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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Idaho Delegation: Biden-Harris Admin is Complicit in the Flow of Fentanyl into our Country

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch

    BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo and U.S. Representatives Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher today demanded the Biden-Harris administration answer for its failure to stop the flow of illicit and deadly fentanyl into Idaho through the southern border. The administration’s lax border policies have allowed historic amounts of fentanyl to enter the United States. Fentanyl overdose is now the leading cause of death in those ages 18 to 45, claiming 197 Idahoan lives last year.

    “It is apparent that the Biden-Harris administration’s open-border policies have done nothing but imperil national security and endanger law-abiding citizens. Since day one, this administration exacerbated the crisis at our border and undermined the efforts of those trying to secure it,” wrote the lawmakers. “By allowing drug cartels to exploit our southern border, the Biden-Harris administration is complicit in the flow of fentanyl into our country. Idaho families are paying the price.”

    Risch is a member of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control and has introduced a number of bills to crackdown on drug trafficking and stem the flow of fentanyl into the United States.

    Read the full letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: October 9th, 2024 Heinrich Meets with Carlsbad Police and Fire Department Leaders to Discuss Funding Secured for Critical Public Safety Equipment Upgrades

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    PHOTOS

    Heinrich secured nearly $1 million to support a new Mobile Command Center and new radio and communications equipment that will improve law enforcement operations and emergency response in Eddy County

    CARLSBAD, N.M. — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, met with public safety leaders at the Carlsbad Police Department to hear how nearly $1 million he secured for a forthcoming, new Mobile Command Center and operational radio and communications equipment will improve response times and emergency coordination to help law enforcement agencies in Eddy County keep New Mexicans safe.

    U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) visits with public safety leaders at the Carlsbad Police Department, highlighting plans for a new Mobile Command Center, and discussing new radio and communications equipment that he secured funds for.

    “We need to better equip law enforcement with the tools needed to keep New Mexicans safe, and I’m committed to doing that,” said Heinrich. “Upgraded technology will make a real difference for the Carlsbad Police Department, improving emergency response throughout Eddy County and helping first responders serve the community. It’s delivering investments like these to support our law enforcement officers and first responders that make me proud to fight for New Mexico on the Senate Appropriations Committee.”

    During the visit, Heinrich was briefed by the Carlsbad Police Chief Shane Skinner, Carlsbad Mayor Rick Lopez, and Carlsbad Fire Chief Tony Souza on how investments he secured through his seat on the Appropriations Committee for radio and communications equipment — currently being used by first responders and law enforcement — is keeping New Mexicans safe. Heinrich additionally highlighted funding he secured for a new Mobile Command Center.

    Background:

    Heinrich secured nearly $1 million through the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations process for a new Mobile Command Center and new radio and communications equipment to improve response times and emergency coordination to help first responders in Eddy County keep New Mexicans safe. 

    In addition to this investment, Heinrich secured $1 million in the FY24 appropriations bill to purchase new National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) ballistics testing machines for law enforcement agencies to use in Las Cruces, Farmington, Gallup, and Roswell. These machines will help law enforcement agencies quickly and effectively identify, solve, and prosecute crimes involving firearms. 

    Prior to this investment, there were only three NIBIN machines in all of New Mexico: two in Albuquerque and one in Santa Fe.The Roswell NIBIN machinewill create a much closer option for law enforcement agencies in southeastern New Mexico. The intelligence gathered by all of the new NIBIN machines will go to the New Mexico Attorney General’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center where dedicated and trained analysts will use the information to trace and network firearms used in crimes across the state. The Center will then be able to feed that information back to law enforcement agencies to improve identification of suspects and support successful prosecutions.

    For a list of Heinrich’s actions to support law enforcement and first responders across New Mexico, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Sorensen Visit Rock Island Arsenal to Reinforce Support for Local Servicemembers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    October 10, 2024

    [ROCK ISLAND, IL] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) today visited Rock Island Arsenal to discuss current manufacturing operations and how Congress can continue to support the Arsenal. Duckworth and Sorensen met Arsenal Leadership, including LTG Mark Landes, Commanding General, First Army, BG John “Brad” Hinson, Army Sustainment Command and COL William “Joe” Parker, III, Garrison Commander, to tour the Arsenal’s Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center and learn about their metal manufacturing operations.

    “Rock Island Arsenal plays an important role in the strength of both our national security and the Quad Cities community,” Duckworth said. “I’m glad to have the opportunity to see how the Arsenal’s expertise and resources are helping protect our nation and keep the region’s economy strong. I’ll keep working with Congressman Sorensen to ensure the men and women of Rock Island Arsenal have the support they need and that the Arsenal can succeed for years to come.”

    “The Rock Island Arsenal, and the brave men and women that work there, help make the Quad Cities community such a special place to live in,” Sorensen said. “I was honored to join Senator Duckworth and the Arsenal’s leadership in touring the facility and talking about ways we can work together to create more jobs and strengthen its operations. The Arsenal has always been an important part of how we keep our nation safe, and I will always work hard with Senator Duckworth to bring resources from Washington back home to support the Arsenal’s work.” 

    As a member of SASC, Duckworth has helped secure critical resources for Rock Island Arsenal and the surrounding communities through the yearly National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In this year’s Senate-passed NDAA, Duckworth secured provisions to allow the Department of Defense to make grants to local communities to improve infrastructure around military bases that benefit local communities, like those surrounding Rock Island Arsenal. In the Fiscal Year 2022 NDAA Duckworth secured $14 million for the Arsenal to support Army’s development of additive manufacturing capabilities in austere operating environments, and another $75 million in the FY 2020 NDAA for eligible projects near the Arsenal that would improve military value and enhance the lives of servicemembers who live in the surrounding communities.

    Last month, Duckworth helped announce more than $11 million in federal funding to support the rehabilitation of critical bridge access to Rock Island Arsenal. This funding was awarded as one of fourteen Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) grants from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scott, Graham, Colleagues Introduce Religious Education Week Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) joined Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in introducing a resolution designating October 6-12, 2024, as “Religious Education Week” to celebrate and emphasize the importance of religious education and the schools and organizations engaged in religious instruction.

    “Each year, countless families across the country choose to enroll their children in religious education,” said Sen. Scott. “This resolution reaffirms that choice and emphasizes our commitment to ensuring religious schools can thrive alongside their secular counterparts. Families deserve the freedom to educate their children in the way they see fit, and religious schools are key in making that possible.”

    The resolution is cosponsored by Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), John Kennedy (R-La.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

    This resolution is also supported by Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty, Coalition for Jewish Values, Foundation for American Christian Education, School Time Bible Ministries, Association of Christian Schools International, Agudath Israel of America, and Catholic Education Partners Inc.

    The full text of the resolution can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Hampshire Congressional Delegation Applauds Additional $25 Million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Support Clean Drinking Water

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a lead negotiator of the water provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), alongside Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01), celebrated the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of $24,898,000  in new funding for New Hampshire for drinking water infrastructure, including to identify and remove lead pipes. The funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was negotiated by Senators Shaheen and Hassan, and which the full New Hampshire Congressional delegation supported. Along with the funding, EPA announced plans to replace lead pipes across the country within a decade.
    “Every Granite Stater, regardless of where they live, should have clean water running from their taps,” said Senator Shaheen, “That’s why I was proud to help lead negotiations on the water infrastructure provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—the largest single investment in water ever made by the federal government. I’m glad to see more funding headed to New Hampshire from this historic law to benefit drinking water systems in communities throughout the state.”
    “Every Granite Stater deserves access to safe, clean drinking water, and that will be possible for more families now thanks to nearly $25 million in federal funding coming to New Hampshire to replace lead pipes,” said Senator Hassan. “I helped negotiate and pass the bipartisan infrastructure law to enable projects like these, which allow our communities to thrive, and I am glad to see that the bipartisan infrastructure law continues to deliver for New Hampshire.”
    “Lead exposure poses a serious threat to the health and well-being of Granite State communities—particularly kids’ growth and development,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “With these resources made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, New Hampshire will be able to remove dangerous lead pipes and ensure more homes, schools, and businesses have access to safe, clean drinking water.”
    “Lead pipes are harmful to the health of New Hampshire families and children, and addressing them in a targeted and comprehensive manner will ensure that everyone can access safe, clean drinking water,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “I helped pass the bipartisan infrastructure law to deliver federal resources to our communities to modernize our infrastructure and safeguard public health, and these funds will do that. I’ll keep fighting to address contaminants in drinking water and protect the well-being of Granite Staters.”
    The New Hampshire Congressional delegation has championed work to ensure every Granite Stater has access to clean, safe drinking water no matter where they live. As a lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Shaheen spearheaded the water infrastructure provisions with Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), securing record funding to upgrade drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, address PFAS contamination and replace lead pipes. The nearly $25 million announced this week adds to the more than $265 million that New Hampshire has received for water infrastructure from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law since its enactment in 2021.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper Hires Taylor Leyva as Constituent Advocate Based in Pueblo

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper announced Taylor Leyva as his new Constituent Advocate based in Pueblo.
    “Our Constituent Advocates are the problem solvers that untangle the bureaucracy of the federal government. Whether it’s a passport renewal or Social Security benefits, they’re making sure Coloradans get the support they need,” said Hickenlooper. “We’re excited to welcome Taylor to the team and have her based in Pueblo!”
    “I am so grateful to be a part of Senator Hickenlooper’s team. The knowledge and care with which the Constituent Advocates approach each case is truly remarkable,” said Leyva. “As a Pueblo native, it’s heartening to see the Senator investing in our community. I am excited to not only serve constituents in Pueblo, but across the entire state.”
    Based in Pueblo, Leyva will assist Coloradans navigate problems with federal agencies – like passport applications, veteran benefits, federal taxes, immigration issues and more. Prior to joining Hickenlooper’s office, Leyva served as a Court Judicial Assistant for Colorado’s 10th Judicial District. She was born and raised in Pueblo and is a Northern Arizona University alum.
    Coloradans can reach out to Hickenlooper’s office for help with federal agencies at: https://www.hickenlooper.senate.gov/help-with-federal-agencies/. In 2023 alone, Hickenlooper and his Constituent Advocate team helped over 4,400 Coloradans resolve issues with government agencies and helped return more than $16 million to Colorado residents.
    Stay tuned for our staff office hours in the community. Coming soon!

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Whitehouse Call Out Accounting Regulator for “Profoundly Troubling” Failures, “Unacceptable” Error Rates in Public Company Audits

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    October 10, 2024
    Nearly half of 2023 audits had significant deficiencies. 
    “This is an astonishing finding that calls for immediate action by the PCAOB—and careful review by regulators….(I)nvestors and the public essentially face a coin flip when it comes to whether they should believe and trust the results of public companies’ audits.”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), members of the Senate Committee on Finance, called on the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) to establish stricter accountability for accounting firms with “unacceptable” deficiency rates. The PCAOB is charged with overseeing the audits of public companies to protect investors and provide the public with “informative, accurate, and independent audit reports.” But the agency is not doing its job.
    Last year, the PCAOB’s review of over 200 accounting firms’ audits found that 46% had errors so significant that that auditor “had not obtained sufficient appropriate audit evidence to support its opinion” about a public company’s financial statements and financial reporting. The findings of this review reveal a nearly complete failure by the agency and cast doubts on the auditing process that plays a crucial role for investors in publicly traded companies.
    “[T]he findings of this new analysis reveal a nearly complete failure [by PCAOB], indicating that investors and the public essentially face a coin flip when it comes to whether they should believe and trust the results of public companies’ audits,” wrote Senators Warren and Whitehouse.
    Yet, the PCAOB does not appear to recognize the seriousness of the problem. In fact, Chair Erica Williams said the report showed “small signs of movement in the right direction.” And Board Member Christina Ho downplayed the findings, asserting that “there is another side to the story.” 
    ‘[T]his is the wrong conclusion to draw from an embarrassing and intolerable set of findings,” wrote Sens. Waren and Whitehouse. 
    “The PCAOB must do better. …Either [auditing] standards are inadequate—or the PCAOB is failing to establish accountability for firms that do not meet them. These are unacceptable failures by the PCAOB,” concluded the lawmakers. 
    The senators request clarification about how the PCAOB plans to hold auditors accountable for ongoing problems by October 23, 2024. 
    Senator Warren has led the charge to ensure the PCAOB is effective and accountable to the public: 
    In January 2023, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote to the PCAOB raising concerns about crypto accounting firms’ independence and methodology following reports of whitewashed audits of crypto firms with histories of malfeasance. 
    In May 2021, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent a letter to Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler requesting the SEC use its authority to immediately remove and replace the members of the PCAOB, which sets standards for audits of public company financial statements required under Sarbanes-Oxley.
    In April 2017, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) wrote to PCAOB, raising questions and releasing new information about KPMG’s role as the independent auditor of Wells Fargo during the time period in which thousands of Wells Fargo staff engaged in fraudulent behavior affecting millions of accounts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Announce Nearly $35.2 Million in Federal Funding to Replace Lead Pipes in Virginia

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, both D-VA, announced an estimated $35,159,000 in federal funding for Virginia to identify and replace lead pipes and create good-paying water infrastructure jobs. The funding was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that the senators helped pass and is being allocated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after the Biden-Harris Administration issued a rule requiring drinking water systems across the country to replace lead pipes within the next ten years.
    “Every Virginian should have access to safe, reliable drinking water,” said the senators. “We’re thrilled this funding will eliminate dangerous lead exposure in the tap water of homes and schools across the Commonwealth, all while creating good-paying jobs. We’re glad to have helped pass the legislation that made this investment possible and will continue to do all that we can to keep Virginians safe.”
    The EPA estimates that as of 2023, there are 187,883 lead services lines in Virginia, which can lead to significant long-term health risks for those exposed. In children, lead can severely harm mental and physical development, slow down learning, and irreversibly damage the brain. In adults, lead can cause increased blood pressure, heart disease, decreased kidney function, and cancer. If someone is impacted by lead exposure, there is no known antidote, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This funding will combat these risks by accelerating the lead pipe removal process.
    The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) also require more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold requiring communities to take action to protect people from lead exposure in water. In addition, the final rule improves communication within communities so that families are better informed about the risk of lead in drinking water, the location of lead pipes, and plans for replacing them.
    Warner and Kaine have long advocated for clean drinking water for Virginians. In September 2024, Warner and Kaine announced nearly $2 million in federal funding for Lee and Wise counties and the Town of Clintwood to support infrastructure projects that will improve and extend waterline and sewer systems to additional homes. In February, they announced over $2.8 million in federal funding to improve water quality and increase access to safe drinking water in Wythe County and to assess the public health risk from harmful chemicals in local landfills in rural communities across Virginia. Last year, they announced $4,352,000 in federal funding for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s Virginia Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund (VCWRLF).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Federally Funded School Buses from Being Manufactured in China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined a group of bipartisan colleagues to introduce the Secure School Buses Act, legislation to ensure school bus manufacturers tied to foreign entities and countries of concern, including the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), do not receive federal funding.
    “When we use taxpayer dollars, we should be investing those dollars back into American businesses, workers, and communities – not sending money overseas to adversaries like China,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to ensure taxpayer investments in our children’s school buses won’t line the pockets of bad actors like China and give them a competitive edge over our workers and businesses.”
    Several years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Clean School Bus Program to replace existing school buses with cleaner alternatives.  According to the EPA, they have awarded almost $3 billion in taxpayer funds through this program. Troublingly, certain companies in the electric bus industry have ties to the CCP and other foreign entities of concern. While federal funds are prohibited from going to companies with ties to the CCP and other foreign entities of concern for public transit, there are no such prohibitions for the procurement of school buses. The Secure School Buses Act would prohibit the award of federal grant funding to school bus manufacturers with certain ties to a foreign entity of concern.
    Senator Baldwin has long pushed to close loopholes that allow federal funding to be used for purchasing and manufacturing equipment overseas, including her bipartisan Buy America for Small Shipyard Grants, SAFE TRAINS Act, and Made in America Act, which were signed into law.   
    The Secure School Buses Act is led by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and also co-sponsored by Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and John Cornyn (R-TX). The bill is endorsed by the Alliance for American Manufacturing and Heritage Action.
    Click here for bill text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 10.09.2024 Cruz, Warren, Blackburn, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Honoring Women Volunteers in World War II

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) joined Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and several of their colleagues to introduce the bipartisan Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES) resolution to recognize the women who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
    Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz said, “We must never forget the unwavering dedication and immense sacrifices made by the courageous women who volunteered to serve our country during World War II. Their contributions to the war effort were pivotal and our nation owes them a debt of gratitude. I am honored to stand with Senators Warren and Blackburn in introducing this bipartisan resolution to give them the full recognition they deserve.”
    Sens. Cruz, Warren, and Blackburn were joined by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) in introducing the resolution.
    Read the full text of the resolution here.
    BACKGROUND:
    After World War I, laws limited women to the role of nurses during war. The Navy Women’s Reserve Act, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in July 1942, reversed this law and established WAVES, allowing women to volunteer in support of war efforts. Women were then recruited to perform military assignments, including training thousands of aspiring male naval aviators, gunners, and navigators.
    More than 400,000 women served our country in military capacities in World War II. In fact, women accounted for about 2.5% of the Navy, including almost 80,000 officers and enlisted personnel during the program’s peak.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 10.10.2024 Cruz, Cornyn, Colleagues Send Letter Urging Restoration of NADBank’s Water Infrastructure Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and members from the Texas delegation wrote to the North American Development Bank (NADBank) urging its board to revive the Water Infrastructure Fund to assist border communities facing water shortages.
    In the letter, the members wrote, “As it did in previous years, NADBank should use funding from retained earnings to provide concessional financing such as grants or subsidized loans for water conservation and diversification projects. This investment is essential to the well-being of our American municipalities and agricultural projects, and we fully support the Bank’s role in overseeing and implementing the fund to ensure these resources are allocated effectively.”
    Sens. Cruz and Cornyn sent the letter with Reps. Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas-15), Vincente Gonzalez (D-Texas-34), Tony Gonzales (R-Texas-23), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas-16), and Henry Cuellar (D-Texas-28).
    Read the full letter here or below:
    Dear Members of the Board:
    We are writing to express our strong support for the re-establishment of NADBank’s Water Infrastructure Fund and to urge the Board to take swift action in restoring this critical program. The need for sustainable water management in the U.S.-Mexico border region is greater than ever. Re-establishing the fund would be a significant step in ensuring long-term water security for both municipal and agricultural communities.
    As it did in previous years, NADBank should use funding from retained earnings to provide concessional financing such as grants or subsidized loans for water conservation and diversification projects. This investment is essential to the well-being of our American municipalities and agricultural projects, and we fully support the Bank’s role in overseeing and implementing the fund to ensure these resources are allocated effectively.
    Any grant funding re-established through this program must be directed to both municipal and agricultural projects. These projects should not only conserve water, but also explore new ways to create additional water sources in the border region. In doing so, NADBank can address the urgent need for water security on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
    The flexibility of the grant program is critical. NADBank must be permitted to fund partial project costs in coordination with loans to enable solutions for a wide variety of projects. Additionally, NADBank should not be prohibited from providing loan financing to cover any remaining costs so as to ensure the fund remains adaptable and accessible.
    Leveraging resources from other federal and state agencies such as the USDA-Rural Development, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Texas Water Development Board, will be critical in closing the funding gap for these water projects. We urge the Board to coordinate efforts with these entities to maximize the impact of NADBank’s investments.
    Lastly, we request that U.S. Board members encourage Mexico to meet its capital commitments in a timely manner, and that the U.S. Board use its voice and vote to expedite the release of the remaining U.S. capital in line with Mexico’s payments.
    Thank you for your attention to this matter. We are confident that the re-establishment of the Water Infrastructure Fund will greatly benefit both sides of the border, ensuring that our communities have the water resources they need for the future.
    Sincerely,
    /X/

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton to Rosenworcel: Rushed Approval of Soros Fund Management-Audacy Deal Raises Questions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today wrote a letter to Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Chairwomen Jessica Rosenworcel concerning the purchase of more than 200 radio stations by Soros Fund Management (SFM). The rushed approval of SFM’s purchase of Audacy raises concerns about the FCC’s process, its impartiality, and the risks to our national security. 

    In part, Senator Cotton wrote:

    “The FCC’s approval process for large acquisitions of radio stations generally takes a year or more to complete and is subject to a national-security review if foreign-company ownership exceeds 25 percent. In this case, however, the FCC reportedly attempted to approve the SFM transaction with only 48 hours’ notice. Reports also indicate that no other commissioners aside from you were invited to opine on the issue before staff handled it on the Commission’s behalf. Moreover, SFM requested to bypass the traditional national-security review, despite raising $400 million for the purchase with foreign investments.”

    Full text of the letter may be found here and below.

    October 10, 2024

    Jessica Rosenworcel
     Chairwoman
     Federal Communications Commission
     45 L Street NE
    Washington, DC 20554
    Dear Chairwoman Rosenworcel,

    I write regarding the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to expedite Soros Fund Management’s (SFM) purchase of more than two hundred radio stations just weeks before a critical presidential election.

    The FCC’s approval process for large acquisitions of radio stations generally takes a year or more to complete and is subject to a national-security review if foreign-company ownership exceeds 25 percent. In this case, however, the FCC reportedly attempted to approve the SFM transaction with only 48 hours’ notice. Reports also indicate that no other commissioners aside from you were invited to opine on the issue before staff handled it on the Commission’s behalf. Moreover, SFM requested to bypass the traditional national-security review, despite raising $400 million for the purchase with foreign investments.

    This decision affects over 165 million monthly listeners on Audacy—a network that includes conservative programming like Sean Hannity, Dana Loesch, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck, and Erick Erickson. It would be naive to think the timing is coincidental, or that a Soros-funded network would impartially manage conservative talk shows in the weeks before the election. The FCC’s rushed approval of SFM’s purchase raises significant concerns about the FCC’s process, its political impartiality, and the risks to our national security.

    I urge the FCC to use its traditional process outlined by Section 310 of the Communications Act. Accordingly, please respond to the below questions by ___

    1. Under existing FCC rules, foreign-company ownership of U.S. radio stations should not exceed 25 percent. Did SFM request to bypass the national-security evaluation? If so, did you approve it?
    2. What other exceptions to the existing rule regarding foreign-ownership of U.S. radio stations have occurred during your tenure as Chairwoman?
    3. Who was invited to opine on SFM’s purchase of Audacy?
    4. What efforts were made to undergo a legitimate public-interest analysis?

    Sincerely,

    Tom Cotton

    U.S. Senator

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Statement on Passing of Ethel Kennedy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Boston (October 10, 2024) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement today on the passing of Ethel Kennedy.

    “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Ethel Kennedy, a woman of true grace and grit, a dedicated matriarch, and a supportive friend. Ethel Kennedy’s generosity of spirit transcended politics, and her dedication to her family and her husband’s legacy were a driving force. 

    “When Ethel started the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights in 1968, she ensured that her husband’s life’s work would continue. She transformed her personal tragedy into a lasting legacy of public service and global leadership. Her mission will forever be felt beyond the shores of her beautiful home in Hyannis to the far reaches of the world where her fight for human rights lives on. 

    “A true force for social change in her own right, Ethel Kennedy worked to address society’s greatest injustices, fighting for equity, inclusion, compassion, and lasting change. The country has lost one of our greatest advocates for American exceptionalism, and the world has lost an irreplaceable champion of humanity. Ethel Kennedy was a woman whose vision was fueled by her boundless heart and goodwill, and she will be remembered forever. The entire Kennedy family is in my prayers.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock Discusses Faith, Family, and Service in New Episode of PBS’ “Breaking Bread with Alexander”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock Discusses Faith, Family, and Service in New Episode of PBS’ “Breaking Bread with Alexander”

    In his hometown of Savannah, Senator Reverend Warnock joined host Alexander Heffner for a discussion about his public service as a U.S. Senator for all Georgians, and how his faith and family shaped his childhood in the Coastal Empire
    Over brunch and a stroll, Senator Reverend Warnock shared his approach to making change in Washington, including the importance of bipartisanship and his work on issues top of mind for Georgians like defending our democracy and closing the health care gap
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “I think activism, and speaking, and demonstrations are part of the democratic process. We need people shaking it up on the outside, as long as they are non-violent and dignified in their approach, and we need people shaking it up on the inside”

    Above: Senator Warnock and Alexander Heffner
    Washington, D.C. – In a recently-aired episode of PBS’ Breaking Bread with Alexander, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) joined journalist and host Alexander Heffner in his hometown of Savannah to discuss how his family, faith, and childhood in Coastal Georgia shaped his life and continues to inform his service for all Georgians in the United States Senate. The interview, which originally aired on October 2, follows Senator Warnock and Alexander as they converse while strolling along “Raphael Warnock Way” a street named honoring the Senator just outside of his childhood home, and then as they enjoy a meal of chicken and waffles at famous Savannah restaurant Collins Quarter.
    During the episode, the Senator dived into his approach to delivering for Georgians in Washington and how he works to center people in federal policymaking, discussing the power of bipartisanship to create consensus and solve problems, how being a father shapes his leadership, and why he continues to fight on issues like health care that are top of mind to many Georgians. 
    Watch the new episode HERE.
    Read key excerpts from the interview below:
    On bipartisanship
    Senator Reverend Warnock (SRW): “I’m proud of the fact that I came to the Senate in the 117th Congress. Out of 100 senators, it was easy for me to remember where I was on the pecking order, I was number 100, the most junior senator in the Senate. Yet I managed to be listed, according to bills and work that I had done, as the 18th (now 14th) most bipartisan senator in the Senate. I’m proud of that because I won in the special election, which means Republicans knew I was going to be up again in two years for reelection and yet, I was able to get enough of them to work with me to be listed as the 18th most bipartisan senator in the Senate.
    “I think that is what our country needs, I am who I am, I believe what I believe, there are some things I’m not going to compromise on in terms of the core of my values and what I think are important – human dignity, that everybody ought to have a path to prosperity, that ours is a country that ought to embrace all of our children. And that’s my North Star, but you’ll find there are a whole range of things we can work on together.”
    On his family and ministry
    SRW: “My dad was the pastor of a small church not far from here on Gwinnett Street, but he was also a junk man. He literally took care of our family by loading old junk cars that other folk had thrown away, stacking them one on top of the other, taking them down to what was then Chattem Steel, and that’s how he took care of his family.
    “On Sunday mornings, the man who spent all week lifting broken cars, lifted broken people with his message of hope, the depth of his faith, his grit and determination of a Black man born in 1917, a World War II veteran who in one instance had to give up his seat on a bus while wearing his soldiers uniform to a young teenager.
    “His faith inspires me.
    “My mother grew up in Waycross, Georgia. She grew up in a slightly different time in the 1950s, as a teenager picking somebody else’s Tobacco, picking somebody else’s cotton.
    “The octogenarian hands that used to pick somebody else’s Tobacco, somebody else’s cotton, could pick her son to be a United States Senator. Only in America is my story possible.”
    On health care
    SRW: “I’m someone who was shaped and inspired by the civil rights and human rights tradition. In 2014, I stood up saying we need to expand Medicaid in Georgia, as part of the Affordable Care Act. We have 600,000 Georgians in the coverage gap, and who are these people? They are mostly the working poor.
    “Dr. King said ‘Of all the injustices, inequality in healthcare is the most shocking and the most inhumane’. I was part of a demonstration in front of the Governor’s office here in Georgia and I was arrested fighting for Medicaid expansion. I thought it was a small price to pay when I considered that here we had an opportunity to give poor people, working-class people access to dignity, access basic health care, preventative care, that would literally save lives. And the state leaders were digging in their heels for political purposes. And so I got arrested in the state capital in Georgia, I’ve gotten arrested in the U.S. capital, also fighting for health care, fighting to protect SNAP benefits. And I’ll continue to ring the bell on this issue, it’s so very important.”
    Alexander Heffner: “Do we need more civil disobedience in American life today?”
    SRW: “I think activism, and speaking, and demonstrations are part of the democratic process. We need people shaking it up on the outside, as long as they are non-violent and dignified in their approach, and we need people shaking it up on the inside. I’ve had my experience with both, I often say that now I’ve translated my protest into public policy, my agitation into legislation, but I will do anything within reason, that is consistent with my values if it will get people health care.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Wyden, Porter Call on Treasury, IRS to Improve Direct File by Ending Reliance on ID.me, Making Identity Verification Secure and Accessible

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    October 09, 2024
    “[Taxpayers] should not be forced to jump through extra, onerous, hoops that private tax prep companies are not required to meet.”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Boston, MA – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and Representative Katie Porter (D-Calif.) wrote to the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) urging the agencies to make the Direct File tax filing program more accessible by ending reliance on ID.me, which uses a flawed facial recognition software.
    When Direct File, the first free, public, electronic federal tax filing tool in U.S. history, launched, the IRS announced that taxpayers would need to submit to identity verification through ID.me because it met the IRS’ desired level of strictness, “Identity Assurance Level 2” (IAL 2). IAL 2 is the middle of three “levels” of national identity verification standards, and requires an applicant’s face to be compared to a government ID using facial recognition software or by a human. But the facial recognition technology used by ID.me has been shown to be less accurate when dealing with vulnerable groups, including individuals of color, and has been linked to wrongful arrests of black men. This heightened identity verification is required for the Direct File service and not for commercial tax preparation services. 
    “Requiring them to use ID.me is creating yet another needless barrier to exactly these taxpayers who need Direct File most to claim tax benefits, as it has been with other government benefits,” wrote the lawmakers. 
    Private tax preparation companies are not judged against IAL standards but operate at the equivalent of a level 1 by just having users simply assert their identity.  The private tax preparation companies have also egregiously misused private taxpayer information, and Direct File allows taxpayers the option to not give their money and personal information to private companies when filing their taxes. Login.gov, a government-run identity verification alternative, is expected to be compliant with existing IAL 2 standards, making it available for the 2025 tax season. 
    The IRS’ current approach to security does not make sense. 
    “If the threat posed by identity thieves and fraudsters is severe enough to warrant requiring taxpayers to submit to identity verification…then the IRS should require such security protections, across the board, regardless of whether taxpayers use Direct File, commercial services like TurboTax and H&R Block…,” the lawmakers continued. “Alternatively, if the threat posed by identity thieves is not serious enough for the IRS to require commercial tax prep companies to implement burdensome identity verification, then taxpayers using Direct File should not be required to do so either.” 
    The 2024 Direct File pilot was a clear and resounding success, helping taxpayers claim over $90 million in tax refunds and saving taxpayers $5.6 million in estimated filing fees. The IRS recently announced that it will expand service to 24 states and over 30 million taxpayers for the 2025 tax season. In order to keep Direct File serving taxpayers effectively, the lawmakers requested answers from the Treasury and the IRS about the impact of ID.me on taxpayers’ access to Direct File and potential alternatives to ID.me by October 21, 2024. 
    Senator Warren has been at the forefront of holding tax prep firms and Big Tech accountable for their behavior, and pushed for an effective IRS direct free file program:
    In June 2023, Senators Warren and Carper and Representatives Sherman, Porter, and Beyer led a coalition of 99 Democratic lawmakers in sending a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Daniel Werfel and Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo, applauding the IRS’ announcement of a pilot  of a free tax filing tool next year. 
    In April 2023, Senators Warren and Carper led their colleagues in sending a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel urging the agency to simplify the tax process and broaden access to free e-filing options.
    In April 2023, at a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Warren questioned Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Daniel Werfel about the IRS’s failed Free-File partnership with private tax preparation software companies and called on the agency to implement a direct E-File program that will be truly free and easy for millions of Americans. 
    Commission Werfel agreed with Senator Warren that the gap between the 70% of taxpayers that Free File is supposed to serve and the 2% it actually does is “massive.”  When Senator Warren pointed out that tax prep companies are instead pushing alternative services that should be free, are marketed as free, but are not, Commissioner Werfel also agreed that “the whole process needs to be improved,” that taxpayer rights have been violated, and the IRS has an obligation to make “the tax system easier for taxpayers to navigate.”

    In March 2023, Senators Warren and King wrote a letter with 19 other senators to the Internal Revenue Service and Secretary Yellen expressing strong support for Secretary Yellen’s directive for the IRS not to raise audit rates for small businesses or households making under $400,000 annually. 
    In December 2022, Senators Warren and Wyden, along with Representatives Porter and Sherman sent letters to tax preparation companies H&R Block, TaxAct, and TaxSlayer, plus big tech firms Meta, and Google, amid reports that the tax preparation companies have been secretly transmitting individual taxpayers’ sensitive financial information to Meta and Google.
    In July 2022, Senator Warren led 22 of her colleagues in introducing the Tax Filing Simplification Act of 2022 to simplify the tax filing process for millions of Americans by lowering costs, eliminating red tape for all taxpayers, and saving them hours and hundreds of dollars. 
    During an exchange of the United States Senate Finance Committee in June 2022, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen agreed with Senator Warren on the need to create a free tax filing system that actually works for Americans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Brown Secures New Investment To Replace Lead Service Lines In Youngstown

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Ohio Sherrod Brown
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced a new investment to replace lead service lines in Youngstown. Brown advocated for this much-needed investment, which will result in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarding $1.2 million to the City of Youngstown for its Lead Service Line Replacement Program.
    “Families shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not the water coming out of the faucet is safe for their children to drink,” said Brown. “I fought for this investment so that the City of Youngstown can replace old lead pipes, creating jobs while ensuring that Ohioans in the Valley have access to safe and reliable drinking water.”
    Brown secured this investment in the 2024 government funding law, which provides key funding for water infrastructure projects. These investments complement the resources allocated by Congress in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Brown helped write and pass.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Brown Convenes Tax Professionals for Free, One Day Tax Clinic to Assist East Palestine Residents Filing Amended Returns

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Ohio Sherrod Brown
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown announced that East Palestine residents who received reimbursements from Norfolk Southern in the aftermath of the February 3, 2023 train derailment will be able to take advantage of a free, one-day tax clinic where Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Certified Volunteers will help residents complete amended returns so that they don’t pay taxes on their reimbursements.
    Brown aggressively and successfully pushed the IRS and Treasury Department to make tax exempt most payments and reimbursements received from Norfolk Southern.
    The IRS is requiring East Palestine residents to file amended returns to ensure that they are not taxed on any assistance received from Norfolk Southern.
    “It was important to take on the IRS and ensure that East Palestine residents did not have to pay tax on assistance they received from Norfolk Southern,” said Brown. “Now, we want to make sure they do not have to pay a tax service to file the amended tax return that they shouldn’t have had to file in the first place. Our office is glad to bring together these community organizations to make this happen.”
    Details of the one-day tax clinic hosted by Brown’s office are below. Brown’s office partnered with The Way Station, The Village of East Palestine, United Way Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, Catholic Charities Regional Agency, and the United Way of Summit & Medina.
    Date: Friday, October 11, 2024
    Time: 9AM-5PM
    Location: First Church of Christ, 20 W Martin St, East Palestine, OH 44413
    Call 330.540.1947 or 330.610.3805 to schedule an appointment.
    Appointments must be scheduled in advance.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Courtney, Himes, Hayes Announce Over $16 Million For Lead-Free Homes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    October 09, 2024

    HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and U.S. Representatives Joe Courtney (D-Conn.-02), Jim Himes (D-Conn.-04), and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-05) on Wednesday announced over $16 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to protect children under the age of six years old from lead poisoning. The funds are awarded through HUD’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Grant Program.

    “Investing in lead paint removal will protect our communities from the lifelong, devastating effects of lead poisoning. This $16 million in funding will help mitigate lead-based paint hazards in older homes, maintain affordable housing, and provide resources to ensure families in Bridgeport, Norwich, and Waterbury can address other health and safety concerns. There is no safe level of lead exposure, and I will keep fighting to ensure everyone in our state has a safe and healthy place to call home,” said Murphy. 

    “Over $16 million will protect families across Connecticut from exposure to the pernicious poison that is lead in their homes. Lead poisoning causes detrimental and irreversible damage, especially to children. Currently, more than 1,000 Connecticut children are affected by lead each year and I am proud that federal funding will work to address this dire crisis,” said Blumenthal.

    “My office and I were pleased to lead the federal effort to advocate on the City of Norwich’s behalf and bring the federal funding home to ensure less children are exposed to the serious dangers of lead paint. The federal funding award is a clear testament to the outstanding work executed by the City, Wayne Sharkey, and his team, and the hours and hours they spent on this application to continue their live-saving work,” said Courtney. 

    “Many New England homes and apartments were constructed well before we knew how dangerous lead paint exposure can be, especially for young children. The over $6 million in federal funding Bridgeport will receive will allow the city to expand its remediation efforts and help ensure children are no longer exposed to lead paint’s harmful effects. When coupled with the Governor’s Lead Free CT Campaign, this investment brings us closer to eliminating lead contaminants in Connecticut once and for all,” said Himes.

    The federal funding announced today will address lead-based paint hazards in the following municipalities:

    1. The City of Waterbury will receive $7,000,000.
    2. The City of Bridgeport will receive $6,006,105.
    3. The City of Norwich will receive $3,157,991.

    The Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Grant Program helps transform communities by fixing older housing, preserving affordable housing, and improving communities and the health of children and families in these communities. In addition to addressing lead-based paint hazards, HUD also offers healthy homes supplemental funding to address other housing related health and safety issues while addressing the lead-based paint. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Seeks DOT Guidance To Improve Roadway Safety And Address Traffic Fatalities In Letter To Secretary Buttigieg

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    October 09, 2024

    HARTFORD—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg asking for details on the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) efforts to improve roadway safety. Murphy referenced the recent tragic deaths of Connecticut Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier and ConnDOT worker Andrew DiDomenico, as well as his own Walk Across Connecticut, where he saw dangerous driving conditions firsthand. Expressing concern over rising traffic fatalities in Connecticut, Murphy requested additional information on specific measures being implemented, strategies to address dangerous driving behaviors, and how federal and state governments can collaborate to enhance roadway safety.

    “There were 169 traffic fatalities in Connecticut during the first half of 2024,” Murphy wrote. “This year, Connecticut has also been devastated by several high-profile roadway fatalities. In May, Connecticut Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier was struck and killed in the line of duty while working at a traffic stop on Interstate 84. In July, a Connecticut Department of Transportation worker, Andrew DiDomenico, died after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 91. While these two accidents garnered significant attention across the state, there are many more families dealing with the pain of losing a loved one in a traffic accident.”

    Murphy continued: “My office and I regularly hear from constituents about roadway safety. The primary issues identified are drivers traveling at high speed, ignoring traffic signs, and driving while distracted.  During my annual walk across Connecticut, I spoke with a group of road construction workers who told me that they are noticing an uptick in dangerous driving behavior. I also regularly meet with a group of middle school children who advise me on a range of policy issues, and in our conversations these students regularly who tell me how reckless driving can make their walk to school scary and more dangerous. While I understand there is no perfect policy solution or initiative that will eliminate traffic accidents completely, I am writing to inquire what more can be done to protect people on our roadways and seek your Department’s expert opinion on best practices to decrease roadway fatalities.”

    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

    Dear Secretary Buttigieg,

    I am writing to inquire about the Department of Transportation’s work on highway safety. Unfortunately, as you are aware, there were 169 traffic fatalities in Connecticut during the first half of 2024. This year, Connecticut has also been devastated by several high-profile roadway fatalities. In May, Connecticut Trooper First Class Aaron Pelletier was struck and killed in the line of duty while working at a traffic stop on Interstate 84. In July, a Connecticut Department of Transportation worker, Andrew DiDomenico, died after being struck by a vehicle on Interstate 91. While these two accidents garnered significant attention across the state, there are many more families dealing with the pain of losing a loved one in a traffic accident.

    My office and I regularly hear from constituents about roadway safety. The primary issues identified are drivers traveling at high speed, ignoring traffic signs, and driving while distracted.  During my annual walk across Connecticut, I spoke with a group of road construction workers who told me that they are noticing an uptick in dangerous driving behavior. I also regularly meet with a group of middle school children who advise me on a range of policy issues, and in our conversations these students regularly who tell me how reckless driving can make their walk to school scary and more dangerous.

    While I understand there is no perfect policy solution or initiative that will eliminate traffic accidents completely, I am writing to inquire what more can be done to protect people on our roadways and seek your Department’s expert opinion on best practices to decrease roadway fatalities. To that end, I am requesting your answers and input on the following questions:

    1. What specific measures is the Department of Transportation implementing under the National Roadway Safety Strategy to address the alarming rise in traffic fatalities, particularly in Northeast states like Connecticut?
    2. What strategies are being developed to combat issues such as high-speed driving, ignoring traffic signs, and distracted driving? Are there any new initiatives on these issues forthcoming?
    3. Has there been an increase in accidents involving young or less experienced drivers? What targeted programs or campaigns does the Department plan to introduce to improve their safety on the roads?
    4. How is the Department of Transportation engaging with local communities, such as schools and construction sites, to gather insights on roadway safety concerns and to promote safer driving practices?
    5. How can state governments like Connecticut better collaborate with the federal government to enhance roadway safety and address specific local concerns?
    6. What additional actions can Congress take to better enable your agency to address this issue?

    Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I look forward to continuing to work with you to build safer roadways that improve safety and the travel experience for the American people.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Celebrates National 4-H Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and 4-H alumna, co-led a resolution with 39 of her colleagues to designate this week as National 4-H Week and recognize the important role the program plays in youth development and education.
             
    “My time as a 4-Her equipped me with the skills to lead and taught me from a young age what it means to serve my community and my country,” said Senator Ernst. “4-H has given generations of Iowans the chance to participate in meaningful hands-on learning while striving to make the best better. I’m proud to support an organization that fosters a lifetime of connection to agriculture and civic engagement in our next generation of leaders.”
    Click here to view the resolution.
    Background:
    As a former 4-H member who grew up walking beans and feeding hogs on her family farm in southwest Iowa, Ernst experienced firsthand the valuable educational experiences and leadership opportunities the program offers. She has proudly supported 4-H during her time in the Senate and often meets with 4-H members in Washington, D.C. and Iowa.
    4-H is the largest youth development organization in the country, impacting nearly six million young people with over 27,000 members in Iowa alone.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Tours CHRISTUS Health Care Center, Visits Local Officials in Coushatta

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    SHREVEPORT – Yesterday afternoon, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) spoke to the Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce, where he spoke about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s (IIJA) impact on their community, and what is being done to help their community.

    “When I was negotiating this bill, it was my hope that our state would benefit as much as possible. It is a pleasure to visit Natchitoches and know that it has received a grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to redo a downtown thoroughfare,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I am working so that every village, town and city benefits.”
    Specifically, the RAISE grant for Natchitoches is worth $17.2 million and was awarded in August of 2022. When completed, the City of Natchitoches says it will revitalize the Texas Street Business Corridor and rehabilitate feeder roads and neighborhood streets. There will also be new pavement, new and widened sidewalks, walking paths, marked bike and pedestrian lanes, and improved lighting.
    As of last fall, money has also been awarded to replace bridges in Natchitoches Parish, as well as provide money to the Natchitoches Regional Airport. Cassidy was welcomed to the Chamber by Ms. Laura Lyles, President and CEO of the Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce.
    “We appreciate Senator Cassidy taking the time to engage with our Chamber membership about legislative priorities and how they impact our region,” said Ms. Lyles. “This kind of open dialogue is crucial as we work together to create opportunities for growth and prosperity in our communities.”

    Later that afternoon, Cassidy visited the CHRISTUS Coushatta Health Care Center, where he held a wide-ranging discussion about the needs of Red River Parish with members of the policy jury, officials at CHRISTUS Coushatta, and the Superintendent of the Red River Parish School District.
    “I did two good things in Red River Parish today,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I met with community leaders and toured Coushatta Hospital. In my meeting, I heard from them about the good things happening in Red River Parish. I got to talk about how legislation I worked on such as the Safer Communities Act can expand access to mental health care services in schools, and how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill can help meet Red River Parish’s needs.”
    Before their meeting, Cassidy toured CHRISTUS Coushatta and learned how they meet their patients’ needs. According to them, they have highly trained health professionals and up-to-date technology, which helps them provide emergency care services, acute inpatient care, laboratory services, mammograms and oncology services, among other programs.
    As a doctor and Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Cassidy has been a champion for rural health care and underserved communities. Earlier this Congress, Cassidy introduced the Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act to improve rural ambulance services, and the PEERS in Medicare Act, to expand peer mental health counseling in rural areas. He also introduced the CONNECT for Health Act to expand telehealth services through Medicare and make COVID-era telehealth flexibilities permanent. This coupled with the launch of Louisiana’s new $1.35 billion broadband initiative funded by Cassidy’s IIJA will substantially improve telehealth access across the state.
    Among others, Cassidy was thanked for visiting Coushatta by Mr. Brandon Hillman, the administrator for CHRISTUS in Coushatta and a member of the Red River Parish Police Jury.
    “We appreciate Senator Cassidy taking the time to tour CHRISTUS Coushatta and to join leaders in Red River Parish for a roundtable discussion on local issues,” said Mr. Hillman. “We were able to engage in a robust discussion about the ways the Senator can continue to support rural health care in Louisiana, and the many federal resources available to enhance the infrastructure of the parish.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of Fifth Circuit Case, Cortez Masto and Rosen Warn About Threats to DACA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Las Vegas, Nev. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) held a press conference along with Dream Big Nevada and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients in Las Vegas to warn against the current threats DACA faces in federal court. On Thursday, October 10, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit will hear a case that will determine the future of DACA and could further chip away at the program. Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto called on Nevadans to stay informed on the status of this court case and renewed their commitment to do everything they can to pass a permanent legislative solution that will protect Dreamers and keep families together.

     “I want Dreamers and their families to know they’re not alone, and Senator Rosen and I are doing everything we can to keep families together,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “DACA recipients whose status expires in the next few months can renew while we wait for decisions to be handed down. But our communities should know that court decisions like this pose real threats to vital programs, and we have to stand up and push back. I’ll never give up the fight to ensure Dreamers can live and succeed in the only home they’ve ever known.”

    “For more than a decade, DACA has provided peace of mind for Nevada Dreamers – allowing them to access education, health care, and jobs,” said Senator Rosen. “At a time when far-right extremists are pushing courts to strike down this critical program, I’m renewing my commitment to do everything I can to protect DACA and keep families together. We need to be vigilant about the outcome of this case, and I urge all DACA recipients in our state to stay informed and reach out to our offices for assistance and information. I’ll keep working with Senator Cortez Masto to stand up for Nevada Dreamers and push for a permanent solution with a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients.”

    “DACA changed the course of my life. I spent years in the shadows, with DACA I was able to pursue goals that had felt distant,” said Astrid Silva, founder of Dream Big Nevada. “Now as I wait for yet another court date to tell me if I will be able to breathe or continue to live in fear, I keep reminding myself that I can’t give up. Too many families depend on DACA for us to quit now, even as frustrating as it is. I’m grateful to live in a state where my Senators not only support me but give a voice when ours starts to shake.”

    Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have been outspoken in their strong support for DACA recipients and their families. Senator Cortez Masto is an original cosponsor of the Dream Act to provide relief for DACA recipients, and she’s leading legislation to allow them to work in Congress. Cortez Masto pushed the Biden-Harris administration to take executive action to protect hardworking mixed-status families in Nevada and across the country. She’s introduced legislation to fix our outdated immigration laws, led calls to address delays in DACA renewal applications, and fought to make it easier for mixed status families to stay together. In a committee hearing earlier this year, Senator Rosen raised concerns over the significant application delays impacting DACA recipients. Last Congress, Senator Rosen gave a floor speech urging her Senate colleagues to take immediate action to permanently protect Dreamers while simultaneously continuing to work to pass comprehensive immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Baldwin Announces $5.2 Million Contract for Sturgeon Bay Business

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    STURGEON BAY, WI – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced today that the U.S. Coast Guard has awarded Marine Travelift in Sturgeon Bay a $5.2 million contract for equipment to support maintenance and repairs of the Coast Guard fleet, estimated to support 50-60 jobs. Senator Baldwin successfully pushed the Coast Guard to ensure the Buy America Act was abided by for this project, in line with her work to strengthen Buy America requirements for federal contracts to ensure taxpayer dollars are supporting the Made in Wisconsin economy and Wisconsin workers.
    “To me, it’s simple: when we invest taxpayer dollars, we should be supporting American businesses, workers, and communities whenever possible,” said Senator Baldwin. “I was proud to champion strong Buy America requirements so businesses like Marine Travelift and workers in Northeastern Wisconsin reap the benefits of critical investments we’re making to safeguard our nation.”
    “Marine Travelift is honored to be selected for this critical task to support the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard,” said Marine Travelift President and CEO Erich Pfeifer. “They deserve the best U.S.-built equipment to help accomplish their life-saving missions, and supplier opportunities like this are a direct result of Senator Baldwin’s relentless push to ensure fairness for Wisconsin manufacturers in federal agency purchasing.”
    Marine Travelift was awarded a $5.2 million contract from the U.S. Coast Guard to build a 620-ton mobile boat hoist, the largest such unit any U.S. federal agency has ever acquired. The funding comes from the annual funding legislation Senator Baldwin supported for fiscal year 2019.
    Senator Baldwin has long championed Buy America policies to support American businesses and workers. She fought to advance her American Made Navy Act in this year’s annual defense legislation, which would ensure by 2033 any new Navy ship purchased uses 100% domestically produced materials. She also successfully worked to include strong Buy America standards in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Brings Home Nearly $190,000 to Support Economic Development in Northeast Wisconsin

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced she helped deliver nearly $190,000 to support small businesses, local jobs, and economic development in Oconto and Sheboygan counties. The funding comes through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Business Development Grants Program which was funded by the Baldwin-backed 2024 annual government funding bill.
    “Moving our Made in Wisconsin economy forward means investing in every corner of our state to create economic opportunity for families,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to go to bat for Wisconsin and deliver funding that will help create jobs, grow local businesses, and build a stronger future for our state.”
    The following projects received funding:
    Sheboygan County Economic Development Corp: $99,000 to establish a revolving loan fund to serve small rural businesses in Sheboygan County. The project will serve at least ten businesses.
    Oconto County Economic Development Corp: $90,000 to provide technical assistance to small, rural businesses located in Oconto County. Assistance will be targeted for those located in the villages of Suring and Lena. At least ten businesses will be served with this assistance, creating five and saving another five jobs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: Hurricane Helene Recovery Continues as Biden-⁠ Harris Administration Prepares for Hurricane  Milton

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    The Biden-Harris Administration continues to both make urgent and life-saving preparations for Hurricane Milton and carry out response and recovery efforts for communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.
    Today, President Biden and Vice President Harris received a briefing from members of their Administration about updates on the latest forecast for Hurricane Milton, expected impacts for the State of Florida, and the robust pre-landfall preparations underway. They also received an update on the ongoing response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene across the Southeast and Appalachia. President Biden will address the Nation tonight regarding Hurricane Milton.
    President Biden has spoken to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector, and Pinellas County Chairwoman Kathleen Peters to get firsthand reports on recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene and to discuss preparations for Hurricane Milton. The President told each of the officials to call him directly if they need additional assistance on response and recovery efforts.
    More than 8,000 Federal personnel are on the ground across the Southeast, including in Florida, to continue Hurricane Helene recovery efforts and respond to the impacts of Hurricane Milton.
    At the direction of President Biden, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will travel to Florida tonight to join the personnel on the ground and ensure every Floridian gets the help they need when this storm passes.
    Additional updates on our efforts for Hurricanes Milton and Helene include:
    Hurricane Milton Pre-Landfall Preparations
    Pre-Landfall Outreach and Emergency Declarations
    President Biden granted pre-landfall emergency declarations for the State of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida for Hurricane Milton, enabling FEMA to provide direct assistance to the state, local and Tribal response, preposition supplies and response assets and mobilize hundreds of personnel in the state, many of whom were already in place supporting the Hurricane Helene response.
    The White House has been in contact with more than 60 Florida officials from all 51 counties that fall under the pre-landfall Emergency Declaration approved by President Biden. We remain in close communication with officials in the 16 cities and counties that will likely be in the direct path of the storm.
    Surging Resources and Personnel to Florida
    FEMA has over 1,000 responders on the ground in Florida supporting Hurricane Milton preparations and recovery efforts from previous disasters. There are over 1,400 search and rescue personnel pre-staged to support Hurricane Milton response efforts.
    The U.S. Coast Guard has 1,300 personnel stationed in Florida ready to immediately assist with life-saving and life sustaining search and rescue operations throughout the State. The Coast Guard also has personnel ready who will work directly with the U.S. Army Corps of engineers to assess and open the critical lifeline of the Port of Tampa as quickly as possible to ensure necessary supplies and fuel can start to flow into the impacted areas again.
    The State of Florida has activated over 6,000 members of the National Guard and expects to bring on an additional 3,000 National Guard members from Florida and other States to support State response activities.
    The Federal government has pre-positioned resources to support local and state response efforts ahead of Hurricane Milton. FEMA pre-staged seven FEMA Incident Management Assistance Teams, eight federal Urban Search & Rescue and swift water rescue teams, three U.S. Coast Guard Swift Water Rescue teams, 10 HealthCare System Assessment Teams, two U.S Army Corps of Engineers temporary power teams, debris experts, Environmental Protection Agency wastewater experts, over 500 ambulances, 20 helicopters prepared to support media requirements following landfall, and 60 High Water Vehicles with ladders from the Department of Defense.
    Additionally, FEMA has five incident staging bases with commodities including food and water. Right now, FEMA has 20 million meals and 40 million liters of water ready to deploy to address ongoing Helene and Milton response efforts with capacity to expand as needed.
    The Department of Defense is ready to support air search-and-rescue efforts, support urban search-and-rescue teams, provide helicopters to move personnel and equipment, and provide high water vehicles. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is staged across the area of impact and is prepared to support debris management, assessments of infrastructure and water/wastewater facilities, temporary power installations, and flood/water mitigation efforts.
    Additional Efforts to Support Pre-Landfall Preparations and Protect Communities
    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is leveraging state-of-the-art technology to keep communities safe throughout the southeast. NOAA’s fleet of “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft gather vital data to help improve track and intensity forecasts, supporting the 24-7 work of the National Weather Service (NWS). NWS provides the real-time, accurate information that assists local meteorologists and emergency operations leaders protect their communities and combat weather misinformation. Additionally, data from reconnaissance planes and drones used to survey damage following Hurricane Helene’s landfall will help us better prepare for post-Milton recovery operations.
    The Department of Energy’s Energy Response Organization remains activated to respond to storm impacts. Via the Electricity Sub-Sector Coordinating Council and Oil and Natural Gas Sub-Sector Coordinating Council, the Department has been coordinating continuously with energy sector partners on both the ongoing Hurricane Helene response and potential impacts from Hurricane Milton.
    The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has notified local public housing authorities and owners of its assisted multifamily and heath care properties within the State of Florida to immediately implement all appropriate safety protocols for residents and workers. HUD is committed to ensuring that residents of its assisted homes and properties receive critical information that can save lives during extreme weather events. HUD is also conducting outreach and communications on the programmatic flexibilities and waivers that can be utilized to assist communities and survivors. Additionally, HUD is working with communities, shelter operators and homelessness services providers to prepare and support them—in collaboration with FEMA and disaster assistance organizations such as the Red Cross—as they provide life-saving assistance before and after the storm.
    The Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is assessing potential critical supply chain disruptions following Hurricane Helene’s impact on the IV solution supply chain. ASPR is coordinating with B Braun, an IV solution manufacturer with a facility in Daytona Beach, Florida, to move their product out of the path of the storm and facilitate other activities that will mitigate potential impacts on future distribution. ASPR and HHS partners are committed to continue working with public and private partners to support the supply chain as facilities address return to full operational capacity. ASPR is encouraging manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors to evaluate product allocation and healthcare providers to implement product conservation strategies to maximize available supply. ASPR is in communication with stakeholders to reduce disruption and facilitate product allocation.
    Protecting Impacts to Power and Travel Infrastructure
    The Department of Transportation is deploying a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Air Traffic Field Incident Response team to Florida and pre-staging operations in Jacksonville to support any impacted towers and airports. The team will work with the State and local authorities and the Department of Defense within the established Emergency Operations Center. The Department of Transportation is also deploying the FAA Communication Support Team (CST), which plays a critical role in restoring communications at impacted air traffic management facilities. Specifically, the CST will set up Starlink and Mobile Phone Bonding kits, which increase signal stability and data throughout the region. The FAA Air Traffic Organization Technical Operations Team is on-site and leading the restoration efforts for communications at air traffic facilities. The FAA is placing aircraft on standby to transport personnel from various agencies, mobilize resources, and support damage assessments to infrastructure.
    The FAA granted permission to the utility Florida Power & Light to use large Teros drones to assist with damage assessments and power restoration after Milton passes. These 1,800-pound drones can fly in harsh conditions and operate in winds up to 70 mph before crewed aircraft are able to fly.
    The Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration is coordinating with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and is prepared to rapidly process Emergency Relief (ER) funding requests from FDOT. The ER program helps pay for long-term, permanent repairs, and other immediate emergency repairs, such as protecting remaining facilities and restoring essential traffic. It reimburses State, local, federal, Tribal, and territorial governments for eligible expenses associated with damage from natural disasters or other emergency situations based on their requests.
    Hurricane Helene Response and Recovery
    The Department of Defense continues to support search-and-rescue operations, route clearance, and commodities distribution across western North Carolina with 1,500 active-duty troops. The Department of Defense is also employing additional capabilities to assist with increasing situational awareness across the remote terrain of Western North Carolina. The Army Corps of Engineers continues missions supporting temporary emergency power installations, infrastructure assessments, and debris management oversight.
    Mobilizing Financial Assistance and Surging Additional Personnel and Resources
    Over $344 million in assistance has been provided to Hurricane Helene survivors. President Biden approved a 100 percent Federal cost-share for Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee to assist in those States’ response efforts. In North Carolina alone, FEMA has approved over $60 million in aid for more than 51,000 households.
    FEMA personnel and other Federal partners, including FEMA’s Surge Capacity Force, remain on the ground supporting impacted communities, with over 17.2 million meals and 13.9 million liters of water delivered and ensuring information is accessible, including resources in preferred languages and ASL.
    Over the course of the last two weeks, 1,000 Urban Search and Rescue personnel have assisted over 3,200 survivors. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are on the ground in neighborhoods in all Helene-affected States helping survivors apply for assistance and connecting them with additional State, local, Federal and voluntary agency resources.
    Supporting Infrastructure Recovery
    The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced over $130 million in Quick Release Emergency Relief funding to support North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The funding represents a down payment to address the immediate needs to restore vital transportation systems in these states. Additional funding will flow to affected communities from the Emergency Relief program.
    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) worked with partners to ensure the national airspace returned to steady state operations and all airports across impacted states reopened. The FAA’s Security and Hazardous Materials Safety Communication Support Team was deployed to restore communications to impacted airports, including delivering satellite communications kits to the Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina and ongoing work at Valdosta Regional Airport in Georgia. The FAA Air Traffic Organization Technical Operations Team is on-site and leading communications restoration efforts at air traffic facilities. FAA also supported FEMA with two aircrafts to conduct flyover assessments and transport emergency personnel and gear, such as satellite communications kits.
    Additionally, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued Regional Emergency Declarations for Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. This Declaration affords emergency regulatory relief from Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations, including maximum driving time for property- and passenger-carrying vehicles from the date of declaration. This allows truck drivers to get essential supplies to affected areas. The FMCSA Regional Declaration eliminates the need for each individual state to request a 14-day extension and allows FMCSA the ability to manage one declaration that includes all eight states and does not expire until October 27.
    NOAA continues to support post-disaster imagery flights following Hurricane Helene, already totaling over 68 flight hours during 20 flights, including over western North Carolina. NOAA is currently repositioning to support Florida and the impacts of Hurricane Milton. NOAA’s aerial imagery captures damage to coastal areas caused by a storm and aids safe navigation. Aerial imagery is a crucial tool to determine the extent of the damage from flooding, and to compare baseline coastal areas to assess the damage to major ports and waterways, coastlines, critical infrastructure, and coastal communities. This imagery not only supports FEMA and the broader response community, but the public at large.
    Supporting Students and Student Loan Borrowers
    The U.S. Department of Education is lifting up a series of resources for students, families, and borrowers impacted by these hurricanes. These resources include guidance, in person support, technical assistance, and peer-to-peer connections for state and local leaders; resources for recovery needs such as mental health support for students and educators; flexibilities to help institutions of higher education continue to manage the Federal financial aid programs; and automatically enrolling affected borrowers with missed payments into a natural disaster forbearance. Thanks to regulations issued by the Biden-Harris Administration, this forbearance will count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and income-driven repayment forgiveness.
    Providing Financial Flexibilities to Homeowners and Taxpayers
    The Department of Housing and Urban Development is providing a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) as well as foreclosures of mortgages to Native American borrowers guaranteed under the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program. The moratorium and extension are effective as of the President’s disaster declaration date in each state. When homes are destroyed or damaged to an extent that reconstruction or complete replacement is necessary, HUD’s Section 203(h) program provides FHA insurance to disaster victims. Borrowers from participating FHA approved lenders are eligible for 100 percent financing including closing costs. HUD’s Section 203(k) loan program enables individuals to finance the purchase or refinance of a house, along with its repair, through a single mortgage. Homeowners can also finance the rehabilitation of their existing homes if damaged. FHA is coordinating and collaborating with the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Agriculture to ensure consistent messaging and policies for single family loans regarding foreclosure moratoriums and repayment/arrearage agreements. Additionally, affected homeowners that have mortgages through Government-Sponsored Enterprises – including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – and the FHA are eligible to suspend their mortgage payments through a forbearance plan for up to 12 months.
    The Internal Revenue Service announced disaster tax relief for all individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Helene, including the entire states of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina and parts of Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. Taxpayers in these areas now have until May 1, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. In addition, the Internal Revenue Service is providing more than 1,000 employees to help with FEMA disaster relief call lines and intake initial information to help disaster victims get federal relief. IRS Criminal Investigation agents are also on the ground in devastated areas to help with search and rescue efforts and other relief work – including assisting with door-to-door search efforts.
    Protecting Public Health
    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services activated the Emergency Prescription Assistance Program for North Carolina to aid uninsured residents in replacing prescription medicines or certain medical equipment lost or damaged in Hurricane Helene.
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working closely with state and local officials to restore drinking water service in North Carolina and across the Southeast as well as provide assistance in debris and hazardous waste clean-up efforts.
    Supporting Workers and Worker Safety
    The U.S. Department of Labor announced initial emergency grant funding to Florida to support disaster-relief jobs and training services to help respond to Hurricane Helene. Additional grant funding for North Carolina is forthcoming. The National Dislocated Worker Grant – supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 – allows the Florida Department of Commerce to provide people with temporary disaster-relief jobs and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to address immediate, basic needs for those displaced by Hurricane Helene. The funding also enables the state to provide training and services to individuals in the affected communities.
    Working alongside the Department of Labor, the States of Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee have all announced that eligible workers can receive federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance to compensate for income lost directly resulting from Hurricane Helene. And, through the Department of Labor’s innovative partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, displaced workers from North Carolina and South Carolina can now go to the post office in any other state and verify their ID for purposes of getting their benefits quickly.
    The Department of Labor is also working alongside on-the-ground personnel providing disaster relief, recovery, and rebuilding to prevent additional workplace disasters. This includes producing a worker safety training resource for resilience workers in Florida who are continuing to clear debris, rebuild infrastructure, and prepare for Hurricane Milton. This also includes activating the Wage and Hours Division Natural Disaster outreach, education and strategic enforcement program to provide employers and workers with the information they need to ensure everyone is paid correctly under the law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman, Cramer, Capito and Colleagues File Bicameral Amicus Brief to Overturn FHWA’s Unlawful Emissions Rule

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Committee on Environment and Public Works Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) led 27 of their colleagues in filing a bicameral amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit opposing a final rule from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that requires state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations to measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the highway system and set declining targets for those GHG emissions. The brief requests that the Court uphold the April 2024, U.S. District Court decision finding that Congress did not grant the FHWA the authority to issue the rule.

    The brief argues Congress explicitly debated providing the FHWA the necessary authority to issue this rule, but decided against doing so in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The FHWA then intentionally misconstrued congressional intent and used unrelated statutory authorities to attempt to justify issuing its GHG performance measure rule. The lawmakers also contend the rulemaking is inconsistent with recent Supreme Court decisions paring back executive branch overreach, and that FHWA is ignoring principles of federalism at the expense of state governments to further its own policy agenda.

    “Congress considered, and ultimately rejected, providing [FHWA] with the authority to issue a GHG performance measure regulation, but [FHWA] contorted ancillary existing authorities to impose one anyway,” the members argued. “In doing so, [FHWA] impermissibly usurped the Legislative Branch’s authority and promulgated the GHG performance measure without statutory authority delegated by Congress.” 

    “Put simply, when [FHWA] established a GHG performance measure regulation, it exceeded the powers Congress authorized. And it did so both at the expense of separation of powers and in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act,” the members continued. 

    Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Mike Braun (R-IN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) – as well as U.S. Representatives Sam Graves (R-MO-06), Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Rick Crawford (R-AR-01), Chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee – also cosigned the brief. 

    Full text of the amicus brief is available here.

    Background:

    Shortly after the rule was finalized, 21 state attorneys general, including Arkansas, filed litigation challenging the regulation. The U.S. District Court found the Biden administration rule to be illegal, but FHWA appealed the decision to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and it remains under further consideration. 

    In April of this year, the U.S. Senate approved a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution of disapproval overturning the rule by a vote of 53-47. The bipartisan measure was led by Cramer and cosponsored by Boozman, Ranking Member Capito and dozens of their colleagues.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PHOTOS: Capito Visits New Clendenin Elementary, Hosts Girls Rise Up Event

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    CLENDENIN, W.Va. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), today visited Clendenin Elementary School where she toured the new school and later hosted a West Virginia Girls Rise Up event with special guest, Dr. Liberty Vittert Capito, a statistician, political commentator, TV show host, and Professor of Data Science.
    “After years of working to secure resources and wait for construction to be completed, I am so glad that Clendenin students, faculty, and staff have a wonderful facility to call their own. We will never forget the 2016 floods and the destruction it caused, but this new school is an important milestone in our recovery and proves the resilience of West Virginians,” Senator Capito said. “I was also excited to bring my Girls Rise Up message—with the help of Liberty—to Clendenin and inspire the next generation. I am confident that these students are dedicated to setting new goals and achieving them, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish.” 
    “It’s such an honor to get to stand in front of the future of West Virginia with Senator Capito’s Girls Rise Up Program. These young girls will help to shape our state and this program shows them how they can truly be and do anything they want to if they set their minds to it. I can’t wait to see what they do in the future,” Dr. Liberty Vittert Capito said.
    “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to host Senator Shelley Moore Capito and bring the Girls Rise Up event to Clendenin Elementary. I feel that all females benefit from seeing strong, trailblazing women, and hearing their stories of resilience and determination to achieved their dreams. I believe that we as women should embrace every challenge as an opportunity to grow, and let our passion be the guiding light on our journey,” Clendenin Elementary School Principal Gurski said.
    ON SENATOR CAPITO’S SUPPORT FOR CLENDENIN ELEMENTARY:
    As a leader on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Capito has worked diligently with state partners at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and through consultation with local leaders in Clendenin over the years to secure needed resources for Clendenin to recover from the 2016 flooding. Senator Capito announced funding awards in December 2023 and June 2020 to help rebuild the school. Today’s visit marked Senator Capito’s first time viewing the newly completed elementary school since it opened.
    ON SENATOR CAPITO’S GIRLS RISE UP PROGRAM:
    Senator Capito launched the West Virginia Girls Rise Up program in 2015 to instill confidence in young West Virginia women and empower them to be strong and kind female leaders. The program focuses on three areas: education, fitness, and self-confidence. Joining Senator Capito in hosting the Girls Rise Up event was Liberty Vittert Capito, who is a statistician, political commentator, TV show host, and Professor of Data Science at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. Today’s event marks the 33rd event since the program’s launch in 2015.
    Photos from today’s visit are below:

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) hosts a West Virginia Girls Rise Up event with Dr. Liberty Vittert Capito at Clendenin Elementary School in Clendenin, W.Va. on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) hosts a West Virginia Girls Rise Up event with Dr. Liberty Vittert Capito at Clendenin Elementary School in Clendenin, W.Va. on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) hosts a West Virginia Girls Rise Up event with Dr. Liberty Vittert Capito at Clendenin Elementary School in Clendenin, W.Va. on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) tours the new Clendenin Elementary with Dr. Liberty Vittert Capito and speaks with students in Clendenin, W.Va. on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

    U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) with Dr. Liberty Vittert Capito and Clendenin Elementary School officials outside the new Clendenin Elementary School in Clendenin, W.Va. on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer, Luckey Meet with UND Students and Faculty

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    ***Click here to download media resources.***
    GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Following today’s fireside chat at the 18th annual Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Summit and Expo, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and defense entrepreneur and founder of Anduril Industries, Palmer Luckey, participated in a townhall with students at the University of North Dakota (UND). The discussion focused on the topic of how small, nimble defense companies like Anduril are “rebooting the arsenal of democracy.” 
    “As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I appreciate smart investment,” said Cramer. “This is why I love Palmer Luckey. I brought him to the University of North Dakota because we need innovators who can match the speed of China, doing it cost-effectively and at a scale that can win wars. This is where the opportunity rests in our challenge, how do we unleash the innovators? I enjoyed visiting with UND students and faculty to emphasize the importance of spurring real investment in our capabilities, while fostering a culture of innovation and ingenuity.” 
    “Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are transforming modern conflict,” said Palmer Luckey, Founder of Anduril Industries. “Transforming the way we fight requires an approach to capability development and adoption that is more closely aligned with the commercial market than the traditional defense industrial base. I am honored to join Senator Cramer at this year’s UAS Summit and Expo, and enjoyed the opportunity to engage with UND faculty and students who continue to drive progress in this critical field.”

    The pair then met with UND President Dr. Andrew Armacost and faculty to discuss what companies like Anduril look for in recent college graduates and ways UND can foster an environment of student innovation. Additionally, they emphasized ways to support creativity by shaking up the status quo of traditional educational design.
    Before the townhall, Cramer and Luckey spoke at the UAS Summit, where they highlighted how policymakers can break through tradition to unleash the potential of private sector and startups like Anduril while encouraging the government to match the speed of business. The defense missions in North Dakota play a pivotal role in strengthening national security and maintaining the United States’ nuclear deterrence capabilities. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Cramer has brought several national defense and industry leaders to experience the innovative defense ecosystem in Grand Forks such as Director of the Space Development Agency Derek Tournear and E-Space Founder and CEO Greg Wyler.
    Cramer has been working to attract several new missions to Grand Forks, including a temporary relocation of B-1 Bombers at Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB), as well as counter UAS test missions. He has also advocated for the GFAFB to receive a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) mission in the future.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer Hosts Anduril Founder Palmer Luckey at 2024 UAS Summit, Receives UAS Sky Pioneer Award

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    ***Click here to download media resources. ***
    GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The 18th annual Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Summit and Expo takes place this week in Grand Forks, with hundreds of UAS industry leaders and policymakers from across the country gathering in North Dakota. 
    U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), attended this year’s summit with entrepreneur Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril Industries, a global defense technology company with the mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. The Pentagon recently awarded Anduril a $250 million contract to counter drone attacks against U.S. forces. 
    In addition to attending the summit, Cramer was presented with the UAS Sky Pioneer Award, recognizing his commitment to UAS development, research, and deployment in North Dakota and across the nation.
    “What’s inspirational about Palmer Luckey is not just his story of accomplishment, but how he got there,” said Cramer. “I just learned he still has the family farm in Minnesota, which explains a lot about his pioneering spirit. Palmer is also inspirational because he could have taken all of his brain power, all that talent, and charming personality and applied it to a lot of things that could make him wealthy. But he chose, as a patriotic American, to invest in national defense by rebooting our arsenal of democracy. I’m honored to attend this year’s summit with my friend, a true pioneer, Palmer Luckey.”
    “Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are transforming modern conflict,” said Palmer Luckey, Founder of Anduril Industries. “Transforming the way we fight requires an approach to capability development and adoption that is more closely aligned with the commercial market than the traditional defense industrial base. I am honored to join Senator Cramer at this year’s UAS Summit and Expo, and enjoyed the opportunity to engage with UND faculty and students who continue to drive progress in this critical field.” 

    Cramer introduced Luckey for a fireside chat, where they discussed how policymakers can break through tradition to unleash the potential of private sector and startups like Anduril while encouraging the government to match the speed of business.

    In April, the United States Air Force named Anduril as one of the two vendors funded for the next phase of the service’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drone program. As the Ranking Member of the Seapower Subcommittee, Cramer visited Anduril’s headquarters in southern California where he had the opportunity to directly experience the company’s large and extra-large autonomous underwater vehicles. Cramer also saw Anduril’s CCA submission, Fury, a high-performance, multi-mission group 5 autonomous air vehicle. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: October 9th, 2024 Heinrich Tours to See Upgraded Equipment for Carlsbad Police Department, Receives Briefing on New Mobile Command Center

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    PHOTOS

    Heinrich secured nearly $1 million to support a new Mobile Command Center and new radio and communications equipment that will improve law enforcement operations and emergency response in Eddy County

    CARLSBAD, N.M. — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, took a tour with the Carlsbad Police Department to hear how nearly $1 million he secured for a forthcoming, new Mobile Command Center and operational, upgraded radio and communications equipment will improve response times and emergency coordination to help law enforcement agencies in Eddy County keep New Mexicans safe.

    U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) with the Carlsbad Police Department, highlighting planned upgrades to be included in the new Mobile Command Center, and discuss new radio and communications equipment.

    “We need to better equip law enforcement with the tools needed to keep New Mexicans safe, and I’m committed to doing that,” said Heinrich. “Upgraded technology will make a real difference for the Carlsbad Police Department, improving emergency response throughout Eddy County and helping first responders serve the community. It’s delivering investments like these to support our law enforcement officers that make me proud to fight for New Mexico on the Senate Appropriations Committee.”

    During the visit, Heinrich was briefed by the Carlsbad Police Chief Shane Skinner, Carlsbad Mayor Rick Lopez, and Carlsbad Fire Chief Tony Souza on how investments he secured through his seat on the Appropriations Committee for radio and communications equipment — currently being used by first responders and law enforcement — is keeping New Mexicans safe. Heinrich additionally highlighted funding he secured for a new Mobile Command Center.

    Background:

    Heinrich secured nearly $1 million through the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations process for a new Mobile Command Center and new radio and communications equipment to improve response times and emergency coordination to help first responders in Eddy County keep New Mexicans safe. 

    In addition to this investment, Heinrich secured $1 million in the FY24 appropriations bill to purchase new National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) ballistics testing machines for law enforcement agencies to use in Las Cruces, Farmington, Gallup, and Roswell. These machines will help law enforcement agencies quickly and effectively identify, solve, and prosecute crimes involving firearms. 

    Prior to this investment, there were only three NIBIN machines in all of New Mexico: two in Albuquerque and one in Santa Fe. The Roswell NIBIN machine will create a much closer option for law enforcement agencies in southeastern New Mexico. The intelligence gathered by all of the new NIBIN machines will go to the New Mexico Attorney General’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center where dedicated and trained analysts will use the information to trace and network firearms used in crimes across the state. The Center will then be able to feed that information back to law enforcement agencies to improve identification of suspects and support successful prosecutions.

    For a list of Heinrich’s actions to support law enforcement and first responders across New Mexico, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –