NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Slams Trump’s Mass Firings of VA Employees, Calls to Reverse Firings and Put Veterans First

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement in response to President Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) firing another 1,400 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees, in addition to the 1,000 employees who were fired earlier this month. Baldwin has heard from impacted employees and Veterans concerned about the quality of their care being diminished. Approximately 30% of the federal workforce are veterans themselves and it is estimated that nearly 6,000 veterans have been fired.
    “Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to make room in the budget for tax breaks for billionaires, paid for by ripping the rug out from our Veterans and forcing the hard-working doctors, nurses, and staff at the VA out the door,” said Senator Baldwin. “It doesn’t get much lower than this. The Department of Veterans Affairs needs to reverse this decision and live up to our responsibility to take care of those who served us.”
    Just before the VA announced the second mass firing, Senator Baldwin and a group of her colleagues called on the VA Secretary Doug Collins to immediately reinstate the more than 1,000 VA employees terminated recently who serve veterans and their families nationwide. The firing includes critical employees combatting veteran suicide working at the Veterans Crisis Line which Senator Baldwin championed in her legislation creating the three-digit 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
    The Trump Administration’s mass terminations of VA employees, which included a substantive number of veterans and military spouses, comes at a time when VA faces critical staffing shortages and increased demand for its services, such as urgently needed mental health care to combat the veteran suicide rate. In addition, many of these terminated employees had exemplary performance records and multiple years of work experience in government service.
    A full version of Baldwin’s letter is available here and below.
    Dear Secretary Collins:  
    Last week, we were outraged by the Administration’s abrupt and indiscriminate termination of tens of thousands of workers across almost every government agency, including more than 1,000 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees. We were further disturbed by the manner in which you publicly celebrated this reprehensible announcement – a clear departure from the assurances provided throughout your confirmation process to never “balance budgets on the back of veterans’ benefits” and to always “put the veteran first.” Not only will this latest action put veterans’ care and benefits at risk, but it further confuses, demoralizes, and threatens a VA workforce we need to fulfill our nation’s sacred promise to our veterans and their families who have already sacrificed so much.
    The more than 1,000 VA employees whose lives and careers you have upended included a substantial number of veterans and military spouses. Many had exemplary performance records. Because probationary employees tend to be younger, many of them represented the next generation of VA employees – talented men and women who chose a long-term career path of serving veterans. VA already invested in recruiting and training these individuals because veterans deserve the very best staff possible. And they all deserved better than to be casually discarded by an Administration that places a greater priority on political loyalty than fitness to serve.
    You have repeatedly claimed these massive, arbitrary staff terminations – done without advance consultation with service-level leadership or advisement from experienced senior leaders trained to manage VA’s health care, benefits, and memorial workforce –– “will not negatively impact VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries.” However, we have heard directly from VA employees and veterans across the country that this is absolutely not the case. In fact, we have been made aware of numerous detrimental developments as a direct result of the actions of this Administration. Openings for new clinics have been delayed because VA cannot hire the necessary staff to open their doors. Service lines at VA hospitals and clinics have been halted. Beds and operating rooms at VA facilities have been suspended. Support lines for caregivers have been reduced. Veterans Crisis Line employees have been fired, and suicide prevention training sessions have been postponed or canceled. And transportation options for disabled veterans, which help ensure veterans can attend regular health care appointments, have been cut back because volunteer drivers are now unable to get credentialed.
    The list of real-life negative impacts of this Administration’s directives is expansive and growing every day. Rather than putting the interests of veterans first, you made your priorities abundantly clear in your statement applauding the mass firings: “At VA, we are focused on saving money.” It’s clear from the slashing of services and benefits this priority is coming directly at the expense of veterans.
    With the best interests of veterans in mind, and to ensure VA is capable of carrying out its sacred obligation of behalf of veterans, we urge you to immediately reinstate all of the employees dismissed in the latest indiscriminate terminations and commit to VA employees and veterans that no additional widespread terminations will occur without advanced notification to Congress, a detailed justification, coordination with service-level leadership, and an appropriate assessment of potential impacts on veterans’ health care and benefits. Congress remains ready to collaborate with you, if you are willing to come to the table and put the needs of our veterans above all else.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy champions bill to make hospital prices clear to patients

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today reintroduced the Hospital Transparency Compliance Enforcement Act to increase penalties for hospitals that hide the true costs of their items and services from patients.
    “It’s unfair for hospitals to keep the costs of their services hidden from patients. My Hospital Transparency Compliance Enforcement Act would make sure that health care providers make their prices publicly available and understandable for Americans seeking care,” said Kennedy.
    The Trump administration’s Hospital Price Transparency Rule, which went into effect in January 2021, requires hospitals to establish and make public a list of the prices that they charge for items and services. Hospitals must also display charges in a consumer-friendly manner. A November 2024 study of 2,000 hospitals found that only 421—or 21%—were fully compliant. 
    Currently, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires non-compliant hospitals with 30 or fewer beds to pay a penalty of $300 per day, those with 31 to 550 beds to pay between $310 and $5,500 per day and those with more than 550 beds to pay $5,500 per day.
    The Hospital Transparency Compliance Enforcement Act would: 
    Double the current government penalties on non-compliant hospitals. Penalties would increase to $600 per day for hospitals with 30 or fewer beds, $620 to $11,000 per day for hospitals with 31 to 550 beds and $11,000 per day for hospitals with more than 550 beds.
    Require all hospitals to comply with the higher penalties within six months of the law’s passage.
    Prohibit hospitals from shielding information on their websites using webpage coding.
    Give non-compliant hospitals 60 days after notice of non-compliance to pay their monetary penalty.
    Require CMS to publish the names of hospitals that have not complied.
    Kennedy first introduced the bill in 2022.
    Text of the Hospital Transparency Compliance Enforcement Act is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate passes Kennedy resolution to repeal Biden admin rule targeting offshore oil and gas production

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

    WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today led the Senate in passing a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval to reverse the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) rule that targeted oil and gas production in the outer continental shelf. Kennedy’s resolution passed with bipartisan support and now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
    Kennedy explained in a speech on the Senate floor that the Biden administration’s rule places an immense burden on small oil and natural gas producers by forcing them to map the ocean floor in search of shipwrecks before they could begin production.
    Key excerpts of the speech are below:
    “We’ve surveyed the entire Gulf of America in the 87 years since we started drilling there. We have surveyed 311,652 square nautical miles—the surface area of Texas and California put together. That’s how we found 4,000 shipwrecks, and it’s cost hundreds of hundreds of millions of dollars. So, we know what’s there.”
    “Well, in Sept. 2024, the Department of Interior—in a midnight regulation in an effort to try to further hurt fossil fuels—passed a new rule, and they said, ‘Look, we know we’ve surveyed the entire Gulf . . . but every time you drill a new well, we want you to survey again.’ Why? I mean, what’s the benefit?”
    . . .
    “So, I’m going to try to kill the regulation today under what—as you know, Mr. President—is called the Congressional Review Act. . . . I realize that common sense, as I’ve said before, is illegal in Washington. This is not a normal place, but I hope folks who still have common sense will vote to get rid of this foolish rule.”
    Background:
    On Sept. 3, 2024, the Biden administration published a rule requiring all new oil and gas leaseholders on the outer continental shelf to submit an archaeological report to the BOEM before drilling or laying pipelines. The rule burdens lessees with conducting costly surveys for marine archaeological resources, such as shipwrecks or “cultural resources.” 
    This rule replaces BOEM’s long-standing policy of requiring oil and gas operators to conduct archaeological surveys only when there was a “reason to believe” that an archaeological resource may be present. 
    The Biden administration admitted that this rule would harm small oil and gas producers most, writing, “100 percent of the increased Gulf of [America] compliance cost . . . would be borne by operators that are small entities.” Small and independent operators account for one-third of all oil production in the Gulf of America.
    On Feb. 4, 2025, Kennedy introduced his CRA joint resolution of disapproval to repeal the rule. This is one of more than 225 harmful regulations that the Biden administration levied against the oil and natural gas industry.
    Watch Kennedy’s full speech here.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray on Government Funding, Republicans’ Plan to Cut Health Care for Kids to Give Tax Breaks to Billionaires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    Murray: “There is simply no way to realize the trillions in cuts they are calling for without kicking kids and families off Medicaid.”
    ***VIDEO HERE***
    Washington, D.C. — Today, at Senate Democrats’ weekly press conference, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke about ongoing government funding talks and Republicans’ budget resolution that will be considered on the House floor tonight, which gives billionaires—like President Trump and Elon Musk—a tax break at the expense of working families’ health care and so many other programs they count on.
    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:
    “On Sunday, the leader of the Republican Party, Elon Musk, tweeted that he thought a government shutdown would be, quote: ‘great.’
    “That’s one totally out-of-touch billionaire who needs a serious reality check. Elon may never depend on receiving benefits on time, but for everyone else, shutdowns are painful and costly.
    “Democrats, however, do not want a shutdown. We are at the table, negotiating in good faith to fund the government.
    “But Republicans are the majority—in the House and in the Senate. If they want our votes, they need to work with us. We are close on topline spending, but we need to know Republicans are willing to work with us to protect Congress’ power of the purse—and I welcome any and all ideas they may have on how we can work together to do just that.
    “That is the absolute bare minimum—and it is frankly not asking a whole lot. Republicans should not be so eager to let Elon Musk cut off cancer research or clean energy jobs in their districts. They should not follow Elon towards a shutdown.
    “Now, even though March 14th is just around the corner, Republicans aren’t really focused on funding the government—and that’s because their number one priority is passing more tax cuts for billionaires.
    “Here in the Senate, last Friday, just before 5 AM, Republicans rammed through their pro-billionaire, anti-middle class budget blueprint.
    “Possibly as soon as tonight in the House, Republicans are planning to do even worse. To pass their massive tax giveaways for billionaires, Republicans are going to defund Medicaid, slash veterans’ benefits, and force kids to go hungry.
    “And I want to be clear: the congressional districts with the highest enrollment for Medicaid in my state are represented by Republicans.
    “There is simply no way to realize the trillions in cuts they are calling for without kicking kids and families off Medicaid. They are cutting health care for the children they represent to cut taxes for billionaires.
    “Hurting kids—making it so a child can’t see a doctor—to give Elon Musk a tax break he doesn’t need? If that’s the path Republicans want to go down, then I am going to make sure everyone knows it.
    “To the American people, now’s the time to tune in to C-SPAN.
    “Now is the time to give your Republican Congressman an earful.
    “Now is the time to text your family group chat.
    “Now is the time to do everything we possibly can to protect health care for our kids and families.
    “Every American should understand their story and their voice will make a difference in this fight. Congress needs to hear you—so my advice is to get loud.
    “I will be using my voice and my vote to make sure kids can see a doctor and to make sure kids don’t go hungry. I’ll be voting no to give billionaires more tax cuts while kicking kids off their health care.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Cornyn, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Ensure Veterans’ Access to High-Quality Mental Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) today introduced the Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act, which would require an independent organization outside of the government to conduct a study to assess the quality of care veterans receive for mental and addiction health treatment from providers within and outside the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
    “Every veteran must receive the care and services they need to address the risk of suicide and addiction,” said Dr. Cassidy. “There is no room for failure.”
    “The brave men and women who served our nation should never be denied access to the high-quality care they deserve,” said Senator Cornyn. “This legislation recognizes the unique mental health challenges our veterans face and aims to improve the VA system by providing an independent evaluation of the quality of life we’re providing for our nation’s bravest.”
    Cassidy and Cornyn were joined by U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Susan Collins (R-ME), Gary Peters (D-MI), John Fetterman (D-PA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) in introducing the bill.
    The VA is home to the nation’s largest integrated health care system that provides comprehensive health services to U.S. military veterans who are enrolled. However, recent estimates indicate that as many as 70% of VA-eligible veterans received their care from external providers. Given the high rate of veteran suicide due to mental and addiction health conditions, a study is needed to better understand if current practices provide our veterans with the best mental and addiction quality of care. 
    The Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act would require an independent and objective organization outside of the VA to conduct a study to:
    Analyze the results of comparable instances of addiction and mental health care between inside and outside providers using objective criteria such as symptom scores and suicide risk; 
    Ascertain to what extent outside providers are using evidence-based practices in the treatment of addiction and mental health issues;
    Identify potential gaps in coordination between internal and external providers in responding to individuals seeking addiction or mental health care;
    Evaluate the availability of coordinated care for veterans who have separate or related conditions which may be impacting their mental health;
    Assess providers’ military cultural competency;
    Gauge the ease and flexibility of sharing medical records with a veteran’s health care team;
    Consider to what extent providers are conducting outcome monitoring throughout a veteran’s treatment to track progress or lack thereof;
    And measure overall patient satisfaction.
    The legislation is supported by the Disabled American Veterans Association, the American Psychological Association, and the Veteran Health Care Policy Initiative.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Applauds Implementation of Social Security Fairness Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) applauded the announcement by the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) that the over 3 million American public servants hurt by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) will immediately begin receiving  Social Security benefit increases and retroactive payments. This follows the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, which fully repeals the two unfair Social Security provisions, WEP and GPO, and was signed into law on January 5, 2024, after Cassidy successfully secured a vote on the Senate floor. Earlier this month, Cassidy urged the SSA to move quickly to implement the new law. 
    “Police officers, teachers, nurses, and other state and local public servants across Louisiana will finally receive the correct Social Security payments,” said Dr. Cassidy. “These folks have waited years for this day. The fight took too long, but let’s focus on the victory.”  
    SSA will begin depositing retroactive payments into bank accounts on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, and complete nearly all retroactive payments by the end of March. Adjustments to ongoing monthly benefits will begin in April.
    Before the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, around 94,000 Louisianans were unfairly penalized by WEP and GPO. WEP was enacted in 1983 and reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government for employment not covered by Social Security. GPO was enacted in 1977 and reduces Social Security spousal benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers whose spouses receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government. 
    Background:
    Cassidy played a pivotal role in getting the Social Security Fairness Act signed into law on January 5, 2025. Cassidy successfully demanded a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act. In July and again in December, Cassidy spoke on the U.S. Senate floor urging Congress to repeal WEP and GPO as part of his “Big Idea” to save, strengthen, and secure America’s retirement system. In June, Cassidy entered a statement into the record urging the repeal of WEP and GPO ahead of the U.S. Senate Finance Subcommittee field hearing on Social Security. 
    Cassidy is a long-time cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act in the Senate, being an original cosponsor since he became a Member of Congress in 2009. He led the introduction of the legislation in the 117th and 116th Congress.
    Cassidy led a bipartisan working group to preserve and protect Social Security. He released the inaugural Bill on the Hill video where he asked Capitol Hill visitors from across the country their thoughts on the looming benefit cuts to Social Security and presented his “Big Idea.”
    Last March, Cassidy grilled U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on President Biden’s plan to address Social Security, to which Secretary Yellen admitted “the president doesn’t have a plan,” to save Social Security.
    Cassidy has discussed the “Big Idea” at a public forum with AARP on the future of Social Security, outlined his Social Security plan in a fireside chat with the Bipartisan Policy Committee, and authored op-eds in the Washington Examiner in July, the Wall Street Journal in March, and State Affairs and Washington Post in May. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Blocks Democrat Attempt to Sabotage Bipartisan Effort to Address Opioid Crisis

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today blocked Democrats’ efforts to undermine his Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act on the Senate floor. The HALT Fentanyl Act, supported by Republican and Democrat lawmakers, makes permanent the class-wide scheduling of deadly fentanyl-related substances, set to expire at the end of March. 
    On Thursday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is planning to vote on the HALT Fentanyl Act. Cassidy led the bill’s introduction on a bipartisan basis with U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Martin Heinrich (D-NM). In an effort to undermine this legislative process, Democrats attempted to ram through a bill earlier today that would only temporarily extend the class-wide scheduling. This would create greater uncertainty for law enforcement who rely on the classification to combat the opioid crisis.  
    “For years, Congress has failed to make the Schedule I classification of fentanyl-related substances permanent. Our law enforcement cannot continue to have this uncertainty,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We must pass the HALT Fentanyl Act as soon as possible to make this classification permanent. Democrat attempts to undermine these bipartisan efforts only embolden the drug cartels exploiting our communities with deadly drugs.” 
    After blocking Democrats legislation, Cassidy asked for a Senate vote on the House companion to the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives this month by a strong bipartisan vote of 312 to 108, with 98 House Democrats voting in favor. Senate Democrats blocked this bipartisan legislation from passing the Senate floor.  
    Click here to watch Cassidy’s full remarks objecting to Democrats’ legislation.       
    See below for the remarks as prepared for delivery. 
    Mr. President,
    For years, Congress has refused to make a definitive, a permanent decision. It has failed to make the Schedule I classification of fentanyl-related substances permanent. Law enforcement needs this permanent change to combat the opioid crisis and go after the criminals flooding our communities with deadly drugs.  
    Congress’ inaction only emboldens China, drug cartels, and other criminals who exploit our communities. That cannot happen. We need a lasting solution. 
    Mr. President, there is no reason to do a temporary extension. We have the bipartisan votes to make the Schedule I classification permanent. 
    This Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee, with the support of Judiciary Chairman Grassley and Senator Heinrich, is marking up the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act. This legislation permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I controlled substances.  
    Let’s be clear, the HALT Fentanyl Act is not controversial. For two consecutive Congresses, it passed the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support. There are enough votes to pass HALT in Judiciary Committee, and on the Senate floor this Congress.  
    My Democrat colleague’s delays that permanency. Schedule I classification will once again be in jeopardy when the next deadline comes around. Our law enforcement cannot continue to have this uncertainty.  
    That is why after my objection, I will ask unanimous consent to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act. This legislation has already passed the House of Representatives and has bipartisan support in the Senate. I hope all my Democrat colleagues join me in supporting this bill. 
    We have a responsibility to provide law enforcement the tools they need to address the scourge of deadly drugs in our communities. Failure to act puts Americans in harm’s way.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Leads SASC Hearing on Stephen Feinberg, Deputy Secretary of Defense Nominee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today chaired a hearing examining the nomination of Mr. Stephen A. Feinberg to be the next Deputy Secretary of Defense.
    In his opening statement, Chairman Wicker discussed the catastrophic national security environment, in which China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are increasingly aligned. He added that Feinberg’s experience in the private sector offers an opportunity to advance an agenda prioritizing speed, accountability, and efficiency at the Department, and that Feinberg would play a key role in refocusing the Department on those values.
    Chairman Wicker also raised his landmark defense policy reports – “21st Century Peace Through Strength” and “Freedom’s Forge” as examples of the kind of work required to reform the Pentagon to restore our military and rebuild our defense industrial base.
    Stephen Feinberg is the CEO of Cerberus Capital Management, one of the nation’s top private equity firms. Feinberg also served as Chairman of President Trump’s Intelligence Oversight Board, as well as Chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board from 2018 to 2021.
    Read Senator Wicker’s opening statement as delivered below.
    I thank our guest for being here. And we are here this morning to consider the nomination of Stephen Feinberg, who’s been nominated to be Deputy Secretary of Defense.
    If confirmed, Mr. Feinberg would join the Department of Defense during the most dangerous security environment since World War II. He would oversee the operations of the Department as it faces an emerging Axis of Aggressors. This dangerous coalition, which is characterized by military cooperation between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, presents a complex and far-reaching set of threats. Make no mistake: our enemies do not want a 21st century defined by peace and prosperity for the American people.
    Mr. Feinberg would be a crucial part of the team task with meeting those threats. Unfortunately, the defense investments we’ve made during the Cold War have long since evaporated. Defense spending is near record lows as a percentage of our gross domestic product, and all aspects of our military forces are now in dire need of repair or replacement.
    Our Navy, once the envy of all seafaring nations, is now too small and too old to meet the growing demands of our combatant commanders. Our nuclear forces used to be the most robust and effective on the planet. Now they are decades older than their intended service lives. Our Air Force continues to shrink. We have yet to figure out how to scale innovative weapons into mass production. We have a $200 billion backlog in basic maintenance that leaves our troops living and working in substandard conditions — $200 billion just dealing with living and working conditions. And I could go on.
    Clearly, there are many things that need fixing at the Department of Defense. Fortunately, Mr. Feinberg has spent his entire career fixing things. I believe he will make a very fine Deputy Secretary of Defense.
    Mr. Feinberg ran a highly successful large organization for three decades, making him eminently qualified to run the Pentagon effectively. He brings extensive experience at the intersection of international economics and national security. Mr. Feinberg is remarkably attuned to the scope and scale of the challenges we face, as well as the opportunities we might exploit. His work on National Defense is significant, and has ranged from Subic Bay acquisition to counter-Huawei efforts, and from spectrum sharing to hypersonic testing.
    Unlike the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy does not often make high-profile policy speeches or travel around the world to engage with allies and adversaries. I do not expect to see much of Mr. Feinberg in the news if he is confirmed. But make no mistake: the Pentagon cannot function without a capable Deputy.
    In many ways, the Deputy runs the day-to-day operations of the department – driving the budget process, managing the principal staff assistance, and ensuring the Secretary of Defense is provided with data-driven and thoughtful options.
    In Mr. Feinberg, President Trump has found a deputy who combines cutting-edge private sector skills with a thorough understanding of U.S. national security interests and the Department of Defense.
    Today, we will hear Mr. Feinberg’s views on issues facing the Department of Defense. I look forward to his thoughts on my proposals. Last year I released a report entitled “21st Century Peace Through Strength.” I hope this can serve as a blueprint to reinvigorate and rebuild our military.
    Additionally, I released a Pentagon reform and innovation plan called “Restoring Freedom’s Forge: American Innovation Unleashed.” I hope it brings much needed reforms and fundamentally changes the way the department does business. We must cut red tape and get better weapons to our troops faster, all while maximizing taxpayer dollars.
    So, I thank Mr. Feinberg and his family and his friends for being here today. I believe he has a lot to offer as the Department of Defense directs its focus to lethality, efficiency, speed, and accountability.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Releases Snapshot Report Showing How Proposed Medicaid Funding Cuts Could Devastate WA Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    02.25.25

    Cantwell Releases Snapshot Report Showing How Proposed Medicaid Funding Cuts Could Devastate WA Health Care

    Central and Eastern Washington at highest risk with Medicaid on chopping block — 70% of children in Central WA’s Congressional District 4 are on Medicaid; rural hospital leaders warn of closings

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, as House Republicans continue to debate whether they will make significant cuts to Medicaid, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released a snapshot report highlighting the impact that slashing Medicaid to fund tax cuts for corporations and the ultra-wealthy would have on Washington state’s health care system — especially in Central and Eastern Washington.

    The snapshot report includes new data on the percentage of Medicaid patients in each of the State of Washington’s U.S. congressional districts, as well as by region. Congressional District 4 (Central Washington) and Congressional District 5 (Eastern Washington) have the highest proportions of adults and total population on Medicaid. Seventy percent of children in District 4 are on Medicaid.

    The report also includes information provided by rural Central and Eastern Washington hospitals, showing how crucial Medicaid funding is for their survival. “We’re struggling to keep our doors open … the only thing left to cut is the hospital itself,” the report quotes Astria Toppenish Hospital Administrator Cathy Bambrick as saying.

    Based on interviews and statements from more than a dozen health organizations statewide, the report details how Medicaid cuts — and the subsequent service cuts by providers — would likely affect all Washingtonians.

    Children:

    47% of WA children are on Medicaid. “Babies could die,” says Dr. Jason Deen, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and pediatric cardiologist at the University of Washington who treats children across Washington state, as children like those he treats could lose access to life-saving specialty care without Medicaid.

    Farmers: 

    Rural hospitals in Central and Eastern Washington would be hardest hit by these cuts. “It is not uncommon for our small family farmers to be on a Medicaid program,” says Garfield County Hospital District CEO Mat Slaybaugh.

    People with chronic conditions:

    Without health care coverage, people with chronic conditions won’t get the consistent care they need. “People are going to be dying in their homes,” says Spokane-area nurse Jessica Grove. 

    Anyone with a medical emergency:

    Medicaid helps people avoid the emergency room; it also funds first responders in our state. Cuts to the program could mean overcrowded ERs and longer wait times for ambulances. “Every Washingtonian should be concerned about any funding cuts that could lead to slower response times in a life-threatening emergency,” says Dennis Lawson, President of the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters. 

    Sen. Cantwell’s snapshot report on Washington state is available HERE. 

    Medicaid is the federal program that insures many low-income adults and children, pregnant people, seniors, and people with disabilities. Washington state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health, ensures that eligible Washingtonians can afford to seek health care and see providers when they need to.  The program also ensures that hospitals — which are required to treat everyone, regardless of their ability to pay — receive reimbursements for the significant number of low-income people they serve. About 1.8 million Washingtonians are enrolled in Apple Health.

    Congressional Republicans are proposing deep cuts to Medicaid through the budget reconciliation process. President Trump has said that he opposes cuts to Medicaid, however he has also said that he supports the House Republican budget plan — which includes cuts to Medicaid. Late last week, Senate Republicans launched the budget resolution process, which would allow them to fold budget cuts and policy changes into a single package for an up-down vote. The House is expected to vote on a competing budget resolution this week, and the two chambers will eventually have to reconcile their plans and finalize the package’s details. 

    During Trump’s first term, he supported — and Sen. Cantwell opposed — an effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act that would have cut Medicaid by $800 billion.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn on Outbound Investment: It’s High Time China is Held Accountable

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) underscored the importance of Congress passing legislation to prohibit investments by American entities in sensitive technologies in China, a priority he has long championed, in order to bolster America’s national security. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

    “At this very moment, American investors—some of these are businesses, some of these are individuals—the investments they’re making are fueling China’s military buildup and modernization by funneling capital into, potentially, dual-use technology and military capabilities that could eventually be used against the United States and our allies.”

    “How can we expect to outcompete or even catch up to Chinese companies if, unbeknownst to us, American dollars are continuing to fuel their rise economically and militarily?”

    “We’re simply not being serious about confronting our greatest strategic adversary if we continue to be blind to the investment of billions of dollars and the very technologies that could be potentially used to kill American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines.”

    “There are reasons for optimism that this year will be the time we get these provisions over the finish line, and we’ve worked hard to work with the House’s version and to work with the Senate version that passed overwhelmingly previously to make sure we marry those up and we establish a bill that enjoys bipartisan and bicameral support.”

    “I’ve been working with everyone from the Speaker of the House to the Chairman of the Select Committee on the CCP, John Moolenaar, to Congressman McCaul, as well as Tim Scott, Chairman of the Banking Committee here in the Senate, and we’ve all made input into a piece of legislation that will finally accomplish what we’ve been working on for these last few years.”

    “It will be a home run for all Americans, who can feel safe that American companies and investors are not helping China not only rebuild its economy, but also its military as well.”

    “The only party that stands to lose from this legislation will be the Chinese Communist Party, and it’s high time that they be held accountable.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey Leads Massachusetts Delegation in Denouncing Trump Administration Move to Strip Unaccompanied Immigrant Infants and Toddlers of Legal Representation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Letter Text (PDF)

    Washington (February 25, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) led the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Representatives Richard Neal (MA-01), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), and Bill Keating (MA-09), in writing to Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., urging the Trump administration to maintain funding for legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children. The administration generated confusion and distress when it issued—and mere days later, rescinded—an order that would jeopardize the safety and welfare of vulnerable minors, including infants and toddlers, by stripping them of critical legal representation. In Massachusetts, several hundred unaccompanied minors stood to lose their lawyers and more than 2,000 children who receive services short of full legal representation faced the loss of assistance. The lawmakers urge the administration to renew the contract that provides immigrant minors the legal help they require.  

    In the letter, the lawmakers write, “For decades, esteemed organizations across the nation have steadfastly provided indispensable legal services, social support, and foster care to these at-risk minors. The recent stop-work order egregiously undermined this longstanding commitment to child welfare and due process. Maintaining and renewing the unaccompanied child legal services program contract is critical for fulfilling our legal obligations and abiding by the foundational principles of justice and compassion that define our nation.”

    The lawmakers request responses by March 11 to questions that include:

    • What was the internal decision-making process that led to the issuance of the February 18 stop-work order? Which officials within the Department of the Interior, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Health and Human Services were involved in reviewing and approving this directive?
    • What specific legal, policy, or budgetary considerations were cited as the rationale for initially terminating legal services for unaccompanied immigrant children? Was a formal impact assessment conducted before this decision was made? If so, please provide a copy? If not, why not?
    • Prior to issuing the stop-work order, were affected organizations, legal service providers, child welfare experts, or other stakeholders consulted about the potential consequences of this decision? If so, please provide documentation of these discussions and any recommendations made. If not, why not?
    • What was the internal decision-making process that led to the rescission of the February 18 stop-work order? Which officials within the Department of the Interior, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Health and Human Services were involved in reviewing and approving this rescission?
    • Has the Department of the Interior or the Department of Health and Human Services developed a position regarding the renewal of the unaccompanied child legal services program contract?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Decries Trump Administration Cuts to National Park Service and Attacks on Massachusetts Economy, Heritage

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Washington (February 25, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and co-author of the Green New Deal resolution, released the following statement today in response to the Trump administration’s staffing cuts and funding cut-offs for the National Park Service (NPS).

    The Trump administration’s hiring freeze, combined with a five-percent NPS staffing cut, has already affected parks, public lands and historical sites both nationwide and across the Commonwealth. More than 1,000 permanent NPS employees were reportedly fired last week, along with 3,000 U.S. Forest Service workers.

    In Massachusetts, heritage areas, museums and historical sites, watersheds, and stewardship councils have all been affected by funding freezes and upheaval driven by the Trump administration’s executive orders and unlawful attacks on congressionally appropriated funding. Last year, Massachusetts ranked 11th in the country with $1.3 billion in economic contributions from national park visitors, with $863 million in direct visitor spending. Senator Markey voted on February 20, 2025 in favor of an amendment to the Republicans’ budget resolution that would support the reinstatement of NPS and federal employees working on conservation, management, and recreation; however, this amendment was voted down by Republicans by a vote of 48-52.

    “At a time when our parks and historical sites should be getting ready to meet the high-season influx of visitors, President Trump, his billionaire-in-chief Elon Musk, and the unelected, unwanted, and unqualified DOGE minions are instead targeting both National Park Service staff and funding. 

    Without NPS staff, visitor centers will be closed during the height of the tourism season, restrooms will be left dirty, and tours will be left unfinished. Not only is this bad for park visitors, it’s bad for everyone who wants to celebrate and learn about our nation’s past and future as we near our 250th anniversary. Our Commonwealth was the site of key events during the founding of our nation — but these cultural cornerstones will not be ready for additional visitors without sufficient staffing. 

    The unconstitutional cut-off of grant programs for our parks, waterways, and public lands is wreaking havoc, causing chaos, and needs to be fully reversed. According to the National Park Service and its partners, this uncertainty means that restoration work is costing more, investments are being stranded, trails aren’t getting maintained, and too many small organizations and partners are left in the lurch. For example, the Forest Legacy Program is a popular and cost-effective program to conserve private, working forest resources—but the Trump administration’s chaos means that partners on the ground are paused and waiting to see if their work can continue.

    Outdoor recreation is a $1.2-trillion business sector where public-private partnerships create an outsized return on investment and boost local economies—every federal dollar invested in NPS generates fifteen dollars of economic activity—so there is nothing effective nor efficient about attacking our parks. Neither the staff cuts, nor the illegal funding freezes can stand, which is why I am fighting in DC to protect the National Park Service workers and programs tirelessly working to provide all Americans with spaces in which to learn about our history and enjoy our outdoors.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch: “DOGE is pretty dumb, and pretty cruel, and pretty destructive the way it’s operating under Elon Musk.” 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) tonight took to the Senate floor to speak on President Trump and Elon Musk’s unconstitutional actions to dismantle federal institutions and called on Congress to protect federal agencies, programs, services, and employees that play an indispensable role in the lives of working Americans. 
    In his remarks, Senator Welch highlighted how the so-called ‘Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) actions to dismantle the federal government have cost jobs and undercut federal programs in Vermont, including at Vermont’s Small Business Administration, for Vermont organizations that receive funding from USAID, and at the USDA office that helps towns recover from natural disasters like Vermont’s floods. 
    “We should all be outraged at the cruelty with which DOGE is operating. It’s cruel to the institutions that are important for each of our states and it’s cruel to the people who have been doing this work in good faith for so long,” said Senator Welch. “We’ve got to speak up and acknowledge that DOGE is destructive. We can embrace the effort to address waste, fraud and abuse. We can embrace the opportunity to streamline and save money, make things work better. But we can never abandon our commitment to the people of this country who work so hard.” 
    Watch Senator Welch’s speech below: 
    Read key excerpts from the Senator’s remarks: 
    “So, my first question with DOGE is why don’t you look where the money is, where the rip-offs are, instead of just sending out emails overnight telling people they’re fired, whose performance has been absolutely exemplary?” 
    “This is a situation that obviously is incredibly cruel. You’re working at the Department of Agriculture, you’re working at the NIH, you’re working on an USAID program, and life is going on and suddenly you get this email out of the blue—that it clearly is a mass email—but has a very specific impact on you, your life, your livelihood, and your hopes and dreams. I mean, that is just a savage, savage way to treat people who have been working in our various governmental agencies, and it has enormous impact on our communities.”  
    “This isn’t just about Elon Musk being a multibillionaire. No matter what happens it’s not going to really affect him. It’s about Elon Musk treating people with what I think is the utmost cruelty…Such disrespect for people who work hard at the VA, work hard in the NIH, work hard in the Department of Agriculture, work hard in the Department of Treasury. So, that element of this, we should all be shocked at.” 
    ■■■ 
    “The verdict is in—[DOGE] has been a colossal failure. It’s done immense damage to many of our institutions and inflicted immense pain on innocent people. Also, it’s not going to be successful in its stated goal of ‘reducing spending and wasteful spending’…But here’s my problem with DOGE: They’re not looking in the right places.” 
    “We have work to do on saving money, and we have places where it’s absolutely essential we act. DOGE is blind to all of those, all of those situations. And that’s disgraceful.” 
    ■■■ 
    Learn more about Senator Welch’s work by visiting his website or by following him on social media. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Cotton Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Outdoor Sporting Events from Unauthorized Drones

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced the Disabling Flight Entry and Neutralizing Suspect Equipment (DEFENSE) Act to protect outdoor sporting events from unauthorized drones. This bipartisan bill will enhance security at major outdoor gatherings and sporting events by ensuring that state and local law enforcement have the authority and tools necessary to protect these events from aerial threats in real-time, rather than waiting for federal intervention. This bill is endorsed by the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, the NCAA, and the SEC.
    “Major events — including sports and live entertainment — play a significant role in supporting our economy in Las Vegas and across the country, and we need to ensure they are safe,” said Senator Rosen. “Our bipartisan bill would enable state and local law enforcement to better mitigate threats posed by drones to the security of these high attendance events.”
    “Stadiums and spectators at large events are vulnerable to unauthorized drone activity, which puts both public safety and national security at risk. Our bill empowers local authorities to safeguard large public gatherings from aerial threats,” said Senator Cotton.
    “The NFL thanks Senators Cotton and Rosen for introducing the DEFENSE Act.  As the threat of illicit drone use continues to rise, it is critical that our partners in local law enforcement have the tools and resources they need to keep fans safe.  The league strongly supports this legislation, which will help keep fans safe at major sporting events across the country,” said Cathy Lanier, Chief Security Officer, NFL.
    “Major League Baseball applauds Senators Tom Cotton and Jacky Rosen for introducing the Disabling Enemy Flight Entry and Neutralizing Suspect Equipment (DEFENSE) Act”, said David Thomas, Major League Baseball Senior Vice President of Security and Ballpark Operations. “For several years, MLB has urged Congress to address the growing and unmitigated threat which unauthorized unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones) pose to major sporting venues. The Cotton-Rosen legislation would enable the employment of counter-drone technology by well-trained state and local law enforcement to protect our stadiums and sporting venues nationwide. If enacted, this legislation would dramatically increase the security of our stadiums and the safety of the 70,000,000 fans who attend our games annually. We look forward to working with Senator Cotton, Senator Rosen and other members of Congress to advance this critical piece of legislation for the benefit of our fans, players, and employees.”
    “In introducing the DEFENSE Act, NASCAR recognizes Senator Cotton and Senator Rosen for addressing a crucial issue related to event security,” said Allen Taylor, Managing Director, Security, NASCAR. “Giving qualified law enforcement partners at the state and local level the resources necessary to mitigate drone related threats is essential to helping keep events and communities across the country safe.”
    “The NCAA supports this legislation and thanks Senator Cotton and Senator Rosen for their leadership on this issue.  For several years, the NCAA has expressed concern for the threat that unauthorized drones pose at NCAA championships and college sporting events. The safety of the competitors, fans, and staff that work at NCAA events is our top priority,” said Tim Buckley, Senior Vice President of External Affairs, NCAA.
    “The safety of our teams and fans is a key priority at athletics events. The SEC commends the bipartisan leadership of Senator Tom Cotton and Senator Jacky Rosen for introducing this important legislation that is intended to provide public safety officials on campuses and in the communities they serve with enhanced measures to address unauthorized drone usage,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey.
    Senator Rosen has been working to support Nevada’s law enforcement community and ensure it has the resources needed to fight crime effectively and safely. She has also been a leader in supporting Nevada’s tourism economy, including its major events.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Highlights Threats to Election Security, Campaign Finance in First Business Meeting as Rules Committee Ranking Member

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla Highlights Threats to Election Security, Campaign Finance in First Business Meeting as Rules Committee Ranking Member

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined his first business meeting as Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, where he highlighted the importance of free and fair elections, campaign finance reform, and Capitol security. The meeting focused on the committee funding resolution and committee rules for the 119th Congress.

    In his remarks, Senator Padilla emphasized that he will continue working to protect the right to vote, secure our elections, safeguard election workers, and push for essential funding to state and local governments for election administration. He called out the Trump Administration for decimating critical election security efforts by disbanding the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s foreign election interference task force, removing election security specialists at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and deploying President Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to the agency.

    Senator Padilla, California’s former Secretary of State, also underscored Americans’ strong support for curbing the massive influx of dark money and corporate spending in politics, calling the Citizens United decision a “complete disaster.” He blasted President Trump for his recent illegal firing of the Federal Elections Commission Chair and his executive order claiming to bring independent regulatory agencies under the control of the executive branch.

    Last week, Senator Padilla and Representative Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.-25) pressed senior officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for answers after reports indicated employees who previously worked on election misinformation and disinformation issues were placed on administrative leave. Padilla denounced the illegal firing of FEC Chair Ellen Weintraub and led 10 Democratic Senators to demand President Trump rescind this decision.

    Padilla’s full remarks, as prepared for delivery, are available here and below:

    Thank you, Chairman McConnell. I look forward to working with you and all the Members of the Rules Committee in this new role as Ranking Member. 

    I also want to thank Senators Klobuchar and Fischer for their leadership last Congress — including making key security improvements here at the Capitol following the January 6th insurrection.

    This Committee has a long history of working across party lines in support of the Senate and the legislative branch. Today I am committed to continuing that tradition with Chairman McConnell. 

    While the Capitol and Senate buildings may be our workplaces, ultimately, they belong to the American people. Americans spend their time and money — some traveling thousands of miles — to visit and exercise their First Amendment rights. For Americans from states red, blue, and purple, this Capitol means more than politics: it’s the embodiment of our democracy. It is our responsibility to maintain and secure the Capitol for them.

    Today’s action on the committee funding resolution for the 119th Congress gives us an early opportunity to come together. And while I wish we were able to provide more funding in certain instances, I am pleased that we worked in a bipartisan fashion on this effort.

    But in addition to our responsibilities to the administration of both the buildings and rules that allow this body to run, our Committee also plays a central role in our democracy – overseeing federal elections and campaign finance.

    Election Administration

    As California’s former Secretary of State, I know the importance of defending free and fair elections. I will always work to preserve voter access, protect election workers, ensure election security, and provide critical funding to the states. 

    Over the years, Congress has invested resources to help states start to modernize their election systems, but we have failed to provide the reliable funding that is needed. I hope we can find bipartisan consensus to help states and local governments manage the growing challenges of running elections.

    Unfortunately, just a few weeks in, the current Administration is taking a blowtorch to election security. Already, the Department of Justice has disbanded the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s foreign election interference task force while the Department of Homeland Security is removing election security specialists at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

    And now, President Trump and Elon Musk have sent DOGE’s inexperienced, unqualified staff — with a history of leaking security information and cybercrime — to CISA. Despite our inquiries and DOGE’s claims of transparency, this Committee and the public have no real information about the goals of this interference. And state and local election officials are losing the critical election security support that Congress has directed CISA to provide.

    It is my hope that moving forward, members on this committee from both parties will join me in strengthening election security — not weakening it.

    Campaign Finance

    At the same time, Americans overwhelmingly support efforts to roll back the tide of unregulated and secret money in politics. They are tired of their voices being drowned out by unlimited spending from corporations and billionaires. Yet today, an unelected billionaire who spent over 270 million dollars on the 2024 election sits in the Oval Office, issuing policy directives and accessing federal contracts and regulatory favors.

    The Citizens United decision was a complete disaster that continues to damage our democracy and must be repealed. Until then, Congress and the Federal Election Commission (FEC) should uphold the law and improve what we can.

    Unfortunately, President Trump is trying to destroy what few guardrails we have left. He illegally fired the Chair of the FEC and issued an Executive Order that gives White House operatives control over the FEC and other independent agencies. Congress created agencies like the FEC to follow the law independent of political pressure — not to be tools for handing out political favors or retribution on behalf of the White House.

    The FEC was created over 50 years ago following Watergate. Now, President Trump is opening the floodgates for a new golden age of corruption. As a committee, we must work to stop these power grabs before more damage is done.

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall, Daines, and Bennet Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Outdoor Recreation and Expand Access to Public Lands

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), Steve Daines (R-Montana), and Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) today introduced the “Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act,” which would support public access for hunting, fishing, hiking, and other outdoor wildlife-dependent activities.
    “As an avid outdoorsman and conservationist, some of my greatest memories are hunting and fishing with my kids,” said Senator Marshall. “I fully support and am proud to introduce the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act, which encourages Kansans to open their land for the public to enjoy the great outdoors. Increased access to these outdoor recreational activities is good for our children and our shared American values.”
    “Hunting, fishing, and hiking are huge parts of our Montana way of life, and as a lifelong sportsman myself, I’m glad to lead an effort to expand access to our public lands,” said Senator Daines. “Reauthorizing the Voluntary Public Access Habitat Initiative Program will give more Montanans the chance to enjoy outdoor recreation activities and support critical habitats for wildlife.”
    “For years, this program has rewarded Colorado’s family farmers and ranchers for their efforts to improve wildlife habitat, provide new opportunities for sportsmen and women, and expand recreation options for Coloradans. I fought to expand funding for this program in the last Farm Bill, and I’ll continue to work to prioritize successful, voluntary programs like this,” said Senator Bennet.
    Read the bill text HERE.
    Background:
    The “Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act of 2025” would reauthorize the Voluntary Public Access Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) for an additional five years and increase the authorization to $150 million. The VPA-HIP provides competitive grants to states and tribal governments to be used to incentivize private landowners to voluntarily open their lands for public use while upholding private property rights. Senators Marshall, Daines, and Bennet also introduced the bill in the 118th Congress.
    Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan-6) and Dusty Johnson (R-South Dakota-At-Large) introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    Statements of Support:
    “State-led access programs are hurting this year without support from VPA-HIP, and including the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act in a 2025 farm bill would be a major positive development for hunters and anglers. We are thrilled to see such an influential, bipartisan group of leaders recognize the importance of increased hunting and fishing access by introducing this legislation. Thank you, Representatives Dingell and Johnson and Senators Daines, Bennet, and Marshall, for your leadership and support,” said Joel Pedersen, President and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
    “Hunting access is one of the most significant barriers for both new and experienced hunters. The Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act is a win-win for sportsmen and landowners, and we thank Sens. Daines, Bennet, and Marshall for leading this bipartisan effort in the Senate, as well as Reps. Dingell and Johnson for their leadership in the House,” said Kellis Moss, Ducks Unlimited Managing Director of Federal Affairs. 
    “On behalf of the nation’s recreational fishing industry, the American Sportfishing Association thanks Senators Daines, Marshall, and Bennet for their leadership of the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act. This legislation will support and enable landowners to provide fishing access on private lands, opening valuable waters to anglers. The reauthorization and expansion of VPA-HIP will strengthen a program that has allowed access to private lands since 2008, creating memorable days on the water for America’s anglers,” said Glenn Hughes, President of the American Sportfishing Association.
    “Recovering wildlife, restoring habitat, and expanding recreational access on private lands is a win-win for both wildlife and the hunters, anglers, and outdoorspeople, who power the outdoor recreation economy. This common-sense, bipartisan bill will ensure farmers, ranchers, and private land owners have the tools and resources they need through the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program to ensure our shared wildlife heritage endures for future generations. Thank you to Representatives Debbie Dingell and Dusty Johnson and Senators Steve Daines, Michel Bennet, and Roger Marshall for working to pass this important bipartisan legislation,” said Aviva Glaser, Senior Director of Agriculture Policy for the National Wildlife Federation.
    “There are dozens of state programs throughout the country that help open public hunting access on private lands, but one common thread is that VPA-HIP is the unsung hero that makes much of that access possible. The economic returns for rural communities in VPA-HIP have been shown many times over, and increasing funding for the program is one of our top priorities in the next farm bill. Access is at the core of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s mission, and we thank Senators Daines, Bennet, and Marshall and Representatives Dingell and Johnson for their leadership and support for this very successful program,” said Ariel Wiegard, Vice President of Government Affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.
    “By reauthorizing and expanding the only federal program specifically designed to increase opportunities for hunters and anglers on private land, the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act addresses the number one barrier to participation in our sporting traditions, lack of public access. We applaud the bipartisan leadership of Reps. Debbie Dingell and Dusty Johnson and Sens. Roger Marshall and Michael Bennet on legislation that would expand public recreation opportunities as well as enhance fish and wildlife habitat,” said Kaden McArthur, Director of Policy and Government Relations for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.
    “We greatly appreciate Senators Daines, Bennet, and Marshall introducing the VPA Improvement Act. As we entered discussions of the next Farm Bill, extending and expanding the impact of VPA-HIP was one of Delta’s highest priorities. As duck hunters across the country look for additional access, increased investments in VPA HIP can lead to new partnerships with private landowners to enhance habitat and also provide access. We hope that this effort will lead to a broader bi-partisan effort to include an expanded VPA-HIP in the final Farm Bill,” said John Devney, Chief Policy Officer at Delta Waterfowl.
    “We are proud to support Representative Dingell’s reintroduction of the Voluntary Public Access Improvement Act, alongside Representative Johnson, Senator Daines, Senator Marshall, and Senator Bennet. Reauthorizing and strengthening the Act will ensure that landowners and sportsmen alike can continue to benefit from sustainable wildlife management and habitat preservation for generations to come,” said Nick Pinizzotto, President and CEO of the National Deer Association.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Colleagues Urge Federal Courts to Affirm That Congress Holds the Power to Crack Down on Money Laundering

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    February 25, 2025
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., joined his colleagues in filing amicus briefs that called on two federal courts to affirm that Congress holds the power to crack down on anonymous money laundering under the bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act passed in 2021. 
    The four-year-old law is considered the most important anti-money laundering law passed in two decades. It ensures law enforcement and national security officials are able to learn the true identities of people who own or control U.S. corporations and other legal entities used as shell companies to conceal illegal activities. By identifying these under-the-radar financial criminals, the federal government can better combat terrorist financing, money laundering, sanctions evasion, proliferation financing, tax evasion, and other illicit finance carried out through shell companies. In addition to holding U.S. corporations accountable, the law plays an essential role in protecting U.S. national security and public safety. 
    “Anonymous shell corporations harm the United States’ national security, foreign affairs, foreign and interstate commerce, and tax interests. Such shell companies often operate in multiple layers to hide their true owners and violations of key sanctions, money-laundering, and tax laws. Allowing illicit money to be hidden through corporate forms also undermines public safety and law enforcement efficacy on a national and international scale,” wrote the lawmakers in their amicus briefs to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th and 5th Circuits.
    In their amicus briefs, the lawmakers argued that Congress has robust powers under Article I to legislate on national security, tax, foreign affairs, and interstate and foreign commerce matters – all of which fall under the law. As a result of enacting the law, Congress has been able to engage in careful oversight, including through testimonies, reports, and committee hearings, over anonymous actors who have used shell companies to exploit the American financial system and launder their unlawful gains. 
    In addition to Wyden, the amicus briefs were led by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Representative Maxine Waters, D-Calif.
    The lawmakers filed briefs in Texas Top Cop Shop v. Bondi, a case at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, and Community Associations Institute v. Treasury, a case for the 4th Circuit. In January 2025, the members filed a similar amicus brief in Firestone v. Yellen, a case for the 9th Circuit. In April 2024, the lawmakers filed their first amicus brief in National Small Business United v. Yellen, a case for the 11th Circuit.
    Wyden is a longtime champion of holding corporations accountable. In 2017, Wyden introduced bipartisan legislation to prevent individuals in Congress from using anonymous shell corporations to engage in illicit activities. In 2019, Wyden reintroduced legislation to combat money laundering by requiring corporations to disclose their beneficial owners. In 2024, Wyden launched an investigation into the Geneva-based multinational bank Pictet for potential ongoing tax evasion by a U.S. citizen under criminal investigation. 
    The text of the 4th Circuit brief is here.
    The text of the 5th Circuit Brief is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed, Capito Lead Bipartisan Effort to Accelerate Pediatric Rare Disease Research & Treatment Advances

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to accelerate research and treatment advances for rare diseases that affect children, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) teamed up to introduce the Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act.  This bipartisan bill would ensure drugs for rare diseases are studied in children and that drug companies are accountable for completing pediatric study requirements.  It would close research gaps created by the growth in so-called “orphan drug” approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

    Children are not just small adults who can take smaller doses of adult medication: They metabolize drugs differently and in order for drugs to be safe and effective for kids, they must be studied specifically for children’s use. Yet too often, drug development still leaves children behind.  The Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act would help speed therapies to children who need them, making needed changes to the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA) and the Pediatric Research Equity Act (PREA), two laws that encourage and require the study of drugs in children.

    “This bill would help children battling rare diseases and their families by addressing crucial gaps in pediatric research and treatment and empower the FDA to go after companies that break the rules.  Congress must work together to help address the unmet needs of those affected by rare diseases, particularly pediatric patients.  The Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act would include children in the drug development process to expand access to safe and effective treatments and therapies for children with rare ailments and appropriately meet their needs.  Our bipartisan bill would provide new paths for pediatric rare disease research and development and ensure patients with rare diseases aren’t left behind,” said Senator Reed.

    “It is essential medicines be studied specifically for children’s use, especially for rare diseases,” Senator Capito said. “The same medicines that may work well for some adults could have drastically different results for a child. Our legislation will help ensure pediatric studies are actually being done on both new and innovative drugs, as well as those older drugs now off-patent.”

    According to the National Institutes of Health, a “rare disease” is any disease affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States (60 cases per 100,000 individuals).

    There are more than 7,000 known rare diseases that affect about 30 million people in the U.S., according to the Orphan Drug Act.  These rare diseases can vary widely, from genetic conditions to certain types of cancers to cases that are the result of an infection or allergy or unknown causes.

    More than 90 percent of rare diseases lack a treatment approved by the FDA.  And according to rarediseases.org: Approximately two-thirds of Americans with rare diseases are children.

    The Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act would help ensure children can benefit from advancements in new treatments and therapies by:

    Ensuring Drugs for Rare Diseases are Studied in Children

    There are close to 7,000 rare diseases without appropriate treatments, and the vast majority of these diseases affect children. Unfortunately, in most cases, drugs for rare diseases, also known as orphan drugs, are not required to be studied in children. Yet the majority of new drugs approved are orphan drugs, meaning that the majority of newly approved drugs are exempt from pediatric study requirements, leaving doctors, parents, and sick kids in the dark about possible treatments.

    The Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act would ensure that children with rare diseases can benefit from new and innovative treatments, lifting the orphan drug exemption in PREA.

    Providing Equal Accountability for Pediatric Study Requirements

    Due dates for studies required by PREA are typically deferred by FDA until after the approval of the drug for adults. Unfortunately, FDA has no effective enforcement tools to ensure that these studies are completed on time—or at all.  Congress tried to solve this problem in 2012. It allowed FDA to send “non-compliance letters” to companies that failed to complete their pediatric studies. Disappointingly, this did not fix the problem. According to an analysis conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics, as of early 2021, 123 PREA non-compliance letters had been issued, yet only one third had been resolved.  On average, studies were 4.4 years late, with some more than 15 years late.

    The Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act would give FDA the authority it needs to ensure that legally required pediatric studies are completed in a timely manner.

    Investing in Pediatric Studies of Older Off-Patent Drugs

    The FDA incentives and requirements under BPCA and PREA work for many newer drugs, but unfortunately cannot help encourage studies of older drugs.  For this reason, in 2002, Congress authorized a program which funds the National Institutes of Health to conduct studies of off-patent drugs used in children that would never be completed otherwise.  Drug studies are expensive and costs have only increased since then, but the program has been flat-funded at $25 million since it was created more than 20 years ago.

    The Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act would increase funding for the BPCA NIH program to ensure we have better data about older drugs to treat diseases in children.

    Reed and Capito previously teamed up to pass and fund the landmark Childhood Cancer STAR Act.

    What They Are Saying About the Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act:

    “Children are not little adults; they have unique health needs. It is essential that children’s needs are considered and prioritized during the drug development process so they do not miss out on new therapies and treatments. The Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act of 2025 would make needed changes to pediatric drug laws so that children can benefit from new advancements in medicine – including children with rare diseases. Pediatricians applaud Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) for their leadership on this issue and call on Congress to swiftly pass this bipartisan legislation into law,” said American Academy of Pediatrics President Susan Kressly, MD, FAAP.

    “The biology of cancer children is different from cancer in adults. Drugs to treat children must be developed that are tailored for children. The Innovation In Pediatric Drugs Act of 2025 builds upon the promise of the Research To Accelerate Cures and Equity (RACE) Act For Children to increase pediatric studies of novel therapeutics for pediatric cancers. The new bill is an important step to ensure that required studies are completed for children as they are currently done for adults,” said Steve Wosahla, Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Cancer Cause.

    “Kids with cancer need us to put promising new therapies to the test to find the next generation of pediatric treatments. The Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act would help by holding trial sponsors accountable and opening the door to exciting treatments that could make all the difference for kids,” said Matt Marks of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed: It’s Past Time to Pay Retirees the Social Security Benefits They Already Earned

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is once again urging the Trump Administration to quickly implement of the Social Security Fairness Act, which will ensure retired teachers, police, firefighters, and other public service workers and their spouses get the full Social Security benefits they earned.
    More than 8,600 Rhode Islanders and a total of 3.2 million Americans stand to benefit from the change, thanks to the Social Security Fairness Act, which Senator Reed cosponsored and former President Biden signed into law on January 5.
    The new law repealed the Windfall Elimination Penalty (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which prevented 3 million government retirees who earned pensions from those careers from collecting their full benefits earned while working outside of government.
    “The Trump Administration needs to get into gear and implement the law.  Thousands of Rhode Island retirees who served as teachers, police officers, and more have waited long enough to get the benefits they rightfully earned. Instead of focusing on firing people from the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Trump Administration should spend more time and energy getting these checks out the door,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee who is working to ensure the SSA has enough employees to provide first-rate, personalized customer service to retirees who need assistance.
    Senator Reed estimates the average monthly benefit increase is about $360, but many recipients could see monthly raises of $1,000 or more this year.  The law is retroactive to January 1, 2024.  As a result, many people will eventually receive a significant lump sum for back payments as well as a monthly raise.
    Retired public employees who may be eligible can visit SSA’s Social Security Fairness Act website to learn more.
    Since the law was signed, there have been multiple and bipartisan efforts to encourage the Trump Administration to start paying Social Security recipients what they are owed.
    All Social Security recipients will see a 2.5 percent increase in their benefits this year.  The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) took effect in January, raising the average monthly retirement benefit from $1,927 to $1,976.
    Earlier this month, the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration resigned after clashing with billionaire Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, after Musk’s personnel attempted to access sensitive government records that included people’s personal information.
    Musk and Trump continue to actively mislead about Social Security. Musk amplified a chart showing 9 million people age 130 and over in the system and suggested “there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security” adding, “This might be the biggest fraud in the history of humanity.”
    While there are millions of people in Social Security with no death records because they lived and died before the system was fully automated, there are only 44,000 people with birth dates in 1920 or earlier who are actually getting payments from Social Security.
    A July 2024 report from Social Security’s inspector general states that from fiscal years 2015 through 2022, the agency made less than 1 percent in improper payments. Most of the erroneous payments were overpayments to living people and some of it was clawed back. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Shaheen Helps Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Import Lower-Cost Prescription Drugs from Canada

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – Last week, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) helped introduce the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act, led by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), which would allow Americans to safely import prescription drugs from Canada, lowering costs, increasing access for consumers and creating more competition in the pharmaceutical market. 

    “I’ve heard from far too many Granite Staters that are forced to ration life-saving medications because they’re too expensive. It’s unacceptable—high prices should never be a barrier to getting the health care you or your family needs,” said Senator Shaheen. “Americans pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs and allowing those same drugs to be imported at lower prices from pharmacies in Canada is a no-brainer that will increase competition and help lower costs. I’m proud to join my colleagues on this bipartisan effort.” 

    In addition to Shaheen, Klobuchar and Grassley, the bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Angus King (I-ME), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). 

    Shaheen has spearheaded efforts to combat rising drug prices and make essential medications more affordable, including by supporting key provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that provide Medicare the ability to directly negotiate the prices of certain high-cost drugs with pharmaceutical manufacturers. As co-chair of the bipartisan U.S. Senate Diabetes Caucus, Shaheen has consistently pressed to hold insulin manufacturers, insurers and pharmacy benefit managers accountable for the skyrocketing cost of life-saving insulin. Her bipartisan legislation with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), the INSULIN Act, which would comprehensively address the skyrocketing costs of insulin and remove barriers to care making it more accessible to millions of Americans. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Bolster Air Traffic Control Workforce

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    **Bipartisan legislation would strengthen enhanced AT-CTI program, improve ATC recruitment, training and retention**

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Hoeven (R-ND) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) today introduced the Air Traffic Control (ATC) Workforce Development Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation to address ATC staffing shortages, improve working conditions for controllers and ensure the safe transportation of people and goods within U.S. airspace. The new legislation builds upon several years of work between Senators Shaheen and Hoeven to support the ATC workforce and address understaffing. Earlier this month, in light of the recent tragic aviation collision at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), the pair of Senators called on the FAA to urgently work with Congress to address staffing shortages. 

    “Increasingly frequent near-misses and close calls over the last several years—coupled with recent aviation tragedies like the one last month in D.C.—are sobering reminders that we must do more to keep our skies safe,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation to expand the air traffic controller workforce pipeline, enhance training facilities and equipment, improve recruitment and retention efforts and more. I hope this bill moves quickly so we can address the shortage of air traffic controllers and strengthen aviation safety.” 

    Among other priorities, the ATC Workforce Development Act would:  

    • Expand the ATC workforce training pipeline by codifying and strengthening the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program.  
    • The bill authorizes $20 million per year for grants to AT-CTI schools to invest in curriculum, high-fidelity simulators, faculty and classroom supplies. 
    • The legislation also removes disincentives that discourage retired air traffic controllers from working as instructors at AT-CTI schools. 
    • Currently, four schools have been approved to offer the Enhanced AT-CTI program, under which graduates who successfully pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (ATSA) are immediately eligible for hire by the FAA and to begin localized training at an air traffic facility. 
    • Authorize the procurement and placement of Tower Simulator Systems at ATC facilities nationwide, supporting more efficient certification of ATC trainees.  
    • Require the FAA to develop Air Traffic Controller recruitment and retention incentive programs. 
    • Support the development of mental health services equipped to address the particular stressors faced by the ATC workforce.  

    The legislation is supported by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA), Airlines for America (A4A), and Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA). 

    A summary of the legislation can be found here and the full bill text can be found here. 

    Shaheen and Hoeven have long partnered on strengthening the ATC workforce. Last year, they worked together to include provisions in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 that require the FAA to use a more accurate staffing model developed by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization (ATO). The pair also authored the Air Traffic Controller Hiring Reform Act, which was signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and required the FAA to prioritize the hiring of veterans and graduates of FAA Certified Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) schools as Air Traffic Controllers. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Protects American Manufacturing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-IN) in introducing the Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act, legislation that would strengthen U.S. trade remedy laws and ensure they remain effective tools to fight against unfair trade practices and protect American businesses.
    This legislation would improve the U.S. trade remedy system and respond to repeat offenders and serial cheaters, leveling the playing field for American manufacturing. It also responds to China’s unfair trade practices, specifically its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which provides subsidies to China-based or China-operated companies doing business in countries outside of China. 
    “China has been bending the rules for decades,” said Sen. Tuberville. “We have to fight back. Alabama’s manufacturers work hard, and as long as the playing field is level, they can outcompete anyone in the world. This bill is one step toward ensuring that the rules are enforced and China has to play fair.”
    “Our bill will protect American jobs and combat China’s unfair trade practices,” said Sen. Young. “China has distorted the free market by dumping undervalued products and subsidizing industries, actions designed to harm American businesses and workers. This legislation will help level the playing field to ensure the United States can outcompete the Chinese Communist Party.”
    U.S. Sens. Tuberville and Young were joined by U.S. Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Jon Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in introducing the legislation.
    U.S. Representatives Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24) and Terri Sewell (D-AL-7) are leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
    The legislation is endorsed by the American Iron and Steel Institute, the Steel Manufacturers Association, and the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association.
    Sen. Tuberville cosponsored this legislation in the 118th Congress. 
    Full text of the legislation can be found here.
    BACKGROUND:
    The Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act would revise the U.S. antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) laws to ensure international trade regulations and requirements do not unfairly favor international competitors, especially in the steel industry. The Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act would update U.S. trade remedy laws to establish the new concept of “successive investigations,” which would improve the U.S. trade remedy system’s efforts to curb circumvention efforts from bad actors designed to undercut our domestic industries and increase market share. 
    American companies are on the receiving end of China’s increasingly predatory economic behavior. In recent years, China’s unfair trade practices have culminated in grave economic consequences that affect American workers. For example, Chinese-supported companies move portions of production to other countries to circumvent American duties, a practice known as “country hopping.” China’s BRI also unfairly subsidizes products made in other countries, rather than just in China. In addition to competing with these unfair trade practices, American companies have to contend with long lead times before the Department of Commerce initiates a new anti-circumvention inquiry.
    Around half of the unfair trade cases are in the steel industry. However, these unfair trade cases also affect industries that make engines, furniture, hardwood plywood, pipes and tubes, wood moldings, magnesium, paper, shrimp, carrier bags, kitchen cabinets, quartz countertops, tires, and many others.
    The Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act pushes back against China’s anti-free market practices by providing the Department of Commerce with more tools to stop circumvention tactics. These tools include:
    Establishing the concept of “successive investigations” under AD and CVD laws. The new AD/CVD investigations would improve the effectiveness of the trade remedy law to combat repeat offenders by making it easier for petitioners to bring new cases when production moves to another country             
    Expediting timelines for successive investigations and creating new factors for the International Trade Commission to consider about the relationship between recently completed trade cases and successive trade cases for the same imported product
    Providing the Department of Commerce the authority to apply CVD law to subsidies provided by a government to a company operating in a different country
    Imposing statutory requirements for anti-circumvention inquiries to clarify the process and timeline
    Specifying deadlines for preliminary and final determinations
    Thanks to the state’s rich natural resources and abundance of mineral deposits, Alabama has a proud history as a metals and manufacturing leader. According to the Alabama Department of Commerce, there are more than 1,100 metal manufacturing companies in the state, including national and global leaders in steel, pipelines, composites, and specialty metals. Those companies employ more than 45,000 Alabamians and export nearly $1.4 billion worth of metal manufactured goods per year. Today, Alabama is home to three of the top seven largest pipe manufacturing companies in the nation.
    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: ICYMI: Tuberville on X: Trump and DOGE are Making the Federal Government Efficient Again

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed on X praising the progress President Trump and DOGE have made during Trump’s first month in office to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government and save taxpayers’ money.

    Read excerpts from the piece below or here.

    Trump and DOGE are Making the Federal Government Efficient Again

    “Tax season is upon us, and Americans are once again reminded of how much of their hard-earned paychecks is taken by the federal government. Most Americans use this time to reevaluate their spending habits and consider ways to be more fiscally responsible. Unfortunately, the U.S. government doesn’t do the same. The United States is $36 trillion in debt and we are spending nearly $2 trillion more each year than we bring in. If the United States were a business, we’d be dead broke.

    Thankfully, President Trump is back in the White House and is working around the clock to audit the federal government. On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to create the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), advised by Elon Musk, to take a businesslike approach to auditing waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government. A majority of Americans support the President’s efforts to cut wasteful spending, and they support the work the DOGE is doing. President Trump is making the Federal Government Efficient Again. 

    Thanks to President Trump, the D.C. gravy train is being cut off. So far, Elon Musk and his team have saved American taxpayers a staggering $55 billion. Some of the taxpayer-funded programs that DOGE has uncovered are truly astounding. For example, DOGE found that $59 million was sent by FEMA to house illegal immigrants in fancy New York hotels. It was also discovered that taxpayers were on the hook for a $ 168,000 Anthony Fauci exhibit at the National Institutes of Health Museum, which has thankfully been canceled. DOGE also found $9 million in payments to fund woke programs at the Department of Agriculture, including contracts for “Central American gender assessment consultant services” and “Brazilian forest and gender consultants” – whatever that is.

    In addition to cutting waste, DOGE is also restoring accountability and transparency. Under the Biden administration, the Pentagon failed its seventh consecutive audit. That’s ridiculous. If a business tried this in the real world, they’d go bankrupt. American taxpayers spend nearly a trillion dollars annually on the U.S. military. The least we can do is provide an accurate accounting of how their money is being spent. To clean this up, President Trump directed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to start cutting the Pentagon budget by 8% in each of the next five years. By restoring fiscal sanity to our armed forces, we will ensure we have the long-term resources to continue defending our interests and national security. […]

    Just this weekend, DOGE sent an email to all federal government employees asking for them to submit five things they have accomplished this week. Predictably, the media is throwing a fit about this. When I was a football coach, we had performance reviews where we would discuss an employee’s performance and if they weren’t performing at a certain standard, they would be fired. But apparently, that isn’t allowed in the government.

    DOGE has also shone a light on the corrupt relationship between the bureaucrats and the Mainstream Media. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that more than $8 million taxpayer dollars were used for Politico subscriptions. This doesn’t include other outlets taxpayers have been funding like the New York Times, Associated Press, and Reuters. It is completely inappropriate for taxpayers to be forced to fund the Corporate Media. If American taxpayers want to support these publications, they can subscribe themselves. But most do not, which is perhaps why many of these publications are failing.

    Thanks to President Trump, Americans are finally witnessing a government that is by the people and for the people. The fake news media and the D.C. Swamp are in DEFCON level 1 over DOGE, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing. We should be thanking President Trump and the entire DOGE team for the incredible service they are doing for our country. In fact, as a proud member of the Senate DOGE Caucus, I’m 100% committed to making sure Congress does our part to follow the President’s lead to rightsize the government and cut waste, fraud, and abuse. President Trump promised to fight every day for the American worker – and the hardworking men and women in this country deserve to know that their tax dollars are not being used to fund gender transition surgeries in Africa. Together, we will restore accountability and transparency in Washington and unleash the Golden Age of America.”

    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: Hagerty Introduces Steve Feinberg, Trump’s Nominee for Deputy Secretary of Defense

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    Feinberg—Co-Founder, Co-CEO & Chief Investment Officer of Cerberus Capital Management—served as Chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board during the first Trump Administration
    WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today introduced Stephen (Steve) A. Feinberg, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Deputy Secretary of Defense, at the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing.
    Feinberg previously was co-founder, co-CEO, and chief investment officer of Cerberus Capital Management, a global investment firm. He also chaired President Trump’s Intelligence Advisory Board from 2018 to 2021.
    When Senator Hagerty served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan in the first Trump Administration, he worked closely with Feinberg to prevent Hanjin Shipyard—now Agila Subic Shipyard—at Subic Bay in the Philippines from falling into Communist China’s control.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Remarks as prepared for delivery:
    Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Reed, thank you for holding this important nominations hearing today.
    It is my privilege to introduce my good friend, Steve Feinberg—President Trump’s nominee to be the Deputy Secretary of Defense.
    During the first Trump Administration, from 2018 to 2021, Steve chaired the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, where he brought a fresh perspective and provided expert advice on a range of challenges to U.S. national security.
    Before his nomination, Steve was co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Cerberus Capital Management—a global investment firm that he co-founded in 1992 and that today manages some $68 billion in assets.
    At Cerberus, Steve spent 34 years investing in, fixing, and operating a variety of businesses, including those related to national defense and the U.S. Intelligence Community.
    Steve is a Patriot with a great heart—one of the many things that sets Steve apart is his strategic vision and his willingness and desire to invest in ways that not only create and grow value for his investors, but also advance U.S. national security interests.
    Here, I want to quickly share a powerful story based on my own personal experience with Steve’s leadership.
    When I served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan, I discovered that two Chinese firms were attempting to acquire the bankrupt Hanjin Shipyard at Subic Bay in the Philippines.
    Subic Bay had previously served as a U.S. Naval base with a deep-water shipyard that is strategically located on the South China Sea.
    For various reasons, the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and other parts of the U.S. government were not in a position to engage and solve this problem.
    So I engaged with top officials in the Trump Administration, and the governments of Japan and the Philippines, as well as with top actors in the private sector—in specific, with Steve Feinberg and Cerberus.
    Working together, we assembled an ad hoc public-private solution to this problem and thwarted China’s efforts to acquire the port.
    Thanks to leadership from the Trump Administration and Steve Feinberg and his team, we succeeded.
    Today, Hanjin Shipyard is known as Agila Subic Shipyard and is owned by American investors.
    As a result, U.S. and Allied firms have a joint presence there now—for example, HD Hyundai, a South Korean firm, will build and maintain vessels at the shipyard, and SubCom, a U.S.-based undersea cable firm, is advancing projects in the region from there.
    The U.S. military and the Armed Forces of the Philippines also have a significant presence there.
    If Steve and his team had not stepped up to solve this problem, the Chinese Communist Party today would likely possess a vital piece of strategic infrastructure in the South China Sea—and the threats to the security of the United States and our partners would be enormous.
    At Cerberus, Steve also worked hard on another issue that I dealt with firsthand as U.S. Ambassador to Japan:  that is, helping the United States and our partners counter China’s threat in 5G telecommunications by investing in commercial alternatives to Huawei and other Chinese telecoms companies.
    Here again, Steve recognized a strategic challenge to the United States and has sought to counter and minimize the influence and access that China could gain from control over spectrum and telecommunications infrastructure.
    On that note, I want to commend the Committee for its strong support for the Defense Department’s efforts to accelerate adoption of 5G and Open RAN technologies in order to provide strategic advantages to the warfighter—including by directing the Pentagon to establish a “Secretary of Defense 5G Cross Functional Team” to accomplish this objective.
    We could not have addressed these problems without Steve Feinberg—an outsider with a fresh perspective who, at the same time, knows how to work on the inside while bringing innovation and ingenuity to the table.
    Steve, if confirmed, will do an outstanding job as the Pentagon’s second highest-ranking civilian official.
    Steve understands the mission.
    He will leverage his leadership, his strategic thinking, his deep knowledge, his decades of experience, his vast professional network, his willingness to listen and learn, and his decisiveness to improve the Defense Department.
    Just as he did at Cerberus for the last 34 years, Steve will work his heart out—every day—at the Defense Department.
    He will ensure that the building, its management, its operations, and its programs run better and more efficiently.
    And he’ll focus on the Department’s goal of providing decisive strategic, operational, and tactical advantages to the warfighter.
    Steve Feinberg is the right man for this job—I look forward to his testimony today and to working with my colleagues to advance his nomination as quickly as possible.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins America’s Newsroom on Fox News to Discuss Trump’s Peace Negotiations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today joined America’s Newsroom on Fox News to discuss President Donald Trump’s peace negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Partial Transcript
    Hagerty on the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine: “President [Emmanuel] Macron flew here yesterday. You’re going to see [Prime Minister] Keir Starmer from the [United Kingdom] here later this week. [President Volodymyr] Zelensky is trying to get to the United States. I think we’re on the precipice of a deal, and Scott Bessent said yesterday, our Treasury Secretary, that he feels we’re on the one-yard line. So, I think we’re about to get there. President Trump wants to see an end to the carnage; he’s certainly changed the dynamic and the conversation around all of this, from [Former President] Joe Biden’s blank check, ‘as long as it takes’, to bring an end to this now, and I think it’s coming […] I think what President Trump, again, is doing is he is shifting the conversation completely. He’s trying to get to a deal with Russia. He’s not just continuing the Joe Biden process of sticking a stick in Russia’s eye. You see the European leaders that want to just continue down this path. What President Trump wants to do is bring an end to this now, and he’s trying to bring resolution to this. I think what we’re seeing is a shifting [of] sands. Again, you see these European leaders coming to the United States—again, I feel we’re at the precipice of a deal—President Trump is trying to make something happen here, not just go back to talking points that haven’t worked in the past.”
    Hagerty on Trump’s strong negotiating position against Putin: “What I would say is that President [Trump] is actually trying to shift the conversation. President Trump has not lifted any sanctions on Putin. In fact, he’s talking about getting back in the energy business, putting Keystone Pipeline back in. It was Joe Biden that killed the Keystone XL Pipeline and okayed [the] Nord Stream 2 [Pipeline], which funded Russia’s war efforts. So, I think what you’re seeing is still plenty of pressure on Vladimir Putin, but President Trump, again, is shifting the dialogue right now trying to get to a deal.”
    Hagerty on economic opportunities in a deal that could benefit the U.S.: “It’s a situation where I think President Trump is trying to think about this differently. He’s talking about economic development. He’s talking about getting our interests to align more economically. There are critical minerals in Russia, critical minerals in Ukraine. All of this could benefit the United States. China’s licking its chops right now. I think President Trump sees that as well and wants to make certain that the United States taxpayer benefits from what comes out of this, as opposed to the [Chinese Communist Party].”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Introduces Trump’s Nominee for Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    Michael Kratsios will advance U.S. technological dominance and national security
    WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today appeared before a Senate Commerce Committee hearing to introduce Michael Kratsios, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Remarks as prepared for delivery:
    Today, I am privileged to introduce Michael Kratsios, President Trump’s nominee to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
    The OSTP Director advises the President on key “industries of the future,” including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, 5G, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and more. Indeed, Michael and I worked closely together on 5G and our telecommunications infrastructure when I served in my previous role as U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
    Now, more than ever, emerging technologies present us with immense opportunities to maintain America’s global dominance. At such a critical time, we cannot afford to make policy errors here in Washington.
    That’s exactly why we need a leader of Michael’s caliber serving in this vital role.
    While AI has rapidly ascended to become one America’s most important policy priorities, Michael had the foresight to see this technology’s potential nearly a decade ago. And he has been working tirelessly on the issue ever since.
    His impressive record of public service in the field of science and technology policy include his past service as Chief Technology Officer of the United States and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. In these roles and others, he coordinated public-private partnerships and served as the architect of national strategies on AI and quantum technologies.
    After leaving public service, he served as Managing Director of Scale AI, helping it become one of the most valuable and well respected privately held AI companies in the world.
    Michael’s research outside of the government provided the first quantifiable evidence of how banned Chinese technologies were still procured by state and local governments across the country. He also brought to light the significant risks posed by PRC-manufactured ship-to-shore cranes in American ports.
    America must remain the world leader in scientific and technological innovation. Our national security, our liberty, and our prosperity depend on it. Michael understands this mission, and that’s why I wholeheartedly support his nomination. Thanks to my colleagues here today for giving Michael your careful consideration.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Scott Reintroduce Legislation Addressing Sickle Cell Disease

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) reintroduced the bipartisan Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act. The legislation would allow State Medicaid programs to provide comprehensive and coordinated care to patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) through a health home model.  
    Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that disproportionately impacts people of African descent. Among the most notable symptoms of SCD is debilitating pain, but those with SCD also experience complications like stroke, acute chest syndrome, and organ damage. Furthermore, individuals with SCD have a significantly lower life expectancy than the overall population.
    While there have been some advancements in the treatment of SCD, many with the disease are not receiving the level of care needed to adequately manage SCD. The Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act directs CMS to establish a SCD Health Home to improve access to comprehensive, high-quality, outpatient care, which will be available to Medicaid beneficiaries with SCD in states that submit a state plan amendment (SPA). Further, this program shows promise in saving money, as it aims to reduce patients’ reliance on costly emergency room care.
    “Sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in our country, and is a disease that primarily affects those of African ancestry,” said Senator Booker. “Despite the prevalence and the severe health consequences of the disease, Americans battling sickle cell continue to face barriers to accessing the care they need. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to support this bipartisan legislation to increase access to comprehensive, high-quality care and invest in quality treatments for patients fighting SCD.”
    “Nearly 100,000 Americans have sickle cell disease—many of whom are left without access to consistent care,” said Senator Scott. “I am glad to work on this bipartisan legislation to help treat this disease that affects thousands of Americans from minority communities. Creating access to high-quality comprehensive care to avoid costly emergency room visits continues to be a top priority of mine for folks facing diseases like SCD.”
    Throughout his time in the Senate, Booker has raised awareness for sickle cell disease and advocated for equitable funding, increased attention, and better access to treatments and care for people with SCD. The Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act builds upon this work, including his bipartisan Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act that he introduced with Senator Scott and which passed and was signed into law in 2018.
    The legislation is endorsed by: Sickle Cell Disease Partnership; American Society of Hematology; Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.
    To read the full text of the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito, Warner Reintroduce the Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) reintroduced the Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act. This bill aims to streamline processes, reduce cost-burdens to rural home owners and small developers, and provide affordable housing incentives.

    “Being a rural state shouldn’t mean losing out on private investment incentives like tax credits to help us preserve our communities’ history and revitalize local economies,” Senator Capito said. “I have enjoyed working with the dedicated group of West Virginians who brought this issue to my attention and who provided important perspectives during the creation of this legislation. The Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act will help level the playing field for communities in West Virginia by attracting investment for economic expansion and additional housing supply.”

    “By expanding access to historic tax credits, we can preserve our nation’s rich heritage while also incentivizing the construction of more affordable housing. I’m proud to join Senator Capito in introducing this legislation to bring new life to abandoned buildings and grow the housing stock in in rural communities,” Senator Warner said.

    “Senators Capito and Warner recognize the need to improve the Historic Tax Credit so it can continue to be a cornerstone of redevelopment across the country,” Albert Rex, Chair of the Historic Tax Credit Coalition (HTCC), said. “We appreciate their leadership on this issue and look forward to working with them to ensure that communities in West Virginia and Virginia can have better access to the HTC and more impactful projects can happen there and across the country, especially in rural communities.”

    Companion legislation in the House of Representatives is being led by U.S. Rep. Mike Carey (R-Ohio-15).

    BACKGROUND:

    Currently, many historic tax projects are not economically viable in small and rural areas, giving a disproportionate advantage of the credit to large urban developments. The costs associated with the credit as-is severely limits rural areas, and especially largely rural states like West Virginia, from being able to use the credit to rehabilitate and revitalize historic properties.

    Through improvements to the credit included in the Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act, rural Historic Tax Credit projects will be more financially feasible and will result in a higher number of these projects being completed in rural areas and states.

    The Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act:

    • Makes historic tax credit projects in rural areas eligible for an increased credit from the current 20% to 30%.
    • Includes an additional increase in the credit to 40% for affordable housing creation.

    Allows the credit be used in addition to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC).

    • Allows small rural projects to claim the credit in the first year of use.
    • Allows transferability of the credit to a third-party.
    • Eliminates basis adjustment to simplify credit transaction. 

    This bill is supported by the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, The Historic Tax Credit Coalition, Main Street America, and The National Trust for Historic Preservation.

    Click here to view a one-pager on the bill.

    Click here for full bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Demands Answers from Social Security Administration on Musk and DOGE’s Access to Personal Information

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and a group of her colleagues demanded answers from the Social Security Administration regarding the recent turmoil at the agency as Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) embed themselves and gain access to Wisconsinites most sensitive personal information.

    “Providing access to personally identifiable information on hundreds of millions of Americans stored by SSA to DOGE employees without a legitimate reason, and in apparent disregard for privacy laws, regulations, and procedures, raises serious concerns about the security of that data and what DOGE plans to do with it,” wrote Baldwin and the lawmakers.

    The letter seeks answers from Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek about DOGE’s activities at SSA, including:

    • Whether the Acting Commissioner has disclosed any sensitive personal or financial information to any unauthorized persons outside SSA.
    • Whether DOGE has requested or received access to any SSA system that is used in determining eligibility or benefit amount of Social Security or SSI benefits.
    • Whether DOGE has gained access to SSA databases that include personally identifiable information, wage or tax information, or personal health information.
    • Whether any private or commercial servers been connected or integrated into SSA data systems to review, edit, modify, access, delete, move or otherwise change data.
    • What steps are being taken to prevent DOGE from stopping lawful benefit payments or utilizing personally identifiable information for political purposes.

    Earlier this month, Senator Baldwin called on Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to take immediate actions to secure veterans’ personal information provided by the VA or other agencies from Elon Musk and DOGE.

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

    Acting Commissioner Dudek: 

    We write to express deep concern regarding disturbing reports that the President replaced Social Security Administration (SSA) Acting Commissioner Michelle King for refusing to provide Elon Musk and the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) access to the agency’s most sensitive data without proper documentation, and that you have provided DOGE unfettered access.

    As the central hub for Americans’ most sensitive personal and financial information, and the nation’s largest benefit-paying agency, DOGE’s actions–in seeking access to this information-represent a two-front invasion on Americans’ financial security and privacy.  In response to earlier media reports detailing DOGE’s efforts to access SSA systems, Senator Wyden demanded information from then-Acting Commissioner King to verify these reports and to understand what steps she has taken to protect Americans’ privacy.  In her February 11 response, she wrote that no one affiliated with DOGE had “requested nor received access to the agency’s programmatic systems.”  Further, she stressed that employee access to SSA’s systems is limited to the least privileges necessary to complete job duties, and its systems are continuously monitored to identify suspicious behaviors.

    Stringent privacy laws, regulations, and administrative procedures are in place to protect American’s data, including personally identifiable information, stored and used for legitimate purposes by government agencies. Maybe nowhere is that more important than SSA. For example, the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a, Public Law 93-579), protects Americans against an unwarranted invasion of their privacy related to the disclosure of their personal information. And, in so doing, it requires each federal agency to publish in the Federal Register information related to how and why it is accessing a specific system of records—data that are collected, maintained, used, or disseminated that contain personally identifiable information. To date, no justification has been published related to DOGE actions at SSA or otherwise.  Providing access to personally identifiable information on hundreds of millions of Americans stored by SSA to DOGE employees without a legitimate reason, and in apparent disregard for privacy laws, regulations, and procedures, raises serious concerns about the security of that data and what DOGE plans to do with it.

    We are also concerned that DOGE’s access to these systems has been provided under false pretenses claiming rampant fraud to cut benefits to Americans.  Over the past weekend, Elon Musk repeatedly posted and reposted a false claim that millions of individuals over age 150 are receiving Social Security benefits.  These claims are so easily disproven, and have been repeatedly, that this cannot be a justifiable reason to need complete access to all data housed at SSA.  A simple internet search would show U.S. Census data estimating approximately 80,000 Americans over age 100 living in the United States today, and SSA’s own data shows that roughly 53,000 Americans over age 100 receive Social Security benefits in December 2023. As you know, SSA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) published an audit in 2023 which found that of the 18.9 million individuals over age 100 that did not have death information reported to SSA, almost none currently receive benefit payments or have reported earnings in the past 50 years.  In the same audit, SSA noted that combing through the agency’s records to update the information of these individuals would cost up to $9.7 million, with little benefit to SSA’s administration of the programs. 

    As you know, the information collected and housed at the agency could have significant commercial value, as well as competitive advantage for individuals seeking to use it for financial gain. Likewise, it could be misappropriated to target American citizens and businesses for political or exploitative means. This includes Americans’ Social Security Numbers; bank and credit card information; birth and marriage certificates; pension information; home and work addresses; school records; citizenship status; immigration or naturalization records; IRS earnings records; health care providers’ contact information; family court records; employment and employer records; psychological or psychiatric health records; hospitalization records; addiction treatment; and test for or records of HIV/AIDS. These records are handled by career civil servants under stringent federal and state privacy laws and regulations to protect Americans’ health and financial information.

    As you well know, SSA employs sophisticated systems, processes, and controls to ensure that benefits are paid the correct amount to the correct person. SSA has made great strides in improving its program integrity systems to reduce improper payments and to prevent instances of waste, fraud, or abuse.  While we agree that more can always be done to improve SSA’s process, Musk and DOGE do not appear to be interested in improving the system for Americans.  Rather than working collaboratively with the agency to understand and improve its existing systems, Musk and DOGE have been keener on publicizing misleading or blatantly inaccurate information about Social Security. This raises questions on whether their pursuit of combatting waste, fraud, and abuse is purely performative rather than sincere.

    Moreover, the President’s decision to replace a career SSA official with over three decades of agency experience with an employee with no executive experience will likely trigger a cascade of departures of experienced agency personnel, as former Commissioner O’Malley warned. At a time when the agency’s workforce is at a 50-year low, the potential loss of centuries’ worth of agency experience will risk worsening backlogs, longer wait times, and interruption of benefit payments.  When combined with SSA providing inexperienced individuals unfettered access to the agency’s sensitive systems, there is a profound risk of causing irreparable harm to the agency’s systems and Americans’ financial security.

    Finally, we are also concerned of reports that prior to your appointment as Acting Commissioner, you were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into you sharing sensitive documents with individuals not authorized to access such information, and for harassing and threatening fellow SSA employees to work with DOGE. If accurate, your actions demonstrate a betrayal of trust and your oath of office and may violate federal privacy laws.

    For this reason, we request that you respond to the following questions no later than February 25, 2025:

    1. Have you disclosed any personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), federal tax information (FTI), or other sensitive personal and financial information in any SSA data systems to:
      1. Any SSA personnel or SSA contractors who lacked the appropriate statutory authority to access such information;
      2. Non-SSA federal employees;
      3. Non-SSA federal contractors;
      4. Special Government Employees (SGEs); or
      5. Any other unauthorized persons?
    1. Has DOGE, or any individuals or entities operating under the guise of or direction of DOGE (including such individuals who may have been onboarded to the Agency and received an Agency or Departmental email address) requested or received access to any SSA system that is used in determining eligibility or benefit amount of Social Security or SSI benefits?
      1. If so, who granted such access, to which systems, and for what specific purposes? Please name each system and provide the names of individuals who have been given access to such system.
      2. Under what legal authority did SSA grant such access? Please provide a detailed description of this authority and copies of all communication between individuals associated with the “Department of Government Efficiency” and SSA systems.
      3. For each individual who has been given access to SSA data systems since January 20, 2025, please provide information on:
        1. The agency to which each such individual has been onboarded (or working as a contractor for) and whether an individual who may have been onboarded to a different agency has been given an SSA email address;
        2. Which federal forms each such individual completed relating to background checks (i.e. SF-85, SF-85P, SF 85PS, SF-86);
        3. Whether the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) completed a background check for each such individual;
        4. Whether the individuals have used their data access privileges consistent with any restrictions based on their respective security clearance levels;
        5. What trainings on security, health information privacy, cybersecurity, financial, fraud, or other trainings required of SSA or their contractors these individuals have undertaken and when.
      4. Please provide a list of queries run on each such system by each user, since January 20, 2025, including dates and usernames.
      5. Please provide a thorough accounting of the information each individual reviewed, modified, accessed, deleted, or otherwise edited under such system.
      6. For any information that has been modified, edited, or deleted, please provide an accounting of the variables, entries, and the exact changes made, as well as for what purpose.
      7. Please provide details on any information from any such systems that were downloaded, copied, transferred, or otherwise removed from the Agency. Please specify which data, by what means they were downloaded or transferred, and to whom or what entity.
    1. Has DOGE, or any individuals or entities operating under the direction of DOGE gained access to SSA databases that include personally identifiable information, wage or tax information, or personal health information?
      1. If so, which data have been reviewed, modified, deleted, or otherwise edited or removed, copied, or downloaded or otherwise transferred by these individuals?
      2. Under what legal authority did SSA grant such access? Please provide a detailed description of this authority and copies of all communication between individuals or entities operating under the direction of DOGE and SSA officials related to the granting of this access.
      3. How many individuals does this affect? Have these individuals been notified that their information has been accessed and for what purposes in accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, and Section 1106 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1306)? Please provide documentation.
      4. To the extent personally identifiable information were accessed since January 20, 2025, please provide the System of Record Notice included in the Federal Register reflective of this access.
    1. Have any private or commercial servers been connected or integrated into SSA data systems to review, edit, modify, access, delete, move or otherwise change data?
      1. If so, please explain the origin of such servers and provide documentation related to testing and validating controls to ensure no new vulnerabilities were introduced into SSA data systems upon use.
      2. For any data that were moved to a private or commercial server, please show how that system has been reviewed and is abiding by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) special publication 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations.
      3.  For any data that were moved to a private or commercial server, please provide detailed information related to whether any safe storage standards are being employed.
    1. Attempts to suspend federal payments have been reportedly attempted by individuals or entities operating under the direction of DOGE. We are deeply concerned that DOGE may attempt to stop lawful payments for Social Security and SSI benefit payments, deny benefits to individuals who are perceived to not support President Trump, or otherwise inflict financial harm on individuals.
      1. What steps have been taken to ensure that the data of individuals, beneficiaries, and health care providers are protected from unlawful payment suspensions or data leaks?
      2. What specific steps have been taken to ensure compliance with current laws, guidance, and regulations to ensure that the use of these data will not interfere with timely payments of Social Security and SSI benefits?
      3. What specific steps have been taken to ensure compliance with current laws, guidance, and regulations to ensure that personally identifiable information that is held on SSA systems is not being utilized for politically motivated purposes?

    Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your prompt response.

    Sincerely,

    An online version of this release is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Questions Private Equity Executive Who Helped Bankrupt Steward Hospitals, Feinberg Squirms Without Answers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    February 25, 2025

    Trump Nominee Seeks A Top Pentagon Leadership Role

    Video of Exchange (YouTube)

    Washington, D.C. – At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) questioned Mr. Stephen A. Feinberg, President of Cerberus Capital Management and nominee for Deputy Secretary of Defense, about his troubled private equity history and his qualifications for the job of second-in-command at the Pentagon. 

    Senator Warren called out Mr. Feinberg’s involvement in Steward Health Care, a now-bankrupt hospital system, which once owned 31 hospitals nationwide. In Massachusetts specifically, Mr. Feinberg enriched himself and his investors at the expense of the hospitals, sucking out over $700 million while leaving the hospitals understaffed, underresourced, and severely indebted. In part due to his corporate extraction, the system went bankrupt and, two Massachusetts hospitals shut down for good, leaving Massachusetts communities without access to the care they need. 

    Mr. Feinberg claimed Steward hospitals were doing “well” at the time Cerberus sold the company. However, “[m]any Steward hospitals were financially struggling as Cerberus began to make its exit in 2020,” according to the Private Equity Stakeholder Project. More importantly, before he left, Mr. Feinberg sold the hospitals’ real estate, cashing out the profits but leaving the hospitals with massive liabilities in the form of years of increasing lease payments for the land they used – a key factor in the hospitals’ 2024 bankruptcy.

    Mr. Feinberg claimed he “turned [Steward] around, fixed them, grew them, [and] had a tremendous amount of success.” However, he slashed a full medical center, a primary and specialty care unit, a surgery department, an urgent care department, and a VA Clinic at a Quincy Medical Center, leaving nothing but an emergency room. Additionally, just two years after Cerberus took over Steward, nurses in Massachusetts filed more than 1,000 “unsafe staffing” complaints, a significant increase from previous years.

    Transcript: Hearing to Consider the Nomination of Mr. Stephen A. Feinberg to be Deputy Secretary of Defense
    U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee 
    February 25, 2025 

    Senator Elizabeth Warren: So, Mr. Feinberg, you’ve been nominated to be Deputy Secretary of Defense, in charge of DOD’s $850 billion budget. Your main qualification is that you have built one of the world’s largest private equity companies. You’ve spent your entire career honing the private equity tools used to hollow out businesses, from department stores to veterinary practices. And, presumably, those are the skills that you would bring to the Department of Defense. So, I just want to look at how that’s worked.

    Let’s start with how you treat people. In Massachusetts, in 2010, your private equity firm bought six non-profit hospitals, turned them into for-profit hospitals called Steward. Ten years later you cashed out, having made a profit a little shy of a billion dollars, and leaving behind a hospital system that was staggered under a load of debt and, four years later, collapsed into bankruptcy.

    Now, Mr. Feinberg, when we met in my office, you told me that your private equity outfit made an average 23% annual return each year that you owned our hospitals. If Steward nurses had gotten the same 23% salary increases that your investors effectively got every year, do you know how much they would be paid at the time you sold off your hospitals?  

    Mr. Stephen A. Feinberg, nominee for Deputy Secretary of Defense: Well, I do know that in 2010, the hospitals were going under, and we were asked – 

    Senator Warren: I’m sorry, Mr. Feinberg, we’re going to have very limited time here and I actually want to spend it on your qualifications to do this job. And it’s about how you treat people. The average nurse in the Steward hospitals at the time you bought them made $85,120. 

    At a 23% annual raise, how much money would they be making right now? 

    Mr. Feinberg: I’m not going to do the math, but what I could tell you – 

    Senator Warren: Okay, I’ll do the math for you. $829,828. Now, of course, the nurses didn’t do that well. During that same period of time, Carney Hospital, one of the hospitals you bought in Massachusetts, raised nurse salaries about 1.5% a year – and that was the best increase across the Steward hospitals that you were running. 

    Mr. Feinberg: That’s incorrect. 

    Senator Warren: In other words, you seem to think that when it is time to reorganize a business, that equity should get about fifteen times as much return on their investment as the people who actually do the work.

    So, let’s take a look at the second issue, and that is maintaining critical functions – 

    Mr. Feinberg: Senator, would you like me to respond to Steward? Because a lot of inaccurate statements. 

    Senator Warren: We need to make cuts at the Department of Defense, but we also need to maintain our national security.  

    Chair Wicker: Mr. Feinberg, she’s entitled to make a speech. 

    Mr. Feinberg: I apologize. 

    Chair Wicker: She’s entitled to go on and on. 

    Senator Warren: So let’s go back to Steward Hospitals. Did you cut fat or cut vital functions?  

    Now, Mr. Feinberg, the town of Quincy used to have a full medical center, with primary and specialty care, a surgery department, an urgent care department, and a VA Clinic. That was its basic function. After your private equity company finished with it, what was left?

    Mr. Feinberg: Well, when we exited the investment in 2020, the company was doing well –

    Senator Warren: I’m asking what was left of the Quincy hospital. When you took it over – 

    Chair Wicker: Now, Senator, he’s trying to answer a question. You finally stopped for a breath. 

    Senator Warren: Well, that’s what I’m asking – 

    Chair Wicker: Do you intend to let him at least have maybe 20, 30 seconds to answer a question? 

    Senator Warren: Well, can I have my time back? 

    Chair Wicker: Yes, I said you’re entitled to make a speech, but you stopped for – you stopped with a question mark and he started to try to answer the question. 

    Senator Warren: All right, what’s the answer to the question? What was left of the Quincy hospital? That was my question. 

    Mr. Feinberg: Lots happened after we exited. And there has been mismanagement. We did save – 

    Senator Warren: My clarifying question: what was left when you exited? 

    Mr. Feinberg: I’m not certain about that – 

    Senator Warren: It was an emergency room, and nothing more.  

    Mr. Feinberg: But, but, we took those hospitals from collapse in 2010 – we were going to shut it down as the tenth largest employer in Massachusetts, turned them around, fixed them, grew them, had a tremendous amount of success, worked closely with the governor, and the problems with Steward happened after we exited the investment. 

    Senator Warren: I am asking about questions as you exited and during the period of time you ran it. Now, of course, a hospital is supposed to provide good quality care—and that takes qualified nurses and other staffers. Mr. Feinberg, for the hospitals that didn’t close down, during the time you ran it, do you know how many “unsafe staffing” complaints were filed?

    Mr. Feinberg: I do know the vast majority of problems happened after we left. And by the way, our nurses were among the highest paid in the country.

    Senator Warren: Is that a no, that you don’t know how much? How many “unsafe staffing” complaints were filed? 

    Mr. Feinberg: I don’t know. 

    Senator Warren: Well, let me tell you. There were over a thousand filed, that is five times the normal rate in Massachusetts. 

    Mr. Feinberg: What year was that? 

    Senator Warren: These are the years that you were in control. For the two hospitals – 

    Chair Wicker: Senator Warren, perhaps you would like to take another round?

    Senator Warren: No, I’d like to just finish. I just have a quote. 

    Chair Wicker: Your time is expired, Senator. Your time is expired. 

    Senator Warren: I spent a great deal of that time listening to the Chairman telling me how I have to conduct my questions. 

    Chair Wicker: The senator’s time is expired. 

    Senator Warren: Could I just close? 

    Chair Wicker: Senator Sullivan. 

    Senator Warren: Could I just close, Mr. Chairman? I’d just like to say why I care about this issue. 

    Chair Wicker: The senator’s time has expired. She can have another round.

    MIL OSI USA News –