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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cardin, Van Hollen, Trone Announce $7.7 Million for Airport Infrastructure Projects in Western Maryland

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maryland Ben Cardin

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressman David Trone (all D-Md.) announced $7,705,850 in federal funding for infrastructure and expansion projects at the Hagerstown Regional Airport and Garrett County Airport. The funding, provided through the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement Program and Airport Terminal Program, will increase the airports’ capacities to meet operational needs and safety standards.

    “Hagerstown Regional and Garrett County airports help connect Western Maryland with greater economic opportunity. We fought for these investments to provide both airports with resources to continue to serving Maryland’s businesses, residents, and visitors in the years to come,” said the lawmakers.

    The federal grants have been awarded as follows:

    • $6,786,262 to Hagerstown Regional Airport to remove a building and relocate fencing identified as obstructions by the FAA and to renovate and expand the existing terminal building to accommodate existing and projected airline passenger demand
    • $919,588 to Garrett County Airport to rehabilitate 7,300 square yards of the existing Terminal Apron pavement

    The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds various types of airport infrastructure projects across the country, including repairs and upgrades to runways, taxiways, airport signage, lighting and markings – all while creating thousands of good-paying, local jobs. The members have consistently fought to provide funds for airports and terminal operators, including through the fiscal year 2024 appropriations process, which makes $3.35 billion available from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and an additional $532 million from the general fund for AIP projects.

    The Airport Terminal Program was created in 2021 through the lawmakers’ efforts to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Funded at $1 billion in fiscal year 2024, the Airport Terminal Program supports safe, sustainable, and accessible airport terminals, on-airport rail access projects, and airport-owned airport traffic control towers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Presses Department of Justice on Failure to Hold TD Bank Executives Accountable, “Legal Gymnastics” That Allowed Bank to Escape “Death Penalty”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    October 31, 2024

    $670 million laundered through TD Bank

    “These charging decisions represent absurd legal gymnastics by DOJ that ultimately have allowed the bank and its top executives to avoid full responsibility for their actions. This is not an acceptable outcome.”

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, questioning them on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) “legal gymnastics” that allowed TD Bank to escape the bank death penalty — and DOJ’s failure thus far to hold any top executives accountable for egregious crimes. DOJ’s recent settlement with TD Bank over money laundering and other charges did not include any of the bank’s high-level executives, and appears to be intentionally structured so that the bank can escape the full scope of penalties for its failures.

    “The way that DOJ structured the plea agreement ensures that TD Bank will not face the full range of penalties that Congress has enacted for banks that engage in criminal money laundering,” wrote Senator Warren.

    Senator Warren noted that TD Bank’s crimes hurt hundreds of thousands of people. Top executives allowed the bank to act as a criminal slush fund, knowingly presiding over a criminally deficient anti-money laundering program while growing the bank such that its “risk profile increas(ed) significantly.”

    “These shocking failures enabled three separate money laundering syndicates to launder more than $670 million through the bank between 2019 and 2023. The magnitude of the dollar value of these illicit transactions is dwarfed only by the obviousness of the criminal activity,” wrote Senator Warren.

    The letter highlights past comments from Deputy Attorney General Monaco which emphasized the importance of “individual accountability” and the need to “identify the most serious wrongdoers, whether individuals or companies” and hold them accountable. Senator Warren noted that the TD Bank settlement does not meet DOJ’s own apparent standards.

    Though the penalties against TD Bank appropriately include an asset cap and a $3 billion fine, “(u)ntil and unless those executives who presided over TD Bank’s institutionalized money laundering are held accountable, banks will continue to factor enforcement fines into the cost of doing business, rather than approaching compliance with our money laundering laws with the seriousness it requires,” wrote Senator Warren.

    The structure of DOJ’s settlement also enables TD Bank to evade the full scope of bank regulators’ consequences for its misdeeds. Specifically, the charges shift responsibility for the hundreds of millions of dollars in money laundering from TD Bank to its holding company, which precludes the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) from invoking the bank “death penalty” provision.

    “These charging decisions represent absurd legal gymnastics by DOJ that ultimately have allowed the bank and its top executives to avoid full responsibility for their actions. This is not an acceptable outcome,” wrote Senator Warren.

    Senator Warren has fought to hold corporations and their executives accountable for lawbreaking:

    • In October 2024, Senators Warren and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, urging DOJ to investigate Boeing executives following years of promoting short-term profits over passenger safety. 
    • In October 2023, Senator Warren sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, calling on the DOJ to immediately reverse its newly unveiled “safe harbor” policy that would provide a get-out-of-jail-free card for mergers involving corporate white-collar criminals.
    • In August 2022, Senators Warren and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) sent a letter to Attorney General Garland and Deputy Attorney General Monaco urging DOJ to use its authority to ban corporations that commit misconduct from government contracting.
    • In May 2019, Senator Warren and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) released a new report: Rigged Justice 2.0: Government of the Billionaires, by the Billionaires, and for the Billionaires. The report is the second in a series on the failure of the federal government to hold corporate and white-collar criminals accountable and highlights how enforcement hit a 20-year low under the Trump administration.
    • In April 2019, Senator Warren introduced the Corporate Executive Accountability Act, which holds executives of large corporations criminally responsible when their companies commit crimes, harm large numbers of Americans through civil violations, or repeatedly violate federal law.
    • In March 2018, Senator Warren introduced the Ending Too Big to Jail Act to hold big bank executives accountable when the banks they lead break the law. 
    • In January 2016, Senator Warren released a report: Rigged Justice: How Weak Enforcement Lets Corporate Offenders Off Easy. The report highlights 20 of the most egregious civil and criminal cases during the past year in which federal settlements failed to require meaningful accountability to deter future wrongdoing and to protect taxpayers and families.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren Drops New Report on How Biden-Harris Admin and Congressional Democrats Saved Nearly 1.4 Million Teamsters’ and Other Union Pensions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    October 31, 2024
    New data from White House reveals that in Massachusetts alone, 35,000 union workers’ pensions were saved. 
    “Democrats will continue to fight to ensure all Americans can count on a secure retirement, including the benefits they have earned, from pensions to Social Security.”
    Report – Promises Made, Promises Kept: How Congressional Democrats and the Biden-Harris Administration Saved Nearly 1.4 Million Workers’ Pensions from Cuts (PDF)
    Boston, MA – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released a report detailing how the Biden-Harris administration, along with Congressional Democrats, saved the pensions of nearly 1.4 million Teamsters and other union members. 
    In Massachusetts alone, 35,000 workers and retirees have benefited from the pension protections championed by Senator Warren and included in ARPA. 
    In 2017, it became clear that union multiemployer pension plans (MPPs) for over a million workers were at risk of becoming insolvent due to problems stemming from the 2008 financial crisis and later exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, pension benefits could have been slashed by up to 98%.
    The Trump administration, with a Republican Congress, took no action to save the pensions. Instead, Senators Warren and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act to save these pension funds without cutting benefits.   
    In 2021, the Biden-Harris administration and Congressional Democrats passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), a relief package created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which included the Butch Lewis Act, securing the retirement benefits of union workers and retirees in MPP funds for 30 years without cutting the earned benefits of participants and beneficiaries
    ARPA provided a $68 billion investment to save the pensions of nearly 1.4 million union workers and retirees across America through 2051, with no cuts to earned benefits. Following the enactment of ARPA, severe pension cuts were reversed for over 80,000 union workers and retirees across 18 multiemployer plans. 
    “After giant hedge funds and big banks took down our economy and put pension funds at risk, Democrats stepped up to protect our union workers, ” said Senator Warren. “I fought hard alongside the Biden-Harris administration to ensure Massachusetts Teamsters and other union workers could continue to count on the retirement funds they earned.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: “HUGE DEAL”: Casey Delivers Federal Funds to “Revive” Scranton to New York Rail Service

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Pennsylvania Bob Casey
    The Keystone: Bob Casey and Matt Cartwright revive Scranton’s rail service to New York City
    FOX 43: Sen. Bob Casey secures nearly $9 million in funding to help restore Amtrak passenger rail service between Scranton and New York
    Scranton Times-Tribune: Casey, Cartwright announce $9M toward restoring passenger trains between Scranton and New York City
    Pocono Record: ‘Not study money’: Scranton-NYC Amtrak project gets $9 million for construction work
    WBRE: “The start of construction being announced is a huge deal”
    Washington, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) secured almost $9 million in federal funds to begin construction to bring back Amtrak passenger service between Scranton, PA and New York, NY. The funding was made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which Casey fought to pass. Casey has pushed to bring back the Scranton to New York rail line for his entire career in the Senate.
    Read excerpts of the coverage of the funding announcement below:
    The Keystone: Residents living in Northeastern Pennsylvania are one step closer to having a passenger rail connection to New York City. Sen Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania), along with Congressman Matt Cartwright (D-Lackawanna), announced $8.9 million in funding to restore rail service between Scranton and New York City…Casey began fighting for the restoration of the Lackawanna Cut-Off, a 28-mile stretch of track that fell into disrepair after rail service between Scranton and New York City halted in 1970, in 2008 when he sent a letter to Amtrak. After the passage of the Biden-Harris’ Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, Casey and Cartwright began pushing for the restoration of the rail line and they were able to deliver.
    WBRE: At the Scranton Trolley Museum, on Monday Congressman Matt Cartwright and Senator Bob Casey announced they secured nearly nine million dollars in federal funding to kick off long-needed railway rehabilitation and track improvements to the Lackawanna Cut-Off…The start of construction being announced is a huge deal. It’s taken decades of work to get to this point and now federal funding has secured the train is back on track.
    Scranton Times-Tribune:  The long-sought restoration of passenger rail service between Scranton and New York City through the Poconos and New Jersey advanced with a $9 million federal grant for bridge and rail line construction in Pennsylvania, officials announced Tuesday…the funding represents a milestone in the Amtrak project because it will finally result in construction…“The people of our region deserve this,” Casey said. “We’re going to finish this project no matter how long it takes us to do that.”
    ABC 16/WNEP: It’s been decades since passenger rail service ran through the city of Scranton…On Monday, another step was taken towards achieving that goal. Inside the Electric City Trolley Museum—U.S. Senator Bob Casey and U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright announced nearly 9 million dollars in federal funding to begin construction on the rail line that once connected the Big Apple and Scranton.
    Times Leader: The officials said that direct rail service between Scranton and New York could generate as much as $84 million in economic activity every year, according to an Amtrak study. “I have fought to restore rail service between Scranton and New York for my entire career in the Senate, and this investment from the infrastructure law means we are now closer than ever to making it a reality,” said Sen. Casey. “Passenger rail service to and from New York will be a game-changer for our region, meaning more family time, more economic investment, and more job opportunities.”
    FOX 43: Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright on Tuesday announced nearly $9 million in federal funding to begin construction that will bring back Amtrak passenger rail service between Scranton and New York City…Casey and Cartwright have spent their careers in Congress advocating to restore rail service between Scranton and New York. In 2008, Casey began leading the charge in the Senate to implement a passenger service between Scranton and New York.
    Pocono Record: The effort to restore passenger rail between Scranton and New York City has received $9 million toward construction, officials announced Tuesday…“This is a nice day to celebrate, but we’re going to get more money. We’re going to finish this project, no matter how long it takes us to do that,” U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said. Multiple speakers noted the importance of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021 in providing funds for this project.
    WVIA: Scranton’s decades-long dream of renewed rail service to New York City will soon take a key step forward thanks to nearly $9 million in federal infrastructure funding. Tuesday was a day to talk about trains, and how $8,958,919 in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant money will be used to upgrade railroad infrastructure along the Pennsylvania segment of the right-of-way, including a bridge and thousands of railroad ties…Both Cartwright and Casey have long been active supporters of renewed rail service, which officials say could be up and running as early as 2028 or 2029.
    FOX 56/WOLF TV: U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8) announced millions in federal funding to begin construction to bring back Amtrak passenger rail service between Scranton and New York. The award, totaling $8,958,919,will kick off long-needed railway rehabilitation and track improvements to begin the process of restoring service between the communities via the Lackawanna Cut-Off, officials said.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Announces $24 Million in LIHEAP Aid to Help RIers Lower Home Energy Bills

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to help some of the nation’s most vulnerable households pay their home energy bills, the Biden-Harris Administration today released $3.71 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), including $24,063,792 for Rhode Island.  Even as the U.S. has become the largest oil producer in the world, colder winters in the Northeast mean the demand for LIHEAP is high.  The federally funded program is a crucial lifeline that helps low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes afford their energy bills, including those who use natural gas, propane, electricity, and home heating oil. 
    U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a leading member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a Congressional champion for LIHEAP, cheered the release of funds and says it will allow states to provide funds to support income eligible households with utility costs.
    Earlier this month, Reed joined Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in leading a bipartisan call for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release LIHEAP funds as swiftly and at the highest level possible.
    “This federal funding will help keep vulnerable Rhode Islanders safe and healthy through targeted initiatives that lower utility bills.  It will ease the energy cost burden for low-income residents, who pay a higher proportion of household income to heat their homes when cold winter weather hits.  Nobody should have to choose between affording needed medication or having their heat turned off.  LIHEAP is a real lifeline that has proven to make a real positive difference for so many Rhode Islanders,” said Senator Reed, who helped provide a total of $4.1 billion for LIHEAP in fiscal year 2024, with $4 billion through appropriations and $100 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds. 
    Under the short-term “continuing resolution” funding package that President Biden signed into law in September, HHS is able to advance states’ funding equal to 90 percent of their FY24 allocation.
    Rhode Islanders wishing to apply for LIHEAP may go to the Rhode Island Department of Human Services website to get more information and links to an online application.  Or, Rhode Islanders may contact their local Community Action Agency.  Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on several factors, including income, household size, and the availability of resources.
    Nationwide, an estimated 5.1 million households received assistance with heating and cooling costs through LIHEAP in the last fiscal year.
    Older Americans on fixed incomes and those receiving Social Security Disability or SSI benefits are encouraged to apply as early as possible, but applications will be open to everyone through spring of 2025 — or until the funding is exhausted.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed, Whitehouse, Amo, Smiley Highlight Federal Funding for City of Providence to Combat Opioid Crisis

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    PROVIDENCE, RI – U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Gabe Amo joined with Mayor Brett Smiley and SAMHSA Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Miriam Delphin-Rittmon to highlight a new $2.3 million federal First Responders – Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (FR-CARA) grant to support the City’s comprehensive strategy to improve first responders’ ability to save lives.  Whitehouse authored CARA, which is the primary law guiding the federal response to the opioid epidemic.
    “To effectively combat the opioid crisis we must invest in coordinated strategies that ensure people can easily access help and support services.  Senator Whitehouse has been a tremendous leader on this issue in Congress and I’m proud to work alongside him and our colleagues in the delegation to deliver this federal funding for Providence.  This $2.3 million investment will help Providence’s first responders save lives and assist residents who are struggling with addiction,” said Reed. 
    “Rhode Islanders had a big hand in helping draft my CARA law, so it’s great to see this federal funding from CARA providing a big boost for Providence’s first responders, who are on the front lines every day responding to Rhode Island’s opioid epidemic,” said Whitehouse.  “I applaud Mayor Smiley’s efforts to combat the epidemic in our Capital City and help connect Rhode Islanders with the support they need to get on the noble road to recovery.  There is hopeful news that our efforts to save lives are working.”
    “The opioid epidemic has touched the lives of families in Rhode Island and across the country, and we need to ensure first responders are equipped with the resources they need to save lives and support those in recovery,” said Magaziner. “This federal funding will help reduce overdoses, expand access to lifesaving services and treatments, and build a safer, healthier Rhode Island.”
    “Thanks to champions like Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, overdose deaths in Rhode Island have been decreasing by twice the national average in recent years,” said Amo. “This federal grant for the Providence Overdose Prevention Project will support these efforts by uplifting the first responders and community members who play a vital role in the prevention, treatment, and recovery of opioid use disorder.”
    The City of Providence will use the federal funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to advance the Providence Overdose Prevention Project, a comprehensive strategy to improve first responders’ ability to save lives.  The program increases the capacity of Emergency Medical Services staff and community members to use evidence-based practices to reduce overdoses and connect individuals with necessary supports.  The City will also work to reduce fatal overdoses through education and prevention programs and increase naloxone distribution within the community to help lower nonfatal overdose rates.
    “We’re thankful for the leadership and advocacy of our federal delegation in securing this vital funding through the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act,” said Smiley. “This grant will strengthen Providence’s efforts to combat the opioid crisis by expanding life-saving resources for our first responders and connecting those in crisis to the support they need. By working together, we’re building a healthier, safer city for all.”
    “We commend the first responders who are committed to saving lives day and day out,” said Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA. “This funding will help Providence EMS connect those at highest risk of overdose to lifesaving services, including treatment, harm reduction services, and recovery supports.”
    Deaths from accidental overdoses decreased by 7.3 percent last year in Rhode Island, the first time in four years that the number had gone down, according to the Governor’s Overdose Task Force.  Rhode Island’s decrease in overdose deaths, from 436 in 2022 to 404 in 2023, was over twice the national average, with America experiencing a 3 percent decrease in 2023.  According to preliminary data from the Rhode Island Department of Health, 178 individuals died from accidental overdoses in the first nine months of this year, a significant decrease from the same point in 2023.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Neguse, Pettersen, Polis Announce $129 Million for Colorado Rail Projects 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
    Four Colorado projects awarded funding under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, U.S. Representatives Joe Neguse and Brittany Pettersen and Governor Jared Polis announced four Colorado rail projects will receive a total of $129.5 million in federal funds. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado State University Pueblo, San Luis Central Railroad Co., and OmniTRAX will all receive funding as part of the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program. Earlier this year Hickenlooper, Bennet, Neguse and Pettersen urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund CDOT’s project along the Front Range. Hickenlooper also urged the department to fund the CSU Pueblo and OmniTRAX projects.
    “From freight in the San Luis Valley to passengers on the Front Range and beyond with CSU Pueblo’s research, rail isn’t just a part of our past, it’s a big part of our future, too,” said Hickenlooper. “That’s the case we made to Secretary Buttigieg for this funding and this is just the start.”
    “Colorado’s railways are vital to connect our communities and get resources to markets across the country. That’s why I ensured the U.S. Department of Transportation understood how critical this funding is for our state’s transportation infrastructure,” said Senator Michael Bennet. “I’m glad to have helped secure these investments in our railways’ safety, efficiency, and reliability across the state. ”
    “After years of working to secure federal support for the Front Range Passenger Rail Project, I am excited to see the Department of Transportation heed our calls and commit to modernizing Colorado’s passenger rail system—not just for communities along the Front Range but for residents throughout the entire state. This is a once-in-a-generation investment in our passenger rail infrastructure, creating countless new opportunities for communities to connect, grow, and thrive—and we will continue to work together to ensure this momentum leads to lasting benefits for all Coloradans,” said U.S. House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse.
    “Today, I am incredibly grateful to see this federal funding coming to Colorado to strengthen our railway systems, enhance safety, and modernize our infrastructure,” said Representative Brittany Pettersen. “After a train derailment in Boulder injured workers and put our communities at risk, I supported funding to reinforce public safety and restore trust in Colorado’s rail infrastructure. I’m pleased to see these federal dollars coming to our state to help ensure we have safe, reliable infrastructure for generations to come.”
    “Today’s grant will make freight rail traffic in some of our busiest growing communities safer quickly while providing critical building blocks for Passenger Rail.  This major funding will help achieve important priorities like complying with longstanding federal standards and improving the safety of rail crossings, which can be the sites of dangerous incidents. With more than $66 million in federal support from the Biden-Harris administration, the future of Colorado’s rail network is a clear priority for the federal government, as it should be. We thank Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet, Congressman Neguse and Congresswoman Pettersen, and our communities for their support of this important project,” said Governor Jared Polis.
    “Thanks to a unified effort with Governor Polis’ leadership, Colorado can speed ahead with important safety and operational upgrades that will make passenger rail possible along the Front Range. Our partners in the Congressional delegation and in communities across the state have been constantly supportive of this work, and I want to especially thank the technical team at CDOT that has made so much progress behind the scenes to get Colorado ready for this opportunity. The Biden Administration has recognized Colorado’s seriousness and the quality of our work to develop passenger rail, and I want to add my appreciation to their support with this grant and the resources it brings to our work,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew.
    CRISI invests in railroad infrastructure projects that improve safety, support economic vitality, including through small businesses, create good-paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union, increase capacity and supply chain resilience, apply innovative technology, and explicitly address climate change, gender equity, and racial equity. For more information on CRISI, click HERE.
    Full details on the projects receiving funding are below:
    Recipient
    Project Title
    Project Description
    Amount Awarded
    Colorado Department of Transportation
    Modernizing Rail on the Front Range: PTC Installation, Siding, & Grade Crossing Safety and Operational Improvements
    This project will design, install, and test positive train control with a complementary siding on a portion of the Front Range Subdivision, along with several railroad crossings that could benefit from operational and safety improvements.
    $66,400,000
    OmniTRAX Holdings Combined, Inc.
    Transportation Investments for Employment and Safety, Phase 2
    The proposed project involves final design and construction activities to replace railroad ties on four OmniTRAX-owned short lines across four states – Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, and Washington.
    $50,570,400
    Colorado State University Pueblo
    Safety Assessment, Testing and Workforce Development for Hydrogen/Natural Gas Motive Power
    The proposed project involves research and development for studying green hydrogen and renewable natural gas-powered rail vehicles. The project aims to conduct safety experiments on the use of CH2/CNG-powered rail cars at the TTC facility.
    $11,671,781
    The San Luis Central Railroad Co.
    The San Luis Central Railroad Reconstruction Project: Ansel North
    The SLC corridor was built in 1913 with untreated wooden ties. The project will replace 6,000 deteriorated cross and 126 switch ties between mile posts 10.1 and 15.2.
    $1,077,000
    “Southern Colorado often represents a hard-working spirit leveraging the opportunity of innovation. This Department of Transportation CRISI grant emboldens that spirit, enabling CSU Pueblo, in partnership with the Southern Colorado Transportation Technology Center (SCITT), to contribute to the future of rail transportation through critical safety research in hydrogen and natural gas technologies. I am particularly proud of how this project will partner with our Engineering program at CSU Pueblo, utilizing the expertise here to create new pathways for our students and local workforce. This grant is more than research – it’s a valuable investment into Southern Colorado,” said CSU Pueblo President Armando Valdez.
    “TIES2 will be transformative for the communities served by Great Western Railway of Colorado and the regions served by OmniTRAX railroads in Georgia, Alabama, and Washington state,” said David Arganbright, OmniTRAX Senior Vice President. “OmniTRAX is proud to call Colorado home, and we are tremendously appreciative of all the work that Sen. Hickenlooper has done in Congress to champion Colorado’s railways and deliver the critical infrastructure investments that make strengthen our nation’s supply chains.”
    “The team at CXSL is very excited for this great news and look forward to getting to work on the improvements as soon as possible. The grant will assist in providing the much needed improvements to improve rail service to our customers and greatly reduce our risk for incidents due to track conditions,” said Timothy Bivens, General Manager of Colorado Pacific San Luis Railroad.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch, Colleagues Press Biden-Harris Admin on Destruction of U.S. Immigration Policies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
    BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) led his colleagues in sending a letter calling out President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for fueling a national security crisis at the southern border through a series of destructive executive orders.
    “Instead of addressing the flow of illegal immigration and illicit drugs across our borders, your administration has turned its back on those who wish to immigrate here legally and welcomed illegal aliens with open arms. Instead of directing resources to securing our borders and processing legal immigrant applications, your administration has crippled our immigration enforcement capabilities and prioritized amnesty applications,” wrote the senators. “The administration has one job—to enforce the law of the land. Instead of detaining and deporting illegal aliens, your administration has shown a blatant disregard for the rule of law and national security.”
    Risch is joined by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in demanding the Biden-Harris administration answer for their direct role in eroding the U.S. immigration system and compromising the safety of American families.   
    Risch has long fought for securing our southern border by completing the border wall, reimplementing the Remain in Mexico policy, and enforcing existing U.S. immigration laws.
    The full letter can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Proclamation on National Lung Cancer Awareness Month,  2024

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
         Too many Americans know the pain of losing a loved one to lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in the United States.  During National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we honor all those living with lung cancer and their loved ones.  We thank the researchers searching for answers and the medical professionals who are working tirelessly to care for those with lung cancer, and we recommit to ending cancer as we know it.
         Although scientists have made incredible breakthroughs that have improved prevention, detection, and treatment for cancer and saved lives, a lung cancer diagnosis can be terrifying.  This year, nearly 250,000 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease.  Treatment can be grueling.  Medical bills can cause concerns for the whole family.  And the flood of medical information directed toward patients and their caretakers can be overwhelming.  Too often, people feel lost and left behind, especially those who are disproportionately impacted by lung cancer — such as Black men, rural residents, and women under 50 years old.
         Cancer is personal to many families, including mine, so I made fighting cancer a top priority in my Administration.  The First Lady and I began by reigniting the Biden Cancer Moonshot, aiming to cut the cancer death rate by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years.  I also secured $4 billion in bipartisan funding and established the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health to support scientists, innovators, and public health professionals in driving innovation to prevent, detect, and treat cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
         My Administration is also working around the clock to make cancer treatments more affordable and the treatment process more manageable for families.  We have saved millions of families $800 per year on their health insurance premiums by strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.  Through my Inflation Reduction Act, we are capping total out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $2,000 per year, including for cancer drugs, which can cost many times that.  And for the first time ever, families fighting cancer can access patient navigation services that are fully paid for through Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance — helping guide families through the diagnosis and treatment process and offering them much-needed support.
         My Administration is also committed to preventing cancer by tackling another driver of cancer deaths in this country:  smoking.  To ensure that Americans who want to quit have the support they need, the Department of Health and Human Services created a Framework to Support and Accelerate Smoking Cessation, setting goals and strategies to help our communities reduce smoking.  And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a $15 million program that will help increase awareness about smoking and options for services to help people quit.  For anyone looking to quit smoking, you can find resources at BeTobaccoFree.gov or smokefree.gov or by calling 877-44U-QUIT.
         My Administration is expanding early detection and screening services because an early diagnosis of lung cancer can save lives.  Together, Federal agencies, community health centers, and other partners are providing early detection knowledge and support services to underserved communities.  I encourage all Americans to talk to their doctors about lung cancer symptoms.
         During National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we strengthen our commitment to standing by all those facing lung cancer and their families, and we ensure they have access to the care they need.  We also rededicate ourselves to spreading awareness about lung cancer and working to end cancer as we know it, in order to save more lives. 
         NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2024 as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month.  I call upon the people of the United States to speak with their doctors and health care providers to learn more about lung cancer.  I encourage citizens, government agencies, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, the media, and other interested groups to increase awareness about what Americans can do to prevent, detect, and treat lung cancer.
         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
                                   JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: A Proclamation on National Adoption  Month

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
         Every child deserves to know the unconditional love of a permanent home.  During National Adoption Month, we honor all the wonderful families that grow through adoption, we remind our foster youth and adoptees that we are right by their side, and we rededicate ourselves to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
         More than 100,000 children are in our Nation’s foster care system awaiting the adoption that could offer them familial love, a lasting home, and a stable foundation for them to grow.  That is why I have called on the Congress to make the adoption tax credit fully refundable, lowering the cost of adoption and giving families and legal guardians some breathing room.  I have also called on the Congress to provide housing vouchers to all 20,000 youth exiting foster care annually — a key step in helping them secure stable housing during this difficult transition.  To further support kinship caregivers, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule last year that requires States to provide them with the same level of financial support that other foster parents receive.  My Administration is also working to eliminate barriers LGBTQI+ families face in the adoption process and ensure LGBTQI+ foster youth grow up in safe and loving environments.  And through the expanded Military Parental Leave Program, we are giving service members more time to spend with their families after a child is born, adopted, or placed in their homes for long-term foster care.
         My Administration also remains committed to supporting youth who are aging out of foster care.  Since the beginning of my Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded over $60 million to provide over 4,000 vouchers to foster youth, helping them secure housing as they leave the foster care system.  And my Administration is working to ensure these youth can keep their SNAP benefits without work reporting requirements, easing a difficult transition period.  We have also been working to help foster youth stay in school and graduate, make the successful transition to postsecondary education, train for jobs, pay their bills, and get their lives off to a solid start.
         During National Adoption Month, we celebrate the love shared by adoptive families and professionals across our country.  And we honor the millions of adoptive and kinship families who have welcomed new family members into their loving homes.
         NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2024 as National Adoption Month.  I encourage all Americans to honor this month by helping the children and youth in their communities secure their forever homes and find the love and connection that they need to thrive.
         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
                                 JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley Announce $600,000 for Rogue Valley International Medford Airport

    US Senate News:

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

    October 31, 2024

    Federal investment will support the new direct flight connecting Southern Oregon with Dallas-Fort Worth

    Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $600,000 for the Rogue Valley International Medford Airport  to support the expansion of service to Dallas-Fort Worth.

    “Making sure our regional airports have the support they need to keep Oregonians connected and moving is essential for the local economy,” Wyden said. “I applaud this federal investment to Rogue Valley International Medford Airport, and will continue to fight for more resources for airports and infrastructure upgrades across Oregon.”

    “Oregon’s regional airports serve as vital hubs for our communities – supporting local businesses, connecting travelers to world-class recreational opportunities, and providing essential lifelines during natural disasters,” Merkley said. “This federal funding will put Oregon’s Medford-Rogue Valley International Airport in a position to expand its service to Dallas-Ft. Worth and fill additional staffing needs for this new route, connecting Oregonians to more of the U.S.” 

    The $600,000 investment from the Department of Transportation will be used to create a revenue guarantee and associated marketing plan to recruit, initiate, and support new service between Medford and Dallas-Fort Worth.

    “The Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport is excited to have been awarded a Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD) Grant to support new service between MFR and DFW. This grant funding is an instrumental step toward creating this connection; however, it’s important to note that airlines are not bound to initiate service simply due to an airport receiving a grant award. That said, we are encouraged by American Airlines’ interest and we are confident this funding underscores the strong demand and our community’s support for a direct MFR-DFW route. We are optimistic that the airlines will recognize the opportunity to enhance connectivity between our two regions. We look forward to the potential for this valuable new service to benefit travelers and support local economic growth in the near future, and the Airport is committed to working with our airline partners to make this route a reality,” said Amber Judd, Director of the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport.

    Wyden and Merkley have both pushed for more resources for Oregon’s airports. In September, Wyden and Merkley announced $6.41 million for the Rogue Valley International Medford Airport and $4 million for Prineville Airport to extend its taxiways and reduce congestion. This October, Merkley and Wyden along with U.S. Representative Val Hoyle announced $5 million for the terminal reconstruction project at Eugene’s Mahlon Sweet Airport. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Tours Sugar Farm and Meets with South Louisiana Farmers, Discusses Next Farm Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) visited with farmers in Port Allen and Jennings, to discuss the next Farm Bill and what Louisiana’s farmers need to continue feeding our state and the world.
    “Our farmers and fishermen produce the best sugarcane, rice and seafood in the world,” said Dr. Cassidy. “It’s my goal to protect them against unfair, foreign competition, to keep crop insurance affordable, and to prevent the cost of farming from rising. I appreciate being able to meet with Louisiana farmers and work together to reach these goals in the next Farm Bill.”
    On Wednesday, Cassidy toured a sugar farm in Port Allen alongside Mr. Travis Medine, the managing partner of Medine Farms and a fifth-generation Louisiana sugarcane farmer. He learned how they use modern technology to plant and harvest sugarcane, which was Louisiana’s second most lucrative commodity in 2023, according to the LSU AgCenter.
    Additionally, on Tuesday and Wednesday, Cassidy participated in roundtables with farmers in Jennings and Port Allen to discuss issues important to Louisiana farmers. The main topic was the upcoming Farm Bill and the need to focus on providing affordable crop insurance, among other crucial tasks. Cassidy also discussed challenges in hiring workers, the need for rural health care services, and preventing unfair competition from overseas.
    During his time in Congress, Cassidy has taken the lead in advocating for Louisiana farmers. Last September, he introduced legislation to protect Louisiana shrimpers and rice farmers from the dumping of cheap products by China and India into the United States. He also quizzed the U.S. Trade Representative on this matter during a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing in April.  
    Farmers and their families have also benefitted from Cassidy’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Last April, he announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would grant Louisiana over $1.5 million to support public schools, roads and other municipal services in rural areas where farmers work. Moreover, in separate appropriations, Cassidy secured $9 million in Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024 for the USDA/ARS Sugarcane Research facilities in Houma and is on track to secure another $7 million in the Fiscal Year 2025 agricultural appropriations bill.
    While meeting with farmers in Port Allen, Cassidy was joined by Mr. Richard Fontenot, President of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation. Cassidy was recognized as a Friend of Farm Bureau for outstanding service to farmers.
    “This marks the eighth Congress in a row in which Senator Bill Cassidy has received the Friend of Farm Bureau Award presented by the American Farm Bureau,” said Mr. Fontenot. “It’s given on his voting record, which shows that he and his staff are close allies of the Louisiana Farm Bureau and listen to and respond to the needs of our farmers and ranchers. With farm income down 23% since 2022 and some Louisiana farmers facing a third straight year of losses due to record high input costs and low commodity prices, we’re thankful Senator Cassidy took the time to hear those struggles directly from Louisiana Farm Bureau members.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Announces More than $20 Million for Rail Safety and Performance Improvements in North Dakota

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    10.31.24

    BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Committee, today announced that the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration has awarded $20,714,004 to the Red River Valley & Western Railroad Company to replace 25 miles of rail between Gwinner and Oakes, and construct two new sidings to hold trains near Casselton. 

    “North Dakota’s economy is dependent on freight transportation, including rail, to ship bulk agricultural commodities, energy products and manufactured goods,” said Hoeven. “This funding will help rehabilitate aging rail and ensure that our producers in the region can continue to get their products to market safely and efficiently. Improving the railroad network in our state is vitally important to helping to grow North Dakota’s economy.”

    The North Dakota delegation wrote a letter earlier this year to the Department of Transportation to help secure the grant. Click here for the letter.

    This funding was made available through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program to ensure rail transportation remains safe and reliable. This will be the third consecutive round of CRISI that RRVW has been awarded.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Continues River to River Tour, Meets with Veterans, Students, Small Business Owners

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    RED OAK, Iowa – This October, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) made multiple stops on her annual River to River Tour as part of her ongoing commitment to hear from Iowans in every corner of the state. She recognized outstanding small businesses, hosted town hall meetings, led roundtable discussions, and more.
    Click HERE to download photos from Ernst’s visits.
    The Fort Dodge Messenger highlighted Ernst’s stop in Calhoun County, where she presented her Small Business of the Week award to the family-owned-and-operated excavation business, Hildreth Company, Inc.
    Ernst’s stop at Greene County High School was featured by Raccoon Valley Radio and Greene County News Online. She talked to students about her path from Montgomery County to the United States Senate and answered their questions about working in government.
     
    In Polk County, KCCI attended Ernst’s roundtable with Shopify where she heard firsthand from small business owners and shared more on her work to address the challenges they face.
    Ernst enjoyed a beautiful walking tour in Emmet County to see the City of Estherville’s newly expanded trail system. The visit wascovered by Estherville News.
    The Sigourney News-Review covered Ernst’s Small Business of the Week award presentation in Keokuk County where she honored Barn Wired, a thriving home decor and coffee shop on the town square.
    The Hawkeye spotlighted Ernst’s roundtable with the Burlington Chamber of Commerce at her stop in Des Moines County, where they discussed economic development.
    In Dickinson and Harrison Counties, Ernst hosted town hall meetings to talk about supporting our veterans, passing a new Farm Bill, and securing our border.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Announces Congressionally Directed Spending Award for West Virginia Water Projects

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee and a leader on the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for three water projects in West Virginia.
    These awards, which were secured through Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests made solely by Senator Capito in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 24) and authorized through the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022, will support three water system upgrades in West Virginia.
    “I was proud to use my position on both the EPW and Appropriations Committees to advocate for and secure these CDS awards to support efforts to modernize water systems across West Virginia,” Ranking Member Capito said. “As our state grows, these projects will be critical in supporting the water needs of families, workers, and businesses, and I was proud to lead the charge in securing them.”
    BACKGROUND:
    Section 571 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 established an environmental infrastructure program that allows the USACE to partner with non-federal entities in order to carry out water and wastewater projects, among other types of projects, in West Virginia. As Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, Senator Capito included an authorization increase for the 571 program in the bipartisan 2022 Water Resources Development Act that was signed into law in December 2022.
    Individual award details listed below:
    $2,000,000 USACE CDS award to the Town of Rowlesburg, W.Va. (Preston County) for sewer improvements that will serve residents.
    $1,100,000 USACE CDS award to the Fountain Public Service District in Keyser, W.Va. (Mineral County) for the Fountain IV Water project.
    $1,000,000 USACE CDS award to the City of Belington, W.Va. (Barbour County) for water system upgrades in the city.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Convenes 2024-2025 Arkansas Congressional Youth Cabinet

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
    LITTLE ROCK, Ark. –– U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) launched the eighth year of his Congressional Youth Cabinet on Tuesday at the Old State House Museum in Little Rock. The meeting brought together 114 high school juniors who were selected from public, private, charter and homeschool students across the state for their involvement and leadership in their communities.
    “The Congressional Youth Cabinet benefits Arkansas students and families as well as their communities by promoting a healthy public policy dialogue and developing the next generation of leaders in our state. I am pleased to welcome this group of bright young people to contribute their ideas and experiences as we explore legislative solutions to the issues that interest them most,” Boozman said. “Their enthusiasm for enhancing their own understanding of civic engagement and helping shape the future of our state and country is inspiring.”

    Senator Boozman and Congressional Youth Cabinet participants in Little Rock.
    The Congressional Youth Cabinet is a non-partisan program that gives students insight and experience with the legislative process. The students will attend meetings throughout the year and work in teams to select and research national issues. In the spring, the students will present their policy recommendations to the senator.
    Click here for more photos from the CYC kick-off.
    The following students were selected to participate in the Congressional Youth Cabinet for the 2024-2025 school year:
    1st Congressional District

    Jack Coleman – Mountain Home
    Mark Gregory Green – Harrison
    Lindsay Dunsing – Alpena
    Luke Wilkins – Batesville
    Penelope Jackson – Melbourne
    Natalie Rodriguez – Cabot
    Ella Curry – Alpena
    Suraya Tennison – Alpena
    Sara Hinson – Bergman
    Kayla Thorndike – Cabot
    Adam Stanisor – Cabot
    Bryce Veasman – Cabot
    Kaitlyn Carmical – Cabot
    Jeremy Jason – Lake City
    Andrew Boots – Jonesboro
    Spencer May – Jonesboro
    Sam Vaught – Wynne

    Christian Boykin – Earle
    Ajiah Parker – Earle
    Aryanna Perry – Earle
    Jada Maples – Earle
    Lucas White – Manila
    Kera Fesperman – Marion
    Penelope Marie Salas – Marion
    Gabrielle Weathers – Lepanto
    Harlynn Robertson – Jonesboro
    Deven Isbell – Jonesboro
    William Crader – Jonesboro
    Bentley McCoy – Clarendon
    Sam Sabbatini – Hazen
    Hailey Nichols – Wynne
    Derek Lately Jr. – Earle
    Zavion Maples – Earle
    Kialynn Mitchell – Earle

    2nd Congressional District

    Claira Tittle – Searcy
    Landon Hillman – Jacksonville
    Eva Harrell – Maumelle
    Yusuf Taha Guven – Little Rock
    Jayden Branch – Jacksonville
    Garrett Fisher – Greenbrier
    Fatimah Jabbar – North Little Rock
    Zachary Tancinco – Searcy
    Canadee Mosley – Conway
    Jil Patel – Jacksonville

    Luis Denilso Calderon – Little Rock
    Katharine Wekly – Conway
    Savannah Shelley – Little Rock
    Gregory Lin – Searcy
    Grabiela Valadez-Rizo – Little Rock
    Lisandro Isai Salas – Little Rock
    Ashlynn Pecanty – Maumelle
    Damian Morales – Little Rock
    David Salinas – Bryant
    Ethan Bolton – Jacksonville
    Sophie Swiney – Bradford

    3rd Congressional District

    Schuyler Henehan – Fort Smith
    Robinson Skaggs – Bentonville
    Cole Kessman – Fayetteville
    Kyndall Richey – Bentonville
    Manvitha Narasimhan – Bentonville
    Evalyn Clark – Bentonville
    Lily Cate Caldwell – Bentonville
    Matthew Velasquez-Amaya – Fort Smith
    Preston Thai – Bentonville
    Khant Sin – Fayetteville
    Evangelina Hernandez – Fort Smith
    Grayson Proctor – Lavaca
    Adrian Gonzalez – Lavaca
    Sydney Turner – Fayetteville
    Lydia Parsley – Springdale
    Terri Michelle Turner – Fort Smith
    Alee Thongprachanh – Fort Smith
    Colt Hood – Greenland

    Caroline Sanders – Bentonville
    Sullivan Shepard – Rogers
    Oakley Allen – Fort Smith
    Weston Arnett – Greenwood
    Jadyn Patterson – Bentonville
    Saqib Memon – Fayetteville
    Sarah Amor – Fort Smith
    Clara Hibbard – Mountainburg
    Drake Norris – Fort Smith
    Madelyn Maxey – Fort Smith
    Aubree Stewart – Springdale
    Aneeka Srivastava – Bentonville
    Nidhi Nair – Bentonville
    Grace Dickinson – Tontitown
    Tatum Grace Loe – Fort Smith
    Nathan Barney – Bentonville
    Jude Alfaouri – Fayetteville
    Claire Hassler – Fort Smith
    Hannah Elliott – Greenwood

    4th Congressional District

    Dana Liu – Russellville
    Ian Warnick – Russellville
    Peyton Gustave Blasé – Ozark
    David Culver – Ozark
    Sydnie Herriage – Ozark
    Elizabeth Harrison – Russellville
    Mallory Cloud – Russellville
    Audrey Rogers – Russellville
    Tristan Marrufo – DeQueen
    Kyle Williamson – DeQueen
    Miley Byler – DeQueen

    Isabel Rivas – Russellville
    Hannah Grace Skinner – Texarkana
    Christian Hunter – Arkadelphia
    Yasmine Sakr – Hot Springs
    Mary Lopez-Furlong – Hot Springs
    Tucker Arnold – Hot Springs
    Heather Atchley – Sheridan
    Madilynn Stuffle – Hot Springs
    Alexandria Evans – White Hall
    Blake Levi Jimerson – Sheridan
    Carson Brody Lyons – Sheridan

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Manchin Speaks At West Virginia Broadcasters Association Meeting

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin
    October 30, 2024
    Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) spoke at the West Virginia Broadcasters Association (WVBA) meeting in Charleston. WVBA is a member-driven trade association that provides critical support to stations throughout West Virginia.
    “The West Virginia Broadcasters Association is an incredibly important organization that has been representing and serving West Virginia commercial radio and television stations since 1946,” said Senator Manchin. “In my time in office, I have strongly supported and advocated for several critical pieces of legislation to ensure people across the Mountain State are connected to commercial radio and television. It’s been an honor of a lifetime to serve you all and I look forward to hearing more about all the good work being done at the WVBA.”
    Photos from the event are available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden Announce $46 Million to Boost the Klamath Basin

    US Senate News:

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

    October 30, 2024

    Federal funding will help restore the Klamath River’s habitat following historic dam removal and further protect endangered C’waam, Koptu, and salmon

    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is investing a total of $46,191,133 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to boost ecosystem restoration and enhance water quality and reliability through 24 projects throughout the Klamath Basin—12 of which are taking place in Oregon.

    This latest federal funding wave from the landmark law will largely fuel the Klamath River’s recovery and habitat restoration efforts following the removal of the four lower Klamath Dams in 2024—the largest dam removal effort in U.S. history.

    “A key to restoring the Klamath Basin is major federal investments that will support collaborative ecosystem restoration and water improvement efforts. This funding will continue ongoing efforts I helped energize alongside the Klamath Tribes and other stakeholders to save the C’waam and Koptu, and restore the aquatic habitat and ecosystems of the Klamath River following the historic removal of the four lower Klamath Dams,” said Merkley, who visited Northern California earlier in October to tour a former dam site and celebrate removal alongside Tribes and other key partners. “Since the dams came out, we’ve seen the salmon returning home for the first time in generations. This federal investment champions projects that help ensure the C’waam, Koptu, and salmon all have an ecosystem to thrive in, while also prioritizing efforts that help this unique region’s water go farther for the Tribes, farmers, fish, and vital ecosystems that rely on it.”

    “Restoration of the Klamath Basin requires significant resources just like these to catalyze the work that’s needed locally to build a stronger ecosystem and improve water quality,” Wyden said. “This fresh federal investment in the region and the big gains it will generate for jobs, recreation, and habitat will work to ensure the area’s farmers, Tribes and communities can grow and thrive for generations to come.”

    As Chairman of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, Merkley secured a historic $162 million over five years through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law specifically dedicated to restoring ecosystems and enhancing drought resiliency work in the Klamath Basin. Today’s $46 million funding announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s USFWS marks the third year of investments from this landmark law, as it follows $26 million provided in 2022 and $15 million in 2023. Merkley also convened the “Sucker Summit ” in 2018, which brought people from across the Basin together and helped lay the groundwork for these significant investments to protect the C’waam and the Koptu.

    In February of this year, Merkley and Wyden announced $72 million in new federal funding for critical ecosystem restoration projects and agricultural infrastructure modernization in the Basin, as well as a historic agreement with the Klamath Tribes, Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe, and Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA). This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) cemented their commitment to working together to drive long-term solutions to the Basin’s water challenges. That includes collective efforts to restore the region’s ecosystem and improve water supply and reliability for the Klamath Project. 

    The 12 restoration projects in Oregon—some of which are being developed by Klamath MOU group partners, as well as other Tribes and other conservation partners—are as follows:

    • $13,000,000 for the Wetland Restoration on Upper Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Agency Lake Units project. This will complete restoration of the Agency-Barnes wetland units of Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and provide fish habitat access in Fourmile and Sevenmile creeks. Covering 14,356 acres, the restored wetland will create vital habitat for waterfowl, federally endangered Lost River and shortnose suckers (C’waam and Koptu sucker fish), and other species, making it one of the largest wetland restoration initiatives in America. MOU group partners – Ducks Unlimited and Klamath Tribes
    • $3,500,000 for the Upper Williamson River Restoration Phase 2 project. This will provide fish passage to over 26 miles of the upper Williamson River and reconnect several thousand acres of adjacent wetlands and riparian habitats within the Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge project area. MOU group partners – Ducks Unlimited and Klamath Tribes
    • $3,179,400 for the Climate Change Resiliency Stream Restoration and Post Bootleg Fire Stream Stabilization and Restoration project. This effort includes placing approximately 400 Beaver Dam Analog, Post Assisted Log Structures, and other types of instream structures to help restore several streams in the Sprague River and Williamson River watersheds. MOU partner – Klamath Tribes
    • $3,000,000 for the Lake Ewauna Restoration for the Benefit of People, Fish and Wildlife project. This funding will be used to develop and restore wetlands and shoreline around Lake Ewauna in downtown Klamath Falls for the benefit of native fish and wildlife species and to tell the story of the local Tribes, farmers, and communities in the Klamath Basin. Restorative improvements to habitat in Link River and instream habitat improvements within Lake Ewauna will benefit C’waam and Koptu suckers, native trout, migratory waterfowl, and other species. With the recently removed Klamath dams, salmon and steelhead will also be migrating through Lake Ewauna for the first time in over a century. Partners – The Klamath Watershed Partnership, City of Klamath Falls, and Klamath County Economic Development Agency
    • $2,540,000 million for the Tule Lake Flow Through Infrastructure Improvement project. This encompasses a suite of infrastructure improvements and operational changes to provide natural ecosystem services with respect to water quality in the Klamath Basin. Water used for farmland irrigation would then flow through wetlands before returning to the Klamath River. In addition to water quality benefits for the Klamath River, this project will provide habitat for threatened and endangered fish, support migratory wildlife, recharge groundwater, and provide other ecosystem benefits. MOU group partners – KWUA and Tulelake Irrigation District
    • $2,027,799 for the SONAR and Radio Telemetry and Spawning Surveys for Klamath Salmon project. This will be used to obtain abundance estimates of salmon and steelhead entering the reach previously blocked by the four lower Klamath dams and track salmon migrations to their spawning grounds. These metrics will provide a foundation for assessment of stock status and trends while guiding future restoration efforts in the newly accessible habitats, developing a toolset to support prioritization of future restoration and monitoring in the Klamath River. It will also provide much needed capacity for three of the six tribes on the Klamath River, allowing them to track the return of these culturally significant species. MOU group partners – Karuk Tribe, California Trout, Klamath Tribes, Yurok Tribe, Cal Poly Humboldt, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
    • $1,253,000 for the Klamath Basin Fisheries Collaborative: Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) Tag Monitoring and Database project. This will be used to continue to build the infrastructure required to provide Klamath Basin fisheries managers with consistent and reliable data on movements of fish using PIT tags. Work funded by this proposal includes continuing to improve on existing fish monitoring efforts by coordinating activities and collaborating on tasks, as well as advancing data exchange by refining the user interface and providing technical support to data providers. Partner – Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
    • $500,000 for the Implementation of Integrated Fisheries Restoration and Monitoring Plan (IFRMP) project. This will fund a USFWS initiative to support Klamath Basin stakeholders in tracking, coordinating, and integrating monitoring and data collection efforts across the Basin.
    • $500,000 for the Klamath Basin Stakeholder Engagement and Facilitation project. This will fund a USFWS initiative to provide greater continuity and work toward local governance for the MOU parties, which are interested in utilizing a neutral facilitator to help identify additional ways to promote collaboration and reduce conflict over natural resources. This effort could include expanding the MOU group to include other interested parties and to develop proposals related to a governance structure for making important decisions on restoration and monitoring in the Klamath Basin. These funds would support the hiring of a facilitator selected by the parties and support up to three to five years of facilitation support.
    • $300,000 for the Post Dam Removal Data Collection on Salmon Migration and Movement project. This funding will be used by project partners to use otolith microchemistry tools to 1) understand how Klamath Dam removal affects the early life history diversity of Chinook salmon, 2) determine the natal origin and migration histories of returning fish, pre- and post-dam removal, 3) determine which tributaries are and are not producing Chinook salmon, and 4) quantify how Chinook production varies between different tributaries before and after dam removal. The information is critical to adaptively managing the Klamath Basin, post dam removal, and has important implications for restoration of key tributaries. Partner – UC Davis
    • $295,000 for the Surface Water Management and Efficiency Enhancement project. This encompasses necessary infrastructure improvements to allow safe, reliable, and integrated management of water within the Klamath Project. MOU group partners – KWUA, Klamath Irrigation District, and Klamath Drainage District
    • $200,000 for the FWS Post Dam Removal Science Symposia project. This will fund an USFWS initiative to sponsor a Klamath science symposium in 2025. Planning for this symposium will start in November 2024. The goal is to bring together stakeholders/experts to discuss the state of the Basin post dam removal, progress on restoration and monitoring, and next-step strategies to continue the momentum on restoration progress in the years ahead.

    For a complete list and full descriptions of all the 24 projects awarded funding in the Klamath Basin, click HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Boulder City, Cortez Masto Celebrates New St. Jude’s Healing Center Grand Opening

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Boulder City, Nev. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined staff and survivors for the grand opening of the St. Jude’s Ranch for Children in Boulder City. The St. Jude’s Healing Center provides trauma-informed treatment to survivors of commercial child sex trafficking.

    “Since my time as Nevada’s Attorney General, combating human trafficking and supporting survivors has been one of my top priorities,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I was here for the groundbreaking of the St. Jude’s Healing Center two years ago, and I am grateful for the opportunity to come back for its grand opening. I’ll continue fighting to ensure essential organizations like the St. Jude’s have access to the resources they need to support survivors through the recovery process.”

    Senator Cortez Masto is an outspoken advocate for the survivors of human trafficking and sexual assault. She recently called on Congress to provide more funding to support the Crime Victims fund, which provides services and resources for survivors of sexual assault. Her federal legislation to help train law enforcement to identify and prevent child trafficking and combat human trafficking activity on social media was signed into law. She co-sponsored bipartisan legislation that would prevent the trafficking of children by providing grants for the training of students, parents, and school personnel to respond to the signs of human trafficking.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Wicker Commends Dr. Darsey’s Appointment to Federal Board

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., commended the appointment of Dr. Damon Darsey to the FirstNet Authority Board of Directors. Senator Wicker recommended Dr. Darsey to the Acting Associate Administrator of the Office of Public Safety Communications at the U.S. Department of Commerce and Secretary Gina Raimondo.
    The Board of Directors provides oversight of FirstNet, which is a nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network designed to connect first responders across departments for large-scale disasters. The board is also responsible for providing FirstNet with overall policy direction and strategic guidance.
    “Dr. Darsey has been a leader in public safety for Mississippi. For years, he has been engaged in the policy, development, technical, and political challenges around deploying a dedicated public safety network. His experience as the Medical Director for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety is a valuable asset to the board’s composition. I am confident he will continue to be an advocate for our communities and first responders,” Senator Wicker said. 
    Since 2010, Dr. Darsey has been the principal investigator of nearly $36 million of grants focusing on the clinical and academic interest of improving the communications, care, and coordination of first responders and in-field medical care.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: October 30th, 2024 Heinrich Delivers Keynote Address at Veterans Business Summit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    PHOTOS & VIDEOS
    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered a keynote address at the New Mexico Veterans Business Summit highlighting how investments in veteran-owned businesses have grown New Mexico’s economy and created jobs New Mexicans can build their families around. 
    Heinrich secured $50,000 through the Appropriations process for the New Mexico Veterans Business Advocates Expo to provide New Mexico’s veteran-owned businesses an opportunity to interact with potential partners, customers, and employees, supporting their success and growth.
    Heinrich also highlighted his work to expand veterans’ benefits and access to the health care they’ve earned and deserve.

    U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivers a keynote address at the New Mexico Veterans Business Summit, October 30, 2024.
    “Small, locally-owned businesses — including veteran-owned businesses — are the beating hearts of our communities and backbone of our economy,” said Heinrich. “Our veterans leave their military service with unique skills and experience. I was proud to secure $50,000 in the 2024 Appropriations Bills to support the New Mexico Veterans Business Summit that is providing resources to help veteran-owned small businesses and military veterans looking for new career and entrepreneurial opportunities. I remain committed to supporting our state’s veterans and small business owners, lowering costs, growing our economy, and connecting New Mexicans to high-quality careers they can build their families around.”

    U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) at the New Mexico Veterans Business Summit, October 30, 2024.
    Heinrich remains unwavering in his commitment to provide the care and benefits that veterans deserve and have earned.
    This year, the VA has served more veterans than ever before and provided more care and benefits to veterans who were exposed to toxins during their time in the military because of the successful implementation of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, bipartisan legislation that Heinrich helped lead as then-Chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. 
    The PACT Act was signed into law in 2022 and has provided a record expansion of care and benefits for veterans. As a result, more veterans are filing claims and receiving their long overdue earned benefits, including disability compensation and GI Bill benefits.
    Heinrich also recently passed legislation to protect veterans’ earned benefits and ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is able to continue to pay disability compensation, surviving spouses and dependent compensation, pension, and education benefits to veterans, including nearly 70,000 New Mexicans.
    Additionally, Heinrich recently announced the Senate Appropriations Committee’s bipartisan, unanimous passage of the Fiscal Year 2025 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, which included $3.2 billion to expand programs providing critical services and housing for veterans and their families. Heinrich also fought to include key language to protect access to abortion for veterans in cases of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is at risk, but the Committee did not ultimately include the provision.
    In the Fiscal Year 2024 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, Heinrich successfully advocated for major increases in funding to programs that support veterans in New Mexico and throughout the United States. He also successfully included key language to protect access to health care for veterans in New Mexico and nationally. Specifically, Heinrich secured increased funding to provide access to care for rural and Tribal veterans, transportation for rural veterans, rural health care for veterans, assistance to homeless veterans, construct state extended care facilities, improve veteran access to Suicide Prevention Coordinators, increase research on prosthetics and limb loss, and build on the work of neurology-related Centers of Excellence. 
    Additionally, in the Fiscal Year 2024 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, Heinrich successfully ensured that funding was not cut from the Tribal HUD-VA Supportive Housing Program, which provides rental assistance and supportive services to Nativ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Discusses Infrastructure and Energy in Capital Region

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    BATON ROUGE –Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) hosted his final rural community funding summit of 2024, to connect elected leaders in the Capital Region with opportunities in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to improve roads, fix sewage and water problems, and reduce their risk of flooding.
    “We have a partnership with mayors and other leaders in the Capital Region to use the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to meet the needs of this growing community,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Already we’re replacing gas lines in Donaldsonville and East Feliciana and reducing flood risk across the Baton Rouge area. This region is moving forward.”
    Cassidy also discussed the IIJA before the West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce. Communities in the Capital Region have been major beneficiaries of the law. Just last week, Iberville Parish was awarded over $2.54 million and the village of Morganza over $1.87 million to upgrade their natural gas pipe systems. Additionally, Cassidy announced last October that the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development received $88.3 million for Phase One of the LA 415 Interconnector Project, which would help fund the construction of highways and bridges and reduce traffic congestion in the Baton Rouge area, including in West Baton Rouge Parish.
    Other major grant announcements for communities around Baton Rouge include over $10.4 million from the drinking water state revolving fund for the Livingston Ward 2 Water District and West Feliciana Parish, $30 million in 2023 and 2024 to replace aging gas pipes in the City of Donaldsonville, over $33 million for dredging and surveys along the Atchafalaya River and in Bayous Chene, Boeuf and Black, over $39 million for improvements to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and $100 million to launch a manufacturing plant in St. Gabriel that will produce lithium hexafluorophosphate, which is necessary for batteries. Major highway projects are also being funded throughout the region.
    At the rural community funding summit and the West Baton Rouge Chamber, Cassidy was welcomed by community leaders and thanked for his service.
    “I appreciate Senator Cassidy coming to Gonzales to make sure that communities in Ascension Parish and throughout the region know how we can take advantage of his infrastructure bill,” said Mayor Ryland Percy, of Gonzales, Louisiana. “I also appreciate his work to protect the energy industry that keeps people here and throughout the parish. That’s the kind of leadership we need in Washington.”
    “Thanks to Senator Cassidy, the people in West Baton Rouge Parish employed by our manufacturers and energy companies will be able to stay employed and make a life in this community,” said Ms. Anna Johnson, Executive Director of the West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce. “And his infrastructure bill will make it easier for them to get to work, to their kids’ school, and back home in the evening. We appreciate Senator Cassidy for making life easier and better for our neighbors.”
    Later, Cassidy toured Turner Industries’ modular fabrication facility in Port Allen, from which they also transport modules. They build major modules (or components) for industrial facilities such as refineries and petrochemical plants, and then ship them to worksites for more efficient installation. Their facility is also being used to build modules for LNG plants that will process liquefied natural gas, to be delivered to the rest of the world while supporting jobs in Louisiana.
    “Turner is building modules for the Venture Global plant,” said Dr. Cassidy. “They’re part of a job creating process that starts at the wellhead and ends at the LNG terminal, but along the way produces thousands of great paying Louisiana jobs.”
    Turner’s Port Allen facility features a 415 Yard, which spans 35 acres, has a 24,000-square-foot module assembly building, and sits along 1,100 feet of intracoastal waterway in order to more easily ship modules. The 415 Yard is one of three similar facilities that Turner owns. As part of their module construction, they provide welding, blasting and painting, steel and pipe support fabrication, and specialty alloy work. Additionally, Turner has a pipe fabrication facility nearby, which is capable of producing more than 6,500 spools per month. Turner Industries provides its array of services in over 400 facilities across the nation.
    Cassidy has also worked to protect Louisiana’s energy industry. On October 16, Cassidy convened the Louisiana Energy Security Summit in Baton Rouge, which brought together senior officials from previous Republican administrations and leaders in Louisiana’s energy industry and research community to discuss how to bring back manufacturing jobs to the United States by developing the state’s energy resources. Cassidy also introduced the Foreign Pollution Fee Act, which would improve U.S. trade policy to help Louisiana’s manufacturers counter the unfair competition they face from foreign adversaries like China.
    There are over 400 employees at Turner’s Port Allen facility. In total, Turner has over 19,000 employees. Cassidy was thanked in advance for his work in a statement by Mr. Stephen Toups, CEO of Turner Industries.
    “On behalf of the Turner team, we thank Senator Cassidy for visiting us in Port Allen today,” said Mr. Toups. “I am so glad that he got to meet the men and women who are constructing the modules for the Liquefied Natural Gas projects here in the state. Our state has supported so many energy projects for our country and for the world. Thanks to our employees, we are supporting the Senators vision to keep America energy independent, and to use that energy to produce jobs here at home. We look forward to working with the Senator as he writes laws that continue to make our work possible.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement by NSC Spokesperson Sean Savett on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s ICBM  Test

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    The United States strongly condemns the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) intercontinental ballistic missile test. This launch is a flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. While U.S. INDOPACOM has assessed it did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, or territory, or to our allies, this launch needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region. It only demonstrates that the DPRK continues to prioritize its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people. We urge all countries to condemn these violations and call on the DPRK to cease its destabilizing actions and engage in serious dialogue. The national security team is closely coordinating with our allies and partners. The United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and Republic of Korea and Japanese allies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Call with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit  Doval

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke by phone today with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.  The two leaders discussed regional security developments, underscoring the need for further efforts to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific region and globally.  They welcomed progress in the bilateral partnership, including through the upcoming Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) Intersessional and Indian Ocean Dialogue.  They also discussed further opportunities for closer collaboration in key domains, including clean energy supply chains and defense cooperation. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 10/30/2024 VIDEO: Blackburn Highlights Domestic Violence Awareness Month and The SALONS Stories Act on ‘Unmuted with Marsha’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released a new episode of ‘Unmuted with Marsha’ highlighting Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the SALONS Stories Act. Senator Blackburn spoke with Tennessee salon owner and Shear Haven Co-Founder Susanne Post about her personal experience and how the SALONS Stories Act would incentivize states to provide domestic violence awareness training for beauty professionals.
    The national domestic violence hotline number is 800-799-SAFE (7233). The free 20-minute Shear Haven training can be found at Shearhaventraining.org.
       
    Click here to watch this episode of Unmuted with Marsha. 
    “Last December, Senator Duckworth and I introduced a piece of legislation, the SALONS Stories Act. This is important because it allows training that is done by a nonprofit for all of our estheticians and barbers and beauticians. Tennessee and Illinois have moved forward with this training. This is something we are trying to incentivize and do nationwide.” – Senator Blackburn
    “This advocacy work that I’m doing was born out of a very personal season for me as a survivor of domestic violence. I know firsthand how isolating it is to be in an abusive relationship, how difficult it can be to take steps to lead safely, and how important it was for me, personally to have someone trusted and close to me that was educated with the signs of domestic violence.” – Susanne Post, Tennessee salon owner and Shear Haven Co-Founder

    RELATED: 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rubio, Franklin, Colleagues Demand Compensation for Agricultural Land

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio
    Hurricanes Helene and Milton brought high winds, flooding, and damage across Florida. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimates the total crop and infrastructure losses range from $1.5 to $2.5 billion.The State of Florida has requested federal agriculture disaster designations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to compensate impacted counties. 
    U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), U.S. Representative Scott Franklin (R-FL), and colleagues sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to ensure Florida producers and farmers are provided critical aid and policy flexibilities as they recover from the storms.
    “These back-to-back major hurricanes have decimated Florida agriculture, our state’s second largest industry, which generates more than $182.6 billion in annual revenue and provides more than 2.5 million jobs.…. As Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to work with USDA to best assist the producers who feed our nation. We appreciate your attention to this urgent matter.”
    Joining Rubio and Franklin were U.S. Representatives Kat Cammack (R-FL), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Brian Mast (R-FL), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), Laurel Lee (R-FL), Michael Waltz (R-FL), María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Aaron Bean (R-FL), Bill Posey (R-FL), John Rutherford (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Cory Mills (R-FL), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Greg Steube (R-FL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Carlos Giménez (R-FL), Federica Wilson (D-FL), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), and Kathy Castor (D-FL).
    The full text of the letter is below. 
    Dear Secretary Vilsack:
    We write to strongly urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) take immediate action to deliver critical aid to agricultural producers affected by recent hurricanes Helene and Milton. These back-to-back major hurricanes have decimated Florida agriculture, our state’s second largest industry, which generates more than $182.6 billion in annual revenue and provides more than 2.5 million jobs.
    Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast just 13 days after Helene and brought high winds, flooding and damage across the entire state. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences (FDACS), the preliminary estimate of total crop and infrastructure losses ranges from $1.5 to $2.5 billion, and the State of Florida has requested federal agriculture disaster designations for impacted counties in response to both storms.
    Milton’s path impacted some of Florida’s most productive agricultural areas for aquaculture, avocados, bell peppers, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, cattle, citrus, christmas trees, corn, cotton, cucumbers, dairy, equine, floriculture, grapes, leafy greens, mangos, other animal products, peaches, peanuts, pecans, potatoes, poultry, rice, snap beans, soybeans, strawberries, sugarcane, sweet corn, tangerines, tomatoes, watermelons, and more. Agricultural lands and agribusiness more than 100 miles away from the eye of the storm experienced tornadoes and other devastating effects which compounded losses.
    Block Grants:
    In 2018, after Hurricane Irma, Congress appropriated relief to Florida agriculture and USDA delivered that aid through a block grant to the state. The State of Florida was successful in getting that aid to those in need quickly and efficiently. During a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture hearing held on March 9, 2023, USDA Inspector General Phyllis K. Fong was asked about the effectiveness of this block grant and she stated, “[i]n that instance, FSA successfully partnered with Florida to deliver assistance to the citrus farmers.” She went on to say: “I think that is an example, within your own state, where that kind of block grant program can work.” We ask that you support both an appropriation request and authority to deliver the assistance in the form of a block grant to our state.
    USDA must work to deliver aid to communities affected by disasters as quickly and efficiently as possible. FSA offices across Florida are still having trouble facilitating disaster assistance programs designed to help after 2022 Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. However, these funds were not in the form of a block grant and as a result, there are hundreds of producers who are still awaiting assistance.
    Creating a new disaster program each time funds are appropriated by Congress not only complicates the disaster relief application process, but also delays delivery of critical assistance for the producers who feed our state and nation. Block grants administered by the state expedite disbursement, free up personnel at FSA to efficiently carry out routine programs and provide needed flexibility for states.
    As you are aware, the Block Grant Assistance Act (H.R 662 & S.180) was designed to authorize USDA to administer calendar year 2022 disaster relief via block grants. This would give USDA the ability, when reasonable, to issue block grants and expedite payment to producers. This bill is cosponsored by the entire Florida delegation and unanimously passed the House on June 12, 2023. We remain steadfast in our support for standing block grant authority and continue to urge USDA to support this measure giving them additional flexibility in administering disaster programs.
    Farm Service Agency:
    Unlike most commodity crop programs, Florida specialty crop programs are disaster based and time consuming to deliver. Additionally, permanent FSA staff are needed in the county offices to administer the USDA disaster programs efficiently and effectively. We ask that USDA approve an expedited review of applications and deployment of existing authority for FSA offices to waive requirements that are redundant or unnecessary.
    In many other states, straightforward programs like Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage enable producers to easily enroll and receive payments. These routine programs influence FSA workload metrics and help the agency prioritize personnel and resources. However, the situation differs significantly in Florida with specialty crops. Most of our programs are disaster-based, which are notably more time-consuming to administer and manage. These factors are not accounted for when allocating staff. As a result, our FSA county offices are not adequately staffed and have not finalized Emergency Relief Program (ERP) and Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) payments to producers for 2022.
    Disaster Appropriation:
    Per USDA data, losses in agriculture across calendar year 2022 totaled $14 billion, yet Congress only appropriated $3.7 billion in relief to our nation’s producers in the December 2022 omnibus. We recognize this led to difficult decisions on how to distribute the disaster assistance. However, the “Progressive Payment Factor” being applied to ERP 2022 payments was an unnecessary and harmful program flaw that has resulted in the producers who suffered the most severe losses receiving pennies on the dollars in assistance. Federal disaster assistance is never meant to make producers whole, but Congress has a duty to prevent a failure like this from occurring again. We look forward to working with USDA to ensure adequate funding for 2023 and 2024 losses.
    Improved Crop Insurance Options:
    Crop insurance is another tool USDA can use to improve the farm safety net alongside these suggestions for improving delivery of FSA disaster programs. The 2024 Farm Bill that passed the House Committee on Agriculture includes language to improve crop insurance options for specialty crop growers, including the Temperature Endorsement for Multi-Peril Policies (TEMP) Act (H.R.6186 & S.3253).4 Many of Florida’s specialty crop growers do not have insurance on their crops because of the high price of the premiums and low payouts from claims. The Florida Delegation will continue its efforts to work with USDA to prioritize improving crop insurance options for growers as outlined in the 2024 Farm Bill passed by the House Committee on Agriculture earlier this year.
    To ensure USDA and Congress are equipped to provide adequate support for producers, please respond to the following questions and provide the following documents and information no later than November 29, 2024.
    A statement of agency policy for utilization of block grants within USDA disaster-based programs.
    A document detailing calendar year 2024 calendar year losses up to October 29, 2024, and a budgetary request to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to ensure adequate funding of relief programs.
    An updated document detailing FSA county office leadership, and how many FTEs are employed at each.
    A report on the number of FTEs Florida FSA offices need to efficiently administer a disaster-based program to Florida producers.
    A plan for strike team deployment to Florida FSA offices including timeline, number of employees and where these teams will be placed.
    As Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to work with USDA to best assist the producers who feed our nation. We appreciate your attention to this urgent matter.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: North Dakota Family to Receive the Purple Heart, Quilt of Valor in Honor of WWII Hero

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    Ceremony to be held Nov. 4 at the AMVETS in Bismarck
     ***Click here to download audio.***
    BISMARCK, N.D. – A ceremony will be held on Monday, Nov. 4 in Bismarck to present a Purple Heart medal to honor the service and sacrifice of Private Franklin Joseph DuFrame, who gave his life in service to our nation in World War II. The replacement medal will be presented to Pvt. DuFrame’s son, Donald Franklin DuFrame of Lincoln, who served and enlisted in the Navy Reserve at 18 as a machinist mate 3rd class during the Vietnam War from 1962 to 1967.
    U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the Senate committees on Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs, will present the family with a Purple Heart medal to honor and recognize the sacrifices of Franklin DuFrame. This replaces a previous Purple Heart awarded to Pvt. DuFrame, which had been lost. Cramer will present the family with a flag flown over the United States Capitol in honor of Pvt. DuFrame’s heroic service.
    The ceremony will also include the presentation of the Vietnam Commemorative Pin to recognize Donald DuFrame’s service, and a Quilt of Valor by Missouri River Quilts of Valor members. 
    Purple Heart medals are awarded to service members who are wounded or killed because of enemy action in an armed conflict. It is the nation’s oldest military honor still awarded today, and was established by President George Washington as the Badge of Military Merit in 1782.
    “This Purple Heart medal is much more than an award; it’s really a symbol of our nation’s eternal gratitude for Franklin DuFrame’s bravery, and heroism, and sacrifice,” said Cramer. “Private DuFrame gave his life for our country, and it’s really an honor for me to be able to present his family with this replacement medal to recognize his valiant service. It’s a repeated honor that I get to have as a member of Congress to intervene on behalf of a family who lost just a small part, but an important part, of their loved one’s legacy. This award represents that legacy, and it’s something tangible they can hang on to and that they can pass down to generation after generation as they tell the story of dad, of grandpa, of great-grandpa, of great-great-grandpa’s legacy in historical contribution to the freedom of America. It’s just a privilege and a joy.”
    Born in August 1920 in Maine, Pvt. DuFrame served in the U.S. Army, C Company, 10th Infantry Battalion, 4th Armored Division. He was married to Elma Leona Helman DuFrame, and they had three children. 
    On March 24, 1945, he was wounded in action and transported to an evacuation hospital in Bad Kreuznach, Germany. Pvt. DuFrame died of his wounds two days later on March 26 at the age of 24. He was temporarily interned at the military cemetery in Stromberg and permanently laid to rest, at his family’s request, at the Lorraine American War Cemetery in France.
    The ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held Monday, Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m. CT at AMVETS Post #9, 2402 Railroad Ave., Bismarck.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Speaks at Grand Opening of New Age-Friendly Patient Rooms at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Click HERE, HERE, and HERE for individual photos

    Bangor, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins delivered remarks at the grand opening of new age-friendly patient rooms at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor. The new unit contains nine patient rooms that were renovated to better fit the care needs of older patients. Senator Collins secured $1.5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for this renovation project in the Fiscal Year 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

    “Ensuring that older Mainers receive the quality care they deserve requires facilities that are designed with their needs in mind,” said Senator Collins. “These new age-friendly rooms at St. Joseph Hospital will create a more comfortable, accessible, and supportive environment for older patients and their families.”

    Renovations to the rooms include improved lighting, high contrast flooring, more accessible bathrooms, additional mobility railings, customizable memory door signs, mobility comfort furniture, and other features that aim to improve the care environment for older patients. The new facility also includes rooms that will be more suitable for end-of-life care, for both patients and their loved ones.

    In addition to this project, Senator Collins has secured Congressionally Directed Spending to improve patient care in multiple departments of St. Joseph Hospital since 2021. This includes $708,000 to upgrade mammogram imaging equipment and $1,550,000 to purchase and install a new MRI machine.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff, Secure Over $60 Million to Improve Rail Safety Across Georgia Through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff, Secure Over $60 Million to Improve Rail Safety Across Georgia Through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

    The Georgia Department of Transportation will receive $8,496,000 to improve rail line in Lowndes and Berrien Counties
    The Georgia Ports Authority will receive $26,521,740 to finalize designs and build improvements at Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island Terminal
    Funding provided through federal CRISI program Senator Reverend Warnock championed through the Senate Commerce committee 
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to deliver historic investments for Georgians in every corner of the state. This latest grant will help mitigate congestion, build new tracks, and reinforce existing tracks leading to safer, more efficient, and more sustainable rail transportation and shipping”
    Senator Ossoff: “After hearing from communities statewide about aging railroad infrastructure conditions Senator Warnock and I elevated this as one of our highest priorities”

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), a member of the Senate Commerce committee charged with overseeing the nation’s transportation policies, and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) announced they secured $60,324,102 in federal funding to strengthen railroad safety across Georgia. The funds were made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, championed by the senators for its investments in Georgia, and administered through the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program. Senator Warnock successfully strengthened the CRISI Program to deliver for Georgia during negotiations for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and wrote letters of support championing funding for the Georgia Ports Authority, Patriot Rail Company, and OmniTRAX Holdings projects. 

    The Georgia Ports Authority will receive $26,521,740 to finalize designs and build improvements at Brunswick’s Colonel’s Island Terminal. This includes constructing a new South Side Rail Yard with four additional tracks (about 23,735 feet), an auto parking area, and a perimeter road, as well as adding a grade separation at SCM Road. Additionally, the existing Myd-Harris Yard will be reconfigured to improve efficiency and shift rail operations away from nearby neighborhoods.

    The Georgia Department of Transportation will receive $8,496,000 to improve the CPR GF rail line in Lowndes and Berrien Counties. This project includes upgrading tracks, rehabilitating bridges and sidings, and adding a new spur. These upgrades will help maintain large freight capacity, enable speeds of 25 mph, enhance crossing safety, improve reliability, reduce future maintenance costs, and support local economic growth with improved infrastructure.

    “Our communities thrive when we are better connected, which is why I have been focused on strengthening rail safety and infrastructure in Georgia, and why I was proud to champion efforts in the Senate to strengthen the CRISI program allowing these funds to flow our state,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to deliver historic investments for Georgians in every corner of the state. This latest grant will help mitigate congestion, build new tracks, and reinforce existing tracks leading to safer, more efficient, and more sustainable rail transportation and shipping.”

    “After hearing from communities statewide about aging railroad infrastructure conditions Senator Warnock and I elevated this as one of our highest priorities. Resources through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are now flowing across the State of Georgia to plan and begin construction to address this crisis. We’ve listened, we’ve heard, we’ve acted, and help is on the way,” said Senator Ossoff.

    The purpose of the CRISI Program is to invest in a wide range of projects within the United States to improve railroad safety, efficiency, and reliability; mitigate congestion at both intercity passenger and freight rail chokepoints to support the more efficient movement of both people and goods; enhance multi-modal connections; and lead to new or substantially improved Intercity Passenger Rail Transportation corridors.

    See a full breakdown of the grants below:

    Grant Recipient Project Description Federal Award Amount
    Georgia Ports Authority Final design and construction to improve the Myd-Harris Yard and build the new South Side Rail Yard at the Colonel’s Island Terminal in Brunswick, GA. Specifically, for the South Side Rail Yard, the project would construct four new yard tracks, estimated at approximately 23,735 feet of track, and construct south side auto parking area and a perimeter road, as well as grade separate the existing crossing at SCM Road. Additionally, it would lengthen and reconfigure tracks at the existing Myd-Harris Yard to improve operational efficiency and bring rail switching activities inside the terminal and away from the adjacent neighborhood. $26,521,740
    Georgia Department of Transportation Final design/construction for a track and rail rehabilitation/upgrade, multibridge rehabilitation, siding rehabilitation, and the construction of a new spur on the CPR GF Line across Lowndes and Berrien Counties, Georgia. The objective of this Project is to preserve the railroad’s ability to accommodate 286,000-lb carloads and 25 mph operating speeds, enhance safety at grade crossings, support the reliability of freight movement by improving state of good repair, reduce future maintenance costs, and support economic development with new and improve siding and spur tracks. $8,496,000
    Patriot Rail Company LLC Final design and construction activities to improve track conditions on eight Patriot railroads across the southeast. $12,840,150
    OmniTRAX Holdings Combined, Inc. Final design and construction activities to replace railroad ties on four OmniTRAX-owned short lines across four states – Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, and Washington. $12,466,212

    Last December, Senators Warnock and Ossoff delivered $12 million in new Federal funding for a project in Jenkins County that will improve mobility by helping eliminate railway-highway crossings through the Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program. Last year, Senator Warnock secured the passage of two critical provisions in the Railway Safety Act of 2023 to address stalled trains trapping Atlanta residents in their neighborhood, and would update the grant program to provide additional support for projects that would eliminate crossings near schools, along school bus routes. In August 2023, Senator Warnock urged Secretary Buttigieg to approve rail crossing improvements in Millen, GA, and in 2021, Senator Warnock joined Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) to introduce the bipartisan Railway Upgrades for Rural American Lines (RURAL) Act to build on the successes already found through the Section 130 grant program and help states modernize unsafe or functionally outdated railroad warning devices.

    Senator Ossoff has worked alongside Senator Reverend Warnock to help Georgia communities address railroad crossings blockages. In September 2023, Senator Ossoff urged U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to support GDOT and Millen’s project. In June 2023, Senators Ossoff and Warnock delivered Federal resources for Chatham, DeKalb, and Gwinnett Counties through the bipartisan infrastructure law’s Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hirono Welcomes $59 Million in Federal Funding for Honolulu Harbor

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Mazie K. Hirono

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement celebrating the announcement of more than $56 million in federal funding to modernize Honolulu Harbor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the port along with $2.5 million to develop strategies to improve air quality at ports around the state, developed in consultation with communities living near the ports. The funding comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Ports Program, funded through the Inflation Reduction Act that Senator Hirono helped pass into law.

    “Honolulu Harbor is essential to the delivery of food, medicine, and other goods people rely on not only on Oahu, but across Hawaii,” said Senator Hirono. “The investments in hydrogen-powered cargo tractors and a hydrogen fueling station will help the port operate more efficiently while decreasing carbon emissions and other pollution that affects surrounding communities. The funding will also support the development of plans to improve air quality at ports and surrounding communities throughout our state. I’m proud to have supported the Inflation Reduction Act, which made this investment possible, and I’ll continue working to secure federal funds for projects that strengthen communities across our islands.”

    More information on the projects being funded is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –