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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Permanently Repeal the Death Tax

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, joined Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and 44 senators in reintroducing legislation to permanently repeal the federal estate tax, commonly known as the death tax. The Death Tax Repeal Act would end this purely punitive tax that can hit family-run farms, ranches and businesses as the result of the owner’s death.

    “After a farmer or business owner puts a lifetime of work into a family business, the death tax slaps the next generation with an unaffordable burden upon the passing of a loved one. It’s an outdated measure that’s keeping family farms and businesses from where they’re supposed to be; in the family. Our legislation would end this tax so that family farms can keep their money, invest in the rural communities and create new opportunities,” Grassley said.

    “Family farms and ranches play a vital role in our economy and are the lifeblood of rural communities in South Dakota. Losing even one of them to the death tax is one too many. It’s time to put an end to this punishing, burdensome tax once and for all so that family farms, ranches and small businesses can grow and thrive without costly estate planning or massive tax burdens that can threaten their viability,” Thune said.

    Additional cosponsors are Sens. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Curtis (R-Utah), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

    Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa).

    Find bill text HERE.

    Background:

    Grassley has long opposed the death tax, he welcomed the Senate’s attempt to repeal the death tax while Congress considered the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2017. Although the final version of the TCJA did not repeal the death tax, the law effectively doubled the individual estate and gift tax exclusion to $10 million (approximately $13.9 million in 2025 dollars) through 2025, which prevents more families and generationally-owned businesses from being affected by this tax. The increased exclusion expires at the end of 2025, which increases uncertainty and planning costs for family-owned businesses, farms and ranches.

    The Death Tax Repeal Act is supported by more than 190 members of the Family Business Coalition and more than 105 members of the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition, which includes the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Restaurant Association, the National Association of Home Builders and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Introduces Bipartisan Bill To Boost Federal Funding for Rural Hospitals in Hawai‘i

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure that hospitals in Hawai‘i caring for large numbers of Medicaid and uninsured patients receive their fair share of federal funding. The Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act would establish a national federal funding minimum for disproportionate share hospitals (DSH). Current payment levels are based on an outdated formula. The bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
    “Helping cover more costs for local hospitals will mean more uninsured and low-income people across Hawai‘i will have access the care they need,” said Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We’ll keep working to make sure hospitals have the federal funding and resources they need to continue serving every part of Hawai‘i.”
    The Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act establishes a federal minimum of $20 million per state for the Medicaid DSH program, growing by inflation in subsequent years and resulting in millions of new federal dollars to Hawai‘i and other “low DSH” states. In addition to Hawai‘i, states that would see increases in funding under the bill include Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
    The full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters Presses White House to Take Action to Stop the Worsening Bird Flu Outbreak

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is pressing the Trump Administration to take immediate action to mitigate the worsening outbreak of a bird flu virus, known as H5N1. The Trump Administration’s incredibly harmful “pause” on time-sensitive and critical public health communications from key federal agencies risks missing key indicators of health threats and exacerbates the likelihood of another deadly pandemic.
    Peters’ warning comes as the Trump Administration has taken little action to coordinate a response to the growing H5N1 outbreak. Already this year, more than 20 million egg-laying chickens have died due to the bird flu, raising the price of eggs dramatically. The United States has already reported its first human death from the virus, and the same strain has recently infected dairy cows in Nevada, where at least one dairy farm worker has tested positive.  
    “As the H5N1 virus continues to infect wild birds, poultry flocks, and dairy cattle across the country, it has been detected in all fifty states and Puerto Rico, with 68 reported human cases in 11 states throughout the U.S,” wrote Peters. “In Michigan, H5N1 has been identified in 25 counties and two farm workers tested positive for the virus last year.”   
    Peters continued: “We are at a critical juncture and must work to mitigate H5N1 transmission among affected animals to ensure the virus does not eventually adapt to spread easily between humans, resulting in human-to-human transmission like the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic.  The COVID-19 pandemic taught us the importance of early and prompt action, clear roles and responsibilities, regular and unified communication, and most importantly, the severe consequences of a delayed response.” 
    “I request that the White House, including the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy (OPPR), and relevant executive branch agencies, take immediate and necessary measures to ensure transparent, unified, and regular communications with the public about the H5N1 outbreak,” Peters underscored. “Public health communications must not be interrupted.”
    In his role leading the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters led an investigation and released a report identifying significant failures of the federal government’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Peters’ report made recommendations to bolster our preparedness for future pandemics and response to future public health crises. Many of those recommendations have not yet been addressed by Congress or the Administration.  
    The full text of the letter can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Peters Reintroduces Bipartisan Legislation to Help Combat Human Rights Violations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    Peters’ Bipartisan Bill Would Help U.S. Companies Identify and Avoid Doing Business with Foreign Entities Linked to Human Rights Abuses

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to help American businesses identify and avoid doing business with foreign entities linked to human rights abuses, particularly the use of forced labor in China. The Combating CCP Labor Abuses Act – which Peters reintroduced with U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and John Curtis (R-UT) – would direct the Commerce Department to offer training and guidance to U.S. exporters that are, or are considering, exporting goods to businesses in the People’s Republic of China where forced labor and significant human rights abuses have occurred. The bill – which unanimously passed the Senate last Congress – would also require the Commerce Department to provide additional insight that might help U.S. exporters avoid doing business with foreign entities that are subject to the influence or control of nations such as the People’s Republic of China that may be implicated in forced labor or human rights violations.  

    “We must do everything we can to condemn and deter human rights abuses being committed by our adversaries, including China,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. “This bipartisan bill will provide our businesses with important insight that can help avoid business dealings with foreign entities that might be involved in these atrocities.” 

    The bipartisan legislation has earned the support of the Uyghur Human Rights Project and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). 

    “Business complicity in the genocide of the Uyghurs has to be stopped,” said Omer Kanat, Uyghur Human Rights Project Executive Director. “The US government should act on its 2021 genocide finding, by ensuring small businesses have options. This bill is important for them to stop any kind of business with the companies involved in the ongoing slow-genocide policies in China – including hi-tech surveillance, textiles, EV batteries, and much more.” 

    The government of the People’s Republic of China has perpetrated egregious human rights abuses—including in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region—against Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups. The Chinese government’s actions have encompassed mass detention in internment camps, the use of forced labor, and other atrocities. This has led the U.S. State Department to determine that the People’s Republic of China, “under the direction and control” of the Chinese Communist Party, “has committed genocide against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.” 

    The U.S. Department of Commerce provides valuable assistance to help U.S. businesses and exporters increase sales and tap into new markets, such as through export counseling provided by the U.S. Commercial Service. Peters’ bipartisan bill would build on existing human rights training for Department staff by ensuring its workforce is specifically informed about emerging trends and issues with respect to human rights abuses occurring around the world, such as the situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Baldwin Exposes Trump Administration Halt on Lifesaving Research, Despite Court Orders

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, slammed the Trump administration for stopping all grant funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the past ten days and continuing to block funding for lifesaving disease research, like finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. This halt in funding is despite two court orders directing the Trump Administration to end its unlawful efforts to freeze all federal grants and the Trump Administration rescinding its Office of Management and Budget memo that ordered a freeze to all federal grants. It’s also on top of the Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to cap indirect costs for biomedical research across the country, jeopardizing lifesaving breakthroughs.
    “The President has completely stopped funding for research that discovers cures for diseases that devastate families across the country, like cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, all so he can give tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations,” said Senator Baldwin. “Make no mistake, their efforts to rob Peter to pay Paul means crushing families’ hopes and dreams of having cures for diseases that their kids, parents, or grandparents have – all to line the pockets of guys like Elon Musk. The NIH supports truly lifesaving, groundbreaking work that helps people across the country stay healthy and alive, and halting this funding only means fewer treatments for Americans and fewer American jobs.” 
    Since last Monday, February 3, the NIH has announced zero notice of awards for grants. To date, the Trump Administration has awarded 3,600 fewer NIH grants and $1 billion less in funding to research institutions across the country over the comparable period in the last administration. In addition, the Trump Administration has canceled more than 50 NIH Advisory Council meetings, the crucial final step in the grant approval process to determine which grants will be funded. For example, the National Advisory Council on Aging canceled its January meeting which, based on recent data and trends, is delaying an estimated 1,000 grants and approximately $600 million to support Alzheimer’s disease research.  
    Even if NIH resumes issuing grants that they have frozen for the last ten days, Advisory Council and peer review meetings still being cancelled will continue to cause significant delays in research funding. This is already impacting tens of thousands of grant applications and billions of dollars in lifesaving research funding and could be a sign of the Trump Administration seeking to illegally impound federal funding for lifesaving research.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Tax Season Ramps Up, Warren, Cassidy Renew Effort to Simplify IRS Error Notices for Taxpayers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    February 14, 2025

    Bill Text (PDF) | Bill One-Pager (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) reintroduced the Internal Revenue Service Math and Taxpayer Help (IRS MATH) Act, a bill to improve math error notices — an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) authority used to quickly adjust taxpayers’ returns. 

    Representatives Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) recently reintroduced the bill in the House, and the bill passed unanimously out of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee during markup on February 12, 2025.

    Each year, the IRS sends millions of Americans math error notices, expedited adjustments to tax returns that contain simple math or clerical errors. These “vague and confusing” notices often list several potential errors that may have been made rather than specifying the exact issue leading to a refund being reduced. The notices also fail to explain that taxpayers have only 60 days to challenge the IRS’s position and fail to explain how taxpayers can contest these notices, causing many taxpayers to forfeit their right to challenge the adjustments.

    The lawmakers hope to improve this unworkable system to help taxpayers, especially low-income and non-English speaking Americans, who cannot afford lawyers to help them navigate the complicated correspondence process. The Math ACT was included in the Senate Finance Committee’s discussion draft of bipartisan legislation that aims to reform IRS administration and procedure. 

    “IRS communications to taxpayers should be clear and easy to understand,” said Senator Warren. “This bipartisan bill will reform notoriously confusing error notices so that hardworking Americans can get the money they’re entitled to quickly and fairly.”

    “Taxes are already complicated, and the last thing Americans need is more confusion,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We’re making sure the IRS does its part to inform taxpayers when they correct inevitable errors made on tax returns.”

    “If the IRS finds a mistake on a tax return, this agency should be required to clearly communicate that error to the taxpayer and explain why a tax refund is higher or lower than expected. That’s why I’m glad to introduce legislation to ensure that the IRS clearly spells out errors on tax forms and helps taxpayers not only understand the mistake but also challenge it if they see fit,” said Representative Feenstra. “Filing taxes is already burdensome and time-consuming. We can improve customer service by instituting open and transparent communication between the IRS and the taxpayer when a tax error is identified.”

    Senators Warren and Cassidy initially introduced the bill in 118th Congress. 

    The IRS MATH Act reforms the math error process by:

    • Directing the IRS to improve notices of math or clerical errors, requiring that notices:  
      • Identify the line item the IRS is changing; 
      • Explain the reason for the change, and; 
      • Clearly list the taxpayer’s required response date.
    • Requiring that the IRS notify the taxpayer of abatement determinations.
    • Requiring the Treasury Secretary to provide additional procedures for requesting an abatement of a math or clerical error adjustment, including by telephone or in person.
    • Creating a pilot program coordinated by the IRS and National Taxpayer Advocate to determine the benefit of sending math or clerical error notices by certified or registered mail.

