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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Statement on House Passage of One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

    07.04.25

    Legislation Heads to President Trump to be Signed into Law

    BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill, legislation that delivers on promises to:

    • Provide permanent tax relief for American families and small businesses.
    • Secure the border. 
    • Rebuild our military.
    • Support farmers and ranchers by passing the heart and soul of the farm bill.
    • Unleash American energy dominance.

    At the same time, the legislation finds savings of $1.6 trillion through common sense reforms and reducing waste, fraud and abuse, ultimately reducing the deficit by $507 billion.

    “The One Big Beautiful Bill will make our nation more prosperous and more secure. We worked to pass this legislation to provide permanent tax relief for American families that will enable them to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks. We invest in priorities like border security, national defense, unleashing American energy dominance and passing the heart and soul of the farm bill for our farmers and ranchers. At the same time, we find $1.6 trillion in savings to help with our debt and deficit. This bill delivers on the priorities that President Trump promised to get our nation back on track.”

    Tax Relief for Families and Small Businesses

    The legislation permanently extends current individual tax rates and bracket changes of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, providing $4 trillion in tax relief and will increase take-home pay by up to $10,900 in the first four years for the typical family, resulting from economic growth and tax relief.

    The bill provides new and expanded tax deductions and credits for individuals, families and seniors, including:

    • No taxes on tips or overtime for millions of American workers.
    • Increasing and making permanent the enhanced child tax credit at $2,200, with $1,700 of that amount being refundable, adjusted for inflation.
    • Permanent relief from the death tax by setting the exemption to $15 million or $30 million for those married filing jointly, adjusted for inflation.
    • Savings accounts for newborns to help build financial security.
    • A new $6,000 tax deduction for millions of low- and middle-income seniors. Combined with other deductions, this will result in the average beneficiary paying zero taxes on Social Security. 

    The legislation helps small businesses, including agricultural producers and manufacturers invest in their operations by:

    • Permanently extending the Section 199A pass-through deduction for small businesses, farmers and ranchers.
      • Permanently extending the Section 199A(g) deduction used by agricultural cooperatives.
    • Increasing the Section 179 expensing amount to $2.5 million and increasing the phaseout for qualified property at $4 million.
    • Establishing a 100 percent accelerated depreciation for new industrial and manufacturing facilities that begin construction between 2025-2028.
    • Making permanent the 30 percent interest expense allowance.
    • Permanently extending the 100 percent domestic research and development deduction.
    • Making permanent 100 percent bonus depreciation.

    Support for Farmers and Ranchers

    To support the nation’s farmers and ranchers, Hoeven worked to pass the heart and soul of the farm bill in the One Big Beautiful Bill.  The legislation improves the farm-safety net to meet today’s markets and input costs, essentially providing a seven year farm bill. Specifically, the bill:

    • Increases reference prices for Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) by 10% to 20% (specific increase varies by commodity).
      • Built-in future reference price increases with an inflation adjuster and an improved price escalator to prevent reference prices from becoming outdated when market and input costs change.
      • New safety net begins right away – producers can receive the higher of the ARC or PLC payment for this crop year, 2025, with the new updated reference prices. North Dakota farmers will see tens of millions of dollars in relief in 2025 alone thanks to these updates.
    • Includes key provisions of Hoeven’s FARMER Act to strengthen and expand access to affordable crop insurance:
      • Increases premium support for individual-based coverage across nearly all levels – starting at 55% — by an additional 3-5%.
      • Enhances the Supplemental Coverage Option by raising the coverage level from 86% to 90%, and boosts premium support from 65% to 80%.
    • Extends the sugar program through 2031, while increasing the sugar loan rate to better align with current market conditions.
    • Improves livestock disaster programs
      • Sets Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) payments at 100% of market value for losses from federally protected predators and 75% for weather and disease losses.
      • Improves the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) to provide one monthly payment to eligible producers with grazing land in counties rated D2 (severe drought) for at least four consecutive weeks and two payments if D2 persists during any seven of eight consecutive weeks within the normal grazing period.

    Unleashing U.S. Energy Dominance

    The One Big Beautiful Bill will help restore American energy dominance by rolling back burdensome Green New Deal policies and empowering domestic energy production, including:

    • Increasing the value of the 45Q tax credit for captured carbon used in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and utilization to match that of sequestration.
    • Requiring the Interior Department to hold regular oil and gas lease sales across federal lands and waters.
    • Requiring the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to act timely on coal lease applications.
    • Reducing the royalty rate for oil, gas and coal produced on federal land to their levels prior to the Biden administration’s tax-and-spend legislation.
    • Stopping the Biden-era natural gas tax.
    • Investing in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
    • Providing regulatory relief for energy producers and repeals Biden-era Green New Deal policies and programs.

    Bolstering the Military

    • $25 billion to support the Golden Dome initiative, with investments in hypersonic testing, ground-based radars, and space-based sensors that support North Dakota-based missions and capabilities.
    • $15 billion to enhance nuclear deterrence, including the nuclear missions based at Minot Air Force Base:
      •  $2.5 billion for the new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program.
      • $500 million to sustain the existing Minuteman III ICBM.
      • $200 million for additional MH-1139 Grey Wolf helicopters.
    • Improves servicemembers’ quality of life through increased allowances and special pays, as well as improvements to housing, health care, childcare, and education.

    Securing the Border

    • Completes construction of the border wall, and upgrades barrier systems including access roads, cameras, lights, and sensors.
    • Improves border screening technology to help prevent drug trafficking and human smuggling.
    • Strong funding to hire and train more border security personnel.
    • Funds the Operation Stonegarden grant program to equip state and local law enforcements to cooperate with Border Patrol.
    • Invests in state and local capabilities to detect threats from unmanned aerial systems.

    Supporting Water Infrastructure

    • Provides $1 billion in funding for Bureau of Reclamation Water Conveyance Projects, including for eligible projects like the Eastern North Dakota Alternate Water Supply Project (ENDAWS).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Moran Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Workers Earning College Credit for Apprenticeships

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) reintroduced the Apprenticeships to College Act, bipartisan legislation to allow workers to earn college credits for completed apprenticeships.
    “Apprenticeships are key to training our workforce and helping workers get the skills they need to work in high-demand fields,” said Klobuchar. “By providing college credits for completed apprenticeships, our bipartisan legislation will increase access to educational opportunities and position more workers for success.”
     “Apprenticeships provide young people with the necessary skills and experience to help ensure their success in high-demand careers following graduation,” said Moran. “Providing college credit to students for completed apprenticeships gives them valuable opportunities to learn and helps to meet critical workforce demands in Kansas and across the country.” 
    The Apprenticeships to College Act would formally codify the Registered Apprenticeship-College Consortium (RACC), a partnership between the Department of Labor and Department of Education to facilitate cooperation between apprenticeship programs and colleges. The legislation would also make improvements to the program to generate new agreements with two- and four-year colleges, ensure support services are available to apprentices, and expand collaboration between colleges and apprenticeships programs to measure the success of the RACC.
     In addition, Klobuchar and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) have introduced the bipartisan American Apprenticeship Act, which would help create and expand pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship programs. Klobuchar and Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) have also introduced the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act to help Americans save for skills training, certification, and credential programs. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Moran Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support Workers Earning College Credit for Apprenticeships

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) reintroduced the Apprenticeships to College Act, bipartisan legislation to allow workers to earn college credits for completed apprenticeships.
    “Apprenticeships are key to training our workforce and helping workers get the skills they need to work in high-demand fields,” said Klobuchar. “By providing college credits for completed apprenticeships, our bipartisan legislation will increase access to educational opportunities and position more workers for success.”
     “Apprenticeships provide young people with the necessary skills and experience to help ensure their success in high-demand careers following graduation,” said Moran. “Providing college credit to students for completed apprenticeships gives them valuable opportunities to learn and helps to meet critical workforce demands in Kansas and across the country.” 
    The Apprenticeships to College Act would formally codify the Registered Apprenticeship-College Consortium (RACC), a partnership between the Department of Labor and Department of Education to facilitate cooperation between apprenticeship programs and colleges. The legislation would also make improvements to the program to generate new agreements with two- and four-year colleges, ensure support services are available to apprentices, and expand collaboration between colleges and apprenticeships programs to measure the success of the RACC.
     In addition, Klobuchar and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) have introduced the bipartisan American Apprenticeship Act, which would help create and expand pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship programs. Klobuchar and Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) have also introduced the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act to help Americans save for skills training, certification, and credential programs. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wicker Details the Provisions of the Reconciliation Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., detailed the provisions of the reconciliation bill which President Trump will soon sign into law.
    “The reconciliation bill is an investment in the future of the United States. Through this legislation, the Senate secured a down payment on a generational upgrade for our nation’s defense capabilities. Many of the key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will be cemented and expanded. This will stimulate the economy and benefit job creators across the country. Additionally, this legislation will help secure the southern border and unleash American energy production. This legislation delivers on the promises Republicans made to the American people in November.”
    Click here for the full legislative text.
    Below is a list of provisions in the reconciliation bill that benefit Mississippians:
    Key tax cuts from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are made permanent with an adjustment for inflation.
    This reconciliation bill delivers the largest tax cut for the middle class in American history.
    The Child Tax Credit is doubled from $1,000 to $2,000, and the legislation increases tax credits available for childcare expenses.
    The adoption tax credit is now partially refundable, making it more affordable for families to manage costs related to adoption.
    A 20 percent small business deduction is maintained, ensuring small businesses can continue to invest in themselves and their employees.
    A 53 percent long-run wage increase for Mississippians. This legislation ensures Mississippians will take home more dollars and have improved economic security.
    Research and development expenditures will be fully expensed for small business owners. This provision encourages innovation, boosts productivity, and improves competitiveness for businesses across Mississippi.
    The creation of permanent opportunity zones. Making opportunity zones permanent provides certainty for the individuals and companies that utilize the credit and invest in underserved communities.
    Up to a $25,000 deduction for qualified cash tips received in occupations that customarily receive tips, available to both employees and independent contractors.
    The 1099-K reporting threshold increased to $20,000 and 200 transactions. This will reduce burdensome red tape and unnecessary regulations imposed by Democrats in 2021, improving economic activity and job creation across Mississippi.
    The New Market Tax Credit is made permanent, driving investment in rural and underutilized areas across Mississippi.
    Work requirements will now be required for Medicaid coverage, ensuring these benefits are available to those who are truly in need of care. This provision will also eliminate much of the waste, fraud, and abuse within Medicaid.
    Medicaid is no longer available for illegal immigrants.
    There is an allocated $50 billion over five fiscal years for states to carry out rural health transformation plans. This funding would be available to improve access to hospitals and ensure the financial stability of rural hospitals.
    This legislation repeals $6 billion in climate related Green New Deal funds, restores lease sales blocked by the Biden administration, cuts permitting red tape, and funds resupplying the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) with American-sourced energy.
    All unspent funds and unobligated money in the Inflation Reduction Act will be rescinded.
    The methane tax is paused for the next 10 years, stopping Democrats’ natural gas tax hike, which would have increased gas prices and continued Biden’s inflationary policies.
    The Federal Communications Commissions’ (FCC) spectrum auction authority is restored until September 30, 2034. The FCC would be required to auction at least 800 megahertz—500 megahertz of Federal and 300 megahertz of non-Federal spectrum—within an eight-year period.
    There is an allocated $4.3 billion for the procurement of Polar Security Cutters, which are built at the Bollinger Shipbuilding’s Pascagoula yard.
    A total of $175 billion on funding for securing the southern border, including:
    $46.5 billion for Customs and Border Protection for construction of the border wall.
    $45 billion for expanding ICE detention capacity.
    $4.1 billion for border patrol agents, air and marine agents, and field support personnel.
    $6 billion for border technology and screening upgrades.
    $10 billion in grant funding to reimburse states for border security expenses.
    The John C. Stennis Space Center will receive $120 million for infrastructure modernization projects. As NASA’s largest rocket propulsion test facility, these investments will enable NASA to update aging facilities and support development to attract commercial companies to the site.
    The Space Launch System for Artemis Missions IV and V receives $4.1 billion. All engines in the Artemis program are tested at the Stennis Center. This will enable additional testing of engines for Artemis V to continue at the Stennis Center.
    The legislation narrows the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) exceptions for work requirements for able-bodied adults, ensures benefits are available for those who truly need it.
    SNAP is no longer available for illegal immigrants.
    Commodities reference prices are increased to account for inflation so farmers and cattlemen can produce food here in the United States. It is imperative we are not relying on other nations for the food to feed our nation.
    Farm-raised fish producers who experience losses associated with bird predation are eligible for emergency assistance in the event of a disaster.
    The competitive research grants included in this bill for agriculture research facilities will ensure the next generation of students have access to cutting-edge facilities and research opportunities.
    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau funding would be decreased by 45 percent, limiting this unaccountable federal entity from issuing needless bureaucratic regulations that reduce consumer access to financial services.
    As Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Chairman Wicker secured a total of $150 billion for investment in our military. Below are a few of those provisions:
    $25 billion for the Golden Dome for America. This missile defense system will shield our homeland and troops in the age of hypersonic weapons.
    $29 billion for shipbuilding and the Maritime Industrial Base. Expands the size and enhances the capability of our naval fleet. Invests in autonomous surface and subsurface technology. Builds capacity and improves infrastructure in the maritime industrial base.
    $15 billion for nuclear deterrence. Accelerates modernization of the triad. Improves readiness of our current nuclear deterrent. Invests in infrastructure needed to restore America’s ability to manufacture nuclear weapons.
    $350 million to replace antiquated business systems and inject automation and AI at the DOD. This funding would support DOGE so that the DOD can finish its first audit by end of 2028.
    $16 billion to improve readiness, including through modernization of depots, additional spare parts for aircraft, and expanded naval maintenance.    
    $9 billion for service member quality of life. These funds increase allowances and special pays, as well as improvements to housing, healthcare, childcare, and education. 
    $16 billion to expedite innovation to the warfighter. This legislation increases scale production of innovative low-cost and next-generation weapons like drones, counter-drone tech, low-cost munitions, and artificial intelligence.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Praises House Passage of Reconciliation Bill with Historic RECA Expansion Included

    US Senate News:

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

    Thursday, July 03, 2025

    Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) championed the House of Representatives’ passage of the President’s landmark reconciliation legislation, the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, in which the senator secured the largest expansion ever of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), as well as an additional $1 billion in funding for Missouri Medicaid providers and recipients.
    Senator Hawley originally called on Congress to compensate victims of government-caused nuclear radiation on July 13, 2023. After nearly two years of negotiations—and two separate passages of RECA packages by the Senate in2023 and 2024—the senator’s hard-fought expansion of RECA now heads to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.

    To all the radiation survivors and nuclear veterans across the country: WE DID IT. Today, we have prevailed. Your country thanks you and honors your sacrifice. #MAHA
    — Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 3, 2025

    HUGE WIN for Missouri – after 5 decades, survivors of nuclear radiation will FINALLY be compensated by the government that poisoned them
    — Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 3, 2025
    Senator Hawley’s RECA provision will deliver long-overdue compensation and health care for survivors of radiation-linked cancers in the St. Louis and St. Charles areas, dating back from negligently exposed Manhattan Project waste. This provision will also expand compensation for uranium miners and downwinders in Western states who were exposed to fallout. The larger reconciliation bill will also deliver major relief for working people, such as no taxes on overtime, no taxes on tips, and a larger child tax credit for families. 
    Following negotiations between Senate GOP Leadership and Senator Hawley, the reconciliation legislation includes a new $50 billion fund for rural hospitals. This means that Missouri is set to receive approximately $1 billion in new funding to support providers and Medicaid recipients over the next five years. Senator Hawley also secured the delay of any Medicaid reductions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy School Choice Legislation Heads to President Trump’s Desk as Part of One, Big, Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today released a statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill that included Cassidy’s Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA). The bill is now headed to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.
    “Parents should decide where their kids go to school. This bill helps them do that,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I am grateful to see President Trump sign the first federal school choice bill into law as a part of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill.”
    “Passage of ECCA is a historic moment for educational freedom and parents’ ability to choose the best option for their children. Students deserve the opportunity to succeed in the setting which best meets their needs, and this investment will open new doors for millions of American families. It has been a privilege to work so diligently with Rep. Owens, Sen. Cassidy, and Sen. Scott to accomplish this historic legislation, and I look forward to continuing our work supporting American families as the Treasury Department implements this legislation,” said Representative Adrian Smith (NE-03).
    In January, Cassidy and U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) led their colleagues in introducing ECCA to expand educational freedom and opportunity for students. Specifically, it provides a charitable donation incentive for individuals and businesses to fund scholarship awards for students to cover expenses related to K-12 public and private education. ECCA will be the first federal school choice legislation to be signed into law in American history.
    Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), John Thune (R-SD), John Cornyn (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Ted Budd (R-NC), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Kennedy (R-LA), Tommy Tubberville (R-AL), Jim Justice (R-WV), James Risch (R-ID), John Barrasso (R-WY), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Todd Young (R-IN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Katie Britt (R-AL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jon Husted (R-OH), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jim Banks (R-IN), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), John Boozman (R-AR), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Ashley Moody (R-FL).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Introduces Critical Legislation to Fund Community Violence Intervention

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, legislation that would create a new Office of Community Violence Intervention (CVI) and a new grant program within the Department of Health and Human Services to award $5 billion in grants to community-based, nonprofit organizations and eligible units of local government to create or support evidence-based and prevention programs to interrupt cycles of violence. U.S. Representative Steven Horsford (D-NV-04) introduced companion legislation in the House. 
    Community violence should no longer be a problem for law enforcement to react to after it has occurred. We must invest in community-based violence intervention and prevention initiatives that stop this violence from happening in the first place. This legislation would provide resources to community outreach programs, hospital-based violence intervention programs, gun violence interventions strategies, and violence interruption and crisis management initiatives.
    “Too many people in New Jersey and across our country continue to lose loved ones to senseless gun violence,” said Senator Booker. “By investing federal dollars into programs and methods that work to prevent gun violence, we can do something about the violence plaguing our communities before it happens. The Break the Cycle of Violence Act will empower communities with the resources they need to reduce gun violence, save lives, and make our neighborhoods safer.” 
    Over the past decade, gun violence has risen sharply in communities across the United States, with a particularly devastating impact on predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods. Between 2018 and 2021, the rate of firearm-related deaths increased by 100 percent for Black youth and by 50 percent for Hispanic youth. In 2021, Black children represented 46 percent of youth firearm deaths though they represent only 14 percent of the youth population in the U.S. In 2023, there were 46,278 gun deaths—the third-highest annual total on record, trailing only 2022 and 2021. Shootings, homicides, and group violence continue to pose a serious and disproportionate threat to too many communities across the country.
    This violence has enormous human, social, and economic costs. Research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Violence Prevention found that “one-in-three youth living in inner cities show a higher prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder than soldiers” in the U.S. military during wartime. Gun violence harms rural communities as well, which suffer from a 37 percent higher death rate due to gun violence than urban communities. Gun violence costs the country approximately $280 billion per year.
    The Break the Cycle of Violence Act is endorsed by Community Justice, Sandy Hook Promise, Giffords Gun Violence Prevention & Advocacy, and Everytown for Gun Safety.
    “Over the last several years, cities across the country finally saw decreases in homicides and shootings, and that is only because of significant federal investment in community violence intervention (CVI) strategies,” Adzi Vokhiwa, Vice President of Policy at Community Justice, said. “However, Black and Brown communities continue to bear the brunt of gun violence. Without a doubt, more funding is needed to support CVI programs especially after the cancellation of many federal CVI grant awards earlier this year. If signed into law, the Break the Cycle of Violence Act would provide the largest federal investment in community-based and community-led efforts to end gun violence, expand workforce training for youth at the highest risk of violence, and help ensure the implementation of a public health approach to gun violence prevention. We thank Congressman Horsford and Senator Booker for recognizing the effectiveness and importance of CVI strategies and introducing this important legislation to save lives across the country.”
    “Gun violence manifests itself differently across U.S. communities, with children in many Black and Brown communities being disproportionally affected as well as children living in areas with high poverty rates,” Mark Barden, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund, and father of Daniel, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, said. “Lives can and will be saved when local leaders are equipped with the tools, training, and resources to address the unique circumstances of violence in their regions. We applaud the reintroduction of the ‘Break the Cycle of Violence Act,’ and encourage Congress to pass this important bill to protect children throughout our country.” 
    “Seemingly never-ending cycles of gun violence crush families, hurt the economy, and suppress communities’ ability to thrive. In particular, Black and Latino Americans bear the brunt of America’s gun violence and gun crime epidemic. But we have strategies and programs that are proven to save lives—all they need is sufficient funding,” Emma Brown, Executive Director of the national gun violence prevention organization GIFFORDS, said. “Every lawmaker, Republicans and Democrats alike, should support Representative Horsford and Senator Booker’s Break the Cycle of Violence Act. This bill, which GIFFORDS is proud to have shaped, will not only fund essential programs, but also provide jobs to American youth that will allow them to thrive and break the cycle of violence.”
    “Communities most impacted by gun violence need real resources—and the Break the Cycle of Violence Act delivers,” Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Executive Director of Moms Demand Action, said. “It invests in proven, lifesaving programs and puts support where it’s needed most: in the hands of grassroots leaders. We’re grateful to Rep. Horsford for reintroducing this critical bill.” 
    The Break the Cycle of Violence Act provisions include: 
    ·         $5 billion investment in anti-violence programs to create and support violence interruption and crisis management initiatives.
    ·         $1.5 billion investment in workforce training and job opportunities, including improved youth employment and training activities, paid work experience for school aged youth, and partnerships with community-based organizations to serve youth in high-crime and high-poverty areas.
    ·         An Office of Community Violence Intervention at HHS to implement evidence-based violence reduction initiatives.
    ·         A Community Violence Intervention Advisory Committee to ensure people with expertise in community violence intervention have a voice in CVI policies.
    ·         A National Community Violence Response Center to provide technical assistance for implementing community violence intervention and prevention programs.
    The Break the Cycle of Violence Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). 
    To read the full text of the bill, click here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Markey Demand Trump Admin Explains Potential Weeding Out of Immigration Judges Based on Political Beliefs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    July 03, 2025
    Trump admin appears to be filtering out judges based on whether they will be supportive of the administration’s immigration agenda
    “The administration must ensure that its conversion decisions are based solely on judges’ performance, not their perceived loyalty to the Trump Administration’s immigration agenda or any other criteria.” 
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) wrote to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) with concerns that the Trump administration’s decision not to retain certain immigration judges may be for politically motivated reasons. 
    Immigration judges are “non-political members of the career civil service.” They are selected through a rigorous application process and typically serve for a 2-year probationary appointment. After that period, their performance is evaluated to decide if they will be converted to a permanent position. Typically, almost all probationary immigration judges are converted to permanent immigration judges; in recent years, immigration judges have had about a 94 percent conversion rate. 
    In President Trump’s first term, the administration adjusted the process to “clarify” that the Deputy Attorney General and Attorney General conduct “a performance review” of probationary judges and that the AG “retains discretion” over whether to convert them. Even still, qualified judges were almost uniformly converted to become permanent judges.   
    However, in April, a class of 16 judges reached the end of their probationary period, and EOIR decided not to convert 8 of them, half the class, even though their supervising judges had recommended them for conversion. The judges were provided no rationale for their dismissal. 
    Some observers have noticed a pattern: judges with backgrounds working in immigration enforcement were converted by the Trump Administration, while many of those who previously worked in other parts of government, nonprofits, or private practice were not. 
    “We are concerned that EOIR may be deciding whether to convert judges… using their prior employment as an indicator of whether they will be supportive of the Administration’s immigration agenda,” said the senators. 
    EOIR invests significant time and energy in vetting and training each individual immigration judge. The onboarding process includes multiple rounds of interviews, an extensive background check, weeks of training, and time observing experienced judges in court. The hiring process itself often takes several months or longer. 
    “Allowing IJs to reach the end of this process and then simply dismissing them with no apparent rationale wastes taxpayers’ investment in each judge,” wrote the senators. 
    The decision to not convert judges also worsens the backlog of roughly 4 million cases pending in immigration court. Replacing these judges will likely take months, and for each month that each judge’s seat is unfilled, roughly 50 more immigration cases go unresolved. 
    The senators asked EOIR to provide the following information by July 27, 2025, explain the decision to not convert half of a class of immigration judges that reached the end of its probationary period this year, its plan to replace those judges, and the expected impact of the non-conversion on immigration cases across the country. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton, Boozman Applaud Trump Administration Decision to Uphold 14(c) Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact:     Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    July 3, 2025

    Cotton, Boozman Applaud Trump Administration Decision to Uphold 14(c) Program 

    Washington, D.C. — Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and John Boozman (R-Arkansas) released the following statement after the Trump administration reversed Joe Biden’s attempt to overturn section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

    “We applaud the Trump administration’s decision to reverse Joe Biden’s disastrous attempt to end 14(c). All people, regardless of their abilities, should have the opportunity for dignified work. The 14(c) program and organizations like MARVA and Abilities Unlimited provide many individuals with disabilities with a sense of accomplishment and community, and provides their families and caretakers with much needed support. ”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed: Final Passage of Trump-Republicans’ ‘Big, Ugly Betrayal’ Bill is a Bad Deal for American People

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, following a vote of 218-214 in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) issued the following statement assailing passage of Republicans’ ‘big, ugly’ reconciliation budget bill: 

    “Republicans knew this bill is a bad deal for their constituents and passed it anyway.  This bill goes against the self-interest of average Americans in favor of the ultra-wealthy and corporations.  It slashes the safety net out from under hardworking families – taking away health care from millions — in order to give special interests bigger tax benefits.  Republicans structured the bill so the ultra-wealthy can cash out right away while the little guy and average taxpayers will get stuck paying the bill for years to come.

    “During this unprecedented time of chaos and dysfunction, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and miss the latest developments. But the negative impacts of this bill must cut through the noise. Americans must be informed about the consequences of this legislation and they deserve to hear plainly from their elected representatives about how this bill is going to impact their families.

    “Republicans are shifting a heavier financial burden onto families, communities, hospitals, and states.  Taking away people’s health coverage doesn’t mean they stop getting sick or can’t see a doctor.  Health costs for everyone will rise.  And it takes away over one trillion dollars in federal funding that states and localities rely on to provide vital services like schools, transit, nutrition assistance and aid to families in crisis.

    “This fiscally irresponsible giveaway to the wealthy and well-connected is a debt-busting disaster.  It will cost U.S. taxpayers trillions of dollars in interest payments and Republicans unilaterally approved a record breaking $5 trillion dollar debt limit increase.  But that’s just debt already incurred – this bill will add trillions of dollars in future debt when it’s all said and done, with little to no long-term benefit for middle- and working-class families. 

    “Whatever short-term economic benefits this bill may offer, it will do lasting destructive damage to U.S. finances and young Americans will be forced to pay for it long after Donald Trump is gone.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: We Have Only Just Begun

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

    On July 1, after the longest vote-a-rama in Senate history, the Senate passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by a vote of 51-50. Here is why I voted yes. 

    With President Biden in the White House and majorities in both chambers of Congress, Democrats had every opportunity to repeal the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and increase taxes on “the rich.” They did not do so. Instead of returning to a reasonable pre-pandemic level of spending and deficits, once the economy recovered, they incurred deficits averaging $1.9 trillion over four years. If that wasn’t bad enough, President Biden also left office with open borders and raging wars.  

    By passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we have avoided a $4 trillion automatic tax increase and a default on our debt. Due to the enormous messes Biden and congressional Democrats left us, we are also providing additional funding for border security and defense.   

    While the bill is a step forward, we have only just begun the difficult task of reducing spending, and there is still a long way to go. A rigorous effort will soon be announced to review every program and every line of the federal budget, looking for ways to reduce spending to a reasonable pre-pandemic level. I look forward to being fully involved in that effort to put America on a path to fiscal sustainability.

    As a follow up to my May 21 Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations’ hearing entitled, The Corruption of Science and Federal Health Agencies: How Health Officials Downplayed and Hid Myocarditis and Other Adverse Events Associated with the COVID-19 Vaccines, I asked witnesses to “send me the science” to back up their hearing testimony. 

    We kept the record open until June 5, during which time Majority’s witnesses submitted hundreds of documents — including peer-reviewed studies — and thousands of citations about COVID-19 vaccine adverse events to accompany their testimonies. These records provide substantial support for the witnesses’ claims regarding the serious health risks associated with the COVID-19 vaccines. 

    At the hearing we released a Majority staff interim report and over 2,400 pages of records detailing the failure of Biden health officials to properly warn the public of the risks of myocarditis and related heart inflammation conditions following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. The hearing featured testimony from Dr. Peter McCullough, Dr. Jordan Vaughn, Dr. James Thorp, Dr. Joel Wallskog, and Mr. Aaron Siri, all of whom were invited  to speak about COVID-19 vaccine adverse events.

    Hawaii Governor Josh Green, the Minority’s witness at the hearing, submitted 33 pages of testimony in his written statement for the hearing. He then submitted 19 links to studies and articles to support his claims about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines one week after the hearing record officially closed.   

    I allowed Governor Green’s late submission to be included in the official record so that the public can compare the evidence that the governor presented in support of the COVID-19 vaccines to the multitude of documentation indicating the clear health risks associated with the injections.

    Documents and citations that the Majority’s witnesses entered into the record can be viewed here. 

    Governor Green’s submission to the record can be viewed here.

    Congratulations to Class 171 of the Joseph Project. These seven participants spent the week learning how to prepare for opportunities to put them on a successful path in the job market.

    We connect graduates with employers who are ready to hire and help with the job application and interview process. Once employment is secured, the Joseph Project provides transportation (free for one month) to participants to help establish good work habits. 

    While the U.S. Coast Guard Academy is the only service academy that does not require a congressional nomination, my staff stays abreast of the academic and service opportunities provided by this institution for young people in Wisconsin. 

    The other service academies — U.S. Military Academy (West Point), U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy — require a congressional nomination in addition to your application.

    Wisconsin students should be aware the deadline for nomination applications is September 19, 2025. Visit my website for more information. 

    The Senate passed a resolution I introduced designating July as National Sarcoma Awareness Month. The resolution raises awareness of sarcoma, a form of cancer, and honors the life of Hartford’s Melissa Locke and the many other Americans that this disease affects.

    I am pleased that my resolution passed the Senate in honor of Melissa Locke and the countless other Americans who have struggled with this life-threatening disease. I hope we can continue to increase awareness of this complex form of cancer that is diagnosed thousands of times each year.

    My staff is part of the Capitol Brew Crew softball team which plays against other Congressional offices. They are 4-2 overall and the last game of the season is against the team from the Office of Sen. Tammy Baldwin on July 17. Stay tuned!

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz, Cruz Lead Group Of 18 Senators In Urging Secretary Rubio To Bring Home Americans Wrongfully Detained In Venezuela

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) led a group of 18 senators in urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to continue efforts to bring home Americans who are currently wrongfully detained in Venezuela. In May, the State Department announced that Venezuela is currently unjustly jailing more Americans than any other country in the world. The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Jim Risch (R-Idaho).

    “Today, at least eight Americans remain wrongfully detained in Venezuela, denied their freedom, separated from their loved ones, and unable to continue their lives. Their imprisonment is an ongoing injustice that necessitates immediate and decisive action by the U.S. government,” the senators wrote.

    The senators continued, “Nicolás Maduro continues to target, seize, and jail Americans without cause. It is essential that the U.S. government use all tools available to expeditiously secure the return of Americans detained and imprisoned unjustly in Venezuela.”

    The full text of the letter is below and available here.

    Secretary Rubio,

    We commend the Department of State for securing the January 31, 2025 release of six Americans who had been wrongfully detained in Venezuela, as well as the May 20 release of one additional wrongful detainee. Their return is a positive and important step. We write to express our continuing support for your efforts to bring all Americans home from Venezuela.

    Today, at least eight Americans remain wrongfully detained in Venezuela, denied their freedom, separated from their loved ones, and unable to continue their lives. Their imprisonment is an ongoing injustice that necessitates immediate and decisive action by the U.S. government.

    Nicolás Maduro continues to target, seize, and jail Americans without cause. It is essential that the U.S. government use all tools available to expeditiously secure the return of Americans detained and imprisoned unjustly in Venezuela.

    Each day that passes prolongs the suffering of Americans wrongfully detained in Venezuela and their families. The American people are counting on the full weight of the U.S. government being brought to bear in regards to this issue.

    We stand ready to work with you to ensure that every American wrongfully detained in Venezuela is returned home without further delay.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen: “This is one of the worst betrayals of working families in favor of the ultra-wealthy in generations – and we won’t forget it.”

    US Senate News:

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

    House Republicans Passed Their Extreme Bill, Slashing Medicaid and SNAP to Fund Tax Cuts for Billionaires
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement after House Republicans passed the extreme tax spending bill that strips health care coverage and food assistance from millions of Americans in order to fund tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. 
    “This extreme and cruel bill will rip away health care coverage from more than 114,000 Nevadans, cut food assistance from families that need it most, and kill good-paying clean energy jobs in our state just so Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans can give billionaires more tax cuts,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m particularly appalled that this monstrosity of a bill will gut funding for rural hospitals across the nation, including in Nevada. This is one of the worst betrayals of working families in favor of the ultra-wealthy in generations — and we won’t forget it.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Graham Statement On House Passage Of The One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, today made this statement after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “We did it. Congratulations to President Trump, Vice President Vance, and their entire team for shepherding the One Big Beautiful Bill through the Senate and House so it can soon become the law of the land.

    “Speaker Johnson and his team also deserve tremendous credit for passing the Senate bill through the House. Senate Majority Leader Thune, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Crapo and Senator Barrasso did a fantastic job in shaping the Senate bill and securing its passage. As Senate Budget Committee Chairman, I was proud to have a leadership role in this process.

    “This bill achieves President Trump’s top domestic priorities:

    • Historic border security funding
    • Desperately needed new money for the military
    • Raising the debt ceiling to avoid default
    • Making the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent avoiding a $4 trillion tax increase
    • Achieving the largest reduction in federal spending in history

    “The One Big Beautiful Bill will soon be law, and Americans will be far safer and more prosperous because of it.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEW INFO: July 4th Cookouts Will Cost More Amid Trump Tariffs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    07.03.25
    NEW INFO: July 4th Cookouts Will Cost More Amid Trump Tariffs
    Domestic beer up 13%; popular propane grill up $30, ground beef and ice cream at their highest recorded prices ever
    EDMONDS, WA – President Trump’s unpredictable tariff policy and increasing economic uncertainty have driven up the cost of Independence Day cookout essentials, according to a new analysis by The Joint Economic Committee – Minority.
    Since Trump’s April 1 “Liberation Day” announcement, a six-pack of Miller Lite or Coors Light costs 13% more at Wal-Mart. The cost of the most popular propane grill on Amazon has risen $30. Ground beef and ice cream reached their highest prices since data first became available in the 1980s. All told, the total cost of a grocery store trip for a cookout increased by a 12.7% annualized rate since “Liberation Day.”
    “Enjoying July 4th is going to cost families more because of President Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs,” said U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee. “These rising prices show that a tariffs-first policy puts consumers last.”
    For the past five months, President Trump has been sowing economic chaos across the country with unpredictable and ever-changing tariff announcements. His back-and-forth announcements and actions have whipsawed American businesses and consumers, as well as close neighbors and allies.
    Sen. Cantwell has been the leading Senate voice against a tariffs-first trade policy.
    In April, Sen. Cantwell introduced the bipartisan Trade Review Act of 2025 to reaffirm Congress’ key role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy, and reestablish limits on the president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs. Her bill has since picked up 12 additional cosponsors – an equal mix of Republicans and Democrats – and been endorsed by multiple major U.S. business organizations, including the National Retail Federation, which is the largest retail trade association in the world. House members also introduced a bipartisan companion bill.
    On April 16, Sen. Cantwell joined nine local business owners and leaders at the Port of Seattle to push back against the Trump administration’s chaotic tariffs-first trade policy. On May 29, she gathered stakeholders at the Port of Seattle again to respond to the chaos caused by President Donald Trump scrambling to keep his draconian tariffs in place amid court challenges.
    “American businesses need a rules-based trade system. That means American families would have the certainty, not chaos and not higher prices. We know this: That when you start trade wars, usually that means you end up closing markets,” Sen. Cantwell said in at the May 29 press conference.
    In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries. More information about how those tariffs will affect consumers and businesses in the State of Washington can be found HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Statement Ahead of Trump Signing Disastrous Budget Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    07.03.25
    Cantwell Statement Ahead of Trump Signing Disastrous Budget Bill
    EDMONDS, WA – Today, the United States House of Representatives passed a budget bill 218 to 214; President Donald Trump has indicated his intent to sign the bill into law tomorrow morning, on the Fourth of July. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement:
    “With the House green lighting President Trump’s goal of taking away health care access and food security for millions, many Americans are going to suffer, and many working families will see their costs go up. 
    “This law is the largest cut to Medicaid in history, which will raise costs for everyone’s health insurance.  Hospitals, local elected officials from both parties, and everyday Americans all begged Republicans to make changes, but they refused. They stuck to their cruel plan to kick 17 million Americans off of their health insurance and take SNAP benefits away from millions of families — all so that billionaires and corporations could get another tax cut.” 
    Sunday night, Sen. Cantwell delivered a speech on the Senate floor to highlight how various provisions included in the bill sell out the American people. That speech can be watched in full HERE; a transcript is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ahead of Independence Day, Senator Markey Slams Republicans for Bending the Knee to “King Donald”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Washington (July 3, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today released the following statement after House Republicans voted to pass H.R. 1, Donald Trump’s so-called Big Beautiful Bill. The bill will now head to the President’s desk for signature.

    “On the eve of America’s Independence Day, House Republicans bent the knee to their wannabe king, Donald Trump. Instead of courage, we saw capitulation to the biggest cuts to health care, food security, and climate solutions in American history. Republicans betrayed the American people to budget for a big billionaire buy off. They do not care about serving their constituents who elected them to do so. They only serve King Donald.

    “Republicans are choosing to kick 17 million Americans off their health insurance, including more than 326,000 people in Massachusetts. Republicans are choosing to tear food assistance away from hungry children and families, including 237,000 people in the Commonwealth. Republicans are choosing to shutter rural hospitals, nursing homes, and community health centers in Massachusetts and across the country. And Republicans are choosing to gut more than $500 billion in clean energy, environment, and climate investments – a choice that will disrupt local projects, hike household energy bills by more than $130 each year, and kill 760,000 jobs across the country by 2030.  

    “This Independence Day, Trump and Republicans will raise a toast and boast about how their so-called Big Beautiful Bill benefits everyday Americans. But the American people are not fooled. They did not choose to have their health care revoked, their benefits slashed, and their leaders loot their livable future to lavish billionaires with massive tax cuts. We will not agonize – we will organize. We will not let Republicans off the hook for choosing King Donald over the American people.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Senators Duckworth, Markey, Booker Condemn Republican Cuts to Environmental Justice Grants, Slam GOP Weakening of Key Environmental Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    July 02, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ)—co-chairs of the Environmental Justice Caucus—today issued the following statement after Senate Republicans rammed through Trump’s so-called Big Beautiful Bill, which would rescind funds already appropriated by Congress through the Inflation Reduction Act for environmental and climate justice block grants and undermine the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The co-chairs filed two amendments that would have saved these funds and removed “pay-for-play” permits. Republicans blocked both amendments.

    “Senate Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill is a direct attack on communities that have long been last in line for federal investments and is a part of a broader campaign to shield polluters from accountability,” said the co-chairs. “Cutting funds for projects that would deliver clean air, safe water, healthy land, and basic human dignity for all—along with efforts to defund air pollution monitoring and rubberstamp polluting infrastructure—will further harm communities already suffering devastating health consequences from living next door to our nation’s most polluting industries. As the House considers this Big Ugly Bill, we urge our colleagues to reject GOP efforts to claw back these funds and permit projects that jeopardize the health of millions of Americans. All Americans deserve a government that enacts—not eliminates—policies that protect public health, lower costs, and hold the fossil fuel industry accountable.”

    The co-chairs were joined by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) in cosponsoring the environmental justice grants amendment.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Reacts to FCC Chair Needlessly & Politically Delaying Enforcement of Her Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Law that He Once Supported

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    July 03, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after FCC Chair Brendan Carr announced a unilateral delay in all rules implementing her historic, bipartisan Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, which Congress required to be implemented by January 5, 2025. Chair Carr previously voted in favor of adopting the legally-required implementation rules last year—the very rules Chair Carr is now refusing to enforce.

    “This is yet another illegal hit–job by one of Trump’s henchmen that defies Congress and prioritizes profits over people. It makes no sense to delay rules that the FCC—comprising both Trump and Biden appointees—unanimously adopted after Democrats and Republicans worked together to pass my bill unanimously through Congress. In fact, FCC Chair Brendan Carr himself voted in favor of them. Why? Because this is commonsense policy that seeks to eliminate astronomical prison phone rates, reduce recidivism rates, save taxpayer dollars, bring families closer and make our communities stronger.

    “Delaying these rules is a deeply cruel flip-flop by Carr that will once again allow predatory telecommunications corporations to exploit families across the country. It’s unconscionable, and I strongly urge Chair Carr to reconsider his unlawful action.”

    Chair Carr’s lawless action is unjust, unreasonable and betrays the good work of his own appointed General Counsel, who was leading an effective and compelling legal defense of the FCC order right up until Chair Carr weakly surrendered to deep-pocketed prison industry interests.  

    Signed into law in 2022, the Senator’s bipartisan, landmark policy honors the legacy of the late Martha Wright-Reed by completing the mission she began over two decades ago to end egregious prison phone rates that gouged innocent family members and prevented these Americans from regularly communicating with incarcerated loved ones—despite studies indicating that preserving familial relationships helps reduce recidivism rates. 

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Slam House Passage of Republican Budget Megabill

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON —Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) slammed the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans’ partisan budget megabill:

    “With today’s vote, Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are one step closer to passing their bill to explode the debt and kill tens of thousands of jobs and rip health care and nutrition assistance away from hundreds of thousands of people in Virginia alone. Our constituents deserve better than a Congress and President willing to sell out America’s well-being and future to give the ultra-wealthy a tax handout. The consequences of this legislation will be stark—and Americans will know who is to blame.”

    Sens. Warner and Kaine introduced a series of amendments in an attempt to improve the legislation. Republicans blocked them.

    The senators have been sounding the alarm about the effects of the GOP plan on Virginia families, noting that the GOP plan will strip health insurance from about 323,000 Virginians, saddle families with medical debt, cut SNAP benefits for more than 204,000 Virginians, and devastate rural communities. The legislation will also explode the deficit, jeopardize more than 20,000 Virginia jobs, raise energy costs, give the richest 0.1% a $255,125 tax cut, and eliminate a program allowing Americans file federal taxes for free.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Slam House Passage of Republican Budget Megabill

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON —Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) slammed the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans’ partisan budget megabill:

    “With today’s vote, Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are one step closer to passing their bill to explode the debt and kill tens of thousands of jobs and rip health care and nutrition assistance away from hundreds of thousands of people in Virginia alone. Our constituents deserve better than a Congress and President willing to sell out America’s well-being and future to give the ultra-wealthy a tax handout. The consequences of this legislation will be stark—and Americans will know who is to blame.”

    Sens. Warner and Kaine introduced a series of amendments in an attempt to improve the legislation. Republicans blocked them.

    The senators have been sounding the alarm about the effects of the GOP plan on Virginia families, noting that the GOP plan will strip health insurance from about 323,000 Virginians, saddle families with medical debt, cut SNAP benefits for more than 204,000 Virginians, and devastate rural communities. The legislation will also explode the deficit, jeopardize more than 20,000 Virginia jobs, raise energy costs, give the richest 0.1% a $255,125 tax cut, and eliminate a program allowing Americans file federal taxes for free.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Q&A: Medicaid Reforms Strengthen Safety Net

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    Q: Why did Congress seek fiscal integrity changes to the Medicaid program?
    A: Six decades ago, Congress added Title XIX to the Social Security Act that created a health care safety net for low-income individuals and families, with primary emphasis on dependent children and their moms, individuals with disabilities and low-income seniors. Since 1965, state governments administer the public health insurance program with cost-sharing from the federal government. Over the years, eligibility expansions and loopholes accelerated expenditures that placed a greater burden on the federal budget. The federal share of Medicaid spending has increased from 60 percent in 1991 to about 74 percent in 2023. Throughout my service on the Senate Finance Committee, which has legislative and oversight jurisdiction of the Medicaid program, I’ve led bipartisan efforts to ensure the most vulnerable populations are served, particularly child and maternal care  — including families with children with complex medical conditions — as well as foster and adopted youth. I’ve also supported efforts to strengthen fiscal accountability measures in this federal safety net, such as the passage of my bipartisan Right Rebate Act. Without robust fiscal integrity, the strings of this safety net would unravel at the seams and put an unsustainable and unfair burden on the taxpayer. Just consider, between 2015 and 2024, the amount of improper federal Medicaid payments reached $560 billion. Some estimates suggest that figure exceeds $1 trillion. Americans deserve better fiscal stewardship over their tax dollars and the program’s intended and most vulnerable recipients deserve to know this safety net is strong enough to meet their health care needs. Every dollar lost to waste and mismanagement is one less health care dollar for nursing home residents, low-income moms and foster youth.
    Q:  How does the Senate-passed budget bill strengthen the Medicaid program?
    A:  With fiscal responsibility top of mind, the Senate bill includes integrity measures to help ensure Medicaid continues to serve vulnerable Americans in our local communities. Specifically, common sense measures are designed to reduce duplicate enrollment; ensure deceased individuals and health care providers don’t remain enrolled; reduce payments for erroneous excess provider payments; and require states to check twice yearly if an individual is eligible to be on Medicaid, instead of screening once a year. In addition, stronger oversight will save billions by establishing robust verification for individuals receiving premium tax credits through the federal marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act. If a recipient gets more subsidies than allowed, that excessive subsidy must be returned. Through my oversight of taxpayer dollars, I advised the U.S. Treasury Inspector General last year that excessive payments weren’t being recouped to the federal treasury. I discovered more than 40 percent of excessive federal marketplace subsidy payments ran to the tune of more than $10 billion going back a decade. Clawing back these payments will save tens of billions of dollars.
    Also, the bill establishes a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program to ensure hospitals, nursing homes, community health care centers and other rural providers can continue serving their communities and improve care. The Rural Health Transformation Program will improve access to care and health outcomes. It also establishes Medicaid work requirements for able-bodied adults age 64 or under, with reasonable exemptions for individuals with disabilities, seniors, pregnant women, children, caregivers and others. Able-bodied adults will have to complete a minimum of 80 hours of work a month by working, job training, going to school or volunteering. In addition, the bill allows states to offer home and community-based services (HCBS) to a broader range of individuals, such as those with developmental disabilities, while ensuring it doesn’t negatively impact those already eligible, and it enables interim HCBS coverage while newly eligible individuals develop their full care plan.
    The Senate also prioritizes Medicaid for Americans, not people who broke our laws to enter the country illegally. Our bill ends federal financial support under Medicaid for those who don’t have verified citizenship, nationality or legal immigration status. These program integrity provisions for Medicaid and other health care programs will save over $500 billion, according to a non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate. Despite orchestrated efforts to mischaracterize our program integrity measures with fearmongering and misinformation, the Senate took a big step to save Medicaid for people the program is intended to serve.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Markey, Duckworth Condemn Republican Cuts to Environmental Justice Grants, Slam GOP Weakening of Key Environmental Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –  U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), co-chairs of the Environmental Justice Caucus, issued the following statement after Senate Republicans rammed through Trump’s so-called Big Beautiful Bill, which would rescind funds already appropriated by Congress through the Inflation Reduction Act for environmental and climate justice block grants, and undermine the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The co-chairs filed two amendments that would have saved these funds and removed “pay-for-play” permits. Republicans blocked both amendments.
    “Senate Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill is a direct attack on communities that have long been last in line for federal investments, and is a part of a broader campaign to shield polluters from accountability,” said the co-chairs. “Cutting funds for projects that would deliver clean air, safe water, healthy land, and basic human dignity for all—along with efforts to defund air pollution monitoring and rubberstamp polluting infrastructure—will further harm communities already suffering devastating health consequences from living next door to our nation’s most polluting industries. As the House considers this Big Ugly Bill, we urge our colleagues to reject GOP efforts to claw back these funds and permit projects that jeopardize the health of millions of Americans. All Americans deserve a government that enacts—not eliminates—policies that protect public health, lower costs, and hold the fossil fuel industry accountable.”
    The co-chairs were joined by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) in cosponsoring the environmental justice grants amendment. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren on GOP Bill Passage: “This is a Betrayal of Working People” That “We Will Never Let the Republican Party Forget”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    July 03, 2025
    “Donald Trump and the Republican Party officially sold out working people.”
    Washington, D.C. – Today, in response to Republicans in Congress passing President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) released the following statement:
    “Donald Trump and the Republican Party officially sold out working people. Every single Republican now owns the fact that 17 million people will lose health care, that the cost of groceries will go up, that student loan payments will go up, and that utility bills will go up – all when families are already struggling with out-of-control costs. This is a betrayal of working people, and we will never let the Republican Party forget that they chose Donald Trump over the American people.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on House Passage of “Big, Ugly Betrayal” Cutting Health Care & SNAP for WA State Families to Fund Tax Cuts for Billionaires

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    In Washington state, at least 328,695 people will lose health care under Republican bill; 900,000 Washingtonians could see SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated; 14 rural hospitals will be at risk of closure
    ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on Senate Republicans’ Passage of Big, Ugly Bill
    ICYMI: In Senate Floor Speech, Murray Rails Against Republican Bill That Rips Away Health Care, Nutrition Assistance, Abortion Access & Balloons National Debt to Fund Tax Cuts for Billionaires; VIDEO HERE
    ICYMI: On Senate Floor, Murray Again Slams Republicans for Using Deceptive Tactics to Hide True Cost of Deficit-Busting Tax Cuts for Billionaires
    ICYMI: Republicans Block Murray Amendment to Stop Republicans’ Big Ugly Betrayal Bill From Defunding Planned Parenthood
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on House Republicans passing the partisan Republican reconciliation bill—the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—by a vote of 218-214 on Thursday afternoon. On Tuesday, Senator Murray voted against the legislation in the Senate; where it passed 51-50, with Vice President JD Vance voting with Republicans to break the tie. The legislation now heads to President Trump’s desk.
    “Republicans’ Big, Ugly Betrayal Bill is the largest transfer of wealth from people who have the least, to the people who have the most, in our nation’s history. This bill is un-American and flat-out wrong.
    “It’s impossible to overstate how devastating the Republican legislation will be for the millions of struggling families who will pay for these billionaire tax breaks with deep cuts to their health care and nutrition benefits, while getting essentially nothing in return. 17 million Americans will lose their health insurance under this bill, including more than 328,000 people in Washington state who rely on Apple Health and Affordable Care Act coverage. 40 million Americans will see their grocery costs go up as the SNAP benefits they rely on to feed their families disappear. By defunding Planned Parenthood, this bill is a step toward Republicans’ dystopian plan for a Backdoor Nationwide Abortion Ban where women can’t get the health care they need, no matter what state they live in.
    “Republicans’ bill also makes detrimental and utterly shortsighted cuts to clean energy tax credits, raising families’ energy bills and eliminating millions of manufacturing jobs across the country. Countless farmers in Eastern and Central Washington are relying on these tax credits to help power their farms, and these cuts will raise their energy costs and undermine their ability to expand their businesses and invest back in their communities.
    “Republicans chose to ignore every warning about how terrible this bill really is and force it through, over the objections of Democrats and even members of their own party, for no other reason than because Trump said so. In the end, the American people will have their voices heard and will show Republicans exactly how they feel about this monstrous bill at the ballot box.”
    Senate passage came after an overnight “vote-a-rama” where Democrats forced Republicans to take dozens of tough votes on a wide array of issues, from protecting rural hospitals to preserving food assistance for families to extending expiring tax credits that help millions of families afford health care. And the nearly 30-hour vote-a-rama came after Senate Democrats forced more than 10 hours of debate and a full reading of every word of Republicans’ 940-page bill. During vote-a-rama, Senator Murray put forward an amendment to strike a provision of the legislation that achieves anti-abortion extremists’ long-sought goal of “defunding” Planned Parenthood by cutting off Planned Parenthood health centers from receiving federal Medicaid funding for the care they provide for millions of low-income women across the country—including birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and wellness exams. Republicans blocked the amendment, 51-49.
    On Sunday, Senator Murray delivered a lengthy speech on the Senate floor where she laid out in detail how Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will rip away health care from millions of Americans, shutter the doors of hospitals and health care clinics across the country, make the largest cuts to Medicaid and nutrition assistance in history, and blow up the national debt—all so Republicans can fund massive tax breaks for billionaires. Murray also spoke out repeatedly during debate on the Senate floor against Republicans’ use of a so-called “current policy baseline” to hide the true cost of their deficit-busting tax cuts for billionaires.
    Republicans’ 940-page bill, which they released in the dead of night, cuts more than $900 billion from Medicaid—$100 billion more than the House bill. That means about 17 million Americans will lose their health care, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and more than 300 rural hospitals and over 500 nursing homes could close because of the legislation. The legislation makes the largest cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in history and will rip away nutrition assistance entirely from more than 5 million Americans and shift tens of billions of dollars in costs to states. The legislation also increases the debt by nearly $4 trillion dollars—nearly a trillion more than the House bill. About two in three Americans oppose the bill.
    In Washington state, 1.95 million people rely on Apple Health, Washington state’s Medicaid program, and over 300,000 Washingtonians access coverage through the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace (Washington Healthplanfinder). The Joint Economic Committee estimates that at least 328,695 people in Washington state would lose their health insurance under the Republican legislation—that includes 198,050 people who would be kicked off Medicaid and 108,262 people who would lose their coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Among other things, Republicans’ bill would institute work reporting requirements for Medicaid, which have been proven not to increase employment and just strip health care coverage from people who are already working or exempt—this would put more than 620,000 Washingtonians at risk of losing their health care coverage or having it delayed. Fourteen rural hospitals in Washington state would be at risk of closure under the Republican bill. The legislation also “defunds” Planned Parenthood for the next year, threatening the closure of up to 200 health centers across the country—90 percent of them in states where abortion is legal. 11 percent of Washington state residents rely on SNAP, and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services estimated that more than 900,000 people across the state could their see SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated under the House bill—the Senate bill is just as extreme.
    Senator Murray has held constant recent events—including multiple events in Washington state—to sound the alarm on Republicans’ devastating reconciliation bill and encourage constituents to raise their voices and call on their Members of Congress to oppose the legislation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Statement on Trump Administration Illegally Withholding $108 Million From Virginia Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
    WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement after the Trump Administration missed a key deadline to distribute $6.2 billion in federal K-12 funding, including $108 million for Virginia schools, to support teacher training, after school programming, mental health resources, and more:
    “Virginians know that high-quality public schools and the well-being of our children are critical to the Commonwealth’s future and economic success. The Trump Administration’s decision to withhold over $6 billion in funding that Congress appropriated for schools across the country, while pushing for a disastrous megabill that slashes programs Virginians rely on to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, tells you everything you need to know about their priorities. This move will devastate our students, especially those in our rural communities. We demand that the Administration immediately provide Virginia schools with the $108 million in funding we voted to secure, and urge all of Virginia’s leaders to do the same.”
    The $108 million being withheld from Virginia represents over 12 percent of the Commonwealth’s total K-12 funding.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Colleagues Demand Accountability for President Trump’s Discriminatory Travel Ban

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff, Colleagues Demand Accountability for President Trump’s Discriminatory Travel Ban

    Lawmakers: “We write to express our strong opposition to President Trump’s recent decision to issue a sweeping travel ban that will deny entry to thousands of individuals from 19 different countries.”
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined 68 Democratic lawmakers in urging President Trump to rescind his discriminatory travel ban that will keep families apart and devastate the U.S. economy. The members demanded transparency into President Trump’s decision-making process and answers about how the travel ban will impact communities across the United States.  
    In a letter addressed to President Trump, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, the lawmakers outlined the disastrous consequences that President Trump’s travel ban will have on families and the American economy. U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Representative Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28) led the letter.
    “The effects of President Trump’s discriminatory travel ban will be devastating. In the last year alone over 126,000 visas have been issued to nationals from just the twelve countries on the fully restricted list. These are individuals who are looking to come to the United States to reunite with family, support our economy, or otherwise enrich our country in innumerable ways,” wrote the lawmakers.
    During his first term, President Trump enacted extreme travel bans that disrupted thousands of lives and weakened our nation’s economy and global standing. On his first day in office, President Joe Biden rescinded these bans, but President Trump enacted another sweeping, discriminatory travel ban last month.
    President Trump is imposing full restrictions on entry into the United States from nationals of Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, as well as partial restrictions on entry from nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela — meaning individuals from these countries cannot come to the United States permanently or apply for certain visas. President Trump is also reportedly considering imposing travel restrictions on an additional 36 countries.
    “President Trump’s actions once again disgrace the founding principles of our nation and enshrine cruelty into our immigration system,” continued the lawmakers. “Additionally, this travel ban will harm our economy by depriving the United States of workers in key fields experiencing labor shortages like medicine and agriculture and further devastating our domestic tourism industry which is already expected to decline by $12.5 billion in 2025.”
    The members demanded accountability and answers from the Trump Administration, pushing the President to immediately rescind his cruel travel ban.
    Senator Padilla helped introduce a pair of bills earlier this year aimed at combating the chaos caused by Trump’s Muslim Ban in his first term. To prevent some of the most egregious violations from Trump’s first travel ban, Padilla is leading the Access to Counsel Act, which would ensure that U.S. citizens, green card holders, and other individuals with legal status can consult with an attorney, relative, or other interested parties to seek assistance if they are detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for more than an hour at ports of entry, including airports. Padilla is also cosponsoring Coons and Chu’s NO BAN Act, legislation to prevent any president from implementing a discriminatory travel ban by strengthening the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit discrimination based on religion. The bill would also require that any suspension of entry into the United States be narrowly tailored, backed by credible evidence, and subject to appropriate consultation with Congress.
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear President Trump, Secretary Noem, Secretary Rubio, and Attorney General Bondi:
    We write to express our strong opposition to President Trump’s recent decision to issue a sweeping travel ban that will deny entry to thousands of individuals from 19 different countries. This discriminatory ban will not improve our country’s national security, but it will needlessly rip families apart. We urge President Trump to rescind it immediately.
    During President Trump’s first term, his administration implemented a range of travel restrictions on nationals from several countries, many of which were majority-Muslim countries. These travel bans faced continual legal challenges because of their blatantly discriminatory designs. President Biden terminated the latest version of President Trump’s travel ban when he took office in 2021, but the damage had already been done. The first Muslim Ban wreaked havoc on families, forcing over forty thousand people who had cleared one of the most exhaustive immigration vetting systems in the world to miss weddings, funerals, graduations, and births. What’s more, there is no evidence that this ban or any further iteration did anything to improve national security or prevent terrorism.
    Despite the failure of the original Muslim and travel bans, President Trump has now issued an even broader travel ban. This new extreme travel ban will prevent nationals from twelve countries (Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen) from entering the United States, with seven other countries (Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela) facing partial restrictions, meaning individuals from these countries cannot come to the U.S. permanently or apply for certain visas. The administration is reportedly considering imposing restrictions on an additional 36 countries.
    The effects of this discriminatory travel ban will be devastating. In the last year alone over 126,000 visas have been issued to nationals from just the twelve countries on the fully restricted list. These are individuals who are looking to come to the United States to reunite with family, support our economy, or otherwise enrich our country in innumerable ways. President Trump’s actions once again disgrace the founding principles of our nation and enshrine cruelty into our immigration system.
    Additionally, this travel ban will harm our economy by depriving the United States of workers in key fields experiencing labor shortages like medicine and agriculture and further devastating our domestic tourism industry which is already expected to decline by $12.5 billion in 2025.
    Given these severe impacts, we condemn this proclamation and urge President Trump to rescind it immediately. We also seek transparency into President Trump’s decision-making process and, accordingly, request answers to the following questions by July 3rd, 2025:
    1. President Trump’s proclamation banned travel from countries based on a report that “identified countries for which vetting and screening information is so deficient as to warrant a full suspension of admissions and countries that warrant a partial suspension of admission,” as well as considered “various factors, including each country’s screening and vetting capabilities, information sharing policies, and country-specific risk factors — including whether each country has a significant terrorist presence within its territory, its visa-overstay rate, and its cooperation with accepting back its removable nationals.”
    a. Will your administration release this report in full to Congress and the public?
    b. How are screening and vetting processes determined to be “deficient?”
    c. What are the specific criteria by which your administration will continuously evaluate a country’s “conditions and vetting standards?” What are the parameters for a country to have a system that is considered sufficient?
    2. What is the status of your administration’s deliberations to add more countries to the travel ban?
    3. What is the estimate of the economic impacts on tourism, jobs, and foreign direct investment as a result of this travel ban?
    4. What metrics will your administration use to evaluate the effectiveness of the travel ban in protecting national security?
    5. Section 4(c) and (d) of the proclamation contemplates exceptions when in the national interest.
    a. What procedures and guidelines will your administration use to determine who receives an exemption from your travel ban?
    b. Will your administration make these procedures and guidelines public, and will your administration allow individuals to apply for exceptions?
    6. President Trump’s proclamation identifies insufficient vetting as a reason to bar immigrant visas from certain suspended countries. However, his proclamation exempts immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who can show “clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship (e.g. DNA).”
    a. Given that your administration accept DNA tests as a valid form of identification and evidence of familial relationship, why has your administration categorically suspended the entry of all other family-based immigrant visa applicants, including those who could also prove their identity in that manner?
    7. For several countries (Burundi, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Togo, and Turkmenistan), President Trump’s proclamation lists no reason for a suspension of visas other than the visa overstay rates of individuals on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas, which are nonimmigrant visas. However, President Trump’s proclamation fully suspends all immigrant visas for those countries, including all family and employment-based visas.
    a. How does your administration justify suspending all immigrant visas on the basis of an unrelated nonimmigrant visa overstay rate?
    b. Did your administration conduct individualized analyses for all nonimmigrant visa types, or rely solely on the B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visa overstay rates?
    We thank you for your attention to this important manner.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dallas County Teen Serves as Senate Page

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    Senate Page Sawyer Mann and Senator John Boozman in his office on Capitol Hill.

    WASHINGTON—High school student Sawyer Mann spent part of his summer in the nation’s capital navigating the corridors of Congress. The rising senior from Sparkman served as a U.S. Senate Page alongside several dozen other high schoolers from across the country.

    Mann and his peers reported to work one hour before the Senate convened on weekdays and helped prepare the U.S. Senate chamber for daily business, distributed documents to senators’ desks, assisted in the cloakrooms, supported chamber staff and – when the body was in session – sat near the dais waiting to aid members delivering remarks or casting votes. 

    “Serving as a Senate Page taught me that even the smallest roles can stand in the shadow of history and still help carry it forward,” Mann said.

    Mann earned his appointment to the position from Senator John Boozman (R-AR), who has long promoted the program for Arkansas youth interested in civics and public service.

    “Sawyer did an excellent job supporting the day-to-day activity of the Senate while observing legislative processes and procedures firsthand. I am confident that serving as a Page will inspire him to continue exploring his interest in public policy and enhance his leadership skills. Our entire state can be proud of how he represented us in this prestigious program,” Boozman said.

    Mann is an active participant in Future Farmers of America and a member of the Camden Harmony Grove High School yearbook staff. He also served on the student council as sophomore and junior class representative, and as captain of the quiz bowl team.

    While in Washington, D.C., he toured the National Archives and visited several Smithsonian museums in addition to attending a showing of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 

    He is the son of Russ Mann and Lauren Franks.

    The Senate Page program started in 1829 when Senator Daniel Webster appointed the first Senate Page. Today, the program is a unique, highly selective opportunity for high school juniors with a strong academic standing to learn firsthand about the institution often referred to as “the world’s greatest deliberative body.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Calls Out Trump’s ‘Illegal and Unconstitutional’ Withholding of Nearly $7 Billion for Public Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    BURLINGTON, Vt., July 3 — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today wrote to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to immediately reverse their illegal and unconstitutional decision this week to abruptly withhold nearly $7 billion in funding for public education nationwide, including $26.1 million for Vermont schools.
    This funding supports more than 10,000 summer and afterschool programs for 1.4 million students throughout the country, including nearly 100 afterschool and summer programs in Vermont that serve 11,000 students. Schools expected to receive this critical funding by July 1st, but were informed it was being withheld less than a day in advance.
    “Your decision to withhold $6.88 billion in vital funding that Congress appropriated for our nation’s public schools — including $26.1 million for Vermont — is not only horrific public policy, it is blatantly illegal and unconstitutional. Your unexpected and cruel decision has sent shockwaves, distress and heartbreak in local communities all over America who now may be forced to cancel or substantially delay summer school activities that had been planned for months,” Sanders wrote. “Further, your illegal actions have denied teachers the funding they rely on for professional development. Important services for English learners have been halted. Thousands of school principals, superintendents, and school board members may be forced to lay off dedicated staff. And school district budgets in every State and community have been negatively impacted. That is beyond unacceptable.”
    During her confirmation hearing, Secretary McMahon committed to delivering congressionally-appropriated funds to schools, districts and states as required. These actions not only violate the law passed by Congress and signed by the president, but they also violate her stated commitments.
    “Congress clearly and unambiguously passed this $6.88 billion in education funding. The President signed it into law. The Trump Administration has no right to withhold or impound it,” Sanders concluded. “I urge you to immediately reverse your decision to illegally withhold Federal education funding appropriated by Congress and release this funding to the States, school districts, and students as soon as possible.”
    Read the letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Meets with Vermonters in Killington, Ludlow, and Weston to Discuss His New Bill to Reform FEMA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    KILLINGTON, VT — This week in Killington, Ludlow, and Weston, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) unveiled his new bill, the Disaster Assistance Improvement and Decentralization (AID) Act, and met with flood-impacted Vermonters and community members to discuss the importance of reforming FEMA’s long-term recovery process, supporting hazard mitigation, and protecting recovery funding. 
    “The Disaster AID Act was inspired by towns and cities in Vermont that are still recovering from the 2023 and 2024 floods. These folks know firsthand the strengths and weaknesses of FEMA. I’m determined to help improve the long-term recovery process—both for Vermonters, and for communities across America hurt by climate disasters,” said Senator Peter Welch. “I am always thankful to hear how Washington can work better for Vermont, and I use these stories and experiences to shape the legislation I introduce.”  
    The Disaster AID Act will cut red tape and empower state and local governments, make the delivery of disaster aid more efficient and effective, provide assistance to small towns and communities impacted by natural disasters, and block the White House from withholding funding for disaster recovery. Senator Welch will officially introduce the Disaster AID Act next week, coinciding with the anniversary of the floods. 
    Killington: In Killington, Senator Welch joined town officials to tour view East Mountain Road, which was heavily damaged in July 2023 and has since been rebuilt. The Senator also held a Listening Session with flood-impacted Vermonters and community leaders to discuss the state’s long-term recovery from the July 2023 and July 2024 floods, and ways the Disaster AID Act will small and rural communities across the state. 
    Photo Caption: Abbie Sherman, Public Works Director for Killington (middle) and Will Austin, Assistant Town Planner for Killington (right) show Senator Peter Welch (left) a map with flood damage in Killington. 
    Photo Caption: Senator Peter Welch views a photo of the flood damage on East Mountain Road. Left to right: Senator Peter Welch; Rebecca Ellis, State Director for Senator Peter Welch; Will Austin, Assistant Town Planner for Killington; Abbie Sherman, Public Works Director for Killington. 
    Photo Caption: Senator Peter Welch discusses flood recovery and other issues with Vermonters at the Killington Welcome Center.   
    Photo Caption: Senator Peter Welch discusses flood recovery with  Joseph Gaudiana, Brendan McNamara, and Justin Hyjek at Ludlow’s wastewater treatment facility, which is located near the Black River. 
    Ludlow: Senator Welch joined Ludlow town officials to view flooding damage to the village wastewater treatment facility, located on the Black River, and discuss progress on relocating the facility out of the flood plain. The Senator highlighted how the Disaster AID Act would help to simplify and expedite the relocation of critical infrastructure out of flood-prone areas. 
    Photo Caption: Senator Peter Welch discusses flood recovery and other issues with Vermonters in Weston. 
    Weston: In Weston, Senator Welch joined community leaders to view and discuss the Weston Mill Dam removal project, which will substantially lower the flood elevation level in the village. Senator Welch nominated for the project for Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS). Senator Welch also met with town officials to discuss the importance and need for municipal technical assistance in flood recovery and mitigation planning. He was joined by members of the Weston Playhouse on the Green, which still requires major repairs following the floods. 
    Senator Welch has been outspoken in opposing any attempt by the Trump Administration to dismantle FEMA. Earlier this year, Senator Welch published a guest essay in The New York Times entitled: “Don’t Kill FEMA. Fix It.” In his piece, Senator Welch outlined why President Trump’s actions to undermine and potentially dissolve FEMA are misguided—but also committed to working with the President on good faith efforts to reform the agency’s long-term recovery process.   
    In December 2024, Senator Welch helped shape and pass a comprehensive disaster aid package, which delivered more than $100.4 billion of relief for states like Vermont recovering from climate disasters. The disaster aid package contained many of Senator Welch’s top priorities for the State: dedicated help for Vermont’s flood-impacted farmers, flexible spending through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief fund, money for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, and support for businesses, among many other important provisions.  

    MIL OSI USA News –