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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Blasts Trump & Elon for Illegally Paralyzing Lifesaving Research Again, Threatening to Extinguish Ongoing and Groundbreaking Work

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Murray Blasts Trump and Musk Decimating HHS, Risking Americans’ Health and Livelihoods

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee issued the following statement upon learning that Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed National Institutes of Health (NIH) to pause issuance of all awards.

    “The scientists supported by NIH deliver groundbreaking and lifesaving cures that change lives and give patients hope all across this country. I think Americans want to understand: by crushing cancer research, what exactly are Trump and Elon making more efficient? By grinding promising new treatments for cerebral palsy to a halt, what corruption is Elon uncovering? Their game plan here is pretty blatant: gum up the works on the approval process for these grants until the money can’t be spent or entire research programs are forced to shutter.

    “Withholding this funding is illegal—Trump, and Elon are suffocating the work of cancer researchers with so much red tape that labs and clinical trials will be forced to shut down. It is plain to see that Trump and Elon are themselves creating waste, fraud, and abuse by illegally choking off lifesaving research. I am calling on every Member of Congress to join me in demanding that NIH grant funding get out the door immediately—to red and blue states—so that researchers can continue working towards cures and treatments.”

    Last Thursday, HHS issued a directive calling on NIH to pause issuance of all awards. Since then, the agency has again completely stopped issuing grants. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been intentionally delaying the NIH approval process for grants and forcing NIH to cancel study section and Advisory Council meetings. For a research grant application to be approved it must be scored by a study section (a group of independent scientists) first and then approved by the appropriate Institute or Center’s Advisory Council. For either to occur, NIH must announce each of these meetings on the Federal Register. However, since Day 1 of the Trump Administration NIH has been prohibited from posting to the Federal Register. According to analysis in recent reporting, NIH has posted no notices on the Federal Register since Trump’s inauguration—yet during the same period last year there were already more than 150 notices posted by NIH.

    Senator Murray blasted the Trump administration immediately as soon as NIH announced an illegal new cap on the indirect cost rate, amounting to massive indiscriminate cut—pressing Dr. Jay Bhattacharya on the issue, leading Senate Democrats in pushing back, and forcing amendment votes to reverse the illegal Trump policy in the Senate Budget Committee and on the Senate floor. She has also pressed the administration for its arbitrary staffing cuts at HHS, its illegal funding and communications freeze.

    As a longtime appropriator and former Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, Murray has long fought to boost biomedical research, strengthen public health infrastructure, and make health care more affordable and accessible. Over her years as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, she has secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee, she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer, Hoeven Introduce Bill to Help Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Acquire Artifacts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora is slated to open the summer of 2026. To allow the library to acquire personal artifacts from the nation’s 26th president highlighting President Roosevelt’s personal connection to North Dakota, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined U.S. Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in introducing the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Museum Artifacts Act.
    The bill draws on existing law allowing presidential libraries to receive federal funding through the Congressional appropriations process, as well as to receive artifacts from the federal government. It also authorizes funding for the library’s continued construction in Medora, and ensures the preservation of President Roosevelt’s history and legacy.
    “Teddy Roosevelt’s life was so much more than his presidency,” said Cramer. “Our bill will help bring artifacts held by the federal government to Medora. Visitors from around the world will be immersed in the life of our favorite Rough Rider and experience firsthand the Badlands that shaped him.”
    “The legacy of Theodore Roosevelt is inseparable from the history of North Dakota, with his time in the Dakota Territory having fundamentally shaped his perspective and character,” said Hoeven. “Between the Theodore Roosevelt Roosevelt National Park and this new presidential library, our state will honor his life and his lasting contributions to our nation. That’s exactly what we seek to help accomplish through our legislation.”
    Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Combat Intensifying Wildfires and Drought Across the American West

    US Senate News:

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

    February 21, 2025

    Protect the West Act would invest $60 Billion to reduce wildfire risk, restore watersheds, protect communities, and reduce wildfire suppression costs.

    Washington D.C.—U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today he has joined Senate colleagues to reintroduce legislation that would  make a $60 billion investment in forests in Oregon and across the West to lessen wildfire risk, restore watersheds, protect communities, and reduce wildfire suppression costs.

    “With summers getting drier and hotter, the treasured lands in Oregon and the West are a tinderbox waiting to light ablaze,” said Wyden. “In my town halls, I’ve heard countless Oregonians fearing for their health and safety while struggling to maintain their economic livelihood as severe drought and wildfires wreak more havoc on their communities every year. More investments are needed to protect our forests and watersheds so local communities across the West are healthy and can have the opportunity to explore its beautiful natural treasures for generations.”

    America’s forests and public lands are essential infrastructure – supporting a $1.2 trillion outdoor recreation economy and $222 billion agricultural economy. 

    Despite the importance of our forests to our economy, watersheds, and way of life, Washington DC  has failed to adequately invest in them. The federal government spends $2.9 billion to put out wildfires every year, with costs expected to rise to $3.9 billion by 2050. Preventing wildfires before they start saves taxpayers money by reducing response and recovery costs. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that, over the last five years, the U.S. spent nearly $48 billion on wildfires. Barely three months into 2025, annual wildfire costs are already estimated to exceed $250 billion in damages due to the Los Angeles wildfires.

    Specifically, the Protect the West Act would do the following:

    1. Establish an Outdoor Restoration & Watershed Fund to increase support for local efforts to restore forests and watersheds, reduce wildfire risk, clean up public lands, enhance wildlife habitat, remove invasive species, and expand outdoor access;
    1. Establish an advisory council of local, industry, conservation, Tribal, and national experts to advise funding priorities, coordinate with existing regional efforts, and provide oversight;
    1. Empower local leaders by making $20 billion directly available to state and local governments, Tribes, special districts, and nonprofits to support restoration, drought resilience, and fire mitigation projects. These funds would empower local leaders to bring diverse voices to the table to develop solutions;
    1. Partner with states and Tribes to invest $40 billion to tackle the backlog of restoration, fire mitigation, and resilience projects across public, private, and Tribal lands;
    1. Create or sustain more than two million good-paying jobs, primarily in rural areas, to support existing industries like forest product, agriculture, and outdoor recreation; and
    1. Save landowners and local governments money by investing in wildfire prevention and natural hazard mitigation on the front end, which is thirty times more cost-effective than recovering forests and watersheds after natural disasters have struck.

    In addition to Wyden, the legislation was reintroduced by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet, D-Colo., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Ruben Gallego, D-Ari., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and U.S. Representative Jason Crow, D-Colo.

    The bill is supported by The National Wildlife Federation, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, National Association of State Foresters, The Freshwater Trust, American Forests, National Wild Turkey Federation, National Audubon Society, Family Farm Alliance, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Western Landowners Alliance, Western Resource Advocates, Trout Unlimited, and Conservation Legacy.

    The full text of the bill is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Shaheen Offers Dozens of Amendments to Republican Budget Resolution, Forces Vote on her Amendment to Lower Health Care Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Washington, DC) – Last night, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a top member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, offered dozens of amendments to the Republican budget resolution that would have forced the forthcoming reconciliation bill to prioritize lowering costs for American families and businesses, enhancing public safety and strengthening national security, among other important priorities for New Hampshire and the country. Shaheen forced a vote on an amendment that would have supported the provisions of her Health Care Affordability Act to make permanent tax credits that have cut health care costs for 24 million Americans—including nearly 70,000 Granite Staters. Nearly all Senate Republicans rejected including Shaheen’s amendment to make health care more affordable and accessible. 

    “In New Hampshire, we hear every day about people rationing medicines, skipping appointments and delaying care all because of costs. By advancing my amendment to extend tax credits we could have offered a lifeline for millions who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford the care they need, but almost all of my Republican colleagues voted against it,” said Shaheen. “Unfortunately, the budget resolution that the Senate advanced last night does nothing to help working Americans make ends meet. Instead, it paves the way to give tax cuts to the wealthiest while slashing programs families rely on.” 

    Last night, Shaheen raised a vote on one of her amendments that mirrors her Health Care Affordability Act—bicameral legislation she introduced last month that would make permanent the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits for Marketplace coverage. According to the Congressional Budget Office, if the tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of this year, health care premiums would skyrocket and 4 million Americans would lose their health insurance altogether. 

    Below is an overview of the dozens of other amendments Senator Shaheen offered for consideration last night. 

    To help lower everyday costs, Shaheen offered amendments that would have: 

    • Supported housing affordability by preventing construction cost increases due to tariffs and delays and expanding investment in housing development. 
    • Helped households afford groceries, including preventing broad tariffs which would raise the price of food or cuts to food aid for families. 
    • Prevented funding cuts to child care or early childhood education programs helping New Hampshire families. 
    • Supported affordable housing in disaster recovery by rebuilding with resilient and cost-effective methods, especially those that lower home insurance rates. 
    • Lowered sugar prices for American businesses and consumers harmed by the U.S. sugar program. 

    To help make health care more affordable and accessible, Shaheen offered amendments that would have: 

    • Ensured that Medicaid expansion programs aren’t eliminated by drastic cuts to federal funding, including New Hampshire’s Granite Advantage covering more than 60,000 Granite Staters. 
    • Ensured that patients suffering from diabetes do not face unnecessary barriers to care, including access to $35 insulin. 
    • Ensured hospitals and doctors working in rural areas can keep their doors open and continue providing lifesaving care for their patients. 
    • Ensured that our community health centers can continue to provide vital care to their patients. 

    To help enhance public safety and keep families secure, Shaheen offered amendments that would have: 

    • Made investments in the Air Traffic Controller workforce and overturned the reckless firing of hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration personnel critical to aviation safety. 
    • Improved cell service and communications for emergency services along the northern border. 
    • Ensured that DHS has the technology needed to monitor and defend the U.S.-Canada border against the flow of drugs and illegal migration. 
    • Raised pay for U.S. Bureau of Prisons correctional officers in New Hampshire and across the country. 
    • Preserved funding for programs that support survivors of sexual and domestic violence. 
    • Ensured local law enforcement agencies and communities are not left with the bill for unfunded federal mandates. 
    • Prioritized the deportation of undocumented individuals who pose threats to our national security or public safety. 
    • Ensured that increased funding for the DOJ and DHS is focused on stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. 

    To help lower American households’ energy costs, Shaheen offered amendments that would have: 

    • Protected Americans from higher energy costs for gas, heating oil and propane due to broad tariffs. 
    • Protected bipartisan investments that lower energy costs, promote electric grid reliability and improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, including addressing PFAS contamination. 
    • Protected families, farmers and businesses from higher energy costs by ensuring energy saving and renewable energy projects funded by Congress continue. 
    • Prevented Congress from blocking state or local governments from updating their building codes to protect life and property, reduce losses from disasters or lower energy costs for families. 
    • Supported energy efficient building construction and retrofits to lower energy costs and enhance electric grid reliability. 
    • Supported resources that help make home heating more affordable, including energy assistance from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and weatherization. 

    To help bolster America’s national security and support American service members and their families, Shaheen offered amendments that would have: 

    • Supported military service members, veterans and families, including by protecting family members who were recently fired from federal employment solely because they were new to a job. 
    • Replenished the defense industrial base ramping up to support Ukraine. 
    • Replenished the defense industrial base ramping up to support the defense of Taiwan. 
    • Ensured that U.S. continues its commitments to NATO, which supports the collective defense of the United States. 
    • Resumed U.S. foreign assistance that counters Chinese influence. 
    • Ensured that federal employees essential to national security are not impacted by OMB buyout and federal hiring freeze memos. 
    • Required oversight over wasteful spending. 
    • Protected DoD’s policy that ensures service women receive the same coverage for contraception as civilian women. 
    • Ensured that servicewomen, who are stationed in areas without access to reproductive care, through no fault of their own, can be reimbursed for the cost of travel. 
    • Ensured that U.S. farmers do not suffer economic harm due to the freeze on U.S. assistance. 
    • Protected U.S. small businesses and contractors from a pause on U.S. foreign assistance. 

    Additional amendments would have: 

    • Prevented a reduction in postal service for rural America, including by preventing closure of processing centers. 
    • Ensured that Americans are protected against fraud, price gouging and higher rental and housing prices caused by illegal price information sharing. 
    • Supported funding to assist Afghan SIVs and refugee resettlement. 
    • Cut more than $40 billion in wasteful agriculture spending going to large corporate farm operations while preserving benefits to small family farms. 
    • Ensured strong funding for the Northern Border Regional Commission. 
    • Prevented adding $5 trillion of tax cuts to the national debt and raising interest rates when the Federal Government is already paying $1 trillion per year in interest. 
    • Supported screening for Avian Flu both domestically and overseas. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy champions bill to protect investor privacy by prohibiting vulnerable SEC database

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, introduced the Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act. The bill would protect information that could reveal the identity of American investors by prohibiting the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from requiring brokers to submit investors’ personally identifiable information to its Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT).

    Earlier this month, the Trump administration’s SEC issued an order that exempts certain personally identifiable information consisting of investors’ names, addresses and years of birth from CAT reporting. Kennedy’s bill would permanently remove reporting requirements on investors’ personally identifiable information.

    “Americans assume their private information is secure when they invest money in the U.S. stock market. However, the SEC’s unlawful Consolidated Audit Trail could put their data in jeopardy. My bill would protect American investors from foreign enemies and bad actors by preventing the SEC from collecting personal information it doesn’t need and storing it on a dangerous database,” said Kennedy.

    Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) introduced the bill in the House of Representatives.

    “The SEC’s collection of personal financial information through the Consolidated Audit Trail is unconstitutional and entirely unnecessary; and it exposes American investors to serious cybersecurity risks from foreign adversaries and criminal hackers. This is why I developed the Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act in the House. The bill would effectively eliminate the potential for both accidental and intentional breaches by restricting the SEC’s automatic collection of investors’ PII. Among its provisions, the SEC will only be permitted to request this data in cases directly tied to investigating or enforcing violations of federal securities law. I want to thank Senator John Kennedy for introducing the Senate companion to this important bill,” said Loudermilk.

    Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) cosponsored the bill.

    “Investors rely on the SEC to safeguard sensitive financial information. Requiring brokers to submit investors’ private, identifiable information, including social security numbers, into a central database will invite even more attempts to compromise Americans’ data privacy. I am pleased to join my colleagues to reject this ill-advised scheme and protect personal information,” said Boozman.

    “The SEC’s Consolidated Audit Trail database holds millions of Americans’ sensitive financial information. Since taking office, I’ve pushed back against the profound risks the CAT poses to Americans’ individual liberty and personal privacy. The Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act would permanently prohibit the requirement of submitting personal information to the CAT, protecting American investors,” said Britt.

    “Investors put their faith in the U.S. when they choose to invest in our stock market, and they should not have to worry about their personal information being stolen. This bill will increase our cybersecurity and stop the over-collection of unnecessary personal information for the millions of people who trust our stock market system with their savings and their privacy,” said Daines.

    “Protecting the information of American investors helps build trust and security that encourages investments in our markets. As adversaries target Americans’ personal data through cyberattacks, it is important that the SEC only keeps the data it needs instead of housing additional, personal information that could place investors at greater risk,” said Moran.

     “The Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act is a necessary step in protecting the information and identities of American investors. The American people should feel confident that their participation in the stock market does not mean the leaking of their private information,” said Ricketts. 

    The American Securities Association (ASA) supports the Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act.

    “Senator Kennedy is a true champion for the American people and we applaud his bill to stop the federal government from collecting individual investors’ personal and financial information in a national registry, which is a sitting duck for hackers. The SEC can conduct responsible oversight of our equity markets without collecting the most sensitive personal information of working families, retirees, and savers,” said Chris Iacovella, CEO of the ASA.

    The SEC’s CAT became operational on May 31, 2024, making it the largest government database of its kind. The CAT will collect all customer and order information for equity securities and listed options, including data that might be considered personally identifiable information. 

    The SEC is implementing the CAT despite concerns from investor protection groups and the securities industry and in the wake of vulnerabilities that recent cyber-attacks have revealed at federal agencies. 

    Kennedy’s bill would prohibit the SEC from requiring market participants to submit investors’ personally identifiable information to the CAT. Under this legislation, the SEC can obtain personally identifiable information related to investors only by requesting it on a case-by-case basis. Companies and investors trading on the U.S. stock exchanges would need to fulfill the SEC’s request for this information within 24 hours, though additional time may be requested. 

    The bill would also require the SEC to delete personally identifiable information once the agency resolves the investigation or issue that required that information. 

    Text of the Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member Markey, Committee Democrats Condemn Arbitrary Mass Firings at the Small Business Administration, Demand Reinstatement of Employees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Letter Text (PDF)
    Washington (February 21, 2025) – Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) yesterday led Democratic committee members in a letter to Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler demanding answers on the recent arbitrary mass firings by the Trump administration of SBA public servants, including loan and disaster assistance staff and veterans.
    In the letter the lawmakers wrote, “Over the past week, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has taken unprecedented personnel actions that have gutted its civil service workforce around the country. This includes the firing of hundreds of SBA employees serving their probationary work period. Yet, SBA has provided us with no direct information about these terminations, including why they were undertaken, the number and identities of fired employees, or which SBA offices were impacted.”
    The lawmakers continued, “In order to ensure small businesses continue to receive the SBA services they need to thrive, we request the following: First, put an immediate stop to the arbitrary firings of career civil servants and reinstate them immediately, with backpay. Second, have your Deputy Inspector General conduct a thorough review of the SBA’s actions to ensure that any termination was lawful. And third, promptly brief the Committee’s minority staff on SBA’s recent personnel actions and its plan to implement the President’s deferred resignations and RIF executive order.”
    The letter is signed by fellow Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Democrats, Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Republicans Block Markey Amendment to Budget Resolution that Would Extend Alzheimer’s Research Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Watch: Senator Markey Introduces Amendment to Fund Alzheimer’s Research
    Washington (February 21, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), ranking member of the Health Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security and founder and co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s, yesterday introduced an amendment to the Senate’s budget resolution, which would increase funding for Alzheimer’s research amidst cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding. Republicans overwhelmingly voted down the amendment from passing. 
    Below is an excerpt from Senator Markey’s remarks on the Senate floor.
    “Funding for Alzheimer’s research at the NIH is essential. Nearly seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s right now and if nothing changes, fifteen million Americans will have Alzheimer’s by 2050 with a cost of one trillion dollars a year to our health care system. We need to tackle this challenge head on by increasing funding for NIH research for Alzheimer’s. Trump and DOGE have already cut and slowed down NIH research, interfering with our ability to cure this disease. We must guarantee that Alzheimer’s research is protected.”  
    In October 2024, Senators Markey and Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced President Biden signed their bipartisan Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (AAIA) and National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) Reauthorization into law. These bills cement and build on the important progress that has been made to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease.
    Senator Markey is a leader in the fight to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and to support family caregivers. In July 2024, Senator Markey applauded the HELP Committee’s passage of Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2024, which included provisions based on his Respite Care And Resources for Everyone (CARE) Act and Convenient Care for Caregivers Act to expand respite care for family caregivers of older adults that need long-term care, including individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. Earlier that month, Senator Markey unveiled his “Caring for Caregivers” family caregiving agenda, which included his Convenient Care for Caregivers Act to support family caregivers and individuals with Alzheimer’s receiving health care services at the same time and location to improve health outcomes.
    As a member of the House of Representatives, Senator Markey founded the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s to develop a whole-of-government approach to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s. He created the Independence at Home program to provide seniors, including individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementia, the option to receive primary care in their home. Senator Markey authored the bipartisan Spending Reductions Through Innovations in Therapies (SPRINT) Act, which would encourage drug development for high-cost, chronic health conditions such as Alzheimer’s, the Health Outcomes, Planning and Education (HOPE) Act to improve early detection and diagnoses of Alzheimer’s and support caregivers, and the Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Act, which would require the National Institutes of Health (NIH) work to improve treatment outcomes and engage federal agencies in the effort to combat Alzheimer’s.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Demand VA Secretary Reverse Mass Terminations of VA Employees, Put Veterans Above Politics

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Demand VA Secretary Reverse Mass Terminations of VA Employees, Put Veterans Above Politics

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), alongside Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), led a group of 34 Senators calling on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to immediately reinstate the more than 1,000 VA employees terminated last week—essential employees who serve veterans and their families nationwide, including those combatting veteran suicide at the Veterans Crisis Line.
    The Trump Administration’s mass terminations of VA employees, which included numerous veterans and military spouses, comes at a time when the VA faces critical staffing shortages and increased demand for its services, such as urgently needed mental health care to reduce the veteran suicide rate. In addition, many of these terminated employees had exemplary performance records and multiple years of work experience in government service.
    “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,” wrote Senator Reverend Warnock and his colleagues. “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 Senators directly refuted VA Secretary Collins’ vague assurances that these terminations “will not negatively impact VA health care, benefits, or beneficiaries,” by detailing how Trump Administration’s directives to gut VA’s workforce are already negatively impacting veterans:
    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.
    Beyond the obvious harm to veterans, the Senators also underscored how these terminations are a massive waste of taxpayer dollars that have already been spent recruiting, vetting, and training these VA employees: 
    “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,” the Senators continued. “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.”
    The Senators concluded by calling on Secretary Collins to put veterans first and rescind the blanket layoffs of the more than 1,000 VA employees: “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.”
    In addition to Senator Reverend Warnock, the letter was led by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Blumenthal and joined by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennett (D-CO), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Timothy Kaine (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacklyn Rosen (D-NV), Bernard Sanders (D-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
    The full text of the Senators’ 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: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Issues Directive to Prevent the Unfair Exploitation of American Innovation

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    SAFEGUARDING AMERICA’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER ITS ECONOMY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a memorandum to defend American companies and innovators from overseas extortion.
    This Administration will consider responsive actions like tariffs to combat the digital service taxes (DSTs), fines, practices, and policies that foreign governments levy on American companies.
    DSTs allow foreign governments to collect tax revenue from American companies simply because they operate in foreign markets, even though those companies are generally not otherwise subject to foreign jurisdiction.

    President Trump will not allow foreign governments to appropriate America’s tax base for their own benefit.
    This memorandum directs the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to renew the DST investigations under Section 301 that were initiated during President Trump’s first term, and investigate any additional countries that use a DST to discriminate against U.S. companies. 
    The Administration will review whether any act, policy, or practice in the European Union or United Kingdom incentivizes U.S. companies to develop or use products and technology in ways that undermine free speech or foster censorship.
    Foreign governments will invite responsive actions from the Administration if they take steps to coerce U.S. businesses to hand over their intellectual property.
    Regulations that dictate how American companies interact with consumers in the European Union, like the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act, will face scrutiny from the Administration.
    DEFENDING AMERICAN COMPANIES FROM EXTORTION: President Trump’s memorandum unveils a comprehensive approach to ensuring that U.S. products and services are governed by the United States of America, not foreign governments.
    Rather than position their own companies and workers for success, foreign governments have been taxing the success of America’s companies and workers.
    America’s economy will not be a source of revenue for countries that have failed to cultivate economic success of their own.  

    To the detriment of America’s economy, in recent years, a number of our trading partners began enacting DSTs to raise revenue for their own government spending.
    Foreign governments could collect billions in DSTs from U.S. companies annually.

    This exploitation goes beyond DSTs to other forms of unfair fines, practices, and penalties that undermine the ability of American companies to operate as intended and force them to incur additional compliance costs, lowering U.S. global economic competitiveness.
    In terms of GDP, the United States digital economy has been larger than most countries’ entire economy in recent years, including Australia, Canada, and most members of the European Union.
    America’s digital economic dominance is driven by cutting-edge American tech companies, and the American innovation and workers behind them.
    RESTORING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT OF AMERICA: President Donald J. Trump has a track record of protecting American manufacturers and empowering American innovators and workers.
    During his first administration, President Trump initiated Section 301 cases against DSTs and negotiated platinum-standard rules for digital trade with Japan and separately through the USMCA.  
    President Trump demonstrated in his first term that punitive measures like tariffs strengthened the U.S. economy and brought back American industry.
    Just last week, President Trump announced the “Fair and Reciprocal Plan” on trade to restore fairness in U.S. trade relationships and counter non-reciprocal trade agreements.    
    On Day One, President Trump initiated his America First Trade Policy to make America’s economy great again.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Defending American Companies and Innovators From Overseas Extortion and Unfair Fines and Penalties

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    class=”has-text-align-left”>MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
         THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
         THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
         THE SENIOR COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT FOR TRADE
         AND MANUFACTURING
    SUBJECT:       Defending American Companies and Innovators From               Overseas Extortion and Unfair Fines and Penalties      Section 1.  Purpose.  In recent years, the gross domestic product of the United States’ digital economy alone, driven by cutting-edge American technology companies, has been bigger than the entire economy of Australia, Canada, or most members of the European Union.  Instead of empowering their own workers and economies, foreign governments have increasingly exerted extraterritorial authority over American companies, particularly in the technology sector, hindering these companies’ success and appropriating revenues that should contribute to our Nation’s well-being, not theirs.        Beginning in 2019, several trading partners enacted digital services taxes (DSTs) that could cost American companies billions of dollars and that foreign government officials openly admit are designed to plunder American companies.  Foreign countries have additionally adopted regulations governing digital services that are more burdensome and restrictive on United States companies than their own domestic companies.  Additional foreign legal regimes limit cross-border data flows, require American streaming services to fund local productions, and charge network usage and Internet termination fees.  All of these measures violate American sovereignty and offshore American jobs, limit American companies’ global competitiveness, and increase American operational costs while exposing our sensitive information to potentially hostile foreign regulators.      My Administration will not allow American companies and workers and American economic and national security interests to be compromised by one-sided, anti-competitive policies and practices of foreign governments.  American businesses will no longer prop up failed foreign economies through extortive fines and taxes.      Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of my Administration that where a foreign government, through its tax or regulatory structure, imposes a fine, penalty, tax, or other burden that is discriminatory, disproportionate, or designed to transfer significant funds or intellectual property from American companies to the foreign government or the foreign government’s favored domestic entities, my Administration will act, imposing tariffs and taking such other responsive actions necessary to mitigate the harm to the United States and to repair any resulting imbalance.      In taking such responsive action, my Administration shall consider:      (a)  taxes imposed on United States companies by foreign governments, including those that may discriminate against United States companies;      (b)  regulations imposed on United States companies by foreign governments that could inhibit the growth or intended operation of United States companies;      (c)  any act, policy, or practice of a foreign government that could require a United States company to jeopardize its intellectual property; and      (d)  Any other act, policy, or practice of a foreign government that serves to undermine the global competitiveness of United States companies.   
         Sec. 3.  Agency Responsibilities.  (a)  The United States Trade Representative shall determine, in accordance with applicable law, whether to renew investigations under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2411) of the DSTs of France, Austria, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, which were initiated under my Administration on July 16, 2019, and June 5, 2020.  If the United States Trade Representative determines to renew such investigations, he shall take all appropriate and feasible action in response to those DSTs.
         (b)  The United States Trade Representative shall determine, consistent with section 302(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2412(b)) (section 302(b)), whether to investigate the DST of any other country that may discriminate against United States companies or burden or restrict United States commerce.  He shall further determine whether to pursue a panel under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on the DST imposed by Canada and whether to investigate Canada’s DST under section 302(b).  In making these determinations, the United States Trade Representative shall consult with the Secretary of the Treasury, as appropriate.      (c)  The Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative shall jointly identify trade and other regulatory practices by other countries, including, without limitation, those described in section 2 of this memorandum, that discriminate against, disproportionately affect, or otherwise undermine the global competitiveness or intended operation of United States companies, in the digital economy and more generally, and recommend to me appropriate actions to counter such practices under applicable authorities.  The United States Trade Representative shall include the results of this review as part of the report required in section 5(c) of the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025 (America First Trade Policy) (America First Trade Policy Memorandum).      (d)  The Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative shall investigate whether any act, policy, or practice of any country in the European Union or the United Kingdom has the effect of requiring or incentivizing the use or development of United States companies’ products or services in ways that undermine freedom of speech and political engagement or otherwise moderate content, and recommend appropriate actions to counter such practices under applicable authorities.  The United States Trade Representative shall include the results of this review as part of the report required in section 5(c) of the America First Trade Policy Memorandum.      (e)  The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative, shall determine whether any foreign country subjects United States citizens or companies, including, without limitation, in the digital economy, to discriminatory or extraterritorial taxes, or has any tax measure in place that otherwise undermines the global competitiveness of United States companies, is inconsistent with any tax treaty of the United States, or is otherwise actionable under section 891 of title 26, United States Code, or other tax-related legal authority.  The Secretary of the Treasury shall include the results of this determination as part of the report required in section 2 of the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025 (The Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) Global Tax Deal).      (f)  The United States Trade Representative shall identify tools the United States can use to secure among trading partners a permanent moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions.  The United States Trade Representative shall include the results of this review as part of the report required in section 5(c) of the America First Trade Policy Memorandum.      (g)  The United States Trade Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the Senior Counselor to the President for Trade and Manufacturing, shall establish a process that allows American businesses to report to the United States Trade Representative foreign tax or regulatory practices that disproportionately harm United States companies.      Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:           (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or           (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.      (b)  This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.      (c)  This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
         (d)  The United States Trade Representative is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Helps Introduce Legislation to Reaffirm Access to Legal Counsel During Immigration Proceedings

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) helped introduce the Access to Counsel Act to protect permanent residents’ access to legal counsel when facing immigration proceedings. This bill would ensure that U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other individuals with legal status can consult with an attorney, relative, or other interested parties to seek assistance if they are detained by Customs and Border Protection for more than an hour at ports of entry, including airports.
    “As the Trump Administration continues to pursue extreme immigration policies that hurt our communities, it is clear that Congress needs to take action to protect the rights of individuals who are legally in the United States,” said Senator Rosen. “This legislation will ensure that people with legal status, including permanent residents and citizens can’t be unjustly detained without access to a lawyer or trusted contact.”
    Senator Rosen has been clear in her support for securing the border and making sure the asylum process is humane and orderly. She has also been outspoken in opposing mass deportation, and strongly supporting DACA and TPS recipients and their families. She condemned the Trump Administration’s decision to revoke a previously authorized TPS extension for Venezuelans and released a statement condemning President Trump’s unconstitutional attempt to end birthright citizenship. She has raised concerns over the significant application delays impacting DACA recipients, and gave a floor speech urging her Senate colleagues to take immediate action to permanently protect Dreamers, while simultaneously continuing to work to pass comprehensive immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Demands Answers On Closure Of Social Security Administration Office In White Plains

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Thousands of Social Security Cases are Still Pending for Hudson Valley Residents

    Closure of the White Plains SSA Hearing Office will Require Beneficiaries to Travel More Than 20 Miles to be Serviced by a Nearby Office

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand sent a letter to Michelle King, the Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), requesting answers on the scheduled closure of the White Plains, New York hearing office on May 31, 2025. The White Plains hearing office is the only location in the seven-county Hudson Valley region. The closure of the office was announced with no plans to open an alternative location, approximately 2,000 cases currently pending, and individuals waiting nearly eight months for a redetermination hearing.

    The letter requests answers on how the SSA plans to address the office closure impact on the already long hearing wait times and how the SSA plans to facilitate case hearings and services for those who lack dependable internet access and personal transportation. The letter also expresses concern for the public servants affected by the closure at a time of unrelenting attacks on the federal workforce by the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk.

    The senator noted that “Access to SSA’s hearing offices is critical for those who were denied eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Initial denials occur fairly frequently in the disability determination process, with many individuals receiving an initial denial and ultimately receiving approval for benefits.”

    She continued, “Maintaining and improving the services that SSA offers to the public is essential to ensuring that Americans can access their earned benefits. Over the past decade, SSA has faced stagnant budgets and an increasing workload, while it has also closed field offices and seen the deterioration of in-person and phone services and shifting more interactions online. Specifically, since 2010, SSA’s customer service budget has fallen 17 percent (adjusted for inflation) and staffing at SSA is at a 25-year low. Despite this and despite pleas from Democrats in the House and Senate, Republicans have resisted increases to SSA’s operational budget, and have in fact, suggested cuts.”

    A full copy of the letter can be found here and below:

    Dear Acting Commissioner King,

    I am writing to express my concern regarding reports that the Social Security Administration (SSA) will be closing the White Plains, New York, hearing office on May 31, 2025, with no plans to open an alternative location.

    The White Plains hearing office is located in Westchester County and provides services to constituents in seven counties, including Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, and Sullivan counties. As the only hearing office in the lower Hudson Valley region, its closure will negatively impact thousands of constituents who reside in these seven counties. If SSA does not open an alternative site, beneficiaries will be required to travel between 24 and 135 miles to be serviced by the closest offices in New York City, Albany, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Travel by private vehicle or public transportation to any of these alternative locations would pose greater hardship for constituents, while also significantly increasing the costs and time associated with travel.

    To date, the White Plains office has approximately 2,000 cases pending, with individuals waiting almost eight months for a redetermination hearing. Access to SSA’s hearing offices is critical for those who were denied eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Initial denials occur fairly frequently in the disability determination process, with many individuals receiving an initial denial and ultimately receiving approval for benefits.

    Apart from the impact that this closure will have on those who are serviced by the White Plains office, I am also concerned about the employees who work at this location. At a time when President Trump is trying to gut the federal workforce, this closure would affect the staff who strive every day to provide the American people with high-quality service.

    Maintaining and improving the services that SSA offers to the public is essential to ensuring that Americans can access their earned benefits. Over the past decade, SSA has faced stagnant budgets and an increasing workload, while it has also closed field offices and seen the deterioration of in-person and phone services and shifting more interactions online. Specifically, since 2010, SSA’s customer service budget has fallen 17 percent (adjusted for inflation) and staffing at SSA is at a 25-year low. Despite this and despite pleas from Democrats in the House and Senate, Republicans have resisted increases to SSA’s operational budget, and have in fact, suggested cuts. Current estimates indicate that if SSA funding is cut back below 2022 levels, the agency will be forced to lay off additional staff and add to an already large backlog. Former Commissioner Martin O’Malley worked to rectify the issues at SSA, but change cannot be achieved overnight, and further cuts to staff and services endanger SSA and benefit delivery further.

    Therefore, I urge you to consider securing an alternative hearing office location in the lower Hudson Valley and request a written response by March 3, 2025, to address the following questions and concerns:

    1.         Individuals are already waiting almost eight months for a hearing in the White Plains office. How will this closure impact wait times? What steps is the Administration taking to reduce wait times?

    2.         Given that many constituents who have open cases lack dependable internet access and are without dependable personal transportation, how will SSA facilitate hearings and related services for these constituents?

    3.         SSA already operates local field offices in Middletown, Orange County; Monticello, Sullivan County; New Rochelle and Peekskill, Westchester County; Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County; and West Nyack, Rockland County. Would SSA provide accommodations to allow constituents to participate in hearings at their closest local field office or another remote site in the lower Hudson Valley? What additional resources or funding would be needed to secure an alternative site for SSA hearings in the region?

    4.         Please share how the decision to close the White Plains hearing office was made. Did the Administration’s directive to the General Services Administration to revoke all leases for federal offices nationwide have an impact on SSA’s decision to close the White Plains hearing office? Does the Administration have plans to close additional SSA offices? 

    Sincerely,

    Kirsten Gillibrand

    United States Senator

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, Moran Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Care Coordination for Veterans Using Both VA Health Care and Medicare

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), a member and chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) respectively, are introducing legislation to better coordinate and manage health care for veterans who are enrolled in both Medicare and the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) health care system. The Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act would create a three-year pilot program where veterans who are enrolled in both Medicare and VA health care would be assigned a case manager to help them develop individualized care plans and manage the delivery of health care services in an effort to increase access to care, eliminate duplication of services, improve quality of care and lower expenses for taxpayers.

    “Our veterans gave their very best while serving and they deserve that same focus in return long after they’ve hung up the uniform,” said Senator King. “Navigating the VA health care system is already challenging enough, but for veterans who also receive benefits through Medicare, it can be extra difficult to navigate between the two providers — both for veterans and caregivers. The bipartisan Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act will work to seamlessly merge and coordinate care between the VA and Medicare, helping to connect the dots for former servicemembers, eliminate duplicative services and lower costs for taxpayers. It’s a win-win across the board.”

    “Helping veterans, as well as their caregivers and providers, understand and navigate both Medicare and VA health care will eliminate gaps in care, improve outcomes and quality and lower expenses for taxpayers,” said Sen. Moran. “The Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act helps make certain veterans can fully use the care they have qualified for and earned through their service. I am grateful to Sen. King for co-leading this bill and our veterans service organization partners for their support.”

    “Wounded Warrior Project is pleased to support the Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Access Act,” said Jose Ramos, Vice President for Government and Community Relations for the Wounded Warrior Project. “Innovative pilot programs like the one envisioned by this bill help us better understand what’s possible in our effort to improve the systems of care that support our nation’s heroes.? With better case coordination and health care outcomes as the goal, this pilot program can help younger veterans who use Medicare earlier in life because of catastrophic injuries from military service.? We thank Senators Moran and King for their vision and leadership on this issue and urge Congress to pass this important legislation.”

    “Many veterans with disabilities rely on both VA health care and Medicare to meet their healthcare needs,” said Heather Ansley, Chief Policy Officer of Paralyzed Veterans of America. “This can lead to a duplication of care, poor coordination of services, higher costs; and in the worst of cases, endangers the health and wellbeing of the veteran. PVA supports the Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act, which tests VA’s ability to coordinate and manage care and benefits between these two systems for covered veterans.”

    “AMVETS proudly endorses the Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act,” said Joe Chenelly, the National Executive Director of AMVETS. “Ensuring easy access to healthcare services and seamless system interoperability is essential for all veterans.”

    “We hear from caregivers every day who struggle to navigate the complex system of available VA services on behalf of their loved ones,” said Steve Schwab, Chief Executive Officer of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. “Too often, this means that the veteran is unable to access needed care, and the caregiver suffers added stress, anxiety, and frustration. Therefore, we are very pleased that Chairman Moran and Senator King are joining together to re-introduce the Coordinating Care for Senior Veterans and Wounded Warriors Act to help these especially vulnerable veterans and their families connect to vital programs.”

    Representing one of the states with the highest rates of military families and veterans per capita, Senator King has been a staunch advocate for America’s servicemembers and veterans. Last year, the Wounded Warrior Project named Senator King the Legislator of the Year Award for “outstanding legislative effort and achievement to improve the lives of the wounded, ill, and injured veterans.” Earlier this week, in a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins, Senator King joined his colleagues in urging for immediate action to secure veterans’ personal information provided by VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), a measure that would protect millions of veterans’ medical records stored in VA’s computer systems. Previously, Senator King introduced the Lethal Means Safe Storage for Veteran Suicide Prevention Act to provide firearm storage to veterans in an effort to reduce suicides among the veteran population. Senator King also cosponsored legislation to ensure military families have access to critical health care during pregnancy, rather than waiting until after childbirth to increase their coverage. In addition, he helped pass the Veterans COLA Act, which increased benefits for 30,000 Maine veterans and their families.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine Slam GOP Budget Resolution to Cut Taxes for Ultra Rich, Cut Programs Virginia Families Depend On

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA), both members of the Senate Budget Committee, issued a statement after the Republican-led Senate voted to move a budget plan that will cut resources for programs everyday Virginians rely on in order to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans:

    “As prices continue to rise, instead of focusing on finding ways to lower costs and cut taxes for the middle-class, Republicans in Washington are focused on cutting taxes for the wealthy at the expense of American families, seniors, veterans and students. In order to pay for Donald Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax cut, the benefits of which will largely flow to billionaires like Elon Musk, Republicans will have to gut vital programs that working- and middle-class Americans rely on, including health care, education, housing, and more. If Republicans continue to move forward with this short-sighted proposal, make no mistake: American families will be paying the price.”

    Warner and Kaine filed a series of amendments to the Republican proposal that would have protected Virginia families against cuts to vital health, education and safety programs and held the Trump administration accountable for its assault on a responsive, accountable government, but Republicans refused to incorporate them.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Virginia Lawmakers to Trump Administration: Reverse Park Service Staffing Cuts

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott, Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer, Jennifer McClellan, Suhas Subramanyam and Eugene Vindman (all D-VA) pushed the Trump administration to reverse staffing cuts at the National Park Service (NPS), outlining the effect directives to eliminate employees and rescind and delay job offers will have on safety at Virginia’s 22 national park units, which serve 22 million visitors and contribute $1.5 billion to local economies each year.

    “We write today to express our deep concern over alarming directives issued to eliminate roughly one thousand full-time employees, rescind hundreds of offers for full-time positions, and delay thousands of offers for seasonal positions at the National Park Service (NPS). These roles are critical to protecting America’s treasured natural assets, maintaining public safety, and promoting exceptional standards expected at national parks across Virginia and the nation,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “We urge you to reverse these directives and prevent additional cuts to existing staffing going forward given the critical role that the vast majority of NPS staff play in ensuring public safety. If these directives are not reversed, we fear it will significantly undermine the Park Service’s ability to protect both visitors and park resources, particularly as we approach peak visitation season.”

    The NPS  workforce plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of our nation’s parks and the safety of the millions of visitors who explore them each year, and are also responsible for protecting the priceless natural, historic, and cultural resources that belong to the American people. However, recent staffing directives from the Trump administration – which included the dismissal of probationary employees and the rescinding of job offers at NPS with no input from park superintendents – are expected to make it significantly more difficult for NPS to carry out its mission, especially as peak visitor season approaches. Staff positions affected by the administration’s unilateral staffing directives include frontline park rangers responsible for ensuring visitor safety and protecting park assets, maintenance staff tasked with addressing the deferred maintenance backlog and reducing the risk of wildland fires, and support staff responsible for raising revenue for NPS through fee collections.

    “It has been reported that the only exemptions offered were for positions that respond to public safety incidents, including law enforcement rangers, public safety dispatchers, and wildland firefighters. However, public safety response is just part of the work that goes into protecting the public,” wrote the lawmakers. “Countless other positions from rangers to natural resource specialists to wastewater specialists to maintenance mechanics that are not covered under the exemptions have wide-ranging responsibilities for preventing public safety incidents in the first place. Eliminating these positions put our parks at greater risk of damage and make them less safe for visitors. We are particularly concerned about reports that NPS rescinded offers for positions directly responsible for fire safety at Shenandoah National Park – coinciding with the start of wildfire season.”

     

    Continued the members, “While it is encouraging that NPS recently walked back its decision to rescind offers for nearly 5,000 seasonal positions, park superintendents have received no guidance as to the next steps they can take to move forward with seasonal hiring. The late winter and early spring months are critical for ramping up seasonal staff in preparation for the summer visitation surge. Without clear guidance for superintendents on seasonal hiring, the continued delay in hiring could jeopardize the ability of these parks to safely accommodate millions of visitors this summer.”

    In the letter, the Virginia lawmakers also noted that the staffing directives threaten to undermine the progress Congress has made in recent years to invest in repairing and restoring our national parks.

    “For over one hundred years, NPS has been charged with safeguarding millions of acres of America’s irreplaceable natural, historic, and cultural resources. However, persistent underfunding of NPS resulted in the Service’s inability to properly staff park units and the growth of a multi-billion-dollar backlog of deferred maintenance projects. In recognition of the worsening situation at our national parks, bipartisan majorities in Congress passed and President Trump signed into law the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 (GAOA), one of the largest ever investments in conservation and public lands in our nation’s history. The GAOA gave NPS the resources it needed to dedicate billions of dollars for addressing deferred maintenance across the country, including over $470 million for projects in Virginia. As a result of these staffing directives, units will be forced to reallocate remaining staff to support regular operations at the expense of staff hours dedicated to reducing the deferred maintenance backlog,” they wrote.

    Concluded the lawmakers, “Significant disruptions to NPS staffing during the critical months prior to peak season threaten to harm the tourism economy associated with Virginia’s national parks that supports hundreds of small businesses and thousands of jobs. We urge you to swiftly reverse these directives and communicate clear guidance to park superintendents to ensure that NPS units in Virginia and across the country can move forward with hiring both seasonal and permanent positions that are critical to ensuring the safety of millions of park-goers.”

    A copy of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Republicans Block Booker-Duckworth Amendment to Help Make IVF More Affordable for Middle-Class Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite claiming to support IVF, Senate Republicans blocked an amendment led by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) from being included in the Senate’s budget proposal that would mirror their Right to IVF Act and help lower the costs of IVF treatment for the millions of middle-class Americans who need it to have children. This comes days after President Donald Trump signed an overly vague, toothless executive order requesting policy recommendations to ensure reliable access to IVF as Republicans continue to claim to support IVF treatment nationwide.

    “My Republican colleagues once again had the opportunity to recommit to protecting reproductive freedoms and Americans’ right to make their own medical decisions,” said Senator Booker. “Unfortunately, they voted against making IVF treatments more affordable for the thousands of families across our country who depend on it to start and grow their families.”

    “Tonight, Senate Republicans once again had a chance to put up or shut up and prove that their self-proclaimed support for IVF is more than just lip service,” said Senator Duckworth. “Instead, they voted to block our amendment that would help lower costs for middle-class Americans who depend on it to build their families—after blocking our Right to IVF Act twice last year. So let there be no confusion: Senate Republicans may claim they support IVF, but their actions speak louder than words.”

    Booker’s Right to IVF Act—co-led by Duckworth and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)—is comprehensive legislation that would establish a right to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology (ART), expand access for hopeful parents, Veterans and federal employees and help lower the costs of IVF for middle class families across the country. Despite many of them publicly claiming to support IVF for the millions of Americans who rely on it to build their families, nearly every Senate Republican voted against the bill in June and again in September last year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Meets with Secretary of the Air Force Nominee Troy Meink

    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 met with President Donald J. Trump’s nominee to be the 27th Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. Troy Meink.

    In the meeting, Chairman Wicker and Dr. Meink discussed challenges and opportunities in the future Air Force fleet structure, including sixth-generation aircraft, unmanned systems, and American dominance in space.

    “It was good to meet with President Trump’s choice to lead the Department of the Air Force. We have a lot of work to do to ensure that the Air and Space Forces own the skies and stars, including standing up the Next-Generation Air Dominance Fighter (NGAD), accelerating the procurement of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), preserving existing and effective Air Force fighters, and constructing platforms that will be critical to a future national missile defense system. I appreciated Dr. Meink’s perspective on these and other issues,” said Chairman Wicker. “Dr. Meink also understands that air and space power are essential to America’s military rebuild under President Trump. I look forward to leading his confirmation hearing.”

    Troy Meink recently served as the Principal Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office. He was previously the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space.

    Read more about Senator Wicker’s vision for the Air Force here and here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Wicker Statement on Pentagon Budget Reallocations

    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, released the following statement in response to reports about a potential 8 percent “cut” to defense spending directed by the Secretary of Defense:

    “The Biden administration sent Congress four consecutive budgets with military cuts. It aggressively opposed bipartisan attempts to increase defense spending. On the way out the door, the Biden administration found religion and increased the 051 DOD request from $850 billion in FY25 to $926.5 billion in FY26.”

    “Secretary Hegseth’s memo merely re-starts that process, allowing the new administration to review the entire budget. This process will enable the Secretary to offset needless and distracting programs – such as those focused on climate change and DEI – and direct focus on important warfighting priorities shared by the Congress. Moreover, the Biden administration ran a similar review for the FY22 process four years ago.”

    “I have spoken with President Trump repeatedly, and he intends to deliver a desperately needed military rebuild and Pentagon reform agenda. This agenda requires significant real growth in the defense topline through the combination of reconciliation and annual spending.”

    “As I have said before, the Department of Defense desperately needs to re-arm and reform simultaneously. New growth in defense spending should be allocated strategically, as I outline in my document, 21st Century Peace Through Strength. And it must be paired with common-sense reforms, as I offer in another report called Restoring Freedom’s Forge. The Senate Armed Services Committee will work aggressively to achieve both goals in 2025.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Votes to Promote Prosperity, Make America Safe Again

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    February 21, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) released the following statement after voting in support of the budget resolution.

    “Under President Biden’s failed leadership, hardworking families across Wyoming shelled out more of their hard-earned money than ever to keep up with record-breaking inflation and watched as Biden’s policies jeopardized our national security,” said Lummis. “This budget resolution isn’t perfect, but it is a first step towards securing our southern border, making our military strong again, and unleashing American energy. President Trump promised to deliver peace through strength, and we are ensuring he has the resources necessary to put hardworking Wyoming families first. This first step will be followed by making tax cuts permanent, cutting wasteful spending, and growing our economy.”

    Sen. Lummis also filed several amendments to address some of her key priorities:

    • Protecting traditional energy sources and grid reliability 
    • Addressing rising domestic energy consumption 
    • Enhancing forest management and wildfire prevention 
    • Streamlining federal permitting processes 
    • Strengthening multiple-use management of public lands 
    • Modernizing Endangered Species Act implementation 
    • Delisting the Greater Yellowstone grizzly bear and returning management to states

    The amendments include deficit-neutral reserve funds that would allow for legislation on these issues through fiscal year 2034. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis, Colleagues Seek Clarification from SEC on Digital Asset ETP Staking Restrictions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Chair of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets, joined by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Steve Daines (R-MT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Bernie Moreno (R-OH), sent a bipartisan letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requesting clarification of the agency’s position regarding protocol staking in digital asset exchange traded products (ETPs).

    “The current lack of availability of protocol staking for these issuers significantly impacts the investment potential of digital asset ETPs in the U.S. and challenges the competitive positioning of U.S. asset managers in the global market,” the senators wrote. “ETPs in Canada and Europe do not prohibit protocol staking. By not permitting certain digital asset ETP issuers to include protocol staking in their S-1 filings, the SEC is undermining the consensus mechanisms underpinning certain digital assets, weakening the resilience and integrity of the data stored on certain distributed ledgers.”

    The letter requests specific answers from the SEC regarding:

    • The analysis used to restrict protocol staking from certain S-1 filings 
    • Identified opportunities and risks associated with protocol staking 
    • The rationale for prohibiting staking within securities instruments 

    The letter requests a response from the SEC by March 21, 2025.

    The full text of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Punchbowl News: Can Senate Republicans pull off permanent tax cuts?

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    February 20, 2025

    President Donald Trump dealt Senate Republicans a blow Wednesday in the seemingly never-ending struggle over how to move his agenda on Capitol Hill. Trump sided with the House GOP’s reconciliation roadmap right as the Senate began floor consideration of its own plan.

    However Congress decides to package top GOP priorities — one bill, two bills — Senate Republicans are gearing up for an arguably more consequential fight on the substance of the legislation.

    Senate GOP leaders have drawn a red line on the need to make the expiring 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent. That’s not feasible under the House’s budget resolution, which would give the tax committees $4.5 trillion of room for tax cuts.

    It doesn’t include a “current policy baseline,” which Republicans view as the only realistic way to make the Trump tax cuts permanent. This scoring method would consider extensions of existing tax policy cost-free and get around Senate reconciliation rules that otherwise end up requiring big offsets down the line.

    So can Senate Republicans secure that victory?

    …

    Read the full article here.

    By:  Laura Weiss, Samantha Handler
    Source: Punchbowl News

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Variety: Disney-Fubo Deal Raises Antitrust Concerns, Senator Says

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    February 20, 2025

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren has urged the Justice Department to carefully scrutinize Disney‘s deal to acquire a controlling stake in Fubo, saying the consolidation presents antitrust concerns.

    Disney announced in January that it would merge its Hulu + Live TV service with Fubo and take 70% ownership of the combined company. A few days later, Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery dropped their plans to launch Venu Sports, a combined streaming service.

    In a letter to the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, Warren argued that the Disney-Fubo deal allows the company to “gobble up a competitor” and could lead to higher prices.

    “This proposed acquisition raises significant concerns under antitrust law, would give Disney increased market power and incentives to increase costs for viewers, and should be regarded as another data point in Disney’s history of anticompetitive behavior,” Warren wrote.

    …

    Read the full article here.

    By:  Gene Maddaus
    Source: Variety

    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Reintroduces Legislation to Advance Establishment of Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    02.21.25

    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.) today reintroduced his legislation to support the establishment of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. Hoeven’s bipartisan bill, which is cosponsored by Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), would:

    • Authorize the Department of the Interior to provide grants to establish the presidential library and support the display of materials.
      • This legislation follows the model of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, located in Springfield, Ill., which authorized the use of materials and objects relating to Abraham Lincoln, as well as $50 million over five years for its establishment under fiscal year (FY) 2001 appropriations legislation.
    • Require the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation to utilize non-federal funds to provide a 2:1 match for each federal grant awarded.
    • Prohibit the use of federal grants for maintenance or operations of the interpretive center.

    Hoeven previously secured the bill’s passage by the U.S. Senate during the 118th Congress, and the senator is reintroducing the legislation as the House did not act on the bill prior to the end of the last Congress.

    “The legacy of Theodore Roosevelt is inseparable from the history of North Dakota, with his time in the Dakota Territory having fundamentally shaped his perspective and character,” said Senator Hoeven. “Between the Theodore Roosevelt National Park and this new presidential library, our state will honor his life and his lasting contributions to our nation. That’s exactly what we seek to help accomplish through our legislation.”

    “Teddy Roosevelt’s life was so much more than his presidency,” said Senator Cramer. “Our bill will help bring artifacts held by the federal government to Medora. Visitors from around the world will be immersed in the life of our favorite Rough Rider and experience firsthand the Badlands that shaped him.”

    The bill comes as part of Hoeven’s efforts to support the establishment of the presidential library, having worked as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee to:

    • Sponsor and successfully pass legislation enabling the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation to purchase U.S. Forest Service land in Billings County to construct a library and museum honoring the life and legacy of President Teddy Roosevelt. 
    • Secure legislation in the Interior appropriations bill to support loans of historic artifacts for display at the library.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Virginia Lawmakers to Interior Dept: Reverse Park Service Staffing Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine and U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott, Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer, Jennifer McClellan, Suhas Subramanyam and Eugene Vindman (all D-VA) pushed the Trump administration to reverse staffing cuts at the National Park Service (NPS), outlining the effect directives to eliminate employees and rescind and delay job offers will have on safety at Virginia’s 22 national park units, which serve 22 million visitors and contribute $1.5 billion to local economies each year.
    “We write today to express our deep concern over alarming directives issued to eliminate roughly one thousand full-time employees, rescind hundreds of offers for full-time positions, and delay thousands of offers for seasonal positions at the National Park Service (NPS). These roles are critical to protecting America’s treasured natural assets, maintaining public safety, and promoting exceptional standards expected at national parks across Virginia and the nation,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “We urge you to reverse these directives and prevent additional cuts to existing staffing going forward given the critical role that the vast majority of NPS staff play in ensuring public safety. If these directives are not reversed, we fear it will significantly undermine the Park Service’s ability to protect both visitors and park resources, particularly as we approach peak visitation season.”
    The NPS workforce plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of our nation’s parks and the safety of the millions of visitors who explore them each year, and are also responsible for protecting the priceless natural, historic, and cultural resources that belong to the American people. However, recent staffing directives from the Trump administration – which included the dismissal of probationary employees and the rescinding of job offers at NPS with no input from park superintendents – are expected to make it significantly more difficult for NPS to carry out its mission, especially as peak visitor season approaches. Staff positions affected by the administration’s unilateral staffing directives include frontline park rangers responsible for ensuring visitor safety and protecting park assets, maintenance staff tasked with addressing the deferred maintenance backlog and reducing the risk of wildland fires, and support staff responsible for raising revenue for NPS through fee collections.
    “It has been reported that the only exemptions offered were for positions that respond to public safety incidents, including law enforcement rangers, public safety dispatchers, and wildland firefighters. However, public safety response is just part of the work that goes into protecting the public,” wrote the lawmakers. “Countless other positions from rangers to natural resource specialists to wastewater specialists to maintenance mechanics that are not covered under the exemptions have wide-ranging responsibilities for preventing public safety incidents in the first place. Eliminating these positions put our parks at greater risk of damage and make them less safe for visitors. We are particularly concerned about reports that NPS rescinded offers for positions directly responsible for fire safety at Shenandoah National Park – coinciding with the start of wildfire season.”
    Continued the members, “While it is encouraging that NPS recently walked back its decision to rescind offers for nearly 5,000 seasonal positions, park superintendents have received no guidance as to the next steps they can take to move forward with seasonal hiring. The late winter and early spring months are critical for ramping up seasonal staff in preparation for the summer visitation surge. Without clear guidance for superintendents on seasonal hiring, the continued delay in hiring could jeopardize the ability of these parks to safely accommodate millions of visitors this summer.”
    In the letter, the Virginia lawmakers also noted that the staffing directives threaten to undermine the progress Congress has made in recent years to invest in repairing and restoring our national parks.
    “For over one hundred years, NPS has been charged with safeguarding millions of acres of America’s irreplaceable natural, historic, and cultural resources. However, persistent underfunding of NPS resulted in the Service’s inability to properly staff park units and the growth of a multi-billion-dollar backlog of deferred maintenance projects. In recognition of the worsening situation at our national parks, bipartisan majorities in Congress passed and President Trump signed into law the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 (GAOA), one of the largest ever investments in conservation and public lands in our nation’s history. The GAOA gave NPS the resources it needed to dedicate billions of dollars for addressing deferred maintenance across the country, including over $470 million for projects in Virginia. As a result of these staffing directives, units will be forced to reallocate remaining staff to support regular operations at the expense of staff hours dedicated to reducing the deferred maintenance backlog,” they wrote.
    Concluded the lawmakers, “Significant disruptions to NPS staffing during the critical months prior to peak season threaten to harm the tourism economy associated with Virginia’s national parks that supports hundreds of small businesses and thousands of jobs. We urge you to swiftly reverse these directives and communicate clear guidance to park superintendents to ensure that NPS units in Virginia and across the country can move forward with hiring both seasonal and permanent positions that are critical to ensuring the safety of millions of park-goers.”
    A copy of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: With Trillions at Stake and People’s Health Care on the Line, Reed Seeks to Ensure Budget Blueprint Protects Medicaid, Medicare & Working Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC — With Republicans looking to pass a party-line budget resolution package that would mean higher costs, less help for working families and seniors, and a $4.6 trillion tax windfall for the wealthy, the U.S. Senate is undertaking an all-night ‘vote-a-rama’ session to consider a range of Democratic amendments. 

    U.S. Senator Jack Reed is leading consideration of a key amendment to protect Medicare and Medicaid.  Reed took to the floor this evening to offer an amendment that would simply prevent any cuts to Medicare and Medicaid — something President Trump once promised. 

    “Medicare serves 67 million seniors and people with disabilities and nearly 80 million Americans rely on Medicaid.  Cutting these vital health programs was never a budget solution on the campaign trail.  Putting them on the chopping block now is a betrayal that would shift higher costs to families, states, and health systems that can least afford it. I urge my Republican colleagues to keep their word and join Democrats in protecting Medicare and Medicaid for all Americans,” said Senator Reed.

    Senate Republicans currently hold 53 seats and only require a simple majority to adopt their fiscal 2025 blueprint, which would trigger a process known as reconciliation, which cannot be filibustered under the Senate’s complicated budget rules.

    Senate Republicans’ proposed budget reconciliation instructions — the directives to the tax-writing and other committees that set up a special fast-track process for passing budget and tax legislation — don’t spell out specific cuts, but still make it clear that Republicans want to irresponsibly slash funding for priorities that working Americans rely on and shift greater cost burdens on to families, states, and local communities in order to provide larger tax windfalls for the wealthy.

    The vote-a-rama began this evening and is expected to go into Friday, with Democrats filing hundreds of amendments.

    Senate Republican plans for the budget process were blown up when President Trump threw cold water on the Senate Republican strategy in favor of a House Republican plan for what Trump calls “one big beautiful bill” that would recklessly slash Medicaid and programs to fight hunger while also severely cutting parts of the budget that fund K-12 education; childcare; Pell Grants and student loans; medical research; transportation and air safety; clean air and water projects; and would potentially roll back customer service at the Social Security Administration.

    The Budget Act limits Senate debate to 50 hours on a budget resolution, but over time the Senate has developed its amendment free-for-all custom, which allows for an accelerated voting procedure on amendments even after the 50 hours have expired.

    Should Republicans successfully pass an identical budget resolution through both chambers, it would allow them to immediately begin writing a multi-trillion-dollar spending and tax “reconciliation” package, which can be passed under expedited procedures.

    Both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate would need to pass identical “reconciliation” legislation before it can be sent to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: February 21st, 2025 Heinrich Demands Answers on Elon Musk and DOGE’s Access to VA Medical Records

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, is demanding answers from President Trump’s administration about Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) gaining access to veterans’ medical records.

    Following a recent report by Military.com that “DOGE” employees had accessed VA computer systems at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., Heinrich joined his fellow Subcommittee members in writing a letter to U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Doug Collins pressing him to protect the sensitive medical information of veterans, their families, and VA staff from Elon Musk and “DOGE.”

    “We understand that personnel reporting to Mr. Musk have recently visited VA facilities,” the senators wrote. “Senators, veterans, and members of the public have serious concerns regarding Mr. Musk’s extraordinary and unprecedented activities and the lack of transparency surrounding them, including his potential access to and handling of sensitive or personal information.”

    “Accordingly, we seek specific information regarding VA’s engagement with Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”),” they continued.

    The senators requested a list of “DOGE” personnel who have visited VA facilities, the systems they accessed, and whether veteran data — including medical and service records — may have been viewed, copied, or transferred. They also requested that Secretary Collins reveal the nature of the agreement that governs “DOGE” personnels engagement with the VA.

    Heinrich was joined by Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Subcommittee Ranking Member Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), and fellow Subcommittee members Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.).

    Full text of the senators’ letter can be found here and below.

    Dear Secretary Collins,

    During meetings in advance of your recent confirmation to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), you affirmed your commitment to transparency and to facilitating robust Congressional oversight of VA. As you know from your time in Congress, that oversight is essential to ensuring America’s veterans are well treated and supported.

    Accordingly, we seek specific information regarding VA’s engagement with Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”). We understand that personnel reporting to Mr. Musk have recently visited VA facilities.

    Senators, veterans, and members of the public have serious concerns regarding Mr. Musk’s extraordinary and unprecedented activities and the lack of transparency surrounding them, including his potential access to and handling of sensitive or personal information.

    Please therefore provide written answers to the below questions by February 20, 2025-For the period beginning on January 20, 2025:

    1. Please list all personnel who report to Mr. Musk or are affiliated with “DOGE” who have visited VA facilities.

    a. For each individual, please report their position or title, organizational affiliation, and role, as well as the dates and times of their visit or visits and their activities while on VA premises.

    2. Please list all personnel who report to Mr. Musk or are affiliated with “DOGE” who have accessed or sought access to VA data, databases, or information technology systems (including servers, computers, networks, or devices), whether in-person or remotely.

    a. For each individual, please report their position or title, organizational affiliation, and role, as well as the dates, times, and nature of such accesses or attempts at access, including the specific data or IT systems accessed and the purpose and justification of access.

    3. Please list all VA data, databases, or information technology systems (including servers, computers, networks, or devices) that have been accessed, or to which access has been sought or requested, by Mr. Musk or personnel who report to Mr. Musk, or any personnel who are affiliated with “DOGE.”

    4. Please list all dates and periods of time this year during which Mr. Musk, personnel who report to Mr. Musk, or any personnel who are affiliated with “DOGE” have had access to, or the ability to access, whether in-person or remotely, VA data, databases, or information technology systems (including servers, computers, networks, or devices), up to and including the date of your response to this letter, if applicable.

    a. For these instances, please describe the individuals who have such access, the data or systems to which they have access, the nature of their access, and the purpose and justification for their access.

    5. Have any personnel who report to Mr. Musk or who are affiliated with “DOGE” sought or had access to, accessed, handled, copied, downloaded, or transferred any personally identifiable information (PII) of veterans, VA personnel, or other individuals whose PII is resident on VA systems? If so, please list the relevant personnel, the nature of their access to or engagement with such data, as well as the date, time, nature, and purpose of their activities. Please also specify the number of veterans, VA personnel, or non-VA individuals whose PII may have been accessed, copied, downloaded, or transferred.

    6. Have any personnel who report to Mr. Musk or who are affiliated with “DOGE” sought or had access to, accessed, handled, copied, downloaded, or transferred any veterans’ claims or medical records, non-VA medical records to which VA may have access, service records, or other files that contain veteran data? If so, please list the relevant personnel, the nature of their access to or engagement with such data, as well as the date, time, nature, and purpose of such activities. Please also specify the number of veterans whose records may have been accessed, copied, downloaded, or transferred.

    7. Have Mr. Musk, individuals who report to Mr. Musk, or individuals otherwise affiliated with “DOGE directly or remotely connected any computer, device, hardware, network, system, database, or software not wholly owned by the United States Government to any VA computer, server, device, hardware, network, or other information technology system since November 5, 2024?

    a. If so, please list each case, the relevant personnel, and the specific nature of the access or connection.

    8. Have Mr. Musk, individuals who report to Mr. Musk, or individuals otherwise affiliated with “DOGE” downloaded, copied, or transferred any VA data or data held on VA information technology systems to information technology systems or devices not wholly owned by or controlled by VA?

    a. If so, please specify the data downloaded, copied, or transferred; the nature of the system, device, or database to which it was transferred; and the purpose and justification of such transfer.

    9. Is “DOGE” engagement with VA governed by any Memorandum of Understanding or Agreement, or other similar document that specifies the nature, purpose, and terms of their access? If so, please provide such to the Subcommittee.

    10. Have Mr. Musk, individuals who report to Mr. Musk, or individuals who are otherwise affiliated with “DOGE” interviewed or otherwise engaged with any VA employees? If so, please provide the number of individuals interviewed, the job titles of the individuals interviewed, and the dates of the interviews.

    11. Please broadly characterize the interactions of the Department with Mr. Musk, personnel who report to Mr. Musk, and any personnel who are affiliated with “DOGE”, including the stated purpose and goals of their efforts at VA, the types of reviews they are conducting, and the timeline under which they will be concluding their work.

    12. Have Mr. Musk, individuals who report to Mr. Musk, or individuals otherwise affiliated with “DOGE” accessed financial, payment, or contracting systems at VA? If so, please specify the information accessed; and the purpose and justification of such access.

    13. Have VA’s Office of General Counsel or any personnel with responsibility for compliance, privacy, or ethics raised concerns regarding “DOGE” access to VA? If so, please specify the nature and form of such concern. If responsive information is in the form of written communication, please provide it to the Subcommittee.

    We look forward to receiving the information requested and wish you well on your mission at VA.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: February 21st, 2025 Heinrich Fights Against Republicans’ Plan for Handouts to Billionaires at the Expense of New Mexico Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    VIDEO

    Heinrich on the Senate floor through the night to stand up for New Mexicans who will be harmed by Republicans’ billionaire handout 

    Republicans vote against Heinrich amendment to reinstate grants Trump has blocked for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence

    WASHINGTON — Last night, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) stood up for New Mexico families by voting against Republicans’ budget resolution that paves the way for billionaire tax handouts at the expense of working people.

    Heinrich repeatedly attempted to amend Republicans’ resolution by voting to protect police officers, veterans, wildland firefighters, survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, farmers, Tribal communities, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP, and to deliver tax cuts for working people, lower prescription drug costs, lower rent costs, and more. At every turn, Heinrich and Senate Democrats’ amendments were defeated by Senate Republicans.

    Just after 3:00 a.m. ET, Heinrich took to the Senate floor to offer an amendment to reinstate blocked grants for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and ensure law enforcement can hold predators and abusers accountable. Republicans voted against his amendment. Watch Heinrich’s video here.

    “Under the cloak of darkness last night, Republicans rammed through a $340 billion budget framework to clear the way for billionaires’ tax handouts at the expense of working Americans. Throughout the night and into the early morning, I fought for dozens of amendments to shield New Mexico families from this harmful legislation: protections for children, veterans, law enforcement, wildland firefighters, farmers, Tribal communities, and the programs they depend on, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP. Alongside my Democrat colleagues, we also put forward solutions to cut taxes for working people, lower food costs, and lower rent costs. Republicans rejected every single one – even blocking our amendment to say no tax cuts for people like Elon Musk making over $500,000,000,” said Heinrich “I’m especially outraged that Republicans opposed my amendment to support survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and ensure that law enforcement can hold abusers and predators accountable.”

    Heinrich continued, “When Republicans had the opportunity to go on the record and show the American people whose side they’re on, they chose billionaires and threw working people under the bus. I’ll always choose New Mexico families — that’s who I’m fighting for.”

    Last night, Senate Republicans blocked Heinrich’s efforts to:

    • Support survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and help law enforcement hold predators and abusers accountable.
    • Help law enforcement agencies hire additional officers to keep our communities safe.
    • Address the ongoing avian influenza (HPAI or H5N1) outbreak and lower the cost of eggs.
    • Protect Americans’ privacy from unauthorized access by Elon Musk’s “DOGE.”
    • Stop tax cuts for billionaires while families struggle to put food on the table.
    • Ensure billionaires pay their fair share in taxes.
    • Lower energy costs for Americans.
    • Lower housing costs and rent for working families.
    • Prevent cuts to school lunch and breakfast programs for kids.
    • Prevent cuts to programs critical to rural Americans and food assistance for working families.
    • Protect access to fertility services and in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
    • Prevent millions of Americans from being kicked off their health coverage.
    • Protect Medicare and Medicaid benefits, including access to maternal and pediatric health care through Medicaid.
    • Preserve and extend the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits to make health care more accessible and affordable.
    • Ensure full and uninterrupted funding for veteran health care benefits under the PACT Act.
    • Reinstate federal employees fired by Trump and Musk at the United States Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management.
    • Support federal wildland firefighter personnel.
    • Prevent the indiscriminate termination of federal employees who protect the health and safety of Americans.
    • Reverse the Trump Administration’s indiscriminate cuts to biomedical research and the life saving work supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
    • Increase funding for research on Alzheimer’s disease.
    • Ensure continued support for Ukraine to stand firm against aggression by Russia.

    Below is a total list of amendments that Heinrich filed to amend Republicans’ budget resolution to cut taxes for billionaires at the expense of working people:

    • Amendment to lower the cost of groceries for working families, including eggs and milk.
    • Amendment to lower the cost of consumer goods and services for working families.
    • Amendment to protect access to Head Start and Early Head Start programs for working families.
    • Amendment to lower residential electricity rates and protect home energy rebate programs for working families.
    • Amendment to protect veteran-owned businesses access to Small Business Administration loan programs.
    • Amendment to expand and modernize land ports of entry to better detect and intercept illicit fentanyl, firearms, and currency.
    • Amendment to protect Tribal citizens from wrongful searches and interrogations by ICE and requiring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to issue guidance on what forms of identification are acceptable as valid proof of United States citizenship, including Tribal government-issued identification.
    • Amendment to protect Tribal sovereignty.
    • Amendment to strengthen America’s power grid.
    • Amendment to protect Tribal energy projects.
    • Amendment to improve food safety in the meat and poultry supply chain.
    • Amendment to defend funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration, which ensures our nation maintains a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear deterrence.
    • Amendment to prevent the sell-off of American public lands.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Q&A: Taxpayer Dollars Deserve Scrutiny

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    Q: Why did President Trump create the Department of Government Efficiency?

    A: The American people delivered a resounding message in November. They’re fed up with lawlessness at our southern border and sick and tired of being the bottomless piggybank for partisan spending sprees. President Trump won the popular vote for a historic second term and Republicans secured a congressional majority in both chambers of the people’s branch. The president wasted no time delivering on the electoral mandate. That includes strong fiscal stewardship. He created the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to comb the ledgers of the sprawling federal bureaucracy. As a taxpayer watchdog, I’ve worked to root out wasteful spending since my first term in the U.S. Senate, no matter who was in the White House.

    Holding government accountable is a tall order that previous administrations have tackled with limited success. During the Obama administration, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned: “The most significant threat to our national security is our debt.”  Fifteen years later, interest payments on the debt are now more than federal defense spending. Decades of deficit spending have saddled our children and grandchildren with a $36 trillion debt. The fiscal ramifications impact Americans every day. Burdensome debt service costs crowd out resources for other priorities, including tax relief and government services, as well as undermine the nation’s economic resiliency. High interest rates pinch private investment, job creation and prosperity from Wall Street to Main Street. We can’t afford to keep sweeping the nation’s debt under the rug from one year to the next.

    The federal government hasn’t balanced its budget since the Clinton administration. Back then, we had a three-year budget surplus from 1998-2001. President Clinton joined Republicans to tackle wasteful spending, “end welfare as we know it” and cut bloated government programs. Clinton campaigned on a platform to Reinvent Government (RIGO). After the Republican Revolution kicked Democrats out of the House majority for the first time in four decades, Clinton declared the “era of big government” is over. Between January 1993 and September 2000, the Clinton administration cut 426,200 jobs from the federal workforce. During that time, I led efforts to beef up customer service at the IRS and modernize its antiquated computer systems. During the Bush administration, I spearheaded reforms to cut rampant credit card abuse among federal agencies. Across administrations, I’ve hounded the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services about improper payments. Just last year, I pressed the Biden administration to account for tens of billions of dollars in improper health care payments, including my oversight efforts to root out fraud and abuse in the Affordable Care Act.

    Taxpayers deserve stronger stewardship of their hard-earned money. The Trump administration is taking decisive action to cut wasteful spending. That’s what President Obama claimed he would do by launching “the Campaign to Cut Waste. Its stated mission: “to hunt down and eliminate misspent tax dollars in every agency and department across the Federal Government.” President Trump is breaking through the bureaucratic inertia to root out wasteful spending and hold government accountable to the people it serves.

    Q: What about people facing uncertainty during the Trump administration’s top-to-bottom review of the federal bureaucracy?

    A: When I hear about people losing their jobs, whether from the federal government or in the private sector, I understand the financial stress and despair that job loss has on individuals and their families. During my years working in Iowa factories before getting elected to Congress, I was laid off from work on three different occasions, including from a job I’d held for 10 years before the company closed its doors. As the president’s team goes through its initial review of federal agencies, I’m keeping close tabs on the process to ensure the government continues to provide services to the American people and fulfills its responsibilities to keep the American people safe. As always, I’m keeping in touch with Iowans and sharing their concerns and questions with relevant federal agencies to advocate on their behalf.

    Since day one of his second term in the White House, the 47th president has made clear he intends to deliver on his promises. The review currently underway has delivered an undeniable message to Washington, D.C.: the era of business-as-usual is over. Contrary to what alarmists are saying, America is not in a constitutional crisis. Article II of the Constitution vests all executive power in one person, the president of the United States. That means the power to hire and fire within the executive branch is constitutionally delegated to the president. Of course, our system of checks and balances empowers each branch to keep check on the others; the separation of powers reins in overreach to protect the fundamental rights of the people. My congressional oversight work is one example. These constitutional guardrails have endured for nearly 250 years to ensure government is of, by and for the people. The sky’s not falling, and neither is our republic.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Mullin Debunks Media Narrative on Kash Patel and President Trump’s Ukraine-Russia Posture on CNN

    US Senate News:

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

    ICYMI: Mullin Debunks Media Narrative on Kash Patel and President Trump’s Ukraine-Russia Posture on CNN

    Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joined CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper to discuss the importance of confirming Kash Patel for Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and America’s response to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

    Sen. Mullin’s full interview can be found here.

    On the mistakes of President Zelensky:

    “I believe Zelensky and Ukraine has made some mistakes. I believe they made some mistakes with the ambassador when they went on the campaign trail with Harris. I think that was a problem, and now I would say with President Zelensky being less than grateful to President Trump and the United States for their help in the last few meetings that they’ve had. It has been difficult for the support to still stay there.”

    On how the war in Ukraine wouldn’t have happened under President Trump:

    “President Trump is the only one that could have prevented this war from taking place, and President Trump now is cleaning up the mess that President Biden left behind. And President Trump will get it done, he will negotiate an end to this war. He wants to see the war ended, regardless of how that takes place. He wants to see a win for Ukraine and a win for Russia at the same time, because there’s a lose-lose going on for both countries right now. People are dying, and the president said he wants people to stop dying.”

    On how Kash Patel uncovered the FBI’s bias:

    “What he was doing was exposing what he felt was truth and I don’t think he was far off-base. He’s also the one that exposed the hypocrisy coming out of the FBI and exposing what Director Wray was doing by weaponizing the FBI to go after political enemies. You’ve got to remember this is the same FBI that was going after Catholic churches saying that they could be domestic terrorist organizations. They’re the same people who went after parents for going to school board meetings during Covid. This is an organization that should be mission-focused on keeping all Americans safe, not weaponizing themselves after political foes…”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch: “Senate Republicans would rather line the pockets of their billionaire friends than protect vital programs American families rely on.”

    US Senate News:

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

    Welch filed more than 70 amendments to the budget resolution to lower costs for Vermonters, protect federal programs
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee and Ranking Member of the Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, slammed Senate Republicans for not considering many of the proposed amendments to their budget resolution during the Senate’s all-night “vote-a-rama”:
    “There were clear winners and losers in Donald Trump and Senate Republicans’ budget resolution: billionaires won, and hardworking Americans lost. All through the night, Senate Democrats forced Republicans to go on record opposing amendments that would help everyday people. What they didn’t allow a vote on they refused to consider altogether. It was truly astonishing to watch Republicans repeatedly deny amendments to lower costs for families while treating their policies to give tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy as non-negotiable.  
    “Last night’s vote made one thing crystal clear: Senate Republicans would rather line the pockets of their billionaire friends than protect vital programs American families rely on.” 
    Senator Welch filed more than 70 amendments to the budget resolution. His amendments focused on lowering costs for Vermonters, protecting access to health care, supporting rural care providers, combatting President Trump’s lawlessness and Elon Musk’s DOGE, and defending federal programs and disaster recovery resources Vermont communities rely on.  Read more here. 
    Senate Republicans’ budget blueprint did not earn bipartisan support and passed early this morning. The resolution threatens to slash Medicaid and increase health care costs for millions of seniors, children, veterans, people with disabilities, and people with chronic diseases in order to give tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy. The Republicans’ budget will cut funding for education, scientific research, nutrition programs, and more. 

    MIL OSI USA News –