NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Following Deadly Crashes, Gillibrand Demands Answers On Trump Administration Firing Hundreds Of Federal Aviation Administration Employees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Fired Workers Include Safety Inspectors And Maintenance Mechanics;
    Firings Follow Multiple Deadly Aviation Disasters On Trump’s Watch;
    Fired Workers Include At Least Two Who Worked On Long Island, Two Who Worked In Queens
    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a virtual press conference demanding answers from the Trump administration on its decision to fire hundreds of critical Federal Aviation Administration employees, including safety inspectors and maintenance mechanics. 
    These firings come amidst longstanding concerns about aviation safety. More than 90% of the country’s air traffic control facilities are understaffed; this has contributed to dozens of narrowly avoided accidents at airports around the country. At two facilities on Long Island that direct air traffic for Newark, J.F.K. and LaGuardia, nearly 40 percent of positions are unfilled. Firing hundreds of additional aviation safety staff will only worsen this crisis and make aviation disasters more likely.  
    “New York is home to some of the busiest airports in the country. Anything that jeopardizes the safety of the millions of passengers that travel through them each year is unacceptable,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Trump’s reckless firings put us all at risk – the fired employees included technicians who maintain air traffic control infrastructure and help prevent tragic crashes like the one in D.C. last month. I’m demanding answers. The administration must provide comprehensive information about exactly how many workers were fired, what they did, where they worked, and what plan – if any – the administration has to replace them and to keep Americans safe.” 
    The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is available here or below: 
    Dear Secretary Duffy:
    In light of the midair collision at Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29, 2025 and other recent aviation incidents around the country, I write to express my concern with recent actions taken by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that could impede aviation safety. In particular, I am troubled by the termination of up to 400 employees at the FAA who were on probationary status[1], in addition to the hundreds of employees who accepted the Office of Personnel Management deferred resignation program. Such a drastic change in workforce will inevitably have long-term consequences on the FAA’s efforts to improve and modernize the airspace.
    Last December, the aviation industry, including commercial airlines, general aviation, aviation manufacturers, labor, and other users of the sector asked the incoming Administration to address key staffing shortages and provide long-term sustainability to the FAA[2]. I am concerned that these recent staffing actions deteriorate the ability of the FAA to respond to equipment outages and implement modern technologies.
    I am particularly concerned about the impact of these terminations on the congested New York airspace. As you know, 75 percent of all delays in the National Airspace system (NAS) occur because of delays in the New York (NY) metropolitan area airspace[3], and I strongly urge you to take efforts to improve the efficiency of this airspace. For example, the FAA could update required navigation performance procedures and multi-airport route separation, update the minimum equipment requirement for users of the NY airspace to optimize precision navigation and spacing between airplanes, and replace the aging equipment used to route airspace in and out of the NY area. However, many of these improvements would require FAA employees who may have been terminated in the last week.
    In order for Congress to better understand the employee actions taken by the Department and the FAA, and to abide by the President’s commitment to work with Congress on improving the aviation safety infrastructure, I ask that you provide the following information no later than Thursday, February 27, 2025.
    Please provide the total number of employees by position in the FAA who accepted the deferred resignation program or who were on probationary status and have since been terminated. For each employee position, please include the line of business and program office, as well as the city and state in which the employee was based.
    For each terminated employee position, please identify if the position will remain unfilled or if a new employee will be hired in the future. For positions that will remain unfilled, please identify how the work functions of those positions will be completed going forward.
    What factors did the Department or the FAA consider when determining which employee positions were exempt from the deferred resignation program or probationary status terminations?
    What steps did the Department or the FAA take to ensure the continuity and safety of the NAS for the traveling public prior to initiating the probationary employee terminations?
    According to recent reports, most of the terminated employees were hired within the Air Traffic Organization’s Technical Operations office. In Fiscal Year 2024, House Report 118-154 and Senate Report 118-70 both required the FAA to develop an annual Technical Operations Workforce Plan to ensure that the hardware and software systems that enable controllers to monitor and communicate with pilots and other air traffic control facilities are appropriately maintained. Will you commit to providing this workforce plan and include the impact of these terminations in this workforce plan?
    It has been reported that employees within FAA’s NAS Defense Program, who work with the Department of Defense and other law enforcement agencies to protect the NAS from disruption, damage, and terrorism, were inadvertently terminated[4]. Will you commit to review each individual termination to ensure there is no impact to our country’s national security?
    Thank you for your attention to these urgent concerns.
    Sincerely,
    [1] https://x.com/secduffy/status/1891656952662405304?s=46
    [2] https://www.airlines.org/news/airlines-for-america-joins-industry-coalition-urging-new-administration-to-support-modernization-of-air-traffic-control/
    [3] https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ara/programs/nyapio
    [4] https://apnews.com/article/doge-faa-air-traffic-firings-safety-67981aec33b6ee72cbad8dcee31f3437

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand, Collins Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Increase Transparency Of Milk Pricing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Legislation Would Require Mandatory Reporting Of Dairy Processing Costs Every 2 Years
    U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act. This bill would require manufacturers to report dairy processing costs every 2 years, which would help dairy farmers make sure that their prices accurately reflect the costs of production.
    “New York dairy farmers deserve to be paid a fair price for their milk, and they need a milk pricing system that they can count on,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Requiring manufacturers to report dairy processing costs on a biennial basis will give dairy producers, processors, and cooperatives the data they need to ensure that their prices accurately reflect the costs of production. After successfully championing dairy pricing reforms in the last Congress, I look forward to supporting New York’s dairy industry by passing this vital bipartisan bill.”
    “Maine’s dairy farmers work hard to produce high-quality milk, but they often don’t have clear information on how processing costs affect the prices they receive for their product,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would increase transparency across the dairy industry by requiring processors to report the costs of turning raw milk into products like cheese, butter, and yogurt, giving farmers the information they need to advocate for fairer pricing.”
    Representatives Nick Langworthy (R-NY) and Joe Morelle (D-NY) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. The bill is endorsed by the New York Farm Bureau, National Milk Producers Federation, Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives, and International Dairy Foods Association.
    “Volatility in the dairy market causes uncertainty for farmers and consumers alike, leading to unfair prices for both. It’s critical we take action to ensure everyone receives the fairest price possible, which is exactly what this legislation seeks to do,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “By giving farmers additional confidence in the dairy pricing system, the Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act will help create more stability in the dairy market and support my home state of New York’s proud history of dairy production. I’m proud to introduce this bill alongside Senator Gillibrand, Congressman Langworthy, and Congressman Van Orden, and I look forward to working with them to see it passed into law.”
    “Creating stability in the dairy market is one of the most important things we can do to protect dairy farmers and ensure that Americans have access to affordable, nutritious dairy products,” said Congressman Nick Langworthy. “New York is one of the top producing dairy states in the nation, and the 23rd Congressional District is home to many multigenerational dairy farms who are already struggling to keep their operations going. This legislation requires the USDA to stay up to date with market allowances and ensure fair milk pricing that truly reflects the costs our dairy processors are facing.  I’m proud to partner with Senator Gillibrand and my colleagues in the House on this important legislation to protect our dairy industry.” 
    “We support the Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act because it would establish mandatory audited surveys as they relate to ‘make allowances.’ These audits would be a far better indicator of actual costs than current estimates, which are based on voluntary plant participation,” said David Fisher, President of the New York Farm Bureau. “We thank Senators Gillibrand and Collins for prioritizing the needs of farmers and understanding the challenges they face every day.”
    “We thank Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, and Susan Collins, R-ME, for once again writing bipartisan legislation to require USDA to conduct mandatory dairy manufacturing cost surveys every two years,” said the National Milk Producers Federation. “Regular studies on the costs of processing raw milk into manufactured dairy products would make future dairy pricing conversations more accurate and based on better information, allowing future adjustments to reflect market conditions. We look forward to working with the bill’s sponsors to enact it into law this year, as soon as possible.”
    “Timely authorization for regularly updated cost of processing surveys will provide dairy processors and producers the transparent data to ensure that the Federal Milk Marketing Orders accurately reflect ‘make allowances’ for manufacturing dairy products,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. “This is critical to ensuring more accurate milk pricing, supporting continued investment in dairy, fostering innovation to meet consumer preferences, and driving overall demand for milk. IDFA is grateful to Senators Gillibrand and Collins for their leadership to advance this issue on behalf of the entire dairy industry.”
    “The Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives (NDFC), representing dairy farmer families in New York and New England, supports the Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act,” said Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives. “We commend Sens. Gillibrand (D-NY) and Collins (R-ME) for their prodigious leadership in introducing this legislation, which will empower the USDA to conduct mandatory, auditable surveys every two years. This will ensure accurate cost data to stabilize dairy programs and support systems.”
    Senator Gillibrand has long been a champion for fair dairy pricing. Last year, she successfully led a bipartisan group of 13 senators in calling on the USDA to restore the “higher of” Class I pricing formula through the Federal Milk Marketing Order system to fairly compensate dairy farmers, which USDA did in November 2024. In early 2023, Senator Gillibrand reintroduced her bipartisan Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act, which would empower dairy farmers to be key players in reviewing proposals that could change Class I milk pricing by requiring the USDA to hold national hearings to review Federal Milk Marketing Orders. In September 2022, she called on the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate the workability of the federal milk pricing system. In September 2021, while chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Local Food Systems, and Food Safety and Security, she held a hearing to address volatile milk pricing and explore the need for Federal Milk Marketing Order system reforms.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer Co-leads Bipartisan Legislation to Help Service Members Transitioning to Civilian Life Access Health Care and Benefits

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Every year, approximately 200,000 men and women leave U.S. military service and return to life as civilians. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees, joined U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Mike Rounds (R-SD) in introducing the Servicemember to Veteran Health Care Connection Act.
    The legislation would codify and build upon the existing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pre-transition health care registration process for all service members transitioning to civilian life, ensuring they have more timely access to mental and physical care upon separation. 
    “As service members in North Dakota and across the U.S. return to civilian life, we must ensure they have access to critical health care services and resources before a time of crisis,” said Senator Cramer. “Our bipartisan legislation will allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to connect with service members as they transition to civilian life, allowing them to more proactively use the benefits they’ve earned.”
    “Our servicemembers continually put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms and they deserve the very best care and support long after they retire the uniform,” said Senator King. “The Servicemember to Veteran Health Care Connection Act is a simple way to ensure these brave men and women can easily access the health benefits they earned and deserve. By eliminating this bureaucratic lag, we are keeping our promise to deliver timely, quality care to those who served.”
    “Veterans represent the best of our country. Our men and women in uniform have made incredible sacrifices so that we can be free, and we have a responsibility to fulfill our commitment to them once their service is complete,” said Senator Rounds. “Many servicemembers are faced with the potential for a lapse in their care when transitioning from the military to civilian life. The Servicemember to Veteran Health Care Connection Act would start the process for servicemembers to enroll in the VA health care program before they officially make the transition out of active duty, making certain there is no lapse in the health care services newly-separated veterans need.”
    Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham, Colleagues Urge ATF To Strengthen Second Amendment Protections And Rescind Unconstitutional Biden Rules

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) joined U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) and 28 of their Senate Republican colleagues today to send a letter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Deputy Director Marvin Richardson urging him to align the agency with President Trump’s Second Amendment priorities as laid out in his recent Executive Order.

    Graham and his colleagues called on Director Richardson to identify and rescind former President Biden’s unlawful firearms regulations, including the “Engaged in the Business” rule, pistol brace rule, so-called “ghost gun” rule, and “zero tolerance” policy under which ATF has revoked the licenses of federal firearm licensees (FFLs) over minor bookkeeping violations.

    The Senators wrote, “On Friday, February 7, 2025, President Donald J. Trump took decisive action to reaffirm law-abiding Americans’ Second Amendment rights in issuing his Executive Order, Protecting Second Amendment Rights.  We urge you to immediately align ATF’s rules and policies with the President’s strong support for the Second Amendment.”

    “Under former President Joe Biden, ATF adopted numerous policies and rules that infringed upon Americans’ Second Amendment protections. President Trump’s Executive Order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to review and develop a plan of action regarding President Biden’s unlawful firearms regulations. We ask that you work with the Attorney General to quickly identify and rescind these policies.”

    Along with Graham and Cornyn, the letter was signed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) and U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Jim Justice (R-W Virginia), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Todd Young (R-Indiana), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Jim Banks (R-Indiana) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas).

    The full text of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham Statement On McConnell Retirement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement after U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) announced he would not seek reelection.

    “I very much appreciate Mitch’s decades of dedicated service and leadership in the U.S. Senate.

    “As the longest serving Senate Republican leader, Senator McConnell reshaped the American judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court. He has a lot to be proud of and I am sure he will work hard to the very end of his term.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Video: Kaine Speaks on Senate Floor Regarding Republicans’ Bill to Cut Taxes for the Wealthy by Slashing Programs Virginians Rely On

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO IS AVAILABLE HERE.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, spoke on the Senate floor raising alarm about President Trump and Republicans’ plan to cut critical funding for programs that Virginians rely on and use that to fund tax cuts for billionaires. Republicans are expected to bring a budget resolution that tees up tax cuts for billionaires at the expense of middle-class Americans to the Senate floor this week. Republicans are using a legislative process known as “reconciliation,” which allows certain legislation to be expedited and passed in the Senate by a simple majority, avoiding the 60-vote threshold needed for most other legislation.

    “If the Republican majorities here and in the House cared about the budget, we’d have an appropriations deal… Instead, what Democrats are hearing is that Republicans don’t want to do the traditional appropriations budget. They want to do a continuing resolution, which would be very harmful,” said Kaine.

    “This discussion is a Trojan horse,” Kaine continued. “This is about an effort to dramatically cut spending programs that support everyday Virginians and everyday Americans and then to take those dollars and use them to fund tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations. Taking from people who rely upon community health clinics, rely upon Medicaid, rely upon student loans—taking those dollars and then using them to fund tax cuts for the wealthy.”

    “We can’t convince people that ‘oh, this is about border security and national defense’ when we’ve got a demonstrable bipartisan track record of being able to advance in those areas,” said Kaine.

    “Let’s just be clear about what this is,” Kaine concluded. “It’s a Trojan horse effort to amass savings off the backs of everyday people to pour into tax cuts for the wealthiest of Americans who don’t need help. We need to resist it in every way we can, and I look forward to joining my colleagues in doing so.”  

    President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are currently negotiating an extension to Trump’s 2017 tax law, which cut taxes for large corporations and the highest-income earners and substantially increased the federal deficit. They are now proposing broad-based tariffs and massive, across-the-board cuts to federal programs like Medicaid to fund these tax cuts for billionaires. Tax estimates have shown that if fully enacted, Trump’s tariffs could raise costs by $2,500 to nearly $4,000 per household, and American consumers could lose between $46 billion to $78 billion in spending power each year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Statement on Kash Patel Ahead of Confirmation Vote

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    Published: February 20 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) released the following statement ahead of the Senate’s vote to confirm Kash Patel to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI):
    “One of my top priorities is keeping Americans safe, and that’s why I will vote no on Kash Patel’s dangerous nomination to lead the FBI. The FBI Director should be someone who will prioritize the rule of law and independence from political interference. It’s obvious that Patel is unable and unwilling to do that. The Trump Administration—potentially at Patel’s direction—has already fired career agents and civil servants at the FBI who have led U.S. counterterrorism and counterintelligence efforts, investigated horrific crimes, and safeguarded Americans from threats; I fear that these politically-motivated firings will only accelerate if Patel is confirmed.
    “Senate Republicans’ rubber-stamping of Patel—and other nominees for critical national security and law enforcement roles—shows that they are incapable of prioritizing the safety and security of Americans for fear that they will upset the President. It also sends a terrible message to the men and women of the FBI and other national security and law enforcement agencies who have taken the same pledge that we take as members of Congress: to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”  
    During his time in the U.S. Senate, Kaine has previously voted to confirm all FBI Director nominees, including during President Trump’s first term.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters Urges Republicans Against Making Cuts to Medicaid to Pay for Tax Breaks for Ultra-Wealthy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) joined 46 of his colleagues in urging Republican leadership not to make cuts to Medicaid in order to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Peters and his colleagues underscored how cuts to Medicaid would have severe consequences for children, seniors, people with disabilities, and working families in Michigan and across the country. The letter emphasized that the proposed cuts would threaten the health and financial security of millions of families by forcing Americans to either struggle to afford or go without health care, mental health services, and other essential care. The letter also highlights that cuts to Medicaid would have lasting repercussions on state budgets, health care providers, and rural communities where children and non-elderly adults are more likely to be covered by Medicaid.

    “Medicaid is a lifeline for communities across the country. Nearly 80 million Americans get their health insurance through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provide services Americans rely on to remain healthy, go to school, and thrive at work,” Peters and his colleagues wrote. “Republicans are proposing cuts to the Medicaid program from hundreds of billions to multiple trillions of dollars. Cuts to Medicaid through drastically changing the program’s financing structure or imposing additional barriers to coverage are dangerous to the millions of people who rely on the program. These proposals will also force states to make difficult decisions that will result in millions getting kicked off their coverage and providers struggling to keep their practices open.”

    The letter continued, “The American people should be assured that Medicaid will be protected. We urge you to reject proposals that use Medicaid as a piggy bank for partisan priorities and continue to defend the importance of this vital program.”

    Nearly 3.1 million Michiganders rely on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Medicaid covers nearly half of all births in the U.S., provides health insurance coverage to nearly half of all American children, and provides care to 3 in 5 nursing home residents as well as 17 million women of reproductive age. Proposals from House Republicans to slash Medicaid would hit working families the hardest and shift a greater financial burden to states, taxpayers, and already-strained local hospitals and clinics. In more rural areas, it would likely lead to the closure of health facilities, leaving vulnerable communities with fewer options for care and decimating the health care workforce. 

    To read the full text of the letter, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Remarks on Final Senate Term

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor:

    “I’ve never liked calling too much attention to today’s date, February 20th. But I figured my birthday would be as good a day as any to share with our colleagues a decision I made last year about how I’ll approach the 119th Congress.

    “During my time in the Senate, I’ve only really answered to two constituencies – the Republican conference and the people of Kentucky.

    “Over the years, that first group trusted me to coordinate campaigns, to count votes, to steer committees, to take the majority, and on nine occasions, to lead our conference. Serving as Republican Leader was a rare – and, yes, rather specific – childhood dream. And just about a year ago, I thanked my colleagues for their confidence, which allowed me to fulfill it. To the distinguished members of this body I’ve had the privilege to lead, I remain deeply grateful.

    “Today, however, it’s appropriate for me to speak about an even deeper allegiance and an even longer-standing gratitude. Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate. Every day in between I’ve been humbled by the trust they’ve placed in me to do their business here. Representing our Commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime.

    “I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.

    “I’ve been a student of history my entire life. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have a stack of biographies or political memoirs on my nightstand. And I know well how tempting it can be to read history with a sense of determinism: Assuming that, somehow, notorious failures were inevitable…That crowning triumphs were predestined…And in either case, that lives and careers followed orderly paths. This, of course, isn’t how things work. And I’ve never had to look further than my own life to recognize it.

    “I’ve never lost sight of the fact that, without my mother’s devoted care, a childhood encounter with polio could have turned out a lot worse…That, unless my father had taken a job in the Bluegrass state, my interest in politics might have run its course somewhere else entirely…That, if it weren’t for an eleventh-hour, outside-the-box idea on the campaign trail, my Senate career might’ve been over before it began…Or that, if not for the people of Kentucky time and again agreeing that leadership delivers and electing to send me back here, it would have been someone else from somewhere else taking that seat at the table where I’ve had the chance to work…and strategize…and fight…and win.

    “I grew up reading about the greatness of Henry Clay. But there were times when the prospect of etching my name into his desk in this chamber felt like more of a long-shot than making it in the Major Leagues.

    “I got a front-row seat to the greatness of Senator John Sherman Cooper of Kentucky as a summer intern in his office. But at so many moments in my early career, the idea of following in his footsteps here felt more distant than the moon.

    “So the only appropriate thing to take away today, apart from a healthy dose of pride, is my immense gratitude – for the opportunity to take part in the consequential business of the Senate and the nation.

    “Gratitude to the people I represent: Kentucky’s families and farmers and miners and servicemembers and small business owners. Gratitude to loyal friends, dedicated volunteers, and talented staff who have helped me serve them better. Gratitude to this institution that has repaid my devotion so generously over the years, and to so many colleagues who have become dear friends.

    “Gratitude to my family for their support…And particularly to my ultimate teammate and confidante for the past 32 years: Elaine’s leadership and wise counsel, in their own right, have made her the most seasoned Cabinet official in modern history. On top of all that, her devotion to me – and to Kentucky – is much more than I deserve.

    “When I arrived in this chamber, I wasn’t coming with a Governor’s statewide executive experience or a House member’s appreciation for Washington dynamics. I knew my hometown of Louisville, and I had spent the previous few years working hard to learn what mattered to folks across the rest of the Commonwealth. And yet, within weeks of swearing the oath, I was here on this floor talking with colleagues from other far-flung corners of the country, discussing solutions to a farm income crisis and infrastructure challenges that affected our different states in similar ways.

    “I learned quickly that delivering for Kentucky meant finding the ways the Commonwealth’s challenges were tied to national debates: Seeing to it that major agriculture legislation remembered Kentucky farmers, including when they needed extraordinary assistance, like the tobacco buyout…Making sure that nationwide steps on transportation infrastructure included resources for modernizing the Brent Spence Bridge, which supports billions of dollars in economic activity in Kentucky and the surrounding region every day…And, with the trust of the local community, finishing a task first assigned by President Reagan: the safe destruction of America’s legacy chemical weapons at Blue Grass Army Depot. Efforts like these have spanned the length of my Senate career. And I’ve been humbled by each and every opportunity to help Kentucky punch above its weight.

    “Of course, the Senate has to grapple with foundational questions that reach even more broadly across American life…and even further into posterity. We’re trusted, on behalf of the American people, to participate in the appointment of the federal judiciary…To be the final check on the assembly of power in courts, beyond the reach of representative politics…And to ensure that the men and women who preside over them profess authentic devotion to the rule of law above all else.

    “When members of this body ignore, discount, or pervert this fundamental duty, they do so not just at the peril of the Senate, but the entire nation. The weight of our power to advise and consent has never been lost on me. And I’ve been honored to perform my role in confirming judges who understand theirs.

    “On this floor, there is no place to hide from the obligations of Article One…The Senate’s unique relationship with Article Three…Or our role in equipping the powers of Article Two.

    “Here, every debate over agriculture or infrastructure or education or taxes is downstream of the obligations of national security. Every question of policy here at home is contingent on our duty to provide for the common defense.

    “One of the first times I spoke at length on this floor as a freshman, I was compelled to join the debate over strengthening the deterrence of America’s nuclear triad. Whether to expand the U.S. military’s hard-target nuclear capability was an interesting question to pose to someone whose most recent job had been running a county government. But there, of course, was the founders’ brilliance at work: The hopes and dreams of every American are tied up in our ability to protect and defend the nation and its interests. Every family traveling abroad, and every worker and small business owner whose livelihood depends on foreign trade – they depend in turn on the credibility of America’s commitments to friends and the strength of her threats to enemies.

    “In turn, the safety and success of the men and women who volunteer to serve this great nation in uniform depend on the work we do here to ensure that enemies think twice before challenging them…and never face a fair fight.

    “Thanks to Ronald Reagan’s determination, the work of strengthening American hard power was well underway when I arrived in the Senate. But since then, we’ve allowed that power to atrophy. And today, a dangerous world threatens to outpace the work of rebuilding it.

    “So, lest any of our colleagues still doubt my intentions for the remainder of my term: I have some unfinished business to attend to.

    “In our work, most of us in this body develop an appreciation for the Senate itself – its written rules, its collegial norms, even its pace of play. And yet so often, I’ve watched colleagues depart, venting their frustration at the confines of the institution…or mourning what they perceive to be the decline of its norms.

    “Regardless of the political storms that may wash over this chamber during the time I have remaining, I assure our colleagues that I will depart with great hope for the endurance of the Senate as an institution.

    “There are any number of reasons for pessimism. But the strength of the Senate is not one of them. This chamber is still the haven where the political minority can require a debate. It is still the crucible in which jurists are tested for their fidelity to upholding the Constitution and laws as they were written. The Senate is still equipped for work of great consequence…And, to the disappointment of my critics, I’m still here on the job.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch on Republicans’ Plans to Slash Medicaid to Pay for Their Tax Bill: “It is an absolute disgrace that there is any discussion that we would be taking that away. Shame on Trump.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Welch slams Trump for taking a “sledgehammer” to Vermonters’ health care 
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, spoke on the Senate Floor Wednesday evening and slammed President Trump and Republicans’ cruel budget which would slash Medicaid and increase health care costs for millions of seniors, children, veterans, people with disabilities, and people with chronic diseases like cancer in order to give tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy.  
    “It’s really, really a problem everywhere, but I think in rural communities it’s even more severe. Because we’ve got rural hospitals, and we’ve got rural community health centers, that play a major role in rural life. They’re all on thin ice financially. They have overworked staff, but who are committed to the people in that community. And the only reimbursement they get is through Medicaid. And, as we all know, the Medicaid reimbursement is much lower than Medicare and it’s certainly way lower than private insurance. But they pull it together and somehow keep the lights on, keep the doors open, and provide the health care that the folks in that community need…. 
    “I want to save money, but I want to save money by stopping the rip-offs. I don’t want to save money by dumping people who make $21,000 a year off of the health care that they absolutely need. And that’s what Musk is doing. That’s what Trump is doing. That is wrong, and we have to stop it. We have to stand up for the hardworking people of West Virginia. The hardworking people of New Hampshire. The hardworking people of Wisconsin. And the hardworking people of Vermont. So, no—we have got to say ‘No’ and acknowledge the rip off that Donald Trump is trying to inflict on hardworking people in our states so that he can pay for the tax cuts for his billionaire friends,” said Senator Welch. 
    Watch Senator Welch’s speech below: 
    Key quotes from Senator Welch’s speech: 
    “But a lot of folks making $20,782—there’s no no way they can afford health care. There’s no way. And that’s another absolute requirement: that each of us level with one another. Let’s not pretend that there’s some fictional health care out there that a person who’s working 40 hours a week making $10.39 an hour can pay for health care. It doesn’t exist.  
    “And the major responsibility that we have is to make certain that we have a health care system where people who work hard, who love their kids, who have an elderly parent, can have some security that the health care they need, they’ll get…. 
    “[President Trump is] taking a sledgehammer to it. And he’s taking a sledgehammer that’s cutting off folks in West Virginia, folks in Vermont, who are working hard, who struggle every week to pay their bills, and who could get some peace of mind that the child that they love, that the grandparent that they’re caring for, can have decency and access to health care or a nursing home. 
    “It is an absolute disgrace that there is any discussion—that there’s any discussion—that we would be taking that away. Shame on Trump. Shame. On. Trump.”  
    ■■■
    On Wednesday, Senator Welch joined Senate Finance Committee Democrats for a press conference on Capitol Hill to highlight how drastic cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) included in Republicans’ Trump-endorsed budget blueprint would kick tens of millions of people off of their health coverage and increase costs for the more than 100 million people across the country who rely on these programs.   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Following Dangerous Cuts to Transportation Workforce, Markey, Leader Schumer, Colleagues Demand Secretary Duffy Prioritize Safety

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Letter Text (PDF)

    ?Washington (February 20, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today led 12 colleagues in a letter to Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy urging the agency to stop the mass layoffs and firing of essential transportation safety employees and instead focus on prioritizing safety. The lawmakers demand information regarding DOT plans to protect passengers and prevent future crashes.

    In the letter the lawmakers write, “At the Department of Transportation, safety must come first, but that commitment appears in doubt as the Trump administration promotes cost-cutting over protecting the public. By offering to buy out federal employees, ordering government agencies to prepare for mass layoffs, firing employees with critical safety functions, giving Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) free reign to cut the federal workforce, and turning Musk, DOGE, and their unqualified staff loose on the air traffic control system, the Trump administration risks undermining decades of safety improvements. We urge you to cease this dangerous approach to governing and request important information on how the Department of Transportation (DOT) plans to prioritize safety in this environment.”

    The lawmakers requested responses by March 3 to questions that include:

    • How many DOT employees were offered the buyout? How many accepted? How many declined or did not respond?
    • How many DOT employees were ineligible to take the buyout offer?
    • How many DOT employees have lost their jobs since January 20, 2025?
    • What is Musk’s and DOGE’s role in reviewing DOT personnel and program information? What steps is the Department is taking to ensure that Musk and the DOGE do not compromise public safety?
    • What is Musk’s and DOGE’s involvement with the ATC system?

    The letter was co-signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Votes to Confirm Kelly Loeffler for SBA Administrator

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) was confirmed as Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA):

    “Kelly Loeffler’s business experience and time in public service make her eminently qualified to lead the SBA and help enact President Trump’s agenda to boost small businesses, which are the backbone of our economy. I was pleased to support my former colleague’s nomination and look forward to working with her in her new role.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Lankford, Kelly Introduce Bill to Stop Drug Smuggling at the Southern Border

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after he joined Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) in introducing the Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act, which would support border law enforcement by providing additional personnel to scan cargo for illegal drugs, guns, or human smuggling:

    “Texas has borne the brunt of the Biden administration’s abject failure to secure the border and stop the deadly flow of fentanyl ravaging our communities, but I’m hopeful we will soon turn the tide of this devastating crisis,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By streamlining inspections at ports of entries and improving training and resources for detecting drugs and human trafficking at our southern border, the BEST Facilitation Act would help CBP officers better identify contraband and save lives.”

    Background:

    Border law enforcement have raised the issue of workflow challenges at port of entry inspection booths and requested increased personnel and resources to scan cargo to better enforce the law and combat drug smuggling at the southern border. The bill creates a new position within Customs and Border Protection (CBP) who would receive specialized training to review and assess scans of cargo images and either recommend entry to the primary inspection CBP booth officer or refer for further inspection if illegal or illicit items are suspected.

    The Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act would:

    • Establish a five-year Image Technician Pilot Program;
    • Create the position of “supervisory image technicians” who would review and asses difficult-to-review images, as well as receive, report, and disseminate intelligence to and from the National Targeting Center to image adjudicators;
    • Mandate specialized training in image analysis and implement annual assessments to ensure accuracy for image technicians;
    • Require the development of a workforce staffing model and institute reporting requirements;
    • And launch five regional command centers at existing ports where the image inspectors would work.

    This legislation is endorsed by the U.S. Travel Association, Border Trade Alliance, National Sheriffs Association, and National Association of Counties.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Previews Request to Rescind Unlawful Biden ATF Rules

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) blasted the Biden administration’s attempts to infringe on law-abiding citizens’ Second Amendment rights, praised President Trump’s recently issued Executive Order, and discussed his upcoming request to the Trump administration to reverse course and rescind unlawful firearm regulations imposed under former President Biden’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

    “The President’s Executive Order comes on the heels of four years of President Biden’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, otherwise known as ATF, from trampling on Americans’ Second Amendment rights.”

    “In April of 2022, the Biden administration decided to target law-abiding citizens who exercised their Second Amendment rights to build their own firearms with the so-called ‘ghost gun’ rule.”

    “The Biden administration’s rogue ATF continued down this path in January of 2023, when they finalized the so-called ‘pistol brace’ rule.”

    “In April of 2024, the Biden administration’s ATF finalized a rule known as the ‘engaged in the business’ rule. This was an attempt to rewrite a statute that was passed by the Congress and signed into law by the President of the United States.”

    “I’ve long been a defender of Second Amendment rights for the 31 million people that I have the honor of representing in Texas.”

    “This is why I introduced the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would allow people with concealed carry privileges to exercise those privileges in other states that allow concealed carry.”

    “In addition to introducing this legislation, I will very soon send a letter to Deputy Director of the ATF, encouraging him to work with President Trump on rescinding many of these regulations in order to reverse the Biden administration’s reckless attacks on the Second Amendment.”

    “While the last four years have been a lot of headache for law-abiding citizens who simply want to exercise their constitutional rights, I have no doubt that President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi will right this ship.”

    “I look forward to working with both of them to reform and redirect the energies of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to safeguard rather than to attack the Second Amendment rights of American citizens.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Budd, Tillis, Warner, Kaine Urge Swift Distribution of Funding for Public Lands for Helene Recovery

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Mark Warner (D-VA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, urging these departments to quickly allocate funding appropriated by Congress for public lands that were ravaged by Hurricane Helene. 

    Read the text of the letter:

    We write today regarding our states’ recovery from Hurricane Helene and the supplemental funding made available to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of the Interior (DOI) by the American Relief Act of 2025 (H.R.10545). We urge you to expeditiously allocate this funding to our public lands in North Carolina and Virginia that were ravaged by this deadly storm.

    Hurricane Helene devastated communities across North Carolina, Virginia, and large swaths of the Southeast. Historic flooding and high winds resulted in over a hundred deaths, damaged and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, and decimated critical regional infrastructure in our states. Additionally, the storm caused unprecedented damage to public lands in western North Carolina and Southwest Virginia that are essential drivers of economic activity for many communities.

    Public lands managed by USDA and DOI are crucial economic engines for communities throughout western North Carolina and Southwest Virginia. For example, the National Park Service’s (NPS) most visited unit, the Blue Ridge Parkway, which spans 469 miles across the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and Virginia, supports the economies of dozens of communities in our states. In 2023, 16.7 million visitors spent nearly $1.4 billion in communities surrounding the Parkway, which supported over 19,000 jobs. Helene decimated the Blue Ridge Parkway resulting in indefinite closures along large portions of the roadway and damage to many trails, historical sites, and recreational areas. The recovery effort for the Parkway will be one of the most significant and expensive infrastructure projects in the park’s history, and its success will be essential for the dozens of gateway communities that rely on the Parkway.

    In addition to National Park Service managed property, many of our communities in Southwest Virginia and western North Carolina contain U.S. Forest Service lands that were decimated by Hurricane Helene. This includes the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia, the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee and North Carolina, and the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests in western North Carolina. These lands attract millions of visitors each year who contribute millions more in visitor spending that sustains countless small businesses and gateway communities.

    Perhaps no Forest Service asset in the country suffered more damage from Hurricane Helene than the Virginia Creeper Trail, a 34-mile recreational trail that is co-managed by the Forest Service and the towns of Damascus and Abingdon in Southwest Virginia. The storm obliterated 18 miles of the Creeper Trail from Damascus to Whitetop, Virginia, destroying 18 trestles and washing away extended segments of the trail itself. The Creeper Trail is the most significant driver of economic activity in Damascus and one of the most significant tourism destinations in the entire region. The trail attracts more than 200,000 visitors annually, supporting local bike shops, restaurants, and lodging. In all, the Creeper Trail contributes nearly $13 million annually in tourism spending to the region’s economy. A prolonged closure of the trail could have devastating consequences for Damascus and the entire region. It is critical that USDA and the Forest Service move quickly to allocate appropriated funding to rebuild the Creeper Trail to ensure Damascus and other localities that depend on the trail can fully recover from Helene.

    We were pleased the American Relief Act of 2025 (H.R.10545) included robust funding to address natural disaster-related damage to public lands across the U.S., including $6.4 billion for the U.S. Forest Service and $2.3 billion for the National Park Service. This funding is intended to support the rebuilding of iconic public attractions in our states, including the Blue Ridge Parkway, Appalachian Trail, and Virginia Creeper Trail. It will also support a broad range of other reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts on our public lands to ensure they can continue to safely provide recreational opportunities to our constituents and millions of additional visitors who help sustain these Appalachian communities. As our states continue to rebuild from Hurricane Helene, it is critical that this supplemental funding is deployed to our public lands swiftly to ensure a timely rebuild of these assets that our communities depend on.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to working with you to support the recovery efforts in our states. Please do not hesitate to reach out if we can provide additional information or assistance.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Budd Introduces Bill to Help Families Afford Health Sharing Ministries

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) introduced the Health Sharing Ministry Tax Parity Act, which would allow families to deduct the cost of a health sharing ministry membership from their annual tax bill.

    Health sharing ministries are faith-based nonprofits that enable members to share health expenses. The bill would level the playing field between health sharing ministries and traditional insurance, making it easier for more families to afford a health sharing ministry membership.

    Senator Budd said in a statement:

    “At a time when health insurance premiums and inflation are making it difficult for families to afford health care coverage, action is needed to offer more options. The Health Care Sharing Ministry Tax Parity Act would allow people to offset the cost of a health sharing ministry membership by deducting it from their taxes. Faith-based nonprofits like health care sharing ministries do great work helping Americans afford health care, and my bill makes it easier for more people to pursue this option.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: During Black History Month, Scott Pushes Investment in Underserved Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
    Senator Scott announced his goal to unleash $1 trillion into communities like the one he grew up in.
    WASHINGTON — As part of Black History Month, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is building on his commitment to increase economic opportunity across the United States. In his role as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, and as a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, Scott is pushing solutions with a goal of unleashing up to $1 trillion of investment into underserved communities.
    Scott joined Walter Davis, founding member of Peachtree Providence Partners, as part of his Opportunity Summit series in celebration of Black History Month to discuss his efforts and their shared goal of helping all Americans achieve their version of the American Dream.

    Click here to watch the panel.
    “I think it’s incredibly important for us to figure out how to unlock capital for disadvantaged communities. My goal is to set the kind of parameters that allows for $1 trillion of capital to be set free in disadvantaged communities in the next 10 years… My goal is to make sure that everyone who is struggling…has an opportunity to access more resources. That’s called the American way, or at least it’s supposed to be the American way. And I aim to make sure that, from a banking perspective, we have the flexibility with our regulators, so that small business owners with a good plan – with decent credit – have access to the capital to start hiring people from their own communities. Because when I started my business, it’s exactly what I did. I took an Allstate Insurance Agency and I crafted three other Allstate agencies out of my one Allstate agency, with two of them being African Americans. How do you do that? You just do the right thing. But it starts at home in your community, and if you want to see higher employment numbers in your community, you probably have to start a business and make it happen,” said Senator Scott.
    BACKGROUND: By focusing on affordable housing, quality education, small business growth, financial inclusion, keeping tax rates low for families and expanding Opportunity Zones, as well as leveraging digital assets, Senator Scott is working to pave the way for transformative economic development across the country. 
    Boosting Affordable Housing Senator Scott’s ROAD to Housing Act will facilitate investment in quality and affordable housing, providing the opportunity to create generational wealth for so many historically ignored communities. The ROAD to Housing Act will change outdated caps on private investment in public housing, open the door to small-dollar mortgages, and help boost the supply of manufactured housing.
    Small Business Growth Small business owners – particularly Black and other minority-owned businesses – face significant challenges accessing capital, including through our capital markets system. Senator Scott’s Empowering Main Street in America Act will fuel economic growth by giving local entrepreneurs – not elites in New York or Silicon Valley – the power to direct capital to historically overlooked communities.
    Increasing Financial Inclusion Senator Scott has consistently prioritized increasing financial inclusion and incentivizing growth in local communities and historically overlooked neighborhoods. Senator Scott will continue to push efforts to streamline and modernize the rules governing financial institutions, prioritizing changes that support access to capital and investment in underserved communities across the country.
    Protecting Taxpayer Dollars Senator Scott’s Opportunity Zones initiative has driven $85 billion to underserved communities, unlocking economic opportunities that had never before been available. With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire this year, Senator Scott will work to ensure middle class families and small businesses are not hit with a massive, $4.1 trillion tax hike, and to broaden and extend Opportunity Zones to continue driving economic development in the communities that need it most.
    Leveraging Digital Assets Senator Scott will prioritize establishing a clear, tailored regulatory framework for digital assets through legislation on stablecoins and crypto market structure, aiming to empower families, small businesses, and underserved communities to build wealth and participate more fully in the digital economy. 
    Expanding Quality Education Education is a catalyst to driving long-term economic growth and labor market participation. Americans with a bachelor’s degree face less than half the unemployment rate and earn more than double the income of those who dropout of high school. Unlocking the power of education starts with K-12 education, which is why Senator Scott is helping lead the Education Choice for Children Act (ECCA) to provide up to $10 billion in federal tax credits for charitable contributions to K-12 scholarships for middle- and low-income students, benefitting nearly 2 million students.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: February 20th, 2025 Heinrich, Schatz Lead Colleagues in Demanding Trump’s DHS Immediately End Wrongful ICE Searches & Harassment of Tribal Members, Uphold U.S. Trust and Treaty Responsibility with Tribal Nations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Vice Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, led 13 of their Democratic colleagues in demanding that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uphold the United States’ trust and treaty responsibility with Tribal nations and their citizens by ending wrongful searches and interrogations of Tribal members.
    In the letter, the lawmakers raise concern over reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents stopping and harassing United States-born citizens on suspicion of being undocumented migrants since President Trump issued an Executive Order seeking to terminate birthright citizenship. These incidents have stoked fear and panic for many Tribal citizens living on and off reservation lands.
    “Whether it is simple ignorance or worse — outright disrespect for and harassment of Tribal citizens — ICE’s law enforcement tactics reflect an abdication of U.S. trust and treaty responsibility with Tribal nations and their citizens, and cannot stand,” the senators wrote in a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
    The senators requested that DHS consult with Tribes and issue guidance on what forms of identification are acceptable as valid proof of United States citizenship, including Tribal government-issued identification. They also urged DHS to issue internal guidance for ICE agents on how to lawfully engage with federally recognized Tribes and their citizens, including on Tribal lands.
    “Accordingly, we ask that the Department issue guidance and training to ICE agents on forms of Tribal identification that are acceptable as proof of United States citizenship (alone or in tandem with other documents). We also ask that your Department communicate and consult with Tribal governments to ensure they are given timely and accurate information to inform and protect their Tribal citizens from unnecessary searches, interrogation, and detention related to immigration enforcement efforts,” the senators continued. 
    The senators also pressed Secretary Noem to answer the following questions:
    Does ICE policy accept of Certificates of Indian Blood (CIBs), Tribal enrollment, or other Tribal identification documents as valid proof of United States citizenship?
    If yes, please provide a full description of these policies and how they are communicated within your Department, and with Tribal governments.
    If no, please clarify what information needs to be present on Tribally-issued identification documents for those to be accepted as valid proof of United States citizenship.

    What training are ICE agents given about different forms of valid identification and documentation of United States citizenship for enrolled members of federally recognized Tribes, including CIBs, Tribal enrollment, or other Tribal identification?
    What training are ICE agents, and other law enforcement personnel in your Department, given about interactions with citizens of federally recognized Tribes?
    What specific corrective actions are you taking to ensure that the rights of United States-born Tribal citizens, as American citizens, are being upheld and respected by your Department?
    How does ICE justify the use of taxpayer dollars and its limited resources to conduct enforcement actions involving United States-born citizens of federally recognized Tribes?
    What has been the estimated cost of ICE enforcement actions within reservation boundaries thus far?  Will ICE enforcement actions occur within community locations such as schools, hospitals, clinics, and religious institutions that are on Tribal lands, including trust land, restricted fee, and fee simple lands, or located off of Tribal lands? 
    What implications do ICE enforcement actions have for Tribal nations whose historic lands transcend the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders, including Tribes with members living in Mexico or Canada and/or having transborder migratory privileges using special identification documents, such as the Tohono O’odham Nation and the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas?  What will ICE do to ensure that tribal members residing in Mexico or Canada are not inappropriately detained as a result of these enforcement actions?  And how is ICE educating its agents about the access guaranteed in the Jay Treaty to the United States for Canadian First Nations members for cultural, trade, and other purposes?
    The letter was led by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). The letter was signed by U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Angus King (I-Maine), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.).
    The text of the letter is here and below:
    Dear Secretary Noem:
    We write to express our growing concern over reports that, since President Trump issued the Executive Order on birthright citizenship, United States-born citizens of federally recognized Tribes have been stopped and questioned by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on suspicion of being undocumented migrants.  These incidents have stoked fear and panic for many Tribal citizens living on and off reservation, resulting in at least one Tribal government issuing its own guidance and standing up a citizen hotline to report incidents and receive assistance. Whether it is simple ignorance or worse — outright disrespect for and harassment of Tribal citizens – ICE’s law enforcement tactics reflect an abdication of U.S. trust and treaty responsibility with Tribal nations and their citizens, and cannot stand. 
    Accordingly, we ask that the Department issue guidance and training to ICE agents on forms of Tribal identification that are acceptable as proof of United States citizenship (alone or in tandem with other documents).  We also ask that your Department communicate and consult with Tribal governments to ensure they are given timely and accurate information to inform and protect their Tribal citizens from unnecessary searches, interrogation, and detention related to immigration enforcement efforts.
    Both Congress, exercising its plenary authority over Indian Affairs, and the United States Supreme Court have established that Indians born in the United States are United States citizens. Indians may also be citizens of federally-recognized Tribes, making them dual citizens of both the United States and their Tribal nations.  As such, Tribal citizens may possess multiple forms of identification, including Tribal government-issued identification, such as enrollment cards and Certificates of Indian Blood (CIB), and state-issued or federally-issued identification.  However, it is not uncommon for Tribal citizens to only carry their Tribal government-issued identification, which is often accepted as valid proof of United States citizenship for purposes of federal benefits.
    In addition to consulting with, and issuing guidance for, Tribes on what forms of identification ICE will accept as valid proof of United States citizenship, including Tribal identification, we also request that your Department issue internal guidance for ICE agents on how to lawfully engage with federally recognized Tribes and their citizens, including on Tribal lands. Lastly, we request that you reply, in detail, to the following questions:
    Does ICE policy accept of Certificates of Indian Blood (CIBs), Tribal enrollment, or other Tribal identification documents as valid proof of United States citizenship?
    If yes, please provide a full description of these policies and how they are communicated within your Department, and with Tribal governments.
    If no, please clarify what information needs to be present on Tribally-issued identification documents for those to be accepted as valid proof of United States citizenship.

    What training are ICE agents given about different forms of valid identification and documentation of United States citizenship for enrolled members of federally recognized Tribes, including CIBs, Tribal enrollment, or other Tribal identification?
    What training are ICE agents, and other law enforcement personnel in your Department, given about interactions with citizens of federally recognized Tribes?
    What specific corrective actions are you taking to ensure that the rights of United States-born Tribal citizens, as American citizens, are being upheld and respected by your Department?
    How does ICE justify the use of taxpayer dollars and its limited resources to conduct enforcement actions involving United States-born citizens of federally recognized Tribes?
    What has been the estimated cost of ICE enforcement actions within reservation boundaries thus far?  Will ICE enforcement actions occur within community locations such as schools, hospitals, clinics, and religious institutions that are on Tribal lands, including trust land, restricted fee, and fee simple lands, or located off of Tribal lands?
    What implications do ICE enforcement actions have for Tribal nations whose historic lands transcend the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders, including Tribes with members living in Mexico or Canada and/or having transborder migratory privileges using special identification documents, such as the Tohono O’odham Nation and the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas?  What will ICE do to ensure that tribal members residing in Mexico or Canada are not inappropriately detained as a result of these enforcement actions?  And how is ICE educating its agents about the access guaranteed in the Jay Treaty to the United States for Canadian First Nations members for cultural, trade, and other purposes?
    We ask that your response include documentation of all Department policies and practices related to the questions above by March 4, 2025, along with evidence of any actions your Department is taking to communicate and consult with Tribes on ICE enforcement efforts, both on and off of Tribal lands.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Colleagues File Amicus Brief Over Illegal Inspectors General Firings

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    02.20.25

    Cantwell, Colleagues File Amicus Brief Over Illegal Inspectors General Firings

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined 26 Senate Democrats in filing an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit brought by eight inspectors general (IGs) who were illegally fired by President Donald Trump. The Senators noted that the role of an inspector general is to uncover government waste, corruption, or illegal actions by political appointees and ensure the laws enacted by Congress are faithfully executed. In 2022, by a vote of 93 to 1, the Senate voted to strengthen existing IG protections to require that Congress be notified at least 30 days in advance of the removal of any Inspector General.

    “Inspectors General (“IGs”) are responsible for uncovering and preventing waste, fraud, and abuse in the administration of federal programs. Their investigations, reports, and audits are crucial tools in uncovering corruption and mismanagement in the executive branch, and IGs are vital to fulfilling Congress’ constitutional oversight responsibilities. For those reasons, Congress requires the President by law to provide notice to Congress, and thus an opportunity for interbranch consultation, before removing an Inspector General from position,” wrote the Senators in the amicus brief.

    “IGs are, by design and by law, not partisan political appointees who the President must be able to dispose of at will, lest their faults be attributed to the President,” the Senators continued.

    The eight inspectors general who are suing President Trump and other administration officials over their illegal firings are part of a larger group of about 17 independent inspectors general who were illegally fired on January 24. In order to protect the independence of America’s nonpartisan IGs, federal law explicitly requires the President to provide Congress both a 30-day notice and communicate in writing a “substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons,” for the termination. However, as the plaintiffs explain in their complaint, and as the Senators describe in their amicus brief, President Trump did not follow the law.

    • Department of Defense
    • Veterans Affairs
    • Health and Human Services
    • State Department
    • Department of Education
    • Department of Agriculture
    • Department of Labor
    • Small Business Administration

    The amicus brief, led by Senate Minority Leader Schumer (D-NY), and Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Chris Coons (D-DE) was also signed by Senators Welch (D-VT), Schiff (D-CA), Luján (D-NM), Blumenthal (D-CT), Van Hollen (D-MD), Duckworth (D-IL), Hassan (D-NH), Bennet (D-CO), Cortez Masto (D-NV), Heinrich (D-NM), Schatz (D-HI), Shaheen (D-NH), Whitehouse (D-RI), Gallego (D-AZ), Slotkin (D-MI), Warren (D-MA), Gillibrand (D-NY), Kelly (D-AZ), Hirono (D-HI), Klobuchar (D-MN), Durbin (D-IL), Peters (D-MI), Reed (D-RI), Booker (D-NJ), and Rosen (D-NV).

    The full amicus brief is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: America Is Back — and President Trump Is Just Getting Started

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    President Donald J. Trump took office just one month ago, but has already accomplished more than most presidents do in their entire term as he makes good on his promise to usher in the New Golden Age of America.
    Here is a non-comprehensive list of President Trump’s wins after just one month:
    SECURING OUR HOMELAND:
    President Trump declared a national emergency at the border and deployed the military, including the 10th Mountain Division, to secure our nation.
    Illegal border crossings have hit lows not seen in decades as U.S. Border Patrol is re-empowered to once again enforce the law.
    ABC News: “From Jan. 21 through Jan. 31, the number of U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border dropped 85% from the same period in 2024, according to data obtained by ABC News. In the 11 days after Jan. 20, migrants apprehended at ports of entry declined by 93%.”

    Illegal aliens have started turning around in droves amid the crackdown.
    The Department of Homeland Security announced that arrests of criminal illegal immigrants have doubled under President Trump.
    President Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, which requires illegal immigrants arrested or charged with theft or violence to be detained — honoring the legacy of Laken Riley, a Georgia college student brutally murdered by an illegal alien released into the country.
    President Trump ended “catch-and-release,” reversing the dangerous Biden-era policy that released dangerous illegal aliens back into our communities.
    President Trump shut down the “CBP One” app, which “paroled” more than one million illegal immigrants into the country.
    A migrant shelter in San Diego announced it will shut down after it has received no new arrivals since President Trump took office.

    President Trump terminated all taxpayer-funded public benefits for illegal aliens.
    President Trump ramped up deportation flights of criminal illegal aliens.
    After President Trump announced “urgent and decisive retaliatory measures” against Colombia over its refusal to accept deportation flights from the U.S., the country’s president quickly backtracked — even offering the use of his personal plane for the deportations.
    El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele offered to accept deportees of any nationality, including violent American criminals currently imprisoned in the U.S.

    President Trump began transferring criminal illegal aliens to Guantanamo Bay ahead of their repatriation back to their own countries.
    President Trump re-established the successful “Remain in Mexico” policy.
    President Trump restarted construction of the border wall.
    The Trump Administration officially declared Tren de Aragua, MS-13, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the United Cartels, the Gulf Cartel, the Northeast Cartel, and the Michoacán Family as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
    New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) agreed to allow federal immigration officials to operate on Rikers Island and deport illegal alien criminals following his meeting with Border Czar Tom Homan.
    Mexico announced a deployment of 10,000 troops to the border to combat illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking, while Canada announced a flurry of measures to combat fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking following President Trump’s imposition of tariffs on the two countries.
    President Trump implemented an additional 10% tariff on imports from China in order to stem the flow of illegal aliens and fentanyl.
    President Trump ordered an end to birthright citizenship.
    President Trump suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
    The Department of Justice filed suit against the State of New York and some of its elected officials over their willful failure to follow federal immigration law and announced that it will take action against so-called “sanctuary cities” for their obstruction of U.S. law.
    The Department of Homeland Security “clawed back” tens of millions of dollars in funds paid by rogue FEMA officials to house illegal aliens in luxury New York City hotels.
    President Trump reinstated the death penalty for federal capital crimes.
    PROTECTING AMERICAN WORKERS AND FOSTERING ECONOMIC GROWTH:
    President Trump restored a 25% tariff on steel imports and elevated the tariff to 25% on aluminum imports to protect these critical American industries from unfair foreign competition — a move praised by the Steel Manufacturers Association, the Aluminum Association, and businesses across the country.
    Robert Simon, CEO of JSW Steel USA, praised President Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs, celebrating them “as a project that will flood the U.S. with jobs as trading partners move their industries to U.S. soil to avoid tariffs.”

    Makoto Uchida, the CEO of global automaker Nissan, said President Trump’s tariffs could push the car manufacturer to move its production from Mexico to the U.S.
    President Trump unveiled a plan for fair and reciprocal trade, making clear to the world that the United States will no longer tolerate being ripped off.
    President Trump secured hundreds of billions of dollars in new investments.
    President Trump announced the largest artificial intelligence infrastructure project in history, securing $500 billion in planned private sector investment — with major CEOs agreeing it would not have been possible without President Trump’s leadership.
    Saudi Arabia declared its intention to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years.
    President Trump secured a $20 billion investment by DAMAC Properties to build new U.S.-based data centers.
    Taiwan pledged to boost its investment in the United States.
    Electronics giants Samsung and LG “are considering moving their plants in Mexico to the U.S.” now that President Trump is back in office.

    In February, forecasters from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia revised their economic growth projections for the first quarter of 2025 up from 1.9% to 2.5%, and their unemployment rate projections for the quarter down from 4.2% to 4.1%.
    After a meeting with President Trump, Stellantis announced it will reopen its assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois — putting 1,500 employees back to work — and build its next-generation Dodge Durango in Detroit, Michigan. The company also announced new investments in their Toledo, Ohio, and Kokomo, Indiana, facilities.
    President Trump laid out a visionary plan to establish a Sovereign Wealth Fund to maximize the stewardship of the $5+ trillion in assets held by the United States.
    Following President Trump’s victory, the S&P 500 set a new record as the stock market surged to record highs — while major Wall Street firms like JP Morgan Chase posted their highest ever annual profits.
    LOWERING THE COST OF LIVING:
    President Trump directed the heads of all executive departments and agencies to “deliver emergency price relief … to the American people and increase the prosperity of the American worker.”
    President Trump established the National Energy Dominance Council to maximize use of the U.S.’ extensive energy resources, thereby enabling lower energy prices.
    Crude oil prices have fallen over 5% since President Trump took office.
    The Department of Energy postponed burdensome Biden-era efficiency standard rules for the following appliances, saving American consumers large sums:
    Central air conditioners: Biden rules were slated to make air conditioners $1,100 more expensive, according to Alliance for Consumers.
    Gas water heaters: Biden rules were slated to make water heaters $2,800 more expensive.
    Clothes washers and dryers: Biden rules were slated to make washers $200 more expensive.
    Light bulbs: Biden rules were slated to make light bulbs $140 more expensive.
    Walk-in coolers and freezers, commercial refrigeration equipment, and air compressors.

    The total cost of federal regulations in 2023 was a record-breaking $2.1 trillion, or $15,788 per U.S. household, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute. By requiring agencies to identify at least ten existing rules, regulations, or guidance documents to be repealed for every one rule they promulgate, President Trump has put the U.S. on track to severely reduce regulatory costs for everyday Americans.
    The National Associations of Manufacturers found the cost of federal regulations was even greater — at $3.079 trillion in 2022.

    Secretary Sean Duffy’s very first action at the Department of Transportation was to initiate rulemaking resetting Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards — effectively eliminating the Biden-era electric vehicle mandate.
    NBER economist Mark R. Jacobsen “estimates that a one-mpg increase in CAFE standards costs consumers of all income levels approximately 0.5% of their income in the first year of the increase. By the 10th year following the increase, however, this cost becomes regressive, as the increase drives up the price of used cars. A one-mpg increase in CAFE standards costs consumers earning less than $25,000 per year 1.12% of their income, but only costs consumers earning more than $75,000 per year 0.41% of their income.”

    RE-ESTABLISHING AMERICAN STRENGTH:
    President Trump secured the release of six American hostages in Venezuela, two Americans in Afghanistan, an American-Israeli citizen in Hamas captivity, a Pennsylvania teacher in Russian captivity, and an American citizen in Belarus — bringing the total number of American hostages released under President Trump to 11.
    President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in pursuit of finally securing peace as negotiations get underway.
    President Trump restored maximum pressure on Iran, “sanctioning an international network for facilitating the shipment of millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the People’s Republic of China.”
    President Trump redesignated the Iran-backed Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
    President Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a visit where he proposed a bold vision for securing lasting peace in Gaza.
    Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman described the proposal as “brilliant, historic and the only idea I have heard in 50 years that has a chance of bringing security, peace and prosperity to this troubled region.”

    President Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who announced his intention to “elevate Japan’s investment in the United States to an unprecedented amount of $1 trillion,” import “historic” quantities of LNG from Alaska, and open new auto plants in the U.S.
    President Trump hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who announced that the Kingdom will accept 2,000 sick children from Gaza “as quickly as possible.”
    President Trump hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a visit where they announced new deals between the two countries on immigration, trade, energy, and artificial intelligence.
    President Trump banned funding to UNRWA — a United Nations agency that employed hundreds of Hamas and jihad operatives.
    President Trump imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, which has illegitimately asserted jurisdiction over internal U.S. matters and baselessly targeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
    President Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy to ensure no taxpayer dollars support foreign organizations that perform, or actively promote, abortion in other nations.
    The Department of State ordered embassies worldwide to only fly the American flag — not activist flags.
    President Trump declared all foreign policy must be conducted under the President’s direction, ensuring career diplomats reflect the foreign policy of the United States at all times.
    The Department of State declared that U.S. foreign policy will be America First going forward.
    Following a visit from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino agreed to withdraw from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a debt-trap diplomacy scheme the Chinese Communist Party uses to gain influence over developing nations.
    The U.S. rejoined the Geneva Consensus Declaration, which promotes and strengthens opportunities for women and girls around the world, and protects the family as the fundamental unit of society.
    President Trump cracked down on anti-Semitism by canceling visas for foreign students who are Hamas sympathizers.
    President Trump ordered the immediate dismissal of the Board of Visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard following years of woke ideologies infiltrating U.S. service academies.
    The U.S. Army barred transgender people from enlisting and stopped using taxpayer funds for sex change surgeries.
    President Trump reinstated, with backpay, U.S. service members who were discharged under the military’s nonsensical COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth restored Fort Liberty, North Carolina, to “Fort Bragg,” in honor of a World War II hero.
    President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization.
    President Trump paused enforcement of the overregulation of American businesses abroad, which negatively impacted national security.
    President Trump proclaimed “Gulf of America Day” after the Department of the Interior officially established it on its mapping databases.
    President Trump initiated a process to build a next-generation missile defense shield over the United States.
    UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY:
    President Trump declared a National Energy Emergency to unlock America’s full energy potential and bring down costs for American families.
    President Trump rescinded every one of the Biden Administration’s job-killing, pro-China, anti-American energy regulations.
    President Trump empowered Americans with choice in vehicles, showerheads, toilets, washing machines, light bulbs, and dishwashers, and killed Biden-era regulations that restricted water flow and mandated inadequate light bulb standards.
    President Trump terminated the job-killing Green New Scam.
    President Trump withdrew from the disastrous Paris Climate Agreement, which unfairly ripped off our country.
    President Trump paused federal permitting for massive wind farms, which degrade our natural landscapes and fail to serve American consumers.
    President Trump reversed bureaucratic regulations that impeded Alaska’s ability to develop its vast natural resources.
    President Trump re-opened 625 million acres for offshore drilling, which Biden banned in his waning days, in order to “drill, baby, drill.”
    President Trump scrapped an Obama-era rule on greenhouse gases.
    President Trump ended the Liquefied Natural Gas pause and approved the first LNG project since the Biden Administration banned them last year.
    BRINGING BACK COMMON SENSE:
    Health systems across the nation stopped or downsized their sex change programs for minors following President Trump’s “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation” executive order.
    In Illinois, Chicago’s Lurie Children’s Hospital paused sex-change surgeries for patients under 19 as it “work[s] to understand the rapidly evolving environment.”
    In Colorado, Denver Health announced it would stop performing sex change surgeries on minor children, while UCHealth said it was ending so-called “gender-affirming care” for all minors.
    In Washington, D.C., Children’s National Hospital “paused” prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapies for minors, while Northwest Washington Hospital did the same.
    In Virginia, VCU Health and Children’s Hospital of Richmond “suspended” providing transgender-related medication and surgeries for minors, while UVA Health also “suspended” transgender-related services for minors.

    President Trump ended the unfair, demeaning practice of forcing women to compete against men in sports — which resulted in the NCAA changing its rules.
    The Department of Education launched investigations into the California Interscholastic Federation and the Minnesota State High School League over their failures to comply.

    President Trump made it the official policy of the U.S. government that there are only two sexes.
    President Trump banned COVID-19 vaccine mandates at schools that receive federal funding.
    President Trump rolled back the Biden-era push to mandate paper straws.
    President Trump instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to stop production of the penny, which cost 3.69 cents each to make.
    President Trump directed full enforcement of the Hyde Amendment, which bars taxpayer dollars from being used to fund or promote elective abortion.
    The Department of Transportation terminated the approval for New York City’s burdensome “congestion pricing” scheme.
    RESTORING ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT
    President Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to maximize government productivity and ensure the best use of taxpayer funds — which has already achieved billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers.
    President Trump commenced his plan to downsize the federal bureaucracy and eliminate waste, bloat, and insularity.
    President Trump ordered federal workers to return to the office five days a week.
    President Trump ordered federal agencies hire no more than one employee for every four employees who leave.
    President Trump ended the wasteful Federal Executive Institute, which had become a training ground for bureaucrats.
    President Trump ordered the termination of all federal Fake News media contracts.

    President Trump ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — the brainchild of Elizabeth Warren, which funneled cash to left-wing advocacy groups — to halt operations.
    President Trump ordered an end to anti-Christian bias in the Federal Government.
    President Trump ordered an examination of all regulations to assess any infringements on Americans’ Second Amendment rights.
    The Environmental Protection Agency canceled tens of millions of dollars in contracts to left-wing advocacy groups, announced an investigation into a scheme by Biden EPA staffers to shield billions of dollars from oversight and accountability, and put 168 “environmental justice” employees on leave.
    President Trump stopped the waste, fraud, and abuse within USAID — ensuring taxpayers are no longer on the hook for funding the pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, such as sex changes in Guatemala.
    President Trump ordered an end to the weaponization of the Federal Government against American citizens.
    The Department of Justice immediately began rooting out politically motivated lawfare that occurred in the Biden Administration.

    President Trump reversed the massive over-expansion of the IRS that took place during the Biden Administration.
    President Trump eliminated discriminatory DEI offices, employees, and practices across the bureaucracy alongside a return to merit-based hiring — including at the Federal Aviation Administration, where the Biden Administration specifically recruited individuals with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric issues.
    As a result, taxpayer-funded PBS closed its DEI office, Disney dropped two of its DEI programs, Goldman Sachs ended its DEI policy, and Institutional Shareholder Services announced it would no longer consider diversity of company boards when making its voting recommendations.
    The Federal Communications Commission opened an investigation into discriminatory DEI policies at Comcast, an entity it regulates.

    President Trump ordered an end to all censorship of Americans by the federal government.
    President Trump ordered a review of funding for all non-governmental organizations, so taxpayers are no longer funding those that undermine America’s interests.
    The Department of State issued a “pause” on existing foreign aid grants to ensure accountability and efficiency.

    President Trump lifted last-minute collective bargaining agreements issued by the Biden Administration, which sought to impede reform.
    President Trump overrode bureaucratic red tape that limited water availability in California following the failure of the state’s water system during the devastating wildfires.
    President Trump terminated the Biden-era electric vehicle mandate.
    President Trump suspended the Biden-era EV charging program, which had resulted in just eight charging stations despite $7.5 billion earmarked for the program.

    President Trump shut down the wasteful Biden-era “Climate Corps” program.
    The Federal Communications Commission took action against a Soros-backed radio station that leaked sensitive information about ICE operations.
    President Trump ordered the declassification of documents related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
    President Trump opened the White House Press Briefing Room to non-legacy media outlets as the White House sets a new standard for transparency in the digital age.
    President Trump reinstated press privileges for roughly 440 journalists who the Biden Administration sought to silence.
    President Trump fired members of The Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees amid their obsession with perpetuating radical, left-wing ideology at taxpayer expense.
    President Trump revoked the security clearances of the 51 “spies who lied.”
    EMPOWERING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
    President Trump established the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which redirects the national focus to promoting health rather than simply managing disease.
    President Trump took executive action to expand access to in vitro fertilization (IVF).
    President Trump established the White House Faith Office to protect Americans’ religious liberty.
    President Trump ordered an end to the radical indoctrination of children in K-12 schools that receive federal funding.
    President Trump took executive action to support parents in choosing the best education for their children.
    President Trump established the Presidential Working Group on Digital Asset Markets to strengthen U.S. leadership in digital finance.
    President Trump granted full and unconditional pardons to 23 pro-life Americans who were unjustly persecuted by the Biden Administration.
    President Trump pardoned two Washington, D.C., police officers who were imprisoned simply for doing their jobs of apprehending criminals.
    President Trump has had his cabinet confirmed by the Senate at a far faster pace than his predecessors, with a majority of his cabinet earning confirmation in his first month.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Cortez Masto, Warner, Bennet, Welch Seek Answers on Republicans’ “Magic Math” Ahead of Planned Tax Cuts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    February 20, 2025
    “[S]ince the full cost of [the tax cuts] was not counted in 2017, it must be accounted for now if Republicans choose to extend the law.” 
    “The deficit cost of tax cuts is real, even for those who do not like the way the math works… Congress does not get to ignore that same basic math when it comes to funding more tax cuts for the wealthy.”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) sent a letter to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), which provides Members of Congress with revenue estimates for tax legislation. The lawmakers pressed for answers on the scoring methods used for tax legislation ahead of the expiration of many of the tax provisions contained in President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).
    Republican claims that extending tax cuts has no impact on the deficit are “magic math,” wrote the lawmakers. “The deficit cost of tax cuts is real, even for those who do not like the way the math works. After hardworking Americans paid their rent in December, they still had to budget for rent in January. Rent is not free because you paid last month’s rent.”
    In 2017, Congressional Republicans set many TCJA provisions to expire this year in an attempt to keep the price tag of the proposed tax cuts below $1.5 trillion. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), extending these tax cuts for the next ten years would cost trillions and would disproportionately benefit the wealthiest Americans.
    Still, some Senate Republicans claim that the cost of extending the TCJA is $0. To accurately calculate the cost of these tax cut extensions, Congress needs a baseline to measure changes against. By law, that baseline has been the “current law,” which assumes that expiring provisions will expire on schedule and therefore that any extension would cost money. Senate Republicans have suggested that this year’s tax bill should be evaluated based on a “current policy baseline,” which assumes that expiring provisions will not expire and that any extensions of temporary provisions cost nothing.
    The lawmakers asked JCT whether it has ever used a “current policy baseline” for official scoring purposes on the Senate floor, among other questions, with a deadline of March 5, 2025.
    The letter—the first coordinated push by Senate Democrats in this Congress to set the record straight on Republicans’ “magic math”—follows news of an expected vote in the House on its budget resolution next week. Senate Republicans are set to begin the reconciliation process with a vote tonight.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts: Budget Resolution “Provides the Blueprint and Resources Trump Needs to Deliver Prosperity and Keep Americans Safe”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, praised the budget resolution as providing the framework to help fund President Trump’s priorities. Ricketts discussed the resolution while on a conference call with Nebraska media:
    “Last week, my Senate Budget Committee colleagues and I advanced a budget reconciliation resolution that will lay the groundwork to fund President Trump’s priorities. This week, the plan is to pass it on the Senate floor,” Ricketts said. “This budget resolution represents a significant step forward in giving President Trump the resources he needs to deliver security and prosperity for the American people. It instructs committees of jurisdiction to execute on President Trump’s agenda.”
    “The American people elected President Trump to secure the border, restore American strength, and unleash American energy,” Ricketts closed. “This budget resolution provides the blueprint and resources he needs to deliver prosperity and keep Americans safe. I look forward to passing it quickly to help deliver results for Nebraskans and the American people.”
    [embedded content]
    Watch the video HERE.
    TRANSCRIPT:
    Senator Ricketts: “Last week, my Senate Budget Committee colleagues and I advanced a budget reconciliation resolution that will lay the groundwork to fund President Trump’s priorities.
    “This week, the plan is to pass it on the Senate floor.
    “This budget resolution represents a significant step forward in giving President Trump the resources he needs to deliver security and prosperity for the American people.
    “It instructs committees of jurisdiction to execute on President Trump’s agenda.
    “First, the budget resolution provides a blueprint to secure the border.
    “This budget proposal provides a framework to spend roughly 175 billion dollars to finish the border wall and upgrade border technology.
    “It envisions increasing the number of detention beds so dangerous criminals aren’t released into our country.
    “It envisions increasing the number of ICE officers and Border Patrol agents who work to expedite the removal of criminal illegal aliens.
    “It envisions adding more assistant U.S. attorneys to prosecute drug cartels – and more immigration judges to clear our case backlog.
    “After four years of Biden’s open border policies, we need resources now to secure the border.
    “This framework will help us do that.
    “Second, this budget resolution calls for the revitalization of our military.
    “This would mean critical new funding – roughly 150 billion dollars – for the Department of Defense to improve readiness.
    “It calls for more funds for the continued modernization of our nuclear triad.
    “It calls for the strengthening of our defense industrial base to help us build more ships for the Navy.
    “The budget resolution also calls on the Pentagon to perform an audit to ensure our tax dollars are being spent effectively.
    “These provisions will help us deter adversaries like Communist China.
    “It will help keep Americans safe.
    “Third, this budget provides a framework for unleashing American energy production.
    “That would mean blocking the Biden administration’s natural gas tax.
    “That would mean facilitating the development of America’s abundant natural resources.
    “And that would mean requiring new oil and gas lease sales.
    “These common-sense policies will combat the soaring cost of energy.
    “Finally, this budget resolution is fully paid for.
    “We save by reversing Biden’s Green New Deal spending.
    “We save by rolling back burdensome Biden mandates and regulations.
    “The American people elected President Trump to secure the border, restore American strength, and unleash American energy.
    “This budget resolution provides the blueprint and resources he needs to deliver prosperity and keep Americans safe.
    “I look forward to passing it quickly to help deliver results for Nebraskans and the American people.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan, Katie Britt Reintroduce Clergy Act, Support America’s Faith Leaders

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation, the Clergy Act, to allow clergy members who previously opted not to be covered by Social Security a time-limited opportunity to opt back in to coverage.
    “Clergy are important members of our community, who help lead their congregation and provide comfort during quiet moments and in difficult times,” said Senator Hassan. “This commonsense bipartisan measure will allow clergy to opt back into Social Security, helping them to safeguard their financial future and plan for a dignified retirement.”
    “I’m proud to reintroduce the Clergy Act, a commonsense measure to support our nation’s faith leaders. This bill would allow clergy members to opt back into the system and pay into Social Security, ensuring fairness while providing an avenue to a secure retirement,” said Senator Britt. “I look forward to getting this bipartisan legislation enacted into law.”
    Under current law, certain members of the clergy may make a one-time, irreversible decision to exempt their ministerial earnings from self-employment taxes. If they elect to do so, they do not receive Social Security and Medicare benefits based on that income.
    The Clergy Act would provide these community and faith leaders the ability to reverse this decision – which is often made very early in their careers – and afford them the opportunity to better their financial futures.  Specifically, the legislation would give clergy members a re-enrollment window to opt back into Social Security coverage. Consistent with current eligibility requirements, the bill would require clergy members to pay into Social Security for 40 quarters, 10 years, to receive benefits after opting back in.
    Most clergy members are automatically covered by Social Security. These clergy members have the option to exempt themselves from Social Security coverage if they are conscientiously opposed. The choice to opt out excuses clergy members from paying Social Security taxes and make them ineligible to receive benefits, which some members come to regret.
    Congress has repeatedly given clergy members who have exempted themselves from Social Security coverage the opportunity to opt back into the program, including in 1977, 1986, and most recently in 1999 through the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act.
    This legislation is endorsed by the Church Alliance, Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), and the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).
    “I am grateful to Senator Britt and Senator Hassan for reintroducing the Clergy Act. Early in their ministries, some pastors opt out of Social Security and then have no opportunity to fix that choice once they realize their mistake. This bill opens a very reasonable window to help and would be a breath of fresh air for them. I encourage the Senate to approve this important legislation,” said ECFA President and CEO Michael Martin.
    The Clergy Act would additionally require the IRS to develop and submit to Congress its plan to notify clergy members of their eligibility to request revocations from Social Security participation. The full text of the bill can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Neguse, Pettersen, Crow Urge Trump Admin to Reinstate 3,400 Forest Service Employees Fired in Mass Layoffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
    Layoffs increase the risk of wildfires and hurt outdoor recreation in Colorado
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, and Representatives Joe Neguse, Brittany Pettersen, and Jason Crow urged Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to reinstate the 3,400 United States Forest Service (USFS) employees the agency fired this week.
    “The USFS is already critically understaffed, and further employee cuts will have real and immediate consequences for Colorado’s economy, rural communities, and wildfire resilience,” the Colorado lawmakers wrote. “The decision to terminate these employees reveals a complete disregard for the value of these public servants and the roles they fill. The decision will destabilize the agency and the rural communities they serve.”
    USFS staff who were responsible for wildfire mitigation, range and timber management, habitat conservation, and outdoor recreation management were included in the mass layoffs.
    In their letter, the lawmakers emphasized the critical role USFS staff play in maintaining public lands, supporting the outdoor recreation economy, and contributing to the health of rural communities. The agency’s workforce was already strained due to the steady increase in visitors to our national forests and the increased frequency of wildfires over the last three decades.
    The text of the letter is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Secures Pledge from Trump’s Labor Nominee to Put American Workers First, Hold Companies Accountable for Labor Abuses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Wednesday, February 19, 2025

    Today in a Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Senate Committee hearing with Department of Labor nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer, U.S. Senator Hawley (R-Mo.) secured commitments that, if confirmed, Chavez-DeRemer would implement President Trump’s pro-worker agenda to put American workers first and crack down on mega-corporations that are violating labor laws by exploiting children.

    “Let me just give you an example of bad corporate behavior, Tyson’s Food has closed down two major plants in my state, the state of Missouri, just in the last year and a half. They have cancelled contracts with farmers. They have put thousands of workers in my state out of business, and yet, we know from the investigations done by the New York Times and others, that they huge numbers of illegal child labor in their supply chains,” said Senator Hawley.

    “So, they’re firing American workers, but they are exploiting child workers. Will you go after companies like Tyson’s and anyone else who would violate our labor laws and exploit children while they are firing American workers?” he asked.

    Chavez-DeRemer pledged to “protect, and not exploit” all workers, and not tolerate child labor in the United States, citing the Department of Labor’s enforcement capabilities.

    [embedded content]

    Watch the full exchange here, or click the video above.

    Senator Hawley also highlighted an alarming trend from the Biden Administration: more job growth for foreign workers than American workers.

    “During one month alone, the Biden Administration allowed 370,000 illegal immigrants to cross the border. Many of these people got work permits. And started working, competing with American workers and legal residents. Many of them union members. And of course, illegal immigrants [are] not union members. Companies don’t pay them the same wages. They don’t offer them the same protections. Speak to the danger of out of control illegal immigration when it comes to wages and benefits for American workers,” said Senator Hawley.

    Chavez-DeRemer pledged that protecting American workers was a top priority for President Trump.  

    BACKGROUND

    Recently, Senator Hawley has begun working on his own package of pro-labor legislation to support American workers.
     
    Senator Hawley has long advocated to protect kids and hold mega-corporations accountable for child labor in their supply chains. Following a 2023 New York Times investigation, Senator Hawley questioned Robin Dunn Marcos, Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, about the 85,000 children the Biden Administration lost track of, leaving them vulnerable to human traffickers and dangerous child labor practices. Senator Hawley also sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray demanding a full-scale effort be made to locate the nearly 85,000 missing migrant children.

    In September of 2023, Senator Hawley sent a letter to Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King, demanding answers after a disturbing report from The New York Times exposed unsafe, illegal child labor practices within the company.

    In May of 2023, Senator Hawley introduced the Corporate Responsibility for Child Labor Elimination Act, legislation compelling large corporations to eradicate unlawful child labor from their operations in the United States.

    Senator Hawley previously introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to crack down on child labor in the United States. Last congress, the bill passed out of committee.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin: President Trump Is A Pushover For Russian President Vladimir Putin

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    February 19, 2025
    On the Senate floor, Durbin condemns President Trump’s attacks on Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
    WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, spoke on the Senate floor condemning President Donald Trump after he publicly attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Further parroting a Kremlin propaganda point, President Trump also falsely claimed that Ukraine started the war against Russia.
    “Three years ago, the Russian invasion of Ukraine was not a partisan issue in the United States. Congressmen and Senators on both sides of the aisle agreed on the basic facts—Russia was waging an unprovoked, illegal war and must be stopped at all costs. And for the past three years, we have supported Ukraine with the funding it needed to beat back Russian aggression and defend the frontline of democracy in Europe. And the Ukrainian people have done just that—46,000 Ukrainian lives have been lost—46,000 defending their nation against Putin,” Durbin said. “President Trump is a pushover for Russian President Vladimir Putin, always has been and will always be. Since Trump took office, he has played right into Putin’s hands, the outrageous comments he posted today on Truth Social make that painfully clear.”
    In the post, President Trump claimed the U.S. was “duped” into spending billions to help Ukraine defend itself following Russia’s 2022 full-scale military invasion and that President Zelenskyy is a “dictator without elections.”
    “Can you believe that? An American President selling out a democratic leader bravely defending his country from an actual dictator—Putin, a former KGB apparatchik at that? It is insulting to say that. It is shameful. But from this President, it is no surprise,” Durbin continued. “President Trump is doing nothing more than parroting Kremlin propaganda and spreading lies that Putin whispers into his ear. I could call on Trump to apologize to the people of Ukraine who have suffered so much, but it would be a waste of breath. Let me be clear to President Trump, you don’t make America great by selling out our nation and allies to a Russian dictator. Most of my Republican colleagues know this… but it’s time now for them to speak up.” 
    Durbin concluded his speech by reflecting on President Abraham Lincoln in which he stated when referring to the Civil War, “Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war, rather than let it perish. And the war came.”
    “Putin has made war rather than let Ukraine survive and Ukraine has had no choice but to accept war rather than see itself perish.  And President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people have led that noble effort with strength, fortitude, and determination. As their ally, as a fellow democracy, as a nation committed to freedom—the United States of America has an obligation to stand by Ukraine—not to appease Putin,” said Durbin.
    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Criticizes Trump And Musk For Dismantling Of USAID And Harming American Farmers In Senate Floor Speech

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    February 19, 2025

    In his remarks, Durbin also debunked Kremlin-fostered falsehoods about USAID that have been circulated by Trump, Musk, and foreign adversaries and called on Republicans to speak up

    WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) criticized President Trump and Elon Musk’s ill-advised mission to dismantle the U.S. Agency forInternational Development (USAID)—the largest distributor of humanitarian aid in the world.  Consequently, programs that provide clean drinking water, treat debilitating disease, and advance human rights have been shut down, recklessly gutting American soft power and providing a huge strategic opening to China. 

    “This month, President Trump and Elon Musk attempted to dismantle USAID, the largest distributor of humanitarian aid on this earth.  Musk was gleeful when he said we are ‘feeding USAID to the wood chipper,’” Durbin began.

    Durbin then listed the critical programs housed under USAID, which have since shuttered.  USAID has provided clean water in Haiti and Jordan, helped fight malaria and tuberculosis in Kenya and Uganda, and supported human rights programs in countries such as Burma, China, Iran, North Korea, and Sudan.  The agency has also provided economic assistance to Central America to address the root causes of migration and counter the flow of fentanyl in to the U.S., in addition to leading campaigns to counter disinformation from Russia and China to protect U.S. national security interests.

    Despite blatantly inaccurate claims from President Trump and Musk, USAID funding makes up only one percent of the federal budget and billions of those aid dollars flow back into the American economy.  Furthermore, these programs have a long history of broad bipartisan support in Congress.  In Illinois, these cuts have forced the closure of the Soybean Innovation Lab at the University of Illinois.  As a result, 30 experts will lose jobs that were dedicated to expanding international soybean markets, at a time when Illinois ranks number one in the U.S. for soybean production, and new markets are critical foraddressing low soybean prices.

    “Not only are these cuts to USAID a betrayal of American values to satisfy the narcissism of Elon Musk, but they hurt innocent people, and they hurt American farmers… who, for decades, have helped provide such critical and strategic food aid,” Durbin continued.  “Not only is this sweeping aid cut illegal and counterproductive, but it hurts American farmer in Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Iowa, Texas, Wisconsin, and many other states.   American farms supply more than 40 percent of the food aid that USAID distributes around the world.  And now, hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of such commodities are stranded in ports, rotting away at the direction of the new administration.”

    In addition to hurting the U.S. economy, halting foreign aid has endangered global programs that have helped stem pandemics and supported clean water and sanitation programs.

    “Programs like PEPFAR have been a key example of humanitarian success abroad.  It was started by President George W. Bush, a Republican president, who wanted to curtail the AIDS epidemic ravaging many parts of the world, including Africa.  PEPFAR and the Global Fund have saved more than 25 million lives so far,” Durbin said.  “But because of President Trump’s directive, it’s been halted… People will die as a result of this political decision.”

    “In the last decade, USAID clean water and sanitation programs have provided more than 70 million people with first-time sustainable access to clean water…  These programs that have a six-to-one return in dollars saved in health, economic, and education,” Durbin continued.  “But because of the President’s directive, innocent people across the world will suffer, and America’s reputation will be weakened, not made stronger.”

    Durbin concluded his remarks by debunking lies about foreign aid, including falsehoods amplified by Russia, China, and other adversaries.  Durbin referred to a fabricated video created by a private company with links to the Kremlin, which falsely claimed that celebrities were paid by USAID to visit Ukraine.

    “The Russian influence campaign was reposted on Twitter by Elon Musk, no surprise, and became a viral disinformation rallying cry against USAID.  But it was false—like so many of the allegations of supposed outrages by USAID,” Durbin said.  “And yet, this kind of nonsense is used by Mr. Musk to justify gutting entire congressionally-appropriated American soft power programs, while many of my Republican colleagues, virtually all of them, sit silently.”

    “This Senate, Republicans and Democrats, cannot afford to roll over, play dead, and hand over congressional authority on these bipartisan programs and on larger constitutionally-designated Congressional appropriations powers,” Durbin concluded.

    Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Moran, Coons Introduce Legislation to Provide Financing Options for New Energy Projects

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) reintroduced the Financing Our Energy Future Act, which expands certain financing tools to all types of energy resources and infrastructure projects. The legislation would allow renewable energy resources and infrastructure projects to form as master limited partnerships (MLPs), a tax structure currently only available to traditional energy projects.

    Newly eligible energy sources would include advanced nuclear, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), hydrogen, biodiesel, biomass, carbon capture and more.

    “Being energy independent requires an all-of-the-above approach to energy production,” said Sen. Moran. “Emerging renewable energy companies currently do not have access to a number of tax incentives available to other energy companies. Expanding these incentives to more companies will increase U.S. energy production, spur innovation and help reduce prices for consumers.”

    “At a time when the United States needs to boost domestic energy production, Congress should ensure all energy sources are competing on a level playing field,” said Sen. Coons. “The Financing our Energy Future Act is a straightforward, bipartisan solution that will bolster investment in American energy projects, create good-paying jobs, and accelerate our transition to cleaner energy sources.”

    “NIA thanks Senator Coons and Moran for recognizing the role master limited partnerships can play in supporting our nation’s advanced nuclear energy leadership,” said Judi Greenwald, Executive Director of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance. “Their bipartisan Master Limited Partnerships legislation will help commercialize important innovations in advanced nuclear energy and other key technologies, increase U.S. competitiveness, and create jobs.”

    The Energy Infrastructure Council commends Senators Moran and Coons, along with Representatives Estes and Thompson, for their leadership in introducing the Financing Our Energy Future Act (FOEFA),” said Lori Ziebart, President and CEO of the Energy Infrastructure Council. “This bipartisan legislation is one step that Congress can take this year to grow the energy economy to benefit all working-class Americans. It expands the master limited partnership (MLP) structure to include new and emerging energy sources such as hydrogen, alternative energy, carbon capture and sequestration, and renewable fuels. The MLP structure has proven to be an efficient, cost-effective method for raising capital to support the development of critical energy infrastructure and provides individuals another vehicle to invest in energy infrastructure similar to real estate investment through REITS. Expanding this framework is essential as all energy sources will be needed to ensure a reliable and secure energy future. This expansion deepens the capital pool, improves market efficiency, creates jobs and drives down costs of energy in a way that will help all Americans.”

    “To strengthen its economic base and create more reliable and affordable energy, the U.S. needs tax policies that reflect the depth and breadth of America’s energy sector,” said Frank Macchiarola, American Clean Power (ACP) Association Chief Advocacy Officer. “The Financing Our Energy Future Act offers an innovative, logical approach to that challenge that will make America’s energy sector stronger and better able to serve the needs of the nation.”

    “BPC Action applauds the introduction of the Financing Our Energy Future Act, an important step in incentivizing the deployment of innovative energy technologies to increase U.S. economic growth and global competitiveness,” said Michele Stockwell, President of Bipartisan Policy Center Action (BPC Action). “We commend Sens. Moran (R-KS) and Coons’ (D-DE) bipartisan leadership to level the playing field for novel energy projects—including around carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), energy storage, advanced nuclear, and waste-to-energy—to have the same tax-advantaged structures currently available to fossil fuels.”

    “As the U.S. enters a period of increasing demand growth, it is important to include all forms of reliable energy in advantageous tax and financing structures to accelerate deployment and ensure grid reliability,” said Jeremy Harrell, CEO of ClearPath Action. “We are excited to see advanced nuclear included in this proposal to help catalyze the next-generation of advanced reactors through access to master limited partnerships.”

    An MLP is a business structure that is taxed as a partnership but whose ownership interests are traded like corporate stock on a market. By statute, MLPs are currently only available to investors in energy portfolios for oil, natural gas, coal extraction and pipeline projects. For projects to be an MLP, at least 90 percent of the project’s income must come from these sources. This legislation would amend the Internal Revenue Code to extend the publicly traded partnership ownership structure to renewable energy power generation projects.

    The senators are joined in introducing this legislation by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Angus King (I-Maine), John Curtis (R-Utah), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.).

    The full legislation can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty, Blunt Rochester Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Modernize Credit Union Boards

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    WASHINGTON—United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) have reintroduced the Credit Union Board Modernization Act.

    The bipartisan legislation revises an antiquated federal law that requires credit union boards to meet every month. By reducing superfluous board meetings, the bill relaxes regulatory burdens and allows credit unions to focus on their core mission of providing financial services to their members.

    “Credit unions should be allowed to spend less time in unnecessary board meetings and more time serving their members,” said Senator Hagerty. “My legislation will revise outdated federal regulations by setting aside regulatory micromanagement and allowing credit unions the flexibility to focus on providing quality financial services to rural communities and members across the country.”

    “It is far past time that the arcane requirements for credit unions are removed,” said Senator Blunt Rochester. “This bill is an essential step toward improving the functionality of credit unions up and down my home state of Delaware, especially those small and rural. I look forward to continuing this bipartisan effort alongside Senator Hagerty and our colleagues to ensure credit unions spend less time maneuvering through red tape and more time serving their communities and promoting financial well-being.”

    “We greatly appreciate Sens. Bill Hagerty and Lisa Blunt Rochester for their introduction of the Credit Union Board Modernization Act,” said Carrie Hunt, America’s Credit Unions Chief Advocacy Officer. “Credit unions face several regulatory burdens, and this bill would provide flexibility so that credit unions can commit more resources and time to what matters most: serving their members and communities. This legislation has already passed the House, and we urge the Senate to swiftly take up the measure. We will continue to work with lawmakers on other reforms to ensure credit unions can thrive.”“The Tennessee League is grateful to Senator Hagerty for his leadership in introducing the Credit Union Board Modernization Act,” said Sarah Waters, Chief Advocacy Officer of the Tennessee Credit Union League. “As not-for-profit financial cooperatives, credit unions are governed by volunteer boards of directors. These dedicated community leaders work and serve alongside credit union members to ensure the financial well-being of all. By modernizing outdated board meeting requirements, this legislation will allow these volunteers and their credit unions to dedicate more time and resources to serving their communities.”

    Full text of the legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Rosen Blasts Republican Budget Plan to Give More Tax Cuts to Ultra-Wealthy on the Backs of Hardworking Families

    US Senate News:

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

    Watch Senator Rosen’s Full Remarks HERE.
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) took to the Senate floor to call out Congressional Republicans for their budget plan, which cuts funding to vital programs like Medicaid and SNAP in favor of funding tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. In her speech, Senator Rosen emphasized how these cuts will hurt hardworking Nevadans.
    Below are excerpts of Senator Rosen’s floor remarks:
    Mr. President,
    I rise today to speak on an issue that will affect millions of hardworking families, seniors, children, veterans, and any American who relies on essential services.
    As we’ll soon see, Republicans are going to use the budget reconciliation process, a tool that was originally designed to help rein in wasteful spending and lower the national debt, to pass massive new tax cuts for billionaires and the ultra-wealthy. 
    And to pay for these tax breaks, they’re proposing devastating cuts to vital programs that people in my state of Nevada rely on, including Medicaid, SNAP, and supplemental programs for women, infants, and children. 
    So let me say that again. Congressional Republicans are going to cut critical government programs like Medicaid and SNAP in order to give the wealthiest Americans even more tax cuts. You got that right.
    Their policies are, well, billionaires win, and families lose.
    This isn’t “fiscal responsibility,” it’s moral negligence. 
    This isn’t just about economic policy. This is about the livelihoods of everyday Americans. 

    At a time when Nevadans are already grappling with economic hardship and a rising cost of living, these actions by my Republican colleagues, well, they’re just plain wrong. They’re just out of step.
    Instead of using this budget process to provide relief for hardworking families, well, Republicans are exploiting it to push through policies that benefit billionaires like Elon Musk, while leaving millions of Americans – I’ll say it, everyday hardworking families, regular people, everyday people – leaving them all behind, leaving you in the lurch.
    Again, their motto seems to be billionaires win, families lose.
    […]
    The numbers tell the story. 
    Extending these tax cuts would give the top one percent of earners – those making roughly $750,000 a year or more – a tax cut averaging more than $60,000 a year.
    And I’m going to put that in perspective for a moment. The tax cut the top one percent would get is more than the total income of most families who rely on Medicare or SNAP, or just most families in general, it’s the top one percent. And the two programs Republicans are planning to cut – Medicare and SNAP – they’re going to cut them in order to pay for tax cuts – trillions of dollars – again, for who? Elon Musk and their billionaire buddies.
    So you heard that right. These expanded tax cuts will cost the federal government $4.2 trillion. 
    So you might be asking yourself “wait, so how are Republicans – how are they going to pay for all of this?” 

    Well, in order to help offset some of that cost, they’re going to decrease funding for Medicaid, for SNAP, and other services that support people with disabilities and elderly individuals. 
    […]
    These existing cuts coupled with the Republicans proposed budget cuts – it’s just going to be devastating for American families. 
    And the fact that these cuts are being made to give billionaires even more tax breaks, well, it’s unconscionable. 
    The American people deserve better. 
    They deserve a government that works for them, that works for our families, not for the ultra-wealthy. 
    At the end of the day, Mr. President, Republicans have to decide who they’re fighting for. 
    Because right now, with this budget proposal, they’re fighting for billionaires and the largest corporations who have already benefited from their 2017 tax cuts.
    We cannot and we must not turn our backs on the American people. 
    We cannot allow billionaires to get richer on the backs of everyday Americans.
    We cannot let the motto be for this Administration billionaires win and families lose. Because families are the backbone of America. Families are the backbone of America, and they deserve respect and attention. And we cannot allow the billionaires to break their backs.
    So I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together and put the American people first. People over billionaires. Let’s work together to strengthen our economy, protect our vital programs, and ensure that everyone, regardless of their wealth or status, has an equal opportunity to succeed.
    Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –