60 percent funding increase over the past decade.
    Congressional Republicans have proposed deep cuts to Medicaid to fund their budget reconciliation bill, with the House Republican budget resolution calling for $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid.  Cuts of this magnitude would fundamentally alter the Medicaid program, likely reducing coverage or slashing benefits for millions of working families across the United States.  In Illinois, 3.4 million individuals are enrolled in Medicaid, including nearly 1.5 million children.  Further, in Illinois, Medicaid covers nearly half of all births, two-thirds of nursing home residents, the majority of patients with behavioral health needs, and is a lifeline for children’s and rural hospitals. 
    Dr. Elizabeth Sokol’s Bio:
    Dr. Sokol received her medical degree from the University of Illinois School of Medicine in 2007, prior to completing her Pediatrics residency at the University of Chicago/Comer Children’s Hospital. She completed a fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology in 2017 before completing a post-doctoral program in clinical pharmacology and pharmacogenomics in 2018 at University of Chicago. Dr. Sokol subsequently became a member of the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology division at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago in September 2018.
    Dr. Sokol’s research interests involve the study of pediatric patients with neuroblastoma. As a member of the Children’s Oncology Group’s Neuroblastoma Committee, she participates in the development of new therapeutic clinical trials for patients with high-risk disease. She serves as the Children’s Oncology Group Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trial Network site PI, bringing early phase trial opportunities to patients with relapsed or refractory disease. In addition, Dr. Sokol has worked with the Lurie Children’s pharmacogenomic steering committee to increase utilization of pharmacogenomic testing to optimize drug utilization for patients with complex pharmacology needs.
    Dr. Sokol’s clinical focus centers on the treatment of pediatric solid tumor patients, including those with neuroblastoma, sarcomas, rare tumors, renal tumors, liver tumors, and germ cell tumors. Through her work with the Children’s Oncology Group’s Neuroblastoma Committee, she participates in the development of new therapeutic clinical trials for neuroblastoma patients.
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders Delivers Livestreamed Response’ to President Trump’s Congressional Address 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, March 4 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today delivered remarks following President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. Over 91,000 viewers watched in real time on his social media platforms.
    Sanders’ remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below and can be watched here.
    Hello everybody. Thanks for joining.
    As most Americans know, we are living in a pivotal moment in American history – facing unprecedented challenges. How we respond to this moment will impact not only OUR lives, but the lives of our kids and grandchildren and, in terms of climate change, the very health and well-being of our planet.
    As you heard tonight, President Trump has been very effective in creating what I would call a “parallel universe” for his supporters – a set of ideas that either have NO basis in reality or, in the great scheme of things, are nowhere near the most important concerns of the American people.
    And one way that he does that is through the concept of the BIG LIE. Say something that is grossly false, say it over and over again, and have right-wing social media blast it out endless times, until people actually believe it.
    And then, rather than address the real issues facing the American people, we find ourselves wasting endless amounts of time discussing Trump’s absurdities.
    Just a few examples:
    Trump has claimed that the 2020 election was stolen from him and that he won by a landslide. A lie.
    Trump has claimed that the January 6th insurrection was a day of love. A lie.
    Trump has claimed that millions of undocumented people vote in American elections. A lie.
    Trump has claimed that climate change is a hoax originating in China. A lie.
    Trump has claimed that Ukraine started the horrific war with Russia. A lie.
    And tonight, Trump claimed that millions of dead people between the ages of 100 and 360 were collecting Social Security checks. That is an outrageous lie intended to lay the groundwork for cuts to Social Security and dismantling the most successful and popular government program in history.
    Let’s be clear: Well over 99% of Social Security checks are going out to people who earned those checks – 70 million people. Nobody who is 150 years old or 200 years old or 300 years old is receiving Social Security checks.
    And on and on it goes.
    Now, the purpose of all of this lying is not just to push his hateful right-wing ideology. It is not just to try to divide us up. It’s more than that.
    It’s a masterful effort to deflect attention away from the most important issues facing the people of our country, issues that Trump and his billionaire friends do not want to address because it’s not in their financial interests to do so.
    Trump gave his “State of the Union” speech tonight. But that speech had very little to say ABOUT the state of the union – about what is REALLY going on in our country – especially for working families.
    Trump spoke for 90 minutes and he almost completely ignored the issues that are keeping working people up at night – as they worry about how their families are going to survive in these tough times.
    And I’ll tell you exactly WHY Trump had very little to say about the REAL crises facing the working class of this country.
    Think back 6 weeks ago when Trump was inaugurated for his second term as President – just 6 weeks ago. Standing right behind him were the three wealthiest men in the country – Mr. Musk, Mr. Bezos and Mr. Zuckerberg. And standing behind THEM were 13 other billionaires who Trump had nominated to head major government agencies. Many of these same billionaires – including Musk – were there tonight.
    In other words, it is there for all to see. They’re not hiding it. The Trump administration IS a government of the billionaire class, by the billionaire class and for the billionaire class.
    Notwithstanding some of their rhetoric, this is a government that could care less about the working families of this country.
    My friends. We are no longer MOVING TOWARD oligarchy. We are LIVING IN an oligarchy.
    Now, let’s take a moment and try to escape from Trump’s parallel universe. Let’s do something really radical.
    Let’s actually take a hard look at the problems that Americans are facing.
    Today, 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Unlike Trump, I grew up in a family that lived paycheck to paycheck. And I know something about that reality.
    It means that every day millions of Americans worry about how they’re going to pay their rent. Pay for childcare. Pay for a doctor’s visit when they get sick.
    They worry about what happens when their car breaks down and they can’t afford the thousand bucks it costs to get it fixed, and what happens when they can’t get to work because they don’t have a car. They worry about how they can afford to buy healthy food for their children when the price of food is off the charts.
    Funny. I did not hear one word from Trump tonight about the economic reality facing 60% of our people, or the enormous stress that they are living under.
    But that’s not all.
    Today in America, everyone knows that our healthcare system is broken, it is dysfunctional and it is outrageously expensive. We remain the only wealthy nation on earth not to guarantee healthcare for all.
    Mr. President: You really want to Make America Great Again? Then make sure that every American, regardless of income, can go to a doctor or a hospital and not worry about how they’re going to pay the bills.
    President Trump: Health care is a human right. I didn’t hear one word from you about that.
    Nor did I hear you say why we pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs – sometimes 10 times more than the people in other countries – and why one out of four Americans are unable to afford the prescriptions that their doctors prescribe.
    Mr. President: We have nearly 800,000 Americans who are homeless. Over 20 million of our people spend more than 50% of their limited income on housing. We have a major housing crisis in America – everyone knows it. And in your speech tonight, you didn’t even mention it.
    Today in America, we have more income and wealth inequality than we have ever had. The three richest people in America, the folks Trump invited to stand behind him at his inauguration, now own more wealth than the bottom half of our society – 170 million Americans. Did you hear one word from the President on that enormously important issue which gets to the very fabric of our society?
    And here’s something else the President forgot to discuss. Not only is our life expectancy 4 years lower than other wealthy countries, the bottom 50% in this country live, on average, 7 years shorter lives than the top 1%. In other words, being poor or working class in this country is a death sentence. Did you hear any discussion tonight as to why so many of our people are living shorter lives than they should?
    During his speech tonight, Trump did not have one word to say about how we are going to address the planetary crisis of climate change. The last 10 years have been the warmest ever recorded, and extreme weather disturbances and natural disasters have been taking place all over the world – from California to India, across Europe to North Carolina. And yet, not surprisingly, Trump had nothing to say about climate change.
    And let’s be clear. Not only did Trump fail to talk about some of the most important issues facing the working class of America, but “the SOLUTIONS” he proposed would only make a bad situation even worse.
    Yes, I did hear Trump talk tonight about some tax breaks for working families in terms of not taxing tips, not taxing Social Security and not taxing overtime. Fine. But that’s chump change compared to the benefits he’s going to give the 1%, and doesn’t tell the whole story about his tax policies.
    According to a recent study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, if all of Trump’s so-called “America First” policies are enacted, including his tariffs, the bottom 95% of Americans will see their taxes go up, while the richest 5% in our country will see their taxes go down. WAY DOWN.
    Tonight, Trump urged Congress to pass his “big, beautiful” budget.
    Do you know what’s really in it?
    This budget would cut Medicaid by $880 billion. According to one estimate, it means that up to 36 million Americans, including millions of children, would be thrown off the health insurance they have.
    It means that nursing homes that receive two-thirds of their funding from Medicaid would either have to shut down, lay off workers or significantly scale back the services they provide seniors.
    It would be a devastating blow for the 32 million Americans who get their health care at community health centers.
    And, it’s not just Medicaid. Trump’s budget would cut nutrition assistance by at least $230 billion. Can you imagine? The billionaire class, people who can support their families for the next ten generations, people who live in incredible opulence, people who own their own jet planes, private islands and space ships, trying to get tax breaks by taking food out of the mouths of low-income kids. That truly is disgusting.
    What we are seeing is the Robin Hood principle in reverse – taking from the poor and giving to the rich.
    And here is something else Trump has been doing.
    For the past several weeks, he and Elon Musk have been throwing hundreds of thousands of federal employees off their jobs. Now, I know some of you are saying, “That’s too bad, but that’s the federal government, not me.”
    But I want you to think about this: If they can arbitrarily throw federal workers out on the street today, what do you think that Musk and his fellow billionaires will be doing tomorrow when Artificial Intelligence and robotics explode in this country?
    Do you think they’ll give a damn about you and your families? No. You’ll be out on the street as well.
    But it is not only absurd domestic policies that we’ve got to fight.
    For the first time in our 250-year history we have a president who is turning his back on democracy and allying us with authoritarianism. No. We must not abandon the people of Ukraine who were invaded by the Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin. We must always stand for democracy, not dictatorship.
    Let me be very clear. Regardless of where Trump is taking this country, here’s where I think Americans want to go:
    They want us to end a corrupt campaign finance system, which allows a handful of billionaires to buy elections. It is beyond crazy that someone like Elon Musk can contribute over $270 million to help get Trump elected and then gets to run the government.
    It is absurd that any Member of Congress who stands up to Netanyahu’s brutal war in Gaza can expect to be opposed by millions of dollars in campaign contributions from AIPAC.
    They want us to end the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision and move to the public funding of elections. Democracy is supposed to be about one person, one vote – not billionaires buying the political candidates of their choice.
    No. We should not be giving tax breaks to billionaires. We must demand that they pay their fair share of taxes.
    We must raise the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour to a living wage of at least $17 an hour.
    We must make it easier for workers to join trade unions, grow the union movement and prevent corporations from violating labor laws with impunity by passing the PRO Act – legislation I will be introducing tomorrow.
    No, we’re not going to cut Social Security. Quite the contrary, we must expand Social Security benefits and extend its solvency for the next 75 years by scrapping the cap that allows a billionaire to pay the same amount into Social Security as a truck driver.
    Instead of making massive cuts to Medicaid, we must join every other major country on earth in guaranteeing healthcare to all of our people through a Medicare for All, single-payer program.
    We must also take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and reduce prescription drug prices by 50%.
    At a time of a terrible housing crisis in every area of our country, we must build at least 4 million units of low-income and affordable housing, stop corporate landlords from jacking up rent prices and establish a cap on rent.
    In a competitive global economy, we need the best educated workforce in the world. All of our young people must have the ability to get a higher education by making public colleges, trade schools and universities tuition-free and canceling student debt.
    Yes. We can create millions of good-paying jobs by combating climate change and moving our energy system away from fossil fuels and into sustainable energy.
    I heard a lot of talk about freedom tonight. Well, in a free society, we must absolutely guarantee that it is the women of America who control their own bodies, not the local, state or federal governments.
    Now, I know there are a lot of people out there who are feeling angry and frustrated at what’s going on here in Washington, DC. And some of you may feel a bit hopeless.
    So let me say this.
    At this particular moment in history, despair is not an option. Giving up is not acceptable. And none of us have the privilege of hiding under the covers. The stakes are just too high.
    Let us never forget. Real change only occurs when ordinary people stand up against oppression and injustice – and fight back.
    That is the history of the founding of our nation when brave men and women took on the mighty British empire. It is the history of the abolitionist movement, the labor movement, the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, the environmental movement and the gay rights movement.
    Yes, the oligarchs ARE enormously powerful. They have endless amounts of money. They control our economy. They own much of the media. They have enormous influence over our political system.
    But, from the bottom of my heart, I am convinced that they can be beaten.
    If we stand together and not let them divide us up by the color of our skin or where we were born or our religion or sexual orientation; if we bring our people together around an agenda that works for the many and not the few – there is nothing in the world that can stop us.
    We can win. We will win. Let’s go forward together.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Baldwin Releases Statement on President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement after President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress:

    “Tonight, we heard more of the same from the President: pointing fingers and playing politics, not outlining real solutions that help Wisconsin families and businesses. My phones have been ringing off the hook with Wisconsinites who want answers from President Trump – and tonight he did nothing to ease their very real fears about children and seniors having their Medicaid ripped away, veterans losing their jobs, and costs skyrocketing from a trade war. I have always said that I will work with anyone if it means doing right by Wisconsin, but instead of providing real solutions to grow our Made in Wisconsin economy and lower costs, President Trump laid out his plan to sell out working families, veterans, and seniors to pad the pockets of people like Elon Musk.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy reacts to joint address to Congress: “President Trump has given us a blueprint”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today made the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s address to Congress. 
    “President Trump has given us a blueprint. Now, it’s going to be up to Congress to ensure that these changes last. I’m going to do everything within my power to help permanently get rid of this wasteful spending, renew the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, rebuild our military and secure our border for generations to come. 
    “It’s only been six weeks, but the changes in Washington and throughout the country have been breathtaking. For example, arrests at the border have plummeted to the lowest levels in more than five years. 
    “President Trump and his team have also uncovered billions of dollars in wasteful spending—I call it spending porn—including the government’s erroneous payments to deceased people. 
    “In addition to cutting spending and securing the border, President Trump has also replaced hundreds of harmful executive orders from President Biden and issued new ones that will unleash American energy production and support economic growth.
    “I think most Louisianians are thrilled to see some common sense return to Washington, D.C. I’ve said it many times: Common sense is illegal in Washington, D.C., so it’s nice to have some of it for a change.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Statement on President Trump’s Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
    03.04.25
    ***Click for video and audio.***
    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement on President Donald Trump’s Joint Address to Congress:
    “President Trump is hard at work to get our country back on track. After being in office just over a month, the Trump administration has already put in place policies that are stopping the flow of illegal immigration, helping to build U.S. energy dominance and showing that America is back open for business to grow our economy. At the same time, the President has made clear that we need to rebuild our military to keep our nation safe, support our veterans, make government work better and support our small businesses, including our farmers and ranchers.  We look forward to continuing to work with President Trump on these priorities to build a better future for the American people.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Applauds President’s Vision for Restoring Economic Opportunity

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington D.C.–U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement after President Donald Trump’s Joint Address to Congress.
    “Tonight, President Trump detailed his early accomplishments and outlined an ambitious agenda.  In just a few short weeks, this Administration has taken great strides to correct course from the last four years by securing our homeland, re-establishing American strength, unleashing American energy and boldly addressing the size and scope of the federal government in an historically transparent fashion. 
    “Looking forward, one of the President’s top priorities this year–which I share as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee–is to prevent an over-$4 trillion tax hike on American workers and businesses by permanently extending and building on his signature tax bill from 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
    “If President Trump’s tax cuts are not renewed before the end of this year, average American families will be hit with thousands of dollars in tax increases, millions of small business owners will see their tax rates skyrocket, and millions of jobs will be in jeopardy.  Idahoans alone will see their taxes go up by an average of $2,554 in 2026.  Working class Americans have the most on the line, as the majority of the tax cut’s expiration would fall on those making less than $400,000 per year. 
    “The President has been clear: we must permanently extend the Trump Tax Cuts and prevent a massive tax hike on American workers, families and small businesses.
    “Americans across the board benefited from a roaring economy in the wake of President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.  Workers got ahead as household incomes increased and every demographic benefitted from a strong labor market.  The unemployment rate plummeted to the lowest levels in 50 years and the largest wage increases were seen by the lowest-earning workers.  Business investment increased productivity and innovation, bringing companies back home and making the U.S. economy the envy of the world.
    “Extending this current, proven tax policy–and building upon it–is the best way to restore economic prosperity and opportunity for Idaho’s hardworking families, many still struggling to recover from the historic inflation of the last four years.
    “Failure to extend the Trump tax cuts is simply not an option.  I am committed to working with the Administration and congressional leadership to make these tax cuts permanent and provide relief and certainty to families and businesses across America.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Statement on President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the statement below following President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress.

    To view an abbreviated version of Senator Crapo’s remarks, click HERE or the image above.
    “Tonight, President Trump detailed his early accomplishments and outlined an ambitious agenda.  In just a few short weeks, this Administration has taken great strides to correct course from the last four years by securing our homeland, re-establishing American strength, unleashing American energy and boldly addressing the size and scope of the federal government in an historically transparent fashion. 
    “Looking forward, one of the President’s top priorities this year–which I share as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee–is to prevent an over-$4 trillion tax hike on American workers and businesses by permanently extending and building on his signature tax bill from 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
    “If this popular tax law expires at the end of this year, average American families will be hit with thousands of dollars in tax increases, millions of small business owners will see their tax rates skyrocket, and millions of jobs will be in jeopardy.  Idahoans alone will see their taxes go up by an average of $2,554 in 2026.  Working class Americans have the most on the line, as the majority of the tax cut’s expiration would fall on those making less than $400,000 per year. 
    “The President has been clear–we must permanently extend the Trump Tax Cuts and prevent a massive tax hike on American workers, families and small businesses.
    “Americans across the board benefited from a roaring economy in the wake of President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.  Workers got ahead as household incomes increased and every demographic benefitted from a strong labor market.  The unemployment rate plummeted to the lowest levels in 50 years and the largest wage increases were seen by the lowest-earning workers.  Business investment increased productivity and innovation, bringing companies back home and making the U.S. economy the envy of the world.
    “Extending this current, proven tax policy–and building upon it–is the best way to restore economic prosperity and opportunity for Idaho’s hardworking families, many still struggling to recover from the historic inflation of the last four years.
    “Failure to extend the Trump tax cuts is simply not an option.  I am committed to working with the Administration and congressional leadership to make these tax cuts permanent and provide relief and certainty to families and businesses across America.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Cramer Statement on President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress today in his first major address since his inauguration in January. His speech outlined his return to the presidency and his plans to secure the southern border, promote peace and strength abroad, and invest in the American economy.

    U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) released the following statement after the address:

    “Tonight President Trump said it all when proclaiming, “AMERICA IS BACK!” From there he delivered the evidence of accomplishments like securing our southern border, facilitating peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, bringing violent immigrants to justice, relieving us of woke insanity and so much more, all in a few weeks time. Then he cast a vision for a stronger, freer, more prosperous and respected nation. It was inspiring and believable, because it is true. He spoke to the hearts and minds of everyday Americans, and highlighted heroes and grieving families in the audience. All the while Democrats in the Chamber sneered, heckled and booed. They were unable to even stand for parents who lost children and loved ones to violent illegal aliens, a small boy with cancer who wants to be a police officer, a citizen unjustly imprisoned in Russia whose freedom President Trump helped secure, or even a fireman who saved his family from an assassin’s bullet at the Trump Rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, by shielding them with his body, sacrificing his own life. You don’t have to hate America because you hate President Trump, and you don’t have to love Trump because you love America. As for me and my family, we love both.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst on President Trump Renewing the American Dream

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) released the following statement on President Donald J. Trump’s joint address to Congress.
    After President Trump made her Sarah’s Law the law of the land this year, Senator Ernst hosted Scott Root, the father of Sarah Root, a young Iowan who was killed by an illegal immigrant.

    Watch a video message here.
    “After four years of weakness in the White House, President Trump is hard at work renewing the American dream,” said Senator Ernst. “Already, this president has stood up for hardworking taxpayers by putting an end to wasteful spending and making government more efficient. By cutting the red tape and unleashing the potential of our small businesses, farmers, and workers, the Golden Age of America is within reach. He has taken steps to restore peace through strength and protect the lives of our citizens.  President Trump took bold action this year and made my Sarah’s Law the law of the land, proving he will always protect Iowans and all Americans. Under President Trump and Republicans’ bold agenda, the future for every American is brighter.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Massachusetts Congressional Delegation, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu Highlight Impact of Trump’s Harmful Actions on Massachusetts Working Families and Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation and their State of the Union Guests Address the Impacts of the Trump Administration on the Commonwealth

    Washington (March 4, 2025) – Members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, including Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), and Representatives Richard Neal (MA-01), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Stephen Lynch (MA-08), today hosted a press conference with Mayor of Boston Michelle Wu, and Massachusetts community leaders to emphasize the substantial impacts of the Trump administration’s dangerous policies on working families and communities across the Commonwealth. Ahead of the State of the Union Address, the Massachusetts leaders, along with their guests, addressed the current and future impacts of President Trump’s agenda on the economy, health care, environmental protections, education, and immigration. A link to the full press conference can be found HERE.

    “Today, we stood up to say: you cannot bully the Bay State. Two hundred and fifty years ago, it was Massachusetts and Boston who threw off the dictates of a king who harassed and oppressed our residents. We will do it again with this wannabe king,” said Senator Markey. “Trump’s vision is in the rearview mirror, zeroing in on cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, clean air and clean water, health care, education, veterans’ benefits, Social Security, Alzheimer’s research and so much more – all to pay for tax breaks for Elon Musk and his billionaire buddies. Together, this delegation and these leaders are standing up for working families in Boston and across our Commonwealth. Together, we will not agonize – we will organize and fight back for an economy that works for everyone.”

    “Instead of lowering costs for working people, Donald Trump has spent the last six weeks creating a sandstorm of chaos and firing the federal workers who keep our country going. It’s all to distract us from his real agenda: tax handouts for billionaires, paid for on the backs of working people. I’m here to fight back,” said Senator Warren.

    “Elon Musk makes more in a day than the NIH spends on childhood cancer research in a year, but it’s still not enough to satiate his greed” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. “Now, he’s ordering Republicans to defund NIH research and children’s health care — all to funnel the money into his own pockets. Those Republicans might not care about the consequences. But for families like my constituent, Sarah Wroblewski’s, everything is at stake.”

    “I am so proud of the vibrant, diverse communities that call Boston and the Massachusetts 7th home, and I am deeply grateful for my colleagues in the Congressional delegation and the partnership of my friend, Mayor Michelle Wu, whose leadership locally is a national model,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “While the Trump and Republicans use their gavel and bully pulpit to advance their cruel and callous agenda, I’ll continue standing with people like Claire Bergstresser, a remarkable advocate, and my guest to Trump’s speech this evening. Dedicated federal workers like Claire strengthen our communities and our country, and their experiences are a reminder of why we must keep pushing back on the Musk-Trump assault on our democracy.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Statement Following Trump’s Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    03.05.25

    Cantwell Statement Following Trump’s Address to Congress

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released this statement following President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress:

    “President Trump promised to deal with consumer costs and inflation, but we got no ideas tonight on how he’s going to make life more affordable for average Americans. Instead, he’s proposing things that will increase costs. New tariffs, cuts to critical programs like Medicaid and Social Security, and threatening core services like weather forecasting and aviation safety are all bad for our safety and our economy.”

    Earlier today, Sen. Cantwell spoke on the Senate floor, raising concerns about the Trump Administration’s actions in its first 44 days, including slapping tariffs on products that will inflate costs for consumers and hurt Washington’s exports and taking a chainsaw to federal agencies that do critical, lifesaving work. A video of her speech can be viewed HERE; audio is HERE; and a transcript is HERE.

    Sen. Cantwell’s guest at today’s address, Dr. Paul Lange of the University of Washington, is a medical research pioneer, cancer surgeon, and founding director of Seattle’s world-leading Institute for Prostate Cancer Research (IPCR). Our full release on Dr. Lange and his work is below. At a press conference before the address, Dr. Lange stressed how Trump’s cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding will delay cures that could save lives. Video of today’s presser is HERE, audio HERE, transcript HERE, and photos HERE.

    And ICYMI: Sen. Cantwell released a report showing how Medicaid cuts would affect Washingtonians — especially in rural areas.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Statement on President Trump’s Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tonight, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of Senate Republican Leadership, released the below statement following President Donald J. Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress:

    “President Trump’s address was a refreshing change from the previous four years. As expected, he delivered a strong and optimistic vision for our country—one that prioritizes securing our border, unleashing American energy, strengthening our military, and providing much needed tax relief for hardworking families. These are issues that matter to West Virginians, and it is exactly why the majority of voters across our country and in West Virginia overwhelmingly supported the president. I was encouraged by President Trump’s focus on unleashing domestic energy production—particularly in states like West Virginia, where coal, natural gas, and manufacturing play a critical role in powering America.

    “We are off to a strong start already, but I know our brightest days are ahead. I look forward to continuing our work together in Congress and with the Trump administration to ensure the president’s bold agenda becomes a reality. Doing so will allow us to deliver real results and solve real problems for so many in West Virginia and across our great nation.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Statement on President’s Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON––U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) released the following statement after President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress: 

    “The American people voted to take our country in a different direction last November, and the Trump administration and Republican Congress are working to deliver just that – real border security and immigration enforcement, economic policies that lower taxes and incentivize domestic investment, unleashing American energy, and more. The president continues to make a passionate case for his policies to make our nation more prosperous, peaceful and free. Championing our rural communities and the farmers, ranchers and foresters who sustain them remains my top priority as Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and I look forward to working together closely to support their needs and pass a farm bill.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump is Leading with Peace Through Strength

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    President Donald J. Trump will always put the American people first — and through restoring the U.S. military’s mission of lethality and leading with peace through strength in his foreign policy, President Trump is making good on his commitment to restore safety and security around the world.
    President Trump is leading with Peace through Strength.
    President Trump secured the release of six American hostages in Venezuela, two Americans in Afghanistan, an American-Israeli citizen in Hamas captivity, a Pennsylvania teacher in Russian captivity, and an American citizen in Belarus — bringing the total number of American hostages released under President Trump to 11.
    President Trump began negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in pursuit of finally securing peace in Ukraine.
    President Trump made clear to the Ukrainian president that America, which has funded the largest share of Ukraine’s defense, will not be taken advantage of — and the only long-term solution is PEACE.

    President Trump has taken decisive action to eliminate radical Islamic terrorists who threaten American citizens, including a senior ISIS attack planner.
    Since President Trump took office, the U.S. military has carried out strikes that have eliminated 23 radical Islamic jihadists.

    President Trump restored maximum pressure on Iran, “sanctioning an international network for facilitating the shipment of millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the People’s Republic of China.”
    President Trump redesignated the Iran-backed Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
    President Trump banned funding to UNRWA — a United Nations agency that employed hundreds of Hamas and jihadi operatives.
    President Trump imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, which has illegitimately asserted jurisdiction over internal U.S. matters and baselessly targeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
    President Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy to ensure no taxpayer dollars support foreign organizations that perform, or actively promote, abortion in other nations.
    President Trump declared all foreign policy must be conducted under the President’s direction, ensuring career diplomats reflect the foreign policy of the United States at all times.
    President Trump has committed to regaining control of the Panama Canal to combat Chinese influence in the region.
    Bloomberg: CK Hutchison Sells Panama Ports to BlackRock Amid Trump Pressure
    Following a visit from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino agreed to withdraw from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a debt-trap diplomacy scheme the Chinese Communist Party uses to gain influence over developing nations.

    The U.S. rejoined the Geneva Consensus Declaration, which promotes and strengthens opportunities for women and girls around the world, and protects the family as the fundamental unit of society.
    The Department of State ordered embassies worldwide to only fly the American flag — not activist flags.
    President Trump cracked down on anti-Semitism by canceling visas for foreign students who are Hamas sympathizers.
    President Trump initiated a process to build a next-generation missile defense shield over the United States.
    President Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a visit where he proposed a bold vision for securing lasting peace in Gaza.
    Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman described the proposal as “brilliant, historic and the only idea I have heard in 50 years that has a chance of bringing security, peace and prosperity to this troubled region.”

    President Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who announced his intention to “elevate Japan’s investment in the United States to an unprecedented amount of $1 trillion,” import “historic” quantities of LNG from Alaska, and open new auto plants in the U.S.
    President Trump hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who announced that the Kingdom will accept 2,000 sick children from Gaza “as quickly as possible.”
    President Trump hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a visit where they announced new deals between the two countries on immigration, trade, energy, and artificial intelligence.
    President Trump is re-establishing the U.S. military as the strongest, most powerful fighting force in the world.
    The U.S. military is seeing its highest recruitment numbers in modern history.
    The U.S. Army saw its highest recruitment numbers in 15 years following President Trump’s victory.
    The U.S. Navy is on track for its highest recruitment numbers in two decades.
    The U.S. Air Force saw its highest recruitment numbers in 15 years in December, January, and February — while the number of recruits in its Delayed Entry Program is the most in nearly a decade.

    President Trump selected Lt. Gen. Dan ‘Razin’ Caine to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
    Caine’s resumé includes two tours in Iraq, protecting the nation’s capital after 9/11, and serving as a deputy commanding general during President Trump’s successful effort at eliminating ISIS.

    President Trump reinstated, with backpay, U.S. service members who were discharged under the military’s nonsensical COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
    The U.S. Army barred transgender people from enlisting and stopped using taxpayer funds on sex change surgeries for service members.
    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth restored Fort Liberty, North Carolina, to “Fort Bragg,” in honor of a World War II hero, and restored Fort Moore to “Fort Benning” in honor of World War I hero Army Cpl. Fred G. Benning.
    President Trump ordered the immediate dismissal of the Board of Visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard following years of woke ideologies infiltrating U.S. service academies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Honors Jocelyn Nungaray

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    HONORING A GREAT AMERICAN: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order renaming the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge the “Jocelyn Nungaray National Refuge” to forever commemorate the life of twelve-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, who was tragically killed on June 17, 2024.
    Jocelyn Nungaray was brutally murdered in Houston, Texas, and two Venezuelan illegal aliens—both reputedly Tren de Aragua gang members—have been charged with this heinous crime.
    These two men, caught near the border in early 2024, were released into the United States due to the Biden Administration’s immigration policies. Only weeks later, they are alleged to have ended Jocelyn’s life in a senseless act of violence.

    The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge will bear her name as a lasting tribute to her love of animals and passion for finding them homes. 
    THE TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES OF BIDEN’S BORDER CRISIS: The prior administration’s approach to immigration left the nation vulnerable to criminal activity and chaos.
    While Biden was president, the southern border was overrun by cartels, criminal gangs, suspected terrorists, human traffickers, smugglers, and illicit narcotics.
    The Biden Administration’s lenient border policies allowed thousands of illegal aliens to enter the United States daily.
    The Biden Administration admitted that 40% of its catch-and-release migrants totally disappeared.
    Innocent American lives have been taken due to this migrant invasion, with victims like Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray, and Rachel Morin tragically losing their lives because of crimes committed by illegal aliens.
    At one point in 2024, illegal aliens made up 75% of arrests in Midtown Manhattan for crimes like assault, robbery, and domestic violence.
    SEALING THE BORDER: On Day One, President Trump secured the border and launched a comprehensive strategy to restore safety and sovereignty to the United States.
    Apprehensions at the southern border are now at a record low, down 94% from a year ago.
    Would-be illegal border crossers have reportedly “given up” and are returning to their own countries as ICE arrests of illegal immigrants have surged 627%.
    Mexican cartel operatives say they are “genuinely” fearful “for the first time in years” amid the Trump Administration’s crackdown.
    Since returning to office, President Trump has:
    Declared a national emergency at the southern border.
    Deployed additional personnel to the border, including members of the Armed Forces and the National Guard.
    Restarted border wall construction.
    Designated international cartels and other criminal organizations—such as MS-13 and Tren de Aragua—as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
    Suspended the entry of aliens into the U.S.
    Called for enhanced vetting and screening of aliens.
    Required the identification of countries that warrant a partial or full suspension on the admission of nationals.
    Restarted the detention and removal of aliens who are in violation of Federal law.
    Directed the Administration to resume the Migrant Protection Protocols—also known as “Remain in Mexico”—as soon as practicable.
    Ended the use of the CBP One app.
    Terminated all categorical parole programs, such as the “Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans,” that are contrary to President Trump’s immigration agenda.
    Ended automatic citizenship for children of illegal aliens.
    Paused the operation of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).
    Ended catch-and-release policies.
    Revoked the Biden Administration’s disastrous executive actions that essentially opened our southern border.
    Detained the most dangerous illegal criminal aliens in Guantanamo Bay. 
    Ended the taxpayer subsidization of illegal immigration.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Statement on President Trump’s Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    WATCH: Earlier today, Senator Luján’s guest, Katy Anderson, took to a national stage to share the importance of Roadrunner Food Bank’s work and the importance of protecting nutrition programs

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s address to a Joint Session of Congress:

    “President Trump’s address tonight was more of the same: chaos, corruption, and increased costs. The President doubled down on increasing costs for American families while promoting Elon Musk’s efforts to take a wrecking ball to the federal government that serves New Mexicans and the American people. As a result, thousands of hardworking civil servants have lost their jobs. 

    “On the heels of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs against our largest trading partners that could cost Americans up to $2,000 a year, his address focused on redirecting blame rather than outlining a plan to make goods more affordable. Under his administration, costs are rising, inflation is up, and unemployment is climbing.

    “President Trump and Elon Musk are gutting federal programs, indiscriminately firing hardworking federal workers, and weakening our country. I’ve heard from New Mexicans impacted by DOGE in every corner of our state – from those who support our National Labs to the many hardworking veterans fired from their jobs. 

    “Next, President Trump and Elon Musk are preparing to pay for the Republican Tax Scam 2.0 by gutting Medicaid and other essential programs.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine, and Griffith Urge Trump to Grant Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for Southwest Virginia following February Winter Storms

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) wrote a letter to President Trump urging approval of Virginia’s updated request for an expedited Major Disaster Declaration following the February winter storms that caused widespread flooding and damage to Southwest Virginia. The updated request by the Commonwealth of Virginia asks for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance for the counties of Bland, Giles, Lee, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, and Wise. The original request included the counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, and Tazewell.
    Today’s letter of support comes more than two weeks after the Senators and Rep. Griffith originally wrote to President Trump in support of Virginia’s original request for a Major Disaster Declaration, which has not yet been granted.
    “Unfortunately, this storm has resulted in at least four fatalities, caused significant damage to regional infrastructure, left over 203,000 customers without power at its peak, caused over 270 road closures including low water bridges and road washouts, resulted in multiple 9-1-1 center outages,” said the lawmakers. “The towns of Grundy and Hurley (Buchanan County) experienced catastrophic flooding, with the river gauges in these towns spiking historical flood levels. Over 150 swift water rescues, including evacuations, were made. The ability to perform thorough damage assessments has been hampered by access to areas, the safety of damage assessment teams, and stretched local capacity due to ongoing recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene.”
    “Since the initial request for an expedited Major Disaster Declaration, additional impacts have been revealed now that post-storm assessments are taking place,” they continued. “This amended expedited Major Disaster Declaration would ensure the availability of key federal resources to support the Commonwealth’s efforts to guarantee public safety and rapid recovery from the direct and indirect effects of this destructive storm event.” 
    Expedited Major Disaster Declarations are granted for catastrophes of unusual severity and magnitude when field damage assessments are not feasible or may not be necessary to determine the requirement for supplemental federal assistance. The Administration’s approval of a declaration would provide a surge of federal resources and support, allowing Virginia to more quickly respond to and recover from the direct and indirect consequences caused by Hurricane Helene.
    A copy of today’s letter can be found here and below. 
    Dear President Trump:
    We write to express our strong support for Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s amended Major Disaster Declaration request for the Commonwealth of Virginia due to the ongoing impacts of February Winter Storms. An expedited Major Disaster Declaration is necessary due to the widespread flooding and damage to Southwest Virginia, which is still recovering from historic destruction caused by Hurricane Helene last fall. This amended request includes additional localities impacted by recent storms that had preliminary damage assessments delayed due to ongoing response, debris, high water, and snowstorms.
    On February 10, 2025, Governor Youngkin declared a state of emergency in the Commonwealth of Virginia in advance of February Winter Storms. Following widespread impacts throughout Southwest Virginia, Governor Younkin requested an expedited Major Disaster Declaration on February 16, 2025. This request included Individual Assistance and Public Assistance for Buchanan, Dickenson, and Tazewell counties and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program assistance statewide. On February 26, 2025, Governor Youngkin submitted an amended expedited Major Disaster Declaration request for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance that included the following additional localities and counties: Bland, Giles, Lee, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, and Wise.
    As these winter storms and flooding moved inland, over seven inches of rain fell in some areas of Southwest Virginia with significant life-threatening flash flooding across some of Virginia’s most vulnerable and least resourced areas. Unfortunately, this storm has resulted in at least four fatalities, caused significant damage to regional infrastructure, left over 203,000 customers without power at its peak, caused over 270 road closures including low water bridges and road washouts, resulted in multiple 9-1-1 center outages. The towns of Grundy and Hurley (Buchanan County) experienced catastrophic flooding, with the river gauges in these towns spiking historical flood levels. Over 150 swift water rescues, including evacuations, were made. The ability to perform thorough damage assessments has been hampered by access to areas, the safety of damage assessment teams, and stretched local capacity due to ongoing recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. 
    Since the initial request for an expedited Major Disaster Declaration, additional impacts have been revealed now that post-storm assessments are taking place. This amended expedited Major Disaster Declaration would ensure the availability of key federal resources to support the Commonwealth’s efforts to guarantee public safety and rapid recovery from the direct and indirect effects of this destructive storm event. Significant federal assistance is needed in Southwest Virginia to help our constituents who are already recovering from the widespread damage of Hurricane Helene, which was the most significant disaster in the Commonwealth in over a decade. It is important to note this is the fifth major flood in this area in the past five years.
    We thank you for your consideration of Governor Youngkin’s request for an amended expedited Major Disaster Declaration and request you act expeditiously to approve this designation to ensure the Commonwealth has the resources available to support our constituents following this tragic storm event. We look forward to working with you, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other relevant federal agencies to support the Commonwealth of Virginia’s disaster response efforts.
    Sincerely,
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Previews President Donald Trump’s Joint Address to Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) released the following video previewing President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress tonight.
    Senator Marshall anticipates President Trump sharing the remarkable accomplishments his Administration has achieved within his first few months serving in the White House.
    You may click HERE to watch Senator Marshall’s video.
    To download the video, you may click HERE.
    Transcript of Senator Marshall’s remarks:
    “Hi everybody, Senator Roger Marshall here. Big buzz in Washington, DC tonight. At 8 p.m. Kansas time, President Trump will be giving his address to a joint session of Congress.”
    “I expect President Trump to describe promises made, promises kept in his America First agenda. I think President Trump will highlight what he’s already accomplished, that he’s actually secured the border.” 
    “As you may know, illegal crossings are down some 94%, and then President Trump will outline what we’re going to do in the future to continue to secure that border and get fentanyl out of our cities, as well as get rid of all the criminals that have come across the borders illegally.”
    “Then I expect President Trump to talk a little bit about the economy, about jobs and inflation and how we’re going to get interest rates down, and he’s going to talk about doing this through balancing a federal budget, by setting American energy free and rolling back regulations.”
    “I expect President Trump to maybe spend a moment or two talking about DOGE, how he’s trying to make our government more efficient to get rid of fraud, waste, and abuse. And then lastly, maybe he’ll talk a little bit about making America healthy again, what we can do through nutrition, and decreasing the toxins we’re exposed to to make all Americans healthy.”
    “And then maybe… we’ll get some discussion about agriculture – that we’re going to put the ‘Farm’ back in the Farm Bill.”
    “So, looking forward to tonight again, 8 p.m. Kansas time, President Trump from Capitol Hill.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, Cornyn introduce bill to strengthen state department’s Taiwan strategy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) today introduced the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act to require the U.S. Department of State to review and update its policy guidance regarding Taiwan no less than every five years and deliver a report to Congress within 90 days in light of the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape and threats of an invasion by China: 
    “Our commitment to Taiwan must be backed by an approach that evolves with the changing realities in the Indo-Pacific,” said Senator Coons. “The Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act recognizes the importance of United States-Taiwan relations, supports our shared values, and reinforces stability in this critical region, consistent with our longstanding one China policy.” 
    “The threat China poses to the stability of the Indo-Pacific, including our friend and ally Taiwan, is ever-evolving, and our diplomatic guidance must be able to keep up,” said Senator Cornyn. “This legislation would help reinstate a strong Taiwan strategy at the State Department at a time when we need it most.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: After Trump Levels Sweeping Tariffs on Canada and Mexico, Senate GOP Blocks Shaheen Effort to Pass Her Legislation to Protect Granite Staters from Impact and Higher Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    **Shaheen’s bill would have limited impact of Canada and Mexico tariffs on American consumers and businesses**
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a top member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, took to the Senate floor today to call for unanimous consent to pass her legislation—the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act. If Republicans had not blocked passage, Shaheen’s bill would have shielded American consumers and businesses from rising prices and higher taxes caused by President Trump’s tariffs on Canada, New Hampshire’s largest trading partner, and Mexico. Her legislation would keep costs down for imported goods by limiting the authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—which allows a President to immediately place unlimited tariffs after declaring a national emergency—while preserving IEEPA’s use for sanctions and other tools. Click here to watch Shaheen’s remarks in full.  
    Key quotes from Senator Shaheen: 
    “Trump’s tariffs will make everything—from gas to heating to groceries to lumber and more—more expensive for everyday Americans. And I think it bears repeating that tariffs are paid by consumers. They’re paid by Americans, not by other countries. And what the President is doing amounts to a new tax for Americans.” 
    “There are countless other imports that American businesses and families rely on that are going to be hit hard. And these tariffs do nothing to bring down those costs. They do just the opposite. These tariffs could add $1,200 to an average household’s yearly costs – and we won’t have to wait very long for the impact to be felt.” 
    “Businesses plan months, quarters or years in advance. They need to place orders and plot out their growth in order to succeed. How can they plan when they can’t even know whether their costs are going to go up 25% overnight?”
    “[My bill] would stop these tariff taxes on goods and energy coming from Canada and Mexico – and it would give businesses and families more certainty to plan for the future and keep more of their hard-earned dollars in their own pockets.” 
    Full Remarks as Delivered 
    I come to the floor today because I am concerned about President Trump’s actions to, I believe, start a trade war with our top two trading partners, Canada and Mexico. All goods coming from Canada and Mexico. As of midnight last night, I guess midnight today, face a 25% tax. 
    That is all except Canadian energy, which is taxed at 10%. Trump’s tariffs will make everything, from gas to heating to groceries to lumber and more, more expensive for everyday Americans. And I think it bears repeating that tariffs are paid by consumers. They’re paid by Americans, not by other countries. And what the president is doing amounts to a new tax for Americans.  
    For example, heating oil and propane that keeps hundreds of thousands of Granite Staters warm in the winter is going to cost more. We’re going to add about $150 to $250 to the cost of heating homes in New Hampshire. And gas prices are going to go up. In New Hampshire, half of the fuel in our cars and trucks comes from Canada, and U.S. refineries across the Midwest use Canadian oil. The U.S. imports 80% of its potash fertilizer from Canada, and this tariff makes farming and food more expensive. 
    It’s unclear how the American auto industry is going to continue to operate. Ford’s CEO said these tariffs will, and I quote, “blow a hole in the U.S. industry that we have never seen, with up to $12,000 added to the cost of the car.” And this will make lumber and electrical equipment that we need to build housing at a time when housing is already in short supply. It will make them more expensive and harder to find.  
    Those are just a few examples. There are countless other imports that American businesses and families rely on that are going to be hit hard. And these tariffs do nothing to bring down those costs. They do just the opposite. These tariffs could add $1,200 to an average household’s yearly costs. 
    And we won’t have to wait very long for the impact to be felt. It’s already being felt on Wall Street and the stock market. Target’s CEO said this morning that the consumer and I quote, “will likely see price increases over the next couple of days.” And for small businesses, these tariff taxes will be felt by small businesses in all of our states. 
    I was here a month ago today sharing stories from business owners in New Hampshire who weren’t sure how they were going to keep operating if specialized machinery that they can only get from Canada suddenly costs 25% more. And since that time, I’ve heard from even more people in New Hampshire, more small businesses.  
    Last week I heard from a small company in Windham, New Hampshire. It makes allergen free cookies, and they can only get certain ingredients for those cookies from Canada. The CEO built her business, which now employs 30 people, and now she can’t be sure if they’re even going to be able to keep going, let alone keep growing.  
    When I spoke with business representatives across New Hampshire last month, the theme they kept coming back to was uncertainty. 
    As a former small business owner, I know that uncertainty is the most destabilizing aspect of running and growing a business. Yet that’s what this administration keeps creating. Yesterday, we learned that new orders from manufacturers dropped in February for the first time in 22 years. For the first time in 22 years, new orders from manufacturers dropped because companies can’t work with this level of uncertainty. 
    Last Wednesday, the president was talking about Canadian tariffs going into effect April 2nd. The very next morning, he announced 25% tariffs would go into effect today. The whiplash is hard to imagine.  
    I spoke last month about a bus company, C&J Bus Lines in New Hampshire, that was worried about these tariffs and what it would mean for their bottom line. 
    Well, the CEO moved up his delivery date to get three busses in late March before these taxes were set to go into effect. But his costs just went up more than $450,000.  
    Businesses plan months, quarters or years in advance. They need to place orders and plot out their growth in order to succeed. How can they plan when they can’t even know whether their costs are going to go up 25% overnight? 
    How can a developer know if they can start building the housing that New Hampshire desperately needs if their lumber costs 25% more overnight?  
    And how can a family already struggling with high costs continue to pay the rent or put food on the table if their household costs are going to go up $1,200 this year?  
    I want families and businesses to know that the whims of this president are not going to cause them to break the bank on everyday items they need to get by. 
    That’s why I introduced the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act. It’s a simple change, really. It says that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, IEEPA, can no longer be used to place taxes on imports. If the president needs to block some dangerous product, he still can. But if there’s a real threat, we’d want to stop it, not just add a tariff tax. 
    That’s what my bill does. It would stop these tariffs on goods and energy coming from Canada and Mexico, and it would give businesses and families more certainty to plan for the future and to keep their hard-earned dollars in their pockets.  
    So, Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 151 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. 
    Last month, Shaheen introduced the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) to keep costs down for imported goods by limiting the authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—which allows a President to immediately place unlimited tariffs after declaring a national emergency—while preserving IEEPA’s use for sanctions and other tools.   
    The authorities granted to the President through the IEEPA represent the broadest of the possible paths an administration can take to impose sweeping tariffs. The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act clarifies that the IEEPA may not be used to increase costs on American consumers and families by placing tariffs or tariff-rate quotas on imported goods. The legislation would preserve crucial national security tools granted to the President through the IEEPA authority to impose sanctions or to block all imports of goods that are dangerous to national security and would preserve the ability to push back on unfair trade practices of the People’s Republic of China.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Colleagues Demand Trump Reinstate Every Veteran Illegally Fired in Mass Terminations

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined her Senate colleagues in sending a letter calling on President Donald Trump to cease his attack on our nation’s heroes and immediately reinstate all veterans who have been illegally fired in his Administration’s mass terminations of federal employees, with their full back pay and benefits. Veterans make up 30% of the federal workforce, with 640,000 veterans working in federal agencies. The Trump Administration’s mass terminations have already led to the unprecedented firing of an estimated 6,000 veterans.
    “Federal civil service has long been a preferred path for military-affiliated populations, allowing them to continue serving our country while offering competitive wages, benefits, and much-needed stability,” wrote the Senators. “At DoD, where you have announced the imminent firing of 5,400 employees, with plans to cut anywhere from 35,000 to 56,000 in the near future – the percentage of veterans is nearly 50 percent. And at VA, where veterans are able to do work directly impacting their fellow veterans, the percentage of veteran employees is nearly 30 percent. Each and every day, these veterans perform duties vital to the American people, our national security and our way of life.”
    “Your Administration’s actions are damaging the economic security and morale of our military and veteran families, the federal government’s ability to recruit and retain high-quality talent, and ultimately, our national security,” they continued. “We demand that you cease your attacks on our nation’s heroes, who have already given so much in defense of our country, and immediately reinstate those who have been illegally fired with their full back pay and benefits.”
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been a champion for Nevada’s servicemembers and their families. In a previous letter, she demanded the VA provide answers regarding mass employee terminations. She also urged the VA to take immediate action to secure veterans’ personal information provided by VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Secures Nominee Landau’s Promise to Support U.S. Firms Facing Foreign Expropriation Threats

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    “If our friends in Mexico are watching this hearing, they will understand that it is not in their interest if they are looking to renew their free trade agreement with the United States, to have a United States Senator asking a nominee for Deputy Secretary of State about this terrible problem,” said Ambassador Christopher Landau, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and nominee to be Deputy Secretary of State. “The headline should be about great investment opportunities in all of our countries in North America.”

    WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today obtained a commitment from Ambassador Christopher Landau, nominee to be Deputy Secretary of State and former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, that the State Department would strongly support American firms facing foreign expropriation threats in the Western Hemisphere and around the world. Examples of such American firms include Vulcan Materials Company in Mexico and Honduras Próspera in Honduras.

    “You and I have talked specifically about the expropriation of Vulcan Materials,” Hagerty said. “Their quarries, their deep water port, their properties in Mexico. Those aggregates that they mine… are deeply critical to the infrastructure that we actually put in place in places like Florida, Louisiana, because there’s not an aggregate source…What the Mexican government has done is come in and taken this property from Vulcan materials, an Alabama company, an American company—and they have a mine in Quintana Roo—they’ve got this deep water port on the Yucatan Peninsula, and my fear is that that deep water port is going to be for sale to the highest bidder if the Mexican government gets it hand on it. And I can tell you who that highest bidder will be: it will be the CCP [Chinese Communist Party]. Think about having a [CCP-controlled] deep water port that close…to the United States of America.”

    “Could I get your perspective on how U.S. companies abroad, who are facing this type of illegitimate activity, whether it be in Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, how will you expect us to approach this?” Hagerty asked.

    “When I served as ambassador, my number one job was to protect American interests in Mexico, where I was serving as ambassador.” said Ambassador Landau. “If an American company is being threatened or harassed by the local government, it seems to me all our ambassadors have to understand that that is not a favor they are doing the company by standing up for their interests. That is their job as the representatives of our country. We want to support Americans, whether they be businesses or individuals. I am, as you are, extremely concerned about the actions of the Mexican government with respect to the Vulcan Materials plant and the aggregate.”

    “I can certainly commit to you that on day one, if I am confirmed, I will call the Mexican government to address that problem and express our very strong concerns about what has happened to that American investment in Mexico,” Landau continued.  “And I can also say that I would hope that if our friends in Mexico are watching this hearing, they will understand that it is not in their interest if they are looking to renew their free trade agreement with the United States, to have a United States Senator asking a nominee for Deputy Secretary of State about this terrible problem. The headline should be about great investment opportunities in all of our countries in North America. So, it makes me sad for a lot of the Mexicans who I know are trying to increase trade that we wind up stuck on this issue, and I very much hope the Mexican government will be able to resolve that problem even before I take office, if, in fact, I am confirmed.”

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Scott Urge Leadership to Support DOGE, Cut Waste When Funding Government

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and other congressional colleagues in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson (R-LA-4) urging them to oppose any Democrat demands that would undermine President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts to reduce wasteful federal spending. President Trump is making good on his promise to change the broken status quo in Washington that led the nation to a $36 trillion debt crisis and Republicans must work together to ensure the President can continue to deliver on his mandate and Make America Great Again.

    “We stand ready to work with you to ensure that the government remains open in a way that preserves President Trump’s options to root out wasteful government spending and fully continues DOGE’s important work. However, we will not support a government funding package that would be weaponized against President Trump at the very moment he is seeking to make good on the promises he made to the American people. Any attempt to use government funding legislation to dilute the President’s constitutional authority to save taxpayer dollars must be rejected outright,” said the members of Congress.

    Senators Tuberville and Scott were joined by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ted Budd (R-NC), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) in sending the letter.

    U.S. Congressman Andy Harris (R-MD-01) led the effort in the House of Representatives.

    Read full text of the letter here. 

    “Dear Majority Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson:

    President Trump campaigned on a promise to the American people to reduce the size and scope of the federal government, and his resounding victory last November confirms he has been given a mandate by our constituents to make good on that promise. His clear message that taxpayers deserve to know not only how their money is being spent, but also that it is being spent responsibly, resonated with voters. The President has wasted no time in delivering on that promise, working through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to identify and freeze wasteful government spending that is contrary to the best interests of the American people. As Republicans, the task before us is to work with the White House to protect and advance this important work.

    With the March 14th government funding deadline rapidly approaching, we are deeply concerned about recent reports of Democrats’ demands for a government funding agreement that would perpetuate the unsustainable status quo of wasteful spending. Rather than negotiating in good faith to find a solution that keeps the government open, we understand that Democrats are insisting that any government funding deal include policy provisions that would tie the hands of the President and prohibit DOGE from continuing their efforts to promote transparency and accountability in government spending. It has become clear that many Congressional Democrats would prefer a government shutdown rather than even attempt to rein in bloated federal bureaucracies. 

    We stand ready to work with you to ensure that the government remains open in a way that preserves President Trump’s options to root out wasteful government spending and fully continues DOGE’s important work. However, we will not support a government funding package that would be weaponized against President Trump at the very moment he is seeking to make good on the promises he made to the American people. Any attempt to use government funding legislation to dilute the President’s constitutional authority to save taxpayer dollars must be rejected outright.

    A bloated federal bureaucracy and unsupervised, unaccountable federal spending have contributed to the existential fiscal threat our country faces, with a $36 trillion national debt growing because of perennial budget deficits. Our country cannot afford to allow Democrats to frustrate President Trump’s work to rein in government spending and bring needed and long-overdue accountability to Washington. We look forward to working with you to resist these attempts, and ensure that the President can continue to deliver on his mandate.

    Sincerely,”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Speaks with Nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to speak with President Donald J. Trump’s nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Elbridge Colby. During the hearing, Senator Tuberville and Mr. Colby discussed the Trump administration’s plan to counter our foreign adversaries and the importance of selecting locations of military installations based on merit and not politics.

    Read the transcript below or watch the full interaction on YouTube or Rumble.

    ON COUNTERING CHINESE AGGRESSION IN PANAMA CANAL:

    TUBERVILLE: “Good to see you and your family and thank you for wanting to take on this job. It’s going to be very difficult, but we think you can handle it. Mr. Colby, you advocate for a strategy of denial in military and geopolitical context. How does this concept translate to Central and South American places like Panama and the troubling amount of influence that China is starting to have and has had in that area? And by the way, they just announced that one of our major corporations is purchasing both ports at the Panama Canal, which is very good news.”

    MR. COLBY: “Well, thanks very much, Senator. And I think the President’s early initiatives on our hemisphere in places like Panama are very encouraging. I think this is part of an overall strategy, both to secure our own interests directly, secure the territorial integrity of our homeland from unchecked migration and lethal fentanyl flows that are killing hundreds of thousands of Americans. But also, as you said, Senator, to ensure that China does not gain a foothold or beyond a dominant position in critical areas of Latin America, which I think was happening. I think that’s a big part of the strategy now. I think part of that is up to the military, but a lot of it’s part of the other agencies of government, the State Department. I know former ambassador in Mexico, Chris Landau, Ambassador Chris Landau, is going through his hearing downstairs. I believe he’s up for the Deputy Secretary of State. You know, I think that’s a kind of relationship between DOD and State Department where you have a clear picture that we’ve got to have a handle on our hemisphere. We’re pursuing our own strategies and we’re also empowering countries in the hemisphere and in the region to contribute more, you know, through development, through better governance themselves, through alignment with the kind of common-sense approaches that I think that we’re following here. That can result in better outcomes for all of us.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Yeah, I think you’ll find the new administration in Panama is very receptive […] once you get in your position, you’ll find that out. Been down there several times, and they need help as we need more access to the canal. So, thank you for that.”

    ON IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING SPACECOM TO BEST LOCATION:

    TUBERVILLE: “In 2023, President Biden overrode President Trump, the Department of Air Force, and the findings of multiple studies, including an inspector general review and directed that the headquarters of Space Command remain in Colorado instead of moving to its selected location at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. My State. Mr. Colby, if confirmed, you will be the senior DOD official in charge of space policy, […] as well as strategy plans and capabilities for the entire department. Do you agree with me that, as a matter of policy, it is in our nation’s best interest to make basing decisions on merit and not on political agendas?”

    MR. COLBY: “I do, Senator.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Mr. Colby, much of your work is about prioritizing our defense policy towards deterring aggression with China our pacing challenge. What do you make of the progress made over past few years by our adversaries toward integrating with their militaries. I’m talking about since Ukraine, Russia have had their conflict, all the people in the east basically that are running to China. What’s your thought on that?”

    MR. COLBY: “Well, I think it’s really, really disturbing Senator. I think there has been this kind of, think of it as like a counter coalition. China, Russia, Iran, North Korea. China’s kind of the cornerstone of that coalition. It’s by far the largest economy. Their support has made the Russian war effort in Ukraine sustainable. They’re helping the Iranians. The Iranians are helping them. The Russians are helping the North Koreans. So, I think there’s a couple of things to be done about that.

    On the defense side, I think it’s important for us to work with our allies to kind of plug the gaps in our perimeter. A lot of that is getting our forces in a better state of readiness, putting them in the right place, getting our defense industrial base back in a good shape, robust defense funding, and then getting our allies to step up. I think a big part of this is we have some allies—Israel, I’ve mentioned, India, South Korea, Poland— they’re really pulling their weight. You could add Finland up there, is doing a pretty good job. But a lot of the biggest economies in our alliance network really aren’t pulling their weight. They’re starting now. So, I think there’s a real opportunity to capitalize on that because together, we are much wealthier than this counter coalition, but we’ve got to turn that into real military capability.”

    ON BRICS:

    TUBERVILLE: “Your quick thoughts on BRICS.”

    MR. COLBY: “I think, you know, BRICS are sort of a representation of the changing world dynamic. I think Secretary Rubio put it very well. We’re no longer in Charles Krauthammer’s unipolar world. We’re in a world—United States is still, I think, the strongest country out there, but China is the biggest, most powerful rival we face in probably a hundred and fifty years, and other countries are making their decisions. Obviously, the Indians who I think our relationship there is golden going forward, and we should really deepen that. And if confirmed, I would make a big priority of that. They’re part of it, so it’s complicated. But people are going to be moving around talking to, you know, the Saudis are talking to Russians and they’re talking to us. That’s very common. That’s how the world’s going to be. That’s the reality of the world system as it is now, I think.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

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