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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Hayes, DeLauro, Larson, Himes Urge Immediate Reversal Of EPA’s Illegal Efforts To Withold Toxic Clean Up Funding From Naugatuck Valley

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    February 03, 2025

    HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-Conn.-01), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03), Jim Himes (D-Conn.-04), and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn-05), on Monday wrote a letter to President Donald Trump urging the immediate reversal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) suspension of $8.6 million in federal funding for the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG).
    “We are deeply concerned about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) illegal efforts to withhold congressionally appropriated funding from our constituents, in response to the swath of Executive Orders you have issued since being sworn in,” the lawmakers wrote.
    “In Connecticut, we have heard from the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments that their access to an open Fiscal Year 2022 Revolving Loan Fund grant was suspended by EPA. As of the afternoon of Wednesday, January 29, they were unable to access already promised funds through the federal portal – an $8.66 million balance. This grant provides vital funding to remediate brownfield sites, helping local communities conduct environmental clean-up. Cleaning up brownfields is one of the best investments the federal government can make in a community,” they continued. “We demand that you immediately rescind this order.”
    Last week, NVCOG’s access to their Fiscal Year 2022 Revolving Loan Fund grant was suspended with no notice. The grant provides vital funding to remediate brownfield sites, helping local communities conduct environmental clean-up that lead to vital private real estate development deals, housing initiatives, and regional economic revitalization efforts. With its suspension, municipalities and developers alike are left facing stalled projects, financial uncertainty, and scrambling to find alternative funding sources. This suspension will impact 13 projects across Naugatuck Valley.
    Last week, the Trump Administration announced a decision to freeze all federal grants, including those already approved by Congress and signed into law, through a memo from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The OMB memo was later rescinded, but the Trump Administration’s efforts to freeze funding persist while organizations across Connecticut report difficulty accessing federal funding. The President’s Executive Order on “Unleashing American Energy” directs all agencies to immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    Dear President Trump,
    We are deeply concerned about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) illegal efforts to withhold congressionally appropriated funding from our constituents, in response to the swath of Executive Orders you have issued since being sworn in. These executive orders to freeze funding, including “Unleashing American Energy,” are clearly unconstitutional and should be rescinded immediately.
    On January 27, 2025, your administration made the unconstitutional and unilateral decision to freeze all federal funding through a memorandum issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). As a result, chaos and confusion halted payments to everything from veterans’ programs to Head Start to Medicaid. While the sweeping OMB memo has since been rescinded – after a federal court stepped in – many critical programs remain unable to access federal funding.
    In Connecticut, we have heard from the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments that their access to an open Fiscal Year 2022 Revolving Loan Fund grant was suspended by EPA. As of the afternoon of Wednesday, January 29, they were unable to access already promised funds through the federal portal – an $8.66 million balance. This grant provides vital funding to remediate brownfield sites, helping local communities conduct environmental clean-up.
    Cleaning up brownfields is one of the best investments the federal government can make in a community. It is an investment that creates jobs and helps transform polluted land into economically viable and environmentally safe parcels that communities will use for years to come. Federal brownfield funding protects people’s health, incentivizes economic growth and development, and improves quality of life for all.
    We understand this funding is being withheld in accordance with Section 7 of the Executive Order on “Unleashing American Energy.” This section, titled “Terminating the Green New Deal,” directs all agencies to “immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169) or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58).”
    We demand that you immediately rescind this order.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: Mullin, Whitehouse Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing National Mentoring Month

    US Senate News:

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

    RELEASE: Mullin, Whitehouse Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing National Mentoring Month

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing January 2025 as “National Mentoring Month” to celebrate the positive influence mentors can have on children and young adults. Sens. Mullin and Whitehouse are joined by 24 bipartisan cosponsors.

    “It’s my honor to join this bipartisan resolution recognizing National Mentoring Month,” said Sen. Mullin. “Having a mentor can be a wonderful source of professional guidance and moral support, especially for children and young adults as they set goals for the future. I’m glad to celebrate the important role mentors are having in Oklahoma and across the nation.”

    “Mentors can make all the difference in the life of a young person,” said Sen. Whitehouse. “Our bipartisan resolution celebrates the stability and guidance mentors provide to the next generation.”

    The resolution recognizes the benefits of mentoring, including fostering life skills in young adults. According to MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, young people with a mentor are:

    • 52 percent less likely to skip a day of school;
    • 55 percent more likely to be enrolled in college;
    • 92 percent more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities; and
    • 75 percent more likely to hold a leadership position in a club or sports team.

    Sens. Mullin and Whitehouse are joined on this legislation by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Barrasso (R-WY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Boozman (R-AR), Katie Britt (R-AL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), James Lankford (R-OK), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    The full text of the resolution can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead Of Pam Bondi’s Nomination Vote This Week, Durbin Outlines His Concerns About Bondi’s Ability To Serve As An Independent AG

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    February 03, 2025

    Durbin’s floor speech comes after the Trump Administration forced out dozens of DOJ and FBI officials this weekend and is now threatening additional action against thousands of employees across the country who worked on investigations related to January 6 and President Trump

    WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, outlined his concerns about Pam Bondi, President Trump’s Attorney General nominee. In his remarks, he cited concerns over her ability to act as an independent Attorney General, refusal to acknowledge President Biden won the 2020 election, and echoing President Trump’s calls for prosecuting his political opponents.

    Durbin’s remarks also highlighted the Trump Administration’s purge of dozens of senior career civil servants at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—including longtime nonpartisan leaders of the government’s counterterrorism and counterespionage efforts—further exemplifying the need for an independent DOJ.

    “This week, the Senate will vote on the nomination of Pam Bondi to serve as Attorney General. Given the Trump Administration’s ongoing purge of Justice Department officials, I urge my colleagues to look very carefully and closely at Ms. Bondi’s nomination,” Durbin said.

    “President Trump has repeatedly made it clear that he values loyalty above all else in an Attorney General. Don’t take my word for it. Just look at what happened in his first term. He fired his first Attorney General and forced out his second for insufficient loyalty. And President Trump has said time and again that he expects the Justice Department to seek ‘retribution’ on his behalf. With Ms. Bondi, I’m afraid, the President has finally found someone who passes his loyalty test,” Durbin continued.

    Durbin then highlighted his concerns with Ms. Bondi’s nomination.

    “It seems that she [Ms. Bondi] is ready to break with bipartisan tradition when it comes to a nonpartisan Department of Justice —one that upholds the rule of law and is free of undue political influence from the White House. I am unconvinced that she [Ms. Bondi] is dedicated to these ideals. She was a leader in the effort to overturn the 2020 election and to this day, she still clings to the basic loyalty oath. She refuses to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the presidential election in 2020. And she has echoed the President-elect’s calls for prosecuting his political opponents—including a pledge that ‘the prosecutors will be prosecuted, the investigators will be investigated.’”

    Durbin spoke about the Trump Administration forcing out dozens of DOJ and FBI officials this weekend. The Administration is now threatening additional action against thousands of employees across the country who worked on investigations related to the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and President Trump. These career civil servants are responsible for coordinating the Justice Department’s fight against international terrorists and foreign spies that would do us harm. The removals substantially diminish the United States’ ability to respond to national security threats.

    “The Trump Administration’s purge of these officials is a naked political move. In firing a dozen career prosecutors, the Acting Attorney General issued a memo stating, ‘Given your significant role in prosecuting the President, I do not believe the leadership of the Department can trust you.’ Line attorneys and agents are similarly being bullied out simply because they were assigned tasks linked to criminal investigations of the President or the January 6 riots,” Durbin said.

    “Do we expect the Justice Department to do nothing about the hundreds of people who stormed into the Capitol? We saw it on videotape. Nobody is making this up. They were prosecuted for crimes they committed and many of them were sentenced, many of them pled guilty when they saw the videotapes of what they did on that day. Many of them ended up in jail—some of them with serious sentences for their serious misconduct. Now comes the new President, Donald Trump, and absolves them from criminal guilt. Tells them they’re free to go,” Durbin continued.

    Durbin concluded, “The American people deserve an Attorney General who will protect their fundamental rights of this country, demonstrate independence and integrity, and remain faithful to the Constitution, the country, and the rule of law. Ms. Bondi, during the course of her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, was also asked about Kash Patel—the President’s nominee to [lead] the FBI. She made it clear she supports him. I do not… I fear that Ms. Bondi will only protect and remain faithful to one person throughout this whole experience—and that’s the President who has given her this opportunity. I urge my colleagues to look carefully at her record and the record of Kash Patel. They are a team in this effort, and they should be held accountable for what they’ve said and written and positions they’ve taken in support of the President, even when his positions are not consistent, in my mind, with the equal and free administration of justice.” 

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

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

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

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Coons declares in a new Washington Post op-ed that President Trump’s attacks on USAID are an assault on Americans’ safety and national security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, published an op-ed in the Washington Post discussing the national security consequences of President Donald Trump’s efforts to freeze U.S. foreign assistance funding and halt operations at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 

    This weekend, reports broke that President Trump plans to sign an executive order drastically reducing USAID’s budget and operations and folding it into the State Department. It’s one of many steps to decapitate our foreign aid apparatus, including freezing nearly all U.S. foreign aid for 90 days on his first day back in office.

    In his op-ed, Senator Coons pointed out that for less than one percent of the federal budget, USAID and foreign aid spending keep Americans abroad and within the 50 states safe. Whether containing dangerous diseases before they can reach this country or preventing security vacuums in which terrorist groups thrive, USAID funds keep Americans safe and our nation secure. Additionally, cutting our foreign aid budget will create a vacuum that will allow China and our adversaries to expand their influence.

    The Washington Post: Trump’s attack on USAID is an assault on Americans’ safety

    Donald Trump ran for president on a promise that he would keep Americans safe. His effort to defund and destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development shows he has a misguided idea of how to do that.

    …

    U.S. foreign assistance makes up 1 percent of our federal budget, and this money isn’t charity. It bolsters our security and advances our values. The reckless steps the Trump administration is taking as part of its isolationist “America First” agenda are, simply put, dangerous for Americans. Our foreign assistance and engagement wins us friends around the world, establishes our leadership and, more important, neutralizes distant threats to the United States well before they put our country at risk.

    …

    U.S. foreign and development assistance carried out by USAID might occur out of the public eye and far from our borders, but it addresses instability and keeps Americans safe. It keeps Americans living overseas safe. It keeps our service members stationed around the world safe. It keeps my constituents in Wilmington safe. As Gen. Jim Mattis, Trump’s first defense secretary, said, if we don’t fund foreign aid, “then I need to buy more bullets.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Budd, Tillis, Rouzer Introduce Bill to Ensure Aid Access for All Types of WNC Homes

    US Senate News:

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

    Washington, D.C. — Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Thom Tillis (R-NC), along with Reps. David Rouzer (R-NC), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) have introduced the Disaster Assistance Fairness Act.

    The bill would require the President to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to remove debris from real estate owned by homeowners associations and condominiums when a state or local government determines the debris and wreckage constitute a threat to life, public health, or safety, or the economic recovery of the community.

    The bill would also clarify that FEMA should provide homeowners with financial assistance for the repair of “essential common elements,” such as roofs, heating and cooling equipment, stairwells, and plumbing or electricity.

    Senator Budd said in a statement:

    “The scope of the devastation in Western North Carolina continues to require the federal government to work quickly to help folks in their time of need. Our legislation will cut through red tape and remove dangerous debris from mountain homes. It will also make sure that all North Carolinians are eligible for disaster assistance regardless of the type of community they live in.  I will continue to work with my colleagues to provide Western North Carolina with the assistance they need, as quickly as possible.”

    Senator Tillis said:

    “As I have said since Helene struck Western North Carolina, we must respond differently to natural disasters. This commonsense bill ensures that everyone, no matter where they live, has access to the same critical resources and assistance programs they need to restore their homes and recover after a disaster.”

    Rep. Rouzer:

    “Last year’s hurricane season reminded us natural disasters do not discriminate among neighborhoods, location, or housing arrangements.  No matter your living situation, every individual deserves the same access and support in recovery. Yet, under FEMA’s current eligibility rules, certain individuals in condos, co-ops, and homeowner associations do not have access to Individual Assistance to cover the damage of common elements, often requiring increased costs for individuals to rebuild. This Disaster Assistance Fairness Act allows these individuals to receive the same assistance as everyone else.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Solicits Impact of Trump Administration’s Federal Funding Freeze on Vermonters

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) on Friday convened Vermonters to discuss how the Trump Administration’s federal funding freeze has impacted communities, families and workers across the state.  
    “This Administration is blocking the federal funding that Vermonters rely on—for their health care, child care, education, nutrition, community safety, disaster recovery, firefighting, and so much more. This is shocking, appalling, and it also happens to be illegal. When it comes to Congressional appropriations and the Article I powers of Congress, President Trump does not have the right to pick and choose what he’ll honor. It’s clear his main mission is to create incredible chaos and confusion for our communities,” said Senator Welch. “I am working with my Democratic colleagues in the Senate and with the Vermont Delegation to push back on this cruelty and do everything we can to stop this federal funding freeze.” 
    President Trump’s order to halt the disbursement of trillions of dollars in federal funding was issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The federal courts temporarily blocked the order, and on Monday extended the temporary restraining order. In addition, the court has required OMB to re-open funding currently held by the government and provide the court a compliance report by the end of the week. 
    Senator Welch heard directly from a variety of impacted Vermonters on Friday. Read the concerns of Vermonters below, and watch the full roundtable to hear from every participant here: 

    “Federal funding in Vermont supports emergency shelter and hotline services for victims of domestic and sexual violence, and many of our programs also provide rapid rehousing, including paying rents for survivors who have had access to housing. And as with the other nonprofits on this call, our work is done on a reimbursement basis with the federal government. So many of our organizations were frozen out of payment systems earlier this week, and for those that have been able to access those portals, many of the payments still show us pending and not deposited. Despite this, these amazing organizations continue to provide 24-hour access to services to victims of domestic and sexual violence.” – Sarah Robinson, Vermont Network Against Sexual and Domestic Violence 
    ■■■
    “This has been a week like none other that threatened the continuation of our health center in operations and has dearly affected the feeling of safety for our staff and patients…This week when the Health and Human Services payment management system went down—and it really did, I have the screenshots of the different statuses it had had—it literally brought us to our knees. And we’re here standing strong…It rippled through all our staff, our board of directors, and threatened the care of about 10,000 Vermonters. We also have capital projects that have had long standing federal loans across Northern Borders, USDA, Health and Human Services. We had a pause, and the current next step for progression on those was approval by USDA, and they weren’t able to work with us…which puts a threat on our subcontractors, which then puts a threat on completing these projects…But we’re here. We have a lot of tenacity.” – Andy Barter, Little Rivers Health Care 
    ■■■
    “Our agencies are currently serving 78 youth, and any further delay in receiving our resources would be hugely detrimental to the 78 youth. And this is at a time when we’ve seen the number of Vermont’s youth experiencing housing instability or homelessness quadruple in the last five years. We meet a fraction of the need in the state. Right now, our programs are already underfunded due to years of level funding with the expectation that our agencies would continue to do the same level of work. There is inadequate support provided for grants administration and no possibility of using funds to maintain reserves, meaning that direct program work always takes precedent over capacity building and development work. So, things are tight.” – Vermont State Rep. Kate Logan, Elevate 
    ■■■
    “We have 79 families in temporary housing. This is very challenging for us. It’s a lot of funds—we don’t have the funds, and it’s a public safety issue because there’s homelessness, and we don’t have the funds to go on paying their rents.” – Sonali Samarasinghe, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants 
    ■■■
    “The Executive Order, and the memo, has thrown all of our funding that we have relied on into disarray. We had problems accessing our funding portals. On Tuesday, we had no idea whether we would receive any more funding. We suspended all of our planned activities. We talked about furloughing our employees…We have employees, we have operational expenses. Cash flow for a nonprofit like the [Family Network] is tight, we cannot sustain a prolonged non receipt of funding. Every day since Tuesday has been filled with anxiety and uncertainty.” – Karen Price, Vermont Family Network 
    ■■■
    “We administer federal funds that helped build housing and help to make farmland affordable to farmers, and this week we had to contemplate what it looks like to Vermonters to not have that support. We see that federal funds play a critical role in filling the gaps in projects to make sure they can go forward, and that they’re done through a reimbursement basis, which puts housing projects to fill Vermont’s great housing need at incredible risk…We have developers that want to meet the housing needs of our state, that would not be able to do so if this federal funding were to be pulled back, so we are highly concerned about the path the federal government is going down, and what it means to builders, to construction teams, to anyone who is on wait lists depending on these homes, to secure housing if these federal funds are pulled back.” – Pollaidh Major, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board 
    ■■■
    “We do things like weatherization, housing, our food insecurity programs, and our Head Start programs. So primarily, about 50% of each of our community action agencies’ budgets are federal funding, that we don’t have access to right now. Head Start, although it’s been rescinded, we do not have access to payments. So, we are able to get into the payment management system, but we are not able to draw down any funds…We have many leases on properties our Head Start sites that were unable to pay landlords, and we are, we are in a really tough situation.” – Jenna O’Farrell, Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NECKA) 
    ■■■
    “For Landmark College specifically, this funding represented the single greatest, largest grant in our 40-year history, and if granted in full, it will be transformational to our research endeavors, creating new opportunities for our faculty and students, as well as for innovative businesses, not for not-for-profits and local governments in our area. As a college that serves exclusively neurodivergent individuals and is proud to do so in rural Vermont, we are firmly committed to the success and wellbeing of our students, as well as the families of the more than 200 individuals who make our college run in both white and blue collar jobs. For all of these folks, students, parents, staff and faculty alike, Monday night’s Executive Order up ended daily life, introduced new and urgent questions and severely disrupted our ability to do our jobs…” – Jim Dlugos, Landmark College 
    ■■■
    “70 percent of our work is with the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the State Department. Before Secretary of State’s and Secretary Marco Rubio’s foreign assistance stop work order, we had 88 full time staff here in the United States. With the stop work order, 62 of those have now been laid off, furloughed or put on reduced hours…We are currently owed in excess of $3 million in current and past due invoices from USAID and State. This is for work that has been completed to the full satisfaction of the government, and we are not receiving payment. USAID has switched off its payment systems, so no payments are being processed. We believe this is illegal. Best estimate right now this is happening across the foreign assistance field. This is a $40 billion field.” – Steve Schmida, Resonance 
    ■■■
    “When you’ve already got nine months out the door and you’re expecting money back, and suddenly that’s in question, you really have to think about laying off this staff immediately to stop the bleeding at that point, which is extremely painful. For the municipal and the nonprofit projects that are either ready to go or already have a shovel in the ground, it means they really have to stop and think about whether they want to continue at this point.” – Andy Julow, Regional Development Corporations of Vermont 
    If allowed to proceed, the order would cause chaos in Vermont. The funding freeze could: 

    Freeze funding for Head Start, which provides early childhood education for around 1,200 children in Vermont. The state received around $26.8 million last year for the program.  
    Freeze funding for Community Health Centers in Vermont, which supported the state with $25.1+ million in funding for health care in 2023 and served nearly 200,000 patients.  
    Freeze funding for more than 10,000 women, infants, and children in Vermont who use WIC to keep from going hungry, as well as stop funding for more than 12,000 Vermont seniors who rely on nutritious food from Meals on Wheels and at senior centers. 
    Freeze grant funding from the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program, which provided $625,000 for our law enforcement in Vermont last year.  
    Freeze funding for home heating assistance for nearly 24,000 Vermonters who use the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to stay warm through the winter.  
    Freeze funding for 9,000 Vermonters who rely on Section 8 vouchers to keep a roof over their head, and risk shutting down housing and shelter services for unhoused youth. 
    Freeze funding for Vermont’s opioid response, which could lose around $5.9 million in funding to prevent, treat and support recovery services.   
    Freeze funding for Vermont’s small businesses impacted by disasters, which would lose $30.3 million on small business loans.  
    Freeze funding for Violence Against Women Act Grant Funding for Vermont. 
    Freeze funding for disaster recovery for Vermont. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders, Hawley Introduce Bill Capping Credit Card Interest Rates at 10%

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 – As millions of working class families struggle to afford the high prices of groceries, gas, rent and other basic necessities, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced bipartisan legislation to cap credit card interest rates at ten percent.
    “During the campaign, President Trump pledged to cap credit card interest rates at ten percent,” Sanders said. “Today, I am proud to be introducing bipartisan legislation with Senator Hawley to do just that. When large financial institutions charge over 25 percent interest on credit cards, they are not engaged in the business of making credit available. They are engaged in extortion and loan sharking. We cannot continue to allow big banks to make huge profits ripping off the American people. This legislation will provide working families struggling to pay their bills with desperately needed financial relief.”
    “Working Americans are drowning in record credit card debt while the biggest credit card issuers get richer and richer by hiking their interest rates to the moon. It’s not just wrong, it’s exploitative. And it needs to end,” said Hawley. “Capping credit card interest rates at 10%, just like President Trump campaigned on, is a simple way to provide meaningful relief to working people. Let’s do it.”
    In September, the Trump campaign said, “President Trump has promised to cap interest rates at 10% to provide temporary and immediate relief for hardworking Americans who are struggling to make ends meet and cannot afford hefty interest payments on top of the skyrocketing costs of mortgages, rent, groceries and gas.”
    The Sanders-Hawley bill would immediately cap credit card interest rates at 10 percent. The legislation would be in effect for five years.
    This bipartisan bill comes after a recent Forbes report found that the average credit card interest rate is 28.6%, even though banks are able to borrow money from the Federal Reserve at less than 4.5%.
    In 2022, credit card companies generated an incredible $130 billion in interest and fees. Today, the American people hold a record-breaking $1.17 trillion in credit card debt. As of 2023, the average household with credit card debt has over $21,000 in credit card debt. The delinquency rate of credit cards issued by commercial banks is around 3.23%, the highest rate since 2011 in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis.
    If a consumer has a $5,000 credit card balance with a 28% interest rate and can only afford to make the minimum payment of $166 a month it would take that person over 24 years to pay off and would cost nearly $11,000 in interest. If credit card interest rates were capped to 10%, that same consumer would save over $7,000 in interest.
    Usurious credit card interest rates and sky-high fees have allowed credit card companies to make enormous profits and pay their executives exorbitant compensation packages. Over the past five years:
    Visa made $67.5 billion in profits and paid its Executive Chair and former CEO, Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., nearly $140 million in total compensation.
    Mastercard made $44.3 billion in profits and paid its CEO Michael Miebach $77.7 million in total compensation.
    American Express made $33.8 billion in profits, and paid its CEO Stephen Squeri $157.2 million in total compensation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 01/30/2025 Blackburn, Risch, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Expand Prohibitions on Use of Foreign Assistance Funding for Abortions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) today introduced the American Values Act, legislation to permanently enact and expand existing prohibitions on the use of U.S. foreign assistance to pay for the performance or promotion of abortion services overseas.

    “Human life across the world must be protected, and the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions abroad is contrary to American values,” said Senator Blackburn. “This bill would strengthen the existing restrictions on the use of foreign assistance for abortions, making it crystal clear such actions will not be tolerated.”

    “American foreign aid should always be used in a way that is in line with American values- and that means that no foreign assistance funds should ever be used to perform or promote abortion services,” said Senator Risch. “I’m proud to introduce the American Values Act with my colleagues to hold our government accountable to this standard and protect the sanctity of life across the globe.”

    “As President Donald J. Trump re-evaluates foreign aid, it’s absolutely essential that American taxpayer dollars are never used to fund abortions here or anywhere in the world,” said Senator Mullin. “Our nation was founded on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and it’s our job to protect those values. I’m glad to join this important legislation to defend the sanctity of life.” 

    “No American taxpayer should be forced to fund abortions overseas,” said Dr. Paul. “It’s bad enough that Washington spends recklessly at home, but using taxpayer dollars to promote abortion abroad is an insult to both life and fiscal responsibility. This legislation is a necessary step towards reigning wasteful spending and standing for the fundamental right to life.”

    Senator Rick Scott said, “It’s extremely troubling that American tax dollars could be used to promote or perform abortion overseas. Our American Values Act ensures U.S. taxpayer dollars sent as foreign aid are helping families, not harming human life.” 

    “Americans made it clear this year with the election of President Trump that they have rejected the left’s radical, pro-abortion agenda. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation to end the United States’ funding of abortions abroad and help our nation once again become a defender of life across the globe,” said Senator Daines.

    “As the right to life is the most fundamental human right of all, I strongly oppose sending U.S. taxpayer dollars overseas to promote or perform abortion,” said Senator Hagerty. “I’m pleased once again to support the American Values Act that seeks to close loopholes and uphold pro-life values in U.S. diplomacy and development by placing permanent restrictions on the use of U.S. foreign assistance to fund abortions and involuntary sterilizations.”

    AMERICAN VALUES ACT:

    If enacted, this legislation would:

    • Clarify that existing prohibitions on the use of U.S. foreign assistance to pay for the performance or promotion of abortions, forced sterilizations, or biomedical research relating to abortions or forced sterilizations shall apply to all assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act;
    • Permanently enact long-standing appropriations restrictions on the use of foreign assistance funds to lobby for or against abortion;
    • Permanently enact long-standing appropriations restrictions on the provision of foreign assistance funds to organizations that support or participate in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization; and
    • Permanently enact long-standing appropriations restrictions on the use of funds made available to the Peace Corps to pay for abortions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 02/3/2025 Blackburn Introduces “DOGE Acts” to Make Federal Government More Efficient and Slash Wasteful Spending

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn) introduced a package of bills known as the “DOGE Acts” to hold the federal government accountable for managing taxpayer dollars. The DOGE Acts coincide with President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to modernize federal technology and maximize government productivity.

    “Under President Trump’s leadership, Republicans have the opportunity to slash wasteful spending and rein in outsized bureaucracy,” said Senator Blackburn. “The DOGE Acts would get the federal government back on track by requiring federal employees to return to the office, move federal agencies into the heartland of America, cut bloated federal spending, lower taxes on social security for seniors, and freeze federal hiring and salaries until we can rightsize the federal government.” 

    THE DOGE ACTS:

    The DOGE Acts include the separate pieces of legislation below: 

    • The Federal Freeze Act would direct certain agency heads to implement a one-year freeze on hiring and salary increases and decrease the size of the agency’s workforce by 2% two years after enactment and 5% three years after enactment. The bill would exempt employees deemed necessary for national security, law enforcement, public safety, and public health purposes from the hiring freeze. Click here for bill text.
    • The Commission to Relocate the Federal Bureaucracy Act would establish a commission to report to Congress on moving non-national security related agencies out of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area based on a variety of factors, including financial efficiency, the existence of pre-existing infrastructure, whether an area is designated as a Qualified Opportunity Zone or as economically distressed, and whether at least 50% of an agency’s workforce participated in telework in the last five years. The bill would also instruct the commission to develop the report with an aim of relocating at least 100,000 federal employees out of the D.C. metro area. Click here for bill text. This legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.).
    • The Federal Employee Performance and Accountability Act would implement a 5-year pilot program establishing a performance-based pay structure among certain federal employees in order to bolster government efficiency, exempting agencies deemed necessary for national security or public safety. Click here for bill text. This legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.).
    • The Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems (SHOW UP) Act would require government agencies to reinstate their pre-COVID telework policies within 30 days and direct agency heads to submit to Congress a report on the adverse impacts of agencies’ expansion of telework policies for employees during COVID. Further, it would prevent federal agencies from permanently expanding telework without submitting to Congress details on how remote work policies will bolster agency mission performance. Click here for bill text. This legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).
    • 1%, 2%, and 5% Across-the-Board Spending Cuts: This legislation would implement across-the-board rescissions of non-security discretionary spending, including a rescission of 1% of non-security discretionary appropriations made available for Fiscal Year 2026, a rescission of 2% of non-security discretionary appropriations made available for Fiscal Year 2027, and a recission of 5% of non-security discretionary appropriations made available for Fiscal Year 2028 and every fiscal year thereafter. These cuts would exclude the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Veterans Affairs, and National Nuclear Security Administration. Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 01/31/2025 Blackburn Sounds the Alarm on Radio Stations Exploiting Tennessee Songwriters Ahead of the Grammys

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to sound the alarm on the exploitative practice of radio stations and networks offering an artist more airtime in exchange for performing a free show. By doing so, these radio stations and networks often reap the financial benefits of these shows through ticket sales, sponsorships, and other income while artists and record labels absorb the expenses.

    Blackburn Calls Attention to Radio Stations Sidestepping Federal Regulations

    “I am writing to bring attention to an issue critically impacting Tennessee’s content creators, particularly its songwriters and music community. Federal law prohibits radio stations from accepting payment for airtime without disclosing the transaction—a practice commonly known as ‘payola.’ As you know, the FCC considers payola a violation of the Sponsorship Identification Rules. From what we have learned, it appears that to sidestep these restrictions, radio stations and networks have adopted a troubling new tactic. Instead of demanding cash or lavish perks from record labels in exchange for airplay, they now pressure artists to perform ‘free radio shows’ —also referred to as ‘listener appreciation shows’ or ‘charitable concert events.’”

    Radio Stations Are Forcing Artists to Choose Between More Airtime and Financial Compensation

    “We have heard the new scheme works in this manner: radio stations and networks offer more airtime for an artist’s songs if the artist performs a free show. There is often an implicit suggestion that declining to perform could result in reduced airplay. Radio stations and networks often receive the financial benefit of these shows through ticket sales, sponsorships, and other income while the artists and record labels frequently absorb the expense. This forced quid pro quo applies to essentially all artists, regardless of their level of success. Artists in the industry have told me that it is not unusual for them to perform anywhere from 10 to 50 such shows in any given year. Those just starting out in their career will often perform more, while those that have had more success will have to perform fewer, but they will still be expected to do them.”

    Blackburn: These Exploitative Practices Must Not Be Tolerated

    “This practice is exploitative and should not be tolerated. Federal law and FCC rules prohibit radio stations from receiving undisclosed compensation for broadcasting songs, and this principle must extend to free performances for radio stations and networks. Artists should not be extorted into providing free labor in exchange for airplay. I urge you to take swift action to end this abuse and protect our music community. Thank you for your attention to this pressing matter.”

    Click here for full text of the letter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Demand Answers From Trump Administration on Purging of DOJ and FBI Officials

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Demand Answers From Trump Administration on Purging of DOJ and FBI Officials

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and all other Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in demanding answers from Trump Administration nominees and acting officials on the removal or reassignment of career law enforcement officials across the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    Last week, the Trump Administration reportedly purged dozens of DOJ and FBI officials involved in prosecuting Donald Trump and the January 6 rioters, and they are now threatening additional action against thousands of employees across the country who worked on investigations related to the attack on the Capitol. The Senators wrote to Pam Bondi, President Trump’s nominee to be the Attorney General of DOJ; Kash Patel, nominee to be the Director of the FBI; Todd Blanche, nominee to be Deputy Attorney General; Acting Attorney General James McHenry; and Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll regarding the mass purging.

    “We have grave concerns about the removal or reassignment across the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of senior career civil servants who have served honorably under multiple administrations, regardless of the President’s party,” wrote the Senators. “The removals and reassignments from their positions of a significant number of experienced, nonpartisan Department officials with invaluable national security expertise without any comparable replacements one day into the second Trump Administration presents an alarming threat to national security.”

    “As America faces a heightened threat landscape, these shocking removals and reassignments deprive DOJ and the FBI of experienced, senior leadership and decades of experience fighting violent crime, espionage, and terrorism,” continued the Senators. “As the FBI Agents Association stated in response to reports about the removal of FBI officials: ‘Dismissing potentially hundreds of Agents would severely weaken the Bureau’s ability to protect the country from national security and criminal threats and will ultimately risk setting up the Bureau and its new leadership for failure.’ Moreover, the firing of dozens of federal prosecutors and hundreds of agents will cripple FBI field offices and U.S. Attorney’s offices across the country. We can only assume these decisions are intended to prevent the Department from investigating national security and public corruption, while also serving as political retribution against the President’s perceived enemies and stoking fear among the dedicated and talented workforce in our nation’s premier law enforcement agency.”

    As many as 20 senior DOJ officials were reassigned or removed, including the veteran career deputy assistant attorneys general in the Department’s National Security Division.

    Over the weekend, thousands of FBI personnel across the country were asked to complete a questionnaire by today, Monday, February 3, at 3 p.m. The survey asks for their job title, whether they worked on a case related to the January 6th attack on the Capitol, “if they were involved in the arrest of a Jan. 6 suspect, if they testified at a trial, if they interviewed witnesses, if they conducted surveillance on suspects and more.” It has also been reported that the Acting FBI Director is being advised by an advisory committee comprised of partisan political operators, including an Elon Musk affiliate. This is a stark departure from the longstanding tradition that the FBI Director is the only political appointee in the Bureau.

    The purge of experienced career prosecutors and agents has recently expanded to include the removal or forced retirement of all six executive assistant directors (EADs), including the EADs who oversee the National Security Branch, Intelligence Branch, and the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. It also includes the assistant Directors and the Special Agents in charge of at least four major field offices. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered these actions in a January 31, 2025 memo, stating, “I do not believe the current leadership of the Justice Department can trust these FBI employees to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.”

    Additionally, over a dozen senior DOJ prosecutors were fired after receiving memos from Acting Attorney General McHenry, stating “Given your significant role in prosecuting the President, I do not believe that the leadership of the Department can trust you to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.”

    The Senators emphasized that the Senate Judiciary Committee has a constitutional obligation to perform oversight over the Department and its components, and to provide advice and consent on the nominations of officers to lead it. To that end, they requested information to be returned to the committee in response to the removal of FBI and DOJ officials. They also requested answers from these individuals about their involvement. 

    In addition to Senators Padilla, Schiff, and Durbin, the letters were signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

    Full text of the letter to Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi is available here.

    Full text of the letter to FBI Director nominee Kash Patel is available here.

    Full text of the letter to Deputy Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche is available here.

    Full text of the letter to Acting Attorney General McHenry and Acting FBI Director Driscoll is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons statement on new Trump tariffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement today after President Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% on goods from China:

    “When President Trump accepted the nomination at the Republican National Convention last July, he made this promise to the American people: ‘starting on day one, we will drive down prices to make America more affordable.’ Today, on day thirteen of his presidency, he imposed tariffs that will send prices skyrocketing.

    “China, Mexico, and Canada are our three largest trading partners. American families will soon pay higher prices for avocados and appliances, diesel fuel and dog toys, car parts and Christmas lights, tomatoes and tequila, beer and gas. It’s the largest tax increase on working Americans in a long time, and it will cost them thousands of dollars every year. President Trump is making America expensive again.

    “These countries will promptly retaliate against President Trump’s tariffs with tariffs of their own. Thanks to President Trump’s needless trade war, the workers, businesses, farmers, and ranchers who produce American exports will soon find it harder to reach their foreign customers. These tariffs will hit Delaware’s poultry growers, who export more chickens to Mexico and Canada than anywhere else, especially hard.

    “These tariffs not only make Americans poorer, they also make us less safe. One of our biggest assets is our global network of allies and partners, while our adversaries only have nervous neighbors and client states. Today, President Trump is transforming two of our closest partners into nervous neighbors. It sends a clear message to would-be allies: aligning with the United States won’t protect you from economic bullying. Judging the various levels of today’s tariffs, it may put you even more at risk.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons’ resolution reaffirming USAID’s role in safeguarding U.S. national security blocked on the Senate floor

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – Tonight, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) went to the Senate floor to introduce and ask for unanimous consent on a resolution reaffirming the sense of Congress that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s independence is essential for advancing the national security interests of the United States.

    The resolution is a direct response to President Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s potential elimination of USAID and pause to the vast majority of U.S. foreign assistance programs, including reports that President Trump would sign an executive order folding the agency into the State Department— moves that are illegal without congressional approval. 

    “We know that diplomacy and development stand alongside defense in being critical to our national security,” Senator Coons said on the Senate floor. “Who wins if we do in fact shut this all down? It’s our adversaries. It’s terrorists, it’s drug cartels, it’s Russia, it’s China, it’s those we’ve held at bay through the great work of this organization and its dedicated servants for decades.”

    Senator Coons spoke on the unlawful efforts to defund and destroy USAID by President Trump and Musk and demanded clarity amid purges of USAID’s top personnel, aid freezes, and chaos. He highlighted USAID’s vital humanitarian assistance work during global conflicts and other crises, including efforts to counter terrorism recruitment in the Philippines and to reduce the number of children pulled into gangs supporting organized crime and human trafficking. He also pointed out that while Republicans claim to be concerned about cutting costs, our entire foreign aid budget accounts for less than one percent of the federal budget.

    U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) objected.

    The resolution introduced by Senator Coons expressed “the sense of the Senate that [USAID] is essential for advancing the national security interests of the United States.” The resolution has 42 cosponsors. The full text of the resolution is available here. 

    Earlier today, the Washington Post published an op-ed from Senator Coons highlighting the dangers posed but the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle USAID.

    A video and partial transcript of Senator Coons’ comments are available below.

    WATCH HERE.

    SENATOR COONS: “Mr. President, if I might further expound on the resolution and respond to the comments by my colleague, the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee on which I serve. The resolution I sought to advance today is a simple statement of fact. It reviews the history of USAID, its creation as an independent agency, and its recognition in a law I helped write just last year—that to reorganize it explicitly requires congressional consultation and notification in advance.

    The statement of the resolution, the core point, is that USAID is essential to the national security of the United States, because it mitigates threats abroad before they reach us here, it promotes global stability, it addresses the root causes of migration and extremism, and secures the leadership and influence of the United States in an era of strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China. 

    Let me speak to a few points, if I might: the power of the purse, process matters, one percent, and who wins. Rolling back the decades of work and relationships that the nonprofits and AID do around the world is creating a vacuum – a vacuum that will be filled by bad actors. So in a country where we’ve long-funded the PEPFAR program, started by President Bush, long-supported on a bipartisan basis, that provides anti-retrovirals and testing and nurses and support and clinics; to abandon that, to defund that, to shut that down, simply creates an opening for a bad actor to come in and say ‘The Americans abandoned you. Sorry for your luck. Here we are. We want to help.’ The Chinese have invested hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars advancing their interests through investing in infrastructure, building partnerships in critical minerals, becoming the leads on port operations, and delivering humanitarian aid. We should not shut down our assistance to the world in a way that creates this vacuum. Who wins is the first question. My concern is our adversaries.

    Second, process matters. As those of us who are lawyers know, it’s backwards to start with an executive order that shuts down the funding for an organization and entity, to invade and occupy its headquarters, to have an unelected department get into its systems, to lay off and furlough its senior leadership, and then notify Congress of the intent to begin a conversation about reorganization. I welcome a chance to have a conversation about the future of our development assistance around the world, and my hope is that it will continue, because I have case after case to review here about the good work it does. But to shut down the funding and to cause lots of our partners to lay off their key staff, then begin a conversation about reorganization, is to get it backwards in terms of process and the law.

    I’m an appropriator. Why should we bother coming to an agreement on appropriations here in the Senate, pass a law, send it to the president, he signs it – and then in the next Congress and the next president, they can shut it down and claw it back? It gets to the very question of the power of the purse, which in Article 1 of the Constitution is the power of this body. Going forward, of course, as my colleague said, elections have consequences. It is true that President Trump and the new majority here will put their imprimatur on the policy priorities across a wide range of agencies and programs, absolutely. I expect that discussion and that fight – but this is reaching back and shutting down. 

    One percent – one percent, actually, less than one percent of the total federal budget goes to these vital humanitarian programs around the world. I’ll give you a few examples of what has been stopped in its tracks: a U.S. organization funded through AID has stopped its counterterrorism work in the Philippines that was reducing recruitment and radicalization. We walked away from that work. In Mexico, an organization that reduces the number of children recruited by gangs to help move drugs and migrants across our border has had its funding cut off. I remember trips I took, bipartisan delegations I was a part of, that went and visited AID-funded work where folks were delivering critical care. St. Mary’s clinic in Kibera – in Nairobi, in Kenya: one of the worst informal settlements – slums – I’ve ever been in in my life, and these dedicated, caring, capable folks delivering vital life assistance. In Liberia during Ebola, I will never forget meeting with the nurses, doctors, volunteers, the Liberians who were helping save lives. Why does this matter? Today there is an Ebola outbreak in Kampala, Uganda, and it’s the disease monitoring and testing, it’s the clinics and the nurses that keep these diseases controlled and managed on the other side of the world before they come here.

    Failing to sustain this work in an efficient and effective way is to fail to show the values of the United States, to show we’re not a reliable partner, it’s to show that the decades of bipartisan support for critical initiatives like PEPFAR have been abandoned because they’re no longer considered a smarter strategic investment by one party, while the other party will fight for it.

    My fondest hope is that we will yet find there is bipartisan support for continuing and sustaining these investments, but it’s unclear, because the unelected leader of DOGE, Elon Musk, is even now tweeting, ‘shut it down, close it off.’ My hope is that Secretary Rubio’s comments today on television about sustaining many of the critical functions of AID will win out, but I’m not confident – because it’s unclear to me who’s really driving this initiative. 

    Let me close: We know that diplomacy and development stand alongside defense in being critical to our national security. President Trump’s first defense secretary, General James Mattis, said to us in a hearing that if foreign aid were to get cut, he would need to buy more bullets, because foreign aid around the world helps us build relationships of support, combat terrorism and extremism, advance our values and priorities, and make us safer and more secure. I cannot think of a more troubling development than this long-trusted, capable, bipartisan effort at helping bring our values to the world and helping secure our nation would be cut off, abruptly, roughly, in a way that violates the law and the spirit of our long bipartisan compromise.

    Who wins if we do in fact shut this all down? It’s our adversaries. It’s terrorists, it’s drug cartels, it’s Russia, it’s China, it’s those we’ve held at bay through the great work of this organization and its dedicated servants for decades. My hope is that even though this resolution was opposed and thus defeated tonight, that the determination to support this great work will survive and thrive and prevail.”

    Senator Coons is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. He is the former Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: February 3rd, 2025 Heinrich Speaks Out Against President Trump’s Tax on New Mexico Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    Trump’s tariffs will increase prices, cost families as much as $1,200 per year

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement on President Trump’s announced 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada and 10% tariffs on China:

    “Donald Trump’s tariffs are a tax on New Mexico’s working families. Trump’s tariffs will raise costs, kill jobs, and weaken our economy, costing New Mexicans up to $1,200 per household. With Mexico as New Mexico’s largest trading partner, Trump’s trade war and tariffs tax will directly hurt New Mexico’s farmers, businesses, and consumers.

    “We need to be putting the interests of working people first, not last. And that starts by lowering costs, not raising them.”

    While the effective dates of the tariffs are shifting, their catastrophic impacts are indisputable.

    Background on How New Mexico’s Economy Relies on Trade with Mexico

    New Mexico’s solid economic growth after pandemic-era disruptions was spurred in large part by cross-border commerce. An unnecessary trade war with Mexico drummed up by President Trump threatens to drive up prices for groceries, gas, cars, and other consumer goods, erasing wage increases and straining New Mexicans’ wallets. 

    Benefits to New Mexico from Trade with Mexico

    • In 2023, $28 billion worth of goods came through the Santa Teresa Port of Entry (STPOE), which Heinrich has pushed to expand by introducing legislation, securing federal appropriations, and urging leaders in Congress and the Executive Branch to prioritize this project.
    • The STPOE supported over 7,000 jobs and contributed $2 billion to New Mexico’s economy in 2023.
    • Since 2020, an additional 2,000 jobs in New Mexico have been added by the increased economic activity around STPOE.
    • New Mexico exported $3.4 billion to Mexico in 2023.
    • In 2021, exports supported 15,000 jobs in New Mexico.
    • Mexico is New Mexico’s largest trade partner, amounting to 70% of the state’s total goods exported in 2023.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FHWA Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rule Defeated in Sixth Circuit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    ***Click here for audio.***

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – In November 2023, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) adopted a final rule requiring state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations to measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the highway system and set declining targets. Congress has never granted the Department of Transportation this authority. 

    Shortly after the rule was finalized, attorneys general from 21 states, including North Dakota, filed litigation challenging the regulation. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky found the rule illegal, but the Biden FHWA appealed the decision to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. In October, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee; U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Chairman of the Senate EPW Committee; U.S. Representatives Sam Graves (R-MO-6), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; and Rick Crawford (R-AR-1), former Chairman of the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee, led their colleagues in filing an amicus brief in opposition to the rule.

    Today, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the case with prejudice at the request of the Trump administration, ending the year-long court battle. 

    “This is really big news, and this dismissal reinforces the fundamental principle: federal agencies do not have authority Congress doesn’t grant them,” said Cramer. “The Biden Federal Highway Administration tried to pull a regulation out of thin air to pursue its radical, crazy, bizarro climate agenda, deliberately ignoring the legal boundaries of the law and our Constitution. States and my colleagues in Congress were right to push back against this unlawful mandate. I’m really grateful the Trump administration changed course and for the Court’s requisite dismissal.”

    “The greenhouse gas emissions performance measure rule would have limited the flexibility of states to advance their own transportation investment priorities that meet the needs of their constituents,” said Capito. “The rule shifted the focus of the Federal-aid Highway Program away from building roads and bridges – jeopardizing jobs and undermining economic growth across the country. The decision from President Trump’s FHWA to end the previous administration’s attempt to continue this unlawful rule is an important step in reversing the extreme climate agenda of the past four years, and I’m thrilled that the court has now officially dismissed the appeal.”

    The state of Texas also filed a separate suit against FHWA, and the District Court for the Northern District of Texas vacated the Biden rule. The Department of Transportation appealed the ruling. Cramer, Capito, Graves, and Crawford also led their colleagues in filing a separate bicameral amicus brief requesting the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals uphold the District Court decision.

    Previously, Cramer led a bipartisan Congressional Review Act joint resolution of disapproval to overturn the rule. The resolution passed the Senate in April by a vote of 53 to 47, reiterating Congress’ opposition to FHWA’s overreach. In a speech on the Senate floor, Cramer committed to leading an amicus brief in support of overturning the rule in court.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville Joins “The Megyn Kelly Show” to Advocate for Senate Leadership to Schedule Title IX Legislation for a Vote

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined “The Megyn Kelly Show” to discuss the need for the Senate to quickly bring his Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, or S.9, to the floor for a vote. The U.S. House of Representatives passed similar legislation on a bipartisan basis in January. 

    Senator Tuberville’s interview comes ahead of National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Wednesday, February 5.

    Excerpts from Senator Tuberville’s interview can be found below, and his full interview can be viewed here.

    KELLY: “Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama has been on the frontlines working to pass the legislation and he has been working for years—I went back and looked at the number of times he’s tried to bring this up when nobody wanted to hear from him, when it appeared to have no chance of passing, he brought it up, he brought it up again, he brought it up again. He has been like a dog with a bone on this—a true ally to women and girls everywhere, and there’s a reason, I think. He’s got a historic background in the sports world as a former head coach for several college football teams, Senator Tuberville—Coach Tuberville—welcome to the show.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Megyn. Thanks for having me on. And what a great subject we’re going to talk about.”

    KELLY: “I’m your huge fan at like the number of times you have tried to push this boulder up the hill really makes me respect you, even though you knew there was no way a Democrats-controlled Senate was going to give you a vote. But then, GOP wins control of the Senate—and what we’ve seen since you guys got control of the House and the Senate is the House passed it, and it got massaged a bit, they passed it again and said ‘Yeah, okay here we go, back to you guys in the Senate’ and we’ve been waiting—I’ve been waiting to see a vote by the GOP-controlled Senate on this thing because it’s much better—notwithstanding Trump’s executive orders—if it can become law. Law that can’t just be undone by an executive order four years from now. So why aren’t we seeing a vote?”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, exactly right, Megyn. A lot of people don’t realize that an executive order, which President Trump signed almost a couple of weeks ago defining gender, by the way, and he even come out and said, ‘Listen, we have to have a bill within thirty days,’ because if you don’t know this, executive orders only last as long as that president’s there. So, we got some work to do. This is the third time—third time’s the charm. […] 79% of the people in this country—Republican and Democrat—say it is wrong for men or boys to participate in women’s sports. We’ve got the majority on our side. As you said—we’ve got to get it to the floor. John Thune told me he’s going to get it to the floor. He hasn’t done it. Now, it’s time to put up or shut up. We’ve got to get it on the floor so people can see. If it’s not going to pass, we’ll do it again, but we’ve got to get people on the record because this is something that’s very dear to the heart of all parents across the country and it’s dead wrong.”

    KELLY: “Would John Thune not want it to come to the floor—he certainly wouldn’t want to protect Democrats—he must know of Republicans who are not ready to vote for this thing.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, leadership is actually co-sponsors of this, and I think at the end of the day, John Thune’s been overwhelmed. Obviously, you’ve got President Trump breathing down his neck, you’ve got the […] House pushing things over—we’re trying to do reconciliation. The Laken Riley Act needed to be passed because it was so important with the border being under attack and we’re losing so many young men and women to fentanyl and all those things. But now is the time to act on this. We can’t wait any longer. 50 years of Title IX—it has been decimated by Biden and the Democrats and all the far-left progressives. I grew up in this business of coaching. I saw what it did for young girls, older girls—it’s created leaders across this country.” […]

    KELLY: “Is there some belief that this can’t pass, and they only want wins right now? They only want to put legislation on the floor that can get through?” 

    TUBERVILLE: “Yeah, and put yourself in John Thune’s position and the leadership of the Senate. They’re looking at things ‘Hey, let’s win early. Let’s get on the scoreboard early.’ But the problem with this is we’ve already won because President Trump pushed this out there. Now’s the time to put pressure on the Democrats. Time and time again, 4 or 5 times if we have to, even before the next election—get them on [record on] the vote that they’re going to vote against girls and women [by] having them participate against men and boys. It’s devastating to sports. It’s devastating to the lives of young people—there has been rapes in dressing rooms and showers. […] It’s going to become a common thing if you don’t stop this now. You let this landslide keep going—we’re going to have huge problems getting it stopped. So, it’s important that we stop it now, President Trump’s hot on the trail on this with his Executive Order. […] 50 years ago was the first time we ever said, ‘Okay, let’s give women […] an opportunity.’ […] And it’s the best thing that ever passed out of this place we call ‘the Swamp’ here in Washington, D.C. But again, we’re going to keep fighting for it…I’m going to continue to push leadership—John Thune, John Barrasso—they’re on my side on this, but again, you might have hit the nail on the head a while ago when you said, ‘They might just want to win.’ Well, we’ve had two losses in the last two votes that weren’t Laken Riley. So hey, let’s not worry about winning or losing on this—let’s get it out there where people can see what’s going on.’”

    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, Moran Introduce Legislation to Improve Access to Care for Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) in cosponsoring 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.

    “Veterans have paid the ultimate sacrifice in order to secure our freedom,” said Sen. Tuberville. “Over the last four years, many veterans have endured painfully long wait times and few options for care outside the VA. We should be providing quality and timely community care options—not making it harder for veterans to even get through the door. This legislation is a crucial step in righting the wrongs of the past administration. I trust that soon-to-be Secretary Doug Collins will prioritize getting veterans access to the care they earned.”

    U.S. Senators Tuberville and Moran are joined by U.S. Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Thom Tillis (R-NC).

    The legislation is endorsed by the Wounded Warrior Project, Disabled American Veterans, The American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Military Officers Association of America, America’s Warrior Partnership, Vietnam Veterans of America, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Hunter Seven Foundation, Concerned Veterans for America, Americans for Prosperity and the National Defense Committee.

    Full text of the legislation can be found here. 

    BACKGROUND:

    The Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers (ACCESS) Act of 2025 would establish existing community care access standards as the baseline standard of care for veterans seeking care in the community, increase access to life-saving treatment programs for veterans with mental health conditions or addiction and expand the list of criteria VA is required to take into account when determining whether it is in a veteran’s best medical interest to refer a veteran to the community to include veteran preference and continuity of care.

    Last year, Sen. Tuberville joined Sen. Moran in sending a letter to former Secretary McDonough urging him to reassess actions taken by the VA to cut referrals to community care. Sen. Tuberville also partnered with Sen. Rubio in introducing the Ensuring Continuity in Veterans Health Act, which would 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.

    MORE:

    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

    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: McConnell Proud to Confirm Wright as Energy Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding the confirmation of Chris Wright as U.S. Secretary of Energy:

    “From day one, President Biden worked relentlessly to kneecap American energy production, both onshore and offshore. Secretary Wright’s singular focus on restoring affordable domestic energy is a welcome change after four years of policies that put ideology and politics ahead of American workers. I look forward to working with Secretary Wright to move our country toward greater energy dominance and to support the agency’s job-creating policies, like their work at the Department of Energy site in Paducah, Kentucky.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 01.30.2025 Sen. Cruz Introduces Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act. The legislation expands education options and would provide a federal tax credit for individuals and businesses to donate to nonprofit scholarship funds for individual students’ education.
    Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz said, “Every child deserves the chance to succeed. The Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act ensures students have access to quality education regardless of their income or background. This legislation will empower families and foster private investment through a dollar-for-dollar tax credit, expanding opportunities for all American students.”
    This bill is also cosponsored by Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.).
    Read the bill text here.
    BACKGROUND
    Sen. Cruz has led this effort to provide expand education options available to all students since 2019. Sen. Cruz has also previously introduced this legislation in 2021 and 2023.
    The Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act:

    Encourages States to Opt In: Opting in to the freedom scholarship approach to education will reduce federal control over education and return the power to government more accountable to parents.

    Is State Directed: States maintain the authority to create a program that works for them. States can decide which students are eligible for the scholarship credit, what constitutes eligible educational expenses and eligible educational providers, and more.

    Encourages Workplace Training Education: There is more than one pathway to success, and our rapidly-changing 21st century economy means that workers need new skills to compete. In addition to elementary and secondary education scholarships, this bill allows for scholarships related to career and technical education, apprenticeships, certifications, and other forms of workforce training for postsecondary students.

    Prohibits Federal Control of Education: Clarifies that nothing in this act shall be construed to permit, allow, encourage, or authorize any increased regulation or control over any aspect of a participating educational provider, scholarship granting organization, or workforce training organization. This allows all education providers to be able to participate, without fear of federal control.

    Helps Our Most Vulnerable Students: Many low and middle-income students cannot afford tuition and educational expenses themselves, or do not have the means to pay for the workforce training needed to secure a stable, high-paying job. This tax credit will provide scholarships for these students, so that they can have the opportunity to receive an effective and successful education that prepares them for the future.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 02.03.2025 Sen. Cruz Announced as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the announcement of subcommittee assignments for the 119th Congress on the Committee. Sen. Cruz will be the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, as well as a member of the Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism and the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues.
    Sen. Cruz said, “As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy, I intend to pursue a robust oversight agenda and hearings schedule, with a focus on countering the Chinese Communist Party’s predatory practices toward our African partners. I will also focus on addressing threats posed by terrorist groups, freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, illicit finance across the continent, and diplomacy targeting us and our allies by malign actors. I look forward to also continuing work on other subcommittees strengthening strategic partnerships across the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere.”
    BACKGROUND
    The Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittees Sen. Cruz sits on holds jurisdiction over the following areas:
    Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy:
    The subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with countries in Africa (except those, like the countries of North Africa, specifically covered by other subcommittees), as well as regional intergovernmental organizations like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.
    In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for health-related policy, including disease outbreak and response.
    Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism:
    This subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries of the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and Central Asia, as well as regional intergovernmental organizations. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports.
    In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for counterterrorism matters.
    Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues:
    This subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries of the Western Hemisphere, including Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Cuba, and the other countries in the Caribbean, as well as the Organization of American States. This subcommittee’s regional responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region, including matters relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports. In addition, this subcommittee has global responsibility for transnational crime, trafficking in persons (also known as modern slavery or human trafficking), global narcotics flows, civilian security, democracy, human rights, and global women’s issues.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Continues Push to Reauthorize Program Supporting Rural Idaho Counties

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) led U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and 17 other Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation, S. 356, to reauthorize the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program (SRS) through Fiscal Year 2026.  The legislation has strong bipartisan backing.
    “The SRS program is a vital lifeline for rural counties where federal lands generate insufficient revenue for important local services,” said Crapo.  “Failure to reauthorize the program puts most of Idaho’s counties in a precarious position with a lack of fudning for schools, road maintenance, public safety, and search and rescue operations.  I urege botht the Senate and House to take up this measure expeditiously, and remain committed to finding a viable long-term solution that provides more certainty to rural county governments in the future.”
    “Idaho’s counties rely on SRS funding for schools and road maintenance,” said Risch. “The federal government made a promise to rural communities, and until we can bring historic timber revenue back to these areas, Congress has an obligation to fulfill that promise. Congress must immediately reauthorize SRS.”
    “This is urgent business for the Oregonians living and working in counties that have long depended on millions of dollars from these federal funds for local schools, roads, law enforcement and more,” said Wyden, who co-authored the SRS legislation in 2000.  “I’m glad this bill is being reintroduced right at the start of this new Congress in this bipartisan spirit, and I strongly urge our House colleagues to act with the same urgency and bipartisan ethic to reconnect this proven lifeline ASAP for rural communities in Oregon and nationwide.”
    “Our bipartisan bill provides reliable funding that is crucial to keeping schools and libraries open, maintaining roads, restoring watersheds, and ensuring there are police officers and firefighters to keep rural?communities safe,”?said Merkley.  “Congress must swiftly pass this bill to extend the SRS program so Oregon communities can maintain access to these important lifelines and resources.” 
    “Reauthorizing Secure Rural Schools for three years will help counties with large tracts of federal forests meet the needs of residents and visitors,” said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase.  “Without SRS, counties would face, on average, an 80 percent drop in resources for infrastructure improvement, education programs and forest health projects.  Many rural counties and school districts are already making difficult decisions due to a lack of funds. Counties applaud the leadership of Senators Crapo and Wyden and look forward to prompt passage of this vital legislation.”
    Additional co-sponsors of the bill include Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire), John Curtis (R-Utah), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada).
    Crapo, Wyden, Risch and Merkley introduced the legislation in the 118th Congress and the Senate unanimously passed it in November 2024.  It did not receive a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives before the end of the Congress.  The program needs to be reauthorized as soon as possible to avoid a gap in funding for rural counties that rely on the program for much-needed services.
    Congress enacted SRS in 2000 to financially assist counties with public, tax-exempt forestlands.  The U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management administer the funds.  The totals are based on a formula including economic activity, timber harvest levels and other considerations that vary from county to county.  SRS payments are critical to maintain education programs for many rural counties that contain federal lands exempt from property taxes.
    Text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Wyden Announce Senate Finance Subcommittee Assignments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) today announced subcommittee assignments, Joint Committee on Taxation membership and the designation of members to serve as Congressional Trade Advisors for the 119th Congress.

    Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions and Family Policy

    Republicans

    Chuck Grassley, IA, Chairman

    Todd Young, IN

    Marsha Blackburn, TN

    Democrats

    Bernard Sanders, VT

    Catherine Cortez Masto, NV

    Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness

    Republicans

    John Cornyn, TX, Chairman

    Chuck Grassley, IA

    John Thune, SD

    Tim Scott, SC

    Steve Daines, MT

    Todd Young, IN

    Thom Tillis, NC

    Roger Marshall, KS

    Democrats

    Raphael Warnock, GA

    Michael Bennet, CO

    Mark Warner, VA

    Sheldon Whitehouse, RI

    Catherine Cortez Masto, NV

    Elizabeth Warren, MA

    Tina Smith, MN

    Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure

    Republicans

    James Lankford, OK, Chairman

    John Cornyn, TX

    Tim Scott, SC

    Steve Daines, MT

    John Barrasso, WY

    Roger Marshall, KS

    Democrats

    Maria Cantwell, WA

    Michael Bennet, CO

    Maggie Hassan, NH

    Ben Ray Luján, NM

    Peter Welch, VT

    Subcommittee on Health Care

    Republicans

    Todd Young, IN, Chairman

    John Thune, SD

    Tim Scott, SC

    Bill Cassidy, LA

    James Lankford, OK

    Steve Daines, MT

    John Barrasso, WY

    Ron Johnson, WI

    Thom Tillis, NC

    Marsha Blackburn, TN

    Roger Marshall, KS

    Democrats

    Maggie Hassan, NH

    Mark Warner, VA

    Sheldon Whitehouse, RI

    Catherine Cortez Masto, NV

    Elizabeth Warren, MA

    Bernard Sanders, VT

    Tina Smith, MN

    Ben Ray Luján, NM

    Raphael Warnock, GA

    Peter Welch, VT

    Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight

    Republicans

    John Barrasso, WY, Chairman

    Chuck Grassley, IA

    John Cornyn, TX

    John Thune, SD

    Bill Cassidy, LA

    James Lankford, OK

    Ron Johnson, WI

    Thom Tillis, NC

    Marsha Blackburn, TN

    Democrats

    Michael Bennet, CO

    Mark Warner, VA

    Sheldon Whitehouse, RI

    Maggie Hassan, NH

    Elizabeth Warren, MA

    Bernard Sanders, VT

    Ben Ray Luján, NM

    Raphael Warnock, GA

    Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth

    Republicans

    Ron Johnson, WI, Chairman

    Bill Cassidy, LA

    Democrats

    Tina Smith, MN

    Designation of Members to Serve on the Joint Committee on Taxation

    Mike Crapo, ID

    Chuck Grassley, IA

    John Cornyn, TX

    Ron Wyden, OR

    Maria Cantwell, WA

    Designation of Members to Serve as Congressional Trade Advisors on Trade Policy and Negotiations

    Mike Crapo, ID

    Chuck Grassley, IA

    John Cornyn, TX

    Ron Wyden, OR

    Maria Cantwell, WA

    The chairman and ranking member are ex officio members of all subcommittees.

    The Rules of Procedure for the Senate Finance Committee are here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo: Christopher Wright will Advance and Promote American Energy Independence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement after the Senate confirmed, by a vote of 59-38, Christopher Wright to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE):

    “Christopher Wright has committed to an all-of-the-above domestic energy strategy that will advance and promote innovative solutions to achieve greater American energy excellence, leadership and independence.  He has an extensive background spanning many energy sources.  Wright’s commitment to ensuring America is the leader in nuclear energy holds particular value for Idaho, which is home to one of the nation’s leading nuclear laboratories.  Under his leadership at DOE, our nation will prioritize affordable, reliable and secure energy sources that support American innovation and growth and improve the lives of Americans.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Announces Blanket Holds on Trump’s State Department Nominees Until Attack on USAID Is Reversed

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, today announced that he will place a blanket hold on all of President Donald Trump’s nominees to the State Department until its illegal attempt to shutter the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as an independent agency is reversed. On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he would be acting administrator of USAID.

    “Dismantling USAID is illegal and makes us less safe. USAID was created by federal law and is funded by Congress. Donald Trump and Elon Musk can’t just wish it away with a stroke of a pen – they need to pass a law,” said Senator Schatz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Until and unless this brazenly authoritarian action is reversed and USAID is functional again, I will be placing a blanket hold on all of the Trump administration’s State Department nominees. This is self-inflicted chaos of epic proportions that will have dangerous consequences all around the world.”

     

    Schatz spoke out against attacks on USAID today in front of its Washington headquarters.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Introduces Amendment to Keep DOGE Team from Accessing Critical Treasury Payment Systems

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Washington (February 3, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey, a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today filed an amendment to the Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act, which the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee is marking up on Wednesday, February 5. The amendment would make it a violation of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act for an individual to gain unauthorized access to the central payment systems at the Treasury Department. Last week, Elon Musk’s personnel from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained access to the Treasury Department’s central payment system, which disburses trillions of dollars in congressionally approved funds each year, including Social Security and Medicare benefits.

    “By demanding access to critical payment systems at the Treasury Department, Elon Musk and his team of government arsonists are threatening everything from payments for our troops to Medicare and Social Security payments,” said Senator Edward J. Markey. “This access creates serious privacy and cybersecurity risks and could even enable Musk to give his companies an unfair competitive advantage. It’s outrageous and dangerous. I hope my colleagues can come together and support this commonsense amendment to limit this access and safeguard our essential financial infrastructure.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Joins Colleagues in Calling for Reinstatement of Inspectors General Fired by Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Washington (January 31, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) joined Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and a group of 36 colleagues in a letter to President Trump, strongly condemning the President’s recent decision to remove Inspectors General (IGs) from at least 18 government agencies, and demanding their immediate reinstatement. The IGs who were removed included those overseeing the Departments of Defense, State, Education, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Energy, Commerce, Agriculture, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, and the Social Security Administration, and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. In the letter, the senators assert that President Trump’s actions violated the law and threaten the independence of these non-partisan watchdogs. Senator Peters helped lead the Inspector General Independence and Empowerment Act, which was signed into law in 2022 as part of the FY 2023 national defense bill, to require a President to provide a 30-day notice and substantive reasons for removal in writing to Congress before an Inspector General can be removed. 

    “Inspectors General are responsible for providing independent oversight of federal programs by working to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and protect taxpayer dollars – oversight our federal agencies desperately need,” the senators wrote. “The federal government and the American people count on these officials to operate in a professional and non-partisan way to hold our government accountable—regardless of who is in power.  Without strong, qualified, and independent officials to lead these critical efforts, the Administration risks wasting taxpayer dollars, and allowing fraud and misconduct to go unchecked.” 

    “While the President has the authority to remove Inspectors General from office, Congress has established clear requirements to ensure such removals are transparent and are not politicized,” wrote the senators. “With respect to your firings Friday night, Congress has not received either the mandatory 30-day notice or a rationale for their removal.  Because your actions violated the law, these IGs should be reinstated immediately, until such time as you have provided in writing ‘the substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons’ for each of the affected Inspectors General and the 30-day notice period has expired.”   

    The letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and John Fetterman (D-PA).

    The full text of the letter can be found here

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Decries Confirmation of Unrestricted Fracking Booster Chris Wright to Lead Energy Department

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Washington (February 3, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed Chris Wright, most recently the CEO of fossil fuel company Liberty Energy, to head the Department of Energy.

    “Chris Wright is a bought-and-paid-for fossil fuel industry executive and hasn’t met a tract of land or aquifer of water he wouldn’t despoil through fracking,” said Senator Markey. “We need federal agencies helmed by responsible, qualified executives without blatant conflicts of interest, not individuals who force their employees to drink fracking fluid for fun. Chris Wright at Energy, alongside Zeldin at EPA and Burgum at Interior, will use his position to push expensive and polluting fossil fuels on the American people for the benefit of his Big Oil and Big Gas allies. Our federal agencies are already being forced by Trump and Elon Musk to illegally ignore laws passed by Congress, and Chris Wright will be nothing more than another henchman for the billionaire class at the expense of the health and pocketbooks of working families.”

    On January 16, Senators Markey and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) reintroduced the Banning In Government Oil Industry Lobbyists (BIG OIL) from the Cabinet Act, which would prohibit the appointment of executive officers and lobbyists of fossil fuel entities or trade associations as the heads or political appointees of certain government departments that work on issues related to American energy policy for a ten-year period.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Baldwin Talks Tackling Opioid Epidemic, Threat of Potential Funding Cut at UW-Madison Opioid Center

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    MADISON, WI – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) visited UW-Madison to discuss $2 million she secured for the Wisconsin Opioid Overdose Response Center to help combat the fentanyl crisis across Wisconsin. However, this funding could be in jeopardy as the Trump administration continues to push cuts to federal funding Wisconsinites rely on – including to combat the opioid epidemic.

    “I’ve heard from countless Wisconsinites who have lost friends, family, neighbors, and loved ones to this epidemic. Whether it’s stopping drugs from coming into the country or supporting Wisconsin universities’ groundbreaking research, I’m committed to fighting the opioid crisis on all fronts,” said Senator Baldwin. “The work being done here will save lives – and that’s why I’m sending a loud and clear message that the President cannot cut off funding for vital programs like these.”

    With the Baldwin-backed support, UW-Madison’s Wisconsin Opioid Overdose Response Center is set to launch this year to provide community pharmacies around Wisconsin resources including educational information on treating overdoses, life-saving naloxone, and fentanyl testing strips. The regional center, to be based at the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy, will combat the opioid crisis with a special focus on fentanyl, which accounts for over 75% of annual opioid overdose deaths. During her visit, Senator Baldwin also toured labs where Wisconsin researchers are working on developing lifesaving treatments for opioid use disorders.

    Senator Baldwin is committed to delivering the resources Wisconsin needs to turn the tide on this epidemic and save lives. Among other actions, her FEND Off Fentanyl Act, signed in to law last year, will stem the flow of the drug from coming into the U.S. by cracking down on Chinese chemical suppliers and Mexican cartels. Senator Baldwin also wrote an annual funding bill that delivers $4.6 billion nationwide to support substance use prevention and treatment efforts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Votes to Confirm Chris Wright for Energy Secretary

    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.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, issued the following statement after voting to confirm Chris Wright to serve as the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE):

    “Chris Wright understands the need to unleash American energy and bring down costs. He also recognizes the critical role that West Virginia will have in restoring our nation’s energy dominance – something we discussed during our recent meeting. I was proud to vote to confirm Mr. Wright to lead the Department of Energy, and I look forward to working with him and the Trump administration to cut red tape and advance solutions that will strengthen our energy sector and provide vital jobs,” Senator Capito said.

    Senator Capito previously met with Wright in January to discuss his nomination and learn more about his vision to lead the department.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Joins NewsNation: President Trump Showcases the Art of the Deal with Tariffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined Elizabeth Vargas Reports on NewsNation to discuss President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China to combat the deadly fentanyl and border crisis our nation is facing. Within days of the announcement, President Trump’s America First foreign policy was vindicated once again as leaders from Mexico and Canada came to the negotiating table and promised to take care of their side of the border and do their part to alleviate the crises they’ve allowed to unfold at the detriment of American citizens. 

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    You may click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview. 
    Highlights from Senator Marshall’s interview include: 
    On President Trump getting Mexico, Canada to step up to plate and take care of their side of border:
    “This is the art of the deal. This is who Donald Trump is. I just want to emphasize that this is a drug war and not a trade war. Every day we lose about 200 Americans from fentanyl poisoning. We lose more Americans every year from fentanyl poisoning than we did during the entire Vietnam War. So to President Trump, this is very serious. It’s good to see Mexico and Canada both step up to the plate and say, we’re going to be responsible for our side of the border.” 
    “I want to emphasize one more thing is that a lot of these fentanyl precursors are now being made in laboratories in Canada, so Mr. Trudeau needs to be smashing those laboratories up as well. So a great day for President Trump. A huge victory for America.” 
    On President Trump’s successful record using tariffs to put America First:
    “We saw less than 2% inflation when President Trump implemented these tariffs as well. We saw his trade agreements work as well. What would help Americans is to lower the interest rates and lower the price of gasoline. That’s going to lead to lower prices of groceries. That’s how we take relief on the inflation. I want Americans to realize that we have a trillion-dollar trade deficit overall, a trillion dollars, almost a trillion dollars…”
    “When Joe Biden’s policies kicked in, his trade deficits with Mexico grew from, I think, 80 billion to 130 with Canada, they went from 20 to 60 billion as well. And we saw that the trade these tariffs worked so well on China that Joe Biden kept them. And even his own Secretary of Treasury, Janet Yellen said that we need to keep them to protect jobs. So number one, this is about national security. Number two, this is also going to bring jobs back to America as well, which is a good thing. So I think there’s some real good logic behind what President Trump is doing.”
    On President Trump ensuring American farmers are taken care of:
    “I have confidence in President Trump. 90% of rural Americans voted for President Trump. Every time I see him, he asks me how my farmers are doing. And when we had this discussion a couple weeks ago, he reminded me that during the situation described, he took part of that tariff money on China and gave $28 billion to farmers, so he’s going to do everything he can to make sure farmers are taken care of. The number one thing he could do for farmers right now is lower interest rates. That’s what’s killing the American farmer right now are interest rates. We can do 45Z which is something when the biofuels industry, there’s so many more things that President Trump can and will do for the American farmer. You can’t look at these things just a little isolation. Farmers are first and foremost, they’re farmers…If this is a price we have to pay to make our families safe, then so be it. But I have faith that President Trump is going to work through all of this.”

    MIL OSI USA News –