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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: On Senate Floor, Rosen Announces Opposition to Confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services 

    US Senate News:

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

    Watch Senator Rosen’s Full Remarks HERE.
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) took to the Senate floor to oppose the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. In her remarks, Senator Rosen highlighted Mr. Kennedy’s lack of qualifications and history of spreading dangerous public health conspiracies.
    Below are excerpts of Senator Rosen’s floor remarks:
    Today, we’re here to discuss President Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 
    If confirmed, Mr. Kennedy would be in charge of a department with power to, well, regulate the food we eat, the medicines we take, and the vaccines we depend upon.
    He would oversee agencies that provide health care to almost 170 million Americans – including hundreds of thousands of Nevadans who are on Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
    I’m here today to oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as our next Secretary of Health and Human Services. 
    Confirming him would have disastrous consequences for our public health, for seniors who rely on Medicare, for our families who get their health care through Medicaid.
    Well, let’s start out with his lack – his lack – of qualifications.
    Well, Mr. Kennedy – he’s never worked in health care or federal government. He’s probably best known for his skepticism of vaccines and spreading dangerous conspiracies and outright lies. 
    Mr. Kennedy’s history of promoting anti-vaccine misinformation – it’s well-documented and deeply troubling. 
    Vaccines have saved millions of lives throughout history, and they remain one of the most effective tools we have to protect public health. 
    Yet, Mr. Kennedy has spent years promoting debunked claims linking vaccines to autism, cancer, allergies, and autoimmune diseases. 
    He’s spread lies about vaccine safety, making people fearful and increasing rates of unvaccinated people, which put all of us – all of us – at risk.
    […]
    But his problematic views are just the start. During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Kennedy was also asked about his understanding of Medicare and Medicaid. Just asked if he knew about it.
    Well, he struggled – struggled I mind you – to remember which program covered older and disabled Americans, struggled to remember which program provided for low-income people. 
    This is Medicare and Medicaid, not something that’s so brand new that even Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shouldn’t know what it is. Because Medicare and Medicaid are not mere government programs. 
    They are a lifeline for millions of Americans, including our seniors, our parents, our grandparents, people with disabilities, families in need – including half of all children – and around forty percent of all babies born in this country.
    Why would we trust someone with the future of Medicare and Medicaid when he doesn’t even understand the basics of the system he would oversee? 
    […]
    You know, Mr. President, the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services – it is one of profound responsibility. 
    And Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has undermined the very foundations of our public health system.
    Mr. Kennedy’s vision for the future of our health care system, well, he wants to undermine Medicare and Medicaid, he wants to slash cancer research funding, he wants to push dangerous public health conspiracies. These are visions and these are things I cannot support. No one should support.
    We all want a healthier future for America — one that both prevents diseases and where we can think about curing diseases, where we can do preventative medicine, curative medicine, where we can have that hope for folks whose mother gets lung cancer in the future that she might live, or leukemia in the future, that their brother might live. 
    Mine didn’t, but I hope that they didn’t die in vain because research goes on and will help others. And I want us to be able to cure diseases for the ones that we love.
    And so that is why I cannot in good conscience support Mr. Kennedy’s nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
    The stakes couldn’t be higher. Our very lives — the lives of our loved ones — they may just depend on it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Leads Effort Demanding Trump Reverse Illegal Firing of Independent FEC Chair

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla Leads Effort Demanding Trump Reverse Illegal Firing of Independent FEC Chair

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, led 10 Democratic Senators to demand President Trump rescind his unprecedented and illegal firing of Federal Election Commission (FEC) Chair Ellen Weintraub. The Senators also urged Trump to pursue the lawful process of consulting with the Senate on nominating a replacement for both Weintraub and former Republican Commissioner Sean Cooksey, who recently resigned for a role in the Trump Administration, and future vacancies.

    The FEC is an independent, bipartisan agency tasked with enforcing U.S. campaign finance laws. In the 50 years since it was created — in the wake of the Watergate scandal — a commissioner has never been fired by the President. Typical procedure, as outlined in the Federal Election Campaign Act, is to have a Commissioner depart upon confirmation of their replacement. The illegal, unprecedented firing of Chair Weintraub took effect immediately following receipt of the letter on February 6.

    “Chair Weintraub must be able continue to serve in her role unless and until you use the lawful process of nominating a commissioner for the Senate’s consideration and that nominee is confirmed,” wrote the Senators. “Your letter seeking to remove a commissioner ignores the legal requirements that commissioners may not be removed without cause. This effort violates the procedure set in statute for replacing commissioners in the Federal Election Campaign Act and appears to be a bad faith effort to dismantle the only federal agency that protects the American people’s right to transparency in campaigns and elections.”

    “Record spending in our elections, including from ultra-wealthy individuals who now serve at the highest levels of power, has placed the FEC’s responsibilities at the heart of maintaining a healthy democracy,” continued the Senators. “While years of deadlock at the Commission have hindered its ability to serve as an effective regulator, removing commissioners without cause moves beyond dysfunction to outright destruction.”

    In addition to Senator Padilla, the letter was signed by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Last week, Senator Padilla rebuked President Trump’s illegal attempt to fire Chair Weintraub.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear President Trump:

    We write to strongly urge you to rescind your illegal attempt to remove Chair Ellen Weintraub from the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the independent and bipartisan agency charged with enforcing our campaign finance laws. Chair Weintraub must be able continue to serve in her role unless and until you use the lawful process of nominating a commissioner for the Senate’s consideration and that nominee is confirmed.

    Your letter seeking to remove a commissioner ignores the legal requirements that commissioners may not be removed without cause. This effort violates the procedure set in statute for replacing commissioners in the Federal Election Campaign Act and appears to be a bad faith effort to dismantle the only federal agency that protects the American people’s right to transparency in campaigns and elections.

    Removing an FEC commissioner without nominating a replacement is without precedent. With Republican Commissioner Sean Cooksey’s recent resignation to join your administration, regular order would be to consult with the Senate on a bipartisan basis and nominate a pair of Republican and Democratic commissioners for the Senate’s consideration. Unlawfully removing a commissioner with an existing vacancy, without consultation with the Senate on nominations to replace them, demonstrates an intent to ignore the Senate’s constitutional role and diminish the Commission’s ability to hold accountable potential violations of campaign finance law.

    Chair Weintraub, a Democratic commissioner, has a strong record of seeking to enforce the law that regulates money in politics on a nonpartisan basis, including holding presidential campaigns accountable. Congress created the FEC over 50 years ago, in the wake of the Watergate scandal that eroded trust in our government. The FEC was designed to be free from the interference of those it might be regulating and to ensure the American people had insight into how money was being spent to influence its elected officials. The role of money in our elections has changed since the FEC was first created, particularly as the Supreme Court has issued decisions permitting dark money to infiltrate our elections. However, the need for balanced and dedicated commissioners who work on behalf of the country has remained unchanged.

    Further, record spending in our elections, including from ultra-wealthy individuals who now serve at the highest levels of power, has placed the FEC’s responsibilities at the heart of maintaining a healthy democracy. While years of deadlock at the Commission have hindered its ability to serve as an effective regulator, removing commissioners without cause moves beyond dysfunction to outright destruction.

    We call on you to rescind your unlawful letter and pursue the legal process for replacing commissioners in bipartisan consultation with the Senate.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Bonamici Reintroduce Legislation to Promote Gender Equity in Sports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    February 12, 2025
    Washington D.C.–U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici today reintroduced legislation that would promote gender equity in college and K-12 sports in Oregon and nationwide. 
    “With so much excitement and momentum around women’s sports in America, including a new WNBA team coming to Portland, I call foul on retreating to a time before Title IX when girls didn’t receive the athletic support they deserve to nourish their potential,” Wyden said. “I’m putting a full-court press on any legislation that blocks progress we’ve made, and the Fair Play for Women Act will ensure every young Oregonian gets the same shot at succeeding, no matter their gender.”
    “Since the passage of Title IX we’ve seen an increase in the number of female students participating in sports. Despite that increase, college women still have nearly 60,000 fewer athletics opportunities than men, and high school girls have about one million fewer opportunities to play sports than high school boys. I’m co-leading the Fair Play for Women Act to promote strong Title IX protections and compliance from K-12 schools and colleges,” said Bonamici. 
    The Fair Play for Women Act would promote fairness in participation opportunities and institutional support for women’s and girls’ sports programs, ensure transparency and public reporting of data by college and K-12 athletic programs, hold athletic programs and athletic associations more accountable for Title IX violations and discriminatory treatment, and improve education and awareness of Title IX rights among college and K-12 athletes as well as athletics staff. 
    Specifically, the Fair Play for Women Act would:

    Hold schools and athletic associations accountable for discriminatory treatment. The bill would codify that state and intercollegiate athletic associations, including the NCAA, cannot discriminate based on sex, along with asserting non-discrimination protections within all school-based athletics, including club and intramural sports. It would also provide a robust private right of action for all athletes in their discrimination claims, making it easier for athletes to push for change at their schools. The bill would authorize the U.S. Department of Education to levy civil penalties on schools that repeatedly discriminate against athletes and require schools to submit publicly available plans to remedy violations, providing more tools to compel compliance and resolve ongoing discrimination.

    Expand reporting requirements for college and K-12 athletics data and make all information easily accessible to the public. The bill would establish a one-stop shop for key athletics data by expanding the scope and detail of reporting by colleges, extending these requirements to include athletics at elementary and secondary schools, and requiring the U.S. Secretary of Education to house all data on the same public website. The bill also requires that schools certify the data they submit and report how they are claiming Title IX compliance and directs the U.S. Department of Education to publish an annual report on gender equity in school-based athletics. These provisions will help weed out reporting tricks by programs to skirt non-discrimination laws and make it easier for athletes and stakeholders to evaluate persisting gaps in athletic programs or use publicly available data in their claims against schools. 

    Improve education of Title IX rights among athletes, staff, and stakeholders. The bill would require Title IX trainings on an annual basis for all athletes, Title IX coordinators, and athletic department and athletic association staff. The bill would also establish a public database of all Title IX coordinators at colleges andK-12 schools, included in the one-stop shop for athletics data. These provisions will ensure all people involved with K-12 and college athletics understand what Title IX means and what students’ rights are under the law.

    Wyden co-sponsored the senate bill with U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn), who led the legislation. Bonamici, Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C), and Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    A one-page summary of the legislation is here. Full text of the legislation is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Joins Push Urging Trump Administration to Exempt Seasonal Firefighters from Federal Hiring Freeze

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined 14 of her Senate colleagues in a letter urging the Trump Administration to exempt seasonal firefighters from the federal hiring freeze. Reports emerged last week indicating that the federal funding freeze is preventing the hiring and onboarding of seasonal firefighters, a workforce that already struggles with recruitment and retention. This comes as the West continues to be ravaged by deadly wildfires.
    “We write today following reports that hiring and onboarding for federal seasonal firefighters has stopped due to the Trump Administration’s federal hiring freeze,” wrote the Senators. “We are extremely concerned to hear that this is happening across the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service ahead of what’s expected to be another devastating wildfire year.”
    “Although there is an urgent need to hire more federal firefighters, the Trump Administration’s hiring freeze does the opposite and is pausing hiring at a critical time for this already understaffed workforce,” they continued. “We urge you to put the safety of families and communities across the country first and allow the federal seasonal firefighter hiring process to continue without delay.”
    The full text of letter can be found here.
    Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts to support Nevada firefighters and combat the wildfire crisis in the West, securing billions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to support wildfire risk reduction and new firefighting equipment. She recently visited the burn scar of the Davis Fire and discussed key resources she’s delivered for wildfires fuels reduction in Northern Nevada. She also ensured all federal wildland firefighters—including many working in Nevada — got a significant pay raise in 2023 and helped designate the Sierra and Elko Fronts as Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscapes for wildfire prevention efforts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Crapo Introduce Legislation to Ensure the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation Receive the $5 Million They’re Owed

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) reintroduced the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation Water Rights Settlement Act. This legislation will allow the Tribes to finally collect over $5 million in interest they are owed for their 2009 water rights settlement. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) are cosponsors of this legislation.
    “It is absurd that the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation have had to go nearly two decades without millions of dollars in interest they are owed,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “My commonsense, bipartisan legislation fixes this years-old oversight and secures funding that these Tribes deserve.”
    “This much-needed fix takes the next step in upholding the federal government’s full interest terms of the 2009 settlement with the Duck Valley reservation,” said Senator Crapo.  “The Senate unanimously advanced the measure in the last Congress and must do so again expeditiously.  The House should follow suit so we can correct this error as soon as possible.”
    “The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation deserve the millions of dollars in interest they are owed,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to help introduce this bipartisan legislation to ensure they finally receive this payment after a nearly twenty year delay.”
    “The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes’ water rights settlement mistakenly excluded interest payments, unjustly cutting these communities short,” said Senator Risch. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing legislation to correct this error and provide the Tribes the proper interest they are owed.”
    Senator Cortez Masto has long been a champion for Tribal communities. Last year, the Senate passed both her legislation to make it easier for Indian Health Services to recruit and retain doctors and her legislation to strengthen Tribal public safety. She repeatedly called on the Biden administration to do more to address the epidemic of violence against Native women and girls, including securing federal funding to protect Native communities, urging the administration to draft a plan to address this issue, and requesting the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate the federal response to this crisis.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Grassley Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Deadly Fentanyl Additive Xylazine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reintroduced their Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. This bill, which would list xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance while protecting the drug’s legal use by veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers, has bipartisan support from members of Congress in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
    Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is an easily accessible veterinary tranquilizer that is being used as a low-cost cutting agent for fentanyl. Cortez Masto’s bipartisan legislation would schedule this dangerous drug and give law enforcement the tools they need to go after traffickers while protecting access for veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers who use xylazine to treat large animals. The bill is endorsed by 39 state attorneys general, major law enforcement organizations, and veterinary organizations.
    “Xylazine poses a growing threat across the Silver State, and our law enforcement officers simply don’t have the tools they need to keep our communities safe from this dangerous drug,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “My bipartisan, bicameral bill would crack down on illegal use of xylazine while protecting its legitimate use by veterinarians and ranchers. It’s time for Congress to act now and pass this life-saving legislation.”
    “Illicit xylazine is contributing to the national drug epidemic and driving up overdose deaths in communities across the country. Our nation’s laws must keep pace with emerging drug trends,” Senator Grassley said. “This bipartisan bill recognizes the lethal threat of xylazine and provides law enforcement new tools to combat its spread, while ensuring veterinarians, ranchers and cattlemen can continue to access the drug for legitimate animal treatment.”
    The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act would:
    Schedule xylazine as Schedule III illicit substance under the Controlled Substances Act; 
    Ensure veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers can still use the drug for its intended purpose by creating a clear definition of “ultimate user” – someone lawfully permitted to possess a controlled substance for legitimate use;
    Enable the DEA to track its manufacturing to ensure it is not diverted to the illicit market; and
    Require a report on prevalence, risks, and recommendations regarding xylazine.
    This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Shelly Moore Capitol (R-W.Va.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). It is led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19) and August Pfluger (R-Texas-11).  
    “The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act strikes the right balance of helping address the public health threat of illicit xylazine while maintaining veterinary access to this critical animal sedative,” said Dr. Sandra Faeh, President of the American Veterinary Medical Association. “Strongly endorsed by the AVMA, this legislation is essential to protecting our communities from the grave health and safety risks of illicit xylazine, upholding animal welfare, supporting public health, and ensuring our nation’s veterinarians are equipped with all the necessary resources to provide high-quality veterinary care. We greatly appreciate Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Chuck Grassley and Representatives Jimmy Panetta and August Pfluger for their leadership on this increasingly important issue. The AVMA looks forward to working with Congress on getting this well-balanced approach enacted into law.”
    Senator Cortez Masto has been working to crack down on illicit drugs since she was first elected Attorney General, when she worked with Nevada’s Republican governor, law enforcement, and Mexican officials to combat the rise of methamphetamine manufacturing and cross-border drug trafficking. In the Senate, she has authored legislation to combat drug trafficking online that was signed into law, and passed critical legislation to eliminate illegal fentanyl supply chains. She also recently cosponsored the HALT Fentanyl Act which just passed the U.S. House of Representatives and will combat illegal fentanyl and keep our communities safe.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Votes Against Tulsi Gabbard to be Director of National Intelligence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto voted against the confirmation of Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence. She also spoke on the Senate floor before the vote to discuss her opposition to Ms. Gabbard, highlighting her repeated justifications of Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine and her statements casting doubt on the U.S. intelligence community’s assessments of the brutal Assad regime in Syria.
    “There should be absolutely no question about the trustworthiness or the judgement of our Director of National Intelligence,” said Senator Cortez Masto on the Senate floor. “The Director of National Intelligence should not sympathize with autocrats, blame our allies for wars of aggression, or parrot Kremlin talking points…I pledge to help keep Nevadans safe by opposing Ms. Gabbard’s confirmation.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Risch Renew Push for Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Critical Mineral Production in the West

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) reintroduced the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act to allow critical mineral production to continue in the West. This bill is led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Mark Amodei (R-Nev.-02).
    “We need to streamline our federal permitting process to unleash the full potential of Nevada’s critical mineral economy,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m continuing my bipartisan push to pass this commonsense bill that will cut red tape, protect mining jobs in Nevada, help support clean energy projects nationwide.”
    “Domestic mineral production is critical to everyday energy, technology, and national security needs,” said Senator Risch. “For too long, Idaho’s minerals have been tied up in red tape, preventing responsible use of our natural resources. The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act ensures mining projects in Idaho and across the West can proceed and provide invaluable support to our communities and country.” 
    “The Rosemont Decision overturned decades of established precedent that allowed our domestic mining operations to flourish, and instead blocked production efforts with excessive red tape,” said Representative Mark Amodei. “Out West, we have an abundance of natural resources that we can responsibly utilize to reduce our reliance on adversaries and strengthen our national security. This bill reverses the damage caused by the misguided Rosemont Decision and restores clarity for critical mining projects to move forward.”
    “The Nevada Mining Association applauds and supports the bipartisan Mining Regulatory Clarity Act,” said Amanda Hilton, President of Nevada Mining Association. “Nevada is a leading producer of critical minerals like copper, lithium, and magnesium, along with more than 20 other materials essential to daily life. This legislation provides necessary stability for Nevada’s modern mining industry, ensuring it can operate efficiently and sustain the high-paying jobs that tens of thousands of Nevada families depend on. We appreciate Senator Cortez Masto’s ongoing leadership in advocating for Nevada’s mining community.”
    “The bipartisan Mining Regulatory Clarity Act is KEY to ensuring the U.S. can use our vast domestic resources to build the essential mineral supply chains we know we must have,” said Rich Nolan, National Mining Association president and CEO. “China’s recent actions to cut off VITAL mineral supply chains underscores the need to strengthen domestic mineral supply chains for manufacturing, energy, national security and other priorities. This legislation ensures the fundamental ability to conduct responsible mining activities on federal lands. Regulatory certainty, or the lack thereof, will either underpin or undermine efforts to meet the extraordinary mineral demand now at our doorstep.”
    “BPC Action is pleased to see Sens. James Risch (R-ID) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) working together to tackle barriers to expand America’s critical mineral supply. The bipartisan Mining Regulatory Clarity Act provides much needed regulatory certainty for mining projects, strengthening critical mineral supply chains while driving job creation in the sector,” said Michele Stockwell, President of Bipartisan Policy Center Action. 
    “If we’re going to achieve U.S. energy dominance, spur innovation, and support American manufacturing, we need to expand the domestic production of critical minerals. We can do so while supporting workers, communities, and our natural resources through sensible, transparent, and efficient regulations. Advanced Energy United is encouraged to see the “Mining Regulatory Clarity Act,” which should enhance business certainty around our mining rules and regulations,” said Harry Godfrey, Managing Director for Federal Affairs at Advanced Energy United.
    “As demand for electric vehicles continues to grow at home and abroad, the need for mineral commodities, including lithium, cobalt, graphite, and copper will likewise rise dramatically. Mining is essential for the United States to fulfill demand in the electric vehicle and clean energy sectors, not to mention other mineral applications in defense, consumer electronics, and advanced computing. The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act is the result of a years-long, bipartisan effort to reestablish certainty for mineral producers in the United States. ZETA applauds Senators Cortez Masto and Risch for their tireless efforts to advance this critical legislation,” said Albert Gore, Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA).
    The Mining Regulatory Clarity Act provides regulatory certainty for mining projects and reaffirms long-held practice that some public land use under a mining claim inherently accompanies exploration and extraction activities for other mining-support activities. This bill creates an optional and voluntary pathway to allow use of public lands for ancillary purposes connected to a mining project that can only be used within an agency-approved Plan of Operations. The bill also creates a new revenue stream from new mill site claims to be dedicated to abandoned mine clean-up efforts. This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).
    Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts in Congress to support Nevada’s mining industry, protecting more than 83,000 local jobs and paving the way for Nevada to power the clean energy economy. She has consistently blocked burdensome taxes on mining and wrote important provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bolster Nevada’s critical mineral supply chain and fund battery recycling programs in the state. She’s also introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the domestic supply chain for rare-earth magnets.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Citing National Security Concerns on Senate Floor, Shaheen Announces Opposition to Tulsi Gabbard’s Confirmation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a top member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, took to the Senate floor to underscore her dire national security concerns ahead of the confirmation of Tulsi Gabbard to be the next Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Specifically, Shaheen highlighted Gabbard’s troubling history of siding with America’s adversaries over our own allies and national security interests, detailing the threat her confirmation would pose to U.S. national security and defense. At the conclusion of her remarks, Shaheen announced that she would oppose Gabbard’s nomination. Click here to watch Senator Shaheen’s full floor speech. 
    Key quotes from Senator Shaheen: 
    “Our adversaries will be thrilled if we confirm Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence—no one more so than Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ms. Gabbard has not hidden her positive views of Russia and President Putin. While Ukrainians fight valiantly to protect their homeland and defend freedom and democracy, Tulsi Gabbard cozies up to Putin and publicly defends Russia’s brutal invasion.” 
    “I don’t relish the idea of America’s Director of National Intelligence—a role that includes such sensitive responsibilities such as producing the President’s Daily Brief and setting U.S. Policy for intelligence-sharing with foreign entities—I don’t appreciate the fact that she’s called ‘superwoman’ by a mouthpiece for the Kremlin.” 
    “To talk amiably about a brutal dictator who is openly opposed to American interests and human rights, a dictator like Assad, and like Putin for that matter, shows at best a lack of judgement and at worst allegiance to our adversaries.” 
    “I think this chamber faces a choice. We can choose to defend America’s national security and keep our promise to our constituents to protect their lives and safety and their interests or we can choose to give a gift to Vladimir Putin and our adversaries, to usher them into the inner halls of the American intelligence system. I know which choice I intend to make.” 
    Remarks as delivered can be found below: 
    Mr. President, I come up to the floor this afternoon to join a number of my colleagues because of my concern for the national security of the United States. 
                
    Whether it’s a terror attack, a cyberattack from a non-state actor, whether it is a threat in Russia or China or Iran, we in the United States are the targets of foreign adversaries every single day.  
    But thanks to our intelligence community and the thousands of Americans who dedicate their lives to our security, we’re safe.  
    These brave men and women are counting on us to have their backs. 
    Which is why the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard is so concerning.  
    Our adversaries will be thrilled if we confirm Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence—no one more so than Russian President Vladimir Putin.  
    Ms. Gabbard has not hidden her positive views of Russia and President Putin.  
    While Ukrainians fight valiantly to protect their homeland and defend freedom and democracy, Tulsi Gabbard cozies up to Putin and publicly defends Russia’s brutal invasion. 
    The former Congresswoman has parroted Russian propaganda saying that the war could have been avoided if NATO and the Biden Administration had simply, and I’m quoting, “simply acknowledged Russia’s legitimate security concerns.” 
    And we know that a nominee is problematic when the Kremlin has such nice things to say about her.  
    On November 17, 2024, a major Russian state-controlled news agency called Tulsi Gabbard “superwoman” and noted her past appearances on Russian TV.  
    Well, I don’t relish the idea of America’s Director of National Intelligence—a role that includes such sensitive responsibilities such as producing the President’s Daily Brief and setting U.S. Policy for intelligence-sharing with foreign entities—I don’t appreciate the fact that she’s called “superwoman” by a mouthpiece for the Kremlin.  
    Not only does Putin have kind words for Ms. Gabbard, but they also share mutual friends—namely, ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. 
    Since her clandestine meeting with Mr. Assad in 2017, a visit that took place while she was serving in Congress, former Congresswoman Gabbard has faced numerous questions about why she went to Syria and arranged this meeting in the first place.  
    She’s answered none of those questions nor has she provided any substantive details on her conversation with Assad.  
    And in fact, Ms. Gabbard has repeatedly refused to call Assad what he is, and that is an enemy of the United States, a brutal dictator who is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Syrians. 
    Assad, who’s Putin’s best buddy in the Middle East; Assad, who is backed by Iran, whose regime openly seeks to undermine and destroy American interests and values worldwide.  
    This is the person who co-Presidents Musk and Trump want to lead our intelligence agencies, to spearhead our national security operations.  
    Well, that doesn’t make me comfortable sleeping at night.  
    To talk amiably about a brutal dictator who is openly opposed to American interests and human rights, a dictator like Assad, and like Putin for that matter, shows at best a lack of judgement and at worst allegiance to our adversaries. 
    And even in cases of proven espionage against the American intelligence community—the very organization that she seeks to lead—Tulsi Gabbard instead has sided with criminals.  
    Of course, I’m speaking about her support for Edward Snowden.  
    In 2020, while she was a member of the United States House of Representatives, she introduced a resolution suggesting that the federal government should drop all charges against Edward Snowden.  
    There’s only one other member who cosponsored this resolution, and that was former Congressman Matt Gaetz.  
    Now in 2025, Ms. Gabbard still refuses to call Snowden what he is—a traitor to the United States. 
    When she was asked about that at her hearing, she was given several opportunities to indicate that she understood that Edward Snowden is a traitor who put at risk the lives of thousands of Americans in the intelligence community.  
    She refused to acknowledge that he’s a traitor.  
    With such a track record, how are we supposed to expect that she will properly classify our enemies? 
    How are we to expect that she would label Xi Jinping or Kim Jong Un? As enemies of the United States or simply as foreign leaders, or as friends? Who knows what Ms. Gabbard will do.  
    I think there’s a stark difference between our adversaries who want to undermine the United States and those who are our allies, and it doesn’t appear that Tulsi Gabbard understands the difference.  
    So how can the men and women of the intelligence community trust that Ms. Gabbard will protect their secrets? That she’ll protect our secrets, the secrets of the United States?  
    How many Russians are going to risk their lives to pass along information to our intelligence officers if they’re worried that Ms. Gabbard will sell them out?  
    How much will our allies in NATO, in the Indo-Pacific share with Ms. Gabbard in charge?  
    The work of American covert operations and intelligence-gathering is based on one central principle, and that is trust.  
    I wouldn’t trust Tulsi Gabbard any further than I can throw her.  
    I think this chamber faces a choice.  
    We can choose to defend America’s national security and keep our promise to our constituents to protect their lives and safety and their interests or we can choose to give a gift to Vladimir Putin and our adversaries, to usher them into the inner halls of the American intelligence system.  
    I know which choice I intend to make.  
    I intend to vote no on Tulsi Gabbard, and I hope that my colleagues, particularly those across the aisle, at least some of them, will have the courage to do the same. 
    Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor. 
    Senator Shaheen is the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and also serves on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs and Defense. In 2018, Shaheen re-established the bipartisan U.S. Senate NATO Observer Group with U.S. Senator Tillis (R-NC). Senator Shaheen believes that a strong and active United States is fundamental to securing our national interests at home and abroad. She also believes that U.S. global leadership is directly tied to the strength of our ideals, our alliances and our diplomacy, and she is constantly working to ensure our national security policies reflect our broader democratic values.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Honored by Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association for Repealing WEP, GPO

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – Last week, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) was awarded the Fraternal Order of Police National President’s Advocacy Award for his instrumental role in passing the Social Security Fairness Act, which fully repeals two unfair Social Security provisions known as the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). It was signed into law on January 5, 2024 after Cassidy successfully secured a vote on the Senate floor. Prior to the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, WEP and GPO unfairly penalized 94,000 state and local public servants in Louisiana, including Louisiana sheriffs.
    “No one should be penalized for serving their communities. For years, I have worked to make sure our police officers and all public servants receive the full Social Security benefits they have earned,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I stand committed to those who protect and serve Louisiana every day. Thank you to the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association for this honor.” 
    Background
    Last week, Cassidy led his colleagues in sending a letter to acting Social Security Commissioner Michelle King calling for the immediate implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act to provide full Social Security benefits for millions of public servants impacted by WEP and GPO.
    Cassidy played a pivotal role in getting the Social Security Fairness Act signed into law on January 5, 2025. Cassidy successfully demanded a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act. In July 2024 and again in December, Cassidy spoke on the U.S. Senate floor urging Congress to repeal WEP and GPO as part of his “Big Idea” to save, strengthen, and secure America’s retirement system. In June, Cassidy entered a statement into the record urging the repeal of WEP and GPO ahead of the U.S. Senate Finance Subcommittee field hearing on Social Security. 
    Cassidy is a long-time cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act in the Senate, being an original cosponsor since he became a Member of Congress in 2009. He led the introduction of the legislation in the 117th and 116th Congress.
    Cassidy led a bipartisan working group to preserve and protect Social Security. He released the inaugural Bill on the Hill video where he asked Capitol Hill visitors from across the country their thoughts on the looming benefit cuts to Social Security and presented his “Big Idea.”
    Last March, Cassidy grilled U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on President Biden’s plan to address Social Security, to which Secretary Yellen admitted “the president doesn’t have a plan,” to save Social Security.
    Cassidy has discussed the “Big Idea” at a public forum with AARP on the future of Social Security, outlined his Social Security plan in a fireside chat with the Bipartisan Policy Committee, and authored op-eds in the Washington Examiner in July, the Wall Street Journal in March, and State Affairs and Washington Post in May. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Introduces Bipartisan Legislation To Protect Post Offices in Hawai’i and Across the Country, Help Ensure Regular Delivery of Mail to Residents

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON — At a time when the United States Postal Service (USPS) is under strain due to a lack of carriers and supply shortages, communities across the country have reported struggles in conveying needs to the USPS and have experienced sudden and surprising post office closures. U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) introduced legislation to improve access to local USPS post offices. The Mandating Advisable and Informed Locations and Solutions (MAILS) Act would require more community input before relocating a post office as well as encourage recommendations from municipalities to request additional post offices.

    “In Hawai‘i, where many people live in rural or remote areas, the Postal Service is a lifeline for everything from essential goods to staying connected with loved ones,” said Senator Schatz. “Our bill ensures that people in Hawai‘i and across the country have a voice in decisions about keeping post offices in their communities.”

    Schatz has led efforts in Congress to fully fund and protect post offices in Hawai‘i. In 2020, he included a provision in a government spending bill to ensure post offices across Hawai‘i were funded and remained open for residents.

    The full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Wicker Appointed Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission for the 119th Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON — The Presiding Officer, on behalf of the Vice President, last week announced the appointment of U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., as chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, for the 119th Congress.
    “I am honored to be named chairman of the Helsinki Commission. European security is always good for the United States. For nearly fifty years, the Helsinki Commission has protected human rights, advanced democracy, and increased economic cooperation across the globe,” said Senator Wicker. “Today’s challenges are no less urgent. I look forward to working on a bicameral, bipartisan basis to seek a just end to Russia’s war on Ukraine, a stronger NATO alliance, and an international order that serves our national interest.”
    Senator Wicker assumes the chairmanship at a pivotal moment for transatlantic security. Russia is waging the largest land war in Europe since World War II, threatening not only Ukraine’s future and independence, but also the security and sovereignty of U.S. allies and partners in Europe. In the South Caucasus, Armenia and Azerbaijan have a generational opportunity to reach a durable peace agreement after decades of violence and upheaval. Meanwhile, the republic of Georgia’s democracy stands at a crossroads as the Georgian Dream party attempts to drag the country towards Russia and away from their chosen path of Euro-Atlantic integration. As we approach the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the broader Western Balkans region must chart a way through the dangers of violent division and toward greater alignment and integration with Western institutions. At this historic juncture, the United States has an opportunity to pursue policies that promote regional stability and strengthen the rules-based international order so that it continues to safeguard American security and prosperity.
    Senator Roger Wicker has served on the U.S. Helsinki Commission since 2009, where he has consistently championed democratic values, the rule of law, and peace and security in the OSCE region. He served as a Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) from 2017 to 2024. From November 2014 to July 2017, Senator Wicker chaired the OSCE PA Committee on Political Affairs and Security, where his work centered on sustaining constructive security dialogue among all participating states and ensuring compliance with international commitments.
    Senator Wicker is currently the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and serves as a member of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Congressional Board of Visitors. He has also served as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
    Senator Wicker served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force and then joined the Air Force Reserve. He retired from the Reserve in 2004 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.
    A native of Pontotoc, Mississippi, Senator Wicker received his B.A. and law degrees from the University of Mississippi. He is married to the former Gayle Long of Tupelo. They have three children and eight grandchildren.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham Statement on Gabbard Confirmation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement after voting to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as the next Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Gabbard was confirmed by a vote of 52-48.

    “I am very glad to support Tulsi Gabbard to be the next Director of National Intelligence. Tulsi is an Army officer who has served our country faithfully and well for over two decades. I’ve known her for a long time, and we served in the same Capitol Hill reserve unit,” said Senator Graham. “Every president deserves their team. Tulsi has the trust of President Trump, and I’m sure she will serve him well.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Cornyn Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Crack Down on Online Exploitation of Private Images

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act ensures that federal prosecutors have appropriate and effective tools to address serious privacy violations
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced bipartisan legislation to take on the online exploitation of explicit, private images. The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act would provide federal law enforcement with the tools they need to crack down on serious privacy violations. The bill establishes federal criminal liability for people who distribute others’ private or explicit images online, or threaten to do so, without consent. The bill also fills in existing gaps in federal law so that prosecutors can hold all those who exploit children accountable. Current state laws offer incomplete and inconsistent protection for victims of image exploitation. Last year, the SHIELD Act passed the Senate unanimously. Companion legislation in the House of Representatives is led by Representatives Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA).
    “We need to provide victims of online abuse with the legal protection they deserve, and to hold their exploiters accountable,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation does just that. Providing law enforcement with the tools they need will help prevent these serious privacy violations from going unpunished or even happening in the first place. We will build on the progress we made last year to finally get these critical protections passed into law.”
    “Those who have had their digital privacy violated shouldn’t have to fear that their abusers will go unpunished,” said Cornyn. “Our legislation will help ensure criminals who share private images of others online, including explicit photos of children, are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
    The SHIELD Act is endorsed by over 50 organizations, including the National Association of Police Organizations, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the National District Attorneys Association.
    “In a world where smart phones and other devices are used to record and share every moment in life, it is vital to protect against the malicious, nonconsensual sharing of private, explicit images. These privacy violations disproportionately target women and minors. By establishing federal liability for those who share private images without consent, the SHIELD Act will help law enforcement bring justice to the victims of these crimes. We thank Senators Klobuchar and Cornyn for their leadership and stand with them in support of this important bill,” said Bill Johnson, Executive Director of the National Association of Police Organizations.
    “The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) applauds Senator Klobuchar and Senator Cornyn for their leadership on the SHIELD Act. This essential piece of legislation protects children and closes a gap in current law by criminalizing the distribution of sexually explicit and nude images of a child. In 2024, NCMEC received more than 500,000 reports of online enticement, including sextortion, to our CyberTipline. The SHIELD Act will provide a crucial legal remedy for children in many of these cases. We look forward to working with the Senate and House sponsors to ensure that the SHIELD Act is enacted into law this term. NCMEC is appreciative of all Congressional supporters of the SHIELD Act who are working to prioritize child safety online,” said Michelle DeLaune, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
    “As technology advances at a rapid pace, so too does the exploitation of some of our most vulnerable victims in our communities—children. The Stopping Harmful Image Exploitation and Limiting Distribution (SHIELD) Act takes an important step to hold those who prey on children and others accountable. The legislation also addresses the challenges of ‘sextortion’ and closes a loophole where child pornography falls short of meeting the definition of sexual content. We appreciate Senator Klobuchar and Senator Cornyn’s efforts to provide the necessary tools to law enforcement and prosecutors to keep our communities safe,” said Nelson Bunn, Executive Director of the National District Attorneys Association.
    The SHIELD Act would:
    Ensure that the Department of Justice has an appropriate and effective tool to address serious privacy violations;
    Establish federal criminal liability for individuals who share, or threaten to share, private, sexually explicit or nude images without consent;
    Fill in gaps in existing law that prevent prosecutors from holding those who share explicit images of children accountable; and
    Protect the victims of serious privacy violations, while leaving room for sharing consensual images and images of public concern.
    Last year, at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Big Tech and the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis,” Senator Klobuchar was part of a hearing that questioned tech executives about their companies turning a blind eye when young children join their platforms, ignoring the risk of sexual exploitation, using algorithms that push harmful content, and providing a venue for drug traffickers to sell deadly narcotics like fentanyl. In 2017, Klobuchar and former Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), introduced the first version of this legislation, the bipartisan Ending Nonconsensual Online User Graphic Harassment (ENOUGH) Act. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Capito Opening Statement at Hearing on Advancing CCUS Technology, Proper Implementation of USE IT Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    [embedded content]
    To watch Chairman Capito’s opening statement, click here or the image above.
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, held a hearing on advancing carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) technologies, and examining the implementation of the Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies Act or USE IT Act. The EPW Committee led efforts to get the USE IT Act signed into law in December 2020. 
    In her opening remarks, Chairman Capito spoke to the bipartisan support for CCUS technology and the need to continue efforts to advance these technologies, while emphasizing the importance of implementing the USE IT Act at a faster pace. Additionally, Chairman Capito highlighted the significance of timely project approval and Class VI well primacy for states, as well as the role of CCUS in ensuring a reliable electric grid.
    Below is the opening statement of Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) as delivered.
    “I’m excited to start this year with a hearing on a bipartisan topic that Ranking Member Whitehouse and I have worked together on over the years to address, and I look forward to continuing bipartisan efforts to champion meaningful legislation on this issue with Ranking Member Whitehouse and the rest of the Committee. Certainly, [Senator Cramer] knows a lot about this at the same time in the great state of North Dakota. Innovative CCUS technologies will play a critical role in reducing emissions, particularly for facilities that face unique challenges because of their size, location, or industrial application.
    “In my state of West Virginia, several CCUS efforts are underway. West Virginia University is currently exploring direct air capture technologies, and the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, which is located in Morgantown, is supporting a suite of CCUS research.
    “West Virginia is also a partner in the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub –known as ARCH2 – that includes project partners who are working to deploy CCUS technologies. Collectively, these projects position West Virginia to continue as a national energy leader, while also reducing our air emissions.
    “But, we cannot realize the full benefits of these projects and emerging technologies like CCUS if there is not a permitting framework that will allow for the rapid and safe deployment of these projects. That’s why Ranking Member Whitehouse and I, working together with Senator Barrasso and former Senator Carper, moved forward to get the Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies Act – or the USE IT Act – signed into law in December of 2020.
    “This legislation was intended to ensure that carbon capture projects, at all types of facilities, can be permitted in a timely and efficient manner. Despite the progress made by the USE IT Act, there have been significant problems with its implementation that have held back the deployment and the development of CCUS.
    “First, while the Council on Environmental Quality – or CEQ – released a report in 2021 and subsequent interagency guidance for the deployment of CCUS in 2022, as the USE IT Act required, the guidance failed to present a clear pathway to expedite permitting for these projects. 
    “Second, the law required at least two federal tasks forces be established to help identify challenges to and solutions for permitting these projects. The Department of Energy and CEQ missed the required 18-month deadline to establish these tasks forces. 
    “They were not chartered until April of 2024, more than twice as long as the Congress mandated in the USE IT Act. The delay in standing up these task forces has hindered our progress in supporting CCUS, but at least they are finally working on recommendations to improve the permitting process.
    “After the USE IT Act, Congress and the EPW Committee worked in a bipartisan way to expedite carbon capture projects by including $25 million in the IIJA for the EPA to review and approve Class VI well applications.
    “The IIJA also included $50 million to help our states obtain primacy for permitting such Class VI wells. This funding gave the EPA needed resources to clear its backlog of individual Class VI applications, and reduce the total number of applications that the EPA must review by granting states primacy. 
    “Despite receiving additional help and funding with the process, the Biden administration only approved two Class VI projects, and only granted primacy to two states, Louisiana, and after more than three and half years…my home state, really the last day of the Biden administration, received their permit for primacy on Class VI wells.
    “I’m very excited that [West Virginia] got our primacy over that permitting process. I hope EPA Administrator Zeldin will prioritize reducing the current backlog of pending applications and support additional states that are seeking to obtain primacy.
    “The North American Electric Reliability Corporation has found that over the next ten years, due to a rise in energy consumption and the early retirement of our existing fossil fuel generation, our country could face major electric reliability concerns.  
    “The deployment of CCUS can be a tool to not only maintain, but expand reliable electric generation capacity and ensure the reliability of our electric grid, while improving the environment and growing our economy. I believe that’s a win-win situation.
    “I look forward to our discussion today on this important topic, so we can figure out how we can continue to work in a bipartisan manner to advance CCUS deployment.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Votes to Confirm Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) issued the following statement after voting to confirm Lieutenant Colonel Tulsi Gabbard to serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI):

    “Tulsi Gabbard brings more than 20 years of national security experience to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve. As both a soldier and a former Member of Congress serving on the Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security, and Armed Services committees, she has been a consumer of intelligence for many years, giving her valuable insight into the intelligence needs of our government and military. In my role as a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, I look forward to working closely with Director Gabbard to execute and properly resource President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda so the men and women who work hard to keep our country safe have everything they need for their important missions,” Senator Capito said.

    BACKGROUND:

    Senator Capito previously met with Lt. Col. Gabbard in January of 2025 to discuss her nomination and learn more about her vision to lead the agency.

    Additionally, Senator Capito and Lt. Col. Gabbard served together in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton Statement on RFK Jr. Nomination

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    February 12, 2025

    Cotton Statement on RFK Jr. Nomination

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today released the following statement about the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to become Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services:

    “When I met with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I was pleased that he made several commitments to advance President Trump’s pro-life, free-market, common-sense agenda. He pledged that he will cut programs that waste taxpayer dollars on illegal migrants, abortions, DEI, and ‘research’ aimed at infringing on the rights of gun owners, while prioritizing Medicaid work requirements and respecting the widely used and scientifically based practices of Arkansas farmers. I also appreciate that Mr. Kennedy repeated most of these pledges during his confirmation hearings. I believe Mr. Kennedy will faithfully implement President Trump’s agenda and I will therefore support his nomination. I look forward to working with him once confirmed.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Adams Reintroduce Bicameral Legislation To Promote Gender Equity In Sports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    February 12, 2025

    WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Wednesday reintroduced legislation to promote gender equity in college and K-12 sports. The Fair Play for Women Act would promote fairness in participation opportunities and institutional support for women’s and girls’ sports programs, ensure transparency and public reporting of data by college and K-12 athletic programs, hold athletic programs and athletic associations more accountable for Title IX violations and discriminatory treatment, and improve education and awareness of Title IX rights among college and K-12 athletes as well as athletics staff. U.S. Representative Alma Adams (D-N.C.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “For all the progress we’ve made since Title IX, women and girls still don’t get a fair shot when it comes to sports. Schools are spending less on recruiting, facilities, and scholarships for women’s teams, and too many have bent the rules to make their numbers look better than they really are. The Fair Play for Women Act would bring real accountability and transparency to college and K-12 sports so all athletes get the support they deserve,” said Murphy.

    “For too long, schools have found ways to bend the rules and shortchange women athletes—skewing the numbers, dodging accountability, and failing to meet the promise of equality. The Fair Play for Women Act strengthens Title IX enforcement, brings real transparency to college and K-12 athletics, and ensures every girl gets the same shot at success as her male peers,” said Adams.

    Specifically, the Fair Play for Women Act would:

    • Hold schools and athletic associations accountable for discriminatory treatment. The bill would codify that state and intercollegiate athletic associations, including the NCAA, cannot discriminate based on sex, along with asserting non-discrimination protections within all school-based athletics, including club and intramural sports. It would also provide a robust private right of action for all athletes in their discrimination claims, making it easier for athletes to push for change at their schools. The bill would authorize the Department of Education to levy civil penalties on schools that repeatedly discriminate against athletes and require schools to submit publicly available plans to remedy violations, providing more tools to compel compliance and resolve ongoing discrimination.
    • Expand reporting requirements for college and K-12 athletics data and make all information easily accessible to the public. The bill would establish a one-stop shop for key athletics data by expanding the scope and detail of reporting by colleges, extending these requirements to include athletics at elementary and secondary schools, and requiring the Secretary of Education to house all data on the same public website. The bill also requires that schools certify the data they submit and report how they are claiming Title IX compliance, it directs the Department of Education to publish an annual report on gender equity in school-based athletics. These provisions will help weed out reporting tricks by programs to skirt non-discrimination laws and make it easier for athletes and stakeholders to evaluate persisting gaps in athletic programs or use publicly available data in their claims against schools.
    • Improve education of Title IX rights among athletes, staff, and stakeholders. The bill would require Title IX trainings on an annual basis for all athletes, Title IX coordinators, and athletic department and athletic association staff. The bill would also establish a public database of all Title IX coordinators at colleges andK-12 schools, included in the one-stop shop for athletics data. These provisions will ensure all people involved with K-12 and college athletics understand what Title IX means and what students’ rights are under the law.

    U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) co-sponsored the legislation. U.S. Representatives Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) co-sponsored legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “The Fair Play for Women Act really is about fairness—enabling women and girls to have equitable opportunities in sports and holding schools accountable when they don’t. The stark truth is that despite progress after Title IX, women and girls still face fewer opportunities than boys to participate in sports and insufficient resources for their teams. This necessary legislation will confront the continued lack of gender equity and fairness in sports,” said Blumenthal.

    “Despite decades of underinvestment and neglect, women’s sports have surged in popularity, proving what women athletes have always known—there is a massive, untapped audience eager to support them,” said Trahan. “The Fair Play for Women Act will build on that momentum by addressing the real barriers still holding women’s sports back: Title IX loopholes that deny thousands of women and girls every day the opportunity to compete and thrive in the sports they love.”

    “Since the passage of Title IX we’ve seen an increase in the number of female students participating in sports. Despite that increase, college women still have nearly 60,000 fewer athletics opportunities than men, and high school girls have about one million fewer opportunities to play sports than high school boys. I’m co-leading the Fair Play for Women Act to promote strong Title IX protections and compliance from K-12 schools and colleges,” said Bonamici.

    Athlete Ally,  Billie Jean King Foundation, Champion Women, Katie’s Save, National Organization for Women, National Women’s Political Caucus, The Drake Group, Voice in Sport Foundation, and Women’s Sports Foundation endorsed the legislation.

    “The Fair Play for Women Act is a step in the right direction to ensure student-athletes are able to play, compete and lead – in sports and beyond – without barriers,” said WSF CEO Danette Leighton. “For 50 years and counting, the Women’s Sports Foundation has championed a simple message: when girls play, they lead and we all win! That’s why we applaud the introduction of this bill, as it seeks to create a level playing field to allow girls and women to thrive through the transformative power of sports.”

    “The Drake Group applauds the Senator Murphy/Representative Adams team for stepping up to the plate to provide better Title IX compliance tools through the Fair Play for Women Act.  The legislation closes significant collegiate athletics reporting loopholes and establishes long overdue K-12 reporting and training obligations. As important, the Act provides for a private right of action and civil penalties as well as clearly holding athletics governance associations accountable for discriminatory treatment. This is good, common sense gender equity legislation deserving of widespread non-partisan support,” said Kassandra Ramsey, Esq., President, The Drake Group

    “The Fair Play for Women Act addresses the real issues that girls and women in sport face,” said Stef Strack, Founder & CEO of VOICEINSPORT & VOICEINSPORT Foundation. “The real issues are systemic discrimination, the institutions that violate Title IX without consequence, and the leaders who refuse to enforce the law in public schools across the US. The Fair Play for Women Act will strengthen Title IX by increasing education, ensuring there is an enforcement mechanism in place and ultimately providing transparency that everyone deserves.”

    A one-pager of the legislation is available HERE. Full text of the legislation is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Statement on Confirmation of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
    02.12.25
    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after the Senate confirmed former Representative Tulsi Gabbard to serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI):
    “Given the threats facing our nation, President Trump needs his team in place. Tulsi Gabbard is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve and has served our country on multiple military deployments. Additionally as a former member U.S. Representative, she understands how to work with Congress. As the leader of our national intelligence community, DNI Gabbard has committed to keep our nation safe.”

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Votes Against Confirming Tulsi Gabbard to Serve as Director of National Intelligence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    February 12, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) and Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)—released the following statement after the Senate confirmed Tulsi Gabbard by a vote of 52-48 to serve as Director of National Intelligence:
    “Tulsi Gabbard is not only wholly unqualified for this position, but she has an extremely concerning history of cozying up to our adversaries that makes her unfit for the job—whether it’s her close relationship with a Syrian dictator who gassed his own people, her pattern of spreading Putin’s propaganda or supporting and spreading conspiracy theories. She is not the kind of person who should be protecting our nation’s secrets—but unfortunately, my Republican colleagues would rather appease Donald Trump’s worst instincts than ensure our most sensitive intelligence is in safe, trustworthy hands. With this vote today, they’re once again proving they’re willing to put our national security and the safety of all Americans at risk out of concern for their political future.”
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin Meet With the Illinois Community College Trustees Association

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    February 12, 2025
    [WASHIGNTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) yesterday met with the board members, presidents, staff, and students from the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) to discuss improving access to higher education for Illinoisans.  During their meeting, the Senators discussed the importance of federal student funding, including the Pell Grant and TRIO programs, for disadvantaged students. 
    Durbin and Duckworth also pledged their commitment to diversity and protecting the Department of Education.
    “From Decatur to Chicago, Illinois has some of the best community colleges in the country,” Duckworth said. “I enjoyed meeting with the presidents and trustees of so many Illinois community colleges. Senator Durbin and I will keep working to support our postsecondary schools at the federal level so that every Illinoisan—regardless of their income, race or zip-code—has access to higher education.”
    “Community colleges provide accessible, well-rounded education to students in Illinois,” said Durbin.  “Senator Duckworth and I met with community college leaders with the Illinois Community College Trustees Association, and we spoke about how we can work to ensure higher education remains within reach for all Illinoisans.”
    Photos of the meeting are available here.
    Universities represented at the meeting included:
    Black Hawk College
    Carl Sandburg College
    City Colleges of Chicago
    College of DuPage
    College of Lake County
    Danville Area Community College
    Elgin Community College
    Harper College
    Heartland Community College
    Highland Community College
    Illinois Community College Board
    Illinois Community College Board Trustees Association
    Illinois Central College
    John A. Logan College
    Joliet Junior College
    Kaskaskia College
    Kishwaukee College
    Lewis & Clark Community College
    Lincoln Land Community College
    Malcom X College
    Moraine Valley Community College
    Morton College
    Oakton College
    Parkland College
    Richland Community College
    Rock Valley College
    Sauk Valley Community College
    Southeastern Illinois College
    Spoon River College
    Waubonsee Community College
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER DEMANDS VA RE-OPEN CASTLE POINT VETS MEDICAL CENTER UNIT AFTER ABRUPT CLOSURE; SENATOR SAYS VA MUST IMMEDIATELY BEGIN WORK WITH LOCAL LEADERS TO INCREASE COMMUNICATION TO IMPACTED PATIENTS &…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    Castle Point VA’s Acute Inpatient Care Unit Abruptly Closed Medical Unit Temporarily For Veterans Suffering From Substance Use Disorder This Month, Prompting Concern And Outrage From Vets Across The Hudson Valley Schumer Said Center Failed to Adequately Publicize Closing And Alternative Treatment Options For Vets And Must Promptly Re-Open With Adequate Staffing
    Senator Says We Cannot Risk Leaving Our Hudson Valley Vets Without Proper Access To The Care They Need And Is Demanding The VA Take Immediate Action To Re-Open The Unit, Increase Communication, And Ensure Vets Receive Care They Need
    Schumer: VA Must Quickly Reopen Castle Point VA’s Acute Inpatient Care Unit And Continue Vital Healthcare Services For Hudson Valley Veterans
    U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today slammed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for, “Unacceptably poor communication with Hudson Valley vets regarding the sudden closure of the Castle Point VA acute inpatient care unit,” and called on the VA to immediately re-open the unit with adequate staffing, which abruptly closed earlier this month for an anticipated 120 days.
    The Castle Point VA Medical Center (VAMC), located in Dutchess County, plays a vital role in providing care for 7,000 Hudson Valley veterans. The acute inpatient care unit provides care to those who are dealing with substance use disorder. As part of the VA system, VAMC enhances patient outcomes by offering continuous care within the same system, resulting in more timely treatment compared to cases where patients are referred to non-VA facilities.
    “Earlier this month, without warning, the Castle Point VA Medical Center left Hudson Valley veterans without access to potentially life-saving medical care when the center shut down its acute inpatient care unit. The lack of communication with veterans who rely on the unit for substance use disorder services is tremendously concerning. The Department of Veterans Affairs needs to re-open this unit as soon as possible with adequate staffing – and do a much, much better job of communicating what it is doing to our Hudson Valley vets – or our New York veterans could be left in the lurch and in the dark without access to vital health care,” said Senator Schumer. “Our veterans deserve access to the highest quality of care at VA facilities, including Castle Point. I will fight tooth and nail against any efforts to permanently limit access to care to New York veterans. In the meantime, the center must ensure adequate communications with its patients to ensure they can continue to access medical care during this closure, and they need to reopen the Castle Point acute inpatient care unit ASAP. Hudson Valley’s veterans deserve nothing less.”
    “The closure of the E2 Unit at Castle Point VA Hospital is absolutely unacceptable.   Worse yet is the closure was done without even letting veterans know it was happening,” said Adam Roche, Director of Dutchess County Office of Veteran Affairs.   “I’ve witnessed firsthand the unbelievable care the nurses and doctors provide and how much they truly care about our veterans.  This unit serves as a lifeline for our veterans between Albany and the Bronx, and it is incredibly important for our Dutchess County veterans.   To yank away this lifeline is an injustice to those who have risked so much for our country.   This decision must be reversed.”
    “The inpatient ward at Castle Point provides an integral service to the Veterans of the Hudson Valley,” said Alyssa Carrion, Director of Veterans Programs at Mental Health America of Dutchess County. “When Veterans come to us at rock bottom ready for treatment, we immediately transport them to Castle Point and stay with them until they are admitted.  Then we have the ability to visit with the Veteran at E-2 until they are transferred to Montrose.  Closing E-2 has left us in a very difficult situation.  Where do we take a Veteran who is ready NOW for treatment when the detox ward is closed?  When there are no beds available at Montrose for them to go right to, the VA connection will be lost if we send them to the community.  While the VA states this was an under-utilized resource and is not needed, there are an average of 3-5 Veterans each month that this closure will affect care for – potentially resulting in gaps in care, increased suicide rates, and overdoses.  This ward provides an important service to our Veteran community, and should be reopened. “
    Schumer has a long history of fighting for Hudson Valley veterans and protecting services at the Castle Point VA. In March 2022,  after the VA released a preliminary proposed as a part of the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission process, which recommended closing the Castle Point VA Medical Center in Dutchess County. Schumer stood shoulder to shoulder with Hudson Valley veterans outside the facility to fight this proposal and prevent them from losing critical local care access. Later that year, after months of Schumer’s advocacy, the bipartisan Senate members announced their formal opposition to the VA AIR Commission Process, signifying the end of the AIR Commission, and thus preserving the Castle Point VA from full closure.
    Schumer’s letter to VA Secretary Collins below:
    Dear Secretary Collins:
    I am writing to express deep concerns surrounding the sudden announcement of the closure of the Castle Point VA Medical Center (VAMC) acute inpatient care unit. This closure will reduce access to substance use disorder services for the 7,000 veterans who receive care at the Castle Point VAMC for at least 120 days. We cannot risk the healthcare of our veterans and I strongly request you immediately take all steps to reopen this critical unit and ensure its services can continue on a permanent basis.
    In the interim, it is crucial that the Castle Point VAMC continuously inform veterans of alternative sites of care, ensure that non-VA care providers can administer the care provided by the VAMC, arrange transportation services for patients, and work to quickly reopen this unit with adequate staffing levels. Anything else would be an abdication of responsibility to those who have served our country most honorably.
    No veteran should have to travel farther than necessary for life-saving medical care. The closure of the acute inpatient care unit leaves Hudson Valley veterans without a vital resource that administers lifesaving care at necessary points in their lives. Local providers and veterans can attest to the importance of the acute inpatient care unit in the region, and are disturbed by the development of its closure. Our nation’s veterans experience a wide range of mental health disorders due to trauma experienced during their military service, all of which require accessible, continuous care. It is critical that existing inpatient care units remain functional and efforts are made to return to appropriate staffing levels.
    It is especially troubling that this closure, mainly caused by inadequate staffing levels, was announced during the federal agency hiring freeze ordered by President Trump on January 20, 2025. This reckless directive exacerbates challenges already experienced at VA facilities, and will prevent veterans from receiving continuous, adequate care all across the country. I strongly encourage the Castle Point VAMC to utilize any exemptions to this hiring freeze, explicitly listed out by the Department of Veterans Affairs, in order to bolster staff levels to ensure the Castle Point VAMC acute inpatient care unit can quickly reopen.
    There has been a tremendously concerning lack of communication with veterans who rely on health services at Castle Point VAMC. Due to the abrupt nature of this closure, Castle Point failed to notify veterans in advance that the unit was closing. This undermined veterans’ continuity of care and created the burden of extra measures, including travel coordination, to access care at other VA facilities or community hospitals. Therefore, it is imperative that the Castle Point VAMC notify veterans and caretakers of potential closures in advance of the expected closure date. Additionally, veterans should be notified of what steps the VAMC will take to ensure there is no disruption in care during this current closure, including how transportation services will be coordinated and which alternative sites of care patients will be able to access.
    Our nation’s veterans deserve access to the highest quality of care at VA facilities. I strongly oppose any efforts to permanently limit access to care to New York veterans, and urge the Castle Point VAMC to reopen its acute inpatient care unit as soon as possible with appropriate staffing levels. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Urges Senate Colleagues to Support RFK Jr. to be HHS Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) delivered remarks on the Senate Floor urging his Senate colleagues to support Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

    Watch Chairman Crapo’s remarks here.

    As delivered:

    “Thank you, Mr. President.

    “In a moment, the Senate will proceed to a cloture vote on the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  I rise to encourage my colleagues to support this motion.

    “As Secretary of HHS, Mr. Kennedy would oversee our nation’s expansive health care system, from sources of coverage to advancement of public health. 

    “Mr. Kennedy’s decades of experience and deep drive to advocate on behalf of consumers will set a patient-centered tone at the Department.

    “As he has demonstrated in both public and private settings, Mr. Kennedy is committed to reorienting our approach to health care and restoring faith in our institutions.

    “His passion for addressing America’s chronic disease epidemic will save lives, reduce costs and establish a foundation for a healthier, stronger country. 

    “His dedication to transparency will empower patients to make more informed decisions about their health care and form a responsive rapport with Congress.  As Mr. Kennedy stated during his hearing, ‘…if Congress asked me for information, you will get it immediately.’

    “Over the course of his vetting process, Mr. Kennedy met with dozens of Members on both sides of the aisle, spoke with bipartisan Senate Finance Committee staff, appeared before two committee hearings and answered over nine hundred questions for the record.  Not to mention, presenting thousands of pages of documents.

    “Mr. Kennedy has gone through the same Office of Government Ethics process as all nominees who come before the Finance Committee. 

    “Similar to all other nominees, we have a letter from director of the Office of Government Ethics stating: ‘Based thereon, we believe that this nominee is compliance with applicable laws and regulations governing conflicts of interest.’ 

    “He even amended his ethics agreement, going beyond what is required by the Office of Government Ethics, in response to a request from Finance Committee Members.

    “I urge my colleagues to join me in advancing his nomination so we can begin to make our country healthier.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Congratulates Jonathan Gould on Nomination to Lead the OCC

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and former Chairman of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, today applauded the nomination of Jonathan Gould to be Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).

    “Jonathan is an experienced, dedicated individual whose leadership will be essential in carrying out the OCC’s mission of ensuring safety, soundness and fair access in the financial services industry.  He will be a strong advocate for correcting the unacceptable practices that have gone against principles of fairness and market access over the last few years.  His extensive background in the public and private sectors make him highly qualified for the task ahead, and I look forward to working with him once confirmed.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Finance Committee Advances USTR Nominee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–The U.S. Senate Finance Committee today advanced the nomination of Jamieson Greer to be United States Trade Representative (USTR), by a vote of 15-12.  Following the vote, Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement:

    “Mr. Greer has the experience and much-needed determination to successfully advocate for American farmers, ranchers, workers and manufacturers.  Throughout this confirmation process, he has clearly committed to expanding global market access for Americans and working closely with Congress.  I look forward to working with him and his nomination being considered by the full Senate.”

    Mr. Greer was reported out of the committee by a vote of 15 to 12.  An executive summary can be found here.

    Chairman Crapo’s full statement at the nomination hearing can be read here, and his statement at the executive session can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Introduces Legislation to Ensure Community Care Access for Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) is continuing his efforts to make community care more accessible for veterans by reintroducing the Ensuring Continuity in Veterans Health Act. Senator Tuberville’s legislation would amend Title 38 of the United States Code to require the VA to consider continuity of healthcare when deciding whether seeing a provider in the community is in a veteran’s best medical interest.  
    Washington Examiner first reported on Senator Tuberville’s efforts earlier today.
    “Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country, and deserve access to quick and quality care,” said Senator Tuberville. “Under the Biden-Harris VA, we witnessed an exasperation of bureaucratic red tape, which has put our veterans’ health at risk. Allowing veterans to see their local doctor alleviates wait and drive times, especially for those who do not live close to a VA facility. I’m proud to introduce the Ensuring Continuity in Veterans Health Act and will keep fighting to put our veterans first.”
    U.S. Representative Scott Franklin (R-FL-15) reintroduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
    “Those who bravely served our nation deserve a healthcare system that provides timely access to quality care,” saidCongressman Franklin. “Our veterans should be empowered to choose the care that works best for them, whether inside or outside the VA. I’m proud to reintroduce my bill, the Ensuring Continuity in Veterans Health Act, which builds upon President Trump’s MISSION Act.  It will eliminate red tape that disrupts VA benefits and remove any Biden Administration hurdles that forced veterans back into inconvenient healthcare options.  It will also make it easier for veterans to receive timely access to personalized treatment and services regardless of where they live. I thank Senator Tommy Tuberville for leading this effort in the Senate and for my colleagues’ support of this critical legislation.”
    Specifically, the legislation would:
    Allow veterans to continue accessing community care for services they already receive;
    Prevent disruptions for veterans receiving specialized treatments from community care providers, such as mental health care; and
    Provide veterans with the most convenient providers.
    BACKGROUND
    Senator Tuberville represents Alabama’s more than 400,000 veterans on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, where he’s worked to streamline the community care process for the men and women who’ve worn the military uniform. 
    He recently helped introduce the Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers (ACCESS) Act of 2025, which would increase access to care for veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) providers in the community.
    Last year, Senator Tuberville joined Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) in sending a letter to former VA Secretary McDonough urging him to reassess actions taken by the Biden-Harris VA to cut referrals to community care. He also pressed Sec. McDonough about this and the rehiring of 4,000 VA employees who were dismissed under the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 for their failure to provide swift and safe care to veterans. 
    MORE:
    Tuberville Continues Fight to Protect Veterans’ Access to Community Care
    Tuberville, Blackburn Reintroduce Bill to Improve Veterans’ Access to Health Care
    Tuberville, Blackburn Introduce Legislation to Improve Veterans’ Access to Free-Market Health Care
    Tuberville Pushes Legislation to Improve Quality, Access to Care for Veterans
    Tuberville Questions Collins, Wants to Restore VA to its Original Mission
    The VA is broken, and Doug Collins can fix it
    The Dangerous Biden-Harris Plan to Leave our Veterans Behind
    Tuberville, Colleagues Push Back Against Cuts to Prescription Reimbursements for TRICARE Members
    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 Gets Gavel for HELP Subcommittee on Education and the American Family

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) today announced he will serve as Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Education and the American Family. Last Congress, Sen. Tuberville served as Ranking Member of this Subcommittee, which was previously the Subcommittee on Children and Families. As Chairman, one of Senator Tuberville’s first actions was renaming the Subcommittee to reflect two things Alabamians hold dear: education and family values.
    As Chairman, Senator Tuberville will empower parents to make the best educational decisions for their children, fight to preserve Title IX protections for women and girls, end woke curriculum in schools, and invest in workforce development and job training programs to set our young people up for success.
    Senator Tuberville made the following statement about his appointment as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Education and the American Family:
    “As a former educator, coach, and mentor for more than 40 years, I know firsthand that education is the key to unlocking opportunity. Unfortunately, our education system has been failing our kids. As of the most recent data, we’re 26th in the world in math and 6th in reading. That’s unacceptable.
    As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Education and the American Family, I am laser-focused on creating more high-quality education options for students that fit their unique needs and unlock their God-given potential, rather than forcing everyone into a one-size-fits-all system. This is why I’ve consistently advocated for school choice during my time in the U.S. Senate.
    I will also continue fighting to protect women’s sports and ensure Title IX protections remain in place for women and girls everywhere. Title IX is one of the best pieces of legislation to ever come through Congress, however, it has been under attack. Thanks to President Trump’s Executive Order, women and girls’ sports are now protected, but Executive Orders can be reversed. I will keep fighting for the Senate to pass my bill, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, to make President Trump’s Executive Order permanent.
    We also need to get rid of woke gender ideology, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and Critical Race Theory (CRT) curriculum that has infected our schools. Children should be able to go to school and learn to read, write, and think for themselves—not be indoctrinated by a left-wing agenda. President Trump made it clear on day one in office that there are two genders—male and female—and divisive, racist DEI ideology has no place in America.
    On the higher education side, our country needs to do a much better job of preparing students to enter the workforce. That starts by recognizing not everyone needs to attend a traditional four-year college, but everyone has the right to such an opportunity. Career and technical education programs like dual enrollment, apprenticeships, and short-term certifications should be recognized as the respectable paths for opportunity that they are, not treated as second-rate.”
    Subcommittee on Education and the American Family:
    The Senate Subcommittee on Education and the American Family is tasked with all issues involving children and families, including education, child care and support, foster care and adoption, youth mental health, workforce development and more.
    As Ranking Member on this subcommittee, Senator Tuberville will be well-positioned to work on these Alabama-specific issues:
    Empowering Alabama parents and families to make the best educational choices for their children.
    Fighting to preserve Title IX protections for women and girls everywhere.
    Getting rid of woke gender ideology, DEI, and anti-American CRT teaching in our schools.
    Investing in workforce education and job training to ensure students are prepared to enter the workforce.
    Senator Tuberville will also serve on the HELP Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety.
    Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety:
    The Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety is tasked with workplace education and training, worker health and safety, wage and hour laws, and workplace flexibility.
    Senator Tuberville’s position on this subcommittee will enable him to work on these Alabama-specific issues:
    Empowering effective workforce development programs to grow Alabama’s workforce.
    Protecting Alabama’s economy from federal overreach that would undermine innovation and growth in the labor sector.
    Ensuring Alabama’s industries can partner with local education institutions to help build the workforce of the future.
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, Aging, and HELP Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Paul Affirm Alabamians’ Right-to-Work

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) in reintroducing the National Right to Work Act to preserve and protect the rights of individual employees to choose whether or not to form, join, or assist labor organized unions.
    Sen. Tuberville cosponsored this legislation last Congress.
    “No one should be peer pressured or forced to join a union,” said Sen. Tuberville.“That may work in some states, but not in Alabama. Alabama workers should have the freedom to do what is best for them and their families. I’m proud to partner with Sen. Paul to stand up for Alabama’s Right-to-Work laws.”
    “The National Right to Work Act ensures all American workers have the ability to choose to refrain from joining or paying dues to a union as a condition for employment,” said Sen. Paul. “Kentucky and 26 other states have already passed Right-to-Work laws. It’s time for the federal government to follow their lead.”
    Joining U.S. Senators Tuberville and Paul are U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Thom Tillis (R-NC).
    Read full text of the legislation here. 
    BACKGROUND:Alabama is one of 28 Right-to-Work states that have enacted laws to protect employees from forced union membership. Sen. Tuberville has long advocated to put more power in the people’s hands, not the federal government. This legislation does not add to existing federal law but instead deletes existing federal forced unionism provisions.
    The National Right to Work Act repeals six statutory provisions that allow private-sector workers and airline and railroad employees to be fired if they don’t surrender part of their paychecks to a union. Sens. Tuberville and Paul’s legislation will put bargaining power back where it belongs: in the hands of the American workers. 
    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: Cantwell Introduces Coast Guard Reauthorization Bill, Secures Wins for WA Environment & Tribes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    02.12.25
    Cantwell Introduces Coast Guard Reauthorization Bill, Secures Wins for WA Environment & Tribes
    Bill would authorize USCG “Whale Desk” for additional 2 years to help ships steer clear of Puget Sound Orcas and other whales
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, introduced the bipartisan Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 that would reauthorize $30.45 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard for Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026.
    “This legislation prioritizes the Coast Guard’s most important asset—the men and women of the Coast Guard, and their families,” said Sen. Cantwell. “The bill drives much needed reforms that will help prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment throughout the Coast Guard, including establishing confidential reporting, strengthening protective orders, expanding access to care for victims, and stronger accountability for leadership. Admiral Fagan made great progress during her term, and the next Commandant will need to continue to be a steady force that stands up for service members.
    “The bill also establishes a new Vice Admiral dedicated to improving recruitment, health care and child care for members. The bill also increases funding for core Coast Guard missions such as shipbuilding and cracking down on illegal fishing and drug smuggling.”
    Among many important provisions, the legislation includes historic protections for sexual assault and harassment, boosts workforce development programs and availability of affordable housing, increases funding to help U.S. Coast Guard deliver on critical priorities such as icebreakers and 52-foot heavy-weather lifeboats, raises penalties for abandoned and derelict vessels, and encourages more collaboration with Tribes.
    The legislation authorizes $14.93 billion for FY25 and $15.51 billion for FY26. The full bill text of the bipartisan U.S. Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 is available HERE. 
    Sen. Cantwell secured language for programs critical to Washington state in the legislation. Among those provisions, her bipartisan legislation:
    Expands Affordable Housing Opportunities: Allows the Coast Guard to acquire housing that is available both on the market and in new housing construction programs. This is particularly important in coastal areas — like Cape Disappointment, Grays Harbor, and Port Angeles — where Coast Guard families face a difficult time accessing affordable, quality housing due to competition with seasonal rentals and other challenges associated with remote units. This bill also expands the Coast Guard’s ability to enter into long-term leases for medical facilities, child development centers, and training facilities to expand access to services for Coast Guard families while reducing administrative overhead expenses and allowing for additional improvements to these facilities.
    Increases Federal Funding to Deliver on Icebreakers and Heavy Weather Lifeboats: The legislation increases authorized funding by 30% compared to 2024 appropriated funding levels, which will help the Coast Guard deliver on critical priorities such as polar icebreakers, 52-foot heavy-weather lifeboats, and other priority acquisition programs.
    Seattle will be home for the Coast Guard’s fleet of 3 polar icebreakers.
    Sen. Cantwell recently toured U.S. Coast Guard Station Disappointment, where the future fleet of heavy-weather lifeboats will be homeported to support search and rescue missions, which is critical to safety of people working in the fishing and maritime sector in Pacific and Grays Harbor counties. In 2023, Sen. Cantwell secured a downpayment of $12 million to replace the heavy-weather boats in the 2023 Appropriations Act.
    Creates the First-Ever Tribal Advisor: Creates a new senior position within the Coast Guard to advise the Commandant and other Coast Guard leaders on how the Coast Guard can work more closely with Tribes. The new Special Advisor would also be charged with ensuring the Coast Guard upholds trust responsibilities to tribal governments, improving tribal engagement and consultation activities, and ensuring that Tribes have a voice on Coast Guard programs that impact tribes including oil spill preparedness and response, fisheries oversight, and the protection of natural resources.
    Boosts Local Tribal Partnerships to Improve Conservation: Provides the Coast Guard with new authorities to support habitat conservation and other resilience projects with state, local, and tribal governments. This important new authority would ensure tribes and other organizations can partner with the Coast Guard to protect treaty fishing rights and maintain access to cultural and natural resources.
    Reauthorizes the Whale Desk: Extends the Whale Desk at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound by two years, through FY2028. Authored by Senator Cantwell in the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2022, the “Whale Desk” at Sector Puget Sound gives vessel operators and mariners near real-time data about the location of whales to reduce encounters that disturb whales, including noise pollution and ship strikes. The pilot program also includes a “hotline” where callers can report whale sightings in real time. The data collected will be valuable for researchers who track whale migration patterns.
    According to the Coast Guard, 75 whale sightings have been reported to the Sector Puget Sound Whale Desk since its opening in December 2023.
    Sen. Cantwell helped celebrate the launch of the Whale Desk in February 2024. Photos and videos are available HERE and HERE.
    Supports the Commercial Fishing and Maritime Industries: Continues to authorize the use of a satellite tracking system to mark fishing gear locations, which ensures gear is not lost and avoids potential damage by derelict gear. It also supports fishing vessels engaging in temporary towing operations as part of salmon hatchery development in Alaska.  The bill also creates new training and credentialing opportunities for qualified mariners, veterans, and the general public seeking to become mariners. It also expedites processing times for merchant mariner licensing documents to help close this critical workforce gap.
    Maps Arctic Maritime Routes: The Bering Sea is expected to see increased fishing, commercial, and other vessel traffic over the coming decades. As a key international trade and maritime route, this bill requires an analysis of projected traffic in the Bering Strait, and the emergency response capabilities and infrastructure needed to support this increased vessel traffic and prevent oil spills in the Bering Sea and the Arctic.
    Boosts International Pacific Cooperation: Requires the Coast Guard to develop a plan to increase international training opportunities in the Pacific, including with the Taiwan Coast Guard. This coordination will strengthen American relations, combat illegal fishing, and boost international security in the Pacific.
    Cracks Down on Abandoned Vessels: Improves oversight of derelict and abandoned vessels by requiring the Coast Guard to develop and maintain an inventory list of these vessels to improve tracking, management, and coordination between federal, state, tribal, and other relevant entities. It authorizes a new federal penalty of $500 a day for abandoning vessels.
    Abandoned and derelict vessels pose unique and costly threats to coastal communities and ecosystems by leaking pollutants and imperiling marine traffic. According to the WA Department of Natural Resources, DNR removed 319 derelict and abandoned boats from Washington state waterways 2021-2023.
    Protects Personnel from Illicit Drug/Fentanyl Exposure: As the Coast Guard carries out important drug interdiction missions to stop the flow of illegal drugs, this bill requires all installations to maintain a supply of naloxone or similar medication to treat opioid or fentanyl overdoses or exposure by Coast Guard members and the public in search and rescue or response calls.
    Require Stronger Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment (SASH) Prevention and Response: The bill would establish or update numerous Coast Guard and Academy authorities and programs to improve reporting, oversight, prevention, and accountability related to sexual misconduct. These provisions were drafted in response to Operation Fouled Anchor, which revealed gross mishandling of sexual assault and sexual harassment cases of U.S. Coast Guard personnel.
    A full breakdown of these protections is available HERE.
    Supporting Coast Guard Families Stationed in Washington:
    Creates the First Vice Admiral of Personnel: To support the more than 40,000 active service members, the bill establishes a new Vice Admiral leadership position solely focused on supporting the needs of personnel and their families, from housing to health care, investments in childcare, and improving recruitment and training programs.
    Jump Starts Hiring of Health and Family Service Providers Across Entire Service: Provides direct hiring authority to swiftly fill more than a hundred vacancies, including behavioral and mental health professionals, medical specialists, childcare service providers, housing supervisors, criminal investigators, and other positions to protect the health and wellbeing of Coast Guard members and their families. It also adds two new telemedicine rooms at the Coast Guard Academy.
    Improves College-to-Service Career Pathways: Updates the College Student Pre-Commissioning Program to allow more colleges and universities to participate and to increase recruitment of students interested in commissioning into a Coast Guard career. 
    Prepares Tsunami Evacuation Plans: Requires the development of tsunami evacuation and preparedness plans for Coast Guard units in tsunami zones, including across the West Coast and Pacific Northwest. It also requires the Coast Guard to consider vertical evacuation as a lifesaving option for Coast Guard members.
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
    Supports NOAA Corps Officers: To support the hundreds of NOAA’s commissioned officers, the bill makes improvements to personnel management, education assistance programs, pilot recruitment programs, and more. NOAA Corps members help manage maritime research, support disaster response, and monitor weather forecasting including hurricanes and atmospheric rivers, as well as performing other cutting-edge weather forecast and research needs.
    Modernizes NOAA Vessel Fleet: Authorizes replacement and modernization of the NOAA research vessel fleet and improves oversight of the fleet, which helps maintain our nation’s weather and scientific buoy network, conducts fisheries research, maps the ocean floor including in the Arctic, and supports other important oceanographic and conservation priorities.
    Removes Aging NOAA Vessels: Allows NOAA to use the proceeds of obsolete vessel sales to support the acquisition or repair of other NOAA vessels to help make the fleet more resilient in the future.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 02/11/2025 Blackburn, Duckworth, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Help Cosmetologists Recognize & Respond to Domestic Violence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of Valentine’s Day, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced the bipartisan Supporting the Abused by Learning Options to Navigate Survivor (SALONS) Stories Act to incentivize domestic violence awareness training for cosmetologists and beauty professionals.
    Tennessee passed landmark legislation to give beauty professionals these necessary skills, serving as a model for states around the nation. 
    “Domestic violence is a tragic epidemic in the United States, impacting millions of women every year who often suffer in silence,” said Senator Blackburn. “Given their close relationship with their clients, beauty professionals have the unique opportunity to be a first line of defense against domestic violence by identifying the signs of abuse and helping victims and survivors escape dangerous situations. The SALONS Stories Act would help save the lives of vulnerable and isolated women across the country, and the nation should follow Tennessee’s lead by equipping cosmetologists to recognize and support victims of domestic violence.”
    “Victims of domestic violence often don’t know where to turn or who to talk to, but they do often continue going to their salons—which puts beauty professionals in a unique position of potentially being among the first people who can recognize signs of abuse,” said Senator Duckworth. “I’m proud to join Senator Blackburn in reintroducing our bipartisan bill, which builds on Illinois’s 2017 law, to help more beauty professionals access free domestic violence awareness training that can give them the tools and knowledge they need to help victims effectively. How they handle these critical moments could be life-saving.”
    “No state, no community, and no family is immune to the horrors of domestic violence.  In Maine, domestic violence has historically been involved in approximately half of annual homicides. That’s unacceptable,” said Senator Collins. “Ending domestic violence requires an all hands on deck approach, and the SALONS Act would equip cosmetologists with the tools they need to join the fight. It’s a bipartisan, commonsense idea that has the potential to save lives.”  
    “With nearly 20 percent of Hawaii’s residents having experienced domestic violence, it’s critical we do more to prevent this violence and support survivors,” said Senator Hirono. “By expanding opportunities for beauty professionals to participate in domestic violence awareness training, the SALON Stories Act would create another avenue survivors can turn to for help and support. I’m glad to join my colleagues in introducing this lifesaving legislation.”
    “Domestic violence often goes underreported because victims are unable to confide in others and the signs of mistreatment can be difficult to identify,” said Senator Boozman. “Cosmetologists, who routinely build trust and close familiarity with their clients, can help break down those barriers. Encouraging states to adopt programs that help them recognize signs of domestic violence can bring victims one step closer to the resources and support needed to escape dangerous, abusive situations.”
    “We must do everything we can to prevent human trafficking. That includes thinking outside the box so we can reach the people who need help the most,” said Senator Klobuchar. “This bipartisan legislation is another step in the fight to end trafficking by increasing the number of beauty professionals who are trained to identify and intervene in domestic violence.”
    “Too often, victims of domestic violence are discouraged from seeking the help they need because they don’t know who to turn to or confide in,” said Senator Shaheen. “Our bipartisan bill would equip community members like beauty professionals—who have close, personal relationships with many of their clients—with the tools to recognize signs of domestic violence and intervene to ensure survivors get the help they need.” 

    BACKGROUND

    One in four women will be a victim of domestic violence in her lifetime.
    In the United States, three women are killed each day by an intimate partner. 
    To support state initiatives at the federal level, the SALONS Stories Act would provide grants to states that have in place laws requiring cosmetologists to undergo free and easily accessible domestic violence awareness training.
    This legislation would also preserve states’ autonomy in setting their cosmetology standards while incentivizing lifesaving legislation. 
    View the bill text here.

    ENDORSEMENTS

    The Professional Beauty Association, National Network to End Domestic Violence, National Domestic Violence Hotline, Shear Haven, YWCA USA, and YWCA Nashville have endorsed this legislation.

    MIL OSI USA News –