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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Dexter Urge Trump to Make Good on Campaign Promises to Lower Food Prices for American Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    January 28, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter today announced they have joined 19 legislative colleagues in a letter to Donald Trump urging him to take meaningful steps to lower grocery prices for American families.
    During his campaign, Trump repeatedly promised he would lower food prices “immediately” if elected. However, during his first week, none of the many executive orders he signed addressed any sort of plan to lower food costs.
    “Your sole action on costs was an executive order that contained only the barest mention of food prices and not a single specific policy to reduce them,” wrote the lawmakers. “You have tools you can use to lower grocery costs and crack down on corporate profiteering, and we write to ask if you will commit to using those tools to make good on your promises to the American people.”“To make food more affordable, you should look to the dominant food and grocery companies that have made record profits on the backs of working families who have had to pay higher prices,” continued the lawmakers. “If you are indeed committed to lowering food prices, we stand ready to work with you.”
    The lawmakers laid out six recommendations for executive actions to lower prices by encouraging competition and fighting price-gouging at each level of the food supply chain:

    Encourage the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prohibit exclusionary contracting by dominant firms in the food industry, making it harder for major retailers and food brands to shut out smaller suppliers and drive up prices at smaller stores.

    Encourage the FTC to issue guidance on potential violations of the Robinson Patman Act and Section 5 of the FTC Act within the food industry and take enforcement action where merited. 

    Work with the USDA to increase the number of government contract recipients that are very small businesses and to ensure that government contracting considers the long-term costs of food sector consolidation. 

    Help the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FTC scrutinize, and where appropriate, block mergers and acquisitions in the food and agricultural sectors.

    Encourage the DOJ to prosecute actors in the agricultural and food sectors for price-fixing and other anticompetitive behavior.

    Direct the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and FTC to form a joint task force to investigate food price manipulation throughout the supply chain. 

    “Americans are looking to you to lower food prices. Instead of working to lower their grocery bills, however, you have used the first week of your administration on attempting to end birthright citizenship, pardoning individuals who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, and renaming a mountain,” concluded the lawmakers. “We urge you to make good on your campaign promise to lower food prices for American families.”Read the full text of the letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Cosponsors Bipartisan Bill to Increase Price Transparency on Prescription Drug Advertising

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is cosponsoring legislation to promote transparency, boost competition, and bring down the cost of prescription drugs. The bipartisan Drug-Price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act would require price disclosures on advertisements for prescription drugs in order to inform patients who are considering certain medications after seeing television commercials. By requiring direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements for prescription drugs to include a disclosure of the list price, patients can make informed choices when inundated with drug commercials and pharmaceutical companies may reconsider their pricing and advertising tactics. 
    Each year, the pharmaceutical industry spends $6 billion in DTC drug advertising to fill the airwaves with ads, resulting in the average American seeing nine DTC ads each day. Studies show that these commercials often steer patients to more expensive drugs, even when a patient may not need the medication or a lower-cost generic is available. Studies show that patients are more likely to ask their doctor, and ultimately receive a prescription, for a specific drug when they have seen ads for it.  For these reasons, most countries have banned DTC prescription drug advertising — the United States and New Zealand are the only industrialized nations that allow these ads.
    “Current advertisement practices in the pharmaceutical industry allow drug companies to unfairly inflate the efficacy of their products while concealing their exorbitant prices,” said Senator King. “The Drug-Price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act would ensure that Maine people have more transparency, choice, and competition in the prescription drug marketplace. I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for putting Americans first above the profits of big pharma.”
    The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that prescription drugs advertised directly to consumers accounted for more than half of Medicare’s spending on drugs between 2016 and 2018, while a 2023 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that two-thirds of advertised drugs offered “low therapeutic value.” Additionally, a Kaiser survey found that 88 percent of Americans support this price disclosure policy for advertisements.
    Below are some key findings from the GAO report:
    Two-thirds of pharma’s spending between 2016 and 2018 on DTC ads ($12 billion out of $18 billion total) was concentrated on just 39 drugs.
    During this period, these advertised drugs accounted for 58 percent of Medicare’s spending on drugs ($320 billion out of $560 billion). 
    Among the top 10 drugs with the highest cost to Medicare, four were also in the top 10 for advertising spending (Humira, Eliquis, Keytruda, Lyrica).
    Joining King on this bill are Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).
    Senator King has consistently worked to lower healthcare costs and increase transparency for Maine people. Last year, he introduced bicameral legislation to prohibit direct-to-consumer drug advertising of pharmaceutical drugs in the first three years after the drug receives Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Senator King also cosponsored the Health Care Affordability Act which permanently extends enhanced Premium Tax Credits (PTCs) — tax subsidies that increase the amount of financial assistance available to people buying their own health insurance. Additionally, Senator King has introduced legislation to prohibit pharmaceutical drug manufacturers from claiming tax deductions for consumer advertising expenses.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Grassley Pass Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing January as National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) passed a bipartisan resolution to recognize January 2025 as National Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month.
    “I have been working for years, both in the Senate and as Nevada’s Attorney General, to combat the crisis of human trafficking in Nevada and across the country,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Victims of human trafficking deserve freedom and justice, and I will always stand up for them and ensure their voices are heard.”
    “We each have a role to play in protecting the most vulnerable among us, especially women and children, from becoming victims of trafficking,” said Senator Grassley. “As Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I’m committed to making human trafficking prevention a priority in this Congress. I thank Senator Cortez Masto for joining me in this effort to raise awareness of the horrors of human trafficking.”  
    Senator Cortez Masto is an outspoken advocate for the survivors of human trafficking and sexual assault. Her federal legislation to help train law enforcement to identify and prevent child trafficking and combat human trafficking activity on social media was signed into law. She co-sponsored bipartisan legislation that would prevent the trafficking of children by providing grants for the training of students, parents, and school personnel to respond to the signs of human trafficking.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer to Chair Senate EPW Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    Click here for audio. Click here for video.
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee announced U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) will serve as Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure  (T&I) Subcommittee for the 119th Congress. Cramer previously served as Ranking Member of the subcommittee from 2021 to 2024.
    The T&I Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water projects and management, public buildings, and regional economic development. During Cramer’s tenure on EPW, the committee has debated and unanimously passed the most substantive highway bill in history and three consecutive Water Resource Development Acts, all of which were signed into law.  
    “The T&I Subcommittee is one of the few places left in Congress where bipartisanship and regular order are the norm, and why not? Americans expect and they understand their roads, bridges, waterways, and efficient interstate commerce is both a federal responsibility and a priority,” said Cramer. “My goal on the committee is to improve the nation’s infrastructure by getting the next highway bill and the Water Resources Development Act done on time and, at the same time, right-sizing this bloated federal real estate portfolio that we have. We have a lot to do and I’m look forward to working with Chairman Capito, and Ranking Member Whitehouse, and my colleagues on the committee, and of course the Trump administration to get the job done.”
    Cramer will serve on the Senate Environment and Public Works Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Innovation and Safety Subcommittee as well as the Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee.
    More information can be found here and on the EPW website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Statement on Trump Moving Closer Towards Authoritarianism

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement after the Trump Administration ordered a pause in all federal grants and loans, a sweeping decision that could disrupt education and health care programs, housing assistance, disaster relief and a host of other initiatives that depend on billions of federal dollars: 

    Let’s be clear. The Trump Administration’s action last night to suspend all federal grants and loans will have a devastating impact on the health and well-being of millions of children, seniors on fixed incomes, and the most vulnerable people in our country. It is a dangerous move towards authoritarianism and it is blatantly unconstitutional. Our Founding Fathers explicitly gave Congress the power of the purse. Under our system of checks and balances, no president has the right to choose which laws to follow and which laws to ignore.

    Further, this illegal action raises more questions than it answers:

    Will our nation’s community health centers receive the federal grants they need to continue to provide primary health care to more than 30 million Americans who desperately need it? Or is that on pause?

    Will Head Start programs throughout the country receive the federal grants they need to provide high-quality early education to nearly 1 million children? Or will their parents find that they are no longer enrolled in Head Start?

    Will pregnant mothers and their babies receive the vital nutrition assistance they need to stay healthy through the WIC program? Or will they be denied the food they need?

    Will states be denied the federal grants Congress passed to keep millions of seniors on fixed incomes and families with children warm in the winter through the LIHEAP program? Or will these vulnerable Americans freeze because they are no longer able to pay their heating bills?

    These are just a few of the questions that Trump’s dangerous and illegal action has raised.

    Bottom line: This unconstitutional memo must be rescinded. The American people — Democrats, Republicans and Independents — must come together to defeat this move towards authoritarianism. If President Trump wants to change our nation’s laws he has the right to ask Congress to change them. He does not have the right to violate the United States Constitution. He is not a king.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Supports Bessent for Treasury Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.–The United States Senate today confirmed Scott Bessent to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury by a bipartisan vote of 68-29.  In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) highlighted Mr. Bessent’s qualifications and urged colleagues to support his nomination. 
    “Mr. Bessent is committed to restoring the prosperity and opportunity experienced under President Trump’s leadership,” Crapo said.  “I look forward to working closely with him to ensure we extend the policies that benefitted Americans of every income bracket and enabled families and businesses to get ahead.  If qualifications–and, I might add, character–are one’s test for supporting a nominee, voting to confirm Mr. Bessent is one of the easiest votes we could ever take.” 
    Mr. Bessent’s nomination was previously reported favorably out of the Senate Finance Committee by a bipartisan vote of 16 to 11. 

    Read Senator Crapo’s full remarks below:
    “I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the confirmation of Mr. Scott Bessent, who has been nominated to serve as Secretary of the Treasury.
    “Over the weekend, the Senate voted with broad bipartisan support to advance Mr. Bessent’s nomination.  In fact, fifteen of my Democrat colleagues joined Republicans in advancing Mr. Bessent’s nomination.
    “Despite Mr. Bessent’s prolific experience and qualifications—which cannot be disputed—a few detractors frame their policy preferences as if these are compliance issues with respect to his taxes. 
    “Let me be clear: Mr. Bessent followed all applicable laws and met the Committee’s longstanding and rigorous diligence standard.  The Finance Committee has the most rigorous standard of vetting nominees of any committee in the Congress, including looking at their past tax returns and having tax experts come in and evaluate their tax returns with us.
    “His diligence matched that which has applied to nominees in previous administrations. 
    “Contrary to what you have heard, he provided extensive supporting material for all of the attacks on him, including more than 3,000 pages worth, and he and his staff spent countless hours with Republican and Democrat Senate Finance Committee members and staff going over all of these allegations and all of these claimed failures to pay taxes.  
    “He’s gone further by not only divesting all of his business ties, which is no small task, but by publicly committing that if there is any change in the law in the future on these policy arguments, that he would comply with those changes in the law.
    “Let me state this again, as clearly as it can be said, Scott Bessent paid his taxes.
    “I’ve heard it said twice on this floor that he did not pay his taxes.  Experts have gone over his tax returns, and he has complied with standard, prevailing interpretations of the tax code every time.
    “The issue here is that the IRS wants to change the interpretation of the tax code, but the IRS doesn’t get to decide what our tax code says.  Congress does, and Congress has not made the changes that the IRS wants to see.
    “Even in the face of that, arguing that he should have done what the IRS wanted him to do, in fact, they didn’t even say they wanted him to do it, they said it to other taxpayers, and other taxpayers have taken the IRS to court over this issue.  Mr. Bessent has said, if the IRS prevails and changes the tax code–the interpretation of the tax code–he will comply.
    “But the argument that he has not complied with long standing tax policy and interpretation is false, and I don’t know anybody who could go through a more rigorous standard than what we put him through in the Finance Committee.
    “As for the nominee, Mr. Bessent has worked for the last three decades as one of the sharpest minds in the global finance industry.  He has decades of academic, professional and leadership experience relevant to the position of Treasury Secretary.  
    “His performance at the Committee was stellar.  His background and training are tailor-made for this role, and he has the demeanor and character to be an effective Secretary.
    “Mr. Bessent is committed to restoring the prosperity and opportunity experienced under President Trump’s leadership. 
    “This includes ensuring that we avert an over-$4-trillion tax hike on the American people if the Trump tax cuts are allowed to expire, which he rightly described at his nomination hearing as a pass/fail exercise. 
    “There should be no question that we will extend these tax cuts.
    “I’ve also heard it argued on this floor here today that this is just a tax cut for rich billionaires.  The reality is that the vast majority of the tax cut goes to everyday people–to people making less than $400,000 a year.
    “The vast majority of those tax cuts go to people in the lower-and-middle income tax brackets. The tax cuts that we are talking about gave tax cuts to every single solitary income cohort in the tax code, and the greatest tax cuts went to those in the lower- and middle-income categories.
    “It would be terrible if we did not extend these tax cuts, and yet, Mr. Bessent is attacked for saying he supports extending these tax cuts.  It doesn’t make sense.  
    “I look forward to working closely with him to ensure we extend the policies that benefitted Americans of every income bracket and enabled families and businesses to get ahead.
    “I should also say that under this tax policy, when it was passed, the richest in America paid a greater percentage of the overall tax burden than they had before.  Yet he is attacked for wanting to extend these tax cuts that will hammer every single tax paying American if they are allowed to expire
    “If qualifications–and I might add, character–are one’s test for supporting a nominee, voting to confirm Mr. Bessent is one of the easiest we could ever take. 
    “In previous congresses, many of my Republican colleagues and I have voted for candidates we considered to be qualified to serve as Treasury Secretary, even when they were nominated by Democratic presidents and we disagreed with many of their policy positions.  
    “Mr. Bessent’s candidacy ought to enjoy similar bipartisan support and I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join with me in confirming his nomination.
    “He is the right person for this job, and I commend President Trump in making such an excellent selection.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall Joins Fox Business The Bottom Line: We Have a New Sheriff in Town

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined Fox Business’ The Bottom Line to discuss President Trump’s America First foreign policy strategy and the Senate confirming Scott Bessent as Secretary of the Department of Treasury.
    Senator Marshall sits on the Senate Finance Committee, met with Bessent ahead of his confirmation hearing, and voted yes to confirm him as Treasury Secretary. The Senator strongly believes that Bessent is the right leader to revive America’s economy.
    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’s proposed tariffs on Colombia:
    “This whole week’s been nothing but shock and awe. It’s been a blitzkrieg for Donald Trump. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a leader like this, so this sends a clear message to all the leaders – don’t mess with the United States right now, that we have a new sheriff in charge.”
    “What was impressive was the speed this came out. In years past, this would take weeks for a policy to develop. There’s President Trump between swings saying, enough of this – Colombia, take back your criminals. So indeed, a new sheriff in town.”
    On Scott Bessent passing Senate confirmation to become the next Secretary of the Treasury:
    “Of course, I voted yes, and it went through with flying colors, 68 to 29. Scott Bessent is approved to be your next Secretary of the Treasury. Scott’s going to do a great job. He’s going to bring some South Carolina common sense to everything here. He was raised in a small town, but yet he’s financially brilliant, so I think he’ll be part of the solution as we work forward on the legislation and balancing our budget.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch, Collins Introduce Bipartisan Bills that Support Vermont’s Maple Industry 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) recently joined Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) to introduce the Making Agricultural Products Locally Essential (MAPLE) Act and the Supporting All Producers (SAP) Act, two bipartisan, bicameral bills to support Vermont’s maple industry.  
    The MAPLE Act would provide a new market for maple syrup producers while increasing seniors’ access to nutritious, locally sourced maple syrup products by adding maple syrup to the eligible products under the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). SFMNP gives low-income seniors access to locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey, and herbs at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community-supported agriculture programs. The bill is cosponsored in the Senate by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Angus King (I-Maine), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and led in the House by Reps. Nick Langworthy (R-NY-23) and Joe Courtney (D-CT-02).  
    The SAP Act would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to consult with maple producers when determining education and research priorities for the Acer Access and Development Program (Acer), a competitive grant program supporting research and education related to maple syrup production and sustainability in the industry. The bill is cosponsored in the Senate by Senator Angus King and is led in the House by Reps. Nick Langworthy and Becca Balint (VT-At-Large). 
    “Sharing our state’s world-class maple with families across the country is a lifelong tradition for Vermonters. Preserving this part of our culture is crucial to ensuring Vermont’s sugarmakers can continue setting the gold standard in maple production for generations to come,” said Senator Welch. “The MAPLE Act and the SAP Act are strong, bipartisan bills that will support Vermont’s first-in-the-nation maple industry, and benefit maple lovers and our local economy.” 
    “Maine is the third largest producer of pure maple syrup in the country, producing more than 575,000 gallons in a normal season, and bringing in more than $55 million to our state each year while supporting hundreds of local jobs,” said Senator Collins. “These bills support both local producers and consumers and make this market more accessible for all Mainers.” 
    “New York’s farmers and growers are some of the most important drivers of our state and district’s economy, and provide critical food resources to Americans,” said Rep. Langworthy. “These pieces of legislation are specifically crafted with the help of stakeholders and leaders to help our hardworking farmers and producers, benefit seniors, and help our rural communities grow. I was disappointed we couldn’t get bipartisan cooperation to get the Farm Bill passed in the last Congress, but I look forward to working with House Agriculture Chairman GT Thompson and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure these initiatives stay in the base text of the bill and we get it across the finish line.”  
    “The Seniors Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) has long helped seniors afford fresh fruits, vegetables, honey, and herbs from their local farmers markets. My colleagues and I are working together once again to expand the program to allow local maple syrup to be purchased with SFMNP benefits,” said Rep. Courtney. “The MAPLE Act would help seniors afford high-quality local maple syrup while supporting Connecticut’s excellent maple syrup producers. I look forward to working with my colleagues and our maple syrup producers to see this bill advanced in the new Congress.”  
    “In Vermont, our tight-knit communities flourish in part because of the strength of our culture and family farms, which in many towns is driven by maple syrup production. Input from maple producers themselves will allow for further education and research methods to strengthen this critical industry. I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation with Rep. Langworthy and Sen. Welch to support our region’s maple industry,” said Rep. Balint. 
    The MAPLE Act and SAP Act are endorsed by the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association, New York Farm Bureau, and the New York State Maple Producers Association. 
    Learn more about the MAPLE Act and read the full text of the bill. 
    Learn more about the SAP Act and read the full text of the bill.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Heinrich, Luján Introduce Resolution Condemning Pardons of Individuals Found Guilty of Assaulting Capitol Police Officers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    Resolution comes after Trump pardons 1,500 criminals convicted of violently assaulting police officers
    WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced a new resolution condemning the pardons of individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers.
    The resolution follows the reckless action by President Trump, on the first day of his second term, to grant full, complete, and unconditional pardons to over 1,500 people charged, and in many cases already convicted and incarcerated, with committing crimes in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and to commute the sentences of 14 others, including leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right militias. Among those pardoned by Trump were 169 people who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers on January 6th. During the siege of the Capitol that day, over 80 U.S. Capitol Police Officers were assaulted, as well as over 60 officers from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
    The senators’ resolution, condemning the pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers, simply states: “Resolved, That the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.” This week, Senate Democrats will seek unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass the resolution.
    “These criminals used flagpoles, fire extinguishers and bear spray to assault the police securing the Capitol on January 6. No one who assaults a police officer should be given a ‘get out of jail free card’ from the President,” said Heinrich.
    “What took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th is a stain on American history. The events of that have left a scar on many, including the law enforcement officers that defended the Capitol. President Trump’s pardons of violent criminals is a betrayal of the rule of law and our brave law enforcement officers,” said Luján. “I urge my Republican colleagues to join us in condemning this vicious attack on law enforcement and in showing the nation that political violence is unacceptable.”
    According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, approximately 1,572 defendants have been federally charged with crimes associated with the attack of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. This includes approximately 598 charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 171 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. As proven in court, the weapons used and carried on the Capitol grounds during the January 6th attack include firearms; OC spray; tasers; edged weapons, including a sword, axes, hatchets, and knives; and makeshift weapons, such as destroyed office furniture, fencing, bike racks, stolen riot shields, baseball bats, hockey sticks, flagpoles, PVC piping, and reinforced knuckle gloves.
    Among others, the individuals who assaulted law enforcement officers and were granted full, unconditional pardons by President Trump this week include:
    Rockne Gerald Earles, of Chama, N.M., who pled guilty last year to two felony assault charges on Capitol Police officers. In one attack, captured on video, Earles wrestled a police officer to the steps outside the Capitol Building. That officer was later hospitalized with a concussion and missed 45 days of work due to his injuries. Earlier this month, federal prosecutors recommended a sentence of 52 months in prison for Earles.
    Taylor James Johnatakis, of Kingston, Washington, was convicted of three felonies in November 2023, including assaulting officers. Prosecutors said that he “coordinated a violent assault on a line of police officers defending” the Capitol and that video shows he “used a metal barricade to attack officers head on and grabbed one officer to prevent him from defending himself against other attacking rioters.”
    Julian Khater, who assaulted a U.S. police office—Brian Sicknick—and later pled guilty to assaulting a police officer with a dangerous weapon.
    Robert Palmer, who attacked police with a fire extinguisher, a wooden plank, and a pole.
    Tyler Bradley Dykes of Bluffton, South Carolina, who was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for stealing a police riot shield and twice using it against officers. He pleaded guilty to two felony counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers.
    Devlyn Thompson, who hit a police officer with a metal baton.
    Andrew Taake, of Houston, Texas, who was sentenced to a little more than six years for assaulting law enforcement officers with bear spray and a metal whip.
    Christopher Quaglin, who federal prosecutors said “viciously assaulted numerous officers” and was one of the most violent rioters, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.
    David Dempsey, who, according to prosecutors, “was one of the most violent rioters,” and received 20 years in prison. Prosecutors also said Dempsey had a “very significant history of arrests and convictions” prior to the January 6th attack.
    Daniel Rodriguez, of Fontana, California, who plunged a stun gun into the neck of Washington Police Officer Michael Fanone multiple times.
    Ryan Nichols, of Longview, Texas, who assaulted officers with pepper spray, and later on Jan. 6, at his hotel room, he called for additional violence.
    Howard Richardson, of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, who struck a police officer three times with a flagpole, hard enough to break the flagpole.
    Robert Sanford, from Chester, Pennsylvania, who hit two police officers in the head with a fire extinguisher and threw a traffic cone at another officer.
    Jonathan Munafo, of Albany, New York, who punched a police officer, stole the officer’s riot shield, and struck a Capitol office window with two poles.
    The resolution is led by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    The text of the resolution is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Writes Fox News Digital Op-ed Challenging Elon Musk to Cut $2 Trillion in Waste By Taking On Billionaires and Giant Corporations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    January 28, 2025
    “Here’s something President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and I agree on: the federal government throws away trillions of dollars on wasteful spending.”
    “Instead of cutting help for people who rely on Medicare, Social Security and the VA, let’s focus on the billionaires and billionaire corporations who are feasting off the American taxpayer.”
    Warren Op-Ed in Fox News Digital
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, published an op-ed outlining her recommendations for cutting government waste to make government more efficient and save taxpayers money. In a public letter last week, Warren proposed 30 recommendations for President Trump and Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency, to cut at least $2 trillion in government waste over the next decade. 
    Musk has already walked back his goal of $2 trillion of cuts. Unlike the Republican plans, none of these recommendations would cut access to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, veterans’ benefits, and other programs that tens of millions of Americans count on–and instead focus on waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending. 
    Read the full op-ed here and below: 
    Senator Elizabeth Warren: Trump, Musk and I agree on something important. And I’ve got 30 ways to get it doneJanuary 28, 2025
    Here’s something President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and I agree on: the federal government throws away trillions of dollars on wasteful spending. I have spent years trying to squeeze government waste out of our budget, and I’m ready to work with Musk to make government more efficient and save taxpayers money. But here’s the thing: we need to focus in the right place. Instead of cutting help for people who rely on Medicare, Social Security and the VA, let’s focus on the billionaires and billionaire corporations who are feasting off the American taxpayer.
    After promising his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) would cut $2 trillion in government waste, Musk’s ambition is rapidly shrinking. Within weeks, he cut his goal in half to $1 trillion– all before he’s actually cut a single dollar. I don’t want Musk to fold so quickly. I crunched the numbers and found $2 trillion that we could cut over the next 10 years by focusing on the guys who are getting rich off our government. Last week, I sent Musk my blueprint to do just that. 
    Congressional Republicans’ initial plans call for cuts to government programs that millions of Americans rely on to pay their bills each month – things like Social Security, money to cover nursing home costs, and help buying private health insurance. Scrapping essential services is not efficiency; it is cold-hearted cruelty. Tossing old folks out of nursing homes or telling people that their insurance has been cancelled won’t save money; it just makes lives tougher for the families that struggle to pick up the slack. If Musk and the Republicans take that route, it will be a disaster for working people and I will fight back.
    But we don’t have to cut the programs Americans rely on. We can eliminate at least $2 trillion of government waste over the next decade without cutting programs that help our grandparents, our veterans, and our children. In fact, I have 30 specific proposals to do just that. I’ll share a few of them now, but you can read all about them in my letter to Musk here.
    Here are a few examples of government waste we could start with. First, we could negotiate better contracts for the Department of Defense. In 2023, the DoD spent $440.7 billion on contracts – and giant contractors overcharge us on nearly everything. The Air Force pays over 7,500% more on soap dispensers than regular Americans do. The Army pays $71 for pins that should cost less than a nickel. Spending is so out of control at DoD that it is the only agency in government that cannot pass a simple audit. American taxpayers are sick of getting scammed by overpaid military contractors. My recommendations on Defense spending alone would save nearly $200 billion in the next 12 years. 
    Taxpayers are also getting swindled by for-profit health insurance companies. Right now, about half of all seniors have been lured into a privatized Medicare program called Medicare Advantage. This program was started to lower costs for seniors, but over time the insurers figured out how to boost their profits by manipulating claims and denying coverage. It’s so bad now that the non-partisan Medicare Payment Advisory Commission estimates that privatized Medicare insurers overcharged taxpayers by nearly $83 billion in 2024 alone, while other independent researchers put the dollar figure at $140 billion. Rooting out their dirty tactics could save more than a trillion dollars over ten years without cutting Medicare benefits by one penny.
    Cracking down on health care profiteering isn’t a partisan issue. I’ve partnered with Republican Josh Hawley of Missouri to claw back billions more from corporations that are cheating the government on health care costs. He’s not the only Republican who agrees that we need to stop corporations from overcharging taxpayers for lifesaving medications: President Trump has voiced support for another one of my proposals to cut wasteful spending, Medicare price negotiations. By expanding this program to bring the prices down for the most expensive drugs covered by Medicare, the government could save taxpayers another $200 billion over the next decade.
    We can bring down the deficit by cutting spending, but we can also improve our financial position by making millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share. Hedge funds and private equity companies use loopholes to avoid paying anywhere between $1.4 billion and $18 billion each year – that’s an easy fix. By closing just one big estate tax exemption loophole abused by the ultra-rich, the US government could save another $60 billion per year. We should close those loopholes – and fully fund the IRS to catch wealthy tax cheats who think they’re above the law.  
    My list of cuts and loophole closers will save $2 trillion. So where are Elon Musk, Donald Trump and the DOGE project? Why give up so quickly on beating back the defense contractors, health insurance giants, and other huge companies that are ripping off the American people? If Musk and Trump have the courage to cut this waste, I’ve got a plan and 30 specific recommendations to get it done.
    Democrat Elizabeth Warren represents Massachusetts in the United States Senate.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Reinstates Service Members Discharged for Refusing the COVID Vaccine

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    RESINSTATING THE UNJUSTLY DISCHARGED: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to reinstate service members who were dismissed for refusing the COVID vaccine, with full back pay and benefits.
    The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Defense to reinstate all members of the military (active and reserve) who were discharged for refusing the COVID vaccine and who request to be reinstated.
    Those who are reinstated will receive their former rank and full back pay with benefits.

    CORRECTING AN INJUSTICE: In spite of the scientific evidence, the Biden Administration discharged healthy service members—many of whom had natural immunity and dedicated their entire lives to serving our country—for refusing the COVID vaccine. Government redress of these wrongful dismissals is overdue.
    From 2021 to 2023, the Biden Administration and former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discharged over 8,000 troops solely due to their COVID-19 vaccination status.
    Such dismissals likely had a chilling effect on recruitment, with the Department of Defense missing its collective recruiting targets by around 41,000 recruits in FY2023.
    After the vaccine mandate was repealed in 2023, only 43 of the more than the 8,000 troops dismissed elected to return to service under the Biden Administration and Secretary Austin.

    CHARTING A NEW COURSE FORWARD: In 2024, President Trump declared that “there should have never been a [COVID vaccine] mandate. That should have never happened.” 
    President Trump went on to lament that, due to the mandate, “we’ve lost some of our best people in the military too.”
    President Trump duly promised in 2024 that he “will rehire every patriot who was fired from the military with…backpay. They will get their backpay…”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Directs the Building of the Iron Dome Missile Defense Shield for America

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    DEFEND THE UNITED STATES AGAINST MISSILE ATTACK: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to Build the Iron Dome for America.
    The Executive Order directs implementation of a next-generation missile defense shield for the United States against ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles, and other next-generation aerial attacks.
    With the goal of providing for the common defense of American citizens, this Order accelerates the development and deployment of Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor Layers, proliferated space-based interceptors, a Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, capabilities to defeat salvoes prior to launch, non-kinetic missile defense capabilities, and underlayer and terminal-phase intercept capabilities.
    It also secures the supply chains for all components of the Iron Dome.

    The Executive Order directs a review of theater missile defense posture to defend United States troops deployed abroad and an increase in cooperation on missile defense technology development, capabilities, and operations with partners and allies. 
    ADDRESSING VULNERABILITIES BY MODERNIZING AN OUTDATED SYSTEM:
    The threat of attack by ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles remains a catastrophic threat facing the United States.
    Over the past 40 years, rather than lessening, the threat from next-generation strategic weapons—including hypersonic—has become more complex with the development of next-generation delivery systems by our adversaries.
    Notwithstanding this increasing threat, United States homeland missile defense policy has been limited to staying ahead of rogue nation threats and accidental or unauthorized missile launches.
    THE IRON DOME WILL FURTHER THE GOALS OF PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH: By empowering the United States with a second-strike capability, the Iron Dome will deter adversaries from attacks on the homeland.
    President Trump is fulfilling his promises: “I will direct our military to begin construction of the great Iron Dome missile defense shield, which will be made all in the USA.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restores Merit and Lethality to America’s Armed Forces

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    ELIMINATING RACE- AND SEX-BASED DISCRIMINATION WITHIN THE ARMED FORCES: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to restore merit and lethality to America’s fighting force. 
    The Executive Order bans the use of discriminatory race- or sex-based preferences by any element of the Armed Forces, the Department of Defense, or the Department of Homeland Security.  
    This Order also abolishes any remnant of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) bureaucracy within the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.

    The Secretary of Defense will task the Department of Defense with conducting an internal review of all instances of race- or sex-based discrimination based on Department of Defense DEI initiatives.
    This Order also requires the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security to review the curriculum at the United States Service Academies and other academic institutions to ensure these institutions eliminate radical DEI and gender ideologies.

    ENDING AN ERA OF ASSAULT ON MILITARY DISCIPLINE AND CULTURE: Foreign adversaries are strengthening their fighting forces every day while the United States has deliberately been focused on radical ideology like DEI. The world is watching. 
    Prior to harmful changes introduced by the Obama and Biden administrations, the United States military offered equality of opportunity to every American capable of and interested in serving their country. Yet these two administrations exploited the military in favor of identity politics—harming our national defense, undermining the non-political nature of our military, and eroding morale and recruitment.
    Due to this “woke” assault, the Services together logged their lowest recruiting records since 1940 with a 41,000-troop shortfall in 2023.

    Today’s Order moves our military away from this dark period and renews esprit de corps, readiness, and focus. It returns the Pentagon to the warfighter.
    This Order also combats ideologies that seek to divide our Armed Forces by race, sex or other immutable characteristics and thus tear at cohesion and military efficacy.
    RESTORING A WARFIGHTING MINDSET: The Armed Forces of the United States exist to preserve our freedom and the American way of life. 
    President Trump is committed to a merit-based system of sex-neutral policies and colorblind recruitment, promotion, and retention that will return our military to greatness.
    President Trump vowed to get rid of the “woke” generals who prioritize social experiments over warfighting. He stated in his 2024 reelection campaign that “…[y]ou can’t have a woke military…You need people that want to win. They want to win wars. That’s what their purpose is, to win wars, not to be woke… but we do have great military.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Ensures Military Excellence and Readiness

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    PRIORITIZING SERVICEMEMBER INTEGRITY, LETHALITY, AND HEALTH: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Department of Defense to update its guidance regarding trans-identifying medical standards for military service and to rescind guidance inconsistent with military readiness.
    The Executive Order will require the Secretary of Defense to do the following:
    Update all Department of Defense medical standards to ensure they prioritize readiness and lethality.
    Take action to end the use of invented and identification-based pronouns in the Department of Defense.

    The Executive Order also prohibits males from using or sharing sleeping, changing, or bathing in facilities designated for females.
    The provisions in the Executive Order also apply to the Coast Guard.
    The Executive Order revokes Biden Administration Executive Order 14004 and all policies, directives, and guidance pursuant to that order.
    Executive Order 14004 called for accommodating “gender identity” in the military—to the detriment of military readiness and unit cohesion.

    RESTORING SANITY IN OUR MILITARY: During the Biden Administration, the Department of Defense allowed gender insanity to pervade our military organizations, family, and culture. This included not only permitting the military to increase the number of individuals not physically or mentally prepared to serve, but also ordering the Department of Defense to pay for servicemembers’ transition surgeries, as well as those of their dependent children—at a cost of millions of dollars to the American taxpayer.
    The United States imposes rigorous standards on all military servicemembers to ensure they are prepared to take on the challenges required of them.
    Fitness, health, welfare, and readiness standards must ensure that our military members are able to deploy, fight, and win.
    On the battlefield there can be no accommodation for anything less than resilience, strength, and the ability to withstand extraordinary physical demands.
    Individuals who are unable to meet these requirements are unable to serve in the military. This has been the case for decades.

    Unit cohesion requires high levels of integrity and stability among servicemembers.
    It can take a minimum of 12 months for an individual to complete treatments after transition surgery, which often involves the use of heavy narcotics.
    During this period, they are not physically capable of meeting military readiness requirements and require ongoing medical care. This is not conducive for deployment or other readiness requirements.

    A LETHAL FIGHTING FORCE: President Trump’s priority to have a ready, able, and lethal military will remain a core tenant of his second term.
    During his first term in 2018, President Trump’s Department of Defense took action to ensure trans-identifying servicemembers did not serve in capacities that undermined unit cohesion and lethality.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Vice Chair Murray, Ranking Member DeLauro Raise Alarm on New OMB Memoranda, Trump Administration’s Efforts to Defy Federal Law, Constitution to Withhold Approved Federal Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    WASHINGTON — Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray and House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro today wrote to Acting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Matthew J. Vaeth raising the alarm on President Trump’s unlawful executive orders and the new memoranda issued by OMB on Monday directing agencies to withhold vast swaths of approved federal funding.
    In the letter, Murray and DeLauro wrote, “As leaders of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, we write with extreme alarm about the Administration’s efforts to undermine Congress’s power of the purse, threaten our national security, and deny resources for states, localities, American families, and businesses.” 
    “The President has issued a number of Executive Orders to unilaterally freeze or contravene critical funding provided in bipartisan laws, sowing chaos across states, families, and communities. In that vein, you have now issued a series of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memoranda that only further disarray and inefficiency—in particular, M-25-13, pursuant to which agencies will be ordered to stop vast swaths of federal financial assistance to states, families, and communities as of 5:00 PM ET on Tuesday, January 28,” continued Murray and DeLauro. “The scope of what you are ordering is breathtaking, unprecedented, and will have devastating consequences across the country.  We write today to urge you in the strongest possible terms to uphold the law and the Constitution and ensure all federal resources are delivered in accordance with the law.”
    “While we may have strong policy disagreements, we should all be united in upholding our nation’s laws and the Constitution.  We will be relentless in our work with members on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers to protect Congress’s power of the purse. The law is the law—and we demand you in your role as Acting OMB Director reverse course to ensure requirements enacted into law are faithfully met and the nation’s spending laws are implemented as intended,” concluded the Democratic leaders of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees.   
    The full text of the letter is here. Fact sheets detailing how presidents lack power to unilaterally override spending laws and deny enacted funding to communities through impoundment can be found here and here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: January 27th, 2025 Heinrich, Luján Introduce Resolution Condemning Pardons of Individuals Found Guilty of Assaulting Capitol Police Officers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    Resolution comes after Trump pardons 1,500 criminals convicted of violently assaulting police officers
    WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced a new resolution condemning the pardons of individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers.
    The resolution follows the reckless action by President Trump, on the first day of his second term, to grant full, complete, and unconditional pardons to over 1,500 people charged, and in many cases already convicted and incarcerated, with committing crimes in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and to commute the sentences of 14 others, including leaders of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right militias. Among those pardoned by Trump were 169 people who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers on January 6th. During the siege of the Capitol that day, over 80 U.S. Capitol Police Officers were assaulted, as well as over 60 officers from the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
    The senators’ resolution, condemning the pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police Officers, simply states: “Resolved, That the Senate disapproves of any pardons for individuals who were found guilty of assaulting Capitol Police officers.” This week, Senate Democrats will seek unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass the resolution.
    “These criminals used flagpoles, fire extinguishers and bear spray to assault the police securing the Capitol on January 6. No one who assaults a police officer should be given a ‘get out of jail free card’ from the President,” said Heinrich.
    “What took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th is a stain on American history. The events of that have left a scar on many, including the law enforcement officers that defended the Capitol. President Trump’s pardons of violent criminals is a betrayal of the rule of law and our brave law enforcement officers,” said Luján. “I urge my Republican colleagues to join us in condemning this vicious attack on law enforcement and in showing the nation that political violence is unacceptable.”
    According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, approximately 1,572 defendants have been federally charged with crimes associated with the attack of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. This includes approximately 598 charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement agents or officers or obstructing those officers during a civil disorder, including approximately 171 defendants charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. As proven in court, the weapons used and carried on the Capitol grounds during the January 6th attack include firearms; OC spray; tasers; edged weapons, including a sword, axes, hatchets, and knives; and makeshift weapons, such as destroyed office furniture, fencing, bike racks, stolen riot shields, baseball bats, hockey sticks, flagpoles, PVC piping, and reinforced knuckle gloves.
    Among others, the individuals who assaulted law enforcement officers and were granted full, unconditional pardons by President Trump this week include:
    Rockne Gerald Earles, of Chama, N.M., who pled guilty last year to two felony assault charges on Capitol Police officers. In one attack, captured on video, Earles wrestled a police officer to the steps outside the Capitol Building. That officer was later hospitalized with a concussion and missed 45 days of work due to his injuries. Earlier this month, federal prosecutors recommended a sentence of 52 months in prison for Earles.
    Taylor James Johnatakis, of Kingston, Washington, was convicted of three felonies in November 2023, including assaulting officers. Prosecutors said that he “coordinated a violent assault on a line of police officers defending” the Capitol and that video shows he “used a metal barricade to attack officers head on and grabbed one officer to prevent him from defending himself against other attacking rioters.”
    Julian Khater, who assaulted a U.S. police office—Brian Sicknick—and later pled guilty to assaulting a police officer with a dangerous weapon.
    Robert Palmer, who attacked police with a fire extinguisher, a wooden plank, and a pole.
    Tyler Bradley Dykes of Bluffton, South Carolina, who was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for stealing a police riot shield and twice using it against officers. He pleaded guilty to two felony counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers.
    Devlyn Thompson, who hit a police officer with a metal baton.
    Andrew Taake, of Houston, Texas, who was sentenced to a little more than six years for assaulting law enforcement officers with bear spray and a metal whip.
    Christopher Quaglin, who federal prosecutors said “viciously assaulted numerous officers” and was one of the most violent rioters, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.
    David Dempsey, who, according to prosecutors, “was one of the most violent rioters,” and received 20 years in prison. Prosecutors also said Dempsey had a “very significant history of arrests and convictions” prior to the January 6th attack.
    Daniel Rodriguez, of Fontana, California, who plunged a stun gun into the neck of Washington Police Officer Michael Fanone multiple times.
    Ryan Nichols, of Longview, Texas, who assaulted officers with pepper spray, and later on Jan. 6, at his hotel room, he called for additional violence.
    Howard Richardson, of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, who struck a police officer three times with a flagpole, hard enough to break the flagpole.
    Robert Sanford, from Chester, Pennsylvania, who hit two police officers in the head with a fire extinguisher and threw a traffic cone at another officer.
    Jonathan Munafo, of Albany, New York, who punched a police officer, stole the officer’s riot shield, and struck a Capitol office window with two poles.
    The resolution is led by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    The text of the resolution is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Votes to Confirm Bessent for Treasury 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.) issued the following statement after voting to confirm Scott Bessent to serve as the next Secretary of the Treasury.
    “The American people, frustrated with the high cost of living and barriers to growth, elected President Trump to restore strength and confidence in the U.S. economy,” Senator Capito said. “Mr. Bessent is a well-qualified choice to lead the Treasury Department and I was proud to vote to confirm him. I am confident that Mr. Bessent will lead in this crucial position in a way that will support pro-growth economic policies, protect our national security, and improve global competitiveness.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: On Senate Floor, Warren Opposes Treasury Nominee for Backing Trump Billionaire Agenda

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    January 27, 2025

    “[B]illionaires dominate the American economy, and Republicans plan to give them more tax breaks…And Mr. Bessent is another billionaire ready to do the hard work of cutting taxes for every billionaire in America, himself included.” 

    “Mr. Bessent has been an advocate for deregulating Wall Street and letting the Big Banks load up on risk…[an] approach [that] brought our economy to its knees in 2008…Trump wants to run that same economic play and Mr. Bessent is the guy he’s picked to do it.”

    Video of Remarks (YouTube) 

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, delivered remarks on the floor of the U.S. Senate opposing the nomination of Mr. Scott Bessent for Secretary of the Treasury. Mr. Bessent’s views – including support for policies that compromise the stability of our financial system and support for tax policies that help billionaires instead of working families – have raised deep concerns for Senator Warren. 

    Remarks from Senator Elizabeth Warren
    As Delivered
    January 27, 2025

    Madam President, I rise today in opposition of Scott Bessent to be the next Treasury Secretary and in support of tens of millions of working families who need a government on their side.

    The Treasury Secretary is one of the President’s top economic advisors. He has the power to lower costs for hard-working people—or to give billionaires another break. 

    Now, Mr. Bessent has a long history as an investment manager helping rich clients get even richer. In fact, helping rich people get richer has been a profitable business for him. Mr. Bessent is now a billionaire himself. He owns not one, but two, multi-million dollar mansions, including one in the Bahamas, and has hundreds of millions in investments. Now, he’s spent a lot of money, but he’s saved money in one area:  he hasn’t paid the taxes he owes. According to an analysis from the Congressional tax experts, Mr. Bessent has refused to pay $2 million in taxes that he owed on his hedge fund earnings just in the past 3 years. And Mr. Bessent has no demonstrated track record of fighting to make life better or more affordable for working people.

    So let’s start with some of Trump’s economic plans that Mr. Bessent would be in charge of advancing. 

    Right now, Republicans in the White House and in Congress are working through their plans to extend tax breaks for billionaires and giant corporations – paid for in part with major cuts to health care.  

    In plain English, Republicans are hoping you won’t notice major budget cuts for nursing homes that take care of your grandpa or the cuts in school lunches for poor kids. Move grandpa out of the nursing home and let the little kids go hungry in order to make sure a tiny handful of billionaires get a few more truckloads of cash from Uncle Sam. 

    There’s a truth no one can escape: Someone has to pay to run this country. Folks like Scott Bessent think the burden should be just a little heavier on working people because billionaires like him are smarter than everyone else. One place or the other, someone has to pay. 

    So during his hearing, I asked Mr. Bessent about those cuts for billionaires. I asked if there were any billionaires already rich enough that they just didn’t need another tax cut. 

    He said, well, that it was unwise to single out anyone, not even billionaires. 

    You wouldn’t want to single out a billionaire like Jeff Bezos who pays a lower tax rate than a Boston public school teacher?

    You wouldn’t want to single out a billionaire like Mark Zuckerberg whose company Meta paid a tax rate of just 11.5-percent in 2023 despite making nearly $40 billion in profits?

    You wouldn’t want to single out a billionaire like Elon Musk who’s more focused on flying to Mars than making life better for working families here on Earth?

    Those billionaires had better seats at Donald Trump’s inauguration than Trump’s own cabinet nominees.

    Those billionaires dominate the American economy, and Republicans plan to give them more tax breaks. This is the payout for Trump’s quote ‘rich as hell donors.’ And Mr. Bessent is another billionaire ready to do the hard work of cutting taxes for every billionaire in America, himself included.

    The top economic issue today is how do we lower costs for families and build an economy that works, not just for the wealthy and well-connected, but an economy that works for everyone. 

    I’m hammering out plans to make it a little easier for families to be able to pay their bills, to buy a home, and to build some financial security. 

    Trump’s tax breaks for billionaires is the same old Republican playbook of trickle down economics. Help the rich get richer and leave everyone else behind. 

    But that’s not the Trump administration’s only bad economic idea.

    Mr. Bessent has been an advocate for deregulating Wall Street and letting the Big Banks load up on risk. 

    Deregulate Wall Street. Yeah, a lot of people remember how that approach brought our economy to its knees in 2008. People who remember include millions of people who lost their homes. The millions who lost their jobs. The millions who lost their savings. And now, once again, Trump wants to run that same economic play and Mr. Bessent is the guy he’s picked to do it.  

    We don’t need less oversight of the giant banks and Wall Street movers and shakers. Risk is building in the system. 

    The too-big-to-fail banks are quietly taking on riskier investments. 

    The shadowy private credit market has loaded up on highly leveraged loans. 

    And after waves of catastrophic losses, the insurance industry is facing a reckoning that even climate-change deniers can’t ignore. 

    Without significant changes, another financial crash is coming.

    As we learned, those big crashes fall hardest on hard working people who are just trying to make a living.  A billionaire willing to roll along on deregulation poses a threat to the economic well-being of every American. And a billionaire who supports more tax cuts for every single billionaire in America is not someone who is watching out for hard working families.

    For me, this is simple.  

    I’m ready to work together with President Trump’s team wherever we agree to help families, but I’m also ready to fight like hell when Republicans pursue economic policies that load up the risk in our financial system or tax policies that mostly benefit billionaires. 

    I will vote NO on Mr. Bessent to be the next Secretary of the Treasury, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. 

    Thank you, Madam President, and I suggest the absence of a quorum. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 01/27/2025 Blackburn, Schatz Introduce Bill to Award Tennessean Roddie Edmonds with Congressional Gold Medal on Holocaust Remembrance Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced the Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds Congressional Gold Medal Act, which would posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Master Sergeant Roderick “Roddie” Edmonds in recognition of his heroic actions during World War II:
    “Roddie Edmonds’ bravery saved the lives of hundreds of Jewish-American soldiers during World War II, and his valor deserves official commendation,” said Senator Blackburn. “Today on Holocaust Remembrance Day, we recognize the tremendous courage of my fellow Tennessean who risked his life to protect his fellow countrymen from Nazi atrocities.” 
    “Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds showed incredible courage to stand up for what’s right,” said Senator Schatz. “At a time of rising anti-Semitism, this bill honoring his bravery reminds us the power of standing together in solidarity against hate – even in the toughest moments.”

    Click here to download this photo of Senator Blackburn and World War II veterans during her trip to Normandy, France, for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

    BACKGROUND:

    In 1944, Roddie Edmonds was captured by Nazi forces during the Battle of the Bulge. Taken to Stalag IX-A, a notorious POW camp in Ziegenhain, Germany, Edmonds, as the senior noncommissioned officer, was responsible for 1,292 men.
    A month after his capture, he was ordered to separate the Jewish-American soldiers from the rest of the prisoners, a move that would likely result in their deaths. Defying the Nazi order, Edmonds commanded all of his men to stand together, declaring, “We are all Jews here,” when a German officer demanded to know who the Jewish soldiers were. With a gun pointed at his head, Edmonds refused to reveal their identities, stating that according to the Geneva Convention, only names, ranks, and serial numbers were required.
    His bravery saved the lives of around 200 Jewish-American soldiers. Edmonds’ actions were later recognized posthumously by Yad Vashem, which honored him as “Righteous Among the Nations,” the first member of the U.S. Armed Forces and one of only five Americans to receive this distinction. As we approach the 80th anniversary of World War II’s conclusion and the 40th anniversary of his passing, it’s important to remember and honor the extraordinary courage of this “ordinary” soldier who risked his life to protect his fellow Americans.
    Click here for bill text.

    ENDORSEMENTS:

    This legislation is endorsed by Roddie Edmonds’ son, Pastor Chris Edmonds, Project Legacy, and Richard Hurowitz, Co-Chair of the Roddie Edmonds Congressional Gold Medal Committee.
    “With antisemitism and hatred on the rise, there’s no better time to honor my father than this year, the 80thanniversaries of his heroic actions, the liberation of Auschwitz, and the end of World War II. Like the story of Queen Esther in the Bible, dad’s moral courage is timeless and transformative—a story for such a time as this that inspires us all.” – Pastor Chris Edmonds, CEO of Roddie’s Code and Roddie Edmonds’ Son
    “With alarming studies indicating that many young people lack awareness of the Holocaust and the disturbing rise of Holocaust denial, the decision to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Rodney Edmonds becomes even more significant as we commemorate the 80th anniversary of this pivotal moment in history.” – Ezra Friedlander, Founder of Project Legacy
    “Roddie Edmonds was a true American hero and a great humanitarian.  In a time of rising anti-Semitism and bigotry, it is more important than ever to honor those who risked their lives to save others at the nadir of humanity, the Holocaust.  Roddie Edmonds is unique for having rescued not only Jews, but his fellow Jewish-American soldiers, and his incredible story is an object lesson for all who wish for a peaceful and kinder world” – Richard Hurowitz, Author of In the Garden of the Righteous: The Heroes Who Risked Their Lives to Save Jews During the Holocaust and Co-Chair of the Roddie Edmonds Congressional Gold Medal Committee

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Scott Statement on Confirmation of Scott Bessent

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
    WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the statement below following the confirmation of Scott Bessent to serve as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury:
    “Scott Bessent’s confirmation is great news for the pockets of American taxpayers. He understands the cataclysmic repercussions the middle class will face if provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expire. With his great success as an entrepreneur, he will help ensure all Americans have the necessary tools to reach financial freedom. I am excited to work with the President and Secretary Bessent to unleash economic opportunity for all Americans!”

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Historic Week as the Golden Age Begins

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

    Inauguration Day was a good day for America. Watching Donald Trump take the oath of office becoming the 47th President of the United States was an honor. It is time to not only make America great again, but make it even better after four years of disastrous Democratic policies.  
    President Trump is coming into office with more experience and a wariness of the deep state. Our job in the Senate is to make sure we confirm his cabinet so we can get to work and President Trump can fulfill his promises to the American people. We also need to expose the weaponization of government that happened during the last administration. 
    WATCH: Sen. Johnson on BBC News Special Inauguration Coverage 
    WATCH: Sen. Johnson on Newsmax 

    Attending the swearing-in ceremony of President Trump at the Capitol Rotunda: Sen. Mike Lee, Sen. Ron Johnson, Sen. Rand Paul, and Sen.Ted Cruz. 
    New Position as Chairman of PSI

    I am honored to serve as chairman of the powerful Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. This subcommittee’s investigatory record spans decades and its reputation for conducting thorough oversight and exposing wrongdoing is unparalleled. It is my privilege to build on that legacy.
    I look forward to working with Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal and other members of the subcommittee to uncover the truth on issues that are important to the American people. My hope is that the subcommittee’s work will be largely non-partisan. There should be nothing partisan about revealing the truth.
    Absurd Spending Needs to Change

    Current spending is completely unsustainable, unjustified, and absurd. We have to return to pre-pandemic spending levels. It’s time for a paradigm shift in the way we use our budgets.
    The people that voted for President Trump do not expect the federal government is going to continue spending at President Biden and the Democrats’ spending levels.
    On January 16, I spoke on the Senate floor to discuss the importance of returning to a reasonable pre-pandemic spending level and the massive deficit spending that is devaluing the U.S. dollar.
    WATCH: Senate floor speech on government spending
    READ: Badger Institute —  Emergency ended; so should federal spending spree
    WATCH: Politico First 100 Days Speaker Series on Tax Reform
    Cabinet Confirmation Hearings

    Since the start of the 119th Congress, we have been holding confirmation hearings for President Trump’s cabinet nominees. 
    Here are some highlights from the hearings I have participated in:
    Kristi Noem: For too long the Department of Homeland Security has been completely misused. Their mission creep under the Biden administration has caused the agency to leave America vulnerable. I look forward to working with Kristi Noem as DHS Secretary to secure the homeland again.
    Scott Bessent: The pick for Treasury Secretary and I agree that the U.S. does not have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. I look forward to voting for Scott Bessent’s confirmation and working with him to reset spending levels to a reasonable pre-pandemic level.
    Sean Duffy: I was proud to introduce Wisconsin’s own Sean Duffyin his confirmation hearing. Sean will be a strong and dedicated leader of the Department of Transportation, prioritizing safety and investing in infrastructure projects that connect our communities. We are fortunate that he is willing to serve the public again, and I recommend him as Secretary without reservation.
    News from the 119th Congress

    The Laken Riley Act passed Congress and will be the first bill signed into law by President Trump. I voted to pass the bill which will give local law enforcement and ICE more tools to combat illegal immigrants who commit crime in the United States.  
    I joined a letter to President Trump encouraging him to reinstate and broaden the life-affirming pro-life policies in the early days of his new administration and end the weaponization of the U.S. government against pro-life Americans and unborn children.
    As part of the MAHA Caucus, we were pleased to see the FDA ban Red No. 3 from foods, dietary supplements, and ingested medicines. We look forward to addressing the root causes of chronic diseases and creating a healthier, stronger nation with President Trump and HHS nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. 

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Barrasso Statement on the Confirmation of Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, released the following statement after voting to confirm Scott Bessent to be Secretary of the Department of Treasury.

    “Scott Bessent has a clear vision to reignite America’s economy. He is going to be a strong partner in helping us lower prices, increase wages and create more American jobs. Secretary Bessent believes in unleashing American energy, cutting wasteful spending, and staying tough on our adversaries. Secretary Bessent will protect families in Wyoming and across the country from crushing regulations and devasting tax hikes.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Senate Passes Rosen, Lankford, Booker, Cramer Resolution Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz

    US Senate News:

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

    The Bipartisan Resolution Also Commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), James Lankford (R-OK), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced that the Senate unanimously passed their bipartisan resolution commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in Nazi-occupied Poland and marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The resolution calls for the remembrance of the millions of innocent victims of the Nazi reign of terror, honors the legacy of the survivors of the Holocaust, and recommits to combatting all forms of antisemitism.
    “Today marks 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, when thousands of lives were saved, and the world was finally exposed to the horrors behind those walls,” said Senator Rosen. “The U.S. Senate passed this bipartisan resolution to recognize the six million Jews and millions of others who were brutally murdered by Nazis during one of the darkest chapters in human history. At a time when antisemitism and Holocaust denial are on the rise around the world, it has never been more important to remind the world of the atrocities committed by rampant anti-Jew hate and discrimination. By remembering the past, we can ensure Never Again truly means never again.”
    “Eighty years ago today, good triumphed over the evil of the Holocaust as Allied Forces liberated Auschwitz,” said Senator Cramer. “We will never forget the atrocities of the Holocaust. In the wake of an alarming uptick in anti-semitism, we remember the murder of millions of Jews on this solemn day.”
    The full text of the resolution can be read HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been a leader in the fight to combat antisemitism and Holocaust denial and distortion. Last year, her bipartisan legislation with Senator Cramer to reauthorize the Never Again Education Act became law. She helped launch the first-ever Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism with Senator Lankford and led the push to create the first-ever national strategy to counter antisemitism. In 2023, Senator Rosen helped introduce a bipartisan resolution denouncing antisemitism at institutions of higher education, which passed the Senate unanimously. The following year, Senator Rosen hosted a roundtable discussion with students from across the country to discuss campus antisemitism.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham Votes to Confirm Bessent as Treasury Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today released the following statement after the Senate confirmed South Carolina native Scott Bessent as the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Treasury.

    Bessent grew up in Little River. He is the founder and CEO of Key Square Group and has been in the financial services business for over 35 years. Graham praised President Trump for nominating Bessent for the post and introduced him at his nomination hearing before the Senate Finance Committee.

    “It’s a very big day for South Carolina and our nation,” said Senator Graham. “Scott Bessent received strong bipartisan support to be the next Treasury Secretary. He will hit the ground running in support of President Trump’s America First Agenda. Scott is a great combination of academic excellence and real-world experience. It’s a long way to go from Little River to Secretary of the Treasury, and he has more than earned this prestigious position. Congratulations to Scott and his family as he begins this new, important journey.”

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  • MIL-OSI USA: 01.27.2025 Sens. Cruz, Budd, Colleagues Introduce POLICE Act to Designate Assaulting a Law Enforcement Officer as a Deportable Offense

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) in introducing the Protect Our Law Enforcement with Immigration Control and Enforcement (POLICE) Act of 2025. The POLICE Act would strengthen federal law by explicitly designating the assault of a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responders as a deportable offense.
    Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz said, “When illegal aliens commit violent crimes against a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or first responder, they must be held fully accountable and be swiftly deported. I am proud to join Senator Budd and my colleagues in introducing commonsense legislation to ensure that this becomes law.
    The bill is co-sponsored by Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.).
    Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.-02) introduced the companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
    Read the POLICE Act here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Fischer Joins FOX Report to Discuss President’s Cabinet Nominees and Nuclear Deterrence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) joined FOX Report with Jon Scott. She discussed the confirmation of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and emphasized the importance of strengthening America’s nuclear deterrent. Senator Fischer also celebrated the recent confirmation of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense and former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security.

    During the interview, Senator Fischer highlighted the dangers posed by Democrats’ slow confirmation of Cabinet nominees, particularly those related to national security.

    Click the image above to watch a video of Sen. Fischer’s remarks

    Click here to download audio

    Click here to download video


    On Pete Hegseth’s Confirmation:  

    Jon Scott:     Nebraska Senator Deb Fisher, a member of the Armed Services Committee, the Appropriations and Commerce Committees as well. So, you’re going to be a very busy Senator in this upcoming term, Senator Fischer.

    First of all, let’s talk about the Hegseth nomination. He was even described by the Vice President as 90% dead early in the confirmation process, but he squeaked across the line with a tie-breaking vote by the Vice President. Give us your assessment. 

    Senator Fischer: Well, obviously the Secretary of Defense is an extremely important position in any administration. You know, this is one that should have been filled right away, and instead, the Democrats were doing a smear campaign trying to delay it as much as possible. 

    So, I was really, really happy that we were able to get Pete across the line last night. I was honored to attend his swearing-in earlier this morning at the Executive Office Building where he had his family, and a number of us from the Armed Services Committee were there for that. He’s going to do a great job. He showed that during his hearing. He had a good, solid hearing. I’ve had numerous conversations with him. I reviewed the materials that were out there. And this is the guy for the job who’s going to take care of our warriors. And he’s going to work to provide them with the resources they need so they can complete the missions they’re given.

    On Preparing America’s Warfighters: 

    Jon Scott: Well, it’s going to be his job to reform the Pentagon, but obviously you and the Senate, on the Armed Services Committee, are going to have a big voice in that. What do you see as the reforms that this Pentagon needs?

    Senator Fischer: Well, you know, we’ve had a number of discussions on that. The new Secretary has been very open about what he’s looking at. We have to look at recruitment and retention in our all-volunteer force. We have to make sure that we take care of the warfighters, that we have their backs. We need to train them so they have the proper readiness and training and can take on any situation. We need to make sure that we have a strong deterrent so that we don’t always have to send our military men and women into harm’s way. 

    Those are all things that the new Secretary has talked about. We’ve talked about working with him on that to be able to get those things done. You know, on Armed Services, I’m starting my 13th year on Armed Services Committee. Many of these issues come up over and over again. And I am hopeful that we have the commitment from the Secretary, we have the enthusiasm, we have the dedication to our warfighters from this man to get this done.

    On Returning to Peace Through Strength:

    Jon Scott:     Peace through strength, is a mantra that President Trump and Pete Hegseth have repeated over and over again. They want a military that is lethal and ready to move, but lethal enough that it’s going to deter our enemies. Do you see that happening? I mean, do you see us in that situation, early in the Trump term?

    Senator Fischer:     You know, I’m really excited that the President and the new Secretary have embraced that Reagan term. You know, peace through strength. The Secretary and I, we talked about the priority for our nuclear deterrent, our nuclear triad, that is the bedrock of our entire national security. 

    It’s for ourselves, but also for our allies. They depend upon our nuclear umbrella as well. So, we’re going through a modernization program of all three legs of that triad. And in my conversations with the Secretary, we have really, really focused on the need to stay up on schedule, on all three of those legs. And make sure we have not just the weapons needed, but that those platforms are all ready to go too. We cannot afford to fall behind on this. That is true deterrence, and it’s deterrence to be able to show the strength, to show the commitment. And I think we have this administration now that has stepped up, and they are going to do that.

    On the Dangers posed by Democrats’ Slow Confirmation of Cabinet Nominees: 

    Jon Scott: Former South Dakota Governor Christie Noem has been voted, confirmed to be Homeland Security Secretary. She may be taking the oath of office any minute now, and if she does, we’ll take our viewers there live, but give us your take on the pace of these confirmations.

    Senator Fischer:     Well, they’re slow, you know, this is really disappointing, but it’s also very dangerous that the Democrats are slow walking these nominations, especially these nominations that deal with our national security. 

    Secretary Noem when she is sworn in in a little bit, my neighbor to the north there is Governor Noem in South Dakota. She also is ready to start from day one. She’s going to be there, working with our border patrol, our other folks there on the southern border especially. And we’ve seen President Trump with his executive orders, step up right away, whether it’s with border chaos, whether it’s dealing with inflation prices out there, whether it’s dealing with our energy security, whether it’s dealing with our total national security package. So, we’re excited that she’s going to be sworn in here shortly.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Bipartisan Group of Colleagues Introduce Bill to Boost Transparency in Prescription Drug Advertisements

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WISCONSIN – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and a bipartisan group of colleagues introduced the Drug-price Transparency for Consumers Act, a bill that would require price disclosures on advertisements for prescription drugs to empower patients and reduce Americans’ colossal spending on medications.

    “Big drug companies spend billions of dollars on advertising, and it takes patients paying high prices to pay for it. These ads often push patients to the most expensive drugs, not the most effective ones, and patients deserve some transparency,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to shed light on Big Pharma’s tricks to gouge Wisconsinites and help lower costs.”

    The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that prescription drugs advertised directly to consumers accounted for 58 percent of Medicare’s spending on drugs between 2016 and 2018, while a 2023 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that two-thirds of advertised drugs offered “low therapeutic value.” By requiring direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements for prescription drugs to include a disclosure of the list price, patients can make informed choices when inundated with drug commercials and pharmaceutical companies may reconsider their pricing and advertising tactics. In recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has sued to keep the prices of their drugs out of their TV advertisements.

    Each year, the pharmaceutical industry spends $6 billion in DTC drug advertising to fill the airwaves with ads, resulting in the average American seeing nine DTC ads each day. Studies show that these activities steer patients to more expensive drugs, even when a patient may not need the medication or a lower-cost generic is available. Studies show that patients are more likely to ask their doctor, and ultimately receive a prescription, for a specific drug when they have seen ads for it.  For these reasons, most countries have banned DTC prescription drug advertising—the United States and New Zealand are the only industrialized nations to permit this practice.

    Additionally, a Kaiser survey found that 88 percent of Americans support this price disclosure policy for advertisements.

    Below are some key findings from the GAO report:

    • Two-thirds of pharma’s spending between 2016 and 2018 on DTC ads ($12 billion out of $18 billion total) was concentrated on just 39 drugs.  During this period, these advertised drugs accounted for 58 percent of Medicare’s spending on drugs ($320 billion out of $560 billion). 
    • In 2019, Humira had $500 million in DTC advertising, contributing to $2.4 billion in Medicare costs.
    • Among the top 10 drugs with the highest cost to Medicare, four were also in the top 10 for advertising spending (Humira, Eliquis, Keytruda, Lyrica).        

    This legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D–IL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Angus King (I-ME), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).

    The legislation is endorsed by AARP, American Academy of Neurology, American College of Physicians, Patients for Affordable Drugs Now and Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Proud to Confirm Bessent as Treasury 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 Scott Bessent as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury:

    “The American people voted resoundingly to return to commonsense, pro-growth policies after four years of reckless spending and runaway inflation under the Biden Administration. Scott Bessent’s sharp financial foresight and private sector expertise will be immediate assets to the President as his Administration gets to work on urgent tax reform and widespread regulatory relief. Secretary Bessent is the right choice to get our fiscal house back in order, and I look forward to working with him in the years ahead.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Statement on Confirmation of Scott Bessent as Secretary of the Treasury

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
    01.27.25
    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed Scott Bessent to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
    “Scott Bessent has the skills and experience necessary to lead the Treasury Department. We look forward to working with Secretary Bessent and President Trump to extend the tax cuts for American families and businesses, tackle inflation, grow our economy and get our nation’s fiscal house in order.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ON THE JOB FOR MICHIGAN: Port Director Paul LaMarre Emphasizes Senator Peters’ Efforts to Deliver Results for Port of Monroe

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
    Published: 01.27.2025
    On the Job Video Series Highlights Senator Peters’ Efforts to Help Constituents and Communities Across Michigan

    WASHINGTON, DC – In a new video from U.S. Senator Gary Peters’ (MI) office, Captain Paul LaMarre III, Director of the Port of Monroe and President of the American Great Lakes Ports Association, emphasizes Peters’ efforts to help support the Port of Monroe and position it for long-term success. The video is part of the On the Job for Michigan series, which highlights Peters’ leadership and advocacy on behalf of constituents and communities across Michigan.  
    “Senator Peters has supported the Port of Monroe, not just from our efforts to create Michigan’s first marine container terminal, which will be known as Michigan’s Maritime Gateway, but he also championed a number of grant efforts that have led to improved infrastructure and equipment that will put the port at the cutting edge of the next generation of Great Lakes shipping,” said LaMarre.  

    Watch Captain LaMarre’s On the Job for Michigan video here. You can also see the video posted on X/Twitter. 
    “The Port of Monroe is a critical resource for our Michigan manufacturers and our partners across the Great Lakes Region,” said Senator Peters. “I’ll continue to work alongside Captain LaMarre to help strengthen operations and ensure the Port of Monroe continues to play an important role in transporting the commodities and products that families and businesses rely on every day.” 
      During his time in the Senate, Peters has prioritized strengthening Michigan’s shipping ports, including the Port of Monroe. Since 2020, Peters has helped to secure nearly $13 million in grant funding for the port, including investments to expand cargo capacity, purchase new crane equipment and upgrade cargo screening infrastructure. In 2024, LaMarre testified during a Commerce Subcommittee field hearing convened by Peters to examine the impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law on Michigan’s transportation infrastructure. In 2021, Peters toured the Port of Monroe with Customs and Border Protection officials to discuss cargo clearance challenges facing the port.  
    Peters has also worked alongside LaMarre and other stakeholders to support Michigan’s maritime workforce. In 2023, Peters’ bipartisan Changing Age-Determined Eligibility to Student Incentive Payments (CADETS) Act was signed into law, expanding the Student Incentive Payment Program eligibility age for financial assistance to cadets who attended one of the six State Maritime Academies and commit to a post-graduation service obligation to include any qualified student who will meet the age requirements for enlistment in the U.S. Navy Reserve at their time of graduation.  
     

    MIL OSI USA News –