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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Joins USDA Rural Development and Vermont Bond Bank to Celebrate Vermont’s First Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP) Loan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    CHARLOTTE, VT– U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy, joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, Vermont Bond Bank, and community leaders to celebrate Vermont’s first Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP) loan from the federal government, which will invest $40 million to benefit rural communities and school districts with low-interest, long-term financing for clean energy projects. Senator Welch introduced a bipartisan bill to reauthorize RESP and improve the program to help rural utilities maximize the program’s benefits. The bill was included as part of the Senate’s Farm Bill proposal, the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act.  
    “I’m thrilled to celebrate the closing of USDA’s first RESP loan to a Vermont institution. This RESP loan to the Vermont Bond Bank will save energy costs, reduce carbon emissions, support good jobs in Vermont, and keep investments local. It’s a win for all of us,” said Senator Welch. “I will continue to work towards ensuring my bipartisan Rural Energy Savings Act will pass as part of the Farm Bill to help more folks access low-interest loans for energy projects.” 
    Senator Welch was joined by Michael Gaughan, Executive Director, Vermont Bond Bank; Sarah Waring, USDA RD State Director for Vermont and New Hampshire; Ted Brady, Vermont League of Cities and Towns; Jim Faulkner, Chair of the Charlotte Select Board and Representatives from the Offices of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Representative Becca Balint (D-Vt.). 
    “Reducing costs for our municipal and education partners also reduces cost for taxpayers in the long term, so this is a terrific use of federal funds,” said Sarah Waring, USDA RD State Director for Vermont and New Hampshire. “Our agency has been pro-active in implementing the mandates of the Biden-Harris Administration to invest in rural communities to save money and build more efficient infrastructure. We’re proud to work with partners like the Vermont Bond Bank, one of the very first financial institutions in the country to close an RD RESP loan, because we share our mission to support economic opportunity and quality-of-life improvements for our communities.” 
    “The Bond Bank’s RESP loan will be a game changer in reducing energy costs for Vermont’s rural villages, towns, and school districts,” said Bond Bank Executive Director Michael Gaughan. “The resulting flexible and low-cost loans will align incentives for communities to enhance both financial and environmental sustainability while also helping to unlock incentives within the Inflation Reduction Act.” 
    The Rural Energy Savings Program provides no-interest loans to rural utilities, electric cooperatives, and related entities to offer affordable financing for rural households and businesses making energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy improvements. Financing is most often used to support air sealing, insulation, new space conditioning systems, and new water heaters.   
    Senator Welch’s bipartisan Rural Energy Savings Act would reauthorize RESP and improve the program by providing limited grant funding to rural utilities to offset administrative and program costs, extending the maximum repayment term for loans to consumers to up to 20 years, and expanding eligibility for all households within a rural utility’s service territory. The bill also codifies the ability of “green banks” to access RESP and codifies manufactured housing as an eligible improvement.  
    Created in 1969 as the nation’s first state bond bank, the Bond Bank helps finance and implement crucial municipal infrastructure at lower costs to communities by providing access to more affordable capital. The Bond Bank does this by overcoming gaps in information, scale, and credit to allow cities, towns, villages, school districts, and other forms of government achieve equitable access to capital. This market specialization also helps with expertise in recognizing emerging needs like flood relief and managing federal requirements for faster and easier access to capital. In addition to facilities and infrastructure lending, the Bond Bank also provides post disaster bridge loans and is the financial administrator of the State of Vermont Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds.  
    USDA Rural Development supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit USDA’s Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America.  
    View photos from the event below:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Finstad Question USDA Grant Oversight amid Pure Prairie Poultry Closure

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.) are leading a letter scrutinizing the Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s loan and grant oversight practices after a recent awardee, Pure Prairie Poultry, shut down. Grassley and Finstad serve on the Senate and House Agriculture Committees, respectively.

    “USDA is responsible for keeping tabs on the taxpayer-funded grants it administers, but it clearly dropped the ball with Pure Prairie. Iowans and others across America’s Heartland have lost their jobs and their poultry market as a result of Pure Prairie’s closure. USDA must explain to Congress and the public what went wrong to help prevent a repeat scenario,” Grassley said of the bicameral effort.

    “USDA has provided millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded loans and grants to meat and poultry processors across the country, which is why my colleagues and I are calling on USDA to provide answers,” Finstad added. “While expanding livestock markets and processing capacity is critical for farm country, the lack of oversight of these dollars by USDA harmed producers and caused a significant disruption to our nation’s food supply chain.”

    Minnesota-based Pure Prairie Poultry received over $45 million in USDA funding to help smaller processors start or expand capacity. The company ceased operations earlier this month and shuttered its plant in Charles City, Iowa. As a result, up to 50 farmers in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin were left without processing capacity or feed for more than 2 million chickens, and roughly 100 more Iowans lost their jobs.

    Grassley and Finstad are asking USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack about the agency’s considerations for approving Pure Prairie Poultry’s funding, its insights into the company’s financial standing and the steps it took to assist stakeholders following the Charles City plant closure.

    Additional signatories include Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), along with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) and Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) and Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.). 

    Read the full letter HERE. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham Statement on Hegseth Confirmation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement after the Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as the next Secretary of the Department of Defense.
    “I am very pleased that Pete Hegseth was confirmed by the Senate to be President Trump’s Secretary of Defense.
    “Pete has served in the Army National Guard as a front line officer, and he has a keen intellect and a passion for the warfighter. He did an excellent job during a very contentious hearing and withstood all the attacks that came his way. He is bullish on creating a larger, more lethal military and is clear-eyed about America’s enemies, including Iran. Israel will have no better friend than Pete Hegseth.
    “I look forward to working with Pete to make America strong and secure once again.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bonamici, Wyden, Merkley, Salinas, Hoyle, Dexter, Bynum Call for Providence, Oregon Nurses Association to Reach Agreement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    January 24, 2025
    WASHINGTON DC – Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley sent a letter urging Providence and the Oregon Nurses Association to reach agreement on new employment contracts for doctors, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and clinical staff. The health care workers have been on strike since January 10th.
    The full text of the letter can be found here and below.
    Dear Mr. Wexler and Ms. Tan Piazza,
    We write today to express our firm expectation that Providence will engage in good faith bargaining as it seeks to settle contracts with nearly 5,000 doctors, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and clinical staff in the Providence system across the state of Oregon.
    These dedicated doctors, nurses, and clinical staff have been on strike since January 10th.
    We have spoken directly with these caregivers and with Providence leadership. Our conversations underscored the urgency of this situation and have led us to continue to call on you to act with haste to come to an agreement that values the health care providers who care for patients in the Providence system.
    Nurses, doctors, and other Oregonians on the strike lines told us they are striking because they don’t have the resources to provide the quality of care that Oregonians deserve and expect. They’ve told us that the strike is not only for competitive wages and benefits, but also for safer staffing levels.
    We know that the costs of this strike are significant. Providers are going without pay because they understand that working conditions need to change. Providence is paying significant amounts of money to hire and train replacement staff while the strike continues. The last few years have not been easy for anyone in health care, and the health care system continues to face a variety of challenges.
    The Providence system is a critical part of Oregon’s health care infrastructure. It’s past time to agree on a fair contract–for the nurses, doctors, and other staff who care for Oregonians, and for all of those who receive care at Providence.
    Providence and ONA both share the goal of providing excellent patient care and experiences. We appreciate that justice is among Providence’s core values and that Providence strives to “foster a culture that promotes unity and reconciliation,” “care wisely for our people, our resources and our earth,” and “stand in solidarity with the most vulnerable, working to remove the causes of oppression and promoting justice for all.”
    We call on both parties to bring this commitment to justice to the bargaining table, to actively engage in bargaining all contracts, and to offer and negotiate proposals that meaningfully address caregiver concerns about wages, working conditions, and staffing.
    On behalf of the millions of Oregonians we represent, it is our sincere hope that ONA and Providence negotiate contracts in good faith as swiftly as possible. Thank you for your attention to this important matter and for your consideration of our request.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reuters: Biden pre-election makes two judicial nominations in California

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for California – Laphonza Butler

    By Nate Raymond 
    President Joe Biden is moving to nominate two new federal trial court judges in California, adding to the list of judicial nominees that Senate Democrats will need to push to confirm in the lame-duck session following the Nov. 5 election.
    The White House late Wednesday said Biden planned to nominate Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Serena Murillo to serve as a federal trial court judge in the city and was seeking to elevate U.S. Magistrate Judge Benjamin Cheeks in San Diego to a life-tenured district court judgeship.
    They would join a list of 28 other judicial nominees put forward by the outgoing Democratic president whose nominations remain pending in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
    Faced with the prospects of Republican former President Donald Trump returning to the White House or Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris being stymied from appointing judges if she were to win the presidential contest but Republicans were to win control of the Senate, Democrats are gearing up to confirm multiple new judges before 2024’s end.

    The White House said Wednesday’s nominees in California would help fulfill Biden’s pledge to diversify the federal judiciary. The vast majority of his 213 confirmed judicial nominees have been women or people of color.
    “Californians deserve a federal bench that reflects the diversity of the Golden State,” Democratic Senator Laphonza Butler of California said in a statement.

    Read the full article HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Advocate: Republicans’ unprecedented anti-LGBTQ+ attacks highlighted in new HRC Congressional Scorecard

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for California – Laphonza Butler
    By Trudy Ring 
    The Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard for the 118th Congress is out, and it reflects both “an unprecedented onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation” and resistance from pro-equality lawmakers, HRC President Kelley Robinson says.
    The scorecard, released Monday, covers the 2023-2024 session of Congress and rates every U.S. senator and representative on their support for LGBTQ+ rights or lack thereof. “Amidst the Human Rights Campaign’s first ever National State of Emergency, anti-equality Members of Congress decided to echo the anti-LGBTQ+ extremist policies pioneered in the states,” Robinson writes in the scorecard’s introduction. “The 118th Congress had an unprecedented number of anti-LGBTQ+ votes, the majority of which specifically targeted the transgender community.
    The Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard for the 118th Congress is out, and it reflects both “an unprecedented onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation” and resistance from pro-equality lawmakers, HRC President Kelley Robinson says.
    The scorecard, released Monday, covers the 2023-2024 session of Congress and rates every U.S. senator and representative on their support for LGBTQ+ rights or lack thereof. “Amidst the Human Rights Campaign’s first ever National State of Emergency, anti-equality Members of Congress decided to echo the anti-LGBTQ+ extremist policies pioneered in the states,” Robinson writes in the scorecard’s introduction. “The 118th Congress had an unprecedented number of anti-LGBTQ+ votes, the majority of which specifically targeted the transgender community.
    “Republican leadership in the House of Representatives decided to use the annual appropriations bills and the National Defense Authorization Act to advance dozens of anti-LGBTQ+ provisions. These anti-equality measures threatened to restrict transgender health care, prohibit enforcement of civil rights protections, ban Pride flags and drag performances, eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and allow licenses to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. House Republican leaders largely refused to allow floor votes on amendments to strike these provisions. Fortunately, despite House Republicans’ best attempts, we have prevented more than 100 anti-LGBTQ+ riders from being signed into law, a true testament to our organizing power.” The Senate, with a slim Democratic majority, saw far fewer attacks on LGBTQ+ people.
    The forces behind homophobic and transphobic legislation during the session included many of the usual suspects, all Republicans. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia tried to reduce Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine’s annual salary to $1, and it was clear Levine was being targeted because she is transgender. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado tried to do the same with another trans official, Assistant Secretary of Defense Shawn Skelly. Rep. Chip Roy of Texas sought to keep the Defense Department from celebrating Pride Month. The full House rejected all these proposals.
    The House did approve a version of the National Defense Authorization Act, a must-pass funding bill, that would have banned gender-affirming care, books about transgender people, drag performances, and Pride flags. However, after negotiations between the House and Senate, the anti-LGBTQ+ provisions were stripped from the bill.
    “To an unprecedented extent, House Republican lawmakers tried to use the traditionally bipartisan, must-pass annual defense bill as a vehicle to attack LGBTQ+ service members and their families — but because of the work of champions in Congress, HRC’s supporters, and our partners in the movement, they failed,” HRC Vice President of Government Affairs David Stacy said in a statement at the time. “The public supports the ability of LGBTQ+ and trans people to live lives free from discrimination, and they have the strong support of the Biden administration and pro-equality lawmakers. Continued efforts by the anti-equality fringe to use every legislative vehicle they can to attack our communities will not succeed. We hope they learn their lesson.”
    In the Senate, Republican Tommy Tuberville of Alabama proposed an amendment that would have denied federal funds to schools that allow transgender girls to participate in sports under their gender identity. It was rejected thanks to Senate Democrats and independents. Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas tried to use the defense bill to ban the display of Pride flags in public buildings, but this too was defeated.
    Besides the rejection of much anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, bright spots in the federal government over the past two years included an increase in out lawmakers, judges, and ambassadors. California’s Laphonza Butler, a Democrat appointed to fill out the Senate term of the late Dianne Feinstein, was the first Black lesbian U.S. senator. Butler, who is not running in this year’s election, joined Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, a lesbian and a Democrat, and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, a bisexual woman and former Democrat, now an independent, to make a record number of out U.S. senators. Sinema, who has taken some conservative positions, also is not running this year, but Baldwin is seeking reelection.
    Read the full article HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Leader McConnell and Speaker Johnson to VP Harris: End The Dangerous Rhetoric

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Leader McConnell and Speaker Johnson released the following statement:
    “This summer, after the first attempted assassination of a presidential candidate in more than a century, President Biden insisted that ‘we cannot allow this violence to be normalized.’ In September, after President Trump escaped yet another close call, Vice President Harris acknowledged that ‘we all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence.’
    “These words have proven hollow. In the weeks since that second sobering reminder, the Democratic nominee for President of the United States has only fanned the flames beneath a boiling cauldron of political animus. Her most recent and most reckless invocations of the darkest evil of the 20th century seem to dare it to boil over. The Vice President’s words more closely resemble those of President Trump’s second would-be assassin than her own earlier appeal to civility.
    “The man who was caught waiting in ambush in Florida left others with a chilling call to arms: ‘It is up to you now to finish the job’. Labeling a political opponent as a ‘fascist,’ risks inviting yet another would-be assassin to try robbing voters of their choice before Election Day.
    “Vice President Harris may want the American people to entrust her with the sacred duty of executive authority. But first, she must abandon the base and irresponsible rhetoric that endangers both American lives and institutions. We have both been briefed on the ongoing and persistent threats to former President Donald Trump by adversaries to the United States, and we call on the Vice President to take these threats seriously, stop escalating the threat environment, and help ensure President Trump has the necessary resources to be protected from those threats.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Joins King, Rounds and Bipartisan Colleagues in Pushing for Maximum H2-B Visas to Support Small Businesses in 2025

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    H-2B visas help employers fill temporary, seasonal positions in Vermont
    BURLINGTON, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and a bipartisan group of colleagues in asking the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release the maximum allowable number of additional H-2B visas for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. 
    H-2B visas help American small businesses when there are not enough American workers to fill the temporary, seasonal positions. As required by law, employers must first make a concerted effort to hire American workers to fill open positions; when the local workforce is insufficient, H-2Bs are seen as a necessary tool to support local economies. With Vermont continuing to see a shortage of seasonal and temporary employees, these special visas provide a lifeline for the economy and ensure small businesses can meet the demand for their products and services.  
    “Many employers turn to the H-2B program to meet their workforce needs to not only sustain their businesses, but also support their American workers. The H-2B program places requirements on employers to recruit U.S. workers, who are intentionally prioritized by the program and also receive demonstrated, positive impacts from their seasonal colleagues. In fact, a 2020 Government Accountability Office report concluded that ‘counties with H-2B employers generally had lower unemployment rates and higher average weekly wages than counties that do not have any H-2B employers,’” wrote the senators. 
    “The most current employment data illustrates the workforce struggles of seasonal businesses nationwide. The Department of Labor’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Surveys (JOLTS) show the rate of job openings have increased year over year for the industries that represent the top five H-2B occupations. As you know, the FY 2025 H-2B first half fiscal year cap was met on September 18, 2024—roughly three weeks earlier than the cap was met in FY 2024. The result is that seasonal employers whose peak seasons are in late fall and winter are capped out before their period of seasonal need begins. Absent cap relief, these employers will be unable to receive temporary, U.S. government-vetted guest workers,” continued the senators. 
    The letter was also signed by John Barrasso (R-WY), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Cornyn (R-TX), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Fetterman (D-PA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), George Helmy (D-NJ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Joe Manchin (I-W. Va.), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Tim Scott (R-SC). 
    The full text of the letter is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Announces Over $8.5 Million in Funding to Combat Youth Experiencing Homelessness in Clark County

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Las Vegas, Nev. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today announced $8,548,153 in federal funding to support Clark County’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP). Nevada has the highest rate of youth experiencing homelessness in the nation. These federal funds will support efforts to expand Clark County’s capacity to prevent youth from becoming unhoused, including through innovative programs that help young Nevadans find safe, stable housing and build pathways to financial self-reliance.

    “Every young Nevadan deserves a roof over their head—that’s why I worked to help secure these funds that will give Southern Nevada organizations the tools they need to provide safe housing and essential services for at-risk youth like education and employment assistance,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’ll continue fighting to get young people the support they need to succeed.”

    Senator Cortez Masto has delivered critical support to young Nevadans, and she’s worked to keep Nevadans in their homes – especially through her work with the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLB-SF) system. She’s cosponsored bipartisan legislation to help provide stable housing options for foster care youth transitioning to adulthood, and she this year she secured $9.4 million from the FHLB-SF’s targeted fund she helped create — almost twice as much as Nevada received last year — to build more affordable housing. She also helped secure nearly $12 million in funding for the Communities in Schools (CIS) program, which works with local partner organizations to provide eligible students and their families with essential services, including mental health care and access to high-quality afterschool and leadership programs. Additionally, she has secured $950,000 to help Clark County School District better support students recovering from substance abuse and mental health struggles.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Speaks About Rural Development and Supporting Economic Opportunities at Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation Event 

    US Senate News:

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

    MONTPELIER, VT– U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy, traveled to Vermont’s Capital City yesterday to deliver remarks at the Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation (CVEDC) Annual Dinner and Meeting to recognize the hard work of Central Vermont businesses in overcoming Vermont’s recent floods, and thank local businesses for their contributions to the local economy. 
    “Folks across Vermont have been through so much in the past year and a half. Many homeowners, small businesses, and farmers are still feeling the impacts of brutal back-to-back flooding. CVEDC’s work to grow jobs, support housing, and expand opportunities has been crucial to strengthening our community when we need it most,” said Senator Welch. “I’ll continue to work with my colleagues in Washington to secure more disaster funding and cut through red tape so our communities can get the resources they need faster.” 
    View photos from the event below: 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Named ‘Friend of Farm Bureau’ by American Farm Bureau Federation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    October 25, 2024

    October 25, 2024

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) was honored as a 2024 “Friend of Farm Bureau” by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) for his work advancing policies that support America’s farmers and ranchers. The award recognizes lawmakers for their outstanding support of agriculture through legislative action and leadership. 

    “Our farmers and ranchers feed and fuel the country and beyond,” Ricketts said. “I will always fight to ensure Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers have the support they need to navigate current and future challenges.”

    Senator Ricketts accepting the award from Mark McHargue, President of Nebraska Farm Bureau

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy announces $1.9 million in Hurricane Ida aid for south Louisiana

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced a $1,880,865 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant for Louisiana disaster aid.

    “Hurricane Ida left behind many damaged and destroyed streetlights, utility poles and powerlines in south Louisiana. This $1.9 million will help these communities with important repairs to their electrical infrastructure,” said Kennedy.

    The FEMA aid will fund the following:

    • $1,880,865 to the South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association for repairs to streetlights, utility poles and powerlines due to Hurricane Ida damage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Nearly $12 Million For Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority For Freight Rail Modernization In North Country

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Senators Explain Project Will Greenlight Major Rail Modernization And Upgrade 14+ Miles Of Track In St. Lawrence County, Improving Safety, Efficiency, Resilience & Competitiveness Of Ogdensburg Area Railroad Built In The Early 1900s

    Funding Comes From Consolidated Rail Infrastructure And Safey Improvements Program That Senators Fought To Boost Funding For In Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law

    Schumer, Gillibrand: This Fed $$ Puts Ogdensburg On Track For A Safer & More Efficient Future!

    U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $11,709,995 to greenlight a major modernization project at the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority (OBPA) which will upgrade over 14 miles of rail, stretching across St. Lawrence County communities from Lisbon to Norwood, equipping the railroad to handle modern, industry standard 286,000-pound freight cars, improving rail safety and reliability, bolstering North Country commerce and good-paying jobs, and much more. The federal funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program.

    “The feds just greenlit major modernizations for freight rail by the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority. Many of the rail tracks in the Ogdensburg area are decades old and in need of major upgrades. I am proud to deliver this nearly $12 million fed investment that will help the port do more business by allowing them to more goods quickly and efficiently,” said Senator Schumer. “New modern rail infrastructure will allow for more commerce to flow in the North Country. The Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law continues to deliver for the North Country, and I am thrilled that the program is bringing major investment back here to St. Lawrence County.”

    “This funding will make rail across the North Country safer, more reliable, and more efficient,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I’m proud to have fought to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide the funding for this project and many more across New York State and will continue fighting to improve our state’s roads, bridges, and railways.”

    “The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority is very pleased to receive substantial funding through the Federal Railroad Administration’s CRISI program. This funding will provide for much needed capacity improvements to the New York and Ogdensburg Railway that services, the Port of Ogdensburg and the North Country economy. These improvements will greatly increase the railroad’s competitive advantage in attracting commerce to our region. On behalf of the OBPA and North Country community we serve, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand for their unwavering support and commitment to growth at the OBPA,” said Steve Lawrence, Executive Director, Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority. 

    According to Schumer, this longstanding North Country transportation priority will modernize over 14 miles of OBPA track operated by the New York & Ogdensburg Railway nearing the end of its useful life, stretching across the Town of Lisbon, Town of Madrid, Town of Potsdam, and Village of Norwood. Schumer explained that, currently, this stretch of OBPA rail is only equipped to handle legacy 263,000-pound rail carts, severely limiting its utility, capacity, efficiency and more. Now, thanks to this boost of federal funding, the OBPA will be able to proceed with long-sought upgrades equipping the railroad to handle a larger fleet of modern, industry-standard rail cars. 

    The Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law included $5 billion over five years for the CRISI program. The program invests in various projects within the United States to improve railroad safety, efficiency, and reliability; mitigate congestion at both intercity passenger and freight rail chokepoints to support more efficient travel and goods movement; enhance multi-modal connections; and lead to new or substantially improved Intercity Passenger Rail Transportation corridors.

    Schumer and Gillibrand have long fought to support various projects for the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority. Last month, Schumer announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation named Breeze Airways as Ogdensburg International Airport’s new Essential Air Service carrier. Over the last two years, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand secured awards of $2,100,000 and $1,000,000 for the OBPA’s new 15,000 square foot childcare center. In 2016, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand secured over $11,000,000 to the Ogdensburg International Airport from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP) for their airport expansion project.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Colleagues Call Out DOJ for Failing to Investigate and Prosecute Illegal Immigrants Registering to Vote

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Thom Tillis and his colleagues recently sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) demanding answers about the DOJ’s apparent failure to investigate and prosecute cases of illegal immigrants registering to vote in American elections despite state-level evidence of illegal immigrants unlawfully registering to vote. 

    “We are deeply concerned by reports of non-citizens registering to vote and voting in federal elections. As of today, there has been no response from you or your Department regarding the inquiry on July 12, 2024, seeking information on efforts undertaken by your Department to enforce laws prohibiting non-citizen voting,” the senators wrote.

    “Since the initial letter, several more concerning reports have been released by state officials indicating that a large number of non-citizens appear on their voter rolls. For example, the Virginia Attorney General recently announced that 6,303 non-citizens were identified on and removed from Virginia’s voter rolls in 2022 and 2023. In another troubling report released in August, over 6,500 non-citizens registered to vote in Texas were identified and removed from voter rolls. Of the 6,500 non-citizens identified, 1,930 had a voter history,”the senators continued.

    “Clearly, there is a non-negligible amount of voter participation by non-citizens in federal elections, which is not only a serious threat to the integrity of our elections and the democratic process they represent, but also has the potential to reduce Americans’ trust and confidence in election results. Accordingly, we respectfully reiterate the July 12 request for information on your Department’s enforcement efforts,” the senators concluded.

    Full text of the letter is available HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Moran: Kansas Veterans may be Impacted by VA Electronic System Failure

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee – was alerted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of a problem with an electronic fax system that resulted in 875 files sent to the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System from community care providers to go missing.

    These files dated as far back as June 11, 2024, and contained medical documentation, care referrals, authorizations for care and other information needed for the coordination of veteran health care.

    “I have asked VA to quickly review every file and take all appropriate actions to mitigate patient harm that has or may result from this system failure,” said Sen. Moran. “I have also asked VA to quickly review each of the other 27 health care systems across the Veterans Health Administration that use this same electronic fax system in order to identify similar issues and assist any patients whose care has been negatively impacted. My office will remain in contact with VA until the full scope of this problem is known and all necessary corrective actions are taken.”

    Any veteran concerned this issue may have caused a delay in their care should contact their VA care team. If a veteran needs further assistance, they should reach out to Sen. Moran’s office here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Department of Education Awards $1.9 Million to Turtle Mountain Community College

    US Senate News:

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

    BISMARCK, N.D. – The U.S. Department of Education announced an award of $1,922,389 to Turtle Mountain Community College for a research and development infrastructure project. Specifically, this project will improve research and development activities, including infrastructure, faculty development, and undergraduate research opportunities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Cortez Masto Announce More Than $300,000 in Funding for Nevada to Help Law Enforcement Fight Drug Trafficking 

    US Senate News:

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

    LAS VEGAS, NV – U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) announced that Nevada will receive $340,000 in federal funding to help law enforcement crack down on illicit drug trafficking and address regional drug threats. The funding comes from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program, which coordinates and supports federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies’ efforts to seize illicit drugs like fentanyl, prevent and reduce violent crime associated with drug trafficking, enhance data sharing, and dismantle money laundering organizations. Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto were both part of a bipartisan group of Senators who pushed for funding for the HIDTA Program last year.
    “Drug trafficking fuels Nevada’s fentanyl crisis and destroys families, which is why we need to ensure law enforcement has all the resources needed to crack down on the flow of illicit drugs in our state,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to announce Nevada is receiving more than $300,000 in federal funding to help support our law enforcement’s important work in addressing drug trafficking in our state. I’ll always work across the aisle to ensure Nevada law enforcement has the resources it needs to keep our communities safe.”
    “Nevada’s HIDTA program and law enforcement officers work every day to keep Nevadans safe,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This funding is an important step to make sure our state has the resources it needs to combat drug trafficking. I will continue working on both sides of the aisle in the Senate to support Nevada’s law enforcement and get dangerous drugs off our streets.”
    Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto have consistently worked across the aisle to support law enforcement and stop the flow of illicit drugs. Earlier this year, Senator Rosen signed a letter to Appropriators requesting HIDTA be funded at the highest level possible for Fiscal Year  2025. Both Senators announced more than $3.4 million for Nevada Law Enforcement to address the overdose epidemic and illicit drug trafficking. Senator Rosen’s bipartisan END FENTANYL Act was signed into law to help crack down on drug smuggling by requiring the Customs and Border Protection Commissioner to update its drug interdiction guidance to ensure it is up to date. Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto have also pushed for additional funding to secure the border and stop the flow of fentanyl.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine, Murphy & Blumenthal Lead Colleagues in Asking Administration to Carefully Assess Proposal to Address Submarine Production Delays

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led a bipartisan group of their colleagues in asking the Biden Administration to address funding shortfalls for submarine programs as they consider funding levels for Fiscal Year 2025. In two separate letters to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young and Department of the Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, the lawmakers also urged the Administration to carefully assess the merits of the proposed Shipbuilder Accountability and Workforce Support (SAWS) agreement—which would restructure how the Navy pays for submarines—as a potential solution to address delays and get the programs back on track.

    While Congress has invested over $2.3 billion between 2018 and 2023 and an additional $3 billion this year as part of a national security supplemental in the nation’s submarine industrial base, the Virginia-class and Columbia-class submarine programs face significant delays and are expected to be over budget. The on-time completion of Virginia-class submarines, which are built in Virginia and Connecticut, is especially critical to the fulfillment of the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) trilateral partnership, through which the United States will sell at least two submarines to Australia to bolster security in the Indo-Pacific.

    In their letter to OMB Director Young, the members wrote, “The United States’ submarine programs provide our nation an undersea advantage that is critical to our national security… Based on the information available so far, the Shipbuilder Accountability and Workforce Support (SAWS) agreement strikes us as a promising approach to ensure our submarine industrial base rises to the occasion, accelerates submarine production, and fully meets the critical and building demand on U.S. shipyards… We request that you give all due consideration to this initiative, while ensuring it includes the accountability and leverage measures necessary to ensure our federal investments in submarine production go as far as possible in getting these critical programs on track.”

    In their letter to Secretary of the Navy Del Toro, the members wrote, “It is our understanding that over months of conversation Pentagon leadership, the Navy, and industry reached an agreement to maximize use of taxpayer funding for construction of the next tranche of Columbia-class and Virginia-class submarines – including by raising wages to attract and retain America’s skilled and organized shipyard workforce, addressing rising costs, and advancing much-needed infrastructure investments, all to improve program reliability and schedule.”

    “We therefore urge more consistent communication with Congress and with OMB so that all parties clearly understand the Navy’s position on SAWS and overall plans to get our nation’s submarine production on track,” they continued. “It is critical that our submarine programs be on schedule and on budget.”

    In addition to Kaine, Murphy, and Blumenthal, the letters were signed by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Angus King (I-ME), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Mark R. Warner (D-VA).

    The letter to OMB is available here. The letter to the Navy is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Maine Delegation Statement on the First Anniversary of Lewiston Shooting

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden today released the following statement on the first anniversary of the Lewiston shooting that took place on October 25th, taking the lives of 18 innocent people:

    “One year ago, the unthinkable happened in Lewiston when a gunman opened fire at a bowling alley and restaurant — shaking the community and Maine to its core,” said the Delegation. “For days, families sheltered in their homes as law enforcement worked to track down the shooter. We are thankful for the diligence and bravery that put an end to this nightmare and allowed our state to begin working through the agony and devastation. But the seats at the kitchen table remain empty, with 18 Mainers absent from the lives of their friends and families. Others injured on that horrific day are still recovering from their wounds. As we continue to process the pain, we renew our commitment to helping one another, to remembering the victims and the lives forever changed that day, and to healing.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Announces More Than $53 Million for Freight Rail Upgrades in Rural Maine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the Maine Department of Transportation has been awarded $53,313,091 for freight rail upgrades to enhance safety, speed, and reliability along two Eastern Maine Railway mainlines in Penobscot, Aroostook, Washington, and Piscataquis counties. This funding will also be used to rehabilitate currently dormant tracks to provide a connection to the One North Bio-Industrial Park in Millinocket. This funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Fiscal Year 2024 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program. Eastern Maine Railway and One North will contribute the 20 percent non-federal match required for this project, for a total project cost of more than $66.6 million.

    “This investment will make critical safety and reliability upgrades to enhance freight rail service in rural Maine,” said Senator Collins. “Repairing and expanding our state’s rail network will strengthen economic opportunities and support jobs throughout the state by connecting our rural communities to national and global markets.”

    The grant will support substantial improvements across 140 miles of rail, including the installation of over 86,000 new crossties and more than 108,000 tons of ballast, replacement of jointed rail with continuously welded rail, installation of Equipment Defect Detectors, and upgrading seven highway grade crossings. By rehabilitating yard tracks and other improvements in the Industrial Park, this project will support the Maine forest products industry and new and sustainable industries in the Katahdin Region.

    According to the FRA, the CRISI Program aims to invest in a wide range of projects within the United States to improve railroad safety, efficiency, and reliability, and to mitigate congestion at both intercity passenger and freight rail chokepoints to support the more efficient movement of both people and goods.

    Since joining the Appropriations Committee in 2009, Senator Collins has helped secure over $1 billion in competitive transportation grants for the State of Maine.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff Announce $22 Million in Federal Funding to Further Close Digital Divide Across Georgia

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff Announce $22 Million in Federal Funding to Further Close Digital Divide Across Georgia

    Funding will help create programs for working Americans to access laptops and tablets, connecting millions of households to more economic and educational opportunities
    Provisions in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law were based on Senator Reverend Warnock’s Device Access for Every American Act 
    The new funding seeks to make it easier for working families to keep up with the shift to a 21st century digital economy, schooling, and more
    4.4 million households with students lack consistent access to a computer
    ICYMI from May 2024: Touting Continuing Benefits of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Senator Reverend Warnock, Commerce Secretary Raimondo Celebrate New Jobs at Norcross Manufacturing Facility
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “It is not enough to just put fiber cables in the ground. We need to make sure our communities have the devices, resources, training, and low costs that will allow Georgians participate and thrive in our increasingly digital economy”

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) announced $22,455,639 in federal funding for Georgia to create digital literacy programs, expand community access to computers and tablets, lower costs to get connected, and more. These funds were based in part on provisions from Senator Warnock’s Device Access for Every American Act that he successfully included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Eligible uses include funding for digital literacy programs, partnerships with providers to improve internet affordability, and support for community anchor institutions like libraries, schools, community centers, and religious institutions to help connect, train, and educate communities in all aspects of digital connectivity and digital services. The grant will be distributed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to the state. This funding also allows Georgia to begin implementation of its digital equity plans.

    “I am proud to have secured provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make this federal funding possible and help close the digital divide for communities across Georgia–particularly in our rural and underserved communities that for too long have been left behind,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “It is not enough to just put fiber cables in the ground. We need to make sure our communities have the devices, resources, training, and low costs that will allow Georgians participate and thrive in our increasingly digital economy, and this multi-million dollar grant will do just that by creating digital literacy programs, expanding community access to computers and tablets, lowering costs to get connected, and more.”

    “Our historic bipartisan infrastructure law continues to deliver for Georgia, including historic Federal funding Senator Warnock and I have delivered to surge broadband connectivity across our state. Today’s announcement is another major next step toward ensuring every Georgia family, business, and farm has high-speed Internet,” said Senator Ossoff. 

    The growing need for reliable Internet connectivity and access to connected devices was exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced millions of Americans to shift to digital platforms for school, work, and other daily activities. But the evolving 21st century economy and technological revolution is only continuing these trends. Having a reliable broadband connection is increasingly as necessary as having running water or reliable electricity. However, many households struggle to keep up due to the lack of access to connected devices and the cost of acquiring them. Nationwide, 40% of working adults do not own a desktop or laptop computer. Additionally, 4.4 million households with students lack consistent access to a computer, making it difficult for these students to participate in class and complete schoolwork.

    Senator Warnock has been a champion for strengthening broadband access for Georgians across the state. In May 2024, Senator Warnock hosted Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo at Georgia-based OFS Fitel to uplift more $1 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding coming to Georgia for broadband expansion to close the digital divide in communities across the state. Senator Warnock also led an effort urging the FCC to expand the E-Rate program, which would allow schools and libraries to provide Wi-Fi hotspots to students and educators. Additionally, in 2022 Senator Reverend Warnock hosted FCC Chair Rosenworcel in Jackson County to discuss the need for better broadband service in rural communities. Senator Warnock has also worked with Senator Luján to urge the FCC to prevent digital discrimination by facilitating equal access to broadband internet through its rulemaking process. Additionally, in a recent Senate Commerce committee hearing, Senator Warnock called out Congress’ inaction on funding the Affordable Connectivity Program and how a funding lapse would be detrimental to the more than 23 million Americans who depend on it, which includes 720,000 Georgians.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casey Secures $245 Million to Clean Up Abandoned Mine Lands

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Pennsylvania Bob Casey
    With this round of funding, PA has received more than $735 million to clean up abandoned mine lands
    One third of the Nation’s abandoned mine land is in Pennsylvania, impacting as many as 1.4 million residents in 43 of PA’s 67 counties
    Funding to clean up abandoned mine land comes from Casey-backed infrastructure law
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) secured $245,082,772 to clean up abandoned mine lands across Pennsylvania. This third round of funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior will help create good-paying jobs in rural and energy communities across the Commonwealth, reclaim abandoned mine lands, and mitigate the health hazards and environmental pollution from legacy mining sites. The funding was made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which Casey fought to pass.
    “I have long fought to help Pennsylvania’s coal communities overcome the legacy of abandoned mine pollution, which has ravaged landscapes, damaged property, and threatened the health of far too many Pennsylvanians,” said Senator Casey. “Thanks to the infrastructure law, we can continue cleaning up this land, create good-paying jobs and boost our Commonwealth’s economy. These communities built and powered our Nation for decades and I will keep working to ensure that they are not left behind.”  
    Senator Casey has long advocated for abandoned mine cleanup across the Commonwealth. With this round of funding, Pennsylvania has received more than $735 million from the IIJA to clean up abandoned mine lands. In January 2022, after delivering $244 million in an initial round of funding for abandoned mine cleanup, Casey spoke to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland about the need for additional flexibility during her visit to?Swoyersville, PA, allowing states to use their acid mine drainage (AMD) set-aside programs to mitigate environmental hazards acid mine drainage.?Casey also passed the STREAM Act to allow states more flexibility to use funding from the infrastructure law to address long-term impacts of abandoned mine land including AMD, which pollutes Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams. In addition to voting to pass the infrastructure law, in April 2021, Casey introduced?legislation?to extend abandoned mine land cleanup?funding?and?to?provide a boost for coal reclamation projects that provide economic development and growth in communities impacted by the downturn in the coal industry.?
    In June 2024, Senator Casey announced more than $28.6 million from the Department of the Interior’s Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program. In March 2024, Casey delivered $90 million from the infrastructure law to build solar facilities on former mine lands in Clearfield County. The Mineral Basin solar project is expected to produce enough energy to power 70,000 homes per year. In May 2022, Casey announced $26.6 million from the AMLER Program.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: October 25th, 2024 N.M. Delegation Files Amicus Brief Urging Ninth Circuit Court to Affirm that Federal Law Requires Hospitals to Provide Emergency Care, Including Abortion

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    After the Supreme Court dismissed Idaho v. United States, returning it to the Ninth Circuit Court, 259 Members of Congress ask the Ninth Circuit to affirm that federal law ensures abortion care qualifies as “emergency stabilizing care” under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), and hospitals participating in Medicare must provide “emergency stabilizing treatment” to patients, including abortion care, when necessary.

    The N.M Delegation joins the brief as New Mexico’s highly impacted health system continues to serve patients from neighboring states with restrictions on reproductive health care.

     “In this case, respecting the supremacy of federal law is about more than just protecting our system of government; it is about protecting people’s lives.”

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States, two consolidated cases concerning the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) under consideration by the en banc Ninth Circuit. EMTALA is a federal law that requires hospitals that receive Medicare funding to provide necessary “stabilizing treatment” to patients experiencing medical emergencies, which includes abortion care.

    After the Dobbs decision in 2022, an anti-abortion law in Idaho went into effect, making it a felony for a doctor to terminate a patient’s pregnancy unless it is “necessary” to prevent the patient’s death. The United States sued the State of Idaho, arguing that the state’s law is preempted by existing federal law in those circumstances in which abortion may not be necessary to prevent imminent death, but still constitutes the “necessary stabilizing treatment” for a patient’s emergency medical condition. The district court agreed; it held that in those limited, but critically important situations, EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospitals to provide abortion as an emergency medical treatment. Idaho Republicans appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court.

    In March, 258 lawmakers, including the N.M. Congressional Delegation, filed an amicus brief, asking the Supreme Court to affirm the district court decision. In June, the Supreme Court dismissed the case but without a ruling on the merits, sending the case back to the Ninth Circuit Court and reinstating the district court’s injunction.

    In their brief in support of the Justice Department, the lawmakers state “he 99th Congress passed EMTALA to ensure that every person who visits a Medicare-funded hospital with an ‘emergency medical condition’ is offered stabilizing treatment.” The lawmakers continued in their amicus brief, “Congress chose broad language for that mandate, requiring hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide ‘such treatment as may be required to stabilize the medical condition.’… That text—untouched by Congress for the past three decades—makes clear that in situations in which a doctor determines that abortion constitutes the ‘ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a pregnant patient, federal law requires the hospital to offer it. Yet Idaho has made providing that care a felony, in direct contravention of EMTALA’s mandate.”

    The lawmakers point to numerous reports of OB/GYNs leaving Idaho en masse since the state’s abortion ban went into effect — Idaho has since lost fifty-five percent of its maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and three rural hospitals have shut down maternity services altogether.

    “These are not hypothetical scenarios. Because Idaho’s abortion ban contains no clear exceptions for the “emergency medical conditions” covered by EMTALA, it forces physicians to wait until their patients are on the verge of death before providing abortion care. The result in other states with similar laws has been ‘significant maternal morbidity,’” wrote the lawmakers, pointing to harrowing reports of pregnant women with severe health complications being denied necessary abortion care. The lawmakers’ brief also counters an argument from Idaho and its amici that the Supremacy Clause does not apply in this case because EMTALA was passed using Spending Clause authority, and therefore acts only as a condition on Medicare funding. The lawmakers make clear that alllaws passed by Congress are entitled to preemption — regardless of their source of constitutional authority — and states cannot pass laws that make it impossible for private parties to accept federal funding, inhibiting the purpose of the federal law.

    “EMTALA requires abortion when necessary to stabilize a patient with an emergency medical condition, Idaho’s near-total abortion ban is preempted to the extent that it prevents doctors from providing that care,” the lawmakers wrote. “This Court should reject Appellants’ novel theory that EMTALA is not entitled to preemptive effect because it was enacted pursuant to Congress’s spending power.  Under the Supremacy Clause, all‘the constitutional laws enacted by congress,’ constitute ‘the supreme Law of the Land,’. As the Supreme Court has repeatedly held, the principle of federal supremacy applies to laws passed pursuant to Congress’s spending authority no less than it does to laws effectuating other enumerated powers.”

    “In sum, EMTALA plainly requires hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide abortion care when, in a doctor’s medical judgment, it constitutes the ‘ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a patient’s ‘emergency medical condition.’”

    The amicus brief was led by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and U.S. Representatives Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.).

    The lawmakers’ amicus brief to the Supreme Court can be read in full here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: October 25th, 2024 N.M. Delegation Announces Over $3 Million for Tribal Communities to Address Opioid Use Disorder

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) are announcing $3,068,909 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to Tribal communities to serve individuals with opioid use disorder and co-occurring substance use disorders by funding culturally specific and evidence-based treatment, including medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder (MOUD). These HHS Tribal Opioid Response Grants are being awarded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration(SAMHSA).

    “Tackling the opioid crisis with the urgency it demands means expanding our approach. That includes everything from providing improved access to the lifesaving medication used to treat opioid use disorder to empowering local communities to develop treatment programs that are grounded in their distinct experiences and cultures. I’m proud to welcome over $3 million for Tribal communities to do exactly that,” said Heinrich. “I won’t stop fighting to eliminate barriers to lifesaving medication and help New Mexicans get the care they need.”

    “Far too many across our Tribal lands have seen firsthand how the opioid epidemic has devastated our communities,” said Luján, a member of the Indian Affairs and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committees. “This $3+ million in federal funding will deliver critical treatments and medications to address opioid use disorder in our Tribal communities. Throughout my time in Congress, I have secured millions to expand opioid use disorder treatments, introduced bipartisan legislation to increase investments in substance misuse prevention, and called for an increase in funding in our nation’s response to the opioid use disorder epidemic. I am proud to welcome this funding alongside our Congressional delegation and will keep fighting to expand addiction treatment services and protect the health of our Tribal brothers and sisters.”

    “For far too long, opioid addiction has ravaged our Tribal communities, and the need for culturally specific treatments is critical,” said Leger Fernández. “This funding will help provide life-saving treatment, tailored to the needs of Native communities, so that we can address the opioid crisis head-on. By combining evidence-based practices with the cultural knowledge of our Tribes, we can offer real hope and healing. I will continue to fight for more resources and support to make sure every New Mexican has access to the care they need to recover and thrive.”

    “Culturally informed care is vital to addressing the opioid crisis in every community that is suffering,” said Stansbury. “This $3 million investment will help Tribal communities take care as they see fit, as they know what is best for their communities. I will continue to fight for more funding and tools to solve this crisis so New Mexicans can not only recover from addiction but thrive in life.”

    “New Mexico’s Tribes and Pueblos have long faced significant challenges in combating the opioid crisis. I’m proud to welcome these funds to provide critical resources to help address opioid addiction head-on,” said Vasquez. “Supporting culturally specific and evidence-based treatments ensures that we’re not only tackling the crisis but also providing Indian Country with the tools they need to better support recovery. I’m committed to securing more funding and resources to combat this crisis and save lives.”

    Recipient

    Award Amount

    Albuquerque Area Indian Health

    $1,478,168

    Pueblo of Pojoaque

    $250,000

    Five Sandoval Indian Pueblos, Inc.

    $250,000

    Santo Domingo Tribe

    $295,107

    Ohkay Owingeh

    $250,000

    Nambe Pueblo Governor’s Office

    $295,634

    Taos Pueblo

    $250,000

    The N.M. Delegation has continuously worked to make opioid use disorder treatments more readily available.

    This month, Heinrich introduced the Broadening Utilization of Proven and Effective Treatment for Recovery Act, or BUPE for Recovery Act, legislation to increase access to buprenorphine — a lifesaving drug used to treat opioid use disorder — by removing barriers providers and patients face when trying to access the medication. The BUPE for Recovery Act temporarily exempts buprenorphine from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Suspicious Orders Report System (SORS) requirements during the opioid public health emergency. SORS reporting requirements have led to an uncertainty among pharmacies and distributors to stock and dispense buprenorphine, which can prevent individuals suffering from opioid use disorder from receiving timely and effective treatment. This legislation will mitigate the treatment gap created by stringent SORS reporting requirements, reducing overdose deaths, saving lives, and improving public health outcomes.

    In the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS)Appropriations Bill, Heinrich successfully included language directing the DEA to take further action to remove barriers to access for opioid use disorder medications such as buprenorphine. The inclusion of this language will assist local medical and mental health providers and make medications, including buprenorphine, more accessible to New Mexicans.

    Find an extensive list of Heinrich’s actions to tackle the fentanyl crisis and make opioid use disorder treatments more readily available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Hassan Join Ribbon Cutting for Affordable Housing Development Made Possible by the American Rescue Plan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    (Concord, NH) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) delivered remarks to community members and local advocates at the ribbon cutting ceremony for CATCH Neighborhood Housing’s Davis Ridge development, which will offer 48 units of affordable housing in Concord. The project was funded in part by Invest NH, which is supported by funding Senators Shaheen and Hassan helped secure in the American Rescue Plan. Photos from today’s event can be found here. 
    “Far too many Granite Staters are struggling with affordable housing and anything we can do to build more housing units to help lower costs for the workforce is worth doing, which is why developments like Davis Ridge are critical to addressing this challenge,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m proud to have helped secure the federal funds needed to support this project, and I’ll continue fighting in Congress to ensure New Hampshire has the resources we need to tackle the housing crisis and bring costs down for Granite Staters.” 
    “The housing crisis affects every corner of our state, as families struggle to afford their rent and businesses are unable to grow because workers can’t find housing that they can afford,” said Senator Hassan. “Developments like the Davis Ridge Apartments demonstrate the role that federal funding can play in addressing the housing shortage in New Hampshire. I will keep working to expand federal funding to build more housing here in NH, help more Granite State individuals and families afford their rent, and strengthen our economy.” 
    The Davis Ridge development was built with the support of Invest NH, a $100 million program to accelerate affordable workforce housing construction funded through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) secured by Shaheen and Hassan. The project is also supported by federal funding from the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), which Shaheen and Hassan are working to expand. 
    Shaheen is a leader in the Senate on efforts to tackle the housing affordability crisis, including by helping to ensure Granite Staters have the resources they need to thrive. In May, Shaheen and Hassan celebrated more than $30 million in federal grants for New Hampshire to build more affordable housing across the Granite State.  
    As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee, Shaheen worked to include key provisions from her Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act in the FY24 Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations Act which was signed into law in March. Shaheen’s standalone legislation would ensure that hundreds of thousands of low-income tenants in rural areas are able to maintain access to safe and affordable housing. Another Shaheen-led bipartisan bill to increase access to rural housing was signed into law the same day. Together, the two bills will bolster existing rural housing options, make new construction easier and protect renters across the Granite State.   
    Shaheen also helped introduced the Fighting Homelessness Through Services and Housing Act to help local governments reduce homelessness as well as a bicameral bill that would protect the rights of residents of manufactured housing communities. Shaheen secured over $22 million in Congressionally Directed Spending in the FY24 government funding bills to address New Hampshire’s housing, transportation and urban development needs. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Announces $63.1 Million for Louisiana Railroad Projects from His Infrastructure Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will grant Louisiana a total of $63,149,456.00 from his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for railroad infrastructure. 
    “This is a huge investment from the Infrastructure Law to improve Louisiana’s railroads,” said Dr. Cassidy. “These projects will bring new interstate commerce opportunities for Louisiana families and businesses and build our economy for 2050.”

    Grant Awarded
    Recipient
    Project Description

    $30,600,000.00
    Patriot Rail Company LLC
    This grant will provide federal funding to improve track conditions on eight Patriot railroads.

    $27,320,000.00
    Louisiana and North West Railroad Company, LLC
    This grant will provide federal funding to replace outdated rail and rehabilitate track across approximately 44 miles of the Louisiana and North West Railroad. The project will enable the LNW to upgrade its gross weight limit along the majority of its 62-mile network to accommodate industry standards.

    $5,229,456.00
    Jaguar Transport Holdings, LLC
    This grant will provide federal funding to increase the capacity of the West Memphis Base Railroad. Construction includes an estimated 10,900 feet of new sidings and yard track.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Stabenow, Congressman Kildee Visit Hemlock Semiconductor to Celebrate Major Federal Manufacturing Investment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Debbie Stabenow

    Stabenow and Kildee Secured Up to $325 Million in Federal Funding for Hemlock to Expand Production of Semiconductor-Grade Polysilicon Investment Will Create Over 1,000 Jobs

    Friday, October 25, 2024

    HEMLOCK – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-08) visited Hemlock Semiconductor to celebrate a major federal investment from the CHIPS and Science Act. Secured by Stabenow and Kildee, Hemlock will receive up to $325 million in funding to build a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility on its campus in Hemlock, Michigan. This historic funding will allow Hemlock to expand its production of hyper-pure polysilicon needed for semiconductor chips and create over 1,000 good paying jobs in Michigan. 

    “It is so exciting to see Hemlock Semiconductor and Saginaw County leading the way to make sure that American manufacturing no longer depends on semiconductor chips made halfway around the world. As one of only five companies in the world capable of producing the highest quality polysilicon for chips, this investment keeps Hemlock on the leading edge of innovations in microchips technology,” said Senator Stabenow. “I was very pleased to partner with Representative Kildee to make sure the CHIPS and Science Act focused on funding and tax incentives to make things in America which made this investment possible.”

    “Because of the work of President Biden, Vice President Harris and Democrats in Congress, we are securing our supply chains and bringing manufacturing back to Michigan,” said Congressman Dan Kildee. “I fought hard alongside Senator Stabenow to bring this federal investment to mid-Michigan to create hundreds of good-paying local jobs and ensure that we make things in Michigan, not overseas. Hemlock is a key part of America’s resurgence in semiconductor and polysilicon manufacturing that will help our economy grow and compete for years to come.” 

    HSC Chairman and CEO AB Ghosh highlighted the transformative impact of the proposed funding, stating, “The proposed $325 million CHIPS award is a monumental achievement, not just for HSC, but for Michigan and our country. It allows HSC to plan for a once-in-a-generation investment that will secure our position as a top supplier to the leading-edge semiconductor market and therefore strengthen national security. Our customers want high quality and sustainably made polysilicon, and this grant underscores HSC’s commitment to meeting those needs while strengthening American interests.”

    Senator Stabenow and Congressman Kildee have led the effort in Congress to advance the next generation of American manufacturing and strengthen our domestic supply chain. This includes the 48D Advanced Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit authored by Stabenow and Kildee. This will provide a 25% tax credit and allow for a wide range of qualified investments necessary to create equipment for and manufacture semiconductors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Applauds President Biden’s Formal Apology To Native Communities For Federal Government’s Role In Native American Boarding Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    10.25.24
    SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) today announced $157,126,494 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for the final segment of the Springfield Rail Improvements Project (SRIP).
    The multi-phased project is a large-scale effort supported by local, state, and federal funding designed to alleviate rail congestion in downtown Springfield by consolidating train traffic from Third Street to 10th Street and constructing a series of overpasses and underpasses along the corridor.
    “Connecting communities is at the heart of transportation and today’s announced federal funding for a new Amtrak Station, rail improvements, and track realignment in Springfield will better connect passengers between St. Louis and Chicago,” said Durbin. “The Springfield Rail Improvements Project is dramatically changing downtown Springfield by reducing rail congestion, creating jobs, and improving safety for passengers, drivers, and pedestrians.  I will continue advocating for strong investments in Illinois’ transportation infrastructure.”
    “Investing in our rail infrastructure is about growing our economy and making it easier, faster, safer and more efficient so people and goods can get where they need to go,” Duckworth said.“This significant federal investment in the Springfield Rail Improvements Project will help us build a new multimodal transportation center, improve efficiency for passengers traveling between St. Louis and Chicago, support good-paying jobs and make Springfield safer for pedestrians and drivers. I’ll keep working with Senator Durbin and Congresswoman Budzinski to ensure that our communities are receiving the much-needed federal resources they deserve.”
    “The Springfield Rail Improvements Project is revitalizing our downtown by reconnecting our community, reducing rail noise and enhancing public safety. It’s also creating good-paying union jobs along the way,” said Budzinski. “I’m honored to join Senators Durbin and Duckworth to announce $157 million in federal funding to complete the final phase of this important work. This investment and the new 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument along the project’s route will honor our history and build a bright future for our city.”
    This phase of the SRIP includes rail improvements, track realignment, and the construction of a new Amtrak Station in Springfield. This project will complete the final segment of track realignment to consolidate the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern corridors into one multitrack corridor through the city, which will advance the efforts to provide a higher speed intercity passenger rail connection between St. Louis and Chicago. In addition to various track improvements and grade crossing separations, the project will also construct a Multimodal Transportation Center to improve public transportation connectivity among intercity passenger rail, local bus service, and intercity bus service.
    Last year, Durbin urged Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to strongly consider the SRIP for federal rail grants. Since the project’s inception, Durbin has helped to secure roughly $90 million inprevious federal funding to advance the SRIP, including a 2021 RAISE grant for the Madison and Jefferson underpasses project, which was completed in August.
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: N.M. Delegation Files Amicus Brief Urging Ninth Circuit Court to Affirm that Federal Law Requires Hospitals to Provide Emergency Care, Including Abortion

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    After the Supreme Court dismissed Idaho v. United States, returning it to the Ninth Circuit Court, 259 Members of Congress ask the Ninth Circuit to affirm that federal law ensures abortion care qualifies as “emergency stabilizing care” under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), and hospitals participating in Medicare must provide “emergency stabilizing treatment” to patients, including abortion care, when necessary. 
    The N.M Delegation joins the brief as New Mexico’s highly impacted health system continues to serve patients from neighboring states with restrictions on reproductive health care. 
     “In this case, respecting the supremacy of federal law is about more than just protecting our system of government; it is about protecting people’s lives.”
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States, two consolidated cases concerning the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) under consideration by the en banc Ninth Circuit. EMTALA is a federal law that requires hospitals that receive Medicare funding to provide necessary “stabilizing treatment” to patients experiencing medical emergencies, which includes abortion care. 
    After the Dobbs decision in 2022, an anti-abortion law in Idaho went into effect, making it a felony for a doctor to terminate a patient’s pregnancy unless it is “necessary” to prevent the patient’s death. The United States sued the State of Idaho, arguing that the state’s law is preempted by existing federal law in those circumstances in which abortion may not be necessary to prevent imminent death, but still constitutes the “necessary stabilizing treatment” for a patient’s emergency medical condition. The district court agreed; it held that in those limited, but critically important situations, EMTALA requires Medicare-participating hospitals to provide abortion as an emergency medical treatment. Idaho Republicans appealed that ruling to the Supreme Court. 
    In March, 258 lawmakers, including the N.M. Congressional Delegation, filed an amicus brief, asking the Supreme Court to affirm the district court decision. In June, the Supreme Court dismissed the case but without a ruling on the merits, sending the case back to the Ninth Circuit Court and reinstating the district court’s injunction. 
    In their brief in support of the Justice Department, the lawmakers state “he 99th Congress passed EMTALA to ensure that every person who visits a Medicare-funded hospital with an ‘emergency medical condition’ is offered stabilizing treatment.” The lawmakers continued in their amicus brief, “Congress chose broad language for that mandate, requiring hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide ‘such treatment as may be required to stabilize the medical condition.’… That text—untouched by Congress for the past three decades—makes clear that in situations in which a doctor determines that abortion constitutes the ‘ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a pregnant patient, federal law requires the hospital to offer it. Yet Idaho has made providing that care a felony, in direct contravention of EMTALA’s mandate.” 
    The lawmakers point to numerous reports of OB/GYNs leaving Idaho en masse since the state’s abortion ban went into effect — Idaho has since lost fifty-five percent of its maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and three rural hospitals have shut down maternity services altogether. 
    “These are not hypothetical scenarios. Because Idaho’s abortion ban contains no clear exceptions for the “emergency medical conditions” covered by EMTALA, it forces physicians to wait until their patients are on the verge of death before providing abortion care. The result in other states with similar laws has been ‘significant maternal morbidity,’” wrote the lawmakers, pointing to harrowing reports of pregnant women with severe health complications being denied necessary abortion care. The lawmakers’ brief also counters an argument from Idaho and its amici that the Supremacy Clause does not apply in this case because EMTALA was passed using Spending Clause authority, and therefore acts only as a condition on Medicare funding. The lawmakers make clear that all laws passed by Congress are entitled to preemption — regardless of their source of constitutional authority — and states cannot pass laws that make it impossible for private parties to accept federal funding, inhibiting the purpose of the federal law. 
    “EMTALA requires abortion when necessary to stabilize a patient with an emergency medical condition, Idaho’s near-total abortion ban is preempted to the extent that it prevents doctors from providing that care,” the lawmakers wrote. “This Court should reject Appellants’ novel theory that EMTALA is not entitled to preemptive effect because it was enacted pursuant to Congress’s spending power.  Under the Supremacy Clause, all ‘the constitutional laws enacted by congress,’ constitute ‘the supreme Law of the Land,’. As the Supreme Court has repeatedly held, the principle of federal supremacy applies to laws passed pursuant to Congress’s spending authority no less than it does to laws effectuating other enumerated powers.” 
    “In sum, EMTALA plainly requires hospitals that participate in the Medicare program to provide abortion care when, in a doctor’s medical judgment, it constitutes the ‘ecessary stabilizing treatment’ for a patient’s ‘emergency medical condition.’” 
    The amicus brief was led by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and U.S. Representatives Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.). 
    The lawmakers’ amicus brief to the Supreme Court can be read in full here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Statement on Historic Formal Apology by President Biden for Traumatic Federal Indian Boarding School Policies

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Luján Previously Introduced Legislation to Establish a Truth and Healing Commission
    Santa Fe, N.M. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, issued the following statement regarding President Biden’s historic formal apology for the past injustices of the federal government’s Indian Boarding School Policies:  
    “Today’s long-awaited apology is a step in the right direction to heal from the intergeneration trauma inflicted by the federal government’s Indian Boarding School Policies. Across our Native communities and Tribal Nations, many continue to bear the scars from this dark time in our nation’s history. I applaud President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Secretary Haaland for fully acknowledging the harms of the past and for this effort to begin on the road toward healing Tribal families.
    “Acknowledging the injustices of the boarding school era is just the first step toward reconciliation. I was honored to introduce the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States Act – legislation that seeks healing for stolen Native children and their communities, and I will continue to fight to get this, and similar legislation passed and signed into law.
    “Let us never forget the scars inflicted on our Native brothers and sisters. Today, we are entering a chapter in the reconciliation process, and we must continue to right the wrongs of the boarding school era and ensure it is never repeated.”

    MIL OSI USA News –