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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse Press Trump Admin. on Reversal of Medical Debt Rule

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – Nearly 15 million Americans were poised to see their credit scores rise by an average of 20 points under a Biden Administration rule that would have removed medical bills from consumer credit reports.  But the Trump Administration reversed course and joined credit reporting agencies in opposing the rule.  On Friday, a Trump-appointed judge in Texas overturned the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) efforts to leave medical debt off consumer credit reports.
    Now, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and 26 other senators in pressing the Trump Administration for answers regarding the CFPB’s decision to vacate the medical debt rule finalized in January 2025.  
    100 million people in America — including 41 percent of adults – are burdened by over $220 billion in medical debt, according to KFF Health News.
    The American Medical Association contends that medical debt isn’t an accurate barometer of people’s ability to repay other loans, because most bills are a one-time or short-term expense from a hospital stay or accident. 
    Warnock, Warren, Reed, Whitehouse and their colleagues are demanding the CFPB share any data the agency relied on in deciding to petition a court to vacate the rule and any communications it had with entities during the process that would profit from its decision.
    “On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with collection agencies that stand to profit from it,” the 30 U.S. Senators wrote.
    “Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts…Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care,” they continued.
    At the conclusion of the letter, the senators emphasize the need for transparency into the agency’s decision-making process.
    “On April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it – lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry,” the senators closed.
    Senator Reed is a member of the Senate Banking Committee and has strongly criticized the Trump Administration’s efforts to diminish and downsize the CFPB. In May, President Trump withdrew his nominee for the CFPB.  Currently, OMB Director Russell Vought serves as acting director of the agency and has failed to take action to ensure the CFPB protects Americans from predatory medical debt collection practices.
    In addition to Senators Warnock, Warren, Reed, and Whitehouse, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Adam Schiff (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
    Full text of the letter follows:
    Dear Acting Director Vought,
    On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with debt collection agencies that stand to profit from it.
    Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts. One major credit scoring company, VantageScore, has stopped using medical debt in its newer models entirely. Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care. People often receive collection notices for debts they did not owe, in the wrong amount, or that should have been covered by insurance—but still end up experiencing long-lasting damage to their credit scores.
    Listing medical debt on a person’s credit report drives down their credit score, which hurts their ability to purchase a car, buy a home or rent an apartment, get utility service, start a business, or access other banking services. This has profound effects on families that can last generations. To make matters worse, medical debt is the most common reason debt collectors contact consumers; the debt collection industry makes one-fourth of its annual revenue from health care debt. Including medical debt on credit reports makes consumers more vulnerable to predatory debt collection practices.
    Medical debt on credit reports also blocks working families from access to credit that they would be able to repay.The CFPB found that people who had all their medical debts completely removed from their credit reports experienced an average credit score increase of 20 points, in some cases elevating families into a higher credit score tier.
    In response to growing data that medical debt is not a good indicator of creditworthiness, states across the country have acted to ban the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. And on January 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. The rule would remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of 15 million Americans, prohibit credit reporting companies from sharing medical debt information with lenders, and bar lenders from considering medical debt in underwriting decisions. It was designed to help the millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, by lowering costs and increasing access to affordable credit for working families without affecting the predictive value of their credit reports. The rule would also help reduce the effects of structural racism and other prejudices. People of color are disproportionately harmed by the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. Meanwhile, adults with a disability and new moms are more than twice as likely to carry medical debt.
    Despite the critical importance of the medical debt rule, on April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it—lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry, by July 28, 2025. We specifically request that CFPB publicly publish all data about how medical debt relates to key economic indicators, including:
    Barriers to home and car ownership, including challenges getting loans or not being approved to rent or lease,
    Paying higher premiums for auto, homeowner’s and other types of insurance,
    Losing job opportunities as a result of credit reporting on background checks,
    Obstacles to starting small businesses because of challenges with securing loans,
    Paying more for everyday services such as household utilities or cell phone contracts
    We are particularly concerned about the outsize impact that medical debt has on the credit scores of seniors, veterans, new parents, people with disabilities, cancer patients and survivors, and small business owners.
    Thank you for your attention to this matter.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse Press Trump Admin. on Reversal of Medical Debt Rule

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – Nearly 15 million Americans were poised to see their credit scores rise by an average of 20 points under a Biden Administration rule that would have removed medical bills from consumer credit reports.  But the Trump Administration reversed course and joined credit reporting agencies in opposing the rule.  On Friday, a Trump-appointed judge in Texas overturned the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) efforts to leave medical debt off consumer credit reports.
    Now, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and 26 other senators in pressing the Trump Administration for answers regarding the CFPB’s decision to vacate the medical debt rule finalized in January 2025.  
    100 million people in America — including 41 percent of adults – are burdened by over $220 billion in medical debt, according to KFF Health News.
    The American Medical Association contends that medical debt isn’t an accurate barometer of people’s ability to repay other loans, because most bills are a one-time or short-term expense from a hospital stay or accident. 
    Warnock, Warren, Reed, Whitehouse and their colleagues are demanding the CFPB share any data the agency relied on in deciding to petition a court to vacate the rule and any communications it had with entities during the process that would profit from its decision.
    “On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with collection agencies that stand to profit from it,” the 30 U.S. Senators wrote.
    “Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts…Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care,” they continued.
    At the conclusion of the letter, the senators emphasize the need for transparency into the agency’s decision-making process.
    “On April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it – lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry,” the senators closed.
    Senator Reed is a member of the Senate Banking Committee and has strongly criticized the Trump Administration’s efforts to diminish and downsize the CFPB. In May, President Trump withdrew his nominee for the CFPB.  Currently, OMB Director Russell Vought serves as acting director of the agency and has failed to take action to ensure the CFPB protects Americans from predatory medical debt collection practices.
    In addition to Senators Warnock, Warren, Reed, and Whitehouse, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Adam Schiff (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
    Full text of the letter follows:
    Dear Acting Director Vought,
    On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with debt collection agencies that stand to profit from it.
    Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts. One major credit scoring company, VantageScore, has stopped using medical debt in its newer models entirely. Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care. People often receive collection notices for debts they did not owe, in the wrong amount, or that should have been covered by insurance—but still end up experiencing long-lasting damage to their credit scores.
    Listing medical debt on a person’s credit report drives down their credit score, which hurts their ability to purchase a car, buy a home or rent an apartment, get utility service, start a business, or access other banking services. This has profound effects on families that can last generations. To make matters worse, medical debt is the most common reason debt collectors contact consumers; the debt collection industry makes one-fourth of its annual revenue from health care debt. Including medical debt on credit reports makes consumers more vulnerable to predatory debt collection practices.
    Medical debt on credit reports also blocks working families from access to credit that they would be able to repay.The CFPB found that people who had all their medical debts completely removed from their credit reports experienced an average credit score increase of 20 points, in some cases elevating families into a higher credit score tier.
    In response to growing data that medical debt is not a good indicator of creditworthiness, states across the country have acted to ban the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. And on January 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. The rule would remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of 15 million Americans, prohibit credit reporting companies from sharing medical debt information with lenders, and bar lenders from considering medical debt in underwriting decisions. It was designed to help the millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, by lowering costs and increasing access to affordable credit for working families without affecting the predictive value of their credit reports. The rule would also help reduce the effects of structural racism and other prejudices. People of color are disproportionately harmed by the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. Meanwhile, adults with a disability and new moms are more than twice as likely to carry medical debt.
    Despite the critical importance of the medical debt rule, on April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it—lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry, by July 28, 2025. We specifically request that CFPB publicly publish all data about how medical debt relates to key economic indicators, including:
    Barriers to home and car ownership, including challenges getting loans or not being approved to rent or lease,
    Paying higher premiums for auto, homeowner’s and other types of insurance,
    Losing job opportunities as a result of credit reporting on background checks,
    Obstacles to starting small businesses because of challenges with securing loans,
    Paying more for everyday services such as household utilities or cell phone contracts
    We are particularly concerned about the outsize impact that medical debt has on the credit scores of seniors, veterans, new parents, people with disabilities, cancer patients and survivors, and small business owners.
    Thank you for your attention to this matter.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse Press Trump Admin. on Reversal of Medical Debt Rule

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – Nearly 15 million Americans were poised to see their credit scores rise by an average of 20 points under a Biden Administration rule that would have removed medical bills from consumer credit reports.  But the Trump Administration reversed course and joined credit reporting agencies in opposing the rule.  On Friday, a Trump-appointed judge in Texas overturned the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) efforts to leave medical debt off consumer credit reports.
    Now, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and 26 other senators in pressing the Trump Administration for answers regarding the CFPB’s decision to vacate the medical debt rule finalized in January 2025.  
    100 million people in America — including 41 percent of adults – are burdened by over $220 billion in medical debt, according to KFF Health News.
    The American Medical Association contends that medical debt isn’t an accurate barometer of people’s ability to repay other loans, because most bills are a one-time or short-term expense from a hospital stay or accident. 
    Warnock, Warren, Reed, Whitehouse and their colleagues are demanding the CFPB share any data the agency relied on in deciding to petition a court to vacate the rule and any communications it had with entities during the process that would profit from its decision.
    “On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with collection agencies that stand to profit from it,” the 30 U.S. Senators wrote.
    “Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts…Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care,” they continued.
    At the conclusion of the letter, the senators emphasize the need for transparency into the agency’s decision-making process.
    “On April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it – lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry,” the senators closed.
    Senator Reed is a member of the Senate Banking Committee and has strongly criticized the Trump Administration’s efforts to diminish and downsize the CFPB. In May, President Trump withdrew his nominee for the CFPB.  Currently, OMB Director Russell Vought serves as acting director of the agency and has failed to take action to ensure the CFPB protects Americans from predatory medical debt collection practices.
    In addition to Senators Warnock, Warren, Reed, and Whitehouse, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Adam Schiff (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
    Full text of the letter follows:
    Dear Acting Director Vought,
    On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with debt collection agencies that stand to profit from it.
    Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts. One major credit scoring company, VantageScore, has stopped using medical debt in its newer models entirely. Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care. People often receive collection notices for debts they did not owe, in the wrong amount, or that should have been covered by insurance—but still end up experiencing long-lasting damage to their credit scores.
    Listing medical debt on a person’s credit report drives down their credit score, which hurts their ability to purchase a car, buy a home or rent an apartment, get utility service, start a business, or access other banking services. This has profound effects on families that can last generations. To make matters worse, medical debt is the most common reason debt collectors contact consumers; the debt collection industry makes one-fourth of its annual revenue from health care debt. Including medical debt on credit reports makes consumers more vulnerable to predatory debt collection practices.
    Medical debt on credit reports also blocks working families from access to credit that they would be able to repay.The CFPB found that people who had all their medical debts completely removed from their credit reports experienced an average credit score increase of 20 points, in some cases elevating families into a higher credit score tier.
    In response to growing data that medical debt is not a good indicator of creditworthiness, states across the country have acted to ban the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. And on January 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. The rule would remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of 15 million Americans, prohibit credit reporting companies from sharing medical debt information with lenders, and bar lenders from considering medical debt in underwriting decisions. It was designed to help the millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, by lowering costs and increasing access to affordable credit for working families without affecting the predictive value of their credit reports. The rule would also help reduce the effects of structural racism and other prejudices. People of color are disproportionately harmed by the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. Meanwhile, adults with a disability and new moms are more than twice as likely to carry medical debt.
    Despite the critical importance of the medical debt rule, on April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it—lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry, by July 28, 2025. We specifically request that CFPB publicly publish all data about how medical debt relates to key economic indicators, including:
    Barriers to home and car ownership, including challenges getting loans or not being approved to rent or lease,
    Paying higher premiums for auto, homeowner’s and other types of insurance,
    Losing job opportunities as a result of credit reporting on background checks,
    Obstacles to starting small businesses because of challenges with securing loans,
    Paying more for everyday services such as household utilities or cell phone contracts
    We are particularly concerned about the outsize impact that medical debt has on the credit scores of seniors, veterans, new parents, people with disabilities, cancer patients and survivors, and small business owners.
    Thank you for your attention to this matter.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse Press Trump Admin. on Reversal of Medical Debt Rule

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – Nearly 15 million Americans were poised to see their credit scores rise by an average of 20 points under a Biden Administration rule that would have removed medical bills from consumer credit reports.  But the Trump Administration reversed course and joined credit reporting agencies in opposing the rule.  On Friday, a Trump-appointed judge in Texas overturned the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) efforts to leave medical debt off consumer credit reports.
    Now, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and 26 other senators in pressing the Trump Administration for answers regarding the CFPB’s decision to vacate the medical debt rule finalized in January 2025.  
    100 million people in America — including 41 percent of adults – are burdened by over $220 billion in medical debt, according to KFF Health News.
    The American Medical Association contends that medical debt isn’t an accurate barometer of people’s ability to repay other loans, because most bills are a one-time or short-term expense from a hospital stay or accident. 
    Warnock, Warren, Reed, Whitehouse and their colleagues are demanding the CFPB share any data the agency relied on in deciding to petition a court to vacate the rule and any communications it had with entities during the process that would profit from its decision.
    “On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with collection agencies that stand to profit from it,” the 30 U.S. Senators wrote.
    “Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts…Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care,” they continued.
    At the conclusion of the letter, the senators emphasize the need for transparency into the agency’s decision-making process.
    “On April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it – lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry,” the senators closed.
    Senator Reed is a member of the Senate Banking Committee and has strongly criticized the Trump Administration’s efforts to diminish and downsize the CFPB. In May, President Trump withdrew his nominee for the CFPB.  Currently, OMB Director Russell Vought serves as acting director of the agency and has failed to take action to ensure the CFPB protects Americans from predatory medical debt collection practices.
    In addition to Senators Warnock, Warren, Reed, and Whitehouse, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Adam Schiff (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
    Full text of the letter follows:
    Dear Acting Director Vought,
    On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with debt collection agencies that stand to profit from it.
    Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts. One major credit scoring company, VantageScore, has stopped using medical debt in its newer models entirely. Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care. People often receive collection notices for debts they did not owe, in the wrong amount, or that should have been covered by insurance—but still end up experiencing long-lasting damage to their credit scores.
    Listing medical debt on a person’s credit report drives down their credit score, which hurts their ability to purchase a car, buy a home or rent an apartment, get utility service, start a business, or access other banking services. This has profound effects on families that can last generations. To make matters worse, medical debt is the most common reason debt collectors contact consumers; the debt collection industry makes one-fourth of its annual revenue from health care debt. Including medical debt on credit reports makes consumers more vulnerable to predatory debt collection practices.
    Medical debt on credit reports also blocks working families from access to credit that they would be able to repay.The CFPB found that people who had all their medical debts completely removed from their credit reports experienced an average credit score increase of 20 points, in some cases elevating families into a higher credit score tier.
    In response to growing data that medical debt is not a good indicator of creditworthiness, states across the country have acted to ban the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. And on January 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. The rule would remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of 15 million Americans, prohibit credit reporting companies from sharing medical debt information with lenders, and bar lenders from considering medical debt in underwriting decisions. It was designed to help the millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, by lowering costs and increasing access to affordable credit for working families without affecting the predictive value of their credit reports. The rule would also help reduce the effects of structural racism and other prejudices. People of color are disproportionately harmed by the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. Meanwhile, adults with a disability and new moms are more than twice as likely to carry medical debt.
    Despite the critical importance of the medical debt rule, on April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it—lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry, by July 28, 2025. We specifically request that CFPB publicly publish all data about how medical debt relates to key economic indicators, including:
    Barriers to home and car ownership, including challenges getting loans or not being approved to rent or lease,
    Paying higher premiums for auto, homeowner’s and other types of insurance,
    Losing job opportunities as a result of credit reporting on background checks,
    Obstacles to starting small businesses because of challenges with securing loans,
    Paying more for everyday services such as household utilities or cell phone contracts
    We are particularly concerned about the outsize impact that medical debt has on the credit scores of seniors, veterans, new parents, people with disabilities, cancer patients and survivors, and small business owners.
    Thank you for your attention to this matter.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed & Whitehouse Press Trump Admin. on Reversal of Medical Debt Rule

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Nearly 15 million Americans were poised to see their credit scores rise by an average of 20 points under a Biden Administration rule that would have removed medical bills from consumer credit reports.  But the Trump Administration reversed course and joined credit reporting agencies in opposing the rule.  On Friday, a Trump-appointed judge in Texas overturned the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) efforts to leave medical debt off consumer credit reports.

    Now, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and 26 other senators in pressing the Trump Administration for answers regarding the CFPB’s decision to vacate the medical debt rule finalized in January 2025.  

    100 million people in America — including 41 percent of adults – are burdened by over $220 billion in medical debt, according to KFF Health News.

    The American Medical Association contends that medical debt isn’t an accurate barometer of people’s ability to repay other loans, because most bills are a one-time or short-term expense from a hospital stay or accident. 

    Warnock, Warren, Reed, Whitehouse and their colleagues are demanding the CFPB share any data the agency relied on in deciding to petition a court to vacate the rule and any communications it had with entities during the process that would profit from its decision.

    “On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with collection agencies that stand to profit from it,” the 30 U.S. Senators wrote.

    “Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts…Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care,” they continued.

    At the conclusion of the letter, the senators emphasize the need for transparency into the agency’s decision-making process.

    “On April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it – lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry,” the senators closed.

    Senator Reed is a member of the Senate Banking Committee and has strongly criticized the Trump Administration’s efforts to diminish and downsize the CFPB. In May, President Trump withdrew his nominee for the CFPB.  Currently, OMB Director Russell Vought serves as acting director of the agency and has failed to take action to ensure the CFPB protects Americans from predatory medical debt collection practices.

    In addition to Senators Warnock, Warren, Reed, and Whitehouse, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Adam Schiff (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).

    Full text of the letter follows:

    Dear Acting Director Vought,

    On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with debt collection agencies that stand to profit from it.

    Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts. One major credit scoring company, VantageScore, has stopped using medical debt in its newer models entirely. Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care. People often receive collection notices for debts they did not owe, in the wrong amount, or that should have been covered by insurance—but still end up experiencing long-lasting damage to their credit scores.

    Listing medical debt on a person’s credit report drives down their credit score, which hurts their ability to purchase a car, buy a home or rent an apartment, get utility service, start a business, or access other banking services. This has profound effects on families that can last generations. To make matters worse, medical debt is the most common reason debt collectors contact consumers; the debt collection industry makes one-fourth of its annual revenue from health care debt. Including medical debt on credit reports makes consumers more vulnerable to predatory debt collection practices.

    Medical debt on credit reports also blocks working families from access to credit that they would be able to repay.The CFPB found that people who had all their medical debts completely removed from their credit reports experienced an average credit score increase of 20 points, in some cases elevating families into a higher credit score tier.

    In response to growing data that medical debt is not a good indicator of creditworthiness, states across the country have acted to ban the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. And on January 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. The rule would remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of 15 million Americans, prohibit credit reporting companies from sharing medical debt information with lenders, and bar lenders from considering medical debt in underwriting decisions. It was designed to help the millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, by lowering costs and increasing access to affordable credit for working families without affecting the predictive value of their credit reports. The rule would also help reduce the effects of structural racism and other prejudices. People of color are disproportionately harmed by the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. Meanwhile, adults with a disability and new moms are more than twice as likely to carry medical debt.

    Despite the critical importance of the medical debt rule, on April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it—lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry, by July 28, 2025. We specifically request that CFPB publicly publish all data about how medical debt relates to key economic indicators, including:

    • Barriers to home and car ownership, including challenges getting loans or not being approved to rent or lease,
    • Paying higher premiums for auto, homeowner’s and other types of insurance,
    • Losing job opportunities as a result of credit reporting on background checks,
    • Obstacles to starting small businesses because of challenges with securing loans,
    • Paying more for everyday services such as household utilities or cell phone contracts

    We are particularly concerned about the outsize impact that medical debt has on the credit scores of seniors, veterans, new parents, people with disabilities, cancer patients and survivors, and small business owners.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, NJ Democrats Demand ED Release Funding for K-12, Adult Education Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) led his Democratic colleagues in the New Jersey delegation in a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and Department of Education (ED) Secretary Linda McMahon to demand clarity regarding the Trump Administration’s unlawful decision to withhold nearly $7 billion in Congressionally Appropriated funding for K–12 and adult education programs nationwide, including over $162 million from the state of New Jersey. 
    “On June 30, 2025, just one day before these funds were supposed to become available, the Department of Education abruptly informed states that they would not receive funding as scheduled on July 1… No timeline was given for when states could expect a resolution. Typically, the Department provides state educational agencies with the formula program allocation tables and access to draw down those funds by July 1, which allows states and districts to plan, budget, and begin spending for the upcoming school year. This decision is financially destabilizing school districts across the country and directly jeopardizes the operation of the upcoming school year,” the lawmakers wrote. 
    “The withholding of these funds will have a widespread and detrimental impact on school communities throughout New Jersey, with disproportionate harm to high-need districts. The funds currently frozen represent almost 13 percent of the total federal K-12 funding that New Jersey schools received last year. Compounding this issue, New Jersey public school districts finalized their budgets for the 2025-2026 school year this past spring. Any loss of expected funding will create budget shortfalls, forcing districts to cut essential programs designed to serve students, their families, and educators,” the lawmakers continued. 
    “Congress lawfully appropriated these funds to address critical education needs, including student achievement, after-school enrichment, teacher training, and adult literacy. Withholding these funds is a reckless decision that jeopardizes the education of millions of students, resulting in layoffs, program delays, disrupted planning cycles, and delayed hiring. This also deprives students, especially those in high-need districts, of key academic support. Our schools, teachers, families, and adult learners cannot afford continued uncertainty. We look forward to your prompt response and the immediate release of the funds,” the lawmakers concluded. 
    To see a district by district breakdown of how the cuts will affect schools across America, click here. 
    The letter is cosigned by U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) and U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ-06), Robert Menendez (D-NJ-08), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), Herbert Conaway Jr. (D-NJ-03), Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01), Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09), and Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11). 
    To read the full text of the letter, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Clarke, Kelly, Watson Coleman Reintroduce Bicameral Legislation to Tackle Uterine Fibroids Through Research and Education

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) along with U.S. Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), reintroduced the bicameral Stephanie Tubbs Jones Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act, legislation that would expand research and raise awareness through public education programs to support women suffering from uterine fibroids. The legislation is named after the late U.S. Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio, who championed this issue.
    “Millions of Americans, including nearly 25% of Black women, will suffer from uterine fibroids by the age of 25,” said Senator Booker. “We must act to prevent, diagnose, and treat fibroids so that affected women can find relief. This legislation will raise awareness, expand research, and improve access to evidence-based care for women struggling with uterine fibroids.”
    “The health crisis Black women across this nation confront every day will not end unless meaningful, targeted action is taken to do so. Today, my colleagues and I have introduced this legislative package as an unprecedented and historic step towards ensuring those who are at-risk or suffering from fibroids and uterine cancer have the support, resources, and care they need to navigate the painful diagnoses far too many have faced throughout their lives. With these four bills, we are not only putting the uterine health of millions first, but we are also carrying on the torch lit by a long line of lawmakers, advocates, and leaders who refused to stand by while women struggle in silence. I am proud to fight for the health equity they have long been denied but have always deserved,” said Congresswoman Clarke.
    “Uterine fibroids can be debilitating, but symptoms are often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or dismissed while treatment remains out of reach,” said Congresswoman Kelly. “I’m proud to support this legislation to better understand uterine fibroids and develop more effective treatments for everyone — especially for Black women, who are three times more likely to develop uterine fibroids. We must continue to raise awareness, empower women to make their own health choices, and increase funding and research to treat fibroids.”
    “This bill is crucial for understanding, treating, and preventing uterine fibroids,” said Congresswoman Watson Coleman. “Fibroids impact Black women at substantially higher rates, and the current body of medical research is wholly insufficient. This is a serious public health issue that impacts millions of women, contributing to greater overall lifetime stress and decreasing our quality of life. More must be done to address this issue which has gone overlooked for too long. I’m proud to join my colleagues in advancing this bill to raise awareness, provide resources, and mandate research to help relieve suffering for women and girls everywhere.”
    July marks Fibroid Awareness Month, an opportunity to raise awareness for uterine fibroids, which are noncancerous growths of the uterus that impact an estimated 26 million women nationwide. Symptoms of this devastating condition include severe menstrual bleeding, anemia, pregnancy complications and loss, and infertility.
    In addition to the pain and discomfort they cause, uterine fibroids cost the health care system an estimated $5.9 billion to $34.4 billion every year. Despite their prevalence and impact, preventing, diagnosing, and treating uterine fibroids is very difficult. This condition often goes undiagnosed, and even when it is accurately diagnosed, treatment is usually invasive and can lead to infertility. Black women are particularly impacted by this condition as they tend to develop uterine fibroids earlier, have larger and a greater number of fibroids, and have more severe symptoms and complications.
    Specifically, the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act would:
    Expand and intensify research on uterine fibroids and authorize $30 million a year for fiscal years 2024 through 2028 for that effort.
    Require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect data on services provided to people diagnosed with uterine fibroids under Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
    Create a public education program for uterine fibroids.
    Promote evidence-based care for uterine fibroids among health care providers.
    The full text of the legislation can be found here.
    The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act is being introduced within a legislative package aimed at advancing uterine health initiatives. The package also includes the Uterine Fibroid Intervention and Gynecological Health Treatment (U-FIGHT) Act, the Uterine Cancer Study Act, and the Uterine Fibroids Awareness Month Resolution.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Senate Judiciary Democrats Demand Hearing with Whistleblower Ahead of Bove Nomination Vote

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker joined all of his Democratic colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee in calling for Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to schedule a hearing to have Erez Reuveni, the former Acting Deputy Director for the Office of Immigration Litigation at the Department of Justice, testify under oath about the recent disclosures of serious misconduct allegations against judicial nominee Emil Bove, including directing Department of Justice attorneys to ignore a court order. Last week, Mr. Reuveni provided the Committee  documentation that corroborates the allegations. The Senators called for the hearing before the Judiciary Committee vote on Bove’s nomination, which is set to take place on Thursday, July 17.
    In a letter to Grassley, the Senators wrote: “We respectfully request that you call Erez Reuveni to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee prior to the Committee’s vote on the nomination of Emil J. Bove III to be a U.S. Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Mr. Reuveni has made credible allegations against Mr. Bove, which, if true, clearly disqualify him for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. Thus, it is imperative that the Committee hear from Mr. Reuveni, under oath, before we vote on Mr. Bove’s nomination.”
    The Senators then cited Mr. Reuveni’s document production related to J.G.G. v. Trump, Abrego Garcia v. Noem, and D.V.D. v. DHS, writing: “Documentation provided by Mr. Reuveni demonstrates that he unsuccessfully attempted to secure government compliance with court orders in three separate cases being overseen by Mr. Bove in his role as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General.”
    The Senators concluded by highlighting the importance of understanding Mr. Bove’s role in these concerning episodes before voting on his judicial nomination and requested testimony, writing: “Mr. Bove repeatedly gestured at but never invoked deliberative process privilege at his hearing and in answers to written questions, undermining our ability to assess whether Mr. Bove engaged in the alleged misconduct and continuing executive branch officials’ use of ‘non-assertion’ assertions of privilege to defy congressional inquiries.  Calling Mr. Reuveni to testify under oath will allow members of this Committee to appraise the veracity of his claims while defending the Committee’s prerogative to assess Mr. Bove’s qualifications…It is critical that this Committee understands the full scope of Mr. Bove’s actions at the Justice Department prior to voting on his nomination to a lifetime appointment on the federal bench. Given that Mr. Reuveni is willing to testify regarding this matter, we urge you to invite him before the Committee before proceeding to a vote on Mr. Bove’s nomination.”
    To read the full text of the letter, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Warren Report Exposes Potential Trump Corruption, Bribery Through Presidential Library Donations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    July 15, 2025

    Warren analysis reveals at least half a billion dollars in monetary contributions, gifts, in-kind donations flowing into Trump Presidential Library

    Donations come while Trump makes critical decisions that may impact donors; raises serious concerns about bribery, influence-peddling

    Report (PDF) 

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released a new report exposing how companies, special interests, and foreign governments may be pledging donations to President Trump’s future Presidential Library as a corrupt tool to secure favorable outcomes from his administration. 

    “Donald Trump may be using his presidential library as a tool for corruption and bribery while still in office. We could be seeing giant companies like Paramount and Meta and foreign countries like Qatar pay Trump off in plain sight,” said Senator Warren. “Government should work for the American people, not just whichever giant company or foreign government can dump the most money into the president’s future library.”

    Senator Warren’s new analysis reveals that companies seeking favorable outcomes from the Trump administration have pledged to funnel at least $63 million into Trump’s future presidential library. Other gifts and in-kind donations — including a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar, expensive candlelight dinners at Mar-a-Lago, leftover inauguration donations, and more — bring the total value of gifts flowing into Trump’s library to at least half a billion dollars. 

    Presidential Libraries are used to honor a president’s legacy and allow scholars and the public to learn about their time in office. This new report details how giant corporations, special interests, and at least one foreign government are promising donations to President Trump’s future library while his administration makes decisions on mega-mergers, the preservation of a U.S. military base in Qatar, Big Tech regulation, and more. 

    Just weeks ago, Paramount settled President Trump’s lawsuit against CBS’s 60 Minutes for $16 million, with the money funneling straight into Trump’s library. Paramount is currently vying for approval by the Trump administration of its proposed megamerger with Skydance.

    In December 2024, ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit with Donald Trump by agreeing to pay $15 million toward his Presidential Library.

    Past presidents have also accepted suspicious donations while in office — such as the Clinton Foundation accepting a $450,000 donation from a woman pushing for a presidential pardon for her ex-husband, which President Clinton later granted, or a Bush Administration advisor soliciting Presidential Library donations in exchange for arranging meetings with top administration officials.

    “But Trump is doing so at a magnitude that makes glaringly clear the need for common-sense guardrails around donations,” said Senator Warren’s report. 

    Unlike donations to presidential campaigns or inaugural committees, there are almost no restrictions on donations to Presidential Libraries. Even while in office, presidents can solicit unlimited, undisclosed donations from anyone — including foreign nationals, lobbyists, federal contractors, individuals seeking presidential pardons, and corporations with business before federal agencies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Wyden, Baldwin Tell Social Security: Stop Lying to Stroke Trump’s Ego

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    July 15, 2025

    Senate Democrats Call on SSA Commissioner Bisignano to Retract False Claims About Social Security Taxes That Could Confuse, Hurt Seniors

    “Rather than focusing on improving customer service, you are using your position as Commissioner to stroke Donald Trump’s ego and peddle lies on his behalf.”

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) led eight Senate Democrats in demanding that the Social Security Administration (SSA) stop peddling lies about the Republican budget bill using the agency’s email platform, which reaches tens of millions of Americans. 

    “We are appalled that the agency distributed misleading and blatantly inaccurate information regarding tax changes affecting older Americans, transforming the agency into a partisan megaphone for Donald Trump while sowing confusion and distrust in Social Security among Americans,” wrote the senators.

    On July 3, SSA issued a press release and sent a mass email to all “mySocial Security” account users falsely announcing that the Republican budget bill would cut taxes on Social Security benefits for 90% of beneficiaries — in addition to providing older Americans with a tax deduction. But the Republican bill does not amend, reduce, or eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits. While the bill provides a temporary deduction for some older Americans, fewer than half of Americans will benefit from this deduction — very much shy of the 90% of Americans that SSA claims. The bill also does not include any provisions to change the tax filing requirements for Social Security recipients. 

    Days later, the SSA quietly updated its press release to correct the false claim, but it did not send a follow-up email to the millions of users who received the initial email.

    Commissioner Bisignano’s lies on behalf of Trump could mislead millions of American seniors who depend on Social Security benefits. The initial email may leave recipients expecting both a deduction and a tax break and could result in millions of Americans’ falsely believing they don’t have to file taxes on Social Security. Inaccurate information could lead to Americans making benefit claims against their best interests or even missing payments on taxes they owe.

    Commissioner Bisignano has abandoned his promise to the Finance Committee and to the American people that, under his leadership, SSA would not become a partisan agency subject to the whims of Trump. 

    “We urge you to retract SSA’s July 3 statement and issue a correction — on SSA’s website and via email for ‘my Social Security’ account users — clarifying the federal tax treatment of Social Security benefits,” concluded the senators. 

    Other senators signing on to the letter include Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.).

    Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room is a coordinated effort to fight back against the Trump administration’s attack on Americans’ Social Security. The War Room coordinates messaging across the Senate Democratic Caucus and external stakeholders; encourages grassroots engagement by providing opportunities for Americans to share what Social Security means to them; and educates Senate staff, the American public, and stakeholders about Republicans’ agenda and their continued cuts to Americans’ Social Security services and benefits.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Mullin for the Daily Wire: “How The One Big, Beautiful Bill Sustains And Saves Medicaid”

    US Senate News:

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

    ICYMI: Mullin for the Daily Wire: “How The One Big, Beautiful Bill Sustains And Saves Medicaid”

    “Today, roughly 35 million Americans are living below the poverty line. Over 70 million people are on Medicaid.”
    Washington, D.C. – On Monday, The Daily Wire published U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin’s (R-OK) op-ed detailing how President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ will protect and strengthen Medicaid for those who need it most. The senator notes, “Medicaid’s long-term stability is at risk” and that “Republicans are getting the waste, fraud, and abuse out of Medicaid to protect the well-being of America’s most vulnerable.”
    Read the full story from The Daily Wire HERE and below:
    How The One Big, Beautiful Bill Sustains And Saves Medicaid
    By Senator Markwayne Mullin | July 14, 2025
    In a huge victory for Oklahoma, Congress recently passed President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which, among many wins, will deliver the largest-ever tax cut for working and middle-class families, secure the border, and lower energy costs.
    Unfortunately, Washington Democrats who are desperate to change the media narrative after a brutal 2024 election loss have made it their mission to lie about this bill and mislead American families — especially on Medicaid program improvements.
    Democrats claim the bill guts the program. But in reality, Republicans voted to protect and strengthen Medicaid for those who need it most.
    Medicaid’s long-term stability is at risk. During the Obama administration, Democrats expanded Medicaid eligibility to include able-bodied adults — adding 20 million able-bodied people to the program rolls between 2013 and 2021. Today, roughly 35 million Americans are living below the poverty line, while over 70 million people are on Medicaid. What’s worse, a stunning 36% of Medicaid spending is on able-bodied working-age adults — most of whom are not working.
    What was first designed as a critical social safety net for America’s most vulnerable — including pregnant women, children, people with disabilities, and low-income seniors and families — has quickly ballooned into an unsustainable mess at risk of bankruptcy.
    The Big, Beautiful Bill will protect Medicaid benefits for those who need them most and help move millions of able-bodied adults with no children from welfare to work — all while saving taxpayers billions of dollars. By the way, only in Washington is increasing current Medicaid spending levels by 20% over the next 10 years seen as a “cut.”
    This bill includes popular Clinton-era work requirements for able-bodied adults ages 19-64 with no dependents, and includes exceptions for pregnant women, new mothers, and those facing short-term hardships. Under this commonsense law, eligible recipients must complete 20 hours of work, education, or volunteering per week to receive taxpayer-funded Medicaid benefits.
    To protect and sustain the Medicaid program, the only people who will see a change in coverage are illegal immigrants, those who are already ineligible for the program, and able-bodied adults ages 19-64 with dependents over 14 years old who choose not to work, volunteer, or go to school for just 20 hours per week.
    Most Americans recognize that without commonsense reform, Medicaid would be at a higher risk of collapse. As promised, Republicans are getting the waste, fraud, and abuse out of Medicaid to protect the well-being of America’s most vulnerable. Despite the Democrats’ gross lies, the “Big, Beautiful Bill” will strengthen and protect the social safety net for every eligible American who needs it. In passing President Trump’s historic bill, Republicans are ensuring Medicaid can better serve the neediest Americans for generations to come.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Announces FY2026 Defense Bill Wins

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced that several of her provisions were included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. 
    “I’m proud to see that this year’s NDAA includes provisions that will expand protections for service members and make our country more secure,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill prioritizes the service members who put their lives on the line for our country, and it includes provisions that will expand health care for service members, help victims of sexual assault, and address brain-related health incidents. I’m also pleased to see that this bill expands my Cyber Service Academy scholarship program—which provides students with full scholarships in exchange for public service after school—and includes millions in funding for Fort Drum, Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, and other New York military installations.”
    A list of Senator Gillibrand’s priorities included in the FY2026 NDAA is below:
    Personnel: 
    Expanding access to sexual assault medical forensic examinations by requiring the Secretary of Defense to authorize military medical treatment facilities to provide sexual assault medical forensic examinations to all victims, not just victims who are eligible for military health care.   
    Bolstering OBGYN care at Fort Drum by directing a briefing on the adequacy and sufficiency of OBGYN care for TRICARE beneficiaries in the installation’s vicinity.
    Protecting service members’ brain health by conducting blast exposure monitoring within Special Operations Command. 
    Helping victims of anomalous health incidents by encouraging the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide the cross-functional team addressing anomalous health incidents (AHIs) with adequate resources to continue its efforts, particularly treatment of those affected by AHIs, and by ensuring timely compensation under the Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act of 2021. 
    Cyber: 
    In the FY2023 NDAA, Gillibrand created the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program to address the widespread shortage in government cyber personnel. The program grants students a full scholarship in return for public service in a cyber-related discipline in DoD or the Intelligence Community. Successful applicants are provided a scholarship covering the full cost of tuition, select books and fees, a stipend, purchase of a laptop, and more. The following Cyber Service Academy provisions were included in this year’s NDAA:
    Funding to roughly double the number of scholarships available through the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program.
    Encouraging DoD to expand eligibility for the scholarship to freshmen and sophomores.
    Other cyber provisions:
    $10 million in additional funding for the Critical Infrastructure Defense Analysis Center (CIDAC), which works to identify DoD’s reliance on critical infrastructure such as power grids, water treatment, and telecommunications infrastructure and improve DoD’s resiliency against potential cyber and kinetic attacks by adversaries.
    Requires the development of implementation plans for the creation of Joint Task Force-Cyber elements across the geographic combatant commands, starting with United States Indo-Pacific Command, that would have operational control over cyber forces in their areas of operations. This will better align operational control of cyber forces worldwide to better support combatant commanders.
    New York Priorities: 
    Senator Gillibrand secured millions in funding for New York institutions in the NDAA, including: 
    $90 million for the 42nd Infantry Division Headquarters Readiness Center, which will also clear the way for separate investments and construction at Watervliet Arsenal.
    $300 million for LC-130J aircraft, and an additional $70 million for LC-130J non-recurring engineering, which enables the NY Air National Guard to prepare the aircraft for Arctic conditions
    $54 million for the Combined Operations Facility at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station
    $31 million for the Fort Hamilton Child Development Center 
    $21 million for the planning and design of future construction projects at Fort Drum:
    $9.8 for Fort Drum aircraft maintenance hangar addition design
    $8.7 million for Fort Drum Operational Readiness Training Center barracks design.  
    $2.5 million for Fort Drum Range 41c, Automated Record Fire Plus range design

    Strategic Forces: 
    $500 million for Israeli Missile Defense Cooperative Programs such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow. 
    Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs):
    Secured language to update congressional briefing requirements for UAP.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Slams Attempt To Loosen Rail Safety Requirements, Calls On Federal Railroad Administration To Maintain Strong Safety Standards

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Proposed Loosened Requirements Could Increase Risk Of Derailments, Spillage Of Dangerous Materials Like Crude Oil
    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, is expressing concern about an attempt to reduce track inspections and otherwise loosen rail safety requirements. She is calling on the Federal Railroad Administration to maintain its commitment to strong safety standards.
    If approved, the waiver would reduce the frequency of visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct from twice a week to twice a month. They would also extend the time allowed to address identified track defects from immediately to a delay of up to three days. This means that passenger trains and trains carrying hazardous materials could be permitted to travel over tracks with known safety issues for as long as three days before repairs are made.
    “Throughout New York and across the country, frequent inspections are vital to rail safety and efficiency. Although new safety technologies should be utilized whenever possible, we must ensure that we do not become overly reliant on new technologies and compromise existing, necessary safety practices,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am very concerned that this proposal would reduce the quality of track inspections and slow the repair of track defects. I urge the administration to deny this request, and I will continue to fight to increase the safety, efficiency, and reliability of rail systems across the country.”
    A full copy of the letter can be found here or below.
    Dear Mr. Feeley: 
    We write to express our concerns with a proposal from the Association of American Railroads to reduce track inspections and lessen requirements to repair track safety defects. The Biden Administration made rail safety a priority, and last year the freight railroad derailment rate decreased by 18 percent, the greatest reduction in the derailment rate in 40 years. We look forward to working with you to continue this downward trend.
    We are supportive of the deployment of advanced safety technologies; but the Federal Railroad Administration should take care not to allow railroads to become overly reliant on technology. AAR on behalf of the Class I railroads, is seeking a waiver to loosen track safety inspection and repair requirements in exchange for deploying automated track inspection (ATI) technology. We know automated track inspection technology works; it has been around since the 1970s. Last year, the Biden Administration proposed requiring railroads to use this important safety technology. However, we are concerned that the exemptions from safety requirements the railroads are seeking could increase risks.
    The waiver requests a decrease in the visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct, from twice a week to twice a month. While automated track inspection technology is more effective at identifying track geometry defects, there are other safety issues that visual inspections may identify that automated track inspections may not. In fact, track inspectors are trained to look for 17 other kinds of track safety issues, other than track geometry issues, that could cause derailments, including broken rail ties, missing track spikes, and obstructions in the right of way that a train could hit. The waiver does not explain how reducing railroads’ obligation to check for the track issues that ATI technology cannot detect by up to 75 percent will reduce derailments.
    Additionally, the waiver requests railroads that use ATI machines be allowed to take up to 72 hours to address a track safety defect once it is identified. Currently, if a human inspector finds a track defect, the track must be fixed immediately, or other remedial action must be taken, such as slowing the speed of trains on the track. If approved, this waiver would allow passenger trains and trains carrying crude oil, vinyl chloride, benzene, and other hazardous materials to travel over track with a known safety issue for up to three days. The waiver does not explain how slowing remediation response times for track safety defects will improve safety.
    The National Transportation Safety Board has also expressed concerns with over relying on this technology. In its investigation of a September 2021 Amtrak Empire Train derailment on BNSF track in Joplin, Montana, the independent investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board stated that automated track inspections “do not capture the diverse array of unique track hazards detectable to human inspectors.” The report went further and said they “should not be used to supplant an inspector physically examining a track.[2]” We are concerned that the AAR’s proposal would do just that, reducing the inspections for all track safety issues that are currently inspected by humans in exchange for potentially improving the inspection of track geometry issues. 
    For these reasons, we request that you deny the Association of American Railroads’ request to waive track safety requirements and rather finalize the Biden Administration’s proposal to require railroads to use automated track inspection technology.
     Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Slams Attempt To Loosen Rail Safety Requirements, Calls On Federal Railroad Administration To Maintain Strong Safety Standards

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Proposed Loosened Requirements Could Increase Risk Of Derailments, Spillage Of Dangerous Materials Like Crude Oil
    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, is expressing concern about an attempt to reduce track inspections and otherwise loosen rail safety requirements. She is calling on the Federal Railroad Administration to maintain its commitment to strong safety standards.
    If approved, the waiver would reduce the frequency of visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct from twice a week to twice a month. They would also extend the time allowed to address identified track defects from immediately to a delay of up to three days. This means that passenger trains and trains carrying hazardous materials could be permitted to travel over tracks with known safety issues for as long as three days before repairs are made.
    “Throughout New York and across the country, frequent inspections are vital to rail safety and efficiency. Although new safety technologies should be utilized whenever possible, we must ensure that we do not become overly reliant on new technologies and compromise existing, necessary safety practices,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am very concerned that this proposal would reduce the quality of track inspections and slow the repair of track defects. I urge the administration to deny this request, and I will continue to fight to increase the safety, efficiency, and reliability of rail systems across the country.”
    A full copy of the letter can be found here or below.
    Dear Mr. Feeley: 
    We write to express our concerns with a proposal from the Association of American Railroads to reduce track inspections and lessen requirements to repair track safety defects. The Biden Administration made rail safety a priority, and last year the freight railroad derailment rate decreased by 18 percent, the greatest reduction in the derailment rate in 40 years. We look forward to working with you to continue this downward trend.
    We are supportive of the deployment of advanced safety technologies; but the Federal Railroad Administration should take care not to allow railroads to become overly reliant on technology. AAR on behalf of the Class I railroads, is seeking a waiver to loosen track safety inspection and repair requirements in exchange for deploying automated track inspection (ATI) technology. We know automated track inspection technology works; it has been around since the 1970s. Last year, the Biden Administration proposed requiring railroads to use this important safety technology. However, we are concerned that the exemptions from safety requirements the railroads are seeking could increase risks.
    The waiver requests a decrease in the visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct, from twice a week to twice a month. While automated track inspection technology is more effective at identifying track geometry defects, there are other safety issues that visual inspections may identify that automated track inspections may not. In fact, track inspectors are trained to look for 17 other kinds of track safety issues, other than track geometry issues, that could cause derailments, including broken rail ties, missing track spikes, and obstructions in the right of way that a train could hit. The waiver does not explain how reducing railroads’ obligation to check for the track issues that ATI technology cannot detect by up to 75 percent will reduce derailments.
    Additionally, the waiver requests railroads that use ATI machines be allowed to take up to 72 hours to address a track safety defect once it is identified. Currently, if a human inspector finds a track defect, the track must be fixed immediately, or other remedial action must be taken, such as slowing the speed of trains on the track. If approved, this waiver would allow passenger trains and trains carrying crude oil, vinyl chloride, benzene, and other hazardous materials to travel over track with a known safety issue for up to three days. The waiver does not explain how slowing remediation response times for track safety defects will improve safety.
    The National Transportation Safety Board has also expressed concerns with over relying on this technology. In its investigation of a September 2021 Amtrak Empire Train derailment on BNSF track in Joplin, Montana, the independent investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board stated that automated track inspections “do not capture the diverse array of unique track hazards detectable to human inspectors.” The report went further and said they “should not be used to supplant an inspector physically examining a track.[2]” We are concerned that the AAR’s proposal would do just that, reducing the inspections for all track safety issues that are currently inspected by humans in exchange for potentially improving the inspection of track geometry issues. 
    For these reasons, we request that you deny the Association of American Railroads’ request to waive track safety requirements and rather finalize the Biden Administration’s proposal to require railroads to use automated track inspection technology.
     Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Slams Attempt To Loosen Rail Safety Requirements, Calls On Federal Railroad Administration To Maintain Strong Safety Standards

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Proposed Loosened Requirements Could Increase Risk Of Derailments, Spillage Of Dangerous Materials Like Crude Oil

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, is expressing concern about an attempt to reduce track inspections and otherwise loosen rail safety requirements. She is calling on the Federal Railroad Administration to maintain its commitment to strong safety standards.

    If approved, the waiver would reduce the frequency of visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct from twice a week to twice a month. They would also extend the time allowed to address identified track defects from immediately to a delay of up to three days. This means that passenger trains and trains carrying hazardous materials could be permitted to travel over tracks with known safety issues for as long as three days before repairs are made.

    “Throughout New York and across the country, frequent inspections are vital to rail safety and efficiency. Although new safety technologies should be utilized whenever possible, we must ensure that we do not become overly reliant on new technologies and compromise existing, necessary safety practices,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am very concerned that this proposal would reduce the quality of track inspections and slow the repair of track defects. I urge the administration to deny this request, and I will continue to fight to increase the safety, efficiency, and reliability of rail systems across the country.”

    A full copy of the letter can be found here or below.

    Dear Mr. Feeley: 

    We write to express our concerns with a proposal from the Association of American Railroads to reduce track inspections and lessen requirements to repair track safety defects. The Biden Administration made rail safety a priority, and last year the freight railroad derailment rate decreased by 18 percent, the greatest reduction in the derailment rate in 40 years. We look forward to working with you to continue this downward trend.

    We are supportive of the deployment of advanced safety technologies; but the Federal Railroad Administration should take care not to allow railroads to become overly reliant on technology. AAR on behalf of the Class I railroads, is seeking a waiver to loosen track safety inspection and repair requirements in exchange for deploying automated track inspection (ATI) technology. We know automated track inspection technology works; it has been around since the 1970s. Last year, the Biden Administration proposed requiring railroads to use this important safety technology. However, we are concerned that the exemptions from safety requirements the railroads are seeking could increase risks.

    The waiver requests a decrease in the visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct, from twice a week to twice a month. While automated track inspection technology is more effective at identifying track geometry defects, there are other safety issues that visual inspections may identify that automated track inspections may not. In fact, track inspectors are trained to look for 17 other kinds of track safety issues, other than track geometry issues, that could cause derailments, including broken rail ties, missing track spikes, and obstructions in the right of way that a train could hit. The waiver does not explain how reducing railroads’ obligation to check for the track issues that ATI technology cannot detect by up to 75 percent will reduce derailments.

    Additionally, the waiver requests railroads that use ATI machines be allowed to take up to 72 hours to address a track safety defect once it is identified. Currently, if a human inspector finds a track defect, the track must be fixed immediately, or other remedial action must be taken, such as slowing the speed of trains on the track. If approved, this waiver would allow passenger trains and trains carrying crude oil, vinyl chloride, benzene, and other hazardous materials to travel over track with a known safety issue for up to three days. The waiver does not explain how slowing remediation response times for track safety defects will improve safety.

    The National Transportation Safety Board has also expressed concerns with over relying on this technology. In its investigation of a September 2021 Amtrak Empire Train derailment on BNSF track in Joplin, Montana, the independent investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board stated that automated track inspections “do not capture the diverse array of unique track hazards detectable to human inspectors.” The report went further and said they “should not be used to supplant an inspector physically examining a track.[2]” We are concerned that the AAR’s proposal would do just that, reducing the inspections for all track safety issues that are currently inspected by humans in exchange for potentially improving the inspection of track geometry issues. 

    For these reasons, we request that you deny the Association of American Railroads’ request to waive track safety requirements and rather finalize the Biden Administration’s proposal to require railroads to use automated track inspection technology.

     Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Slams Attempt To Loosen Rail Safety Requirements, Calls On Federal Railroad Administration To Maintain Strong Safety Standards

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Proposed Loosened Requirements Could Increase Risk Of Derailments, Spillage Of Dangerous Materials Like Crude Oil

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee, is expressing concern about an attempt to reduce track inspections and otherwise loosen rail safety requirements. She is calling on the Federal Railroad Administration to maintain its commitment to strong safety standards.

    If approved, the waiver would reduce the frequency of visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct from twice a week to twice a month. They would also extend the time allowed to address identified track defects from immediately to a delay of up to three days. This means that passenger trains and trains carrying hazardous materials could be permitted to travel over tracks with known safety issues for as long as three days before repairs are made.

    “Throughout New York and across the country, frequent inspections are vital to rail safety and efficiency. Although new safety technologies should be utilized whenever possible, we must ensure that we do not become overly reliant on new technologies and compromise existing, necessary safety practices,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am very concerned that this proposal would reduce the quality of track inspections and slow the repair of track defects. I urge the administration to deny this request, and I will continue to fight to increase the safety, efficiency, and reliability of rail systems across the country.”

    A full copy of the letter can be found here or below.

    Dear Mr. Feeley: 

    We write to express our concerns with a proposal from the Association of American Railroads to reduce track inspections and lessen requirements to repair track safety defects. The Biden Administration made rail safety a priority, and last year the freight railroad derailment rate decreased by 18 percent, the greatest reduction in the derailment rate in 40 years. We look forward to working with you to continue this downward trend.

    We are supportive of the deployment of advanced safety technologies; but the Federal Railroad Administration should take care not to allow railroads to become overly reliant on technology. AAR on behalf of the Class I railroads, is seeking a waiver to loosen track safety inspection and repair requirements in exchange for deploying automated track inspection (ATI) technology. We know automated track inspection technology works; it has been around since the 1970s. Last year, the Biden Administration proposed requiring railroads to use this important safety technology. However, we are concerned that the exemptions from safety requirements the railroads are seeking could increase risks.

    The waiver requests a decrease in the visual track inspections that railroads are required to conduct, from twice a week to twice a month. While automated track inspection technology is more effective at identifying track geometry defects, there are other safety issues that visual inspections may identify that automated track inspections may not. In fact, track inspectors are trained to look for 17 other kinds of track safety issues, other than track geometry issues, that could cause derailments, including broken rail ties, missing track spikes, and obstructions in the right of way that a train could hit. The waiver does not explain how reducing railroads’ obligation to check for the track issues that ATI technology cannot detect by up to 75 percent will reduce derailments.

    Additionally, the waiver requests railroads that use ATI machines be allowed to take up to 72 hours to address a track safety defect once it is identified. Currently, if a human inspector finds a track defect, the track must be fixed immediately, or other remedial action must be taken, such as slowing the speed of trains on the track. If approved, this waiver would allow passenger trains and trains carrying crude oil, vinyl chloride, benzene, and other hazardous materials to travel over track with a known safety issue for up to three days. The waiver does not explain how slowing remediation response times for track safety defects will improve safety.

    The National Transportation Safety Board has also expressed concerns with over relying on this technology. In its investigation of a September 2021 Amtrak Empire Train derailment on BNSF track in Joplin, Montana, the independent investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board stated that automated track inspections “do not capture the diverse array of unique track hazards detectable to human inspectors.” The report went further and said they “should not be used to supplant an inspector physically examining a track.[2]” We are concerned that the AAR’s proposal would do just that, reducing the inspections for all track safety issues that are currently inspected by humans in exchange for potentially improving the inspection of track geometry issues. 

    For these reasons, we request that you deny the Association of American Railroads’ request to waive track safety requirements and rather finalize the Biden Administration’s proposal to require railroads to use automated track inspection technology.

     Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Joins Amicus Brief Opposing Trump’s Unconstitutional Dismantling of Department of Education

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    Trump’s Dismantling Of Department Of Education Puts In Jeopardy Critical Funding For Schools, Will Lead To Worse Outcomes For Students
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) has joined her colleagues in Congress in filing an amicus brief in a lawsuit urging a federal court to stop Donald Trump from shutting down the U.S. Department of Education. The lawsuit argues that the President does not have the power to eliminate a government agency that Congress created, and that only Congress can make such a decision. The effort comes in response to actions by the Trump Administration to fire staff, cancel programs, and move key education functions to other parts of the government.
    “Donald Trump’s attempt to dismantle the Department of Education is not only unconstitutional—it’s a direct attack on students and teachers in Nevada who depend on its programs and funding to support our schools,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to join this legal effort to fight back against Trump’s actions and ensure the federal government fulfills its responsibility to support public education, teachers, and students.”
    Senator Rosen has consistently fought to protect and strengthen public education. In March, she spoke out forcefully against President Trump’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education, calling it “an illegal, irresponsible attack on students and families” and warning of its harmful impact on Nevada schools. In April, she also condemned the Trump Administration’s proposal to eliminate Head Start funding, calling the cuts “outrageous and cruel” and pledging to defend early childhood education programs that help Nevada families thrive. In addition, Senator Rosen helped introduce legislation to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), ensuring students with disabilities receive the support and resources they are legally entitled to in the classroom.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Press Trump Administration on Weaponizing Immigration Hearings to Trap, Arrest, Deport Immigrants

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    July 15, 2025

    The Trump administration has been terminating immigration court cases and deporting individuals without due process.

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both D-Ore., said today they have joined a group of 21 Senate Democrats in pressing the Trump administration on its recent initiatives to weaponize immigration court hearings by terminating those cases and deporting people without due process.

    In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons, the senators condemned these actions as an affront to constitutionally-mandated due process.

    “We are extremely concerned by reports of a recent initiative to arrest and detain noncitizens at their immigration court hearings, and in many cases, dismiss their immigration cases without advance notice and while hiding the government’s intent to arrest them,” the senators wrote, citing recent reporting of the Trump administration’s inhumane initiatives. “These actions prevent noncitizens from having their fair day in court and raise serious legal and due process concerns.” 

    The senators wrote that the Trump administration’s actions place noncitizens in an impossible position. 

    “If noncitizens who fear arrest do not attend their immigration court hearing, they may receive an in absentia removal order that will newly subject them to swift detention and removal,” they wrote. “If they do attend, they risk arrest, detention, and a swift deportation, possibly to South Sudan, Libya, or El Salvador — countries they may have no connection to. This manipulation of existing laws to enact this Administration’s mass deportation agenda is creating chaos in our immigration system while doing nothing to make our communities safer.”

    In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the letter was led by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. It was signed by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Chris Coons, D-Del., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Andy Kim, D-N.J., Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

    The text of the letter is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Rosen Demand Trump Administration Release Nearly $7 Billion for K-12 Education

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) in a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon demanding answers over the Trump administration’s decision to withhold nearly $7 billion in federal funding for K-12 public schools, including more than $60 million for schools in Nevada. The Senators urged the Department to restore the funding and provide clarity for schools and educators.

    “These funds, which represent longstanding investments in K–12 education, support a wide range of priorities such as teacher recruitment, after-school programs, English learner instruction, school-based mental health services, and academic enrichment,” the Senators wrote. “Withholding funds for these important programs will disrupt essential services and undermine the support structures that students, families, and educators rely on every day.”

    On July 1, schools across the country reported they were unable to access their federal funding after the Department of Education abruptly froze nearly $7 billion in grants, even though the funds were appropriated by Congress and already factored into school budgets. The lack of clarity has left schools scrambling just weeks before the new school year begins, forcing districts to delay staffing decisions, scale back programs, and reconsider essential student support services. 

    In Nevada, affected programs include after-school programs, English-learner services, professional development, and migrant education. At least fourteen percent of Nevada students are English-Language Learners.

    “Federal education programs play a crucial role in advancing equity and expanding opportunity, especially for students from low-income and historically underserved communities,” the Senators continued. “With learning gaps widening and student needs growing more complex, limiting access to these resources risks deepening disparities and undermining progress across the education system.”

    “Congress has a constitutional responsibility to appropriate federal education funds, and it is essential that those funds are administered transparently and in accordance with federal law. We urge the Department to work with school districts to provide clarity, minimize disruption, and ensure that critical educational services remain accessible to the students who need them most,” the Senators concluded. 

    Read the full letter here.

    Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have pushed multiple Departments under the Trump Administration for detailed, public information regarding the impacts of President Trump’s federal funding freeze, hiring freeze, and terminations on Nevada – including to the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Agriculture, General Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, and Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. The Senators have also pushed back against cuts that hurt students and families in need across Nevada, including to Sierra Nevada Job Corps, mental health grant funding, and food and nutrition programs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SIGNED: Cortez Masto’s Legislation to Create Jobs at Apex Industrial Park in North Las Vegas

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, President Trump signed Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s (D-Nev.) bill to create thousands of new jobs at North Las Vegas’ Apex Industrial Park into law. The Apex Area Technical Corrections Act would allow new and existing businesses at Apex to expand without going through a burdensome permitting process for basic utilities and infrastructure.
    “I am proud to have worked with my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to deliver real solutions for Southern Nevadans,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Now that President Trump has signed my bill into law, businesses in North Las Vegas will have more opportunities to innovate, expand, and create good-paying jobs.”
    “The City of North Las Vegas strongly supports the Apex Area Technical Corrections Act,” said North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown. “This act fast tracks infrastructure development that will lead to quality jobs. In the past, securing BLM rights-of-way for roads, water, power, and other utilities took years for each individual use which delayed progress and investment. This legislation allows for a unified, streamlined process that will save time, reduce redundancy, and unlock Apex’s full potential without compromising environmental review or agency oversight. We thank Senator Cortez Masto and Congressman Horsford for championing this commonsense solution and look forward to continued collaboration to grow our economy and deliver results for North Las Vegas and the region.”
    “The Apex Owners and stakeholders have worked tirelessly with Senator Cortez Masto and the City of North Las Vegas to modernize the Apex Act and streamline the BLM permitting process,” said Lisa Cole, Esq., In-house Counsel and Vice President of Land Development Associates, LLC. “Previously, each road and utility right-of-way could take 1 to 3 years to secure per project even when in the same location. The Apex Area Technical Corrections Act is a major breakthrough that allows one consolidated permit, saving years while preserving environmental and federal oversight. We’re deeply grateful to Senator Cortez Masto and Congressman Horsford for their leadership in making this long-overdue fix a reality.”
    The Apex Area Technical Corrections Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Steven Horsford (D-Nev.04), where it was passed in May. In June, Senator Cortez Masto successfully passed the bill in the Senate by unanimous consent. Senator Cortez Masto first introduced this legislation in 2023.
    Senator Cortez Masto has worked across the board to strengthen and diversify Nevada’s economy and create new jobs by passing legislation to upgrade American infrastructure, support Nevada’s manufacturing industry, and invest in Nevada’s booming clean-energy economy. She has consistently supported programs and grants that provide job training to young Nevadans so they can access good-paying jobs without a four-year degree.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SIGNED: Cortez Masto’s Legislation to Create Jobs at Apex Industrial Park in North Las Vegas

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, President Trump signed Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s (D-Nev.) bill to create thousands of new jobs at North Las Vegas’ Apex Industrial Park into law. The Apex Area Technical Corrections Act would allow new and existing businesses at Apex to expand without going through a burdensome permitting process for basic utilities and infrastructure.
    “I am proud to have worked with my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to deliver real solutions for Southern Nevadans,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Now that President Trump has signed my bill into law, businesses in North Las Vegas will have more opportunities to innovate, expand, and create good-paying jobs.”
    “The City of North Las Vegas strongly supports the Apex Area Technical Corrections Act,” said North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown. “This act fast tracks infrastructure development that will lead to quality jobs. In the past, securing BLM rights-of-way for roads, water, power, and other utilities took years for each individual use which delayed progress and investment. This legislation allows for a unified, streamlined process that will save time, reduce redundancy, and unlock Apex’s full potential without compromising environmental review or agency oversight. We thank Senator Cortez Masto and Congressman Horsford for championing this commonsense solution and look forward to continued collaboration to grow our economy and deliver results for North Las Vegas and the region.”
    “The Apex Owners and stakeholders have worked tirelessly with Senator Cortez Masto and the City of North Las Vegas to modernize the Apex Act and streamline the BLM permitting process,” said Lisa Cole, Esq., In-house Counsel and Vice President of Land Development Associates, LLC. “Previously, each road and utility right-of-way could take 1 to 3 years to secure per project even when in the same location. The Apex Area Technical Corrections Act is a major breakthrough that allows one consolidated permit, saving years while preserving environmental and federal oversight. We’re deeply grateful to Senator Cortez Masto and Congressman Horsford for their leadership in making this long-overdue fix a reality.”
    The Apex Area Technical Corrections Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Steven Horsford (D-Nev.04), where it was passed in May. In June, Senator Cortez Masto successfully passed the bill in the Senate by unanimous consent. Senator Cortez Masto first introduced this legislation in 2023.
    Senator Cortez Masto has worked across the board to strengthen and diversify Nevada’s economy and create new jobs by passing legislation to upgrade American infrastructure, support Nevada’s manufacturing industry, and invest in Nevada’s booming clean-energy economy. She has consistently supported programs and grants that provide job training to young Nevadans so they can access good-paying jobs without a four-year degree.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SIGNED: Cortez Masto’s Legislation to Create Jobs at Apex Industrial Park in North Las Vegas

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, President Trump signed Senator Catherine Cortez Masto’s (D-Nev.) bill to create thousands of new jobs at North Las Vegas’ Apex Industrial Park into law. The Apex Area Technical Corrections Act would allow new and existing businesses at Apex to expand without going through a burdensome permitting process for basic utilities and infrastructure.
    “I am proud to have worked with my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to deliver real solutions for Southern Nevadans,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Now that President Trump has signed my bill into law, businesses in North Las Vegas will have more opportunities to innovate, expand, and create good-paying jobs.”
    “The City of North Las Vegas strongly supports the Apex Area Technical Corrections Act,” said North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown. “This act fast tracks infrastructure development that will lead to quality jobs. In the past, securing BLM rights-of-way for roads, water, power, and other utilities took years for each individual use which delayed progress and investment. This legislation allows for a unified, streamlined process that will save time, reduce redundancy, and unlock Apex’s full potential without compromising environmental review or agency oversight. We thank Senator Cortez Masto and Congressman Horsford for championing this commonsense solution and look forward to continued collaboration to grow our economy and deliver results for North Las Vegas and the region.”
    “The Apex Owners and stakeholders have worked tirelessly with Senator Cortez Masto and the City of North Las Vegas to modernize the Apex Act and streamline the BLM permitting process,” said Lisa Cole, Esq., In-house Counsel and Vice President of Land Development Associates, LLC. “Previously, each road and utility right-of-way could take 1 to 3 years to secure per project even when in the same location. The Apex Area Technical Corrections Act is a major breakthrough that allows one consolidated permit, saving years while preserving environmental and federal oversight. We’re deeply grateful to Senator Cortez Masto and Congressman Horsford for their leadership in making this long-overdue fix a reality.”
    The Apex Area Technical Corrections Act was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Steven Horsford (D-Nev.04), where it was passed in May. In June, Senator Cortez Masto successfully passed the bill in the Senate by unanimous consent. Senator Cortez Masto first introduced this legislation in 2023.
    Senator Cortez Masto has worked across the board to strengthen and diversify Nevada’s economy and create new jobs by passing legislation to upgrade American infrastructure, support Nevada’s manufacturing industry, and invest in Nevada’s booming clean-energy economy. She has consistently supported programs and grants that provide job training to young Nevadans so they can access good-paying jobs without a four-year degree.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Home Depot Co-Founder Now “Sold on Trump”

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    Ken Langone, co-founder of The Home Depot, says he has “never been more excited about the future of America” than he is under President Donald J. Trump. In an interview on CNBC, Langone praised President Trump’s economic policies, leadership, and return of the American spirit.
    Here’s what you missed:
    On optimism: “If I told you how bullish I was, you wouldn’t believe it. I have never been more excited about the future of America than I am right now, right this minute, for a lot of reasons. Number one, like it or not, this guy is getting things done … He’s acting presidential. I’m impressed with the people he’s got around him.”
    On his past reluctance: “I am sold on Trump … I think he’s got a good shot at going down in history as one of our best presidents ever … What I’m seeing happening is absolutely nothing short of a great thing. People are walking with more bounce in their [step] — it’s all around … When you made a mistake, admit it.”
    On tariffs: “Initially, my concern was I don’t like tariffs; I like free trade. However, I think — damn it, give Trump credit. His instincts are good. Some of these things need to be fixed.”
    On the One Big Beautiful Bill: “I was worried about inflation and I was worried about the deficit. I think there’s a lot of merit to the notion that it’s going to trigger such significant economic growth that we might see tax revenues going up through the profitability bracket.”
    On foreign policy: “The world is a mess, but I think it’s coming more in our direction than it was. I think that strike in Iran had significant symbolic meaning for the world that America is here and when our interests are at risk, we’re going to do something about it.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Passes Tuberville Legislation to Protect American Fishermen from Cartels

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    Alabama lands 34 percent of all recreationally caught Red Snapper in the Gulf
    WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the U.S. Senate passed U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act to target cartel members who are illegally catching and smuggling red snapper and tuna imports into the country.
    “This is great news for our hardworking fishermen who have worked overtime to compete with Mexican cartels flooding our markets with illegal red snapper,” said Senator Tuberville. “It’s also a win for every American because it cuts off the cash flow to cartels, which have been terrorizing our communities. I’ll continue standing up for our fishermen and fighting to preserve the outdoor activities Alabamians enjoy.”
    The Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act would require the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop a standard methodology for identifying the country of origin of red snapper or tuna imported into the United States. Snapper poaching continues to be an issue across the Gulf of America, as Mexican fishermen illegally catch red snapper, smuggle it into their country, and then rip off American consumers by selling our fish back to us. 
    Full text of the legislation can be found here.
    BACKGROUND:
    Mexican fishermen cross the maritime border between Texas and Mexico on small boats called “lanchas” to illegally catch red snapper in U.S. waters and return to Mexico. The fish are sold in Mexico or mixed in with legally-caught red snapper then exported back into the United States across land borders. Red snapper is one of the most well-managed and profitable fish in the Gulf of America, but illegal fishing by Mexican lanchas puts law-abiding U.S. fishermen and seafood producers at a competitive disadvantage. Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities violate both national and international fishing regulations.
    Cartels engaged in drug smuggling and human trafficking also engage in the profitable illegal fishing of red snapper. The same fishing boats and fishermen who catch red snapper also smuggle drugs and humans for the cartels, and these profits support the organization.
    Technology exists to chemically test and find the geographic origin of many foods, but not for red snapper or tuna. With the help of machine learning, NIST scientists are currently able to chemically determine the geographic origin of foods, including strawberries, apples, cherries, ginseng, ginkgo, beef, honey, and rice. Using those same methodologies, these scientists believe it would be possible to determine the geographic origin of red snapper, allowing law enforcement to have a better understanding of the networks that support illegal fishing.
    The Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act would develop a field test kit the Coast Guard could use to accurately ascertain whether fish were caught in Mexico or U.S. waters, thus allowing federal and state law enforcement officers to identify the origin of the fish and confiscate illegally caught red snapper or tuna before it is imported back into the U.S. It would also reduce the financial incentives for the crime, since the fish could no longer be sold back into the United States. If successful, this method could be expanded to identify other IUU fish.
    MORE:
    Tuberville Takes Aim At Cartels Engaged in Illegal Red Snapper Fishing
    Tuberville Voices Concerns About New Federal Red Snapper Limits
    Tuberville, Colleagues Advocate for Management Flexibility to Preserve Red Snapper Season
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Britt Call for an End to Biden Labor Rule

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) in sending a letter to President Trump requesting his Administration rescind the Biden Administration’s final rule mandating Project Labor Agreements for federal construction projects.

    “The nation’s builders union and nonunion alike deserve a level playing field where the American taxpayer gets the best value for their dollar and our workforce is free from unjust mandates. We respectfully request that you reverse this Biden administration policy and restore the long-established government neutrality in federal and federally assisted contracting,” wrote the Senators.

    On December 22, 2023, the Biden Administration published in the Federal Register the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council’s final rule, Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects. This applies to large-scale federal construction projects valued at $35 million and severely inhibits merit-based competition and cost taxpayers billions of dollars annually.

    Sens. Tuberville and Britt were joined by Sens. Jim Banks (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Ted Budd (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Justice (R-WV), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Todd Young (R-IN) in signing the letter. 

    Read full text of the letter here. 

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Cruz, Babin Bill to Make Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge Renaming Permanent Passes House

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36) released the following statements after their Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge Act, which would codify President Trump’s Executive Order renaming the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge near Houston, Texas, to the Jocelyn Nungaray National Refuge, passed the U.S. House of Representatives and now heads to the President’s desk:

    “Twelve-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray’s life was stolen from her by murderers who were wrongfully let into the country by the Biden-Harris administration, and we owe it to her and her family to ensure her legacy is never forgotten,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I am glad the House of Representatives passed my legislation to make President Trump’s renaming of the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Jocelyn’s honor permanent, and I look forward to the President signing it into law.”

    “Jocelyn Nungaray was brutally murdered by illegal aliens, an unspeakable crime which should have been prevented,” said Sen. Cruz. “We have a duty to honor her memory, and to bear witness alongside her family. I applaud my colleagues in the House for passing this which codifies President Trump’s order renaming the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge as the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge, and I look forward to President Trump signing it into law.”

    “Today’s vote is a step toward ensuring Jocelyn Nungaray is never forgotten,” said Rep. Babin. “This refuge will forever honor her bright spirit, her love for animals, and the beautiful life she should have been able to live. It also stands as a solemn reminder of the devastating cost of an open border — and our responsibility to prevent this kind of tragedy from ever happening again.”

    Background:

    On June 17, 2024, 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was brutally murdered in Houston, Texas. Two illegal aliens who were allegedly members of the Tren de Aragua gang have been charged with her murder. Jocelyn loved animals and, given the close proximity of her hometown of Houston, it is fitting that the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge be renamed in her honor.

    Located along the Texas Gulf Coast, the 39,000-acre refuge is a sanctuary for migratory birds and diverse wildlife. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System and plays a vital role in coastal conservation, public recreation, and environmental education. Now, it will also stand as a solemn tribute to Jocelyn’s memory and a symbol of the Trump administration’s commitment to protecting American communities. On March 4, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14229 to officially change the name from Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge to Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge. On March 7, 2025, the refuge was officially renamed after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s implementation order was signed. This legislation would ensure that this renaming cannot be overturned by a future administration by codifying the refuge’s new name into law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Touts Wins for Texans in One Big Beautiful Bill, Now Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) highlighted the wins for Texans included in the One Big Beautiful Bill, now law, such as preventing the largest tax hike in American history and bending the debt curve through work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents, and slammed Democrats for voting against his amendment that would have penalized states that give Medicaid benefits to illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

    “This legislation prevents hardworking taxpayers from facing the largest tax hike in American history.”

    “We also provided additional benefits to working parents by making sure that their Child Tax Credit wasn’t cut in half, and of course, the President promised no tax on tips and no tax on overtime for millions of middle-class families.” 

    “While this bill was not perfect – and certainly no piece of legislation ever is – it did make important reforms that will help us bend the curve of our debt trajectory.” 

    “We implemented work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents to receive means-tested programs, like Medicaid.”

     “I offered an amendment to the Big, Beautiful Bill that… would have penalized states from giving Medicaid benefits to illegal immigrants who were charged or convicted of serious crimes like murder, human trafficking, child abuse, or child pornography. 43 Democrats voted against that.” 

    “The Big, Beautiful Bill made good on his promise, and my promise, and the promise of many of us to take steps to secure our southern border and to protect and to support once again law enforcement rather than to make it impossible for them to do their job.” 

    “The Big, Beautiful Bill includes provisions to reimburse states like Texas for their efforts to do the federal government’s job, the one the federal government simply refused to do under the Biden-Harris administration.” 

    “During the last four years, Texas – because of our 1,200-mile common border with Mexico – has particularly suffered under President Biden and DHS Secretary Mayorkas’ reckless, open-border policies.”

    “This legislation is an important step in correcting the previous administration’s costly, and in some cases, deadly errors.” 

    “I was disheartened, disappointed, but not surprised frankly that our Democratic colleagues voted to block the bill, preferring instead I assume – since they offered no viable alternative – to foist that large tax increase on the American people, which would have amounted to a $2.6 trillion tax hike on households earning less than $400,000 a year.”

    “I’m glad they did not prevail, and I’m sure those taxpayers agree.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 15th, 2025 Heinrich, Luján Demand Answers on Trump Admin Re-Adding Medical Debt onto Credit Reports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D- Mass.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and 24 other Senators in pushing the Trump administration for answers regarding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) decision to vacate the medical debt rule finalized in January 2025. The letter demands CFPB share any data the agency relied on in deciding to petition a court to vacate the rule and any communications it had with entities during the process that would profit from its decision.

    “On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with collection agencies that stand to profit from it,” the Senators said.

    “Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts…Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care,” they continued.

    At the conclusion of the letter, the Senators emphasize the need for transparency into the agency’s decision-making process.

    “On April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it – lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry,” the Senators closed.

    In addition to Senators Heinrich, Luján, Warnock, Warren, Schumer, and Merkley, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Angus King (I-Maine), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawii), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).

    Read the full letter HERE, and the text is below.

    Dear Acting Director Vought,

    On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with debt collection agencies that stand to profit from it.

    Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts. One major credit scoring company, VantageScore, has stoppedusing medical debt in its newer models entirely. Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care. People often receive collection notices for debts they did not owe, in the wrong amount, or that should have been covered by insurance—but still end up experiencing long-lasting damage to their credit scores.

    Listing medical debt on a person’s credit report drives down their credit score, which hurts their ability to purchase a car, buy a home or rent an apartment, get utility service, start a business, or access other banking services. This has profound effects on families that can last generations. To make matters worse, medical debt is the most common reason debt collectors contact consumers; the debt collection industry makes one-fourth of its annual revenue from health care debt. Including medical debt on credit reports makes consumers more vulnerable to predatory debt collection practices.

    Medical debt on credit reports also blocks working families from access to credit that they would be able to repay.The CFPB found that people who had all their medical debts completely removed from their credit reports experienced an average credit score increase of 20 points, in some cases elevating families into a higher credit score tier.

    In response to growing data that medical debt is not a good indicator of creditworthiness, states across the country have acted to ban the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. And on January 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. The rule would remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of 15 million Americans, prohibit credit reporting companies from sharing medical debt information with lenders, and bar lenders from considering medical debt in underwriting decisions. It was designed to help the millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, by lowering costs and increasing access to affordable credit for working families without affecting the predictive value of their credit reports. The rule would also help reduce the effects of structural racism and other prejudices. People of color are disproportionately harmed by the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. Meanwhile, adults with a disability and new moms are more than twice as likely to carry medical debt.

    Despite the critical importance of the medical debt rule, on April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it—lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry, by July 28, 2025. We specifically request that CFPB publicly publish all data about how medical debt relates to key economic indicators, including:

    • Barriers to home and car ownership, including challenges getting loans or not being approved to rent or lease,

    We are particularly concerned about the outsize impact that medical debt has on the credit scores of seniors, veterans, new parents, people with disabilities, cancer patients and survivors, and small business owners.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 15th, 2025 Heinrich, Luján Demand Answers on Trump Admin Re-Adding Medical Debt onto Credit Reports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D- Mass.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and 24 other Senators in pushing the Trump administration for answers regarding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) decision to vacate the medical debt rule finalized in January 2025. The letter demands CFPB share any data the agency relied on in deciding to petition a court to vacate the rule and any communications it had with entities during the process that would profit from its decision.

    “On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with collection agencies that stand to profit from it,” the Senators said.

    “Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts…Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care,” they continued.

    At the conclusion of the letter, the Senators emphasize the need for transparency into the agency’s decision-making process.

    “On April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it – lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry,” the Senators closed.

    In addition to Senators Heinrich, Luján, Warnock, Warren, Schumer, and Merkley, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Angus King (I-Maine), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawii), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).

    Read the full letter HERE, and the text is below.

    Dear Acting Director Vought,

    On April 30, 2025, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked a court to vacate the agency’s recently released rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. We write to request the information you relied on in making that determination, including any communications with debt collection agencies that stand to profit from it.

    Medical debt collections information is often inaccurate, and studies show that it is not useful in determining a consumer’s ability to repay other debts. One major credit scoring company, VantageScore, has stoppedusing medical debt in its newer models entirely. Almost half of all medical bills contain at least one error, and almost half of nonprofit hospitals have routinely and mistakenly billed patients who were eligible for free or discounted care. People often receive collection notices for debts they did not owe, in the wrong amount, or that should have been covered by insurance—but still end up experiencing long-lasting damage to their credit scores.

    Listing medical debt on a person’s credit report drives down their credit score, which hurts their ability to purchase a car, buy a home or rent an apartment, get utility service, start a business, or access other banking services. This has profound effects on families that can last generations. To make matters worse, medical debt is the most common reason debt collectors contact consumers; the debt collection industry makes one-fourth of its annual revenue from health care debt. Including medical debt on credit reports makes consumers more vulnerable to predatory debt collection practices.

    Medical debt on credit reports also blocks working families from access to credit that they would be able to repay.The CFPB found that people who had all their medical debts completely removed from their credit reports experienced an average credit score increase of 20 points, in some cases elevating families into a higher credit score tier.

    In response to growing data that medical debt is not a good indicator of creditworthiness, states across the country have acted to ban the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. And on January 7, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a final rule to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. The rule would remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of 15 million Americans, prohibit credit reporting companies from sharing medical debt information with lenders, and bar lenders from considering medical debt in underwriting decisions. It was designed to help the millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, by lowering costs and increasing access to affordable credit for working families without affecting the predictive value of their credit reports. The rule would also help reduce the effects of structural racism and other prejudices. People of color are disproportionately harmed by the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports. Meanwhile, adults with a disability and new moms are more than twice as likely to carry medical debt.

    Despite the critical importance of the medical debt rule, on April 30, the CFPB filed a joint motion with the industry groups that oppose the rule, petitioning the court to vacate it—lining the pockets of corporations off the backs of American consumers. Given the substantial evidence that the CFPB’s rule was well-considered and would help consumers without reducing the accuracy of their credit scores, we write to request that the CFPB make public all information relied on by the agency in its decision to drop the rule, including any communications with the debt collection industry, by July 28, 2025. We specifically request that CFPB publicly publish all data about how medical debt relates to key economic indicators, including:

    • Barriers to home and car ownership, including challenges getting loans or not being approved to rent or lease,

    We are particularly concerned about the outsize impact that medical debt has on the credit scores of seniors, veterans, new parents, people with disabilities, cancer patients and survivors, and small business owners.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Rand Paul Introduces Bill to End Medicaid Payments for Illegal Aliens Immediately

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul

     

     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    July 14th, 2025

    Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

    Washington, D.C. –U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has introduced the Excluding Illegal Aliens from Medicaid Act, legislation to immediately end states’ practice of exploiting federal tax dollars to provide health benefits for illegal aliens. This legislation would also remove Medicaid eligibility for the influx of parolees admitted in the U.S. by former President Biden and Vice President Harris, effective immediately. Under the Excluding Illegal Aliens from Medicaid Act, the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) rate granted under Obamacare expansion would end for any state that provides Medicaid benefits to illegal aliens, forcing them to revert to the traditional cost-sharing rate. 

    Several states are still cashing in on Obamacare’s generous 90% federal Medicaid match while covering illegal aliens. This bill would close that loophole by revoking enhanced federal funding for any state that continues to cover those individuals on Medicaid.

    “The One Big Not-So-Beautiful Bill has been signed into law, but there’s a ridiculous delay until October 2026 before certain noncitizens are finally removed from Medicaid,” said Dr. Paul. “That’s unacceptable. Taxpayers should not pay for the healthcare of those people who are in the country illegally or not eligible for Medicaid.”

    A House companion bill is being introduced by Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL).

    “Medicaid should only be for American citizens, not those who intentionally break our laws. Several states are abusing loopholes in federal tax law to waste money on healthcare handouts for illegal aliens. Rewarding criminals with benefits paid for by law-abiding Americans is unfair, expensive, and flat-out wrong. That is why Senator Paul and I are fighting to keep Medicaid for Americans only,” said Representative Greg Steube (R-FL).

    Dr. Paul’s bill steps in to correct that mistake and make the policy effective immediately and end the generous federal subsidies for states supporting illegal immigrants.

    Read the bill HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –