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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Heinrich Secure Hermit’s Peak Claims Office Extension in Continuing Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after securing an extension to the period that victims may file claims with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office as part of the Continuing Resolution:
    “Today, we voted for a Continuing Resolution to keep the government open and avoid a costly shutdown for millions of Americans. As part of this Continuing Resolution, the period to file claims with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office has been extended to December 20, 2024, which will give victims of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire additional time to apply for relief.
    “But make no mistake, the job is not over yet. We will continue to work with our colleagues to deliver a long-term federal funding solution for the American people and keep the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office open longer. We continue to encourage New Mexicans to apply for assistance as soon as possible.”
    The extension will run the length of the Continuing Resolution to December 20, 2024. In October 2023, Luján, Heinrich, and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández introduced the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Extension Act, legislation that would extend the period a victim can file a claim with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office. Since the devastating wildfire, Luján, Heinrich, and the N.M. Delegation has delivered a total of $3.95 billion in federal funding for the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire recovery.
    New Mexicans can apply for assistance through the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Rubio Responds to WSJ on U.S. Trade with China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

    ICYMI: Rubio Responds to WSJ on U.S. Trade with China

    Sep 25, 2024 | Press Releases

    Letter to the Editor: On U.S. Trade Policy with China

    U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)

    September 25, 2024

    Wall Street Journal

    …When our leaders established so-called free trade with state-subsidized Chinese companies, 2.4 million Americans lost their jobs…. It took policy makers over a decade to catch up with reality, but their efforts to stem Beijing’s anti-market onslaught are now accepted as common sense.

    Mr. Furman hearkens to a different era. He asserts that the Biden administration “was wrong to keep and add to the tariffs Mr. Trump placed on China” and celebrates how Vice President Kamala Harris “doesn’t seem enthusiastic” about tough trade policies. Does Mr. Furman mean for us to ignore the past 25 years?

    Allowing China to acquire supply-chain dominance clearly threatens U.S. national security. The Chinese regime hasn’t been shy about this: …Last month it began cutting America off from antimony, a metal crucial to the construction of bullets, missiles and nuclear weapons. Mr. Furman offers no solution to this threat.

    Those who favor re-establishing so-called free trade with China are welcome to make their case. But the burden is on them to show it is in America’s interest to let a communist dictatorship run rampant over the U.S. economy….

    Read the rest here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Merkley Push to Ensure Health Insurers Cover and Provide Lactation Care for Pregnant and Nursing Parents

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    September 25, 2024

    Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, health insurance plans are required to cover lactation services—but many still fail to comply

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) called on the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits and Security Administration (EBSA) to issue strong recommended guidance for private health insurance plans and insurers to comply with federal law by covering in-person lactation support, supplies and counseling for pregnant and nursing parents across the country. Most health plans are required to cover lactation services under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Senators’ letter expresses concerns that many still fail to comply with federal law, making it harder for pregnant and nursing parents to access quality lactation care.

    In their letter, the Senators wrote: “Ensuring that new mothers and the more than 10,000 babies born each day in the United States receive critical preventive care, including comprehensive lactation care, is one of our top priorities… We respectfully request that the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits and Security Administration (EBSA) utilize its existing authority to issue strong, recommended guidance for the legally required coverage of in-person lactation support, supplies and counseling from trained providers for pregnant and nursing parents across the country, as outlined in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).”

    The Senators continued: “… the ACA mandated that all non-grandfathered, fully insured and self-insured plans in individual, small group and large group markets are required to cover certain preventive health services without cost-sharing for enrollees. These preventive health services include lactation support, supplies and counseling from trained providers. Despite this mandate, many plans fail to cover and provide adequate access to lactation care.”

    Along with Duckworth and Merkley, the letter was cosigned by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

    A full copy of the letter is available below and on Senator Duckworth’s website:

    Dear Assistant Secretary Gomez:

    We write to express our concerns regarding coverage for lactation services by group health plans and health insurance issuers covered under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). We respectfully request that the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits and Security Administration (EBSA) utilize its existing authority to issue strong, recommended guidance for the legally required coverage of in-person lactation support, supplies and counseling from trained providers for pregnant and nursing parents across the country, as outlined in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

    On November 18, 2022, Senator Duckworth wrote to the EBSA to voice concerns that insurers were failing to comply with the ACA’s requirements. In response to that correspondence, on December 22, 2022, the EBSA stated they, “share your concern about consumer-reported denials of coverage for lactation care by group health plans and health insurance issuers,” and noted that the EBSA, “work[s] diligently to ensure that coverage of breastfeeding services and supplies is available as required by the ACA and its implementing regulations, and we take the enforcement of these requirements very seriously.”

    As you know, the ACA mandated that all non-grandfathered, fully insured and self-insured plans in individual, small group and large group markets are required to cover certain preventive health services without cost-sharing for enrollees. These preventive health services include lactation support, supplies and counseling from trained providers.

    Despite this mandate, many plans fail to cover and provide adequate access to lactation care. Our constituents have experienced several barriers to accessing quality lactation care imposed by their health plans or insurers that violate the ERISA and ACA, including:

    1. Inadequate Provider Networks: Some plans do not have enough in-network lactation care providers to cover the needs of enrollees, demonstrating an unwillingness to provide adequate access to such care, as mandated by the ACA;
    2. Failure to Cover Out-of-Network Provider Services: Some plans require cost-sharing or do not pay for claims from out-of-network lactation care providers, despite their own network’s inadequate coverage. This is in direct conflict with applicable regulations that require plans to cover items or services rendered by an out-of-network provider when the plan does not have an in-network provider that can furnish the item or service;
    3. Lack of In-Person Service Coverage: Though lactation care can be provided in person or via telemedicine, there are distinct advantages that come with each type of visit and therefore should be covered equally. From our understanding, some plan’s in-network lactation care providers primarily offer services via telemedicine and do not cover in-person visits in a similar manner. Given their small number of in-network providers, inability to offer adequate in-person services and refusal to pay claims from out-of-network providers who offer in-person services, these plans have effectively created a de facto telemedicine-only network for lactation care. While plans may engage in “reasonable medical management” of lactation care under the ACA, de facto prohibitions on the modality used to provide care are contrary to the law. In a 2015 guidance document, DOL addressed a similar situation, finding that plans limiting coverage of lactation care to services provided during an inpatient hospital admission did not constitute “reasonable medical management.” Similarly, limiting the availability of in-person lactation care by creating a telemedicine-only network is equally problematic under the ACA.

    Plans have also imposed referral requirements and have failed to create directories of in-network providers, which also curtail the ACA’s mandate and inhibit access to crucial preventive care for new and expecting mothers and their babies.

    As such, we respectfully request that the EBSA utilize its oversight powers to engage with plans about the concerns described above, including potential violations of the ERISA. We also request that the EBSA provide further sub-regulatory guidance to clarify that plans must demonstrate sufficient coverage for all lactation care modalities, including in-person lactation care. Such guidance should provide information on how plans should form and demonstrate a sufficient network of lactation care providers, and, in the absence of a sufficient network, reimburse out-of-network claims.

    Ensuring that new mothers and the more than 10,000 babies born each day in the United States receive critical preventive care, including comprehensive lactation care, is one of our top priorities. With our joint commitment to the health and well-being of new mothers and babies in mind, we look forward to your response.

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Challenges Ukraine Narrative, Blasts Biden-Harris Administration for Prolonging the War

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    “The Biden-Harris Administration needs to negotiate a peace agreement now . . . or there will be disastrous consequences coming in the very near future”
    WASHINGTON – Today,U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) delivered a floor speech criticizing the Biden-Harris administration for prolonging the unwinnable war in Ukraine at the expense of American taxpayers. Sen. Tuberville also discussed why the history of NATO is inconvenient for the Biden-Harris administration’s narrative. In the speech, Sen. Tuberville highlighted that Ukraine is becoming desperate, which could have dire consequences.
    Read the speech below or watch it here.
    “Mr. President, 
    I rise today to talk about the un-winnable war in Ukraine, which has already cost American taxpayers billions of dollars. 
    Now, anyone who dares question the Uni-Party’s narrative on the war in Ukraine is obviously going to get criticized. That’s OK. The media has been complicit in pushing this narrative. Think about [it]: when was the last time you saw live footage on the ground in Ukraine? It’s rare because Ukraine is losing and is losing badly.
    This comes after we just gave Ukraine $60 billion dollars more of taxpayer money earlier this year to prolong this war. 
    I see President Zelensky, a Uni-Party puppet, is here begging, begging for more money on [the] campaign trail with Kamala Harris. It feels like he’s here every other month demanding more and more taxpayer money. That’s because he knows that the money spigot will cut off if Kamala Harris doesn’t win in November.
    Look, this subject is too important to go unaddressed. Over the last several months, I’ve asked multiple high-ranking members of the Biden-Harris administration to articulate what it is trying to accomplish in Ukraine. Just tell us. Tell us what it will cost and how we plan to achieve these results. Basically, I’m asking: what is our game plan? Not one official in this administration has answered my questions clearly. Not one. 
    One of the most interesting responses I received was from Secretary Austin himself, Secretary of Defense. He says, ‘We want to see Ukraine remain a sovereign, independent and democratic state that has the ability to defend itself in its territory and deter aggression.’ Ok. Secretary Austin continued, stating that it is the administration’s goal to bring Ukraine into NATO while simultaneously blaming Russia for NATO’s past expansion. 
    Now, here’s when the DC establishment really, really gets upset. I’m going to review a few undeniable facts about NATO’s history. Predictably, the Uni-Party will accuse me of spewing Russian propaganda. But these are the facts and that’s what we have to go by. We can’t shy away from them. 
    NATO was formed 75 years ago in 1949 as a defensive alliance to counter the communist Soviet Union. It was wildly successful in that it maintained peace through deterrence throughout the cold war. NATO helped us win the Cold War and dissolve [the] communist Soviet Union. When the Cold War ended in 1991, Ukraine instantly became the world’s third-largest nuclear power. Ukraine. Following a series of negotiations, Ukrainians agreed to give up their nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees from both Russia and NATO. Territorial integrity and political independence.
    These efforts were successful because they included assurances by many, many heads of state, including our own, that would no up-eastward expansion of NATO towards Russia would ever happen. It was over. At that time, there were 16 NATO members. Today, 33 years later, after this agreement, there are 32 NATO members. Even though in 1991 we agreed to no more eastward expansion, we broke the agreement. We, NATO and the United States. NATO has expanded eastward seven times since that agreement in 1991. The largest expansion in 2004 included two countries that share a border with Russia: Estonia and Latvia. Today, NATO includes three countries that border Russia. Six NATO members are former Warsaw Pact members. The bulk of this expansion happened before Russia annexed Crimea and invaded part of Ukraine in 2014.
    Again, these are all the facts. All play a part in the NATO story and Russia’s response to it. Here’s another fact: NATO’s expansion was on NATO’s terms, separate and apart from any Russian input or activity. Let me read that again. NATO expansion was on NATO’s terms, separate and apart from any Russian input or activity—contrary to Secretary Austin’s claims. Ask yourself: How would the U.S. react if China or Russia entered a mutual defense organization with Mexico or Canada? How would we react? What if they started basing troops or participating in military exercises just miles from our homeland?
    Having covered a brief history of NATO, let’s ask logical follow-up questions that we should always ask before involving ourselves in any armed conflict. First, how far are we willing to take this proxy war with Russia? How far are we? Did we think about that before we got into this? Are we [as] committed to winning as Russia’s President is? Vladimir Putin? Are we committed to winning? What happens if the momentum turns? What happens if it turns against Ukraine and Russia starts making real gains, as it appears is happening today. Will the U.S. send more taxpayer money? More weapons? Will NATO send troops? Will the United States send troops? What’s the plan? 
    War is a serious business. We should understand that by now. You don’t half-ass your way into one and certainly don’t half-ass your way out of one. That doesn’t seem to resonate around here.
    Since the Russian offensive began, we have sent more than one $174 billion taxpayer dollars to Ukraine, one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Recently, the Biden-Harris administration announced their intent, their intent, to send an additional $700 million taxpayer dollars to Ukraine in cash. Are you kidding me? Why on earth would we give cash to the most corrupt country on the face of the planet? 
    So, after all that, after the last two and a half years of funding billions of taxpayer dollars, getting hundreds of thousands of people killed, what do we have to show for it? The war has only gotten worse. Hundreds of thousands are dead. Ukraine is becoming more desperate, as its forces are [experiencing] widespread insubordination and even mass desertion. We don’t hear that on TV. We don’t hear that in this propaganda media. Over six million Ukrainians have fled the country, have run, have left their country.
    Ukraine is playing with fire, now seeking to conduct offensive operations deep inside Russia. Why? You can’t win. Most recently, Ukraine launched a drone attack that struck in Moscow. What are we trying to do— start World War III? Most recently, Ukraine launched a drone attack that struck several other office buildings in Moscow. Adding to the uncertainty of this situation, this administration’s current policy towards Ukraine has all the hallmarks of every Biden-Harris foreign policy decision that has preceded it: weak planning, disastrous results, zero leadership. This administration never considered the consequences of Ukraine losing. How can that ever happen?
    This is really sad. It’s sad for the United States of America. It’s sad for the taxpayers. It’s sad for our military. It’s sad for our allies and it’s sad for NATO. Some of [his] Democratic colleagues have said, ‘Joe Biden never made a correct decision in foreign policy in forty years.’ Well, he hadn’t broke that. 
    Biden-Harris administration has dumped billions of dollars also into the lap of Iran. Removed the terrorist designation from the Houthis, who by the way, we’re fighting against right now, but they’re ‘not terrorists.’ Alienated one of our most important friends, Saudi Arabia. And they’ve executed the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal that unnecessarily cost the lives of Americans. All this weakness was a direct signal to our adversaries: ‘Now is the time to make your move.’ And that’s exactly what our adversaries China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea are doing.
    China today tested another ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean. They’re preparing. Russia now has pounced on Ukraine. Whatever you hear in the media, it’s not true. It is a slaughter. Iran has released its proxies and terrorized the Middle East. Our ally Israel is fighting for its life against Hamas following the gruesome October 7th attack almost a year ago. The Houthis, the Houthis, are a bunch of people that live in the mountains, have been emboldened to attack ships, which has negatively impacted global trade. We can’t even beat the Houthis and we’re trying to create more wars. China has stepped up its aggression in the China Sea. We’re losing influence across the globe, especially in South America and Africa where the Chinese and the Russians are taking over. We’re leaving leaps and bounds.
    So, let’s be very clear. Despite the administration’s incompetence, I still believe Putin was wrong to invade Ukraine. I think we all do. He should have withdrawn his forces immediately after it started. Putin is responsible for his actions, and he has made no secret of the fact that he sees Ukraine as historically a part of Russia. 
    At the same time, I do not think that Ukraine’s border is more important than ours—not even close—which we have been completely […] neglecting the last three and a half years.
    We have been overrun, [at the] southern border, northern border, and from airplanes all over the world flying into our cities. It’s an embarrassment.
    We do not need the administration to enable Ukraine to use offensive weapons and strike deep into Russia. That cannot happen. We are on the cusp of a nuclear war. Nobody seems concerned: ‘It won’t happen.’ Yes, it will happen. Putin has told us it will happen if you continue this. This would only escalate this conflict to an entirely new level that none of us can ever imagine. Do you think this offensive would convince Putin to come to the table and negotiate a peace agreement? Well, I would hope we would go, but we do not seem to want to make a peace agreement. We had better and we’d better do it in the very near future. This will provoke him to [use] even more deadly weapons if we continue to attack within their borders, costing more and more lives. NATO and the U.S. would be forced to respond as a result. We’re trying to create a war. 
    We must consider these questions thoroughly before we involve ourselves in another one of these crazy conflicts that should never happen. Improvising won’t cut it. Now is the time for the U.S. to lead and negotiate a peace to the end of this bloody war. I keep hearing people say, ‘well, we’re building equipment for our military.’ Yeah, right. Or our men and women are not losing their lives. We’re getting close to it. We’re getting very close.
    Now look, I come from a military state in the state of Alabama. We build everything. We have thousands of troops. I want it to be well-funded and well-equipped if we ever have to fight a war. We need a lethal killing machine to deter other aggression. That’s what a military is about. This is not about defunding our military. I want our military laser-focused on protecting Americans and not woke DEI initiatives. And it’s not about abandoning our allies either. We need to support our allies.
    It’s about this administration funding a proxy war with no plan, zero, no plan on how to stop it, or how to win it. The Biden-Harris administration needs to negotiate a peace agreement now. Immediately, or there will be huge, disastrous consequences coming in the very near future. 
    Mr. President, I yield floor.”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Yakima Projects to Reduce Flooding & Recover Salmon Get Federal Investment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    09.25.24
    Yakima Projects to Reduce Flooding & Recover Salmon Get Federal Investment
    Yakima County, in collaboration with the City of Yakima, gets $10.9M federal grants for Cowiche Creek Confluence Projects to restore floodplains and protect the City of Yakima from flooding; Chelan County also receives grant for floodplain restoration on lower Chiwawa River
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that Yakima County will receive $9,976,792 to implement Phase I of the Cowiche Creek Confluence Project, which will address recurring flooding of Cowiche Creek, improve fish passage and habitat, and maintain water delivery by constructing a new irrigation delivery pipeline, removing obsolete irrigation structures, and restoring adjacent floodplains and riparian areas along Cowiche Creek. Yakima County will also receive $1,002,149 for Phase II of the Cowiche Creek Confluence Project to complete the study and design on additional floodplain restoration and salmon habitat projects along Cowiche Creek and at the confluence of Cowiche Creek and Naches River.  
    The Chelan County Natural Resource Department will also receive $806,511 to work with the Yakama Nation to complete designs of a floodplain restoration project at the lower Chiwawa River in the Wenatchee Basin. The grants were awarded from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program.
    “Restored floodplains can provide rich fish habitat and protect homes, community infrastructure, and farms from flooding,” said Sen. Cantwell. “These federal funds will enable Yakima County to restore the Cowiche Creek floodplains, helping to reduce flooding, clearing the way for salmon to pass, and improving water delivery to Yakima residents. This funding will also help Chelan County restore a floodplain in the lower Chiwawa River that will revive once-thriving salmon habitat in the Wenatchee Basin.”
    Cowiche Creek overflowed into Yakima in 2016 and 2017, and the once-productive floodplain no longer provides optimal spawning habitat for native populations of Steelhead trout and Coho salmon. 
    With this funding, Yakima County will make progress on two critical projects:
    Cowiche Creek Confluence Project Phase I
    Construct a new irrigation delivery pipeline to connect to existing surface water irrigation delivery systems on the Naches River to the City of Yakima;
    Remove surface irrigation diversion facilities including a dam, fish screen, and bypass facilities to allow restoration of the lower Cowiche Creek to a more natural alignment;
    Restore adjacent floodplains and riparian zones on property owned by the Flood Control Zone;
    Construct approximately 800 feet of side channel habitat fed by existing cold-water springs in the project area;
    Convert approximately 67 acres of current and former orchard into native floodplain vegetation;
    Reconfigure existing flood control levees; and
    Design a wider Powerhouse Road bridge over Cowiche Creek to further expand the floodplain of Cowiche Creek.
    Cowiche Creek Confluence Project Phase II
    Complete the 60% design to replace an undersized bridge, remove obsolete irrigation infrastructure, regrade disturbed areas to mimic natural floodplain topography, and replant with native riparian vegetation;
    Reorganize lands, easements, and covenants held by the County to facilitate development of a future park; and
    Reduce flood potential across 136-acres of floodplain, improve fish passage and riparian habitat in over two river miles of the confluence area, and create a park that will provide recreation opportunities.
    With its funding, Chelan County, in partnership with the Yakama Nation, will complete designs for a floodplain restoration project on the lower 13 miles of the Chiwawa River and the lower 0.2 miles of Big Meadow Creek. The project area is afflicted by low baseflows, homogeneous, plane-bed habitat with limited large wood, and high stream temperatures — all of which limits its utility as habitat for endangered salmon.
    Throughout her time in the Senate, Sen. Cantwell has been a staunch advocate for protecting and strengthening critical salmon populations. Sen. Cantwell secured a historic $2.85 billion investment in salmon and ecosystem restoration programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $400 million for a new community-based restoration program focused on removing fish passage barriers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Budd Calls Out Biden & Harris For Using Federal Agencies for Partisan Politics

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. — In a speech on the Senate floor today, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) pushed the chamber to pass the Promoting Free and Fair Elections Act.

    The bill would prohibit federal agencies from using taxpayer funds to implement or enter into agreements with partisan organizations that conduct voter mobilization activities.

    The legislation was blocked by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA).

    Senator Budd said in his speech:

    “I do not believe that the federal government should be using official taxpayer resources to advance partisan politics.”

    “Congress has attempted to conduct oversight on this order. And citizens have filed Freedom of Information Act lawsuits. The Biden-Harris administration has released only a tiny fraction of these agency plans. In at least one instance, the administration redacted every single paragraph of an agency plan leaving only vague headers. So that begs the question… What does the Biden-Harris administration have to hide?”

    WATCH VIDEO OF THE EXCHANGE

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Votes Against Continuation of Out-of-Control Democrat Spending

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) today released a statement following his vote against the Continuing Resolution (CR) to temporarily fund the government for the next three months.
    “For the past four years, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have treated the American taxpayers like their own personal ATM,” said Senator Tuberville. “We are $35 trillion in debt and have very little to show for it. Rather than going through the appropriations process, Democrats are trying to ram another CR down our throats—setting us up for a massive omnibus at the end of the year. This is completely irresponsible and no way to govern, which is why I voted no. To save this country, we have to turn off the spending faucet in Washington and start putting American taxpayers first.” 
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Celebrates Passage of National Warrior Call Day Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in a resolution to designate November 17, 2024, as National Warrior Call Day. This resolution passed the Senate unanimously yesterday.  This bipartisan resolution emphasizes the need for all Americans to reach out and build meaningful relationships with both those currently serving our country and our veterans who have served. These meaningful relationships can help fight mental illness and combat the epidemic of suicide among the military and veteran communities. 
    “As the son of a World War II veteran, I know firsthand the challenges that many of those who serve can face,” said Senator Tuberville. “I am determined to make sure that both those who are currently serving and those who have served our country have the resources and support they need to live long, healthy, meaningful lives. I was proud to see it unanimously pass the Senate last night.”
    U.S. Senators Tuberville, Cotton, and Shaheen were joined by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Boozman (R-AR), Katie Britt (R-AL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), John Hoeven (R-NC), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Joe Manchin (I-WV), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jim Risch (R-ID), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Tim Scott (R-SC), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) in co-sponsoring this resolution.
    Read full text of the resolution here. 
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Hassan Move to Extend Fentanyl Analogue Scheduling Order

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Senate Drug Caucus Co-Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and caucus member Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) are seeking to extend through December 31, 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s temporary order classifying fentanyl-related drugs as Schedule I. Congress has passed this extension multiple times since 2018; the current order is set to expire on December 31 of this year. 
    “Prior to 2018, it was near impossible to combat fentanyl look-a-likes. The DEA’s emergency restrictions have helped law enforcement identify these deadly drugs and prevent them from reaching our communities. We can’t afford to let our guard down by allowing these critical restrictions to sunset. Meanwhile, lawmakers, researchers and others will keep working towards permanent solutions,” Grassley said. 
    “New Hampshire knows all too well the devastating effects of the fentanyl crisis on our communities,” Hassan said. “This commonsense bipartisan bill will extend prohibitions against fentanyl-related substances so that law enforcement can continue to investigate and interdict these harmful substances as we continue to combat the fentanyl epidemic on all fronts.”
    Grassley and Hassan are joined by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Kennedy (R-La.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). 
    Background: 
    Fentanyl is a controlled substance, meaning U.S. statute prohibits its use. However, illicit drug manufacturers and traffickers, often in China and Mexico, are sidestepping the law by producing fentanyl analogues – drugs that are substantially similar to fentanyl, but tweaked ever so slightly – to push potent substances that can slip into the U.S. on a technicality.
    To keep pace with rapidly evolving drugs and combat opioid-related deaths, DEA in 2018 temporarily restricted all fentanyl analogues. This legislation would extend that 2018 restriction. Grassley and Hassan also teamed up on the SIMSA Act, a long-term solution that would stiffen criminal penalties against those who manufacture, export and import fentanyl analogues and equip law enforcement with effective tools to crack down on cartels and other drug threats.  
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Hassan Introduce Bill Targeting Counterfeit Imports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) introduced legislation to detect and halt counterfeit imports. Specifically, the bipartisan bill authorizes Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to share suspected counterfeits’ packaging and shipping information with intellectual property rights holders, e-commerce platforms and transportation carriers. The text of their legislation has been included as an amendment in the “manager’s package” of the committee-passed National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.
    “Counterfeits are an affront to consumers’ well-being, economic vitality and common decency,” Grassley said. “Our bipartisan bill establishes a straightforward approach to cut back on counterfeits by boosting information sharing between CBP, rights holders and commerce professionals.”  
    “This bipartisan bill gives Customs and Border Protection the tools that they need to more effectively stop counterfeit goods from crossing our borders,” Hassan said. “By strengthening law enforcement efforts to identify and interdict counterfeit imports, we can better protect American businesses and create jobs.”  
    Background
    Grassley is the co-chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Grassley’s 2019 “Fight Against Fakes” report, released during his time as Finance Chairman, detailed bad actors’ efforts to exploit the marketplace at the expense of consumers’ pocketbooks and personal safety. Building on the report, Grassley first introduced legislation in 2021 to enhance information sharing between CBP and private sector partners.
    The Grassley-Hassan bill (S.5160) is supported by the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP Global), American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council (A2C2), International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC), Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), The Toy Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
    Download bill text HERE.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: One Month Remaining for Iowa Students to Submit Academy Nominations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is accepting applications from Iowa high school students who wish to be considered for appointments to U.S. service academies. Students must submit their applications to Grassley’s office by Friday, October 25. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. Nominations will be finalized by December 31, 2024.
    “U.S. service academies offer students the opportunity to receive a world-class education while serving our great nation,” Grassley said. “It’s a privilege to nominate Iowa’s best and brightest to these prestigious academies. I encourage any interested student to apply.” 
    Grassley’s academy nomination application can be found HERE. Students may hand-deliver their applications to any of Grassley’s Iowa offices, or mail them to the following address: 
    U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley 
    Attn: Nominations Coordinator 
    721 Federal Building 
    210 Walnut Street 
    Des Moines, Iowa 50309 
    NOTE: Applicants must also submit preliminary applications to the academies of their choice and ask that a pre-candidate file be opened on their behalf. 
    Additional Information: 
    The U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Military Academy at West Point and U.S. Naval Academy each select at least one student from Grassley’s nominations every year. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy makes selections in proportion to states’ representation in Congress. Students are encouraged to apply to more than one service academy and seek additional recommendations from Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and their federal representative in the House of Representatives. 
    For more information, please contact Grassley’s Des Moines office at (515) 288-1145 or academy_nominations@grassley.senate.gov. 
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Baldwin Introduce Legislation to Make Affordable Care Act Premium Tax Credits Permanent, Lowering Costs for Millions of Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) are introducing the Health Care Affordability Act—legislation making permanent the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits (PTCs) for Health Insurance Marketplace coverage as extended through the Inflation Reduction Act. The enhanced PTCs, which have made health care more affordable and accessible for millions of Americans, are currently set to expire at the end of 2025. If these credits expire, over 20 million Americans will see a sudden increase in their health insurance costs, an estimated three million Americans could lose their health insurance entirely and nearly nine million people will pay more—roughly $406 per person—for coverage. U.S. Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL) is introducing identical legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Senator spoke in support of her bill during a press conference in the Capitol today. 
    “For years, the ACA enhanced premium tax credits have significantly lowered costs and increased access to health insurance for families in New Hampshire and across the country. But let’s be very clear: if Congress fails to act before these tax credits expire, tens of millions of Americans will suffer a substantial increase in health care costs and millions of individuals could lose their health insurance entirely,” said Senator Shaheen. “It’s time to extend these highly effective tax credits to keep costs from skyrocketing and ensure health care is within reach for every American, and I’m proud that our Health Care Affordability Act does just that.” 
    “I’m focused on the kitchen table issues that keep families up at night and the skyrocketing cost of health care and prescription drugs is high on that list. I fought hard to cut health care costs for Wisconsinites – saving thousands of families hundreds of dollars each year – and I refuse to let us go backward,” said Senator Baldwin. “Our legislation will stop millions of hard-working Americans from having their healthcare costs jacked up, giving families peace of mind that they can get the quality health care they need at a price they can afford.” 
    The?Health Care Affordability Act?would make permanent the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) enhanced premium tax credits for Health Insurance Marketplace coverage as extended through the Inflation Reduction Act. Those enhanced tax credits increased the value of the tax credits available to people with income between 100 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) while expanding eligibility for premium tax credits to include individuals with income above 400 percent of FPL. 
    Cosponsors of Shaheen and Baldwin’s bill include U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), and U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tina Smith (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Peter Welch (D-VT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), John Tester (D-MT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Gary Peters (D-MI), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), George Helmy (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM). 
    The bill has been endorsed by: Keep Americans Covered, Protect Our Care, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Center for American Progress, UnidosUS, United States of Care, National Partnership for Women and Families, Young Invincibles, Families USA, American Heart Association, National Bleeding Disorders Foundation, National Health Council, Epilepsy Foundation, Hemophilia Federation of America, American Kidney Fund, The AIDS Institute, American Lung Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Susan G. Komen, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Third Way, Community Catalyst, Alliance of Community Health Plans, National Organization for Rare Disorders, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, WomenHeart, CancerCare, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Federation of American Hospitals, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). 
    Last week, Shaheen and Underwood penned letters to Congressional leaders and called on them to act before the enhanced PTCs expire at the end of 2025 to protect the millions of Americans who rely on these tax credits for affordable health care. 
    Shaheen has spearheaded efforts to lower premiums to make health insurance more affordable for patients through her signature legislation, the Improving Health Insurance Affordability Act. Shaheen successfully secured premium tax credit enhancement provisions in the American Rescue Plan. This expansion of premium tax credits marked the biggest improvement to the ACA since it became law over a decade ago. When the tax credits were set to expire at the end of last year, Shaheen successfully extended their authorization through the Inflation Reduction Act. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Yakima Projects to Reduce Flooding & Recover Salmon Get Federal Investment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    09.25.24
    Yakima Projects to Reduce Flooding & Recover Salmon Get Federal Investment
    Yakima County, in collaboration with the City of Yakima, gets $10.9M federal grants for Cowiche Creek Confluence Projects to restore floodplains and protect the City of Yakima from flooding; Chelan County also receives grant for floodplain restoration on lower Chiwawa River
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that Yakima County will receive $9,976,792 to implement Phase I of the Cowiche Creek Confluence Project, which will address recurring flooding of Cowiche Creek, improve fish passage and habitat, and maintain water delivery by constructing a new irrigation delivery pipeline, removing obsolete irrigation structures, and restoring adjacent floodplains and riparian areas along Cowiche Creek. Yakima County will also receive $1,002,149 for Phase II of the Cowiche Creek Confluence Project to complete the study and design on additional floodplain restoration and salmon habitat projects along Cowiche Creek and at the confluence of Cowiche Creek and Naches River.  
    The Chelan County Natural Resource Department will also receive $806,511 to work with the Yakama Nation to complete designs of a floodplain restoration project at the lower Chiwawa River in the Wenatchee Basin. The grants were awarded from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program.
    “Restored floodplains can provide rich fish habitat and protect homes, community infrastructure, and farms from flooding,” said Sen. Cantwell. “These federal funds will enable Yakima County to restore the Cowiche Creek floodplains, helping to reduce flooding, clearing the way for salmon to pass, and improving water delivery to Yakima residents. This funding will also help Chelan County restore a floodplain in the lower Chiwawa River that will revive once-thriving salmon habitat in the Wenatchee Basin.”
    Cowiche Creek overflowed into Yakima in 2016 and 2017, and the once-productive floodplain no longer provides optimal spawning habitat for native populations of Steelhead trout and Coho salmon. 
    With this funding, Yakima County will make progress on two critical projects:
    Cowiche Creek Confluence Project Phase I
    Construct a new irrigation delivery pipeline to connect to existing surface water irrigation delivery systems on the Naches River to the City of Yakima;
    Remove surface irrigation diversion facilities including a dam, fish screen, and bypass facilities to allow restoration of the lower Cowiche Creek to a more natural alignment;
    Restore adjacent floodplains and riparian zones on property owned by the Flood Control Zone;
    Construct approximately 800 feet of side channel habitat fed by existing cold-water springs in the project area;
    Convert approximately 67 acres of current and former orchard into native floodplain vegetation;
    Reconfigure existing flood control levees; and
    Design a wider Powerhouse Road bridge over Cowiche Creek to further expand the floodplain of Cowiche Creek.
    Cowiche Creek Confluence Project Phase II
    Complete the 60% design to replace an undersized bridge, remove obsolete irrigation infrastructure, regrade disturbed areas to mimic natural floodplain topography, and replant with native riparian vegetation;
    Reorganize lands, easements, and covenants held by the County to facilitate development of a future park; and
    Reduce flood potential across 136-acres of floodplain, improve fish passage and riparian habitat in over two river miles of the confluence area, and create a park that will provide recreation opportunities.
    With its funding, Chelan County, in partnership with the Yakama Nation, will complete designs for a floodplain restoration project on the lower 13 miles of the Chiwawa River and the lower 0.2 miles of Big Meadow Creek. The project area is afflicted by low baseflows, homogeneous, plane-bed habitat with limited large wood, and high stream temperatures — all of which limits its utility as habitat for endangered salmon.
    Throughout her time in the Senate, Sen. Cantwell has been a staunch advocate for protecting and strengthening critical salmon populations. Sen. Cantwell secured a historic $2.85 billion investment in salmon and ecosystem restoration programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $400 million for a new community-based restoration program focused on removing fish passage barriers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Marks the 7th Anniversary of the 1 October Mass Shooting on the Senate Floor

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    FTP for TV stations of her remarks is available here.
    Cortez Masto highlighted the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada’s Resiliency and Justice Center that has helped survivors and their families access the resources they need
    Washington, D.C. – Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) spoke on the Senate floor today ahead of the 7th anniversary of the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, the deadliest in modern American history.
    Cortez Masto honored the victims and their families, and she highlighted the work being done at the Resiliency and Justice Center in Las Vegas to connect survivors of violent crime with resources to help them heal.
    Below are her remarks as prepared for delivery:
    M. President, I rise today along with my colleague from Nevada, Senator Jacky Rosen, to commemorate seven years since the deadliest mass shooting in America’s recent memory.
    Seven years ago, people from across the country gathered in Las Vegas for the Route 91 Harvest music festival – three days of live performances, dancing, and fun.
    On October 1st, what was supposed to be a joyous conclusion to the festival turned into a nightmare.
    In just 10 minutes, from the window of a nearby hotel, a gunman fired more than 1,000 shots into the festival crowd.
    58 people were killed, and two more died later from their injuries. More than 800 were wounded. Thousands of families were forever changed.
    I remember sitting with some of them at the Reunification Center, hoping and praying that their loved ones would return to them. Some prayers were never answered.
    But as the city of Las Vegas mourned, we also came together. Neighbors reached out to one another and helped each other heal. Programs were created to help our city cope and move forward. We were resilient. We are Vegas Strong.
    Out of tragedy and suffering, there was hope.
    Let me tell you about something that gives me hope.
    Three weeks after the events of 1 October, the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada and Clark County set up the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center as a resource for survivors of the Route 91 Harvest Festival and their families.
    After a tragedy like a mass shooting, the families of victims and survivors alike have to adjust to a new normal. Imagine living through the horrors of that October night, healing from injuries, or grieving the loss of a loved one whose life was taken so suddenly by a senseless act of violence.
    And then imagine, after you’ve been left with all that trauma, that you’re now faced with the complexities of paying medical bills, or dealing with insurance companies. It’s overwhelming. Where do you even begin? How are you going to navigate it all?
    The Vegas Strong Resiliency Center was designed to ensure families didn’t have to go through this process alone.
    The Center brought community partners with different resources to the table to deliver anything survivors might need – from support groups to mental health services to financial advice.
    I’ve seen some of their great work myself.
    Their incredible Executive Director, Tennille [ten-KNEEL] Pereira [puh-RARE-uh], shared the story of a survivor of 1 October who, after recovering from being shot that night, could no longer make her way up the stairs to reach her apartment. In response, her landlord threatened to evict her!
    So, she got in touch with the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center. The Center contacted her landlord, got them to back down, and then helped their client move to another apartment that was accessible to her.
    This is what happens when the community comes together to help each other. The Resiliency Center connected survivors with the resources they needed – right when they needed them. It gave survivors hope, and it helped them find light in the darkness.
    In the seven years since its establishment, the Center not only helped survivors of the Route 91 Harvest Festival, but through the lessons learned from that crisis, it actually improved services for victims of violent crime throughout Southern Nevada.
    That includes human trafficking survivors, domestic abuse survivors, and even first responders who have post-traumatic stress.
    And when Las Vegas was struck by another tragedy last year, after a gunman killed three people at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the staff at the Resiliency Center were able to immediately respond, providing resources and programs for students, families, faculty, and staff.
    In January of this year, the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center was renamed the Resiliency and Justice Center, and its mission expanded to serve all survivors of violent crime in Southern Nevada. They are continuing to grow their staff and their resources, and they’re even getting ready to expand their offices.
    I’m proud to support the work of the Resiliency and Justice Center. At a time when our city was shaken to its core, they were there to help us get back on our feet. To help us remember that life goes on after loss. To help us find the strength to rebuild as a community.
    And now, as we mark seven years since that terrible evening at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, we also mark seven years of hope and resilience in the city of Las Vegas. We hold the victims and their families in our hearts forever, and we remain Vegas Strong.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Budd Calls Out Biden & Harris For Using Federal Agencies for Partisan Politics

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. — In a speech on the Senate floor today, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) pushed the chamber to pass the Promoting Free and Fair Elections Act.

    The bill would prohibit federal agencies from using taxpayer funds to implement or enter into agreements with partisan organizations that conduct voter mobilization activities.

    The legislation was blocked by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA).

    Senator Budd said in his speech:

    “I do not believe that the federal government should be using official taxpayer resources to advance partisan politics.”

    “Congress has attempted to conduct oversight on this order. And citizens have filed Freedom of Information Act lawsuits. The Biden-Harris administration has released only a tiny fraction of these agency plans. In at least one instance, the administration redacted every single paragraph of an agency plan leaving only vague headers. So that begs the question… What does the Biden-Harris administration have to hide?”

    WATCH VIDEO OF THE EXCHANGE

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto’s Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Tribal Public Safety Passes Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) released the following statements after the Senate Indian Affairs Committee voted to pass their bipartisan Bridging Agency Data Gaps & Ensuring Safety (BADGES) for Native Communities Act. Specifically, the BADGES for Native Communities Act would support the recruitment and retention of Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) law enforcement officers, bolster federal missing persons resources, and give Tribes and states tools to combat violence.
    “I hear it often from Tribes in Nevada—law enforcement officers are stretched thin in their communities and it’s having an impact on everyone, especially when it comes to combating the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m proud of our bipartisan work to pass the BADGES for Native Communities Act through committee today. This bill to give Tribal police the resources and tools they need to fight crime and keep their communities safe is one step closer to becoming law.”
    “Securing committee approval of our legislation is an important step toward strengthening the resources available to Tribal law enforcement,” said Senator Hoeven. “Our bill authorizes the BIA to conduct its own background check of law enforcement applicants, which empowers Tribes to meet their law enforcement staffing and infrastructure needs, enhances public safety and helps bring offenders to justice.”
    Senator Cortez Masto is a strong supporter of Tribal communities and has passed two bipartisan bills, the Not Invisible Act and Savanna’s Act, to combat the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) crisis. The commission created by the Not Invisible Act specifically called for passage of Cortez Masto’s BADGES for Native Communities Act to help law enforcement better serve Native communities. The BADGES for Native Communities Act would:
    Increase Tribal access to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) by requiring Tribal facilitators to conduct ongoing Tribal outreach and serve as a point of contact for Tribes and law enforcement agencies, as well as conduct training and information gathering to improve the resolution of missing persons cases.
    Require a comprehensive report on Tribal law enforcement needs.
    Allow the BIA to conduct its own background checks for law enforcement officer applicants in order to speed up and improve officer recruitment.
    Establish a grant program to help states, Tribes, and Tribal organizations coordinate efforts related to missing and murdered persons cases and sexual assault cases.
    Ensure BIA officers and Tribal police have access to culturally appropriate mental health and wellness programs.
    Senator Cortez Masto has repeatedly called on the administration to do more to address the epidemic of violence against Native women and girls, including securing federal funding to protect Native communities, urging the administration to draft a plan to address this issue, and requesting the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate the federal response to this crisis. She’s also fought to ensure that law enforcement officers across the country have the support they need. She secured historic funding for the Byrne JAG grant program in the FY2022 omnibus. The program is the leading source of criminal justice funding for state, local, and Tribal governments and provides support for programs related to crime prevention, law enforcement, prosecution, corrections, and mental and behavioral health. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Brings Bipartisan Momentum to Bill Boosting Warehouse Worker Safety

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Wednesday, September 25, 2024

    U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) joined U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) in reintroducing the Warehouse Worker Protection Act.
    The bill would protect warehouse workers by prohibiting dangerous work speed quotas that lead to high rates of worker injuries. The newly reintroduced legislation includes new enforcement authority for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as an exemption for small businesses.
    “Corporations too often prioritize profit over their workers’ safety and well-being, treating them like cogs in a machine. It has to stop. This legislation combats the warehouse industry’s worst practices while ensuring corporations do right by their employees in treating them with the dignity they deserve,” said Senator Hawley.
    “The Warehouse Worker Protection Act is about protecting the health and dignity of workers from the scourge of corporate greed at Amazon and other large companies,” said Senator Markey. “This movement is strong and growing, and we will not rest until warehouse workers know when they clock in that they will return home unharmed.”
    The Warehouse Worker Protection Act was also sponsored by Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa). With Senator Hawley’s support, the legislation now has bipartisan momentum.
    Senator Hawley has consistently advocated for American workers, including standing with and voting to support rail workers as they sought a fair deal with sick leave, fighting to keep jobs here in the U.S., and protecting United States Postal Service workers. More information about his past work in support of the American worker can be found on his website.
    A copy of the reintroduced legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Helps Congress Pass Two Bills to Combat Alzheimer’s & Improve Dementia Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – The number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s is growing fast.  One in three older Americans dies with dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.  And Congress needs to wisely prioritize research dollars to effectively combat Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. 
    The fight to find a cure and new treatments for Alzheimer’s got a significant boost this week as the U.S. House of Representatives approved a pair of bipartisan bills backed by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) that previously cleared the U.S. Senate.
    Now that they have cleared both chambers, the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) Reauthorization Act and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (AAIA), are headed to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
    The NAPA Reauthorization Act reauthorizes NAPA through 2035 as a much needed roadmap for coordinated federal efforts in responding to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.  Since NAPA was first passed in 2011, Alzheimer’s research funding has increased seven-fold.  Today, funding for research into Alzheimer’s and other dementias totals over $3.8 billion.
    The Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act would require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to submit an annual budget to Congress estimating the funding necessary to fully implement NAPA’s research goals.  This will help ensure Congress can make a well-informed decision  to determine necessary Alzheimer’s research funding levels.
    “This is a positive step toward renewing the nation’s commitment to healthy aging, boosting funding for Alzheimer’s research, and improving dementia care in Rhode Island and nationwide,” said Senator Reed, a cosponsor of both bills. “Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that impacts millions of families.  While real progress has been made over the last decade since we enacted NAPA, we’ve got to keep up the positive momentum.  These bipartisan bills will help ensure federal research investments into Alzheimer’s and dementia are wisely allocated and can fund breakthroughs, a cure, and effective help for caregivers and families struggling with this disease.” 
    According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6.9 million older Americans – including 22,000 Rhode Islanders — are living with Alzheimer’s disease in 2024, a nationwide increase of about 200,000 cases over last year, and the population is projected to nearly double by 2060 to 14 million people.
    Alzheimer’s costs the United States an astonishing $360 billion per year, including $231 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, up $15 billion over the previous year
    As a member of the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Senator Reed helped provide a $275 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research in the fiscal year 2025 Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related Agencies Appropriations bill.  In 2019, NIH awarded Brown University researchers, along with Boston-based Hebrew SeniorLife (HSL), over $53 million in federal research funds  to lead a nationwide effort to improve health care and quality of life for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, as well as their caregivers.
    In 2011, U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) led passage of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (P.L. 111-375), which Senator Reed supported.  NAPA convened a panel of experts, who created a coordinated strategic national plan to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025.  The law was set to expire soon and needed to be reauthorized to ensure that research investments remain coordinated, and their impact is maximized.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Goes Public with Details from Conversation with Secret Service Director Rowe: ‘Stonewalling Must Stop’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Wednesday, September 25, 2024

    Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) released the following statements following a phone call he had with Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe earlier today:

    “I just had an extraordinary conversation with Director Rowe at the Secret Service, who called me personally to dispute a whistleblower allegation—but refuses to respond in writing. Just as he has declined to respond substantively to ANY of the whistleblowers’ allegations.

    “Rowe complained about whistleblowers & complained about requests for information based on whistleblower reports. I informed him it is his JOB to provide the facts to the public & Congress. Stonewalling must stop. And I reminded him whistleblowers are *protected under federal law.*

    “I emphasized to Rowe that it is indefensible that his agency has not cooperated fully with congressional investigators – to the point that today the Homeland Security Committee again adopted my legislation to COMPEL Secret Service & DHS to cooperate.

    “The Interim Report today from the Homeland Security Committee details multiple leadership failures at USSS – including evidence that Rowe gave misleading testimony to Congress in July. There must be accountability.”

    Today’s conversation with Acting Director Rowe comes after Senator Hawley revealed his latest whistleblower allegation just yesterday, detailing the Secret Service’s refusal to provide former President Donald Trump with the resources and manpower needed for a rally in Wisconsin—effectively forcing his campaign to cancel the event. 
    Today the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) also unanimously passed Senator Hawley’s legislation requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit to HSGAC any and all information in the possession of DHS and the Secret Service pertaining to both the July 13 and September 15 assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Introduces Five Bills to Combat Chinese Communist Party Influence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    September 25, 2024
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, introduced five pieces of legislation aimed at combatting the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in America’s agriculture and financial sectors.
    “The CCP is the single greatest threat to America’s national security and financial independence,” said Senator Ricketts. “A CCP-led world would mean coercion instead of choice, tyranny instead of liberty, and dictatorship instead of democracy. The only way to combat this threat is with a strong, strategic, all-of-government approach. These bills move us closer to that.”
    The Securing American Agriculture Act bolsters and protects our domestic food and agriculture supply chains and reduces America’s reliance on foreign adversaries.
    The Protecting Endowments from our Adversaries Act disincentivizes endowments from investing in adversarial entities flagged by the U.S. Government as threatening to our national security.
    The No Capital Gains Allowance for American Adversaries Act eliminates tax breaks for investments made in companies based in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Belarus.
    The PRC Military and Human Rights Capital Markets Sanctions Act prevents Wall Street firms from using Americans’ investment dollars to effectively underwrite the CCP’s human rights abuses and aggression.
    The No China in Index Funds Act prevents index mutual funds from holding Chinese stocks.
    The bills were first covered by Fox News here.
    BACKGROUND:
    Securing American Agriculture Act – The PRC’s strategic control over crucial sectors of our food and agricultural supply chain poses a serious national security threat. In recent years, the PRC gained significant market share in the production of essential agricultural inputs like vitamins, veterinary pharmaceuticals, and crop protection tools. China now controls over 90% of vitamin C and vitamin B6 production and up to 85% of amino acids used in animal feed.
    Losing access to these key inputs could drastically reduce agricultural productivity, increase food prices, and undermine domestic food security. A University of Wisconsin-Whitewater study found that, if left unchecked, the PRC’s domination of the amino acids market would destroy 30,000 U.S. jobs and reduce economic activity by $15 billion per year. The Securing American Agriculture Act bolsters and protects our food production supply chain.
    Specifically, the bipartisan bill:
    Requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce, to conduct an annual threat assessment of critical food and agricultural supply chains.
    Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to provide recommendations to mitigate potential threats from the PRC and for legislative and regulatory actions to reduce barriers to domestic critical input production.
    U.S. Representatives Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-07) haveintroduced companion legislation in the House. The Senate bill is co-sponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Mike Braun (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), John Cornyn (R-TX), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jim Risch (R-ID), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Eric Schmitt (R-MI).
    A one-pager on the bill can be found here. Bill text is available here.
    Protecting Endowments from Our Adversaries Act (PEOAA) – U.S. University endowment dollars have helped fund technology behind the CCP’s surveillance of Uyghur Muslims in China. Many endowment fund portfolios own Chinese stocks listed on American exchanges, either directly or indirectly. Tax-advantaged endowment dollars are supposed to be used to lower tuition costs and improve education, not to fund our adversaries.
    Specifically, the bill:
    Imposes a 50% excise tax on initial investments in adversarial entities on the Entity List, Military End User List, Unverified List, or FCC Covered List.
    Imposes a 100% excise tax on the realized gains derived from listed investments one year after an entity is listed.
    Applies to private college and university endowments over $1 billion.
    U.S. Representative Greg Murphy (R-NC-3) has introduced companion legislation in the House. The Senate bill is co-sponsored by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) And Deb Fischer (R-NE).
    One-pager can be found here. Bill text is available here.
    No Capital Gains Allowance for American Adversaries Act – According to a comparative analysis of capital gains tax rates by the Law Library of Congress, many countries have investment incentives not applicable to some foreign investments. For example, China provides investment incentives through its tax code, but foreign investments are eligible only with the pre-approval of the Chinese government. The No Capital Gains Allowance for American Adversaries Act stops subsidizing our adversaries’ investments in the United States. 
    Specifically, the bipartisan bill:
    Eliminates the capital gains tax break for investments in companies based in China, Russia, Belarus, Iran, and North Korea.
    Eliminates a related tax break, the “step-up in basis” at death, for investments in such companies.
    Requires disclosure to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that no tax breaks are available for these stocks.
    U.S. Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA-32) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05) haveintroduced companion legislation in the House.
    One-pager can be found here. Bill text is available here.
    People’s Republic of China (PRC) Military and Human Rights Capital Markets Sanctions Act – A recent report identified 144 Chinese companies, or their affiliates, whose practices were so adverse to U.S. interests that it is illegal for Americans to buy their products. Most of these companies have been found to violate human rights. Others play an integral role in the CCP’s military-industrial complex. While buying the products of these companies is illegal, it is still legal to buy their stock. The PRC Military and Human Rights Capital Markets Sanctions Act fixes this problem.
    Specifically, the bipartisan bill:
    Prohibits Americans from purchasing, selling, or holding publicly-traded securities of companies that appear on sanctions lists or have an affiliate on the sanctions list.
    Prohibits Americans from purchasing, selling, or holding publicly-traded securities that are derivatives of securities issued by a sanctioned company.
    Prohibits Americans from purchasing, selling, or holding securities that provides investment exposure to a publicly-traded security issued by a sanctioned company or affiliate.
    Requires divestment from the prohibited securities within 180 days.
    U.S. Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA-32) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05) haveintroduced companion legislation in the House.
    One-pager can be found here. Bill text is available here.
    No China in Index Funds Act – Index mutual funds minimize their expenses by simply investing in all the companies in a certain market sector, without looking closely at the individual companies. There are unique difficulties in evaluating the risks of investing in Chinese companies. Americans should not invest in these companies without carefully evaluating the risk. The No China in Index Funds Act will keep these hard-to-evaluate Chinese stocks out of index mutual funds.
    Specifically, the bipartisan bill:
    Prohibits index funds from investing in Chinese companies.
    Requires index funds to divest from such investments within 180 days.
    U.S. Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA-32) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05) haveintroduced companion legislation in the House.
    One-pager can be found here. Bill text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders Calls on U.S. Senate to Approve Contempt Resolution for Steward CEO

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    M. President: Over 4 months ago, Steward Health Care and the more than 30 hospitals it owns in 8 states declared bankruptcy with some $9 billion in debt.
    This bankruptcy has caused devastating harm to patients, health care workers and entire communities from Massachusetts to Arizona.
    In July, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (the HELP Committee) that I chair voted to authorize a bi-partisan investigation into the financial mismanagement of Steward Health Care.
    On that same day, the HELP Committee also voted to subpoena Ralph de la Torre, the CEO of Steward Health Care, to testify at a hearing on this very important issue on September 12th.
    Sadly, Dr. de la Torre made the unfortunate and unacceptable decision not to show up at this hearing in defiance of a Congressional subpoena.
    So, last week, the HELP Committee voted 20-0 on two resolutions to hold Dr. de la Torre accountable for his failure to appear at this hearing.
    The first resolution instructs Senate Legal Counsel to bring a civil suit in the District Court for the District of Columbia to require Dr. de la Torre’s compliance with the subpoena and his testimony before the HELP Committee.
    The second resolution would refer this matter to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia to criminally prosecute Dr. de la Torre for failing to comply with the subpoena.
    In a few moments, I will be asking unanimous consent to pass the second resolution which seeks to hold Dr. de la Torre in criminal contempt for failing to comply with the Congressional subpoena.
    But before I do that let me take a moment to briefly explain why the HELP Committee believed it was so important for Dr. de la Torre to testify before Congress.
    First, we wanted Dr. de la Torre to explain to us how it could happen that at least 15 patients at hospitals owned by his company died as a result of a lack of medical equipment or staffing shortages and why at least 2,000 other patients were put in “immediate peril” according to federal regulators.
    That is something that the American people deserve to know. 
    But, perhaps most importantly, we wanted to know how it could happen that while thousands of patients and health care workers suffered and communities around the country have been devastated as a result of Steward Health Care’s financial mismanagement, Dr. de la Torre and the companies he owned were able to receive at least $250 million in total compensation over the past 4 years.
    For months, Senator Cassidy, the Ranking Member of the HELP Committee; Senator Markey, the Chair of our healthcare subcommittee; and I have asked Dr. de la Torre to testify before our committee to answer these questions.
    And time after time he has arrogantly refused.
    That is absolutely unacceptable.
    So, today, I will ask the Senate to unanimously adopt this resolution seeking to hold Dr. de la Torre in contempt of Congress.
    Let me take this opportunity to thank Ranking Member Cassidy and his staff for working with me and my staff on this important issue.
    The passage of this resolution by the full Senate will make clear that:
    Even though Dr. de la Torre may be worth hundreds of millions of dollars; 
    Even though he may be able to buy fancy yachts, private jets, and luxurious accommodations throughout the world; 
    Even though he may be able to afford some of the most expensive lawyers in America, no.  Dr. de la Torre is not above the law.
    If you defy a Congressional subpoena, you will be held accountable no matter who you are or how well-connected you may be.
    The goal of the HELP Committee throughout this entire process has been to make sure not only that we have a complete understanding of the financial chicanery surrounding Steward Health Care, but to do everything we can to make sure that such a travesty never happens again.
    M. President: I ask unanimous consent that two letters be printed in the congressional record—one from Dr. de la Torre’s attorneys to the Committee, and a response letter from Ranking Member Cassidy and me.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders and Colleagues Move to Block Arms Sales to Israel

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    Today, with colleagues, I introduced Joint Resolutions of Disapproval seeking to block certain arms sales to Israel. The Senate will vote on these resolutions when it reconvenes in November. Let me explain why these arms sales must not proceed.
    Israel clearly had the right to respond to Hamas’ horrific terrorist attack on October 7th, which killed 1,200 innocent Israelis and took hundreds of hostages. But Prime Minister Netanyahu’s extremist government has not simply waged war against Hamas. It has waged all-out war against the Palestinian people, killing more than 41,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 95,000 – 60 percent of whom are women, children, or elderly people. Netanyahu has bombed hospitals and schools, starved children, destroyed infrastructure and housing stock, and made life unlivable in Gaza. The United States must end its complicity in this atrocity.
    Sending more weapons is not only immoral, it is also illegal. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Arms Export Control Act lay out clear requirements for the use of American weaponry – Israel has egregiously violated those rules. American weapons have been used indiscriminately, and several of the systems included in these sales are responsible for a large number of civilian casualties. There is a mountain of documentary evidence demonstrating that these weapons are being used in violation of U.S. and international law. It is also clear that Israel has blocked U.S. humanitarian aid, making it ineligible for U.S. security assistance under Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act.
    There are also clear policy reasons not to proceed with these arms sales. For months, the Biden Administration has been trying to reach a ceasefire deal that would secure the release of the hostages and allow more aid to flow into Gaza. Every time an agreement appears close, Netanyahu introduces new demands and sinks the deal. It is clear that Netanyahu is prolonging the war to cling to power and avoid prosecution for corruption. Meanwhile, his government has also overseen record illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank and unleashed a wave of violence there that has killed nearly 700 Palestinians, including 150 children, and several Americans over the last 11 months.
    And now the world must contend with the dramatic escalation in Lebanon.
    President Biden has emphatically called for de-escalation and said that a “full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest.” He has underlined that a ceasefire for hostage deal in Gaza is the key to a diplomatic solution to the wider conflict. That is the policy of the United States: to pursue a ceasefire for hostage deal that will prevent further escalation, stop the killing and the rocket attacks, allow displaced people to return to their homes sooner, and finally bring the hostages home.
    Netanyahu has resisted these calls. Instead, at every stage of this conflict, when presented with the choice between military escalation and diplomacy, Netanyahu has chosen to escalate to preserve his coalition at home.
    For all of these reasons – moral, legal, and strategic – sending more weapons to Netanyahu’s extremist government is unacceptable. That is why many of our closest allies have already stopped offensive arms transfers. Congress must now act to uphold U.S. and international law and use our leverage to advance U.S. policy goals.
    The Joint Resolutions of Disapproval are as follows:
    Sanders, Welch, Merkley to block the sale of additional Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs);
    Sanders, Welch, Merkley to block the sale of 120mm tank cartridges;
    Sanders, Welch, Merkley to block the sale of 120mm High Explosive mortar cartridges;
    Sanders, Welch, Merkley to block the sale of enhanced JDAM receivers;
    Sanders and Welch to block the sale of Modified M1148A1P2 Medium Tactical Vehicles;
    Sanders to block the sale of fifty new F-15IA aircraft, associated weapons and parts, as well as upgrade kits for existing F-15 aircraft.
    Read the fact sheet, here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Wicker Raises Alarm Over Damaged Navy Oiler in Arabian Sea

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to press reports that the Navy’s fleet oiler USNS Big Horn was damaged off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea:
    “I am troubled about reports that the Navy’s sole fleet oiler in the CENTCOM region has been rendered temporarily inoperable. If we cannot fuel our ships, our capabilities will be greatly diminished,” Senator Wicker. “The Big Horn’s problems also speak to a larger challenge – we are woefully in need of a larger logistics fleet, which is the lifeline for our global military presence. I hope this incident serves as a wake-up call that it is high time to fix our shipbuilding industrial base and support our merchant mariners.”
    Senator Wicker posed the following questions to the Department of Defense:
    Where did the Big Horn take damage?
    What is the initial damage assessment for the Big Horn?
    What was the cause of the damage (weather, navigator error, etc.)?
    Can the Big Horn operate under its own power?
    What is the estimated time required for the repair of the vessel?
    Is there another vessel able to fill the capability gap? If so, when will it be in the area?
    Does the administration support additional executable funding for fleet oilers in the FY25 appropriations process?
    Senator Wicker noted the following facts related to shortfalls in the U.S. Navy’s logistics fleet:
    Senator Wicker’s recent “21st Century Peace Through Strength” report calls for adding funds for an additional T-AO fleet oiler, as well as investments into modular CONSOL adapter kits and related equipment to allow commercial ships to replenish Navy vessels.
    Senator Wicker’s budget amendment that passed through the Senate Armed Services Committee markup of the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act included $398 million for fleet oiler advance procurement.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Wicker Statement on President Biden Planning to Use Presidential Drawdown Authority for Ukraine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released the following comment in response to reports that the Biden-Harris administration intends to notify Congress that they will tap into the nearly $6 billion remaining in Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) for Ukraine.
     
    The authority to transfer weapons to Ukraine would expire October 1, 2024, unless Congress approves an extension. The administration does not plan to accelerate the transfer of weapons to Ukraine, meaning this nearly $6 billion package will be parceled out through the end of calendar year 2025 at current rates.
     
    “It is unfortunately typical of this administration to wait until the last possible moment to announce full use of the PDA. Brave Ukrainians are fighting and dying defending their country so that Americans and Europeans won’t have to. President Biden needs to expedite the actual transfer immediately. They need weapons, not words,” Senator Wicker said.
     
    Congress granted President Biden extensive use of drawdown authority for two reasons: It enables him as commander-in-chief to deliver weaponry at a much faster rate to Ukraine than most other tools, and it would help the United States fortify its defense industrial base for the long term with replenishment funding.
     
    Senator Wicker also highlighted the following facts:
     
    Almost three years into this war, the Biden-Harris administration has not publicly articulated a strategy for Ukrainian victory, nor any measurement for the speedy delivery of weapons.
    Almost three years into this war, the Biden-Harris administration has yet to private or publicly conduct an assessment of how much weaponry the United States could give to Ukraine given that weapons transfers to date have significantly degraded the Russian military.
    Utilizing the PDA would expedite the distribution of artillery, air defense interceptors, missiles, and more from our stockpiles.
    In 2022, the Biden-Harris administration allowed nearly $3 billion in Ukraine support authority to expire.
    The Department of Defense is allowing decisions about weapons deliveries to take months longer than necessary, and some weapons systems contracts are now years behind where they could be.
    The spring 2024 national security supplemental was intended to last Ukraine through the election, with an authority to use $7.7 billion in weapons drawdowns. The Biden-Harris administration has not spent close to all of this figure, and is roughly supporting Ukraine at a pace four to six months behind the optimal tempo.
    The Biden-Harris administration still has roughly $2.8 billion in “recaptured” drawdown authority that they have not used.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Helps Congress Pass Two Bills to Combat Alzheimer’s & Improve Dementia Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – The number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s is growing fast.  One in three older Americans dies with dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.  And Congress needs to wisely prioritize research dollars to effectively combat Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. 
    The fight to find a cure and new treatments for Alzheimer’s got a significant boost this week as the U.S. House of Representatives approved a pair of bipartisan bills backed by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) that previously cleared the U.S. Senate.
    Now that they have cleared both chambers, the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) Reauthorization Act and the Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (AAIA), are headed to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
    The NAPA Reauthorization Act reauthorizes NAPA through 2035 as a much needed roadmap for coordinated federal efforts in responding to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.  Since NAPA was first passed in 2011, Alzheimer’s research funding has increased seven-fold.  Today, funding for research into Alzheimer’s and other dementias totals over $3.8 billion.
    The Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act would require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to submit an annual budget to Congress estimating the funding necessary to fully implement NAPA’s research goals.  This will help ensure Congress can make a well-informed decision  to determine necessary Alzheimer’s research funding levels.
    “This is a positive step toward renewing the nation’s commitment to healthy aging, boosting funding for Alzheimer’s research, and improving dementia care in Rhode Island and nationwide,” said Senator Reed, a cosponsor of both bills. “Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that impacts millions of families.  While real progress has been made over the last decade since we enacted NAPA, we’ve got to keep up the positive momentum.  These bipartisan bills will help ensure federal research investments into Alzheimer’s and dementia are wisely allocated and can fund breakthroughs, a cure, and effective help for caregivers and families struggling with this disease.” 
    According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6.9 million older Americans – including 22,000 Rhode Islanders — are living with Alzheimer’s disease in 2024, a nationwide increase of about 200,000 cases over last year, and the population is projected to nearly double by 2060 to 14 million people.
    Alzheimer’s costs the United States an astonishing $360 billion per year, including $231 billion in costs to Medicare and Medicaid, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, up $15 billion over the previous year
    As a member of the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Senator Reed helped provide a $275 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research in the fiscal year 2025 Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related Agencies Appropriations bill.  In 2019, NIH awarded Brown University researchers, along with Boston-based Hebrew SeniorLife (HSL), over $53 million in federal research funds  to lead a nationwide effort to improve health care and quality of life for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, as well as their caregivers.
    In 2011, U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) led passage of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (P.L. 111-375), which Senator Reed supported.  NAPA convened a panel of experts, who created a coordinated strategic national plan to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025.  The law was set to expire soon and needed to be reauthorized to ensure that research investments remain coordinated, and their impact is maximized.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Braun recognizes Wabash & Erie Canal Park in Senate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Mike Braun (Indiana)

    Senator Braun passed a resolution through the Senate this week celebrating the history of the Wabash & Erie Canal and the volunteer and community efforts in Carroll County to keep that history alive.

    The resolution:

    • celebrates the Wabash & Erie Canal as a historic landmark that preserves the story of the canal systems of the United States and their importance to early settlers for future generations;
    • recognizes the prominent role that the Wabash & Erie Canal, the second-largest canal in the world as of 2024, had in the growth and expansion of the United States, especially in the Midwest and in the State of Indiana;
    • recognizes Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal, Inc., for its extensive community efforts to preserve the Wabash & Erie Canal while offering educational and recreational services to the public; and
    • commemorates the 50th anniversary of Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal, Inc., that was founded to preserve canal history and make it possible for visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the last remaining navigable section of the Wabash & Erie Canal in the State of Indiana.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mullin Votes NO on Continuing Resolution After Chuck Schumer Failed to Bring Individual Appropriations Bills to the Floor

    US Senate News:

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

    Mullin Votes NO on Continuing Resolution After Chuck Schumer Failed to Bring Individual Appropriations Bills to the Floor

    Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) released the following statement after voting against a Continuing Resolution (CR) to move the government funding deadline to December 20th, 2024, after Senate Democrats, led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) failed to bring any appropriations bills to the Senate floor on time. 

    “I’m a no on this CR, because the Senate had every opportunity to fund the government through regular order, but instead, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer willfully abandoned his responsibility and refused to bring appropriations bills to the floor,” said Sen. Mullin. “Unlike Oklahoma’s state government, Washington’s fiscal house is broken, and its far past time Congress makes getting our fiscal house in order the top priority.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito, Carper Applaud Senate Passage of the WILD Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, celebrated unanimous Senate passage of the Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver (WILD) Reauthorization Act. The bipartisan legislation would reauthorize the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, which enables wildlife and habitat conservation in all 50 states and territories, and the Multinational Species Conservation Funds, which support the global conservation of imperiled species, including rhinos, elephants, tigers, great apes and turtles. The legislation now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “By passing the WILD Act, the Senate advanced the reauthorization of the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program that supports our conservation and habitat restoration efforts throughout the country, including West Virginia in the Chesapeake Bay watershed region. I appreciate Chairman Carper for leading on this legislation with me as we help strengthen conservation and wildlife programs in America and around the world,” Ranking Member Capito said.

    “Across our nation and around the world, climate change and habitat loss are threatening wildlife,” Chairman Carper said. “The bipartisan WILD Act tackles these threats head-on by enabling the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to promote voluntary conservation efforts. Additionally, this legislation helps to ensure the United States remains a global leader in protecting and conserving wildlife, including some of the world’s most imperiled species. I thank Senator Capito for her partnership on this important legislation and our colleagues for passing it through the Senate.”

    The WILD Act is supported by the following organizations: The Wildlife Conservation Society, World Wildlife Fund, National Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, National Audubon Society, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy.

    The full text of the legislation is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bipartisan Momentum Builds for Warehouse Worker Protection Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Bill Text (PDF)

    Washington (September 25, 2024) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, along with new co-sponsor Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), applauded the bipartisan momentum behind the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, legislation that would protect warehouse workers by prohibiting dangerous work speed quotas that lead to high rates of worker injuries. The legislation as re-introduced includes new enforcement authority for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as an exemption for small businesses. Senator Markey, along with Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), first introduced the Warehouse Worker Protection Act in May.

    “The Warehouse Worker Protection Act is about protecting the health and dignity of workers from the scourge of corporate greed at Amazon and other large companies,” said Senator Markey. “This movement is strong and growing, and we will not rest until warehouse workers know when they clock in that they will return home unharmed.”

    “Corporations too often prioritize profit over their workers’ safety and well-being, treating them like cogs in a machine. It has to stop. This legislation combats the warehouse industry’s worst practices while ensuring corporations do right by their employees in treating them with the dignity they deserve,” said Senator Hawley.

    “The momentum to protect workers is growing. These big companies hold a lot of power, they are literally controlling the lives of workers minute by minute with their productivity metrics and quotas,” said Senator Smith. “With this bill, we are saying, enough is enough. We’re putting accountability into this system and power back in the hands of workers subjected to systems that drive profits for billionaires while they wring workers dry.”

    “I have long fought to ensure that workplaces protect the health and safety of their employees. When giant corporations use intrusive surveillance technology and AI to track productivity, they can force warehouse workers to skip breaks and jeopardize their health and the health of their colleagues—all to meet quotas set by algorithms,” said Senator Casey. “By cracking down on dangerous surveillance technology, this legislation will help workers stand up for their own health and safety.”

    A copy of the reintroduced legislation can be found HERE.

    It is cosponsored by Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.).

    The Warehouse Worker Protection Act is endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the United Food and Commercial Workers, the National Employment Law Project (NELP), the Athena Coalition, and Oxfam America.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO | Braun to Novo Nordisk CEO: “Why are Americans paying more for the same drug?”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Mike Braun (Indiana)

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Braun questioned Novo Nordisk CEO, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, at the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Tuesday about the high prices of the company’s weight loss drug, Ozempic, in the United States.

    “This has everything to do with a system that’s broken with no transparency, no competition, barriers to entry, and by the way a consumer who doesn’t have the tools to really measure what the best value is.”—Sen. Mike Braun

    Partial Transcript of Senator Braun’s questions:

    Braun: “Are you making a profit on your Ozempic product when you’re selling it to Australia for $87 and you’re selling to the U.S. for $936? Are you making a profit at $87?

    Jørgensen: “Yes, we are and the price you mentioned in the U.S. is not what we get. That’s the list price.

    Braun: “So what are you getting in the U.S.? What price?”

    Jørgensen: “So I mentioned that on average for our products we give 74% in rebates to PBMs.”

    Braun: “And that was the chart that Senator Marshall held up that PBMs are making 74% and you’re getting 26%. So, you’ve got a screwed-up industry. Number one, when I’ve talked to other pharma folks, they regret that PBMs ever came into it. It would seem like since you make the product, that you could disassemble them or do something to go around it, if in fact this place won’t do something about it. Have you ever thought of that?”

    Jørgensen: “It’s very difficult Senator because they control what insurance is put in front of patients so they have integrated themselves with insurance companies and we negotiate against the PBMs, but they’re owned by the insurance companies so no matter what we do, they decide what products—”

    Braun: “Okay- and that’s kind of the conundrum, but you’re making a profit at $87 and of the $936, it would be the list price? Is that total being split between you and the PBM? I know you give big discounts to the PBM. Why do give them such large discounts for them to make that much money?”

    Jørgensen: “On this we have a high list price and give them rebates, we are not making it onto the insurance formulary. So, they make a fee based on the list price, you mentioned distribution, they don’t get a flat fee for the distribution.”

    Braun: “So, after you give the discounts, and you do everything, what is your revenue on Ozempic, roughly?”

    Jørgensen: “I don’t have that number from the top of my head.”

    Braun: “That is something that ought to be on the top of your head because most of us would want to see that so you could make the case against PBMs. That basic lack of transparency, that to me comes from the top, that cloaks the system, in general, is what is impacting the future of why in our own country it is 18% of our GDP and from Canada and Europe it is 12% of their GDP, Eastern Europe it is 6 to 7 %. And yes, rationing is maybe going to be one of the results, but it should never be to where something is going to cost that much more here versus there when you’re making a profit on it. Until you figure that out, everyone is going to think your industry is screwed up.”

    Senator Braun is the leader in the Senate on reforming PBMs and lowering drug prices through transparency:

    • Senator Braun’s landmark transparency legislation – the Health Care PRICE Transparency Act – would reveal all negotiated rates and cash prices between plans and providers so Americans can know the true cost of health care services before they pan, bringing down prices.
    • Senator Braun’s Drug Price Transparency Act would end the broken PBM system by requiring insurers and PBMs to pass rebates directly to consumers enrolled in commercial health plans and Medicare Part D. 

    MIL OSI USA News –