NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEW REPORT: Republicans’ Extreme Tax Law Will Slash Over $232 Million From Nevada Hospitals, Endanger Health Care Access

    US Senate News:

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

    Rosen Warns GOP-Passed “Big Beautiful Bill” Will Force Millions Off Health Coverage, Push Hospitals Toward Closure
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) is raising alarm following a new report that projects that Nevada hospitals will lose more than $232 million in annual revenue as a result of the recently-passed extreme Republican tax law. The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” includes severe cuts to Medicaid, which will decimate funding for hospitals and kick people off of their health insurance. These funding cuts will devastate rural providers and threaten access to care statewide.
    “At a time when Nevada is already facing a dire shortage of doctors, Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans will make it even harder for families to access the care they need by cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from hospitals in our state,” said Senator Rosen. “Republicans’ ‘Big Beautiful’ Betrayal will force maternity wards to close, emergency rooms to shutter, and families to have to drive hours for basic care. Hardworking Nevadans won’t forget that Trump made it harder and more expensive to see a doctor just so he could give more tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.”
    According to the report, hospitals that can see cuts in funding as a result of Republicans’ extreme law include:

    University Medical Center in Las Vegas: $45,408,749
    Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno: $32,126,708
    Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital in Elko: $3,144,661 
    Humboldt General Hospital in Winnemucca: $1,774,934 
    William Bee Ririe Hospital in Ely: $1,088,953 
    Battle Mountain General Hospital in Battle Mountain: $589,100 

    The full list of hospitals from this report can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been a steadfast champion for Nevada’s hospitals—particularly those serving rural areas—through bipartisan legislation and federal funding wins. Earlier this year, she helped introduce bipartisan legislation to bring more doctors to underserved areas by reauthorizing and expanding the Conrad 30 program. She also introduced the bipartisan REDI Act to address the doctor shortage in rural communities by easing student loan burdens on medical residents and the bipartisan SPARC Act to create a student loan repayment program for specialists practicing in rural areas. Most recently, she secured nearly $34 million in federal funding to support health care and critical infrastructure in Nevada’s rural communities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 07.08.2025 Sen. Cruz Announces Key Senior Staff Hire

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced the hiring of John Etue as Chief of Staff in his Washington, D.C. office.A Texas native, John Etue most recently served as Chief of Staff for U.S. Representative Roger Williams (TX-25), Chair of the House Small Business Committee. From 2009 to 2013, John served as Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison’s (R-TX) Advance Director. John holds a degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
    Sen. Cruz said, “I’m proud to announce the hiring of Texan John Etue as my new Chief of Staff. John has over two decades of experience working for Congressman Roger Williams, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, and the Texas state legislature. He is a native Texan and a selfless civil servant who will be an indispensable member of our team. Welcome to the team, John.”
    John Etue said, “I’m excited to be joining Team Cruz to bring the strong Texas spirit to Washington, D.C. It’s an honor to work for Senator Cruz and to support him in executing his legislative agenda and vision for America. I look forward to this new chapter.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaine Statement on Appointment to USMA Board of Visitors

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after he was appointed to the Board of Visitors for the United States Military Academy at West Point:

    “I am deeply honored to be appointed to the Board of Visitors for the United States Military Academy. Since 1802, the United States Military Academy has turned thousands of patriotic young people into some of the world’s finest military officers. I look forward to serving on the Board and working to continue the tradition and excellence that West Point has upheld across generations.”

    Kaine will serve on the Board for a term coinciding with the 119th Congress.

    The Board is the central governing body for the university and is composed of six presidential appointees, six senators, and five members of the House of Representatives.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Announces Nearly $5 Million in TRIO Student Support Services Grants for Maine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Department of Education’s action follows Senator Collins’ urging of the Secretary at an Appropriations Hearing.

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional TRIO Caucus, announced that the Department of Education has awarded a total of $4,981,867 in TRIO Student Support Services grants to 11 Maine colleges and universities. These grants are given to colleges and universities to improve the retention and graduation rates of first-generation and low-income college students. The announcement comes after Senator Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on the proposed elimination of TRIO programs at an Appropriations hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Education. 

    “I have seen the lives of countless first-generation and low-income students, not only in Maine, but across the country, changed by the TRIO program. I am glad the Secretary of Education followed through on the commitment she made to me at our Appropriations hearing to disburse these grants, and I will continue to urge the Administration to support this critical investment into our students and schools,” said Senator Collins.  

    The following Maine colleges and universities received Student Support Services grants:

    1. University of Maine – $694,807
    2. Central Maine Community College – $620,879
    3. University of Maine at Augusta – $566,531
    4. University of Southern Maine – $544,728
    5. Southern Maine Community College – $544,728 
    6. University of Maine at Presque Isle – $373,084
    7. University of Maine at Fort Kent – $356,773
    8. Kennebec Valley Community College – $352,531
    9. University of Maine at Farmington – $352,530
    10. Washington County Community College – $302,912
    11. Eastern Maine Community College – $272,364

    In June, Senator Collins announced the Department of Education’s release of TRIO Upward Bound Grants for Maine following her urging. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: After Passage of Republicans’ Megabill, New Hampshire Congressional Delegation Highlights Disastrous Impacts for Granite Staters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

    (Manchester, NH) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), alongside Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), held a press conference at Waypoint to highlight the harmful impacts of Republicans’ disastrous budget megabill on New Hampshire. Photos from today’s event can be found here.

    The bill will take health care and food assistance away from millions while also ending tax credits that help folks save on their utility bills, all to give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations. More than 46,000 Granite Staters will lose their health care coverage through Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act and thousands risk losing food assistance. It will also raise household energy and health care bills for everyone while adding trillions to the debt, in order to give the top .1% of people an extra $300,000 a year on average.

    “At a time when Americans are feeling squeezed by the cost of living thanks to President Trump’s chaotic trade war, we should be doing everything we can to make life more affordable for families,” said Senator Shaheen. “Instead, Republicans passed a ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that is going to take health care and food assistance away from Granite Staters to give trillions of dollars to corporations and the wealthiest, exploding the deficit in the process. There’s nothing beautiful about making life more expensive for families in order to give more money to billionaires. That’s why we’re going to continue to remind our Republican colleagues every day what their votes mean for the middle class.”

    “Despite bipartisan opposition, Republicans in Congress pushed through an unpopular budget bill that will have devastating impacts on New Hampshire,” said Senator Hassan. “I appreciated hearing directly from leaders at Waypoint about how this bill will affect the ability of Granite Staters to access health care and the ability of providers to deliver care. I know that I, along with Senator Shaheen and Representatives Pappas and Goodlander, will continue to push back against this devastating bill and I encourage Granite Staters to continue to speak out as well about the ways in which this bill harms their communities.”

    “President Trump and Republicans’ so-called ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ is a betrayal of working families. Hurriedly forced through Congress in the dead of night, this bill rips health care coverage away from millions of Americans, kills programs that are lowering energy costs, and leaves families unable to put food on their table for their children, all to give tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy,” said Congressman Pappas. “This administration and Republicans in Congress have ignored the needs of working families by enacting this cruel bill and starting a trade war that will increase costs. I will continue to stand with New Hampshire families and fight to protect access to health care, defend food assistance, and lower costs.”

    “Hardworking families across New Hampshire will pay the price and bear the burdens of the GOP’s big and truly brutal budget bill. The bill adds trillions of dollars to America’s already sky-high debt and rips healthcare away from millions of Americans by making the biggest cuts to healthcare in American history. It kills good-paying jobs and will jack up healthcare costs, energy costs, education costs, and more,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “At a moment when the cost crisis is standing between hardworking Americans and the American dream, I was a hard no on this bill. I’ll never stop working to prevent its worst provisions from going into effect.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Padilla, Booker, Colleagues Unveil New Bill to Require ICE to Display Clear Identification, Stop ICE Agents from Hiding Behind Masks, Plainclothes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Murray also joins Padilla and colleagues in a letter to DHS requesting information about ICE’s use of unidentified plainclothes agents

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in introducing new legislation to require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions. The Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act of 2025 would strengthen oversight, transparency, and accountability for the Trump administration’s indiscriminate and alarming immigration enforcement tactics that have terrorized communities in Washington state and across the country.

    Under the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda, civil immigration enforcement operations have increasingly involved Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers engaging with the public while wearing unmarked tactical gear, concealing clothing, and face coverings that obscure both agency affiliation and personal identity. Without visible badges, names, or insignia, members of the public often have no way to confirm whether they are interacting with legitimate government officials.

    This lack of transparency endangers public safety by causing widespread confusion and fear, especially in communities already subject to heightened immigration scrutiny. It also increases operational and safety risks for law enforcement personnel by creating an opportunity for immigration enforcement impersonators and compounding uncertainty in high-stress situations. Clear, consistent, visible identification helps reduce miscommunication during enforcement encounters, strengthens officer credibility, and improves public cooperation, all of which are vital to mission success. The VISIBLE Act would place a critical check on the government’s power, ensuring basic transparency safeguards that protect public trust and legitimacy in immigration enforcement operations.

    “Under the Trump administration, Americans have watched in horror as people have been abducted by unidentified masked agents and driven away in unmarked vans—these are scenes that shock the conscience and should never happen in America,” said Senator Murray. “I’ve heard from immigrant communities and people across Washington state about the pervasive sense of fear and alarm created when masked agents descend on a community without any visible identification, and residents have no way of knowing whether they are interacting with legitimate law enforcement. Anyone being detained by law enforcement in America deserves to know who is detaining them and why. The VISIBLE Act would simply require immigration enforcement officers to display their badge number and agency, and ensure that masked agents aren’t whisking people off the streets. This is a commonsense step that is badly needed as the Trump administration does everything it can to stoke fear and terror in immigrant communities and make everyone feel less safe.”

    “This bill is an important step toward keeping immigration enforcement officers and all the people in America safe. Masked, plainclothes officers create an unreasonable risk of escalating violence and unnerve everyone who sees them,”     said Scott Shuchart, Former ICE and DHS (Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties) Official. “As much as the cop in blues is a staple of American life, the masked bandit is a symbol of fear, and having government agents dressed like paramilitaries is un-American. Based on my experience in government, the VISIBLE Act makes good sense and would be straightforward for DHS officials to implement.”

    Specifically, the VISIBLE Act:

    • Requires immigration enforcement officers — including DHS personnel such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), federal agents detailed to immigration operations, and deputized state or local officers — to display clearly legible identification, including their agency name or initials and either their name or badge number, in a manner that remains visible and unobscured by tactical gear or clothing;
    • Prohibits non-medical face coverings (such as masks or balaclavas) that obscure identity or facial visibility, with exceptions for environmental hazards or covert operations; and
    • Requires DHS to establish disciplinary procedures for violations, report annually to Congress on compliance, and investigate complaints through its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

    The bill does not apply to covert or non-public facing operations, nor does it prohibit face coverings when necessary for officer safety. It also does not apply to enforcement actions conducted solely under criminal authority.

    The VISIBLE Act is also cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    The bill is endorsed by the ACLU and Public Counsel. 

    A one-pager on the bill is available HERE.

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.  

    Senator Murray also joined Senator Padilla and 12 other Democratic senators in a letter sent yesterday to Todd Lyons, Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), criticizing ICE for engaging in counterproductive, theatrical enforcement activities—including raids on courthouses and restaurants—and requesting information from the agency on its mask and uniform policies. The senators argued that these tactics are designed to sow fear and chaos and that allowing masked, plainclothes officers to engage in public raids creates situations where bad actors can commit crimes while claiming to be ICE agents.

    “As ICE engages in unprecedented numbers of immigration raids across the country, reportedly in response to arbitrary quotas set by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, it is crucial that ICE personnel not engage in conduct that is all but guaranteed to sow chaos and confusion and put law enforcement officers in danger,” the senators wrote. “Storming courthouses, grabbing students off the street, raiding places of work, and sweeping through restaurants at prime dining hours are in and of themselves tactics clearly designed to engender fear and sow chaos in the population. Doing so in plainclothes, with no identification of their name or agency, while wearing a mask designed to obscure the agent’s face, represents a clear attempt to compound that fear and chaos—and to avoid accountability for agents’ actions.

    The consequences of allowing unfettered plainclothes enforcement actions are clear. Not only does it frighten people and lead to increased chaos, but it also allows criminals to take advantage of this environment of uncertainty,” the Members continued. The Members alsoasked Acting Director to respond to the following questions by Monday, July 21st:  

    1. What are U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s policies with regards to wearing masks while on duty?
    2. What are U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s policies with regards to wearing uniforms or other identifiable markers while on duty?

    In addition to Padilla and Murray, the letter was also signed by Senators Blumenthal (D-CT), Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL) Hirono, Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Schiff (D-CA), Smith (D-MN), Van Hollen (D-MD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Welch (D-VT), and Wyden (D-OR).

    Full text of the letter is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Kennedy Introduce Resolutions Celebrating LSU Shreveport, LSU Baseball National Championships

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced two resolutions recognizing the Louisiana State University Shreveport (LSUS) Pilots and the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers baseball teams for winning their respective 2025 national championships. The LSUS Pilots secured the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Baseball National Championship and made collegiate baseball history by completing a perfect 59-0 season. The LSU Tigers won the 2025 NCAA Division I College World Series, claiming their eighth national title, the second-most in NCAA history.
    “It’s hard to have a better year for baseball in Louisiana than this,” said Dr. Cassidy, an LSU alumnus. “The LSU Shreveport Pilots made history, doing something no college team has ever done before: going a perfect 59-0. And a huge congratulations to the LSU Tigers on fighting their way to another national championship up in Omaha. These young men and their coaches earned every single win and made our entire state proud. Geaux Pilots and Geaux Tigers!”
    “The LSU Shreveport Pilots are what ‘cool’ looks like. This baseball team capped off an undefeated season and the longest win streak in college baseball history with an NAIA championship. That’s an achievement that deserves Senate recognition. Geaux Pilots!” said Senator Kennedy.
    “The LSU Tigers proved once again that they are NCAA baseball’s gold standard, delivering an undefeated run in Omaha and bringing yet another national title home to Louisiana. I’m proud to help introduce this resolution recognizing their hard work and congratulating Coach Jay Johnson and this impressive team on a job well done,” continued Senator Kennedy.
    The resolutions honor both head coaches, Brad Neffendorf of LSUS and Jay Johnson of LSU, for leading their teams to national titles. The resolutions also recognize the individual achievements of standout players on both teams and celebrate the impact these championships have on LSU Shreveport, Louisiana State University, the cities of Shreveport and Baton Rouge, and the entire state of Louisiana.
    Read the full resolution for LSU Shreveport here.
    Read the full resolution for LSU here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville Joins USDA and DoD Secretaries in Press Conference on Protecting American Farmland from China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    “We have to get the Secretary of Agriculture on CFIUS to protect our farmland. If we don’t do it, we’re going to continue to lose at the end of the day.”

    WASHINGTON – Today,U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins and Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Pete Hegseth and other government officials in a press conference announcing the Trump administration’s National Farm Security Plan. 

    During the event, Secretary Rollins announced that as of today, the Ag Secretary will enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) to be a permanent member of CFIUS. This is something Senator Tuberville has pushed for since he entered the Senate with his Foreign Adversary Risk Management (FARM) Act. In addition to the FARM Act, Sen. Tuberville has introduced multiple other pieces of legislation to help combat the rise of foreign influence in our domestic ag supply chains during his time on the Senate Ag Committee, including the AFIDA Act and the Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act. According to the most recent data from the USDA, Alabama has the fourth-highest amount of foreign-owned farmland, at 2.2 million acres.

    Read Sen. Tuberville’s remarks below or watch on YouTube or Rumble. 

    “I always looked for a day like this when I was coaching. I’d work the hell out of them, and we’d line up down there in the parking lot and just run for about an hour, you know?

    Just think about it right now though, our farmers every day go out every morning to scratch the ground, to try to make a living, and try to feed all of us in this country. And they’re very important. I’m on the Ag Committee [and the] Armed Services Committee. I’ve seen it all. I’m not a politician. I’ve been on the front row and been able to watch the devastation of our farming community in the last four years under the Democrat, Socialist, Communist Biden party. It was devastating.

    Input costs [were] high, $5 diesel, [and] instead of a $700,000 cotton picker, they’re a million dollars and a half. They wanted to put our farmers under. We lost 150,000 farms and 25,000 farmers in the last few years. Folks, we are in trouble in Ag. Real trouble. And we just tried to help them with reference prices in the Big Beautiful Bill we just passed, but they’re gonna need a lot of help. They are scratching and clawing just to make a living.

    Thanks [to] Brooke for putting this on. 

    China is a threat. They’re not [just] a threat— they are dominating us in almost everything that they do because we’ve sat back, and the politicians have been counting their money instead of doing what’s right, and helping this country stay in the front. We’ve got to be number one. We can’t be number two. We’ve got to fight back. They are coming into our country and buying our farmland.

    In my state of Alabama alone, they own 2.2 million acres of farmland. That’s right—in Alabama—foreign adversaries [own our land]. It’s embarrassing, what we’ve done. Now, don’t blame the farmers. The farmers have to make a living. And if they can’t make a living, they have to sell their farmland.

    The Biden Administration forced our farmers to sell their farmland by all the things they did to them—it’s a disgrace. Brooke is going to bring that back. President Trump’s going to bring that back.

    The one thing I’m trying to do is I’m trying to pass the FARM Act [and the Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from] Foreign Adversaries Act. What is that? We have a group in this country called CFIUS. CFIUS is a group of Cabinet members that determine who buys what if there is a foreign sale. I mean, they all get together, and they look at it, whether it’s a steel company, whether it’s farmland, whether it’s some kind of business, that’s what CFIUS does. And it’s made up of high-ranking Cabinet members in the White House. Who is not on there? The Secretary of Agriculture. What the hell are we doing? I mean, how far behind are we? We have to get the Secretary of Agriculture on CFIUS to protect our farmland. If we don’t do it, we’re going to continue to lose at the end of the day.

    So, thanks for being here. In a few minutes, we’re lining up down in this endzone, and we’re going to start running this way until I get tired of watching.

    Thank you very much. God bless you.”

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy, Cassidy introduce resolution celebrating LSU baseball’s national championship

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) today introduced a resolution celebrating the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers’ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I championship—the Tigers’ eighth national title and second in three years.
    “The LSU Tigers proved once again that they are NCAA baseball’s gold standard, delivering an undefeated run in Omaha and bringing yet another national title home to Louisiana. I’m proud to help introduce this resolution recognizing their hard work and congratulating Coach Jay Johnson and this impressive team on a job well done,” said Kennedy.
    “It’s hard to have a better year for baseball in Louisiana than this. A huge congratulations to the LSU Tigers on fighting their way to another national championship up in Omaha,” said Cassidy, an LSU alumnus. 
    The full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy, Cassidy introduce resolution celebrating LSU Shreveport baseball’s championship, perfect season

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
    WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) today introduced a resolution celebrating the Louisiana State University Shreveport (LSU Shreveport) Pilots’ perfect season, 59-0 win streak and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) championship win.
    “The LSU Shreveport Pilots are what ‘cool’ looks like. This baseball team capped off an undefeated season and the longest win streak in college baseball history with an NAIA championship. That’s an achievement that deserves Senate recognition. Geaux Pilots!” said Kennedy.
    “The 2025 LSU Shreveport Pilots made history by doing something no other collegiate baseball team has ever done: going a perfect 59-0. These young men and their coaches earned every win and made all of Louisiana proud. Geaux Pilots!” said Cassidy. 
    “We are incredibly proud of our Pilots Baseball Team members. The word, ‘lose’ is simply not in their vocabulary. No college baseball team has ever before gone an entire season without a single loss and I suspect none ever will again. These student athletes have thus secured for themselves a place in college sports history,” said Robert T. Smith, Chancellor of LSU Shreveport.
    “We are extremely honored and excited to receive this recognition! We had an incredible year, which was the result of all the incredible people involved. This has been a very rewarding time for our University, the city of Shreveport and our program. The players are extremely deserving of the praise they have been given and they are more than deserving of it! We want to thank everyone involved and we look forward to continuing the success!” said Brad Neffendorf, head coach of the LSU Shreveport Pilots baseball program.
    The full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA:  ICYMI: Senator Scott Talks Gig Worker Benefits and Bipartisanship on Squawk Box 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
    WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) joined Joe Kernen on Squawk Box to discuss a recently introduced legislation package concerning gig workers in America.
    [embedded content]
    Click here or on the image above to watch the full interview.
    On Creating a Positive Environment for Gig Workers…
    “What we need as a country is exactly the opposite of what the Democrats want in California. We want an environment that is conducive to increase our labor participation by giving workers the kind of environment that allows them to choose who they work for, when they work, and how they’re going to be compensated. If we can get there by relaxing the test on the common law with the NLRA, we find ourselves in a position where we can attract more people back to the workforce. And as you know, Joe, with the benefits for businesses and the big beautiful bill, plus deregulation and an environment that attracts more workers back to the workforce, we can have this economy humming.”
    On the Needs of Independent Contractors…
    “What we want to do as a nation is give people options and choice. Optionality is incredibly important for the 21st century worker. They don’t always want to be an employee. Sometimes they’re better off being a contractor, so they’re working for three or four different companies at the same time. That kind of flexibility allows for folks to meet their needs at home and at work– And frankly, from an educational perspective as well.”
    On Bipartisanship in the Senate…
    “We continue to work for, look for partners where there’s common ground that makes common sense. If we find that here, and I think we can, we can move it forward. It will not be from California, it won’t be from New York, and it won’t be from Illinois. But there are folks from other states that may work with us.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Scott Accepting Applications for Fall 2025 Internships

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is now accepting applications for internships in his Washington, D.C., North Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville offices for the fall of 2025. Applications will be accepted through the end of the summer. The internship program offers undergraduate and graduate students the chance to work with public service professionals and gain practical experience in constituent services, federal policy, and more. Students of all majors, particularly those studying governmental affairs, public policy, or communications, are welcome to apply.  
    Washington, D.C. Office: In Washington, interns will research legislation, attend congressional hearings and briefings, assist with press tasks, and help manage correspondence on various issues. Responsibilities also include answering phones and other administrative tasks. Interns in this office will gain a stronger understanding of the lawmaking process, while also improving their communication and customer service skills.
    South Carolina Offices (North Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville): In the state offices, interns will take an active role in the community, working on state-based projects while also answering phones, completing research, and being an integral part of day-to-day office operations. Interns in these offices are able to assist with issues that affect South Carolinians each day.
    Internship hours are flexible to accommodate students’ course schedules but generally run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students may also gain course credit for completing the internship program. Interested students can apply through Senator Scott’s website at https://www.scott.senate.gov/constituent-services/internships. For additional questions, contact the internship coordinator at internships@scott.senate.gov or (202) 224-6121. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Markey on Trump’s Tariff War, Civil Rights, and Climate on Dan Koh’s People’s Cabinet Podcast

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Watch: Senator Markey on “The People’s Cabinet”

    Washington (July 1, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Top Democrat on the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee and the Primary Health and Retirement Security Subcommittee of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, recently spoke with Dan Koh for his podcast “The People’s Cabinet,” discussing his fight to exempt small businesses from Trump’s tariffs, how what Tufts student Rümeysa Öztürk’s case shown a spotlight on the threats to due process in the Trump era, and Donald Trump’s attacks on the Green New Deal, clean energy, and the environment. Below are excerpts from their conversation.

    Threats to Small Businesses

    “I’m listening to small businesses in Massachusetts and across the country, and uniformly they are terrified by Trump’s tariff regime. A larger business might be able to ride out the uncertainty of the tariffs for a year, but for a small business – they live week to week, or month to month, and they can’t have that kind of cloud over them indefinitely. The most vulnerable businesses in America are small businesses, which is why I have a bill that would exempt small businesses from the tariffs. These tariffs could be an extinction event for small businesses, and they are the ones who are paying the price.”

    Threats to Due Process

    “Rumeysa [Ozturk] was picked up off the streets right just a couple of miles from my house in Malden, in Somerville, and I knew it was part of a much larger story in our country. Rumeysa Ozturk had not been charged with a crime. People realized that what happened to her could happen to them in the Trump era – that there could be a curtailment of their fifth amendment due process rights and first amendment right to free speech. Trump was weaponizing his government to go after people who he considered to be threats to the country without any evidence.”

    Green New Deal

    “To a very large extent, the Green New Deal changed the whole discussion in the Democratic party about the issues we should be focusing upon, and to a certain extent, it’s all going to be on the table in 2026. I’m very confident that our vision of talking about a cleaner environment but also housing, education, breaking up monopolies, and making sure there are opportunities for everyone regardless of income and regardless of race is going to be a very powerful and winning message in 2026.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Mullin Highlights Historic Border Security and Air Traffic Control Modernization in ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’

    US Senate News:

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

    ICYMI: Mullin Highlights Historic Border Security and Air Traffic Control Modernization in ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’

    “This will put us in in the driver’s seat again and put us where we need to be.”

    Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joined SiriusXM’s Patriot’s David Webb on The David Webb Show to unpack the enormous border security wins in President Trump’s historic ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ (OBBB) in the wake of recent violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Senator Mullin also spoke about the importance of modernizing the air traffic control industry.

    Sen. Mullin’s full interview can be found here.

    On how the Democratic Party is fueling the attacks on our ICE agents:

    “What’s really damning here is that the people who call on violence on the ICE agents have been absolutely silent about that. That’s the Democrat leaders. I mean, they have been the ones that stirred this fire. They’re the ones that have [stoked] the flames, and I would say, led to this…

    “The Democrat Party has still said nothing about it. But are we surprised? Because this lawless activity is what they received in their own hometowns, which most these people are not from that, they’re from a blue state, from a blue city. When you start looking at their backgrounds, these are the leaders that have actually [stoked] these flames, that brought these people into this rage, that thinking that this is okay.”

    On how the OBBB restores America’s sovereignty at the southern border:

    “Keep in mind that the Biden administration, over the last four years, gutted the ICE agents, gutted the retention centers, they gutted the Border Patrol, and they handcuffed, I would say not literally, but dang near, anybody from being able to enforce border law and border security, meaning that the people that were crossing, 89% of the individuals crossing illegally was detained and released into the United States on parole, which means they was never actually in the hearing, which they should have been, in less than 24 hours. And so the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ restored that. We put $46 billion to finish the wall…

    “God forbid something happens in three and a half years, and God forbid we get a Democrat back in the White House, they can’t stop this. This wall is going to be completed, and honestly probably be completed before President Trump leaves office, and then we put just over $4 billion for new agents, up to 10,000 ICE agents and those agencies related to ICE, because ICE isn’t the only one going in and arresting illegals. We also use local law enforcement, and we want to reimburse local law enforcement that’s willing to work with us.”

    On the importance of $12.5 billion in OBBB to modernize our air traffic control industry:

    “Air and Space has become our second largest industry in our state. But also, what a lot of people don’t realize is, in Oklahoma City, we train all the air traffic controllers across the United States. We have a huge facility there. And one thing you’d be surprised when you go into these towers, they’re using technology from the 80s, literally from the 80s, instead of using a true GPS system that we all have in our vehicles…

    “With the $12 billion, we’ll be able to start going into these towers systematically and upgrading the systems to technology that every other aviation system in the world is using…

    “This will put us in in the driver’s seat again, and put us where we need to be. And luckily, we have an actual Transportation Secretary that knows what they’re doing, not, you know, Pete Buttigieg.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Reed and Coons Release Joint Statement on Cancellation of Ukrainian Weapons Shipments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Ranking Senate Defense Appropriator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement following reports that the Pentagon had cancelled already-promised weapons shipments to Ukraine: 
    “The Pentagon’s reported cancellation of already-promised weapons shipments to Ukraine risks the lives of the brave Ukrainian men and women on the front lines of freedom and rewards President Putin and his Russian forces. This assistance – including vital air defense interceptors and artillery munitions – was provided by Congress and designated to be delivered months ago. Ukraine continues to enjoy strong, bipartisan support across Congress, and we call on Secretary Hegseth to immediately restart the steady supply of these munitions.
    “This is the latest and most dramatic blow to our support for Ukraine. It comes at a perilous time, just after Russia conducted the biggest missile strike of the three-year war on civilian targets in densely populated Ukrainian cities, and on the heels of North Korea’s announcement that it would send tens of thousands more troops to aid in Russia’s brutal invasion.
    “Putin continues to be the foremost obstacle to peace. Unable to meet his goals on the battlefield, he has long hoped he could simply outlast the West. If Secretary Hegseth does not reverse this damaging step, we risk proving Putin right. President Zelenskyy has agreed to an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine. In contrast, Putin has rejected this deal time and again.
    “Despite that stark reality, the administration has decided not to enforce our existing sanctions against Russia, declined to join our European allies in levying additional sanctions, and now we are walking away from supplying Ukraine with American weapons they need to defend their sovereignty, and protect their hospitals, churches, schools, and apartments from relentless Russian attacks.  This is not theoretical for the Ukrainians. They are not preparing stocks for some potential future fight. Their fight is now, their people are in the crosshairs.
    “We agree with the president’s stated objective of bringing about a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. President Trump has a critical opportunity to actually achieve peace through strength: to improve Ukraine’s leverage and force Putin to negotiate. The United States must stand with the people of Ukraine. The world is watching. Our adversaries are watching.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed: Trump’s Forced Retreat on Deeper VA Layoffs Highlights Power of Advocacy & Military Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – After the Trump Administration abandoned plans to cull a total of 83,000 employees from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by the end of this year and will instead reduce its workforce by 30,000 VA workers, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA), which oversees VA funding, issued the following statement:
    “The Trump Administration’s forced retreat on more mass layoffs at the VA is a reprieve for veterans and their families.  The Trump Administration’s initial arbitrary workforce cuts have already harmed veterans and their families.  Trump and DOGE were downsizing simply for downsizing’s sake – not because they carefully studied appropriate staffing levels.  Their careless cuts diminished essential services and increased wait times.  Further cuts would have been an abject disaster and halting them is significant.  This about face is a direct result of strong advocacy from veterans, their families, and everyone who cares about keeping our promise to those who serve.  Now we need to reverse the loss of 30,000 VA employees, restore staffing levels, and get the VA running at full capacity again so it can deliver for those who faithfully served.”
    As of June 1, 2025 the VA’s workforce was made up of 467,000 employees, a reduction of nearly 17,000 positions from the 484,000 VA employees on January 1, 2025. There are approximately 15.8 million veterans in the U.S.
    Today, the Trump Administration announced it is on pace to reduce VA staff by nearly 30,000 employees by the end of this fiscal year.
    “We’ve got to ensure our veterans get the care and benefits they need.  The arbitrary mass-layoffs have already had a negative impact on customer service for veterans and we’ve got to ensure the VA does a better job going forward and is accountable to those they serve,” said Reed.
    The VA provides medical care and education, disability, funerary, financial, and other health benefits earned by veterans of the United States Armed Forces.
    In March, Senator Reed spoke out against the Trump Administration’s proposal to cut over 80,000 workers from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Cassidy Outlines Plan to Save Social Security in Op-Ed

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) penned an op-ed in the Washington Post outlining his “Big Idea” to save Social Security by creating a sovereign wealth fund—separate from the Social Security Trust Fund—dedicated to protecting the program for all current and future Social Security beneficiaries. Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) in penning the op-ed.
    “There is a nationwide appetite to implement a bipartisan, commonsense plan like ours. Waiting until the Social Security Trust Fund is on the eve of crisis would have difficult and preventable consequences. Congress should seize the moment,” wrote the senators.
    Read the full op-ed here or below.
    Our Bipartisan Plan Could Rescue Social Security
    If Congress doesn’t act, the Social Security Trust Fund will be insolvent as soon as 2033, and millions of Americans who have been paying into the program will see a significant portion of their promised benefits cut. That’s why we’re working on a bipartisan proposal for a new investment fund that would infuse much-needed money into Social Security, while ensuring no one on Social Security or nearing retirement sees any change to the benefits whatsoever.
    Social Security is currently funded through payroll taxes, which are not keeping pace with the amount needed to sustain the program. For now, the Social Security Trust Fund — which is invested exclusively in U.S. government bonds yielding low returns — is helping to fill the gap, but it can’t for long. The most recent Social Security Trustees Reportshowed that payroll tax revenue will fall more than $25 trillion short of owed benefits over the next 75 years, in today’s dollars, if the trust fund becomes insolvent. We propose creating an additional investment fund — in parallel to the trust fund, not replacing it — that would be invested in stocks, bonds and other investments that generate a higher rate of return, helping keep the program from running dry.
    We estimate that it would take a $1.5 trillion up-front investment into the fund to get it going, and we propose giving the fund 75 years to grow. The Treasury would temporarily shoulder the burden of providing benefits to Social Security beneficiaries — but when the new fund’s 75 years are up, it would pay the Treasury back and supplement payroll taxes to help fill the future gap.
    The result? The consistent delivery of Social Security benefits for generations of Americans, and a reduction to the United States’ long-term indebtedness by up to 20 percent.A substantial majority of Americans are concerned about the challenges facing Social Security. We understand if they also question whether politicians could use the proceeds of the new fund we propose for other objectives.That risk can be effectively managed by putting in place guardrails modeled after those used by the Thrift Savings Plan, including a fiduciary duty to seek a maximal return on investments and deterrence measures to address concerns that a future Congress might want to raid the fund. As for transparency, the new fund should be subject to annual audits published online.
    We know a program like this could work because it already has. In 2001, Congress created the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust — a diversified investment fund designed to ensure retirement benefit payouts for railroad workers. The trust has remained firmly in the black, with returns even exceeding expectations at some points and with payments consistently remaining reliable and on schedule. Our proposal is also consistent with virtually every other pension plan — state and private — currently operating in our country, and it matches the strategy most nations use to fund their retirement programs.
    There is a nationwide appetite to implement a bipartisan, commonsense plan like ours. Waiting until the Social Security Trust Fund is on the eve of crisis would have difficult and preventable consequences. Congress should seize the moment.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Padilla Unveil New Bill to Require Immigration Officers to Display Clear Identification

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, introduced new legislation to require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions. The Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act of 2025 would strengthen oversight, transparency, and accountability for the Trump Administration’s indiscriminate and alarming immigration enforcement tactics that have terrorized communities across California and the nation.

    Under the Trump Administration’s mass deportation agenda, civil immigration enforcement operations have increasingly involved Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers engaging with the public while wearing unmarked tactical gear, concealing clothing, and face coverings that obscure both agency affiliation and personal identity. Without visible badges, names, or insignia, members of the public often have no way to confirm whether they are interacting with legitimate government officials.

    This lack of transparency endangers public safety by causing widespread confusion and fear, especially in communities already subject to heightened immigration scrutiny. It also increases operational and safety risks for law enforcement personnel by creating an opportunity for immigration enforcement impersonators and compounding uncertainty in high-stress situations. Clear, consistent, visible identification helps reduce miscommunication during enforcement encounters, strengthens officer credibility, and improves public cooperation, all of which are vital to mission success. The VISIBLE Actwould place a critical check on the government’s power, ensuring basic transparency safeguards that protect public trust and legitimacy in immigration enforcement operations.

    “For weeks, Americans have watched federal agents with no visible identification detain people off the streets and instill fear in communities across the country. Reports of individuals impersonating ICE officers have only increased the risk to public and officer safety. The lack of visible identification and uniform standards for immigration enforcement officers has created confusion, stoked fear, and undermined public trust in law enforcement,” said Senator Booker. “The VISIBLE Act is a necessary response grounded in law enforcement best practices that will prohibit immigration enforcement officers from wearing face coverings and require them to display their name or badge number and the agency they represent. We must act to maintain trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, and this legislation is a necessary step toward a more transparent, accountable, and safe immigration enforcement system.”

    “When federal immigration agents show up and pull someone off the street in plainclothes with their face obscured and no visible identification, it only escalates tensions and spreads fear while shielding federal agents from basic accountability,” said Senator Padilla. “Immigration agents should be required to display their agency and name or badge number — just like police and other local law enforcement agencies. The VISIBLE Act’s commonsense requirements will restore transparency and ensure impersonators can’t exploit the panic and confusion caused by unidentifiable federal immigration enforcement agents.”

    “This bill is an important step toward keeping immigration enforcement officers and all the people in America safe. Masked, plainclothes officers create an unreasonable risk of escalating violence and unnerve everyone who sees them,” said Scott Shuchart, Former ICE and DHS (Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties) Official. “As much as the cop in blues is a staple of American life, the masked bandit is a symbol of fear, and having government agents dressed like paramilitaries is un-American. Based on my experience in government, the VISIBLE Act makes good sense and would be straightforward for DHS officials to implement.”

    Specifically, the VISIBLE Act:

    • Requires immigration enforcement officers — including DHS personnel such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), federal agents detailed to immigration operations, and deputized state or local officers — to display clearly legible identification, including their agency name or initials and either their name or badge number, in a manner that remains visible and unobscured by tactical gear or clothing;
    • Prohibits non-medical face coverings (such as masks or balaclavas) that obscure identity or facial visibility, with exceptions for environmental hazards or covert operations; and
    • Requires DHS to establish disciplinary procedures for violations, report annually to Congress on compliance, and investigate complaints through its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

    The bill does not apply to covert or non-public facing operations, nor does it prohibit face coverings when necessary for officer safety. It also does not apply to enforcement actions conducted solely under criminal authority.

    The VISIBLE Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Gary Peters (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    The bill is endorsed by the ACLU and Public Counsel.

    A one-pager on the bill is available here.

    To read the full text of the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Announces New Communications Director, Staff Promotions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) announced a new hire and staff promotions on his communications team.  

    • David Bergstein has joined Booker’s office as Communications Director. Most recently, Bergstein served four years as Communications Director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). During the 2020 presidential cycle, Bergstein served as Director of Battleground State Communications for the Democratic National Committee. His additional experience includes working as the National Press Secretary for the DSCC, Southern Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and holding senior communications roles on campaigns for Senate, Governor, U.S. House and Mayor. 
    • Jeff Giertz has been promoted to Staff Director of Senate Democrats’ Strategic Communications Committee, which is chaired by Senator Booker. Giertz most recently served as Senator Booker’s Senior Advisor and Communications Director. Giertz first joined Booker’s office in 2015, and also worked as National Communications Director on Booker’s presidential campaign in 2019. 
    • Maya Krishna-Rogers has been promoted to Senior Advisor. Krishna-Rogers most recently served as Senator Booker’s Deputy Communications Director. She first joined Booker’s office in 2022 as National Press Secretary.

    “David’s knowledge and skills will strengthen our tremendously talented communications team in the fights ahead – and I look forward to working with David, Jeff, and Maya to stand up for New Jerseyans and all Americans in this moment when the need for clear voices, a strong message and new tactics has never been more important,” said Senator Booker.

    “Senator Booker is a leader who stands up no matter how tough or how long the fight, and his voice rallies Americans of every background and political persuasion to do what is right. I look forward to joining his team and I’m excited to get to work,” said Senator Booker Communications Director David Bergstein. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, Collins, Golden Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Our Troops and Strengthen Domestic Manufacturing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to ensure our troops are wearing high quality, safe and reliable footwear as part of their uniforms. The Better Outfitting Our Troops (BOOTS) Act would expand current uniform regulations to ensure the combat boots worn by our servicemembers are entirely manufactured in America and made with U.S.-sourced materials thus strengthening our national security and creating good-paying jobs.

    U.S. Representative Jared Golden (D-ME-02), a Marine Corps. combat veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), is an original sponsor of companion legislation in the House.

    “Our military depends on the availability, accessibility, safety and quality of the uniforms worn by our servicemembers,” said Senator King. “The bipartisan BOOTS Act will ensure that all combat boots and parts worn by the American military are made in the USA—both boosting our domestic economy and ensuring the safety of the boots supply chain. Thank you to my colleagues for putting our servicemembers first.”

    “Requiring our servicemembers’ combat boots to be produced in the United States with American materials improves military readiness and strengthens our defense industrial base,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would help avoid supply disruptions in times of crisis, create more jobs and investment domestically, and better outfit our nation’s troops.”

    “American warfighters should be supplied American gear, including footwear,” said Representative Golden. “Ensuring domestic suppliers are first in line to provide equipment to our service members is good for troops, good for the jobs, and good for domestic manufacturing. I’m proud to cosponsor the BOOTs Act to provide American-made footwear to the men and women who volunteer to defend America.”

    The BOOTS Act would mandate that all optional combat boots worn by U.S. military servicemembers are Berry Amendment-compliant, or 100 percent made in the United States with U.S.-sourced materials. The current loophole has allowed for a major increase in low quality, foreign-made boots and has led to a significant decline in demand from American companies, which in turn reduces domestic manufacturing capabilities and undermines the domestic defense supply chain. In the event of a major conflict, the current clothing and textile supply chain would be too fragile to meet demand.

    This legislation is endorsed by A&E, American Sole, Belleville Boot Co., Draper Knitting, Emtex Global, G-Form, Glacial Lakes Rubber and Plastics, Grassland Stamping, Hope Global Manufacturing, Mississippi TanTec, McRae Footwear, Meramec, Meridian, Milliken, New Balance Athletics, PolyLabs, Rubberlite, Signet Mills, SX Industries, Thorogood, Unifi, Vibram Corporation, W.L. Gore and Associates, Worthen Industries, YKK USA, American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), U.S. Footwear Manufacturers Association (USFMA) and Warrior Protection and Readiness Coalition (WPRC).

    “The BOOTs Act closes a gap in the Berry Amendment by requiring all military footwear sold through Department of Defense exchanges to be domestically sourced. Currently, foreign-made boots undermine military readiness and disadvantage American manufacturers, weakening the U.S. supply chain. This commonsense change ensures uniform consistency, reduces confusion for servicemembers, and supports the domestic industrial base as manufacturers rebuild capacity,” said Bill McCann, Executive Director of the United States Footwear Manufactures Association.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Announces the Nomination of Joshua Dunlap to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today that Joshua Dunlap, of Scarborough, Maine, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. 

    In February, Senator Collins established a Federal Appointments Advisory Committee to evaluate candidates for Senate-confirmed positions in Maine. As the senior Republican member of Maine’s congressional delegation, Senator Collins is advising the Trump Administration as it selects candidates for federal positions in the state, and the Committee’s recommendations are an integral part of that process.

    “Mr. Joshua Dunlap was a top candidate recommended by my Federal Appointments Advisory Committee for this important position.  Mr. Dunlap currently serves as a Partner at Pierce Atwood LLP where he co-chairs the firm’s Appellate & Amici team. His wealth of appellate experience, along with his intelligence and temperament, make him an excellent choice to serve on the federal bench,” said Senator Collins. “A native of Vassalboro, now living in Scarborough, he will serve Maine well in this critical role. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to swiftly confirm Mr. Dunlap.”

    A native of Vassalboro, Maine, Mr. Dunlap is currently a partner in the litigation group of Pierce Atwood LLP, where he co-chairs the firm’s Appellate & Amici team. He has practiced at Pierce Atwood for over fifteen years, handling substantial civil litigation matters in both appellate and trial courts. 

    His practice in federal and state courts has involved a wide range of common law, statutory, and constitutional claims. Mr. Dunlap currently serves as the chair for the Maine Appellate Rules Committee, to which he was appointed by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. 

    As an associate, Mr. Dunlap assisted multiple special masters, including the Honorable William J. Kayatta, Jr., and Ralph I. Lancaster, Jr., in overseeing original jurisdiction proceedings before the Supreme Court of the United States. 

    Prior to returning to Pierce Atwood, Mr. Dunlap clerked for the Honorable Paul J. Kelly, Jr., of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

    Mr. Dunlap graduated from the Notre Dame Law School, where he was the first in his class. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Announces More Than $4.4 Million for TRIO Student Support Services Grants for Maine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Department of Education’s action follows Senator Collins’ urging of the Secretary at an Appropriations Hearing.

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional TRIO Caucus, announced that the Department of Education has awarded a total of $4,437,139 in TRIO Student Support Services grants to 11 Maine colleges and universities. These grants are given to colleges and universities to improve the retention and graduation rates of first-generation and low-income college students. The announcement comes after Senator Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on the proposed elimination of TRIO programs at an Appropriations hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Education. 

    “I have seen the lives of countless first-generation and low-income students, not only in Maine, but across the country, changed by the TRIO program. I am glad the Secretary of Education followed through on the commitment she made to me at our Appropriations hearing to disburse these grants, and I will continue to urge the Administration to support this critical investment into our students and schools,” said Senator Collins.  

    The following Maine colleges and universities received Student Support Services grants:

    1. University of Maine – $694,807
    2. Central Maine Community College – $620,879
    3. University of Maine at Augusta – $566,531
    4. University of Southern Maine – $544,728
    5. Southern Maine Community College – $544,728 
    6. University of Maine at Presque Isle – $373,084
    7. University of Maine at Fort Kent – $356,773
    8. Kennebec Valley Community College – $352,531
    9. University of Maine at Farmington – $352,530
    10. Washington County Community College – $302,912
    11. Eastern Maine Community College – $272,364

    In June, Senator Collins announced the Department of Education’s release of TRIO Upward Bound Grants for Maine following her urging. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Announces More Than $4.4 Million for TRIO Student Support Services Grants for Maine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Department of Education’s action follows Senator Collins’ urging of the Secretary at an Appropriations Hearing.

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional TRIO Caucus, announced that the Department of Education has awarded a total of $4,437,139 in TRIO Student Support Services grants to 11 Maine colleges and universities. These grants are given to colleges and universities to improve the retention and graduation rates of first-generation and low-income college students. The announcement comes after Senator Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on the proposed elimination of TRIO programs at an Appropriations hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Education. 

    “I have seen the lives of countless first-generation and low-income students, not only in Maine, but across the country, changed by the TRIO program. I am glad the Secretary of Education followed through on the commitment she made to me at our Appropriations hearing to disburse these grants, and I will continue to urge the Administration to support this critical investment into our students and schools,” said Senator Collins.  

    The following Maine colleges and universities received Student Support Services grants:

    1. University of Maine – $694,807
    2. Central Maine Community College – $620,879
    3. University of Maine at Augusta – $566,531
    4. University of Southern Maine – $544,728
    5. Southern Maine Community College – $544,728 
    6. University of Maine at Presque Isle – $373,084
    7. University of Maine at Fort Kent – $356,773
    8. Kennebec Valley Community College – $352,531
    9. University of Maine at Farmington – $352,530
    10. Washington County Community College – $302,912
    11. Eastern Maine Community College – $272,364

    In June, Senator Collins announced the Department of Education’s release of TRIO Upward Bound Grants for Maine following her urging. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Announces More Than $4.4 Million for TRIO Student Support Services Grants for Maine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Department of Education’s action follows Senator Collins’ urging of the Secretary at an Appropriations Hearing.

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional TRIO Caucus, announced that the Department of Education has awarded a total of $4,437,139 in TRIO Student Support Services grants to 11 Maine colleges and universities. These grants are given to colleges and universities to improve the retention and graduation rates of first-generation and low-income college students. The announcement comes after Senator Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on the proposed elimination of TRIO programs at an Appropriations hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Education. 

    “I have seen the lives of countless first-generation and low-income students, not only in Maine, but across the country, changed by the TRIO program. I am glad the Secretary of Education followed through on the commitment she made to me at our Appropriations hearing to disburse these grants, and I will continue to urge the Administration to support this critical investment into our students and schools,” said Senator Collins.  

    The following Maine colleges and universities received Student Support Services grants:

    1. University of Maine – $694,807
    2. Central Maine Community College – $620,879
    3. University of Maine at Augusta – $566,531
    4. University of Southern Maine – $544,728
    5. Southern Maine Community College – $544,728 
    6. University of Maine at Presque Isle – $373,084
    7. University of Maine at Fort Kent – $356,773
    8. Kennebec Valley Community College – $352,531
    9. University of Maine at Farmington – $352,530
    10. Washington County Community College – $302,912
    11. Eastern Maine Community College – $272,364

    In June, Senator Collins announced the Department of Education’s release of TRIO Upward Bound Grants for Maine following her urging. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Marches in Burlington/Lowell 4th of July Parade

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Click HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE for individual photos

    Burlington, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins marched in the Burlington/Lowell 4th of July parade in Burlington. Joined by Representative Mathew McIntyre and other Maine legislators, Senator Collins celebrated the holiday with hundreds of Mainers from the Burlington and Lowell area who came to partake in the day’s festivities, which, in addition to the parade, included the annual pancake breakfast, a BBQ lunch, a vendor fair, a disc golf tournament, and concludes with a firework display tonight in Burlington.

    “Each Independence Day, we gather to celebrate our great nation and to express our sincere gratitude to the founding generation of Americans who risked everything so that we could live in freedom,” said Senator Collins. “As we come together with family and friends to enjoy parades, fireworks, and festivities, let us also take pause to honor the legacy of those who came before us by continuing to work toward a more perfect union for future generations.”

    In addition to her participation in the Burlington/Lowell parade, Senator Collins, along with Senator King, announced last month that the U.S. Navy agreed to send the guided missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) to Eastport for their 4th of July celebration today.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Booker Unveil New Bill to Require Immigration Officers to Display Clear Identification

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Booker Unveil New Bill to Require Immigration Officers to Display Clear Identification

    Padilla also leads 13 Democrats in letter to DHS requesting information about ICE’s use of unidentified plainclothes agents

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced new legislation to require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions. The Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act of 2025 would strengthen oversight, transparency, and accountability for the Trump Administration’s indiscriminate and alarming immigration enforcement tactics that have terrorized communities across California and the nation.

    Under the Trump Administration’s mass deportation agenda, civil immigration enforcement operations have increasingly involved Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers engaging with the public while wearing unmarked tactical gear, concealing clothing, and face coverings that obscure both agency affiliation and personal identity. Without visible badges, names, or insignia, members of the public often have no way to confirm whether they are interacting with legitimate government officials.

    This lack of transparency endangers public safety by causing widespread confusion and fear, especially in communities already subject to heightened immigration scrutiny. It also increases operational and safety risks for law enforcement personnel by creating an opportunity for immigration enforcement impersonators and compounding uncertainty in high-stress situations. Clear, consistent, visible identification helps reduce miscommunication during enforcement encounters, strengthens officer credibility, and improves public cooperation, all of which are vital to mission success. The VISIBLE Act would place a critical check on the government’s power, ensuring basic transparency safeguards that protect public trust and legitimacy in immigration enforcement operations.

    “When federal immigration agents show up and pull someone off the street in plainclothes with their face obscured and no visible identification, it only escalates tensions and spreads fear while shielding federal agents from basic accountability,” said Senator Padilla. “Immigration agents should be required to display their agency and name or badge number — just like police and other local law enforcement agencies. The VISIBLE Act’s commonsense requirements will restore transparency and ensure impersonators can’t exploit the panic and confusion caused by unidentifiable federal immigration enforcement agents.”

    “For weeks, Americans have watched federal agents with no visible identification detain people off the streets and instill fear in communities across the country. Reports of individuals impersonating ICE officers have only increased the risk to public and officer safety. The lack of visible identification and uniform standards for immigration enforcement officers has created confusion, stoked fear, and undermined public trust in law enforcement,” said Senator Booker. “The VISIBLE Act is a necessary response grounded in law enforcement best practices that will prohibit immigration enforcement officers from wearing face coverings and require them to display their name or badge number and the agency they represent. We must act to maintain trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, and this legislation is a necessary step toward a more transparent, accountable, and safe immigration enforcement system.”

    “This bill is an important step toward keeping immigration enforcement officers and all the people in America safe. Masked, plainclothes officers create an unreasonable risk of escalating violence and unnerve everyone who sees them,” said Scott Shuchart, Former ICE and DHS (Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties) Official. “As much as the cop in blues is a staple of American life, the masked bandit is a symbol of fear, and having government agents dressed like paramilitaries is un-American. Based on my experience in government, the VISIBLE Act makes good sense and would be straightforward for DHS officials to implement.”

    The ongoing immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles County by unidentified federal agents have stoked fear and uncertainty throughout the region amid President Trump’s unprecedented escalation of militarized tactics. Recently at Dodger Stadium, plainclothes immigration agents parked outside of the stadium lot without identifying themselves. In Bell, masked agents wearing fatigues detained at least three people at a car wash, and in Pasadena, an agent exited an unmarked vehicle in the middle of the road and aimed his pistol at a group of pedestrians without identifying himself. From June 6 to June 22, immigration enforcement agents — many lacking identifying information — arrested 1,618 immigrants for deportation in Los Angeles County and surrounding areas.

    Specifically, the VISIBLE Act:

    • Requires immigration enforcement officers — including DHS personnel such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), federal agents detailed to immigration operations, and deputized state or local officers — to display clearly legible identification, including their agency name or initials and either their name or badge number, in a manner that remains visible and unobscured by tactical gear or clothing;
    • Prohibits non-medical face coverings (such as masks or balaclavas) that obscure identity or facial visibility, with exceptions for environmental hazards or covert operations; and
    • Requires DHS to establish disciplinary procedures for violations, report annually to Congress on compliance, and investigate complaints through its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

    The bill does not apply to covert or non-public facing operations, nor does it prohibit face coverings when necessary for officer safety. It also does not apply to enforcement actions conducted solely under criminal authority.

    The VISIBLE Act is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    The bill is endorsed by the ACLU and Public Counsel.

    A one-pager on the bill is available here.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    Senator Padilla also led 13 Democratic Senators in a letter criticizing ICE for engaging in counterproductive, theatrical enforcement activities — including raids on courthouses and restaurants — and requesting information from the agency on its mask and uniform policies. The Senators argued that these tactics are designed to sow fear and chaos and that allowing masked, plainclothes officers to engage in public raids creates situations where bad actors can commit crimes while claiming to be ICE agents.

    In addition to Padilla, the letter was also signed by Senators Blumenthal, Booker, Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Hirono, Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Murray, Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Schiff, Smith, Van Hollen, Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Welch, and Wyden.

    Full text of the letter is available here.

    Senator Padilla has been outspoken in criticizing Trump’s mass deportations and unprecedented militarization and escalation of tensions by deploying National Guard troops and active-duty U.S. Marines to respond to overwhelmingly peaceful protests in Los Angeles. Padilla recently led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty servicemembers to American cities. Padilla spoke on the Senate floor following his forcible removal from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s press conference, where he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed after attempting to ask a question. He has spoken at a spotlight hearing and on the Senate floor multiple other times to blast President Trump for manufacturing a crisis by launching indiscriminate ICE raids across Los Angeles and using that crisis to dramatically expand executive power. Padilla is also leading legislation to restrict the President’s authority under the 217-year-old Insurrection Act and limit the domestic deployment of military troops for law enforcement purposes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Edd the Florist

    US Senate News:

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

    RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Edd the Florist of Wapello County.  Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
    “Since the Wiltz family purchased it in 1956, Edd the Florist has blossomed into a scent-sational institution in Ottumwa,” said Chair Ernst. “Hans Wilz has stayed rooted to his parents’ dreams, while expanding to provide gifts and gourmet foods for the community. Serving the community for nearly 70 years, this small business is blooming with success.”
    As the second-generation owner of Edd the Florist, Hans Wilz remains committed to providing Ottumwa and beyond with quality products curated with care. Family and entrepreneurial values are front and center as the business approaches its 70th anniversary. After emigrating from Germany, Margaret and Karl Wilz purchased the shop to pursue the American Dream, and Hans carries their legacy on today.
    Stay tuned as Chair Ernst recognizes more Iowa small businesses across the state with her Small Business of the Week award.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Recognized for Support of Medical Education and Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) was recognized with the 2025 Champion of Academic Medicine Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) for demonstrating extraordinary leadership advancing priorities that benefit patients, medical educators, academic institutions and the broader health care system. 

    “I’m proud to champion the vital work of our nation’s academic medical centers, medical schools and the future physicians they train. Strengthening our health care workforce, especially in rural and underserved communities, is critical to improve access to care and support the next generation of providers in Arkansas and across the country for years to come. I look forward to further advocating key policies that protect and enhance medical education,” Boozman said.

    AAMC President and CEO Dr. David Skorton, along with Founding Dean and CEO of Alice L. Walton Medical School Dr. Sharmila Makhija and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences outgoing Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson, presented Boozman with the award in his Washington office.

    “We applaud Sen. Boozman for his tireless efforts to highlight and support the critical work of the nation’s academic health systems and teaching hospitals in driving innovation and improving patient care,” Skorton said. “His strong support and steadfast leadership has paved the way for lawmakers to better understand what’s at stake –– a growing nationwide physician shortage, a dire need for the United States to remain competitive in health care innovation and economic growth, and an urgent need to invest in the advancements that save patient lives.” 

    In March, Boozman introduced the Physicians for Underserved Areas Act and the Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act to increase available medical residency spots, prioritize placement in rural and underserved areas and ease financial burdens on medical professionals completing their medical training. 

    Boozman has also been at the forefront of a bipartisan push to lift the 25-year freeze on Medicare-supported graduate medical education positions, including helping to secure more than 1,000 new residency slots.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Mullin on Securing America’s Borders with the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ICYMI:

    US Senate News:

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

    ICYMI: Senator Mullin on Securing America’s Borders with the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ICYMI:

    Washington, D.C. – On Sunday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joined Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” to discuss how the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ and President Trump are securing America’s borders and making the country safe again. Senator Mullin also touted the record retention and recruiting numbers seen by the military under President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth’s leadership. Highlights below.

    Sen. Mullin’s full interview can be found here.

    On the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ providing funding to complete the southern border wall:

    “Look, first of all, what we’re going to do is actually complete the wall. The last time that President Trump started the wall, obviously you saw the Biden administration come in and just wreak havoc on it and sell the material at pennies on the dollar. So, the first thing we’re doing is we’re actually putting this into law by putting $46 billion to finally complete the wall all the way across our southern border.”

    On the ‘all-out attacks’ faced by border officials:

    “It’s not just land crossings, but it’s going across water, going around. It’s overwhelming our Coast Guard, the Marines, are able to augment that. We’re having to have a lot more sea power that you probably wouldn’t see when you’re thinking of just human smuggling and drug smuggling. It’s literally an all-out attack.”

    On President Trump securing America’s borders and making the U.S. safe again:

    “This is why President Trump has made it a high priority. He is the guy who’s going to save America from imploding from within.”

    “This is what peace through strength looks like, Jason. When you’re not just sitting back playing whac-a-mole, or just simply inviting them in like the Biden administration, President Trump is pushing forward.” 

    “President Trump now has made it a focus to not just focus on the southern border, but our northern border too, and he is restoring law and order on our borders.”

    On record breaking military recruiting and retention numbers:

    “If you’re a young man and you’re a patriot, you want to serve underneath this president. He is being forward thinking. I mean, you have Secretary Hegseth, that is absolutely a warrior leader that is appointed by President Trump. You’re having a strong emphasis on actually restoring America back to where it is. And you know President Trump isn’t going to put you into an endless war. He’s not going to use you as some type of political pawn. He is going to use you in a way that our military was designed for.” 

    “He brings pride back to our military, and that’s where you’re seeing recruiting numbers go through the roof. And not even recruiting numbers, but retention, people that were on their way out have decided, ‘Wait a second, I want to serve underneath President Trump. I want this as my commander in chief. I want to do great things and have generational changes inside DOD.’ And President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are delivering that.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell on Continuing U.S. Lethal Assistance to Ukraine

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today regarding the delivery of weapons to Ukraine:

    “Today, the strategic incoherence of underfunding our military and restricting lethal assistance to partners like Ukraine is measured in the avoidable erosion of American credibility with allies and the mounting deaths of innocents. 

    “I’m glad that President Trump wants to resume deliveries of lethal capabilities to Ukraine. America’s policy of providing lethal support to Ukraine began during his first term, and likely helped deter earlier Russian escalation.

    “This time, the President will need to reject calls from the isolationists and restrainers within his Administration to limit these deliveries to defensive weapons. And he should disregard those at DoD who invoke munitions shortages to block aid while refusing to invest seriously in expanding munitions production. The self-indulgent policymaking of restrainers – from Ukraine to AUKUS – has so often required the President to clean up his staff’s messes. And the budget OMB sent to Congress does not put America on a path to peace through strength.”

    MIL OSI USA News –