    Senator Warren has, throughout her career, advocated for low-income taxpayers and for improved IRS procedures: 

    • In January 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led over 135 members of Congress in writing to Treasury Secretary-Designate Scott Bessent and Internal Revenue Services’ (IRS) Commissioner-Designate Billy Long, urging them to maintain and expand the IRS’ Direct File program. 
    • In October 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Representative Katie Porter (D-Calif.) wrote to the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service urging the agencies to make the Direct File tax filing program more secure and accessible by ending reliance on ID.me, which uses a flawed facial recognition software.
    • In April 2024, following the 2024 tax filing deadline, at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Elizabeth Warren questioned IRS Commissioner Daniel I. Werfel, on the IRS’s use of Inflation Reduction Act funds to successfully pilot a Direct File program, a first-of-its-kind option for Americans in twelve states to be able to file their taxes online directly with the IRS, easily and for free.
    • In April 2024, Senator Warren and colleagues applauded the success of Direct File’s Pilot during the 2024 tax filing season, highlighting rave reviews, millions of dollars in refunds claimed and filing fees saved.
    • In April 2024, Senator Warren sent a letter to Chair Lina M. Khan of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), blasting Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, for continuing to relentlessly upsell TurboTax users despite numerous FTC and state lawsuits and settlements. Senator Warren applauded the FTC’s oversight of Intuit, and urged the Commission to continue to take action to protect taxpayers from tax preparation companies that pile junk fees onto users.
    • In March 2024, Senator Warren celebrated the successful launch of the IRS’s Direct File pilot.
    • In March 2024, Senator Warren highlighted the positive feedback that the IRS’s Direct File pilot in 12 states has received from taxpayers and asked Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen to commit to expanding and extending the program in 2025 if positive feedback continues, which Yellen agreed to. 
    • In February 2024, Senators Warren, Blumenthal, Sanders, and Representative Porter sent a response to Intuit, blasting the company for its failure to answer basic questions the lawmakers asked in their January 2, 2024 letter seeking an accounting of the expenses underlying the company’s massive federal research tax breaks.
    • In January 2024, Senators Warren, Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Representative Katie Porter (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Intuit requesting a full accounting of the expenses underlying the company’s massive federal research tax breaks by January 16, 2024. Intuit disclosed that it received $94 million in federal research tax credits in 2022, while simultaneously spending millions lobbying against the establishment of a free program for Americans to file their taxes online. 
    • In October 2023, Senators Warren, Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Blumenthal, Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sanders, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Representative Porter sent letters to five tax preparation companies—H&R Block, TaxAct, TaxSlayer, Ramsey Solutions, and Intuit—that recently received notices of penalty offenses from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding the misuse of taxpayer’s sensitive and confidential information. 
    • In October 2023, Senators Warren and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Representatives Porter, Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), and Don Beyer (D-Va.) released a statement supporting the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) joint announcement of their 2024 pilot of Direct File, a program that allows Americans to file tax returns digitally and free of charge. The lawmakers acknowledged the Inflation Reduction Act’s role in the program’s development, and stated their intention to support the IRS’s efforts to develop and expand the Direct File pilot. 
    • In August 2023, Senator Warren and Representative Porter sent a letter to the Free File Alliance, the American Coalition for Taxpayer Rights, Intuit, and H&R Block admonishing the companies’ relentless lobbying against the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) direct free filing tool. 
    • In July 2023, Senators Warren, Wyden, Blumenthal, Duckworth, Sanders, and Whitehouse and Representative Porter released a report revealing the outrageous, extensive, and potentially illegal sharing of taxpayers’ sensitive personal and financial information with Meta by online tax preparation companies. The lawmakers also sent a letter to the IRS, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice highlighting their key findings and calling on these departments to fully investigate this matter and prosecute any company or individuals who violated the law.
    • In June 2023, Senators Warren and Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Representatives Sherman, Porter, and Beyer, led a coalition of 99 Democratic lawmakers in a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel and Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo, applauding the IRS’s announcement of a pilot of a free tax filing tool next year.
    • In May 2023, Senator Warren’s call for a Free E-File Program was finally answered by the IRS through the Inflation Reduction Act .
    • In April 2023, Senators Warren and Carper led 29 other senators in a letter to the IRS Commissioner, urging the agency to simplify the tax process and broaden access to free e-filing options.
    • In April 2023, at a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Warren questioned the IRS Commissioner about the agency’s failed Free-File partnership with private tax preparation software companies and called on the agency to implement a direct E-File program. 
    • In December 2022, Senators Warren and Wyden and Representatives Porter and Sherman sent letters to tax preparation companies H&R Block, TaxAct, and TaxSlayer, plus big tech firms Meta and Google, amid reports that the tax preparation companies have been secretly transmitting individual taxpayers’ sensitive financial information to Meta and Google
    • In August 2022, Senator Warren highlighted key priorities she secured in the Senate’s Inflation Reduction Act, including establishing an IRS task force to look into developing and running an IRS-run free direct E-File tax return system, based on Senator Warren’s Tax Filing Simplification Act. 
    • In July 2022, Senator Warren led 22 lawmakers to introduce the Tax Filing Simplification Act of 2022, legislation that would direct the IRS to develop its own free online tax preparation and filing service that would simplify the tax filing process for millions of Americans. 
    • In June 2022, at a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen agreed with Senator Warren on the need to create a free tax filing system that actually works for Americans. 
    • In June 2022, Senator Warren and Representatives Porter and Sherman sent a letter to Richard K. Delmar, Acting Treasury Department Inspector, General, J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Andrew Katsaros, Acting Inspector General at the Federal Trade Commission, regarding troubling reports of Intuit’s abuse of the revolving door and the company’s hiring of former federal regulators and influence-peddlers to defend its shady business practices. In the letter, which is a follow up to the prior April 2022 letter, the lawmakers call out Intuit for forcing American taxpayers into paying for services that should be free, and request an in-depth investigation into the company and its use of the revolving door to influence policy decisions at those agencies. 
    • In April 2022, Senator Warren and Representatives Sherman and Porter sent a letter to Intuit regarding the company’s unethical use of the revolving door to hire former regulators to defend their shady business practices that scam taxpayers out of billions of dollars. In June 2022, the lawmakers sent a follow-up.
    • In February 2022, Senator Warren and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) sent a letter to the Acting Inspector General of the Department of Treasury and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, calling on them to open an investigation into the unethical revolving door between the world’s largest accounting firms and the Treasury Department and IRS. 
    • In February 2022, Senator Warren made the case for increased funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) through the Build Back Better Act and called on the administration to create the simplified filing tools proposed in her Tax Filing Simplification Act. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Hirono Press Defense Secretary Hegseth on Cost and Military Readiness Impact of Deploying Troops to Southern Border, Guantanamo Bay

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    February 14, 2025

    “[DoD’s] new immigration operations — which the Trump administration is planning at an unprecedented scale — threaten to burden the Department’s resources and undermine our national security.”

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) wrote to Secretary of Defense (DoD) Pete Hegseth regarding the military’s recent deployment of active-duty forces to the southern border and Guantanamo, and the Department of Defense’s (DOD) new involvement in immigration detention and deportation.

    On his first day in office, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM) to “seal the borders” and “to provide steady-state southern border security.” On January 29, President Trump directed DoD to “expand the Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to full capacity” of 30,000. As a result, NORTHCOM has deployed about 2,000 active-duty troops to the southern border, bringing the total under DoD’s command to over 4,000. These deployments have drawn from numerous Army and Marine Corps units, and DoD has required the 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, New York to oversee the units. In the near term, the Trump administration is reportedly considering deploying up to 10,000 troops to the southern border — double the scale of DoD’s border deployment in 2019 and 2020. That number could grow; during President Trump’s first term, then-Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Stephen Miller (now White House Deputy Chief of Staff) said that “[w]e need a quarter-million troops” at the southern border.

    Following Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) reversal of its policy prohibiting the use of military aircraft to deport migrants, DoD has operated over 10 deportation flights around the world. At Guantanamo, SOUTHCOM’s has deployed over 500 Marines and DoD has not ruled out detaining women and children there. A former Pentagon official estimates that these operations would “quickly skyrocket into tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions, of dollars.”

    At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 13, 2025, Admiral Alvin Holsey, SOUTHCOM Commander, confirmed that the Pentagon does not have a cost estimate for these immigration operations, though the department is supposed to consider costs before deploying troops. At the same hearing, General Gregory Guillot, NORTHCOM Commander, told senators that only one training day has been set aside per week for deployed troops operating outside their specialties to maintain their skills, so troops are only doing 20% of relevant military training while deployed for immigration enforcement. 

    “[DoD’s] new immigration-related operations place significant — and unnecessary — burdens on DoD resources, personnel, and readiness,” wrote the senators. 

    The aircraft now used for deportations, for example, cost far more than the commercial and chartered flights that ICE normally uses for deportations. The new aircraft, the military C-17 plane, costs taxpayers over $28,000 per flight hour for a single deportation, compared to $8,577 per flight hour on civilian aircraft alternatives that ICE often uses. Similarly, ICE’s contract for Guantanamo’s migrant operations center requires it to pay a staggering $272,000 per detention bed, compared to around $57,00 per bed at ICE facilities within the United States. 

    DoD may not have a realistic estimate of how much these new operations will cost. During President Trump’s first term, when DoD deployed troops to the border between FY2018 and FY2020, the Department estimated that its border operations would total $1 billion in unreimbursed costs. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) later found that “DOD did not present reliable cost estimates.” Since then, DoD has not implemented any of GAO’s recommendations for improving how it estimates the cost of assisting DHS’s immigration operations.  

    DoD’s growing participation in DHS immigration operations will pose serious costs for units’ readiness. The Defense Secretary discontinued part of DoD’s border operations between 2018 and 2020 after finding that “continued support for the mission would negatively affect military readiness and morale.” The commandant of the Marine Corps warned at the time that the operation posed an “unacceptable risk to Marine Corps combat readiness and solvency,” as a result of separated units and canceled training exercises. 

    “Likewise, we are concerned about how these operations may impact servicemembers’ morale. In recent years, DoD personnel who deployed to the border have reported dangerously low morale, driven by an unclear mission, isolation, boredom, poor accommodations, and more,” wrote the lawmakers. “Poor morale even contributed to a series of suicides by members of the Texas National Guard who deployed to the southern border.”

    “(T)he Trump administration is militarizing the country’s immigration enforcement system in an apparent attempt to signal toughness. But this political stunt will come at a high cost; it risks diverting DoD’s resources away from its vital mission in ways that compromise our national security,” the senators concluded. 

    The senators requested that DoD provide more clarity about troop deployment to the border and anticipated costs by February 27, 2025. 

    Senator Warren has sought to protect military resources and prevent unnecessary costs that compromise national security: 

    • In December 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) wrote to the leaders of each of the top 10 U.S. automakers with concerns about the companies’ fierce opposition to car owners’ right to repair the vehicles they own in the way they choose. 
    • In December 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) introduced the Servicemember Right-to-Repair Act to increase military readiness and cut costs by allowing servicemembers to repair their own equipment. 
    • In December 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to the Department of Defense with continued concerns about DoD’s failure to prevent price gouging and overpayments in the military’s TRICARE health program. DoD’s response to Senator Warren’s July 2023 letter revealed a list of nearly 250 bad actors who have overcharged our military by nearly $46 million, which the Senator released today. 
    • In June 2024, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), U.S. Representative Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), and 20 other lawmakers sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez and Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, raising concerns over Express Scripts’ exclusive contract to administer TRICARE’s pharmacy program, the healthcare system for the military, retirees, and their families. 
    • In July 2023, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren chaired a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel. She called out the Department of Defense (DoD) for wasting billions in taxpayers dollars due to price gouging by defense contractors for services and in health care, and identified opportunities for cost savings when DoD buys personnel-related goods and services. 
    • In July 2023, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), Lieutenant General Telita Crosland, regarding a series of DoD Inspector General (IG) reports finding that the Department of Defense (DoD) is failing to prevent price gouging and overpayments to contractors in the TRICARE health program.
    • In June 2023, Senators Warren and Mike Braun (R-Ind.), alongside Rep. Garamendi, reintroduced the bipartisan Stop Price Gouging the Military Act, which would close loopholes in current acquisition laws, tie financial incentives for contractors to performance, and provide the Department of Defense (DoD) the information necessary to prevent future rip-offs.
    • In May 2023, Senator Warren and Representative John Garamendi sent letters to DoD, Boeing, and TransDigm on companies’ refusal to provide cost or pricing data.
    • In May 2023, Senators Warren, Sanders, Braun, and Grassley sent a letter to DoD urging an investigation into contractor price gouging.
    • In October 2022, Senator Warren obtained a commitment from DoD not to increase contract prices due to inflation.
    • In October 2022 Senator Warren sent a letter to DoD urging them to insist on receiving certified cost or pricing data to justify any contract adjustments.
    • In June 2022, Senator Warren and Representative Garamendi introduced the bicameral Stop Price Gouging the Military Act, which would enhance DoD’s ability to access certified cost and pricing data. Part of Senator Warren’s legislation was incorporated into the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act reported to the Senate.
    • In September 2020, Senator Warren and Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) formally requested that the Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General (IG) investigate reports that the Pentagon redirected hundreds of millions of dollars of funds meant for COVID-19 response via the Defense Production Act (DPA) to defense contractors for “jet engine parts, body armor and dress uniforms.”
    • In May 2020, Senator Warren wrote to the Department requesting clarification on how the Department would prevent profiteering following a recent change to increase payments to contractors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • In March 2020, Senator Warren joined her colleagues in urging the FTC to use its full authority to prevent abusive price gouging on consumer health products during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
    • In April 2019, Senator Elizabeth Warren, along with Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and four other members of the Armed Services Committee, wrote to then-Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan to seek clarification about statements made by Department of Defense officials about the deployment of military personnel to the southwest border and assurances that this deployment would not negatively affect military readiness.
    • In November 2018, Senator Warren, along with Representative Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), then-Chairwoman of the Military Personnel Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, and former Representative Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), sent a bicameral letter to then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis requesting information about President Trump’s decision to deploy more than 5,000 active duty military personnel to the southwest border.
    • In May 2017, Senator Warren sent a letter to the Department of Defense Inspector General asking for an investigation into defense contractor TransDigm’s refusal to provide cost information to the Department of Defense.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Introduces Legislation to Help Poultry Producers Impacted by Bird Flu

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Chris Coons (D-DE) in introducing the Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification (HPAI) Act to expand USDA compensation to all poultry farmers in a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) control zone, rather than only pertaining to those whose flocks are infected. Alabama recently experienced a bird flu outbreak in Cullman and Pickens counties, resulting in the loss of more than 116,000 chickens.
    “Our farmers are in desperate need of help if they are going to continue to feed, fuel, and clothe our country,” said Senator Tuberville. “As Alabama’s voice on the Senate Ag Committee, I want to find targeted ways to address the needs of our agriculture community. Our state ranks number two nationally in broiler chicken production, and our chicken producers cannot stay in business when they are losing out on profits from entire flocks. As we put together this year’s Farm Bill, I will keep working hard to ensure Alabama’s farmers have the help they need to keep our state at the forefront of food production.”
    Complete text of the legislation can be found here. 
    BACKGROUND:
    More than 138 million birds have been affected by HPAI since 2022, with cases found in all 50 states. APHIS has reported 79 new cases of HPAI over 31 different states in the past 30 days. Under current APHIS policies, all poultry farms located within 10-kilometer radius of a HPAI case are disallowed from placing flocks until the virus is contained.  Afterward, all growers who have positive tests in their flocks receive compensation from the USDA, but not those within the 10-kilometer control area whose flocks do not contract HPAI. 
    The Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification (HPAI) Act is endorsed by the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Chicken Council, United Egg Producers, Delmarva Chicken Association, Alabama Farm Bureau, and 17 other state farm bureaus across the country.
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Calls for Permanent Repeal of the Death Tax

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD) in reintroducing legislation that would permanently repeal the federal estate tax, commonly known as the death tax. The Death Tax Repeal Act would end this purely punitive tax that can hit family-run farms, ranches, and businesses as the result of the owner’s death. Sen. Tuberville has helped introduce this legislation in both the 117th and 118th congresses.

    “The Death Tax destroys American jobs by stifling profitable businesses that employ hardworking Americans,” said Senator Tuberville. “Our government should be focused on creating an economic environment that preserves small businesses and family farms, instead of taxing them out of operation. I will keep pushing for policies that incentivize our next generation of farmers and business owners, so that we can continue to rely on their contributions for a strong economy.”

    “Family farms and ranches play a vital role in our economy and are the lifeblood of rural communities in South Dakota,” said Senator Thune. “Losing even one of them to the death tax is one too many. It’s time to put an end to this punishing, burdensome tax once and for all so that family farms, ranches and small businesses can grow and thrive without costly estate planning or massive tax burdens that can threaten their viability.”

    Senators Tuberville and Thune are joined by U.S. Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jim Justice (R-WV), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN) in cosponsoring the legislation.

    Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04).

    Read full text of the legislation here.

    BACKGROUND:

    The Senate attempted to repeal the estate tax while Congress considered the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2017. Although the final version of the TCJA did not repeal the death tax, the law effectively doubled the individual estate and gift tax exclusion to $10 million (approximately $13.9 million in 2025 dollars) through 2025, which prevents more families and generationally owned businesses from being affected by this tax. The increased exclusion expires at the end of 2025, which increases uncertainty and planning costs for family-owned businesses, farms, and ranches. 

    MORE:

    ICYMI: Tuberville in Yellowhammer News: “Protect family farmers by repealing the death tax”
    Tuberville Pushes to Permanently Repeal the Death Tax
    Tuberville Joins Effort to Permanently Repeal the Death Tax

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Colleagues Demand: Hands Off Medicare and Medicaid 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    Dismantling Medicaid is a Direct Attack on New Mexicans;
    New Mexico has the Most Medicaid Recipients Per Capita Than Any Other State
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M) joined U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in writing a letter to President Trump demanding the Trump administration, Elon Musk, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to not dismantle Medicare and Medicaid to pay for the Republican Tax Scam that gives a handout to the country’s most wealthy. This follows reporting that Elon Musk and DOGE officials gained access to key payment and contracting systems at the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS). CMS administers Medicare and Medicaid.
    In 2024, 68 million seniors and people with disabilities seniors relied on Medicare coverage for essential health care, including hospital visits, screenings for cancer, diabetes, and depression, and prescription drugs. Nearly 80 million Americans relied on Medicaid, making it the largest public health insurance program in the United States. In New Mexico, one in three New Mexicans rely on Medicare and over 780,000 individuals rely on Medicaid to access health care.
    In the letter the lawmakers wrote, “We write to say no to Elon Musk and DOGE, and demand hands off Medicare or Medicaid. We strongly oppose any efforts by Musk – or anyone else in your administration – cutting or damaging these vital programs. Medicare and Medicaid must not be raided to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Every cut risks Americans paying more, waiting longer, and wading through more insurance red tape for care. Every cut risks hospitals and community health centers struggling harder to keep their doors open and forcing health providers and workers out of their jobs.  
    The lawmakers continued, “We continue to fight for a health care system that works better for all Americans, so they experience lower costs, shorter wait times, and receive better care. But your Administration, Elon Musk, and DOGE have already made that harder. Your Administration is already responsible for the shut-down of Medicaid portals across all 50 states, disruptions to vital health care communication, closures of community health centers, and significant delays in funding for life-saving health research. Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will only serve to deepen the harm.” 
    The lawmakers urged, “It is dangerously unacceptable that an unelected Musk and his unqualified acolytes have access to sensitive CMS systems and are ready to bypass Congress to make life and death decisions affecting millions of Americans. No one asked for this lawless approach to our critical government health care systems. We urge you to stop this threat to Americans’ health care, now.” 
    Senator Luján has long supported protecting Medicare and Medicaid from attacks during his career in Congress. In the nomination hearing for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to become Secretary of Health and Human Services, Senator Luján questioned Mr. Kennedy on his understanding of the importance of Medicaid and pressed Mr. Kennedy for his commitment to protect Medicaid from cuts. Additionally, Senator Luján pressed Mr. Kennedy regarding his views on Medicare drug price negotiation and confirm he will not pause negotiations, as CEOs representing the largest pharmaceutical companies have requested.
    In addition to Senators Luján, Markey, and Warren, the letter is signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).  
    The full text of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Secures Commitments from Trump Education Nominee on Title IX Protections, Combating Campus Antisemitism

    US Senate News:

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

    Thursday, February 13, 2025

    Today in a Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee hearing, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley questioned Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Education, about guaranteeing basic safety for women on college campuses and cracking down on campus radicalism.
    Senator Hawley brought up Title IX protections for female students, both on the athletic field and in places such as locker rooms and dormitories. He noted President Trump’s recent executive order safeguarding women’s sports and spaces but noted that some universities have vowed to defy it. 
    “What can be done to ensure that these colleges comply with the law, and that women are safe on campus, and that women are able to play sports without men interfering?” the Senator asked. McMahon promised to investigate and cut funding to universities in violation.
    [embedded content]
    Click here or above to watch the full clip. 
    Senator Hawley also highlighted the wave of antisemitism that has rocked college campuses since the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and the hostility many Jewish-American students have faced. He noted that these universities are taking federal funds while failing to protect Jewish students. 
    The Senator asked for McMahon’s commitment to “enforce the law […] to the hilt,” “make sure that Jewish Americans are safe on our campuses,” and cut off federal dollars to campuses harboring “these crazy students who are committing crimes, breaking windows, smashing into buildings, [and] trapping Jewish students in libraries.” McMahon stated that she would.
    Finally, the Senator received assurances from McMahon that she would work to revoke visas and send home campus radicals who have threatened their fellow students, supported terrorist organizations, or broken the law by trespassing, vandalizing, or committing acts of violence against Jewish students.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Join Entire Democratic Caucus To Raise Alarm Over Trump Administration Pushing Illegal, Indiscriminate Funding Cuts To NIH, Derailing Lifesaving Medical Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    February 13, 2025

    Illinois receives $1.23 billion in NIH funding that supports more than 14,200 jobs and $3.46 billion in economic activity

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), as well as the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. expressing serious alarm over the Trump Administration’s recent decisions that threaten to undermine America’s biomedical research infrastructure and setting progress back generations.  The steps the Trump Administration has taken would create a serious funding shortfall for research institutions nationwide, threaten to undermine progress on lifesaving scientific advancements, and could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars while threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers. 

    “As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH plays a critical role in sustaining the research infrastructure necessary for scientific breakthroughs in cancer treatment, infectious disease prevention, and medical technology innovation, among many others.  President Trump has wreaked havoc on the nation’s biomedical research system in recent weeks.  In his first several days in office, President Trump imposed a hiring freeze, communications freeze, ban on travel, and cancellation of grant review and advisory panels that are necessary to advance research.  While some of these efforts have been reversed, they continue to cause confusion and miscommunication among researchers and recipients of NIH funds,” the lawmakers wrote.

    Last week, NIH announced it would set the maximum reimbursement rate for indirect costs to 15 percent—creating a serious funding shortfall for research institutions of all types across the country.  This move would dismantle the biomedical research system and stifle the development of new cures for disease.  It won’t produce cost savings—it will just shift costs to states who can’t afford to pay the difference.  Importantly, this action by the Trump Administration is illegal—Congress’ bipartisan Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill prohibits modifications to NIH’s indirect costs.

    “This change to NIH’s indirect cost rate represents an indiscriminate funding cut that will be nothing short of catastrophic for the lifesaving research that patients and families are counting on.  The Administration’s new policy means that research will come to a halt, sick kids may not get the treatment they need, and clinical trials may shut down abruptly,” the Senators wrote.  On Monday, a federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked the NIH rate cut and set a hearing for February 21.

    The Senators’ letter points out that, in addition to the stifling impact on discovering new cures and ripping away treatment from those who need it, changes to NIH policy and communications threaten jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  NIH research supported more than 412,000 jobs and fueled nearly $93 billion in new economic activity in Fiscal Year 2023 and every dollar the NIH invests in research generates almost $2.50 in economic activity. 

    “The Trump Administration has left researchers, universities, and health systems with great uncertainty about whether they can continue to support entire research programs and patient clinical trials across the country.  Institutions and grantees nationwide are dealing with an unprecedented external communications ‘pause’ enacted by new leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the lack of transparency regarding the Administration’s illegal funding freeze, and the uncertainty of how new Executive Orders would be applied to their critical work.  These actions resulted in NIH freezing grant reviews and cancelling advisory meetings, delaying critical funding that scientists need to continue advancing new cures and treatments.  These disruptions do not just slow research—they cost lives,” the Senators continued.

    “Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration.  We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted,” the lawmakers wrote.

    The letter was signed by the entire Senate Democratic caucus.  In addition to Durbin, Duckworth, and Murray, U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) signed onto the letter.

    Durbin has long been a strong advocate for robust medical research.  His legislation, the American Cures Act, would provide annual budget increases of five percent plus inflation at America’s top four biomedical research agencies: NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense Health Program, and the Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program. Thanks to Durbin’s efforts to increase medical research funding, Congress has provided NIH with a 60 percent funding increase over the past decade.

    A PDF of the letter is available HERE and the full text is below:

    February 13, 2025

    Dear Secretary Kennedy,

    We write to express our serious concern with the Trump Administration’s recent decisions that threaten to undermine the nation’s biomedical research infrastructure and set us back generations. The steps the Trump Administration has taken will create a serious funding shortfall for research institutions nationwide, threaten to undermine progress on lifesaving scientific advancements, could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars, and threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers. 

    As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH plays a critical role in sustaining the research infrastructure necessary for scientific breakthroughs in cancer treatment, infectious disease prevention, and medical technology innovation, among many others. President Trump has wreaked havoc on the nation’s biomedical research system in recent weeks. In his first several days in office, President Trump imposed a hiring freeze, communications freeze, ban on travel, and cancellation of grant review and advisory panels that are necessary to advance research. While some of these efforts have been reversed, they continue to cause confusion and miscommunication among researchers and recipients of NIH funds.

    Just last week, NIH announced an illegal plan to cap indirect cost rates that research institutions rely on. In capping indirect cost rates at 15 percent for NIH-funded grants, this policy would cut funding essential for conducting research, such as operating and maintaining laboratories, equipment, and research facilities. This change to NIH’s indirect cost rate represents an indiscriminate funding cut that will be nothing short of catastrophic for the lifesaving research that patients and families are counting on. The Administration’s new policy means that research will come to a halt, sick kids may not get the treatment they need, and clinical trials may shut down abruptly.

    These confusing and harmful policy changes threaten patient safety. The strength of the American research enterprise – recognized as the best in the world – is built on Congress’ bipartisan commitment to supporting essential research infrastructure. This funding, which Congress has long appropriated on a bipartisan basis, fuels groundbreaking medical discoveries and cements the United States’ position as the global leader in biomedical research.

    In addition to the stifling impact on discovering new cures and ripping away treatment from those who need it, changes to NIH policy and communications threaten jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with everyone from custodians, to research trainees, to scientists facing potential layoffs. NIH research supported more than 412,000 jobs and fueled nearly $93 billion in new economic activity in Fiscal Year 2023. Every dollar the NIH invests in research generates almost $2.50 in economic activity. These reckless policy changes not only threaten biomedical innovation and research, but also the livelihoods of thousands of workers in every state across the nation.

    The Trump Administration has left researchers, universities, and health systems with great uncertainty about whether they can continue to support entire research programs and patient clinical trials across the country. Institutions and grantees nationwide are dealing with an unprecedented external communications “pause” enacted by new leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the lack of transparency regarding the Administration’s illegal funding freeze, and the uncertainty of how new Executive Orders would be applied to their critical work. These actions resulted in NIH freezing grant reviews and cancelling advisory meetings, delaying critical funding that scientists need to continue advancing new cures and treatments. These disruptions do not just slow research – they cost lives.

    The NIH plays a critical role in our nation’s efforts to fund scientific advancements that improve health and save lives. Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration. We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted.

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: N.M. Delegation Demands Trump Stop Unlawful Mass Firings of Probationary Federal Employees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    Heinrich, Luján, Leger Fernández, Stansbury, Vasquez: “Large-scale firings of probationary employees would ripple through our communities, reducing consumer spending, straining local businesses, and creating unnecessary economic instability”
    “Federal agencies must be staffed by qualified professionals, not political loyalists”
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) are demanding that President Trump immediately halt his unlawful mass firings of federal employees on probationary status.
    Nearly all federal employees are routinely in a probationary period for the first one or two years of service and more than 200,000 of them are on probationary status across the federal government. In New Mexico, there are approximately 2,200 federal employees in their probationary period – including individuals who serve in critical roles across key agencies, including the Veterans Health Administration, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among others. 
    “Abruptly terminating these employees without due process would not only undermine the delivery of essential government services but would also have widespread economic consequences for our state. Federal employment is a major contributor to New Mexico’s economy, supporting thousands of families and generating significant local revenue. Large-scale firings of probationary employees would ripple through our communities, reducing consumer spending, straining local businesses, and creating unnecessary economic instability,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to President Trump.
    The delegation emphasized how these firings could endanger the safety of New Mexicans, “Recent reports highlight the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s extensive training and reliance on probationary employees, with new agents and support staff actively investigating crimes nationwide. Dismissing these employees could have dire consequences on national security and public safety. Such firings are sure to weaken national security by removing personnel involved in critical investigations. The loss of these agents would leave vital work unfinished and could compromise public safety both in the present and for years to come.”
    Additionally, the delegation highlighted that probationary employees are subject to established federal workforce protections, underscoring the unlawfulness of terminating employees for reasons other than performance or conduct issues, “Concerns have already been raised about the legality of these terminations, noting that mass layoffs without individualized assessments violate existing federal workforce statutes. Federal law permits the termination of probationary employees based on performance or conduct. It does not allow for large-scale firings without individualized assessments or adherence to Reduction in Force procedures. Additionally, it explicitly prohibits dismissing probationary employees for partisan political reasons. Federal agencies must be staffed by qualified professionals, not political loyalists.”
    The lawmakers demanded, “We urge your Administration to halt any plans for mass firings of probationary employees in New Mexico and across the country.”
    The text of the letter is here and below:
    Dear President Trump,
    We write to express serious concerns about your Administration’s efforts to target federal employees, particularly those on probationary status.  Probationary employees are subject to established federal workforce protections, including adherence to Reduction in Force (RIF) procedures (5 C.F.R. § 351.201(a)(1)).  Any attempt to circumvent legal protections by imposing mass terminations would be unprecedented, disruptive, and illegal.
    Nationally, there are more than 2.4 million federal workers. Nearly all federal employees are routinely in a probationary period for the first one or two years of service and more than 200,000 of them are on probationary status across the federal government.  In New Mexico, there are approximately 2,200 federal employees in their probationary period – including individuals who serve in critical roles across key agencies, including the Veterans Health Administration, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among others.
    Abruptly terminating these employees without due process would not only undermine the delivery of essential government services but would also have widespread economic consequences for our state. Federal employment is a major contributor to New Mexico’s economy, supporting thousands of families and generating significant local revenue. Large-scale firings of probationary employees would ripple through our communities, reducing consumer spending, straining local businesses, and creating unnecessary economic instability.
    Immediately terminating probationary employees also risks long-term harm to the federal workforce. Many of these probationary employees represent the next generation of skilled public servants – 27% are under the age of 30 – and they report the highest levels of job engagement across the federal workforce. Signaling that federal employment is unstable and subject to arbitrary dismissal will undermine recruitment and retention efforts, making it harder for agencies to attract and keep the skilled professionals essential to their missions (5 C.F.R. § 351.501).
    Concerns have already been raised about the legality of these terminations, noting that mass layoffs without individualized assessments violate existing federal workforce statutes. Federal law permits the termination of probationary employees based on performance or conduct. It does not allow for large-scale firings without individualized assessments or adherence to Reduction in Force procedures.  Additionally, it explicitly prohibits dismissing probationary employees for partisan political reasons. Federal agencies must be staffed by qualified professionals, not political loyalists.
    Particularly concerning are the potential implications for public safety. Recent reports highlight the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s extensive training and reliance on probationary employees, with new agents and support staff actively investigating crimes nationwide. Dismissing these employees could have dire consequences on national security and public safety. Such firings are sure to weaken national security by removing personnel involved in critical investigations. The loss of these agents would leave vital work unfinished and could compromise public safety both in the present and for years to come.
    Given all of the above, we urge your Administration to halt any plans for mass firings of probationary employees in New Mexico and across the country.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Marshall Joins Fox Business to Discuss Budget Reconciliation, President Trump’s Cabinet Nominees, and More

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined Maria Bartiromo with Fox Business this morning to discuss President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees, an update on the budget reconciliation process, and Democrats’ efforts to obstruct the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

    [embedded content]

    You may click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full Fox Business interview.
    On Budget Reconciliation:
    “What we’re going to do is prioritize funding to secure the border, to improve the military, to unleash American energy, and then finally, bring some fiscal sanity back to America. So we’re… lowering the top line from $7 trillion a year [in] spending, down to 6.1 [trillion], that should actually help bring interest rates down. If you think about it, the federal government’s printing less money. I think that will start bringing interest rates down.”
    On the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services:
    “The Democrats are hung up. It’s kind of amazing to me. If Bobby had been nominated by Joe Biden, it would have been called a brilliant move, but since it’s Donald Trump that nominates him, all of a sudden, he’s a vulcan or something. I’m looking forward to working with Bobby. We are going to make America healthy again. 60% of Americans have a chronic disease today. We need to figure out why.”
    On the Democrats’ efforts to obstruct DOGE:
    “Last year, the federal government sent out $250 billion of improper payments. That’s what the Government Accounting Office told us. $250 billion – our Inspector Generals missed all that?”
    “We need to make sure that we don’t have foxes watching the hen house. So President Trump’s figuring it out. There’s things he can do, and now Congress needs to go behind him and clean up this mess as well.”
    “That’s what the President ran on. Let’s make Americans safe. Let’s make them prosperous. We make them prosperous by rolling back regulations, fighting inflation, lowering energy costs, health care is a big driver of inflation. Right now we should come back and talk about it as well. So those will be our priorities.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff Sound Alarm Over Trump Admin’s Illegal, Indiscriminate Funding Cuts to National Institutes of Health

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff Sound Alarm Over Trump Admin’s Illegal, Indiscriminate Funding Cuts to National Institutes of Health

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) expressed serious concerns over the Trump Administration’s proposed funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that would create a severe funding shortfall for research institutions across California and the nation. The Senators joined the entire Democratic caucus in highlighting the major threats posed by these cuts, which threaten to undermine America’s biomedical research infrastructure and set us back generations.

    The steps the Trump Administration has taken to impose a hiring freeze, communications freeze, ban on travel, and cancellation of grant review and advisory panels that are necessary to advance research would cripple research institutions nationwide, undermine progress on lifesaving scientific advancements, threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers, and cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars.

    Last year, California received over $5 billion in NIH award funding, including for critical University of California and California State University projects that rely heavily on federal funding. The proposed cuts would be devastating to California universities and our global leadership in biomedical and scientific innovation.

    “This change to NIH’s indirect cost rate represents an indiscriminate funding cut that will be nothing short of catastrophic for the lifesaving research that patients and families are counting on. The Administration’s new policy means that research will come to a halt, sick kids may not get the treatment they need, and clinical trials may shut down abruptly,” wrote the Senators.

    “The NIH plays a critical role in our nation’s efforts to fund scientific advancements that improve health and save lives,” continued the Senators. “Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration. We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted.”

    Last week, NIH announced it would set the maximum reimbursement rate for indirect costs to 15 percent — creating a serious funding shortfall for research institutions of all types across the country. This move would dismantle the biomedical research system and stifle the development of new cures for disease. It will not produce cost savings — it will just shift costs to states who cannot afford to pay the difference.

    Importantly, this action by the Trump Administration is illegal, and when the Trump Administration made a similar proposal eight years ago, Congress rejected it in a bipartisan manner.

    California joined 21 other states in a lawsuit against this NIH funding cut, arguing that this violates the Administrative Procedure Act because of a Congressional provision from 2018 that prevents changes to indirect cost rates. On Monday, a federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked the NIH rate cut and set a hearing for February 21.

    The letter was signed by the entire Senate Democratic caucus. In addition to Padilla, Schiff, and the letter lead, Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the letter was also signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    A state-by-state analysis of total NIH funding, jobs supported, and economic activity supported through NIH research is available here.

    Senators Padilla and Schiff have fought relentlessly against the Trump Administration’s dangerous attacks on the American health care system. Earlier this week, Padilla and Schiff demanded President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) refrain from making cuts to Medicare and Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for billionaires after Musk and DOGE officials gained access to key payment and contracting systems at the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS). Last week, the California Senators called on Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Dorothy Fink to end the unprecedented freeze on all external health communications and funding. After the Trump Administration paused crucial communications from federal health agencies last month, Senator Padilla joined Senator Schatz in introducing a resolution calling for uninterrupted health warning services for the American people.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Kennedy,

    We write to express our serious concern with the Trump Administration’s recent decisions that threaten to undermine the nation’s biomedical research infrastructure and set us back generations. The steps the Trump Administration has taken will create a serious funding shortfall for research institutions nationwide, threaten to undermine progress on lifesaving scientific advancements, could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars, and threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers. 

    As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH plays a critical role in sustaining the research infrastructure necessary for scientific breakthroughs in cancer treatment, infectious disease prevention, and medical technology innovation, among many others. President Trump has wreaked havoc on the nation’s biomedical research system in recent weeks. In his first several days in office, President Trump imposed a hiring freeze, communications freeze, ban on travel, and cancellation of grant review and advisory panels that are necessary to advance research. While some of these efforts have been reversed, they continue to cause confusion and miscommunication among researchers and recipients of NIH funds.

    Just last week, NIH announced an illegal plan to cap indirect cost rates that research institutions rely on. In capping indirect cost rates at 15 percent for NIH-funded grants, this policy would cut funding essential for conducting research, such as operating and maintaining laboratories, equipment, and research facilities. This change to NIH’s indirect cost rate represents an indiscriminate funding cut that will be nothing short of catastrophic for the lifesaving research that patients and families are counting on. The Administration’s new policy means that research will come to a halt, sick kids may not get the treatment they need, and clinical trials may shut down abruptly.

    These confusing and harmful policy changes threaten patient safety. The strength of the American research enterprise – recognized as the best in the world – is built on Congress’ bipartisan commitment to supporting essential research infrastructure. This funding, which Congress has long appropriated on a bipartisan basis, fuels groundbreaking medical discoveries and cements the United States’ position as the global leader in biomedical research.

    In addition to the stifling impact on discovering new cures and ripping away treatment from those who need it, changes to NIH policy and communications threaten jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with everyone from custodians, to research trainees, to scientists facing potential layoffs. NIH research supported more than 412,000 jobs and fueled nearly $93 billion in new economic activity in Fiscal Year 2023. Every dollar the NIH invests in research generates almost $2.50 in economic activity. These reckless policy changes not only threaten biomedical innovation and research, but also the livelihoods of thousands of workers in every state across the nation.

    The Trump Administration has left researchers, universities, and health systems with great uncertainty about whether they can continue to support entire research programs and patient clinical trials across the country. Institutions and grantees nationwide are dealing with an unprecedented external communications “pause” enacted by new leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the lack of transparency regarding the Administration’s illegal funding freeze, and the uncertainty of how new Executive Orders would be applied to their critical work. These actions resulted in NIH freezing grant reviews and cancelling advisory meetings, delaying critical funding that scientists need to continue advancing new cures and treatments. These disruptions do not just slow research – they cost lives.

    The NIH plays a critical role in our nation’s efforts to fund scientific advancements that improve health and save lives. Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration. We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 02.13.2025 Cruz-Klobuchar Bill to Protect Teenagers from Deepfake ‘Revenge Porn’ Unanimously Passes the Senate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate unanimously passed the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which was introduced by U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). The legislation criminalizes the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), including AI-generated NCII (or “deepfake revenge pornography”), and requires social media and similar websites to implement procedures to remove such content within 48 hours of notice from a victim.
    The bill unanimously passed both the Commerce Committee and the full Senate during the 118th Congress. For the current 119thCongress, U.S. Representatives Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) have reintroduced companion legislation in the House as they did last Congress. The TAKE IT DOWN Act has received widespread support from over 100 organizations, including victim advocacy groups, law enforcement, and tech industry leaders.
    Upon passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, Sen. Cruz said:
    “The TAKE IT DOWN Act gives victims of revenge and deepfake pornography—many of whom are young girls—the ability to fight back. Under our bipartisan bill, those who knowingly spread this vile material will face criminal charges, and Big Tech companies must remove exploitative content without delay. As we worked on the TAKE IT DOWN Act, more victims courageously came forward to share their stories to help end this horrific online abuse. Now, it’s up to the House to pass the TAKE IT DOWN Act and give victims the power to reclaim their privacy and dignity.”
    Sen. Klobuchar said:
    “We must provide victims of online abuse with the legal protections they need when intimate images are shared without their consent, especially now that deepfakes are creating horrifying new opportunities for abuse. Passing this bipartisan legislation builds on my work to ensure that victims can have this material removed from social media platforms and law enforcement can hold perpetrators accountable. The House should pass this bill and the President should sign it into law as soon as possible to protect victims of online abuse.”
    The legislation is co-sponsored by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).
    Background:
    While nearly every state has a law protecting people from non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), including 30 states with laws explicitly covering sexual deepfakes, these state laws vary in classification of crime and penalty and have uneven criminal prosecution. Further, victims struggle to have images depicting them removed from websites, increasing the likelihood the images are continuously spread and victims are retraumatized.
    In 2022, Congress passed legislation creating a civil cause of action for victims to sue individuals responsible for publishing NCII. However, bringing a civil action can be incredibly impractical. It is time-consuming, expensive, and may force victims to relive trauma. Further exacerbating the problem, it is not always clear who is responsible for publishing the NCII.
    The TAKE IT DOWN Act would protect and empower victims of real and deepfake NCII while respecting speech by:
    Criminalizing the publication of NCII in interstate commerce. The bill makes it unlawful for a person to knowingly publish NCII on social media and other online platforms. NCII is defined to include realistic, computer-generated pornographic images and videos that depict identifiable, real people. The bill also clarifies that a victim consenting to the creation of an authentic image does not mean that the victim has consented to its publication.
    Protecting good faith efforts to assist victims. The bill permits the good faith disclosure of NCII, such as to law enforcement, in narrow cases. 
    Requiring websites to take down NCII upon notice from the victim. Social media and other websites would be required to have in place procedures to remove NCII, pursuant to a valid request from a victim, within 48 hours. Websites must also make reasonable efforts to remove copies of the images. The FTC is charged with enforcement of this section. 
    Protecting lawful speech. The bill is narrowly tailored to criminalize knowingly publishing NCII without chilling lawful speech. The bill conforms to current First Amendment jurisprudence by requiring that computer-generated NCII meet a “reasonable person” test for appearing indistinguishable from an authentic image.
    To read the bill text, click HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: February 13th, 2025 N.M. Delegation Demands Trump Stop Unlawful Mass Firings of Probationary Federal Employees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    Heinrich, Luján, Leger Fernández, Stansbury, Vasquez: “Large-scale firings of probationary employees would ripple through our communities, reducing consumer spending, straining local businesses, and creating unnecessary economic instability”

    “Federal agencies must be staffed by qualified professionals, not political loyalists”

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) are demanding that President Trump immediately halt his unlawful mass firings of federal employees on probationary status.

    Nearly all federal employees are routinely in a probationary period for the first one or two years of service and more than 200,000 of them are on probationary status across the federal government. In New Mexico, there are approximately 2,200 federal employees in their probationary period – including individuals who serve in critical roles across key agencies, including the Veterans Health Administration, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among others. 

    “Abruptly terminating these employees without due process would not only undermine the delivery of essential government services but would also have widespread economic consequences for our state. Federal employment is a major contributor to New Mexico’s economy, supporting thousands of families and generating significant local revenue. Large-scale firings of probationary employees would ripple through our communities, reducing consumer spending, straining local businesses, and creating unnecessary economic instability,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter to President Trump.

    The delegation emphasized how these firings could endanger the safety of New Mexicans, “Recent reports highlight the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s extensive training and reliance on probationary employees, with new agents and support staff actively investigating crimes nationwide. Dismissing these employees could have dire consequences on national security and public safety. Such firings are sure to weaken national security by removing personnel involved in critical investigations. The loss of these agents would leave vital work unfinished and could compromise public safety both in the present and for years to come.”

    Additionally, the delegation highlighted that probationary employees are subject to established federal workforce protections, underscoring the unlawfulness of terminating employees for reasons other than performance or conduct issues, “Concerns have already been raised about the legality of these terminations, noting that mass layoffs without individualized assessments violate existing federal workforce statutes. Federal law permits the termination of probationary employees based on performance or conduct. It does not allow for large-scale firings without individualized assessments or adherence to Reduction in Force procedures. Additionally, it explicitly prohibits dismissing probationary employees for partisan political reasons. Federal agencies must be staffed by qualified professionals, not political loyalists.”

    The lawmakers demanded, “We urge your Administration to halt any plans for mass firings of probationary employees in New Mexico and across the country.”

    The text of the letter is here and below:

    Dear President Trump,

    We write to express serious concerns about your Administration’s efforts to target federal employees, particularly those on probationary status.  Probationary employees are subject to established federal workforce protections, including adherence to Reduction in Force (RIF) procedures (5 C.F.R. § 351.201(a)(1)).  Any attempt to circumvent legal protections by imposing mass terminations would be unprecedented, disruptive, and illegal.

    Nationally, there are more than 2.4 million federal workers. Nearly all federal employees are routinely in a probationary period for the first one or two years of service and more than 200,000 of them are on probationary status across the federal government.  In New Mexico, there are approximately 2,200 federal employees in their probationary period – including individuals who serve in critical roles across key agencies, including the Veterans Health Administration, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, among others.

    Abruptly terminating these employees without due process would not only undermine the delivery of essential government services but would also have widespread economic consequences for our state. Federal employment is a major contributor to New Mexico’s economy, supporting thousands of families and generating significant local revenue. Large-scale firings of probationary employees would ripple through our communities, reducing consumer spending, straining local businesses, and creating unnecessary economic instability.

    Immediately terminating probationary employees also risks long-term harm to the federal workforce. Many of these probationary employees represent the next generation of skilled public servants – 27% are under the age of 30 – and they report the highest levels of job engagement across the federal workforce. Signaling that federal employment is unstable and subject to arbitrary dismissal will undermine recruitment and retention efforts, making it harder for agencies to attract and keep the skilled professionals essential to their missions (5 C.F.R. § 351.501).

    Concerns have already been raised about the legality of these terminations, noting that mass layoffs without individualized assessments violate existing federal workforce statutes. Federal law permits the termination of probationary employees based on performance or conduct. It does not allow for large-scale firings without individualized assessments or adherence to Reduction in Force procedures.  Additionally, it explicitly prohibits dismissing probationary employees for partisan political reasons. Federal agencies must be staffed by qualified professionals, not political loyalists.

    Particularly concerning are the potential implications for public safety. Recent reports highlight the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s extensive training and reliance on probationary employees, with new agents and support staff actively investigating crimes nationwide. Dismissing these employees could have dire consequences on national security and public safety. Such firings are sure to weaken national security by removing personnel involved in critical investigations. The loss of these agents would leave vital work unfinished and could compromise public safety both in the present and for years to come.

    Given all of the above, we urge your Administration to halt any plans for mass firings of probationary employees in New Mexico and across the country.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer, Thune Introduce Death Tax Repeal Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The impacts of the federal estate tax, often referred to as the death tax, were reduced in 2017 with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which doubled the amount exempt from the tax and tied it to inflation. These tax cuts, unless extended, expire in 2025. In particular, the death tax significantly impacts family farms, ranches, and small businesses.
    U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) in introducing the Death Tax Repeal Act. This legislation would permanently repeal the federal estate tax and generation-skipping transfer taxes, reduce the federal gift tax from 40 percent to 35 percent, and retain the full step-up in basis.
    “Taxing the assets of people who have died is wrong on multiple levels, starting with the fact the same income is taxed twice, during life and after death,” said Cramer. “It’s hard to imagine a less moral government imposition than taxing death.”
    “Family farms and ranches play a vital role in our economy and are the lifeblood of rural communities in South Dakota,” said Thune. “Losing even one of them to the death tax is one too many. It’s time to put an end to this punishing, burdensome tax once and for all so that family farms, ranches and small businesses can grow and thrive without costly estate planning or massive tax burdens that can threaten their viability.”
    Cramer supported related efforts when Congress debated the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
    The bill is endorsed by supported by more than 190 members of the Family Business Coalition and more than 105 members of the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition, which includes the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Restaurant Association, the National Association of Home Builders, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
    Cosponsors of the bill include U.S. Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jim Justice (R-WV), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN).
    Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Joins Entire Democratic Caucus in Raising Alarm Over Trump Admin Pushing Illegal Indiscriminate Funding Cuts to NIH, Derailing Lifesaving Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Washington (February 13, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. expressing serious alarm over the Trump Administration’s recent decisions that threaten to undermine America’s biomedical research infrastructure and set us back generations. The steps the Trump administration has taken would create a serious funding shortfall for research institutions nationwide, threaten to undermine progress on lifesaving scientific advancements, and could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars and threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers. 

    “As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH plays a critical role in sustaining the research infrastructure necessary for scientific breakthroughs in cancer treatment, infectious disease prevention, and medical technology innovation, among many others. President Trump has wreaked havoc on the nation’s biomedical research system in recent weeks. In his first several days in office, President Trump imposed a hiring freeze, communications freeze, ban on travel, and cancellation of grant review and advisory panels that are necessary to advance research. While some of these efforts have been reversed, they continue to cause confusion and miscommunication among researchers and recipients of NIH funds,” the lawmakers wrote.

    Last week, the NIH announced it would set the maximum reimbursement rate for indirect costs to 15 percent—creating a serious funding shortfall for research institutions of all types across the country. This move would dismantle the biomedical research system and stifle the development of new cures for disease. It won’t produce cost savings—it will just shift costs to states who can’t afford to pay the difference. Importantly, this action by the Trump administration is illegal—Congress’ bipartisan Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill prohibits modifications to NIH’s indirect costs.

    “This change to NIH’s indirect cost rate represents an indiscriminate funding cut that will be nothing short of catastrophic for the lifesaving research that patients and families are counting on. The Administration’s new policy means that research will come to a halt, sick kids may not get the treatment they need, and clinical trials may shut down abruptly,” the senators wrote. On Monday, a federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked the NIH rate cut and set a hearing for February 21st.

    The senators’ letter points out that, in addition to the stifling impact on discovering new cures and ripping away treatment from those who need it, changes to NIH policy and communications threaten jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. NIH research supported more than 412,000 jobs and fueled nearly $93 billion in new economic activity in Fiscal Year 2023 and every dollar the NIH invests in research generates almost $2.50 in economic activity. 

    “The Trump Administration has left researchers, universities, and health systems with great uncertainty about whether they can continue to support entire research programs and patient clinical trials across the country. Institutions and grantees nationwide are dealing with an unprecedented external communications “pause” enacted by new leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the lack of transparency regarding the Administration’s illegal funding freeze, and the uncertainty of how new Executive Orders would be applied to their critical work. These actions resulted in NIH freezing grant reviews and cancelling advisory meetings, delaying critical funding that scientists need to continue advancing new cures and treatments. These disruptions do not just slow research—they cost lives,” the senators continued.

    “Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration. We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted.”

    The letter was led by Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and signed by the entire Senate Democratic caucus: Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) signed onto the letter.

    A PDF of the letter is available HERE and the full text is below.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Rosen Votes to Confirm Brooke Rollins as Secretary of Agriculture

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement after she voted to confirm Brooke Rollins as Secretary of Agriculture.
    “Nevadans across our state, including rural communities and ranchers, rely on the Department of Agriculture to access the resources and support they need,” said Senator Rosen. “I evaluate every nominee based on their qualifications. While we won’t agree on everything, I voted to confirm Brooke Rollins as Secretary of Agriculture because she has the experience necessary for the role.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Exposes More Jaw-Dropping Wasteful Foreign Aid at USAID

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON – During a U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing, Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) exposed millions of dollars of waste at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
    Ernst has been leading the fight to combat waste at USAID and recently sent Secretary of State Marco Rubio a letter detailing the repeated stonewalling by the rogue agency to mislead, lie, and deceive the American people about how their tax dollars are spent.
    “Imagine how much more good work could be done if we used those dollars that, instead, ended up enriching terrorists and mad scientists in adversarial countries,” said Ernst. “It’s no surprise that Washington insiders are more upset at DOGE for trying to stop wasteful spending than at USAID for misusing their constituents’ tax dollars. The question that we really should be asking at this point isn’t why USAID’s grants are being scrutinized, but why it took so long.”

    Click here to watch Senator Ernst’s remarks.
    Ernst highlighted several of the worst examples of waste at USAID, including $20 million for Sesame Street in Iraq, more than $9 million intended for Syrian civilians that wound up in the hands of violent terrorists, $27 million for deportation services, including Barbie doll gift bags, and $69,000 for dance classes in Wuhan, China.
    She also questioned investigative journalist Michael Shellenberger about why USAID is so secretive in its spending.
    Ernst closed the hearing by blasting Washington insiders for being more concerned with blocking transparency efforts than preventing waste.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Pushes to Secure Permanent, Year-Round E15 for All Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, renewed her longstanding support for the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, the only nationwide solution to unleash year-round E15.
    This bipartisan legislation would provide a permanent solution for fuel blends containing 10% or more ethanol to allow for the year-round sale of E15 in all 50 states. The commonsense approach would deliver much-needed certainty to both biofuel producers and consumers.
    “It’s time to finally end years of unsustainable emergency waivers and patchwork regulations by permanently enacting nationwide E15,” said Senator Ernst.“We know this legislation will drive down prices at the pump, add value to the crops grown by farmers, strengthen our rural communities, fortify domestic energy dominance, and provide certainty for biofuel producers and consumers alike.”
    Background:
    Throughout her time in Congress, Ernst has been a strong advocate for homegrown, Iowa biofuels. Since 2015, she has led legislation to permanently allow the nationwide sale of year-round E15. She looks forward to partnering with the Trump administration to make it a reality.
    In March 2024, Ernst and the entire Iowa delegation urged President Biden to immediately issue an emergency waiver, which would make E15 available across the country and utilize the strength of American agriculture to provide energy independence. In April 2024, Ernst and a bipartisan group of senators once again called on President Biden to permit the summertime sale of E15 fuel and finally secured year-round, nationwide E15 sales for the entire 2024 driving season.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Demands Investigation Into Elon Musk’s Access To Americans’ Personal Information

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    February 13, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) sent a letter to Gene L. Dodaro, U.S. Comptroller General and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), calling for an investigation into the legality and scope of the agreement authorizing Elon Musk and his aides to use private servers to access sensitive and classified information. Murphy also requested a review of their designation as ‘special government employees’ (SGEs) and urged the GAO to assess whether they adhered to federal ethics and security requirements.

    “While the designation absolves Musk and his aides of some government requirements that apply to most federal employees, it does not absolve them of all obligations, nor does such a designation afford Musk and his aides carte blanche access to government data and servers,” Murphy wrote. “I also believe that Musk and his aides are subject to various conflict of interest statutes which prohibit federal employees from participating in matters that impact their own financial interests. Given the authority that President Trump has ceded to Musk and his aides, it is imperative the public understands whether Musk and his aides have complied with the law and whether highly sensitive data could be at risk if accessed by private actors who seek to benefit from the information illegally, or worse, by foreign adversaries who wish to attack this country.”

    Murphy warned the SGE designation could be exploited to give Trump’s political allies access to sensitive data without complying with ethics rules, referencing concerns of his colleagues from 2015: “As Senator Charles Grassley has rightly noted, the use of this designation at times has allowed some of the President’s political allies to work for the government while keeping their private sector jobs. Under this designation, many standard ethics and disclosure requirements are circumvented, but not all. In this case, press reports state Musk and his aides have set up private servers in at least one, and possibly multiple, federal agencies. This is very alarming if true. As Senator Grassley noted, “[t]he public’s business ought to be public with few exceptions…When employees are allowed to serve the government and the private sector at the same time and use private email, the employees have access to everything and the public, nothing.”

    In 2013, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and other Senate Republicans raised repeated concerns about Hillary Clinton’s use of the SGE designation as U.S. Secretary of State and the use of private emails and servers to conduct government business. At the time, Grassley warned, “This is worrisome because if the government isn’t properly tracking who holds this designation, it may be failing to catch conflicts of interest between government service and private-sector jobs.”

    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

    Dear Comptroller General Dodaro,

    I write to request an investigation into the legality and scope of the agreement authorizing Elon Musk and his private aides to utilize private servers to access, obtain information on, and otherwise enter varying levels of sensitive and classified information that belongs to the federal government, and to work in the federal government as ‘special government employees’ (SGE).

    On Monday, February 3, 2025, a White House official confirmed that Elon Musk (and by extension, his aides) have been designated SGEs. While the designation absolves Musk and his aides of some government requirements that apply to most federal employees, it does not absolve them of all obligations, nor does such a designation afford Musk and his aides carte blanche access to government data and servers. I also believe that Musk and his aides are subject to various conflict of interest statutes which prohibit federal employees from participating in matters that impact their own financial interests. Given the authority that President Trump has ceded to Musk and his aides, it is imperative the public understands whether Musk and his aides have complied with the law and whether highly sensitive data could be at risk if accessed by private actors who seek to benefit from the information illegally, or worse, by foreign adversaries who wish to attack this country.

    As Senator Charles Grassley has rightly noted, the use of this designation at times has allowed some of the President’s political allies to work for the government while keeping their private sector jobs. Under this designation, many standard ethics and disclosure requirements are circumvented, but not all. In this case, press reports state Musk and his aides have set up private servers in at least one, and possibly multiple, federal agencies. This is very alarming if true. As Senator Grassley noted, “[t]he public’s business ought to be public with few exceptions…When employees are allowed to serve the government and the private sector at the same time and use private email, the employees have access to everything and the public, nothing.”

    Specifically, I ask you to examine, and make publicly available, the following:

    1. any agreements, and any related documents, concerning the designation of Musk and his aides as ‘special designation employees;’
    2. all documents associated with required ethics compliance for Musk and his aides, including whether the required financial disclosures have occurred;
    3. whether all ethics officers at the relevant agencies were consulted or aware of the presence of Musk and his aides and compliance with federal law;
    4. the security of the private servers, including whether such servers can be exploited or accessed by individuals without appropriate security clearances;
    5. the names of the individuals who used, or continue to use, private e-mail addresses to conduct the business of the federal government (and for these individuals, identify any dual employment);
    1. whether any work-related emails from such servers have been deleted;
    1. whether any “Department considered any other candidates besides [Musk and his aides] for the expert position requiring expert knowledge on policy, administrative, and other matters? If so, please provide the supporting documentation. If not, why not?”
    2. whether [Musk and his aides] will be “reminded before [their] departure from government employment about [their] obligations in preserving [their] email communications and records;”
    3. whether Musk and his aides have adhered to legal obligations and otherwise to safeguard data, including, but not limited to, creating data inventories, undertaking data minimization and purpose limitation, and adhering to the highest levels of cybersecurity to protect the data from exploitation and exfiltration; and
    4. whether Musk and his aides can identify whether any data that they have accessed (within their authorized access level or not), has also been accessed impermissibly by any other party without authorization, and if so, what remedial measures have taken place.

    Given the stakes of what has occurred, I request that you expedite this investigation.

    Respectfully submitted,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Democratic Caucus Raise Alarm Over Trump Admin Pushing Illegal Indiscriminate Funding Cuts To NIH, Derailing Lifesaving Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined 45 of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. expressing serious alarm over the Trump Administration’s recent decisions that threaten to undermine America’s biomedical research infrastructure and set us back generations. The steps the Trump administration has taken would create a serious funding shortfall for research institutions nationwide, threaten to undermine progress on lifesaving scientific advancements, and could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars and threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers. 
    “As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH plays a critical role in sustaining the research infrastructure necessary for scientific breakthroughs in cancer treatment, infectious disease prevention, and medical technology innovation, among many others,” the senators wrote. “President Trump has wreaked havoc on the nation’s biomedical research system in recent weeks. In his first several days in office, President Trump imposed a hiring freeze, communications freeze, ban on travel, and cancellation of grant review and advisory panels that are necessary to advance research. While some of these efforts have been reversed, they continue to cause confusion and miscommunication among researchers and recipients of NIH funds.”
    Last week, the NIH announced it would set the maximum reimbursement rate for indirect costs to 15 percent—creating a serious funding shortfall for research institutions of all types across the country. This move would dismantle the biomedical research system and stifle the development of new cures for disease. It won’t produce cost savings—it will just shift costs to states who can’t afford to pay the difference. Importantly, this action by the Trump administration is illegal—Congress’ bipartisan Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill prohibits modifications to NIH’s indirect costs.
    “This change to NIH’s indirect cost rate represents an indiscriminate funding cut that will be nothing short of catastrophic for the lifesaving research that patients and families are counting on. The Administration’s new policy means that research will come to a halt, sick kids may not get the treatment they need, and clinical trials may shut down abruptly,” the senators added. On Monday, a federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked the NIH rate cut and set a hearing for February 21.
    The senators’ letter points out that, in addition to the stifling impact on discovering new cures and ripping away treatment from those who need it, changes to NIH policy and communications threaten jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. NIH research supported more than 412,000 jobs and fueled nearly $93 billion in new economic activity in Fiscal Year 2023 and every dollar the NIH invests in research generates almost $2.50 in economic activity. 
    “The Trump Administration has left researchers, universities, and health systems with great uncertainty about whether they can continue to support entire research programs and patient clinical trials across the country. Institutions and grantees nationwide are dealing with an unprecedented external communications ‘pause’ enacted by new leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the lack of transparency regarding the Administration’s illegal funding freeze, and the uncertainty of how new Executive Orders would be applied to their critical work. These actions resulted in NIH freezing grant reviews and cancelling advisory meetings, delaying critical funding that scientists need to continue advancing new cures and treatments. These disruptions do not just slow research—they cost lives,” the senators continued.
    They concluded: “Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration. We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted.”
    U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    Dear Secretary Kennedy,
    We write to express our serious concern with the Trump Administration’s recent decisions that threaten to undermine the nation’s biomedical research infrastructure and set us back generations. The steps the Trump Administration has taken will create a serious funding shortfall for research institutions nationwide, threaten to undermine progress on lifesaving scientific advancements, could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars, and threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers. 
    As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH plays a critical role in sustaining the research infrastructure necessary for scientific breakthroughs in cancer treatment, infectious disease prevention, and medical technology innovation, among many others. President Trump has wreaked havoc on the nation’s biomedical research system in recent weeks. In his first several days in office, President Trump imposed a hiring freeze, communications freeze, ban on travel, and cancellation of grant review and advisory panels that are necessary to advance research. While some of these efforts have been reversed, they continue to cause confusion and miscommunication among researchers and recipients of NIH funds.
    Just last week, NIH announced an illegal plan to cap indirect cost rates that research institutions rely on. In capping indirect cost rates at 15 percent for NIH-funded grants, this policy would cut funding essential for conducting research, such as operating and maintaining laboratories, equipment, and research facilities. This change to NIH’s indirect cost rate represents an indiscriminate funding cut that will be nothing short of catastrophic for the lifesaving research that patients and families are counting on. The Administration’s new policy means that research will come to a halt, sick kids may not get the treatment they need, and clinical trials may shut down abruptly.
    These confusing and harmful policy changes threaten patient safety. The strength of the American research enterprise – recognized as the best in the world – is built on Congress’ bipartisan commitment to supporting essential research infrastructure. This funding, which Congress has long appropriated on a bipartisan basis, fuels groundbreaking medical discoveries and cements the United States’ position as the global leader in biomedical research.
    In addition to the stifling impact on discovering new cures and ripping away treatment from those who need it, changes to NIH policy and communications threaten jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with everyone from custodians, to research trainees, to scientists facing potential layoffs. NIH research supported more than 412,000 jobs and fueled nearly $93 billion in new economic activity in Fiscal Year 2023. Every dollar the NIH invests in research generates almost $2.50 in economic activity. These reckless policy changes not only threaten biomedical innovation and research, but also the livelihoods of thousands of workers in every state across the nation.
    The Trump Administration has left researchers, universities, and health systems with great uncertainty about whether they can continue to support entire research programs and patient clinical trials across the country. Institutions and grantees nationwide are dealing with an unprecedented external communications “pause” enacted by new leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the lack of transparency regarding the Administration’s illegal funding freeze, and the uncertainty of how new Executive Orders would be applied to their critical work. These actions resulted in NIH freezing grant reviews and cancelling advisory meetings, delaying critical funding that scientists need to continue advancing new cures and treatments. These disruptions do not just slow research – they cost lives.
    The NIH plays a critical role in our nation’s efforts to fund scientific advancements that improve health and save lives. Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration. We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Hoeven Call on Acting FAA Administrator to Urgently Address Air Traffic Controller Staffing Shortages

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    **Citing the deadly collision at Reagan National Airport and increasingly frequent near-misses at airports across the country, Senators request that the FAA work with Congress on ways to prevent future tragedies**
    (Washington, DC) – Following the deadliest commercial aviation incident on U.S. soil in more than 23 years last month, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and John Hoeven (R-ND) are calling on Acting Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Chris Rochelau to urgently work with Congress to address air traffic controller staffing shortages. In their letter, Shaheen and Hoeven highlight how increasingly frequent near-misses and crashes emphasize the need for the FAA to confront the shortage of air traffic controllers as part of any response to the fatal collision that took place on January 29, 2025. 
    In part, the Senators wrote: “We know the FAA understands the need to increase controller staffing: the agency raised their hiring goal to onboard a projected 17,125 controllers through Fiscal Year 2033. However, turning those goals into reality is far more challenging. According to the FAA, only 60% of controller trainees reach full certification within three years. And despite meeting self-imposed yearly staffing targets, attrition continues to keep pace with new hires. 
    They continued: “We ask that you work with Congress and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association to increase funding for operations, modernize facilities and equipment, expand the FAA training academy’s capacity, strengthen partnerships with aviation schools across the county and other ways to prevent partisan brinksmanship around government funding from shutting down operations.” 
    The Senators concluded: “For the sake of America’s traveling public, we can and must do better. At a minimum, we must commit to doing all we can to reinforce our certified professional controller (CPC) workforce and keep tragedies like this from becoming commonplace. We stand ready to work closely with you and your Administration to do everything in our power to prevent this from happening again.” 
    Full text of the letter can be found here. 
    A recent New York Times investigation found that in Fiscal Year 2023 there were 503 air traffic control lapses that the FAA preliminarily categorized as “significant,” which marks a 65 percent increase from the previous year. During that period, air traffic increased by about 4 percent. 
    At the end of Fiscal Year 2024, there were 1,020 fewer CPCs than there were at the end of Fiscal Year 2012 – marking a 9% decrease in air traffic controllers in the workforce. Last year, Congress passed the FAA Reauthorization Act with broad bipartisan support. The reauthorization legislation included provisions secured by Shaheen requiring the FAA, for the first time, to hire the maximum number of new controller trainees as can be trained annually at the FAA’s Academy in Oklahoma City for each of the five years of the law’s duration. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Announces $2.6 Million for Louisiana in Hurricanes Ida, Francine Relief

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced Louisiana will receive $2,619,792.02 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Hurricanes Ida and Francine relief. The Greater Lafourche Port Commission will receive $1,118,949.84 for permanent work on the Galliano Main Administrative Office Building which was damaged as a result of Hurricane Ida. The Louisiana National Guard will receive $1,500,842.18 for emergency protective measures as a result of Hurricane Francine.
    “As we continue to rebuild from past storms, we must also prepare for the next storm,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Louisiana is resilient, and this funding will only strengthen our communities.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham, Whitehouse Lead Congressional Delegation To Munich Security Conference

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) will lead a bipartisan, bicameral congressional delegation to this weekend’s Munich Security Conference (MSC).

    In addition to hundreds of leaders and decision makers throughout the world, the 2025 MSC will include Vice President of the United States JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

    The MSC is widely considered the world’s leading forum for international security policy. The conference is a “marketplace of ideas” where initiatives and solutions are developed and opinions are exchanged. It also provides a venue for diplomatic initiatives and ideas to cooperatively address the world’s most pressing security concerns.

    Other congressional participants include:

    U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas)

    U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut)

    U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)

    U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)

    U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-California)

    U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-New Jersey)

    U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi)

    U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia)

    U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colorado)

    U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Delaware)

    U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)

    U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina)

    U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland)

    U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri)

    U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan)

    U.S. Representative William Timmons (R-South Carolina-04)

    Additional Information on the 2025 Munich Security Conference:

    https://securityconference.org/en/msc-2025/

    YouTube Channel for the 2025 MSC Panels and Discussions:

    www.youtube.com/@MunSecConf

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Join Democratic Colleagues in Raising Alarm Over Illegal and Indiscriminate Trump Funding Cuts to NIH

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, (both D-VA) today joined U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and their Senate Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. expressing serious alarm over the Trump Administration’s decision to cut NIH funding – a move that threatens to undermine America’s biomedical research infrastructure and set us back generations. These illegal cuts would create a serious funding shortfall for research institutions nationwide, undermining progress on lifesaving scientific advancements, and potentially costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars and threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers. 

     “As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH plays a critical role in sustaining the research infrastructure necessary for scientific breakthroughs in cancer treatment, infectious disease prevention, and medical technology innovation, among many others. President Trump has wreaked havoc on the nation’s biomedical research system in recent weeks. In his first several days in office, President Trump imposed a hiring freeze, communications freeze, ban on travel, and cancellation of grant review and advisory panels that are necessary to advance research. While some of these efforts have been reversed, they continue to cause confusion and miscommunication among researchers and recipients of NIH funds,” wrote the senators.

    Last week, the NIH announced it would set the maximum reimbursement rate for indirect costs to 15 percent – creating a serious funding shortfall for research institutions of all types across the country. This move would dismantle the biomedical research system and stifle the development of new cures for disease. It would also fail produce real cost savings and instead just shift costs to states who can’t afford to pay the difference.

    “This change to NIH’s indirect cost rate represents an indiscriminate funding cut that will be nothing short of catastrophic for the lifesaving research that patients and families are counting on. The Administration’s new policy means that research will come to a halt, sick kids may not get the treatment they need, and clinical trials may shut down abruptly,” the senators continued.

    The senators’ letter points out that, in addition to the stifling impact on discovering new cures and ripping away treatment from those who need it, changes to NIH policy and communications threaten jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. NIH research supported more than 412,000 jobs and fueled nearly $93 billion in new economic activity in Fiscal Year 2023 and every dollar the NIH invests in research generates almost $2.50 in economic activity. 

    “The Trump Administration has left researchers, universities, and health systems with great uncertainty about whether they can continue to support entire research programs and patient clinical trials across the country. Institutions and grantees nationwide are dealing with an unprecedented external communications “pause” enacted by new leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the lack of transparency regarding the Administration’s illegal funding freeze, and the uncertainty of how new Executive Orders would be applied to their critical work. These actions resulted in NIH freezing grant reviews and cancelling advisory meetings, delaying critical funding that scientists need to continue advancing new cures and treatments. These disruptions do not just slow research—they cost lives,” the senators stressed.

    “Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration. We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted.”

    This letter comes on the heels of a Monday ruling in which a federal judge temporarily blocked the NIH rate cut and set a hearing for February 21.

    A copy of the letter is available here and below:

     Dear Secretary Kennedy,

    We write to express our serious concern with the Trump Administration’s recent decisions that threaten to undermine the nation’s biomedical research infrastructure and set us back generations. The steps the Trump Administration has taken will create a serious funding shortfall for research institutions nationwide, threaten to undermine progress on lifesaving scientific advancements, could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars, and threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers. 

    As the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, NIH plays a critical role in sustaining the research infrastructure necessary for scientific breakthroughs in cancer treatment, infectious disease prevention, and medical technology innovation, among many others. President Trump has wreaked havoc on the nation’s biomedical research system in recent weeks. In his first several days in office, President Trump imposed a hiring freeze, communications freeze, ban on travel, and cancellation of grant review and advisory panels that are necessary to advance research. While some of these efforts have been reversed, they continue to cause confusion and miscommunication among researchers and recipients of NIH funds.

    Just last week, NIH announced an illegal plan to cap indirect cost rates that research institutions rely on. In capping indirect cost rates at 15 percent for NIH-funded grants, this policy would cut funding essential for conducting research, such as operating and maintaining laboratories, equipment, and research facilities. This change to NIH’s indirect cost rate represents an indiscriminate funding cut that will be nothing short of catastrophic for the lifesaving research that patients and families are counting on. The Administration’s new policy means that research will come to a halt, sick kids may not get the treatment they need, and clinical trials may shut down abruptly.

    These confusing and harmful policy changes threaten patient safety. The strength of the American research enterprise – recognized as the best in the world – is built on Congress’ bipartisan commitment to supporting essential research infrastructure. This funding, which Congress has long appropriated on a bipartisan basis, fuels groundbreaking medical discoveries and cements the United States’ position as the global leader in biomedical research.

    In addition to the stifling impact on discovering new cures and ripping away treatment from those who need it, changes to NIH policy and communications threaten jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with everyone from custodians, to research trainees, to scientists facing potential layoffs. NIH research supported more than 412,000 jobs and fueled nearly $93 billion in new economic activity in Fiscal Year 2023. Every dollar the NIH invests in research generates almost $2.50 in economic activity. These reckless policy changes not only threaten biomedical innovation and research, but also the livelihoods of thousands of workers in every state across the nation.

    The Trump Administration has left researchers, universities, and health systems with great uncertainty about whether they can continue to support entire research programs and patient clinical trials across the country. Institutions and grantees nationwide are dealing with an unprecedented external communications “pause” enacted by new leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the lack of transparency regarding the Administration’s illegal funding freeze, and the uncertainty of how new Executive Orders would be applied to their critical work. These actions resulted in NIH freezing grant reviews and cancelling advisory meetings, delaying critical funding that scientists need to continue advancing new cures and treatments. These disruptions do not just slow research – they cost lives.

    The NIH plays a critical role in our nation’s efforts to fund scientific advancements that improve health and save lives. Our standing as a world leader in funding and producing new medical and scientific innovations has been put at risk by these recent actions from the Trump Administration. We urge you to stop playing political games with the lifesaving work of the NIH and to allow NIH research to continue uninterrupted.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, Rosen Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Tackle Nursing Shortage

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the Train More Nurses Act to address the nursing shortage affecting communities across the nation. This bipartisan bill would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to conduct a review of nursing grant programs to find ways to increase faculty at nursing schools, especially those in underserved areas. It will also increase pathways for Licensed Practical Nurses to become Registered Nurses.

    “In the midst of a growing demand for medical treatments and services, health care providers across Maine continue to face a significant shortage of nurses. One challenge in growing the nursing workforce to meet this demand is the limited supply of nursing faculty available to increase student enrollment and train the next generation of nurses,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would identify strategies to close the faculty gap and expand our nursing workforce, ultimately improving access to care.”

    “As Nevada continues to face a shortage of nurses and doctors, it’s becoming more difficult for hardworking families to get the medical care they need,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m introducing this bipartisan bill to help increase the number of nurses in our state and improve Nevadans’ access to high-quality health care.”

    Senator Collins is working to address Maine’s health care professional shortage and improve medical care access in the state. The Maximizing Outcomes Through Better Investments in Lifesaving Equipment for (MOBILE) Health Care Act that she introduced with Senator Rosen was signed into law in 2022, and allows community health centers to use federal funds to establish new mobile health care units to increase access to health care services in rural and underserved communities.

    Last March, Senator Collins announced that she secured nearly $14 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for projects to support Maine’s health care workforce through the Fiscal Year 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. This included $4.5 million to construct and equip a Center for Nursing Workforce Development and Cybersecurity at the University of Maine at Augusta.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff Raise Alarm on Trump Administration Targeting Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff Raise Alarm on Trump Administration Targeting Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid

    Senators: “We write to say no to Elon Musk and DOGE, and demand hands off Medicare or Medicaid”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and 27 other Democratic Senators in demanding President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) refrain from making cuts to Medicare and Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Their letter comes after Elon Musk and DOGE officials gained access to key payment and contracting systems at the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS).

    In 2025, roughly 160 million Americans will rely on the programs CMS administers and oversees, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Health Insurance Marketplaces.

    Last year, 68 million seniors and people with disabilities — including 6.6 million Californians — relied on Medicare coverage for essential health care, including hospital visits, screenings for cancer, diabetes, and depression, and prescription drugs. Nearly 80 million Americans relied on Medicaid, making it the largest public health insurance program in the United States. That includes 15 million people enrolled in California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, which covers almost a third of all adults and half of all kids in the state.

    “We write to say no to Elon Musk and DOGE, and demand hands off Medicare or Medicaid. We strongly oppose any efforts by Musk — or anyone else in your administration — cutting or damaging these vital programs. Medicare and Medicaid must not be raided to pay for tax cuts for billionaires,” wrote the Senators. “Every cut risks Americans paying more, waiting longer, and wading through more insurance red tape for care. Every cut risks hospitals and community health centers struggling harder to keep their doors open and forcing health providers and workers out of their jobs.”

    “It is dangerously unacceptable that an unelected Musk and his unqualified acolytes have access to sensitive CMS systems and are ready to bypass Congress to make life and death decisions affecting millions of Americans,” continued the Senators. “No one asked for this lawless approach to our critical government health care systems. We urge you to stop this threat to Americans’ health care, now.”

    In addition to Senators Padilla, Schiff, Markey, and Warren, the letter is also signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Senators Padilla and Schiff have fought relentlessly against the Trump Administration’s dangerous attacks on the American health care system. Last week, Senators Padilla and Schiff joined Senators Klobuchar, Sanders, and 30 other Senators in calling on Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Dorothy Fink to end the unprecedented freeze on all external health communications and funding. After the Trump Administration paused crucial communications from federal health agencies last month, Senator Padilla joined Senator Schatz in introducing a resolution calling for uninterrupted health warning services for the American people.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear President Trump:

    We write with alarm at recent actions by your Administration that put Medicare and Medicaid at risk – threatening access to care for 140 million Americans. On February 5, Elon Musk and representatives of his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained access to key payment and contracting systems at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency that administers these vital programs. Masquerading as a false crusade against waste, fraud, and abuse, Musk appears intent to break the programs that seniors, people with disabilities, children, and families rely on to get their health care. We write to say no to Elon Musk and DOGE, and demand hands off Medicare or Medicaid. We strongly oppose any efforts by Musk – or anyone else in your administration – cutting or damaging these vital programs. Medicare and Medicaid must not be raided to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

    Medicare and Medicaid are lifelines for millions of Americans. In 2024, 68 million seniors and people with disabilities seniors relied on Medicare coverage for essential health care, including hospital visits, screenings for cancer, diabetes, and depression, and prescription drugs. Nearly 80 million Americans relied on Medicaid, making it the largest public health insurance program in the United States. Medicaid provides funding to states for services at nursing homes, hospitals, rural health clinics as well as home health services, addiction and mental health services, and family planning. Americans rely on Medicaid for pregnancy and childbirth, as well as long-term services and supports to care for people with disabilities, older adults, and chronically ill Americans.

    But now, DOGE is invading CMS, posing immeasurable risks to Americans’ health care. DOGE representatives, with no training or expertise, could make unilateral, politically motivated decisions to target both beneficiaries and health care providers while blocking access to care and essential payments for services. Every cut risks Americans paying more, waiting longer, and wading through more insurance red tape for care. Every cut risks hospitals and community health centers struggling harder to keep their doors open and forcing health providers and workers out of their jobs.

    We continue to fight for a health care system that works better for all Americans, so they experience lower costs, shorter wait times, and receive better care. But your Administration, Elon Musk, and DOGE have already made that harder. Your Administration is already responsible for the shut-down of Medicaid portals across all 50 states, disruptions to vital health care communication, closures of community health centers, and significant delays in funding for life-saving health research. Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will only serve to deepen the harm.

    It is dangerously unacceptable that an unelected Musk and his unqualified acolytes have access to sensitive CMS systems and are ready to bypass Congress to make life and death decisions affecting millions of Americans. No one asked for this lawless approach to our critical government health care systems. We urge you to stop this threat to Americans’ health care, now.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –