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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Welcomes Witness Insights on Business Tax Considerations in a ‘Post-Wayfair’ World

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth, participated in a hearing titled “Providing Small Business Relief from Remote Sales Tax Collection.” 

    Grassley in his opening remarks acknowledged challenges small online retailers have faced since South Dakota v. Wayfair. He additionally discussed Iowa’s membership in the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement and its associated reforms to facilitate compliance with state tax laws.

    Click the corresponding links for:

    Excerpts from Grassley’s exchange with hearing witnesses follow.

    Lowering Burdens in Non-Streamline States

    Grassley: “Since the Wayfair decision, have states that aren’t Streamlined members enacted reforms to limit burdens on interstate commerce or taken steps to join Streamlined?”

    Craig Johnson, Executive Director, Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board: “Most states have not done anything specifically, that I am aware of, to remove those undue burdens. Now, they have done what the Supreme Court noted in Wayfair: they did the no retroactive applications, they put in a small seller threshold. But the question is, did they do the third thing, which is, remove the undue burdens or join the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board? I think that’s the question that still remains, and that’s a question the Supreme Court did not answer.”

    Impact of Simplification Requirements on Retailers Compliance with Sales Taxes

    Grassley: “Mr. Johnson, you note that more than 30,000 sellers have registered with Streamlined to collect and remit taxes to members. [… Another witness,] Mr. Bishop-Henchman, notes it is estimated that nearly 50,000 businesses are ignoring their obligation to collect and remit sales taxes and risking getting caught. In your view, would greater adoption of the simplification requirements implemented by Streamlined members increase the compliance rate of retailers with sales tax obligations – in other words, getting at those 50,000?”

    Johnson: “As far as whether or not [greater adoption of Streamlined simplification requirements] would improve the compliance, I think the answer is yes, absolutely it would. I think our member states have recognized the simpler you make the laws for sellers to comply with, the greater the voluntary compliance. And you’re going to recognize the revenues that are going to come along with it because you’re going to make it easy for business to be able to calculate collect and remit the tax.”

    States Enforcing Pre-Wayfair Laws

    Grassley: “Mr. Bishop-Henchman, you noted that multiple states have tried or are attempting to enforce pre-Wayfair laws. They are effectively seeking to retroactively collect sales taxes from retailers that had no legal obligation to collect such taxes at that time. Are individual states generally observing the Supreme Court’s recognition of the need for simplification to avoid imposing an ‘undue burden’ on interstate commerce?”

    Joseph Bishop-Henchman, Executive Vice President, National Taxpayers Union Foundation: “Unfortunately, not enough.”

    Mr. Bishop-Henchman cited litigation as a potential tool in the toolbox to prevent one state from imposing burdens on the rest of the country but said the Supreme Court’s National Pork Producers Council v. Ross decision “undercut” that possibility by punting to Congress for a fix.

    Grassley: Do you see more states voluntarily adopting simplification measures or becoming Streamlined members as more time passes after the Wayfair decision?

    Bishop-Henchman: “At this point, my answer would be no, I don’t see states joining unless there’s some incentive for them to do so.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Rand Paul Introduces HEMP Act to Relieve Unnecessary Constraints on Hemp Industry, Provide Transparency and Certainty

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    September 26, 2024

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

    Dr. Rand Paul Introduces HEMP Act to Relieve Unnecessary Constraints on Hemp Industry, Provide Transparency and Certainty

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) continued his efforts to address Kentucky hemp farmers’ concerns with federal overreach and bring clarity, transparency, and certainty to regulation by introducing the Hemp Economic Mobilization Plan (HEMP) Act.

    “For years, I’ve led the fight in Washington to restore one of Kentucky’s most historically vital crops by legalizing industrial hemp. We achieved a hard-won victory, but there is still work to do to prevent the federal government from weighing down our farmers with unnecessary bureaucratic micromanaging. My legislation will help this growing industry reach its full economic potential and bring transparency to government regulations,” said Dr. Paul.

    This legislation creates transparency and certainty by defining a margin of error in hemp testing and provides real solutions to help Kentucky hemp farmers and processors.

    The HEMP Act amends the definition of “hemp” from 0.3 percent THC to 1 percent THC. It also requires testing of hemp-derived products rather than the hemp flower or plant itself.  Additionally, to help prevent legal hemp from being seized during transport, the bill requires that hemp shipments be accompanied by one of two easily accessible types of documentation.

    Dr. Paul is proud to be a leading voice for removing government restrictions on hemp, including championing legislation, testifying before the Kentucky legislature, and advocating for Kentucky farmers in Washington. This legislation ensures Kentucky can rebuild its hemp industry and push forward to a prosperous future.

    You can read Dr. Paul’s HEMP Act HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Statement on Government Funding Vote

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    September 25, 2024

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) issued the following statement after voting against another bloated government spending bill:

    “This Continuing Resolution continues a broken process. It extends the Biden-Harris administration’s reckless spending. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer should be embarrassed that he refused to call for even a single vote on an appropriations bill before yet another shutdown faceoff. We must return to regular order and get this runaway spending under control.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Works to Secure Support for Renewable Fuel Infrastructure, Expand Access to Biofuels

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
    WASHINGTON – As the deadline to extend the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) rapidly approaches, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is demanding certainty for consumers, biofuel producers, and retail store owners by requesting the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) keep the program operational.
    She partnered with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and led three of their colleagues in urging the USDA to extend the HBIIP with Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds. The senators emphasized the program has been an essential tool for helping retail store owners purchase the infrastructure necessary to provide higher blends of biofuels at the pump, which will only become more critical as year-round, permanent sales of E15 are expanded across the nation.
    “Since its inception in 2020, HBIIP has been vital in expanding access to higher blends of biofuels like E15, E85, and B20 for customers. Through a cost-share approach, HBIIP has helped fuel retailers invest over $77.8 million in biofuel-related infrastructure projects, leading to an estimated 1.2 billion-gallon increase in annual biofuel sales,” wrote the senators. “However, access to these higher blends of renewable fuel can only occur if the proper infrastructure is in place at our gas stations, truck stops, and heating fuel facilities, a gap HBIIP has and will continue to help bridge. As the final quarter ends on September 30, 2024, we strongly encourage the USDA to allocate CCC funds to sustain this essential program.”
    “By continuing to invest in renewable fuel infrastructure, we can drive further adoption of higher blends of biofuels, which boosts skilled job opportunities in rural communities, protects the environment by reducing emissions, and adds value to the crops grown by producers across the country,” concluded the senators.
    Read the full letter here.
    Background:
    Ernst was instrumental in creating and maintaining HBIIP as part of her commitment to invest in renewable fuel infrastructure, rural job opportunities, and hardworking farmers. She introduced the Biofuel Infrastructure and Agricultural Production Market Expansion Act, which would provide resources to retailers for purchasing more compatible biofuel infrastructure.
    More broadly, Ernst has also been a strong advocate for homegrown, Iowa biofuels, including by calling on the White House to make E15 available year-round and country-wide, adhere to the GREET model to provide domestic producers with a seat at the table, amend its harmful decision to set the Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) levels well below industry production capacity, raise Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes for biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuels, and issue timely guidance on the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Coons, Kennedy introduce National Wildlife Refuge Week resolution celebrating wildlife refuges’ value to local communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) introduced a resolution yesterday designating the week of October 13-19 2024, as National Wildlife Refuge Week. 

    The resolution celebrates the diversity of ecosystems and wildlife found in our national wildlife refuges and the many recreational activities that they support, including hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation. Since President Theodore Roosevelt created the first U.S. national wildlife refuge in 1903, the National Wildlife Refuge System has served a critical role in wildlife conservation. The national wildlife refuges have been strong drivers of economic growth for local communities across the country, generating billions of dollars each year. 

    “For more than 100 years, the National Wildlife Refuge System has protected our wildlife and ecosystems in Delaware and across the nation while strengthening local economies,” said Senator Coons. “Wildlife refuges like Bombay Hook and Prime Hook, which collectively cover more than 10,000 acres, maintain a healthy ecosystem, local aesthetics, and recreational opportunities in the First State. I am proud to lead the bipartisan National Wildlife Refuge Week resolution alongside Senator Kennedy as we continue to support and conserve biodiversity.”

    “Louisiana is home to more than 23 refuges that help protect our state’s unique species and make us the sportsman’s paradise,” said Senator Kennedy. “This Wildlife Refuge Week, I am grateful for the opportunity to promote America’s natural environment as we preserve these ecosystems for future generations to revel in and enjoy.”

    With more than 572 refuges, 38 wetland management districts, and five marine national monuments – located in every state and territory of the United States – the National Wildlife Refuge System contributes more than $3.2 billion to local economies annually and supports more than 41,000 jobs.

    In addition to Senators Coons and Kennedy, the resolution is cosponsored by Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).

    The text of the resolution is available here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Applauds Biden-Harris Administration’s Expansion of IVF Coverage for Federal Employees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    September 25, 2024

    For years, the Senator has led the charge to ensure IVF treatment is covered for more Americans Duckworth’s Right to IVF Act, which Republicans blocked just last week, would enshrine this expansion in law

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—author of the Right to IVF Act and the bipartisan Family Building FEHB Fairness Act—applauded the Biden-Harris Administration’s announcement that the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Program will, for the first time ever, offer multiple plans with comprehensive IVF coverage to the entire federal workforce and their families, no matter their zip code. The FEHB is the largest employer-sponsored group health insurance program in the world, covering more than 8 million employees, retirees, family members and others.

    “I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for taking this decisive action that I’ve called for to ensure all federal employees have access to IVF coverage—because everyone deserves the ability to access the fertility treatment they need to build their families, no matter where they live.

    “While this is welcome news, any future President could reverse this decision—so it’s critical we permanently protect and expand access to IVF nationwide and ensure no patient or doctor is criminalized simply for trying to start or grow their family. Last week, the Senate had the opportunity to do just that. But when it came time for Senate Republicans to put their votes where their mouths are and help pass my Right to IVF Act, the same Republicans claiming to ‘support IVF’ blocked it and made sure this expansion—and the other common sense IVF protections in the bill—would not be enshrined in federal law.

    “Struggling with infertility is painful enough without the GOP’s hypocrisy, and I won’t stop working until every American in every state can access IVF and experience the joys of parenthood if, when and how they want to.”

    In April, Senator Duckworth—along with U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11)—led 176 of their colleagues in urging OPM to help ensure all insurance carriers in FEHB program to cover IVF medical treatments and medications in plan year 2025.

    Last week, Senator Duckworth—along with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ)—led Senate Democrats in trying to pass the Right to IVF Act for the second time, comprehensive legislation led by Duckworth that would require all health insurers to cover IVF. This renewed effort by Senate Democrats came after Donald Trump claimed he wanted IVF to be covered and represented a second chance for Senate Republicans to actually do something that would make it easier for Americans struggling with infertility to access IVF. Despite claiming to support IVF, Senate Republicans blocked the legislation for the second time in just a few months.

    Senator Duckworth’s Right to IVF Act also includes the bipartisan Family Building FEHB Fairness Act, legislation the Senator has led for years that would require carriers to cover IVF and ART and would give the OPM one year to implement its requirements from the date of enactment.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rubio, Moolenaar Introduce Bill to Revoke Capital Gains Rate for Investments in Communist China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

    Rubio, Moolenaar Introduce Bill to Revoke Capital Gains Rate for Investments in Communist China

    Sep 26, 2024 | Press Releases

    Many Wall Street financial firms choose to invest in Communist China, pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into enterprises that maintain Communist China’s military, rely on slave labor, and violate trade rules to dismantle American businesses and jobs. This benefits neither the American people nor the American economy, and threatens U.S. national security. 

    Nonetheless, the U.S. tax code rewards these investments with a generously low capital gains tax rate.

    U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and U.S. Representative John Moolenaar (R-MI) introduced the bicameral Patriotic Investment Act to prevent the U.S. tax code from rewarding investments in Communist China.

    • “The Capital gains tax rate was meant to encourage investment in American innovation, not fund an oppressive communist regime, but Wall Street continues to give money to our adversaries and reap rewards from the American tax system. Enough is enough. My Patriotic Investment Act will level the playing field and ensure that our tax code no longer encourages investments that undercut American businesses and workers.” – Senator Rubio
    • “For too long, Americans investing in China’s military-industrial complex have been given unfair tax breaks that allow them to profit from funding our adversary. That’s wrong and Senator Rubio and I are introducing this legislation to put a stop to this special treatment. Our nation’s tax code should be incentivizing investment in the United States, not collaboration with the CCP.” – Congressman Moolenaar

    Specifically, this bill would encourage divestment from Chinese securities by removing  the beneficial capital gains tax rate for these investments. Chinese investments would instead be taxed at the highest income rate. This increased rate would only apply to financial gains that accrue in the future, not gains that have already accrued. Companies and individuals would have six months to divest after passage of the Patriotic Investment Act, and they would be given the ability to spread tax payments over three years.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Statement on Senate Passage of Continuing Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    September 25, 2024

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Senate passed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through December 20, 2024, keeping our government open and sparing working families the pain of a shutdown:

    “Today’s vote is good for working families, our economy and our entire nation because it prevents another damaging, needless MAGA shutdown that only hurts our servicemembers, Veterans and taxpayers.

    “The House GOP’s efforts to include partisan poison pills and bring our nation to the brink of a shutdown have failed, proving once again that bipartisanship is the only way to move forward. I look forward to continuing to work in a bipartisan manner ahead of the December funding deadline to pass the critical appropriations bills that our nation needs to keep our government fully funded and working for working families.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Moran, Boozman, Klobuchar Launch Senate Sustainable Aviation Caucus

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    September 25, 2024

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—Chair of the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation—U.S. Senator and Subcommittee Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS), John Boozman (R-AR) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) recently launched the Senate Sustainable Aviation Caucus to promote the longevity of the aviation industry and renewable fuels.

    “As we continue our work to reduce emissions and foster energy independence, one of the most important things we can do is make aviation more sustainable by increasing the use and supply of American-grown, American-made sustainable aviation fuel,” said Senator Duckworth. “To help us do just that, I’m proud to join Senators Moran, Klobuchar and Boozman in launching the Senate’s first-ever Sustainable Aviation Caucus. With this new caucus, I look forward to continuing our work to protect and grow American SAF production for use around the world, while also reducing our carbon footprint and supporting our domestic farmers and economy.”

    “As the aviation industry strives for lower emissions and cleaner energy sources, the development and utilization of sustainable aviation fuel will be a critical element,” said Senator Moran. “To help spur development, I am launching the Senate Sustainable Aviation Caucus. The caucus will work together to find ways to promote technologically innovative solutions to create a sustainable aviation industry and increase our nation’s competitiveness in the domestic production of sustainable aviation fuel.”

    “I’m pleased to join this initiative to promote education and policies that support sustainable industry practices,” said Senator Boozman. “I look forward to working with leaders of the caucus and stakeholders to advance measures that continue to advance aviation in an environmentally sound manner.”

    “Airlines across the country are committed to developing technologies to reduce carbon emissions from air travel,” said Senator Klobuchar. “The expanded use of sustainable aviation fuel will create jobs in rural areas, bolster our national security, and slash carbon emissions. This caucus aims to promote data, research, and innovation in sustainable aviation to ensure that the U.S. maintains its leadership in this field.”

    Duckworth has been a leader in supporting biofuels, including expansion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Earlier this year, she helped introduce the Farm to Fly Act which would help accelerate the production and development of SAF through existing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs to allow further growth for alternative fuels to be used in the aviation sector and create new markets for American farmers.

    Last year, Duckworth introduced the bipartisan Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act of 2023 which would identify the standards required to meet the definition of SAF at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Additionally, the Senator created a pilot project in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to promote the use of SAF at military installations and will continue to increase these efforts to expand the use on biofuels whenever possible.

    Congresswoman Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) and Congressman Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL) also created the Congressional Sustainable Aviation Caucus for members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement from President Joe  Biden on U.S. Support for  Ukraine

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    I am proud to welcome President Zelenskyy back to the White House today. For nearly three years, the United States has rallied the world to stand with the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom from Russian aggression, and it has been a top priority of my Administration to provide Ukraine with the support it needs to prevail. In that time, Ukraine has won the battle of Kyiv, reclaimed more than half the territory that Russia seized at the start of the war, and safeguarded its sovereignty and independence. But there is more work to do. That is why, today, I am announcing a surge in security assistance for Ukraine and a series of additional actions to help Ukraine win this war. 
    Today, I am announcing that: 
    I have directed the Department of Defense to allocate all of its remaining security assistance funding that has been appropriated for Ukraine by the end of my term in office. As part of this effort, the Department of Defense will allocate the remaining Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds by the end of this year. I also have authorized $5.5 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority to ensure this authority does not expire, so that my Administration can fully utilize the funding appropriated by Congress to support the drawdown of U.S. equipment for Ukraine and then replenish U.S. stockpiles.
    The Department of Defense is announcing $2.4 billion in security assistance through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which will provide Ukraine with additional air defense, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and air-to-ground munitions, as well as strengthen Ukraine’s defense industrial base and support its maintenance and sustainment requirements.
    To enhance Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities, I have decided to provide Ukraine with the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) long-range munition.
    To further strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, I have directed the Department of Defense to refurbish and provide Ukraine with an additional Patriot air defense battery and to provide Ukraine with additional Patriot missiles. This builds on my decision earlier this year to divert U.S. air defense exports to Ukraine, which will provide Ukraine with hundreds of additional Patriot and AMRAAM missiles over the next year and will help Ukraine defend its cities and its people. 
    To build the capacity of Ukraine’s air force, I have directed the Department of Defense to expand training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots, including by supporting the training of an additional 18 pilots next year.
    To counter Russian sanctions evasion and money laundering, the Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Secret Service have taken action today to disrupt a global cryptocurrency network, in coordination with international partners. The United States will continue to raise the costs on Russia for its war in Ukraine and to deprive the Russian defense industrial base of resources.
    I will convene a leader-level meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany next month to coordinate the efforts of the more than 50 countries supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression.
    Through these actions, my message is clear: The United States will provide Ukraine with the support it needs to win this war. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: President  Biden and Vice President Harris Announce Additional Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Save  Lives

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    New Executive Order Directs Federal Agencies to Combat Emerging Firearms Threats andImprove School-Based Active Shooter Drills
    Today, President Biden and Vice President Harris are announcing a new Executive Order directing federal agencies to improve school-based active shooter drills and combat the emerging threats of machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms, as well as additional executive actions that advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s agenda to reduce gun violence and save lives.
    After the prior Administration oversaw the largest one-year increase in murders ever recorded, President Biden and Vice President Harris took action from the start of their Administration to reduce violent crime. The President and the Vice President helped deliver over $15 billion in funding through the American Rescue Plan for law enforcement, community violence interventions, and other public safety strategies. By the middle of 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration had already announced more executive actions to reduce gun violence than any other administration. Then, on June 25, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun violence prevention law in nearly 30 years. On September 22, 2023, to help drive further progress, President Biden established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Harris.
    Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, in 2023 the United States experienced the single largest homicide rate drop in recent history. The reduction in homicide has accelerated this year. Data submitted to the Department of Justice shows that the homicide rate dropped another 17 percent from January through June 2024, compared to the same time period in 2023. Data from the Gun Violence Archive indicates that the number of mass shootings so far this year is 20 percent lower than it was at this time last year.
    Today, as we mark one year since the establishment of the Office, President Biden and Vice President Harris are announcing additional meaningful actions to reduce gun violence and save lives. This announcement builds on the numerous additional life-saving actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken, as detailed in the Office’s Year One Progress Report.
    President Biden is signing an Executive Order to accelerate progress on two key priorities: combating emerging firearms threats and improving school-based active shooter drills.
    Combatting Emerging Firearms Threats: In April 2021, one of the Biden-Harris Administration’s first executive actions to reduce gun violence was to address the emerging threat of firearms without serial numbers, often referred to as “ghost guns.” To expand these efforts, ATF established an Emerging Threats Center. This Center focuses ATF’s resources on identifying developments in illicit firearm marketplaces, including the use of new technologies to make and unlawfully distribute undetectable firearms and devices that convert semi-automatic firearms into illegal machineguns.
    Now, President Biden and Vice President Harris are taking additional action on two emerging firearms threats: machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms.
    Machinegun conversion devices enable semi-automatic firearms, including easily concealable handguns, to match or exceed the rate of fire of many military machineguns with a single engagement of the trigger—up to 20 bullets in one second. From 2017 through 2021, ATF recovered 5,454 of these devices, a 570 percent increase over the previous five-year period. Machinegun conversion devices are illegal to possess under federal law, but we continue to see these devices show up at crime scenes because they are small, cheap, and easy to install. Machinegun conversion devices are often illegally imported or illegally made on a 3D printer from computer code found online. The 3D-printing of a machinegun conversion device costs as little as 40 cents and takes fewer than 30 minutes.
    Unserialized, 3D-printed firearms can be used for illegal purposes such as gun trafficking, unlawful possession by people convicted of felonies or subject to domestic violence restraining orders, or unlawfully engaging in the business of manufacturing or selling firearms. These firearms can be 3D-printed from computer code downloaded from the Internet and produced without serial numbers that law enforcement use to trace firearms recovered in criminal investigations. Some 3D-printed firearms can be made to be undetectable by magnetometers used to secure airports, courthouses, and event spaces, even though these undetectable firearms are illegal to make, sell, or possess under federal law. As 3D-printing technology continues to develop rapidly, the safety threat posed by 3D-printed firearms may suddenly increase.
    In this Executive Order, President Biden is establishing an Emerging Firearms Threats Task Force, consisting of leadership from key federal departments and agencies. President Biden is directing the Task Force to issue a report within 90 days that includes: an assessment of the threat posed by machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms; an assessment of federal agencies’ operational and legal capacities to detect, intercept, and seize machinegun conversion devices and unserialized, 3D-printed firearms; and an interagency plan for combatting these emerging threats. The report will include any additional authorities or funding the federal agencies need from Congress in order to complete this work.
    Improving School-Based Active Shooter Drills: The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to preventing gun violence in schools, including by keeping guns out of the hands of potential school shooters and investing more resources in school safety and violence prevention. The majority of schools are currently using drills to prepare for an active shooter situation. Despite the ubiquity of these drills, there is very limited research on how to design and deploy these drills to maximize their effectiveness and limit any collateral harms they might cause. Many parents, students, and educators have expressed concerns about the trauma caused by some approaches to these drills. Federal agencies need to help schools improve drills so they can more effectively prepare for an active shooter situation while also preventing or minimizing any trauma.
    In the Executive Order, President Biden is directing the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Surgeon General, to develop and publish, within 110 days, information for K-12 schools and institutions of higher education regarding school-based active shooter drills. The information will include a summary of: existing research on active shooter drills and resources for school districts and institutions of higher education on how to create, implement, and evaluate evidence-informed active shooter drills; how to conduct effective and age- and developmentally-appropriate drills; how best to communicate with students, families, and educators about these drills; how to prevent students and educators from experiencing trauma or psychological distress associated with these drills; and how best to serve people with disabilities and those with language-related needs, including by ensuring compliance with federal civil rights laws, when designing and implementing school-based active shooter drills.
    In addition to the Executive Order, federal departments and agencies are taking the following actions:
    Promoting Safe Gun Storage and Red Flag Laws
    Encouraging Safe Storage of Firearms: Today, the Department of Education is providing schools, school boards, and policymakers with a new tool to promote safe gun storage in their communities. Following up on its initial safe storage actions, the Department of Education is publishing an interactive website that highlights examples of state, community, and school district actions across the nation that promote safe gun storage within school communities. The website includes a map with state safe storage laws, examples of how schools are communicating with parents about safe storage, and examples of local policies on safe storage education. This new resource builds on guidance the Department published earlier this year to highlight physical safety measures schools can pursue to help keep students safe in the event of gun violence in schools.
    Clarifying Medicaid Reimbursement for Counseling on Firearm Safety: Health systems, hospitals, and healthcare workers are an essential component of a healthy gun violence prevention and intervention system. By the end of October, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will announce that states may choose to use Medicaid to pay a health care provider for counseling parents and caregivers on firearm safety and injury prevention. This announcement will build off the coverage that Medicaid provides for “anticipatory guidance,” which is health education and counseling to help parents and caregivers understand and improve the health and development of their children. For example, Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines include firearm safety guidance, such as safe storage guidance, as recommended anticipatory guidance for pediatricians to provide to parents.
    Implementing State Red Flag Laws: The Department of Justice is announcing over $135 million in formula awards to 48 states under the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (Byrne SCIP), which provides funding for the implementation of extreme risk protection order, or “red flag”, programs, state crisis intervention court proceedings, and related programs/initiatives. The implementation of state red flag laws is supported by the National Extreme Risk Protection Resource Center.
    Funding Community Violence Intervention
    Funding Community Violence Interventions: In furtherance of the Biden-Harris Administration’s strategy to invest in community violence interventions as a proven solution to prevent gun violence, the Department of Justice is announcing an additional $85 million in funding through the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI). This funding will help 30 agencies and organizations develop and expand their community violence intervention work, including hospital-based violence intervention, street outreach, and cognitive behavioral therapy. These strategies are essential complements to law enforcement and this investment is part of the $400 million in total funding that the Biden-Harris Administration has secured for CVIPI. CVIPI is only one part of how the Administration funds community violence interventions. This fact sheet lists the full range of federal resources available to address community violence.
    Clarifying Medicaid Reimbursement for Violence Intervention: CMS previously clarified that states may authorize health care providers to be reimbursed by Medicaid for violence intervention programs. In October, CMS expects to proactively raise this clarification with states. CMS will also explore how best to convene state governments and healthcare providers on incorporating Medicaid benefits into violence prevention programs.
    Improving the Gun Background Check System
    Facilitating Enhanced Background Checks for Individuals Under Age 21: The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) established enhanced background checks for individuals under age 21 trying to purchase a firearm. These enhanced checks have already stopped over 900 transactions, keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals. But a number of states across the country have privacy laws that prevent state officials from fully responding to enhanced background check inquiries. The Biden-Harris Administration’s Safer States Agenda made fixing this issue a top priority for states, and Connecticut, Vermont, Nevada, Texas, and Kentucky have all recently made necessary changes. Today, the Department of Justice is issuing model legislation that additional states may use to inform their own legislation and allow a carve-out to share juvenile records solely for the purpose of enhanced background checks. In addition, the Justice Department is releasing information on whether state laws permit information-sharing with regard to juvenile records for the purposes of enhanced background checks.
    Maximizing the Enhanced Background Check with Red Flag Laws: Part of the enhanced background check requires requesting records from state and local law enforcement and mental health repositories about potential purchasers under 21.  In these and other circumstances, if a person shows clear signs of being in crisis and a danger to themselves or others, they may qualify for consideration under applicable red flag laws which would generally result in that person being ineligible to possess or receive firearms.  By October 22, the Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) National Resource Center will provide training to state and local law enforcement on the ERPO process, including how it intersects with individuals under 21.
    Improving the Federal Gun Background Check System: BSCA’s enhanced background checks for gun purchasers under age 21 and the law’s narrowing of the “boyfriend loophole,” along with the expanding number of states with red flag laws, are placing new challenges on state and local agencies attempting to ascertain what records they need to send to the federal gun background check system. To address these challenges, there needs to be system-wide improvements and a new era of collaboration among various entities engaging with the federal gun background check system. By December 15, the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs will have evaluated the existing grant programs that support improvements to the gun background check system and make any changes needed to support states looking to improve their records systems, which may include lengthening the duration of grants where appropriate. 
    Expanding Data on Gun Violence and Gun Trafficking
    Publishing Additional Data on Ghost Gun Trends and Firearms Trafficking: This winter, ATF will publish the fourth volume of its National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment. This volume will provide an update on ghost gun trends and trafficking investigations, as well as expanded information on machinegun conversion device recoveries.
    Expanding Collection of Gun Violence Data: There is a lack of reliable and timely data on gun deaths and gunshot injuries that show what is happening nationwide and in individual communities. This data is critical to focusing investment and enforcement efforts. Today, the FBI is announcing that it will collect additional detail in its data collection for gunshot injury wounds in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) by June 2025. The FBI will implement a new injury code to reflect a gunshot wound in the NIBRS victim segment. NIBRS will also enable law enforcement agencies to submit additional detail as to how firearms were used in specific crimes, and the nature of the crime at issue.
    Improving Data on Gunshot Injuries: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is improving a data visualization tool to present gun death and injury data faster and at a more local level. Using data from vital statistics and emergency rooms at the local level can help inform prevention strategies and evaluate the effectiveness of programs.
    Supporting Survivors of Gun Violence
    Addressing the Trauma Resulting from Gun Violence: This fall, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will take additional action to support individuals dealing with the trauma that results from gun violence. SAMHSA will release:
    Best practices for local offices of violence prevention to use in addressing trauma resulting from gun violence;A tip sheet for individuals affected by gun violence who may be seeking more information on the behavioral health impacts of gun violence and how to seek help;A report on lessons learned from the federal ReCAST grant program to uplift the voices of communities impacted by violence as well as share strategies other communities can implement to promote healing, recovery, and resiliency; and
    A toolkit for faith-based leaders, educators, and other leaders to help communities affected by the trauma resulting from gun violence.

    Destroying Crime Guns
    Ensuring Appropriate Disposition of Firearms Seized by Law Enforcement: Firearms or firearm parts that were presumed to be destroyed by law enforcement have begun showing up in crimes. Sometimes the guns recovered by law enforcement are sent to a third-party that only partially destroys them. By October 30, the Department of Justice will refresh and clarify best practices for federal law enforcement disposition of seized firearms, including when working in partnership with state and local law enforcement. The Department of Justice will also release a plan to offer new training and education for state and local partners on safe and appropriate firearm disposition.
    Preventing Firearm Suicide
    Facilitating Voluntary Out-of-Home Storage to Prevent Firearm Suicide: Voluntary out-of-home storage of firearms is an effective tactic to saves lives by creating time and space between a person in crisis and a firearm. A number of states, including Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, have developed gun storage maps to show different locations where a gun owner can voluntarily store their firearms. A federally funded program has developed model guidelines, contracts, and standard operating procedures for businesses interested in providing this option. Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs and SAMHSA are using their network of teams committed to preventing Veteran suicide—known as the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and Families—to encourage states to convene federally licensed gun dealers around offering out-of-home storage to our Nation’s heroes and their families.
    Congress must act. While the Biden-Harris Administration’s gun violence prevention actions are saving lives, there is much more to do. President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to call on Congress to enact commonsense gun safety legislation—from a ban on assault weapons and bump stocks to universal background checks to a repeal of gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability—and to enact federal safe storage and red flag laws and fully fund community violence intervention programs and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 09.25.2024 Sen. Cruz Releases Statement on Passage of Continuing Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    Published: 09.25.2024
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released the following statement after voting in favor of a short-term continuing resolution.
    Sen. Cruz said, “Today’s continuing resolution included several much-needed provisions to help ensure our presidential candidates are safe and to help states like Texas recover when disaster strikes. I have called for President Trump to receive greater security from the Secret Service, and this continuing resolution provides additional funding to help address serious problems in the Secret Service. Additionally, this CR replenishes our disaster relief fund to help Texas and other states recover from severe weather.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Neguse, Lankford, Curtis Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Automatically Waive Fees for Replacing Critical Documents after a Natural Disaster

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
    Survivors of natural disasters like the Marshall Fire often have to pay thousands of dollars to replace documents necessary for rebuilding their lives
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, James Lankford, along with Representatives Joe Neguse and John Curtis introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Replacing Essential Passports and Licenses After Certain Emergencies (REPLACE) Act, a bill to automatically waive replacement fees when survivors lose critical documents like passports, citizenship documents, and visas in natural disasters.
    “Wildfire and flood survivors have enough to worry about without also spending thousands to replace essential documents,” said Hickenlooper. “Let’s waive replacement fees so Coloradans can focus on recovery.”
    “Natural disasters are nothing new for Oklahomans. While families focus on rebuilding and helping their neighbors recover, they shouldn’t have to worry about extra replacement fees for documents like passports. This bill will automatically waive those charges for families when disaster strikes,” said Lankford.
    “In the aftermath of the Marshall Fire, our office assisted hundreds of Coloradans in recovering critical documents destroyed by the disaster. Whether a passport or a birth certificate, the fees for replacing all that was lost can quickly become overwhelming – which is why I am once again proud to join Senator Hickenlooper in championing the REPLACE Act, a bill to automatically make certain document replacement after disasters free of charge. Step by step, brick by brick, we’ll continue to work together on the road to recovery,” said Neguse.
    “I’m pleased to reintroduce the REPLACE Act and address the urgent needs of disaster-impacted Americans by ensuring fee waivers for essential documents are automatically granted. When a wildfire destroys a home, the last thing that a family should worry about is paying fees to replace their documents like passports and birth certificates,” said Curtis. “This legislation is particularly crucial for rural Utahns, who will benefit from streamlined access to document replacements in times of need.”
    Victims of major disasters can easily spend tens of thousands of dollars to replace critical documents lost during natural disasters including passports, employment authorizations, green cards, and more.
    Under current law, federal agencies may waive the fees for the replacement of passports, visas, proof of citizenship, and other documents. However, the waiver process is not automatic – survivors may not know to wait for a fee waiver, and often need documentation immediately. Additionally, waivers are not guaranteed and are not always issued.
    The REPLACE Act would amend the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 to require certain critical document fees be automatically waived for individuals and households that are affected by major disasters.
    The REPLACE Act would automatically waive the cost of replacing:
    Passports
    Visa Forms
    Permanent Residence Cards
    Declaration of Intent forms
    Naturalization/Citizenship Documents
    Employment Authorizations
    Biometric service fees                                                                    
    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Introduces Protect Your Points Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    09.26.24
    The new bill would amp up consumer protections by requiring greater transparency from airlines’ frequent flyer programs
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the Protect Your Points Act, legislation that would strengthen consumer protections by requiring greater transparency from airlines’ frequent flyer, points, and loyalty programs.  The Protect Your Points Act will give the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) explicit authority to ensure that airlines do not bait and switch consumers by offering them an enticing rewards program, only to downgrade points or miles value without notice.
    As it stands, airlines have little oversight in how they conduct their frequent flyer programs.  Thousands of frustrated consumers have registered complaints about the airlines on the Better Business Bureau’s website, including instances of their points being devalued, being unable to purchase tickets using their earned points because of airline loopholes, or the airlines delaying or flat-out denying their promised rewards.
    “I understand the practicality of airline rewards programs—I’m a participant myself.  But without adequate oversight, airlines are taking advantage of their customers by offering grandiose rewards, only to change the terms and conditions without consumers’ knowledge,” Durbin said.  “My new legislation, the Protect Your Points Act, would require one thing from the airlines – transparency. To be clear, my bill would not eliminate your airline rewards programs or regulate the value of your points or miles.  My bill only requires the airlines to play fair.  If these programs are as valuable to consumers as the airlines claim they are, the airlines should have no trouble taking these simple steps to make them more transparent.”
    Specifically, the Protect Your Points Act would give DOT and CFPB the authority to:
    Prohibit airlines from including provisions within their frequent flyer programs’ and airline co-branded credit cards’ terms of service that reserve their right to make changes at any time without notice to consumers, and instead require them to provide at least one year’s notice to consumers of any changes to these terms of service, or any actions that would devalue or jeopardize accrued points;
    Require airlines, within 90 days of enactment, to prominently display on every page of their website a disclosure of the financial value of one point/mile, updated in real time, so that consumers may more easily compare the value of points across different airlines;
    Require airlines, within one year of enactment, to display airfare and add-on pricing concurrently in dollar value and points/miles value, without consumers needing to alternate between the two, so consumers can easily compare the worth of their points.  Further, it would allow consumers to pay for airfare and add-on services in any combination of points or dollars; 
    Ban junk fees related to points/miles by ensuring that consumers are allowed to transfer points to family members or other participants in the same program, and prohibit airlines from charging fees to do so;
    Prohibit airlines from limiting the number of points/miles that can be transferred to another traveler’s account and ensure that any points/miles remain of equal value once transferred; and
    Prohibit accrued points/miles from expiring.
    Durbin has repeatedly called out the airline industry for its unfair and deceptive practices in their frequent flyer and loyalty programs.  In May, Durbin urged U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to implement oversight on the airlines.  Last October, Durbin wrote to DOT and CFPB, requesting information from the agencies about actions they are taking to protect consumers from airlines’ deceptive and unfair practices. 
    Text of the bill is available here.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner Celebrates Congressional Passage of Legislation to Combat Alzheimer’s

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON — This week, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease, applauded House passage of two bipartisan bills he introduced that would cement and build on the important progress that has been made to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease. The National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) Reauthorization Act and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (AAIA) now head to the president’s desk to be signed into law.  

    Nearly seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s costs our nation an astonishing $360 billion per year, including $231 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid. If we continue along this trajectory, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s may grow to a projected 12.7 million and approach $1 trillion in annual costs by 2050. Family caregivers provide 18 billion hours of unpaid care for loved ones with dementia annually, valued at nearly $347 billion.

    “I know from firsthand experience what a devastating illness Alzheimer’s disease is, as I watched my mother battle with it for a decade before her passing,” Sen. Warner said. “While we’ve made great strides in research, there is still so much work to be done to find effective ways to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s. On behalf of the millions of American families who have been touched by Alzheimer’s, I’m glad to see these two bills head to the president’s desk to be signed into law.”

    The NAPA Reauthorization Act would:

    • Reauthorize NAPA through 2035 and modernize the legislation to reflect strides that have been made to understand the disease, such as including a new focus on promoting healthy aging and reducing risk factors; and
    • Update language in recognition of the need to include underserved populations, including individuals with Down syndrome, who are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s as they age.

    The Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act would:

    • Continue through 2035 a requirement that the Director of the National Institutes of Health submit an annual budget to Congress estimating the funding necessary to fully implement NAPA’s research goals. Only two other areas of biomedical research – cancer and HIV/AIDS – have been the subject of special budget development aimed at speeding discovery.

    Along with Sen. Warner, both bills were co-authored by Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ed Markey (D-MA).

    The NAPA Reauthorization Act and Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act are endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association and UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. The NAPA Reauthorization Act is also endorsed by the National Down Syndrome Society, the National Down Syndrome Congress, and LuMind IDSC Foundation. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Introduces Bill to Update and Expand Social Security Survivor Benefits, Provide Financial Relief to Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    Legislation would adjust benefits last expanded 70 years ago to account for inflation
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) led Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in introducing the Social Security Survivor Benefits Equity Act, legislation that would adjust benefits for the first time in 70 years to cover costs associated with cremation or burials for surviving family members by increasing the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) lump-sum death benefit to account for inflation. Beginning in 2025, survivor benefits would increase from $255 to $2,900 and subsequently ensures that the benefit is indexed to keep up with inflation.
    “Funeral costs should be the last thing on the minds of grieving families when they lose a loved one. But because benefits designed to help folks afford funeral expenses haven’t kept pace with inflation, the cost of burying a loved one has become top of mind for many mourning families,” said Senator Welch. “This bill will update Social Security death benefits to help alleviate financial burdens for families following the loss of a loved one.” 
    The Social Security Administration provides a lump-sum death benefit to survivors of a beneficiary in the event of their death to help families offset funeral costs. The lump sum payment, which is provided to surviving spouses, dependent children under 18, or children with disabilities, was capped at $255 in 1954. 
    In the 1950s, a full memorial and cremation service cost around $700. In Vermont, the average cost for a funeral with a viewing and cremation is $7,023. Nationwide, the median cost of a funeral with a viewing is $8,300, while the average cost for a funeral with cremation is $6,280.  Despite this increase in cost, the SSA’s lump-sum death benefit has remained stagnant at $255. 
    The Social Security Survivor Benefits Equity Act is endorsed by Social Security Works and the Strengthen Social Security Coalition. 
    “When families lose a loved one, the last thing they should have to worry about is how they will pay for the funeral. Social Security includes a lump-sum death benefit, which should help to cover those costs. However, the value of that benefit has greatly deteriorated over time. The Strengthen Social Security Coalition enthusiastically endorses the Social Security Survivor Benefits Equity Act, which restores this important component of Social Security so that it once again provides peace of mind during life’s most difficult moments,” said Nancy J. Altman, Chair of the Strengthen Social Security Coalition.  
    “Social Security Works is proud to endorse the Social Security Survivor Benefits Equity Act. The American people owe Senator Welch an enormous debt of gratitude for this important expansion bill. Social Security’s lump-sum death benefit has not been increased for almost three-quarters of a century, while funeral costs have gone up substantially. Senator Welch is a true champion of working families and their Social Security, the American people’s pension,” said Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works. 
    Learn more about the Social Security Survivor Benefits Equity Act. 
    Read the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell, Warner Introduce Vital Bill To Support Bourbon Production And Environment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA) announced today the introduction of the White Oak Resilience Act of 2024, which will mobilize greater federal resources and direct research into safeguarding our nation’s White Oak tree population.
    White Oak trees are vital to the environmental ecosystem, as well as several trademark American industries, like bourbon and furniture production. Considered the most important hardwood tree in the eastern United States, White Oak trees provide sustenance and shelter for a host of wildlife species across the country.
    White Oak trees can take up to 25 years to reach full maturity, but a lack of seedlings has created an impending shortage that threatens the future of this species and the billions of dollars in economic impact they generate nationwide. This bipartisan legislation will help reverse the depletion of this iconic tree and address the threat its extinction poses to the American economy.
    “Kentucky bourbon is synonymous with the White Oak tree, used to age our state’s signature spirit in its wooden barrels. As we face an impending White Oak shortage, I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation that will help protect this species and preserve Kentucky’s iconic bourbon industry that bolsters our economy and supports thousands of jobs across the Commonwealth. This is commonsense conservation at its best,” said Senator McConnell. 
    “Virginia is home to one of the highest concentrations of White Oak trees in the country, and they play an indispensable role in our ecology and our economy,” said Senator Warner. “These trees have tremendous utility as both food for many species and material for the forestry industry, but without further action, we could face a severe shortage soon. I’m glad to sponsor bipartisan legislation that will get ahead of that crisis by bolstering a plan to regenerate our White Oak trees, keeping Virginia beautiful and investing in one of the forestry industry’s most valuable species.”
    In a statement from Brown-Forman, the largest American-owned spirits and wines company: “We are pleased to see the introduction of the White Oak Resilience Act to the Senate. Brown-Forman depends on healthy forests to provide the white oak for our bourbon barrels. White Oak barrels are more than just a container, they’re an important ingredient that provides all of the color and more than half the flavor to our whiskeys. We are committed to the conservation of the existing hardwood forests we rely on and have undertaken several initiatives to support sustainable forestry practices. We are appreciative of the leadership from Senators McConnell and Warner, supporting this key legislation will provide critical resources for white oak restoration.”
    “Sazerac commends Senators McConnell and Warner for introducing the Senate companion to HR 5582, the White Oak Resilience Act. Although Sazerac has locations in numerous states, we have distilleries in both Kentucky and Virginia (Buffalo Trace and 1792 in Kentucky; A. Smith Bowman in Virginia) making it particularly significant that these two senators have come together to recognize the importance of this species. The spirits industry has found the ideal wood in White Oak for our barrels and has endeavored to regenerate it for years to come,” said Elizabeth Wise, Chief Global Government and Public Affairs for Sazerac.
    “On behalf of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, the worldwide voice of Bourbon, we applaud Leader McConnell and Senator Warner for their leadership in introducing the White Oak Resilience Act,” said Kentucky Distillers’ Association President Eric Gregory. “White Oak is instrumental to our signature industry as the new charred oak barrel is where the magic happens, transforming young whiskey into the mellow, amber nectar that is Kentucky Bourbon. The KDA and its 68-member companies have an enduring commitment to the sustainable and conscientious use of our natural resources that our legendary distilleries depend on to make the world’s greatest whiskey. The White Oak Resilience Act will help ensure the future of this important species for our communities, our homegrown Bourbon industry, and generations to come.”
    “On behalf of the University of Kentucky, I want to extend our sincere thanks to Leader McConnell and Senator Warner for introducing the White Oak Resilience Act that addresses White Oak sustainability, which is crucial to Kentucky’s signature bourbon industry. The research this measure directs will allow us to leverage our scientific expertise, particularly in genetics and genomics, to support the health and resilience of White Oak tree populations. As a land-grant institution committed to the Commonwealth’s economic development, we are well-positioned to translate our findings into practical applications for the bourbon industry,” said University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto.
    “White Oak is a keystone species that supports over 500 types of wildlife while also bolstering rural economies and providing wood products to cities and towns across America,” said Jason Meyer, Executive Director of the White Oak Initiative. “We’d like to thank Senators Warner and McConnell for their leadership in bringing this bill forward and working together to ensure a long, sustainable future for this critical American resource.”
    “Virginia’s upland oak forests are on the decline and are incredibly important for wildlife and sustainable forestry,” said Virginia State Forester Robert W. Farrell. “The White Oak Resilience Act will help Virginia’s forest landowners care for their hardwood forests and ensure White Oak is on the Virginia landscape for generations to come.”
    Earlier this year, Senators McConnell and Warner supported Senate passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 and the President signed it into law. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator McConnell secured measures to help preserve the nation’s natural beauty, including language instructing the U.S. Forest Service to work on White Oak restoration, used for barrels that only bourbon can be aged in.
    U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Statement for the Congressional Record in Support of Guatemala’s Democracy

    US Senate News:

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

    Statement for the Congressional Recordin Support of Guatemala’s DemocracySenator Peter Welch (D-Vt.)September 25, 2024
    Madam President, last December I joined Senators Tim Kaine, Dick Durbin, Jeff Merkley, and Laphonza Butler, and Representatives Norma J. Torres and Delia C. Ramirez, on a trip to Guatemala. We arrived just weeks before the scheduled inauguration of President Bernardo Arévalo, who had been elected by an overwhelming majority. The Guatemalan people had voted decisively to reject the corruption, impunity, and malfeasance that had been the hallmark of successive governments in that country.
    We went to Guatemala to speak directly to Mr. Arévalo’s supporters, as well as to the powerful forces in Guatemala, including the Attorney General, opposition members of Congress, magistrates, and those who were corruptly conspiring to prevent President Arévalo from taking office. Our purpose was to make clear that if their efforts to subvert the will of the people succeeded, it would have profoundly negative long-term consequences for U.S. relations— both economic and security—for whoever illegally seized power. It would propel the country down a path of authoritarianism and economic decline much like Nicaragua, leading to further social division, political instability, and isolation
    Their efforts to overturn the election and undermine the people were flagrant; the Attorney General went so far as to attempt to nullify the fair election of then President-elect Arévalo shortly after we met with officials of the outgoing administration to urge a peaceful transfer of power.
    Ultimately, the efforts to prevent President Arévalo from taking office failed. But his detractors were far from defeated. They immediately set their sights on preventing President Arévalo from carrying out his anti-corruption agenda and forcing him from office. Those efforts continue today.
    I mention this because I recently met with a delegation of Guatemalan Indigenous women, led by Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú.  Although their numbers are woefully under-represented in the three branches of government, I have never met more determined and courageous women.  Women who have experienced extreme poverty, violence, and loss, yet who have become leaders in their communities and fiercely dedicated to preserving their Indigenous identity, improving the lives of their families, and defending Guatemala’s fragile democracy. 
    The United States strongly supports President Arévalo, who offers the best chance Guatemala has had in decades to chart a new path for his country—a path grounded in the rule of law, in the institutions of democracy, in transparency, in accountability. And despite the efforts of the corrupt networks whose only interest is in using the institutions of power and privilege to enrich themselves, I am hopeful because President Arévalo has the support of Guatemala’s Indigenous population, exemplified by the fearless women I met this week.
    They are not going to let what they won freely and fairly at the ballot box be stolen from them.  They are not going to allow a minority of crooked elites deny them and their children the chance for a better life. They have an ambitious social, economic, and political reform agenda. They are committed to working to strengthen education, economic opportunity, equality, democracy, and justice. It is in the interest of the Arévalo Administration, and the United States, to help them achieve these goals for the benefit of all Guatemalans.
    View and the download the statement here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Wicker and Hyde-Smith Honor James Earl Jones

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    Last night, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution that honors the late actor James Earl Jones, who passed away in early September. U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., led the effort.
    “Mississippi has lost a beloved son, and the world has lost an extraordinary talent. From Arkabutla to immortality, James Earl Jones, R.I.P. We’ll remember your voice and your heart,” Senator Wicker said.
    “From the Mississippi Delta to the world stage, James Earl Jones’s extraordinary voice and commanding presence inspired generations.  His contributions to the arts, culture, and humanities will undoubtedly stand the test of time. May his legacy always remind us of the strength, resilience, and power that comes from our Mississippi roots,” Senator Hyde-Smith said.
    U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., also cosponsored the resolution.
    Jones was born in Arkabutla, Mississippi and was widely known for his roles in The Lion King, Star Wars, Field of Dreams, and more.
    See the full text of the resolution here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Maryland Delegation Announces More Than $10 million for Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration, Preservation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maryland Ben Cardin

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, David Trone and Glenn Ivey (all D-Md.) today announced $10,698,764 in National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funding for 11 Maryland projects to protect and restore water quality, species and habitats in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
    “Maryland’s ecological and economic identity revolves around the health and preservation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Bay watershed puts food on our tables, supports the livelihood of thousands of people across the region and provides critical habitat for a variety of wildlife species,” said the lawmakers. “In order to maintain this legacy, Team Maryland continues to fight for and secure investments to restore our environment and protect public health. Through these projects and the work of our local partners, we’re working to ensure that generations to come can continue to rely on our beloved Bay.”
    The following agencies and organizations received awards:
    $2,839,348, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy: To engage Talbot County landowners, the Coastal Conservation Association and high school volunteers to install 280 oyster reef balls and restore 2,700 linear feet of living shoreline, as well as nearly two acres of low-marsh habitat.
    $1,481,650, Blue Water Baltimore, Inc.: To mitigate stormwater runoff and pollution in Baltimore’s urban watershed by building rain gardens and permeable pavements at more than a dozen sites across the City.
    $1,274,392, Prince George’s County Government: To restore more than 1,000 linear feet of a degraded, unhealthy tributary to Lower Beaverdam Creek.
    $1,225,069, Future Harvest, Inc.: To advance the adoption of soil health and climate-smart farm management systems by engaging underserved agricultural producers to improve water quality and habitat restoration in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
    $1,081,656, Stewardship Network: To accelerate the installation and maintenance of nature-based green infrastructure solutions across Central Maryland by growing the nascent Climate Crew Network.
    $997,500, The Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County: To mitigate flooding and improve water quality in the historic community of Columbia Beach, Maryland.
    $542,994, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science: To improve the delivery of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Report Card and increase its relevance to watershed citizens by integrating socially relevant indicators and community perspectives on watershed ecosystem health.
    $420,247, Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts, Inc.: To increase the adoption of conservation practices through a refreshed farm certification program.
    $330,000, Chesapeake Stormwater Network, Inc.: To deliver core stormwater training programs to the stormwater management community across the Chesapeake Bay watershed and expand efforts to focus on younger and more diverse audiences of existing and emerging stormwater professionals.
    $265,877, Nature Forward, Inc.: To collaborate with four local community organizations to improve water quality and restore pollinator habitat in underserved areas of the Anacostia River watershed.
    240,028, Civic Works, Inc.: To engage community residents and young AmeriCorps adults in training and installation of stormwater best management practices in East Baltimore.
    The awards were made available through the Chesapeake Small Watershed Grants Program, which the lawmakers fought to provide funding for within Fiscal Year 2024 annual appropriations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn, Cruz, Tillis, 11 GOP Colleagues Introduce Bill to Stop Biden-Harris Amnesty Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Budd (R-NC), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Steve Daines (R-MT), Katie Britt (R-AL), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), James Lankford (R-OK), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced their Visa Integrity Preservation Act, which would close a loophole in current law that the Biden-Harris administration took advantage of in a June 2024 executive action to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants who entered the United States without inspection or overstayed a visa:
    “For almost four years, the Biden-Harris administration has waived their magic amnesty wand to create unlawful programs that allow any and every person to enter and stay in the U.S. – legally or not,” said Sen. Cornyn. “By strengthening the laws already on the books, our legislation would root out this massive pull factor while also preserving the integrity of our employment-based nonimmigrant visa program, and I’m grateful to my colleagues for their support.”
    “The Biden-Harris administration has failed to secure our southern border and politically exploits the crisis they’ve created,” said Sen. Cruz. “What they call their ‘keep families together’ agenda is being used as a loophole to allow illegal immigrants to bypass our legal immigration process, granting amnesty to 500,000 illegal aliens. We must send a clear message that the United States will not tolerate any manipulation of our immigration laws. That is why I am proud to join Senator Cornyn and my Republican colleagues to stop this exploitation of our immigration system.”
    “The Biden-Harris Administration once again has shown their disregard for Congress and the law by issuing this policy,” said Sen. Tillis. “I am proud to co-sponsor Senator Cornyn’s legislation to close this Biden-Harris backdoor amnesty and prevent this Administration from abusing our immigration laws.”
    “The Biden-Harris Administration’s failed inaction at the border has allowed for too many loopholes threatening our national security and giving leeway to those who enter our country illegally,” said Sen. Crapo. “It is imperative we close this loophole as Congress moves forward with addressing an issue ignored by the Administration for far too long.”
    “Joe Biden and ‘Border Czar’ Kamala Harris have failed to secure the southern border, and Montanans are bearing the burden,” said Sen. Daines. “The ‘Visa Integrity Preservation Act’ will stop the abuse of nonimmigrant visa programs and is a step in the right direction towards holding the Biden administration accountable.”
    “Our wide-open southern border is a national security crisis enabled by the Biden Administration’s weak policies,” said Sen. Lankford. “Biden’s executive actions are granting amnesty to illegal immigrants who have broken the law. Instead of enabling illegal immigration, this bill will end this amnesty and ensure those who cross the border or overstay their visa face penalties for breaking the law.”
    “Horrible policies yield horrible results,” said Sen. Tuberville. “The Biden/Harris administration has shown time and time again that they have no respect for the rule of law. By turning U.S. law on its head to protect illegal aliens over U.S. citizens, the Biden administration is creating perverse incentives – causing the influx of people flooding into this country to get even worse. If Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won’t do their job and secure the border, hopefully the Senate will.”   
    “Since day one in office, the Biden-Harris administration has made it crystal clear that they support an open border and providing mass amnesty to illegal immigrants through unlawful catch-and-release programs,” said Sen. Blackburn. “Our Visa Integrity Preservation Act would stop the Biden-Harris administration from devaluing U.S. citizenship and making illegal immigration legal.” 
    Background:
    Current U.S. immigration laws do not allow illegal immigrants who overstay their visas to reenter the United States for up to 10 years if they leave, and those who illegally enter the U.S. are not allowed to reenter at all. The law also requires that temporary visa applicants interview abroad at a U.S. consulate before they can receive their visas, so illegal immigrants are not eligible to regularize their status using the temporary visa programs.  The law does allow the U.S. Secretary of State to waive the consular interview requirement, but only on a case-by-case basis where in the national interest of the United States or in emergency situations.
    In June 2024, the Biden-Harris administration announced a new initiative to grant amnesty to over half a million illegal immigrants, including spouses of American citizens. As part of that initiative, President Biden and Vice President Harris waived the consular interview requirement for nonimmigrant visas, enabling immigrants who have illegally entered the U.S. or overstayed a visa to obtain temporary work visas. The Biden-Harris administration’s waiving of this policy encroaches on Congress’s authority and threatens to transform nonimmigrant visa programs into a tool to provide amnesty to illegal immigrants.
    The Visa Integrity Preservation Act would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify that immigrants who have entered the U.S. illegally or overstayed a visa for more than 180 days are not eligible for a waiver of the in-person consular interview requirement and would instead be required under all circumstances to depart the U.S. for an interview before they could receive a nonimmigrant visa. Under existing law, they are barred from reentering the U.S. upon presenting for inspection at a Port of Entry.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham Earns “A+” Rating for Unwavering Support for the Second Amendment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today received an “A+” rating from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). Graham was one of only eight senators named to NSSF’s inaugural Congressional Dean’s List, which recognizes members of Congress who have gone above and beyond to protect and preserve the Second Amendment in the 118th Congress.
    “I am honored to be recognized by NSSF today. It is now more important than ever that we stand up for our right to bear arms, promote responsible gun ownership, and protect America’s licensed gun dealers. I will always fight to preserve the Second Amendment,” said Senator Graham.
    “The 2024 NSSF Congressional Report Card is a comprehensive analysis of our elected representatives’ positions on firearm and ammunition industry priorities in the 118th Congress. The Report Card’s grades are based on key votes, co-sponsorships, committee activity, floor speeches, and other official actions by Senators and Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Members of our industry are grateful to have so many strong allies in the Halls of Congress,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President for Government & Public Affairs and General Counsel. “NSSF is proud to especially recognize Senator Graham as a member of the new NSSF Congressional Dean’s List for his exemplary leadership in supporting the firearm and ammunition industry and the nearly 400,000 hardworking Americans employed in the industry. Making the Dean’s List is special recognition that Senator Graham has gone above and beyond to protect and preserve the Second Amendment rights of his constituents and the industry that makes the exercise of those rights possible. We applaud Senator Graham for his exemplary level of support.”
    Senator Graham is the lead sponsor of the Respect for the Second Amendment Act, which seeks to make permanent Second Amendment rights afforded to law abiding Americans, and prevent a future Supreme Court from going back on this decision. Graham also led the introduction of legislation to combat “smash and grab” thefts of federally licensed gun dealers, known as the Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) Protection Act of 2023.
    Additional information on NSSF’s rating is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Heinrich, Luján Introduce Sarah Davenport for Consideration to Serve on U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    WASHINGTON – Yesterday, before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced Sarah Davenport for consideration to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. Heinrich and Luján strongly recommended Davenport to the Biden Administration and welcomed the announcement of her nomination in August. 

    VIDEO: Heinrich, Luján Introduce Sarah Davenport for Consideration to Serve on U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, September 25, 2024.
    Sarah Morgan Davenport has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico in Las Cruces, New Mexico, since 2009. In that capacity, her practice has focused on prosecuting complex, multi-defendant criminal cases. From 2008 to 2009, Ms. Davenport served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico in Las Cruces. And from 2006 to 2008, she served as an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Law Clerk with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico in Albuquerque. She received her J.D. from the University of New Mexico in 2006 and her B.M. from the New Mexico State University in 1998.  
    In June, Heinrich and Luján commended the Honorable William Paul Johnson, who announced his intention to retire from regular active service as a United States District Court Judge effective in January 2025, after 23 years of distinguished service on the federal bench. The soon-to-be vacant seat on the District Court for the District of New Mexico, which Davenport has been nominated to fill, will be based in Las Cruces, N.M.  
    During the Biden Administration, Heinrich and Luján have worked together to confirm three of the currently sitting federal judges: District Judges Margaret Strickland, David Herrera Urias, and Matthew Garcia.   Earlier this year, the senators also successfully secured the confirmation of David O. Barnett, Jr. for U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico. In 2022, the senators highly recommended and welcomed the confirmation of Alexander M.M. Uballez as the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bennet, Hickenlooper Introduce Public Lands Legislation to Protect Gunnison Basin and Surrounding Regions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado Michael Bennet
    Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper introduced the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection (GORP) Act to permanently protect key portions of the Gunnison Basin and the surrounding regions through a variety of public land management tools, including special designations focused on recreation, wildlife, scientific research, and conservation. 
    The bill is based on over a decade of collaboration with local governments, Tribes, and public lands user groups. It has the bipartisan support of six counties in Western Colorado, as well as the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and local municipalities. A wide variety of local businesses and public lands user groups, including summer and winter motorized recreation, conservation, mountain biking, whitewater recreation, rock climbers, ranchers, water users, and hunters and anglers, also support the bill. 
    “For over a decade, Coloradans have come together at trailheads and kitchen tables to share their love for the spectacular landscape in and around Gunnison County,” said Bennet. “This bill proves that people with wide-ranging interests can forge compromise and develop a common vision to protect our public lands for future generations.”
    “Adventurers across Colorado and the country come to the Gunnison Basin for its rugged canyons and untamed wilderness,” said Hickenlooper. “Protecting these additional 730,000 acres will help keep it that way for generations.”
    “Land is very important to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and throughout history we have lost a lot of land that has been taken from the tribe unjustly,” said Manuel Heart, Chairman Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. “To get land back for the tribe by putting it into Trust status as this legislation does, is important to the tribe’s children and grandchildren. The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe appreciates Senator Bennet’s work on the GORP Act, supports the legislation and hopes it will move forward quickly in the US Senate.” 
    “Colorado’s great outdoors are known around the world and this bill marks a valuable step in the need to protect the incredible Gunnison Basin for future generations of Coloradans and visitors,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis. “I appreciate Senator Bennet’s leadership on this issue and look forward to seeing this bill move forward.”
    “As a former resident of the Gunnison Valley and Western Colorado University graduate, I am intimately aware of the importance public lands, wildlife and outdoor recreation are to local communities’ economy and environment,” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources. “Our forests, water, wildlife and open spaces are some of our most precious natural resources and outdoor recreation drives visitors and residents to our state to enjoy our diverse opportunities. I commend the work of Senator Bennet and the many diverse stakeholders on developing the locally driven Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act. Introduction is a great first step and I look forward to working alongside all interested parties as this legislation makes its way through the U.S. Congress.”
    “The GORP Act reflects the way we do business in Gunnison County: we sit down with our neighbors to find common-ground solutions and a way forward to best serve our community. Public lands are our backyard here and I’m proud of the work we’ve done to bring so many stakeholders – snowmobilers, ranchers, mountain bikers, and conservationists to name a few – together,” said Jonathan Houck, Gunnison County Commissioner. “While GORP started in Gunnison County, I couldn’t be happier to stand with five neighboring Western Slope counties in support of this legislation, and I thank Senator Bennet for listening to our communities.”
    “Delta County is glad to have worked with Senator Bennet on the GORP Act,” said the Delta County Commissioners. “Its provisions for Delta County will provide public access to a boat ramp, ensure that the BLM can continue to permit existing motorized boat use, and bring forward a thoughtful balance of uses on public lands in the North Fork Valley. This legislation shows what’s possible when we roll up our sleeves and work together.”
    “The Saguache County Board of Commissioners are pleased to support the introduction of Senator Bennet’s Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act (GORP), and eagerly anticipate the passing of this legislation,” said the Saguache County Commissioners. “We appreciate the multi years the many stakeholders have committed to this project.”
    “Pitkin County Is a strong supporter of public lands, and we believe in designating new Wilderness areas in sensitive landscapes, where appropriate,” said Greg Poschman, Chairman, Pitkin County Board of Commissioners. “We are incredibly grateful to Senator Bennet for his work on the GORP Act, and we look forward to celebrating the two proposed Wilderness designations in Colorado’s wild and pristine high country.”
    “Hinsdale County was proud to have collaborated with Senator Bennet, Gunnison County and Ouray County on the GORP Act,” said Kristie Borchers, Chair, Hinsdale County Board of County Commissioners. “We are excited that a key portion of the scenic Cimarron area where Hinsdale, Ouray and Gunnison County come together will be protected by this legislation. This bill will help protect our watersheds and the landscapes that attract the visitors who help drive our mountain town economies in the San Juan Mountains. We look forward to seeing the GORP Act move forward in Congress.”
    “The GORP Act sets the bar for collaborative and beneficial legislation,” said Lynn Padgett, Vice-Chair, Ouray County Board of County Commissioners. “I am forever grateful to Senator Bennet and his team and stakeholders like Gunnison, Hinsdale, and Ouray Counties for enthusiastically working together to include the proposed Uncompahgre Wilderness expansion and especially for protecting Turret Ridge. The peaks of the Cimarron range are unique in their scenery and geology. The GORP Act not only protects important migration areas for elk and key habitats for lynx and moose. The GORP Act protects our precious wildlands, vital to our local economy and quality of life.”
    “Our groups have worked for nearly a decade to craft a vision for public lands in and around Gunnison County that will benefit our economy, environment, and quality of life into the future,” said members of the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative in a joint statement. “The GORP Act reflects the countless hours we spent working together and with communities around the Gunnison Basin. We are eager to see this thoughtful and well-vetted legislation signed into law.”
    Background
    The GORP Act will protect over 730,000 acres of public lands in Western Colorado, safeguarding the region’s local economy, world-class recreation, ranching heritage, wildlife habitat, and clean air and water. The bill also includes provisions for recreational boating in Delta County and at the request of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, transfers the Pinecrest Ranch from fee ownership to trust ownership. 
    Senator Bennet drafted the GORP Act at the request of Gunnison County and based on a proposal from the Gunnison Public Lands Initiative. The bill also reflects the input from surrounding counties and feedback Senator Bennet received during a public comment period held in 2022. 
    The text of the bill is available HERE. Maps of the areas designated by the bill are HERE. A summary of the bill is HERE. You can find additional information, including support letters and answers to frequently asked questions on the GORP Act website HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lee Targets Privacy Loophole with Student Voter Data Protection Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee
     
    WASHINGTON – Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Student Voter Data Protection Act, a bill to safeguard the personal data of college students from being exploited for partisan voter registration efforts. This legislation amends the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to explicitly prohibit students’ private information from being shared without their consent for voter registration drives. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) is an original co-sponsor of the bill.
    In recent years, colleges and universities nationwide have participated in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), which compels institutions to hand over students’ FERPA-protected data. This data is then passed through the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) and shared with third-party voter processing companies. Without student consent, these companies match student information with voter databases, returning lists of voters and non-voters to participating schools.
    “College students’ personal data should not be handed over to partisan organizations under the guise of civic engagement,” said Senator Lee. “These practices violate federal privacy laws, and my bill will close the loopholes that allow institutions to disregard the consent of their students.”
    The Student Voter Data Protection Act would amend FERPA to ensure that universities cannot share students’ personally identifiable information for voter registration activities unless the student gives explicit consent. The legislation responds to ongoing concerns that organizations like Civic Nation, an affiliate of the Obama Foundation, are using this data to target student voters with left-leaning get-out-the-vote efforts.
    Key Provisions of the Bill:
    Amends FERPA to explicitly prevent universities from sharing student data without consent for voter registration purposes.
    Ensures that voter registration efforts do not exploit students’ private information for partisan gain.
    Protects college students from being targeted based on their voting history or registration status.
    The introduction of the Student Voter Data Protection Act follows concerns that the NSLVE initiative has been used to create a voter profile of students, often without their knowledge or consent, to fuel politically motivated campaigns. By tightening FERPA protections, the Student Voter Data Protection Act seeks to preserve the integrity of student privacy and ensure that educational institutions adhere to federal privacy laws.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Collins Release GAO Report Revealing Federal Government is Ill-Equipped to Handle Cost of Climate Change

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    09.26.24
    Cantwell, Collins Release GAO Report Revealing Federal Government is Ill-Equipped to Handle Cost of Climate Change
    Conservative estimates find climate impacts will cost federal government many trillions of dollars
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a new report requested by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, on the economic impacts of climate change to the federal government.
    The report, titled Climate Resilience: Congressional Action Needed to Enhance Climate Economics Information and to Limit Federal Fiscal Exposure, warns that “Available estimates indicate significant projected costs to the economy and the federal government as a result of climate change,” and that “the federal government is currently not well-organized to manage this reality.”
    “This bipartisan request to GAO to ask how much taxpayers are at risk has revealed we have big exposure.  We already know we are being buffeted by more frequent wildfires, shrinking snowpacks, coastal erosion, and harmful ocean acidification. This report makes clear that Congress should act to limit the U.S. government’s alarming fiscal exposure due to the intensifying impacts of climate change,” Sen. Cantwell said.
    “In Maine, our economy is inextricably linked to the environment. From rising sea levels to warming waters to damaging storms, the impacts of climate change are already threatening our working waterfronts and coastal communities,” said Sen. Collins. “This nonpartisan GAO report Senator Cantwell and I requested contains astonishing numbers about the cost of climate-related weather events to the federal government. These findings support the need for a coordinated plan by the federal government to increase climate resiliency efforts and improve reporting of climate-related financial risks.”
    After reviewing agency documents, conducting literature reviews, and interviewing government experts, the GAO discovered that federal agencies currently have little capacity to analyze or report climate-related risks, making it difficult to evaluate potential climate resilience actions or investments the U.S. government could take to lessen future damages and ultimately save taxpayers money.
    GAO’s work on costs to the federal government follows eye-opening analysis last November in the Fifth National Climate Assessment that found the cost of climate damages to the entire U.S. economy from extreme weather events is already $1.5 trillion per decade. This number is a conservative estimate that does not account for loss of life, health care-related costs, or damages to ecosystem services noted the authors, which include federal science agencies whose assessment was reviewed by external experts and required by statute.
    GAO’s report identified six key sectors of great financial risk to the federal government due to the projected impacts of climate change: crop insurance, coastal disaster relief, health care expenditures, wildland fire suppression, flood insurance, and sea level rise. By synthesizing scientific and economic analysis across different government and private-sector sources, GAO reported that changes in the first four sectors would cost the federal government an estimated $18 billion annually by midcentury and nearly $69 billion annually by late century. Payouts for flood insurance are estimated to increase by nearly $4 billion per year by 2050, and hurricanes alone are projected to reduce America’s balance sheet by $36 billion per year by 2050 in a high emissions future.

    Additionally, there are more than 160,000 federal buildings in a current 500-year flood plain valued at over $490 billion that are at ever increasing risk of flooding due to climate change, while damages to federal facilities due to sea level rise may be even worse. GAO noted that these sectors are not comprehensive and climate change has many other significant impacts, including falling tax revenues due to decreased real estate values, household income, and business revenues.

    This report builds on an October 2017 GAO report requested by Senators Cantwell and Collins on the costs of climate change to the federal government.
    The full 2024 GAO report can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bennet, Caraveo, Bipartisan Colleagues Introduce Resolution to Recognize Hispanic Restaurant Owners

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Colorado Michael Bennet
    Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and U.S. Representative Yadira Caraveo joined bipartisan Senate and House colleagues to introduce a resolution celebrating  Hispanic Restaurant Week. From September 22nd through October 3rd, the designation recognizes the hard work and contributions of Hispanic restaurant owners and employees in Colorado and across the country. 
    “Through their rich culinary traditions and hard work, Hispanic restaurant workers and owners contribute significantly to our communities and economy,” said Bennet. “Hispanic Restaurant Week celebrates the profound influence of Colorado and the nation’s Hispanic community on our national palette, and I’m grateful to stand with Rep. Yadira Caraveo to honor them with this resolution.” 
    “The Hispanic community enriches the culture, heritage and history of Colorado. The many Hispanic-owned restaurants in our community are a result of their hard work and conviction to build a better future for themselves and their families. Today, we are presenting a Hispanic Restaurant Week Resolution with the support of both parties and both chambers. This is a special occasion to celebrate the many contributions these restaurants —and the hardworking families who run them— bring to our communities.” said Caraveo.
    In addition to Bennet and Caraveo, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and U.S. Representatives Nanette Barragan (D-Calif.), Maria Salazar (R-Fla.), and Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) also cosponsored the resolution.
    This resolution is endorsed by the Hispanic Restaurant Association.
    The text of the resolution is available HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chair Murray Speaks in Support of Short-term CR, Urges Serious Bipartisan Negotiations of Full-year Funding Bills

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICMYI: Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Energy and Water, Defense, LHHS, and Financial Services Appropriations Bills

    ICYMI: Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Commerce-Justice-Science, Interior-Environment, State and Foreign Operations, and Transportation-HUD Appropriations Bills

    ICYMI: Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Subcommittee Allocations, Legislative Branch, Ag-FDA, and Military Construction-VA Bills

    ***WATCH: VIDEO of Senator Murray’s Floor Speech***

    Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor ahead of consideration of the continuing resolution, urging her colleagues to engage in serious bipartisan and bicameral negotiations to pass full-year funding bills before the end of the year.

    Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are below:

    “Thank you, M. President. I am very pleased we have a straightforward, bipartisan compromise to fund the government, and avoid a pointless, devastating shutdown. I hope every single one of my colleagues will join us in voting to pass this bill.

    “But, M. President, our work does not end here. My hope is that now we can get going in earnest on hammering out bipartisan, full year funding bills—including providing long-overdue disaster assistance. It’s time for Democrats and Republicans to negotiate those bills together—instead of House Republicans just following the loudest voices on the far right.

    “Because M. President, it is getting a little exhausting to watch some House Republicans push again and again for the most extreme, partisan cuts and policies—stuff that is not realistic at all—before learning the same lessons the hard way—yet again.

    “You cannot strike a deal to govern with people who do not really want to govern. You can’t avoid a shutdown trying to placate the people who want a shutdown.

    “But—here’s the important thing—you do not have to waste time trying. If you are serious about governing—you do not have to let a few extreme House Republicans set the agenda, or let Donald Trump call the shots.

    “There is a better way. And I know, because it is the path that we’ve been following here in the Senate. Vice Chair Collins and I passed 11 funding bills out of Committee with overwhelming bipartisan support.

    “We negotiated strong bills, that could actually be signed into law, and would make a real difference for folks back at home. We did it by listening to each other, listening to folks back home, rejecting partisan policies, and focusing on how we set our nation and families up for success.

    “That is the same approach I hope we can now take, now that this CR gives us the time we need to negotiate bipartisan, bicameral, full year bills.

    “M. President, I know that compromise takes time and hard work—I have hammered out many tough deals in my time here. But I think we have proven this Congress, many times over, that the path of bipartisanship is far easier—and far more productive—than the dead end MAGA extremism House Republicans keep making their very first priority.

    “So let’s all vote to pass this CR. And then let’s get right to work, in a serious, bipartisan way on full year funding bills, and on meeting the long overdue disaster relief needs of so many of our states and our communities. Thank you.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Continues Push for All-Hands-On-Deck Effort to Increase Affordable Housing and Address Crisis In Washington State

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington state faces a shortage of nearly 172,000 affordable homes

    Murray has made increasing federal funding to boost housing supply a top priority as Senate Appropriations Chair

    Murray: “The housing crisis is hitting everyone, I hear about this from folks back in Washington state all of the time. We’ve got a long way to go, and a lot of people to help, but to me—the bottom line is more affordable housing.”

    ***WATCH: SENATOR MURRAY’S QUESTIONING HERE***

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, spoke at a Budget Committee hearing focused on steps to increase the supply of affordable housing and address the housing crisis. Senator Murray spoke about the work she has done to bring more affordable housing to Washington state, and emphasized that she is continuing to push additional progress—including through her role as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

    “The housing crisis is hitting everyone, I hear about this from folks back in Washington state all of the time. We’ve got a long way to go, and a lot of people to help, but to me—the bottom line is more affordable housing,” said Senator Murray. “So I really believe this is an all-hands-on-deck crisis that requires every level of government to step up to do their part.”

    “On the Senate Appropriations Committee, I was really proud to help create the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing program—or the Yes-In-My-Back Yard program as we originally referred to it—to help identify and remove barriers to producing and preserving affordable housing,” continued Senator Murray. “And we were able to provide $100 million for that program in Fiscal Year 2024—even under the very difficult Fiscal Responsibility Act caps. That is in addition to other important investments the federal government is making to boost supply—the HOME program, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. But clearly, the current levels of investment are not sufficient—and not moving quickly enough—to meet, really, the urgency of this crisis.

    During her questioning, Senator Murray discussed her long history working to help families get affordable housing, which includes steps like helping create the Pathways to Removing Obstacles program (also known as the “Yes-In-My-Back Yard” grant program), funding the HOME Investment Partnerships program, supporting the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and bringing Congressionally Directed Spending back to Washington state for affordable housing efforts. As Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray fought hard against Republican efforts to cut housing investments, and ultimately succeeded in protecting affordable housing programs in Fiscal Year 2024, even securing $100 million for the “Yes-In-My-Back Yard” grant program, a $15 million increase over the year prior.

    In the Fiscal Year 2025 housing funding bill Murray passed out of committee this summer, she protected the existing funding level for the “Yes-In-My-Back Yard” grant program and secured a $175 million increase for the HOME Investment Partnerships program to help construct more than 8,400 new affordable homebuyer and rental units—Murray is currently working to pass this bill into law.

    Washington state is facing a housing crisis due to the shortage of affordable housing. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Washington state has a shortage of nearly 172,000 affordable homes, meaning for every 10 extremely low-income Washington state families, there are only about 3 affordable homes.

    In her questions to the witnesses, Senator Murray asked about the most effective steps the federal government can take to support increasing the affordable housing supply, what some of the biggest challenges have been over the last ten years, and how progress made in Democrats’ American Rescue Plan contrasts with Republican proposal for a second Trump Administration, like the drastic housing cuts proposed in Project 2025.

    The full transcript of Senator Murray’s questioning is below:

    MURRAY: The housing crisis is hitting everyone. I’m from Washington state, I hear about it all the time. We’ve got a long way to go, a lot of people to help. But to me—the bottom line is more affordable housing.

    In Washington state we face a shortage of almost 172,000 affordable homes, meaning that for every 10 extremely low-income Washington state families, there’s only 3 affordable homes. So I really believe that this is an all-hands-on-deck crisis that requires every level of government to step up and do their part.

    On the Senate Appropriations Committee, I was really proud to help create the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing program—or the Yes-In-My-Back Yard program as we originally referred to it—to help identify and remove barriers to producing and preserving affordable housing. And we were able to provide $100 million for that program in Fiscal Year 2024—even under the very difficult Fiscal Responsibility Act caps.

    That is in addition to other important investments the federal government is making to boost supply—the HOME program, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. But clearly, the current levels of investment are not sufficient—and not moving quickly enough—to meet, really, the urgency of this crisis.

    So Mr. Williams—let me start with you—what have been some of the most effective federal interventions to address our housing shortage?

    WILLIAMS: Thank you, Senator. I think the best way to measure our most effective programs is by looking at the number of units of supply that they’ve brought online. So I think in recent decades, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program is responsible for the most production of new supply of affordable housing. In the very recent past, I’m also very optimistic about the Pathways to Removing Obstacles program, as it’s kind of addressing the issue from a different angle which is encouraging municipalities to remove some of the zoning and permitting obstacles that prevent new housing supply, affordable and market rate housing, from being able to come online. I understand that, I believe Seattle in your state received a Pathways to Removing Obstacles award, and so I’m optimistic that will result in some changes in your state as well. 

    MURRAY: Very good, thank you very much.

    And Ms. Harris, I’m curious what have you seen in building additional housing over the last decade. You’ve seen a lot, how could the federal government better support the kind of work that the Better Housing Coalition is doing?

    HARRIS: Well, thank you Senator. And Mr. Williams is correct, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program has been extremely effective in allowing us to produce more housing units and also preserve existing affordable housing units. You know the cost of a unit of housing, whether its market rate or affordable, is almost identical and the only way we are able to offer rents at 50, 60, 70 percent off of market rate rents is the capital stack we use by holding our debt down to about 30 percent of the overall development cost versus a market rate development that is somewhere between 70 and 90 percent. The Low Income Housing Tax Credit Equity allows us to do that, and then there’s usually 15 to 20 percent left of gap financing that is needed.

    We’ve used creative things like Capitol Magnet Funds from the CDFI fund, ARPA dollars, in some cases CDBG, and philanthropy to be able to fill those holes and deliver quality housing options for families. The one thing I would say while we’re cobbling together sometimes 12, 13, 14 sources of financing–that adds another 12 to 24 months to the delivery time. And the demand is so high every time we open up a new community, we have four, five times the amount of applications that we have units to help families find quality housing. 

    MURRAY: Thank you very much.

    Mr. Speaker it is an honor to have you here, thank you very much for joining us. I’m curious to ask you because we have heard Donald Trump’s Project 2025 agenda proposes leaving HUD’s responsibilities to states and localities without any federal funding or oversight, and proposes selling off the nation’s public housing stock, which is a critical piece of our country’s affordable housing priorities.

    Here in Congress, we also saw the House Republicans put forward a 2025 budget that would slash HUD funding. So as you’re watching all this from your seat, can you talk a little bit about those kinds of proposals would affect your state’s housing efforts? 

    SHEKARCHI:  Thank you, Senator. It would have a disastrous effect, not only on Rhode Island but on the rest of the country. Look, there are clearly some things we can all agree on which is we need some local zoning reform. But to privatize the public housing sector would exasperate an already existing crisis we have and a shortage. Where are the people who are living in these homes going to go? How are they going to afford to rent them or buy them? It is a very short-sighted solution to a very complex problem. We need both–we need federal subsidies and we need land use reform on a local level, and we need the federal government to step in because the states and the local communities cannot do it alone, Senator.

    So it’s a combination of an effort that would work and you’ll see sustainable progress in affordable housing. Clearly the biggest solution, how we get there we can differ, but is to create more housing. We need more housing at every single level: the market level of housing, the workforce housing, the low income housing, and even homelessness needs more shelters. So you can take your pick as to which one you want to fund or to what degree, but all of them need attention from the federal government and they need to use local reforms to make it easier.

    The private sector will step up and the private sector is ready, willing, and able to build in Rhode Island and probably throughout all 50 states. This is not a red state issue or a blue state issue, this is an every state issue. The private sector will do its part, but we need the federal government as well–we need both to partner, if you will. 

    MURRAY: Thank you very much, I’ve heard the same from my governor and local officials so I really appreciate that.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chair Murray Statement on Bipartisan CR: Urges Swift Passage to Avert Government Shutdown and Finish Full-Year Bills By Year’s End

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on the bipartisan continuing resolution negotiated by all four corners of Congress.

    “This continuing resolution was a bipartisan compromise—let’s get it passed and ensure we avert a needless and disastrous government shutdown. There are so many urgent national priorities that still must be addressed in our full-year funding bills. I will be working closely with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure we get the job done before the end of the year.”

    Text of the continuing resolution can be found HERE.

    A section by section of the continuing resolution can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –