NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Celebrates Passage of MSFC Anniversary Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – Last night, Senator Tommy Tuberville’s resolution recognizing the 65th Anniversary of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) passed the Senate. Earlier this month, Sen. Tuberville released a video highlighting the anniversary and emphasizing the important work being done at MSFC.

    “Everywhere I go, people brag to me about Huntsville, Alabama,” said Senator Tuberville.“And that’s because your talent and hard work has put the Rocket City—and the State of Alabama—on the map. From helping put the first man on the moon to making the SLS the backbone of space exploration, Marshall has made Alabama proud. Thank you to the engineers, scientists, technicians, and support staff—both past and present—who have made this possible.”

    Read full text of the resolution here. 

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On the 60th Anniversary of the Creation of Medicaid and Medicare, Luján, Leader Schumer, and Senate Democrats Introduce Legislation to Reverse Devastating Health Care Cuts in Republicans’ Budget Betrayal 

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    WATCH HERE: Senator Luján Delivers Floor Speech on Effort to Reverse Devastating Health Care Cuts in Republicans’ Budget Betrayal

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Ranking Member of the Budget Committee, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), led their Senate Democratic colleagues in introducing the Protecting Health Care And Lowering Costs Act.

    This legislation would reverse all of the health care cuts in the “Big, Ugly Betrayal,” including those to Medicaid, and would permanently extend the ACA premium tax credits. After Republicans passed legislation earlier this month that would kick nearly 15 million people off their health insurance and totals more than one trillion dollars in health care cuts, Senate Democrats are fighting back and pushing to reverse these devastating cuts and extend tax credits to make health care affordable.

    Today marks 60 years since Medicaid and Medicare was created on a bipartisan basis as a promise to the American people that we would stick by the poorest and most disadvantaged among us and take care of the elderly who paid into a system their whole lives. Democrats will be crisscrossing the country to make sure that the American people know it is Congressional Republicans who are reneging on that promise, ripping away health care from millions so they can give tax cuts to billionaires.

    “Sixty years after Medicare and Medicaid opened the door to health care for millions, Congressional Republicans slammed it shut with their Budget Betrayal – ripping coverage from 15 million Americans, including over 100,000 New Mexicans,” said Senator Luján. “Their cuts target children, families, and seniors who depend on Medicaid to survive, and could force rural clinics and hospitals to close their doors. While Republicans gut health care, Senate Democrats are fighting to restore it and protect the people we represent.”

    “For many, the “Big, Ugly Betrayal” is quite literally a matter of life and death. Too many will now have to make the heartbreaking decision between financial ruin and going without care. Already the effects of this bill are being felt. Already hospitals and health care systems are in jeopardy because of this legislation that passed just mere weeks ago,” said Leader Schumer. “Let’s be crystal clear: to pay for tax cuts for billionaires, millions of people are going to lose their health care. That’s the Republicans agenda right there. Well not on our watch. Democrats are fighting this tooth and nail. And today we are proud to introduction legislation which would reverse these devastating cuts and permanently extend the ACA premium tax credits. It is not too late for the Republicans to reverse course and save healthcare for millions.”

    “Trump and Republicans in Congress have been actively misleading the American public. Americans were never told that this flawed bill will punch a hole in a lot more than Medicaid,” said Senator Wyden, Ranking Member of the Finance Committee. “There is simply no way to cut more than $1 trillion from the health care system without taking a deep toll on Americans of all stripes from coast to coast. The more Americans hear about this bill, the less they like it. It’s time to scrap Trumpcare and put America back on a path to affordable health care.”

    “If Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits expire at the end of the year, 20 million Americans will see their health care costs skyrocket at a time when they’re already struggling with increased prices. That pain will be felt almost immediately,” said Senator Shaheen. “That’s on top of the unprecedented health care cuts to Medicaid that were passed in the ‘Big Beautiful Betrayal’. We need to take action now to permanently extend those tax credits so that people know they can count on them.”

    “Congressional Republicans betrayed hardworking families earlier this month when they chose to stand with billionaires by gutting Medicaid and kicking more than 15 million people off their health insurance,” said Senator Merkley, Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee. “Republicans have the opportunity to right this wrong by supporting our bill that will reverse these devastating cuts and prevent health care costs from skyrocketing across the country. On this 60th Anniversary of the enactment of Medicaid and Medicare, Democrats are fighting for an economy where families thrive and billionaires finally pay their fair share.”

    The entire Democratic caucus has signed on to co-sponsor the legislation.

    The legislation has been endorsed by American Civil Liberties Union, AFL-CIO. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services, All* Above All , Alliance for Retired Americans, American Association on Health and Disability, American Heart Association, American Nurses Association, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, ACLU, Can’t Wait Coalition, Care in Action, Caring Across Generations, Center for American Progress, Center for Medicare Advocacy, CEO Commission for Disability Employment, Children’s Hospital Association, Communication Workers of America, Community Catalyst, Disability Policy Consortium, Disability Rights and Defense Fund, Diverse Elders Coalition (DEC), FamiliesUSA, First Focus for Children, Guttmacher Institute, Health Care for America Now, Ibis Reproductive Health, Justice in Aging, Kids Can’t Wait, Lakeshore Foundation, Little Lobbysists, MoveOn.org, National Abortion Federation, National Alliance for Caregiving, National Alliance for Direct Service Professionals, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Council of Jewish Women, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), National Disability Rights Network, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Hispanic Council on Aging, National Health Law Program (NHeLP), National Immigration Law Center, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Protect Our Care, Public Citizens, SEIU, Social Security Works, The Arc of the United States, UNIDOS US, United Mine Workers of America, Vizient, Inc., Well Spouse Association, Healthcare Association of New York and Texas Kids Can’t Wait.

    The full text of the legislation can be seen here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Colleagues Call for Expansion of Humanitarian Aid in Gaza and Resumption of Efforts to Secure a Ceasefire

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined a broad group of 39 senators, led by U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), in expressing unified alarm about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling for the large-scale expansion of humanitarian aid, and urging the Trump administration to resume diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire agreement, bring the hostages home, and end the war.

    “The acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza is […] unsustainable and worsens by the day,” wrote the senators. “Hunger and malnutrition are widespread, and, alarmingly, deaths due to starvation, especially among children, are increasing. The ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ has failed to address the deepening humanitarian crisis and contributed to an unacceptable and mounting civilian death toll around the organization’s sites. To prevent the situation from getting even worse, we urge you to advocate for a large-scale expansion of humanitarian assistance.”

    The letter, sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, emphasizes that a diplomatic pathway exists to end the war, bring home Israeli hostages, ensure Hamas can no longer pose a serious military threat to Israel, and achieve a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    The senators also affirmed their opposition to the permanent forced displacement of the Palestinian people, which would be contrary to international humanitarian law and a sustainable and lasting peace.

    “We ask that the Administration make this clear as it seeks an end to the war,” the senators concluded. “We stand in strong support of diplomatic efforts to return all hostages, end the fighting in Gaza, and bring humanitarian relief for the safety and prosperity of the Israeli and the Palestinian people.”

    The full text of the letter can be found here.

    Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported Israel’s right to defend itself and has strongly advocated for a two-state solution to end the decades of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Following Hamas’s terrorist attack on October 7th, 2023, she called on President Biden to do everything in his power to bring home the hostages and deliver vital humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. She also urged the Biden administration to crack down on the financing of international terrorist organizations, including Iran’s state sponsorship of terrorism.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen Delivers Remarks Outlining Devastating Impacts If Affordable Care Act Premium Tax Credits Expire: “The Clock is Ticking.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

     

    **Click HERE to watch Shaheen’s remarks at a Senate press conference on the need to make permanent the premium tax credits that millions of Americans rely on for affordable health care coverage**

    (Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), lead of the bicameral Health Care Affordability Act to permanently extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, delivered remarks alongside her Senate colleagues about the consequences of allowing the vital tax credits to expire at the end of this year. In her remarks, Shaheen argued that refusing to extend the credits will raise prices and take away health care from families who need the help at a time when many are already struggling with high costs. Click HERE to watch the Senator’s full remarks.

    Remarks as delivered:

    I want to speak just to the enhanced premium tax credits that are going to expire at the end of this year. Because what did not happen when our Republican majority passed the reconciliation bill is, they did not extend those premium tax credits.

    And refusing to extend these highly-effective tax credits means that health care coverage is being actively taken away from families who really need the help. It means raising costs for millions of Americans at a moment when they’re already struggling with increased costs.

    And that pain, as Senator Wyden said, is being felt almost immediately. Because insurance companies are looking at having to submit their rates, and they are increasing their rates.

    Premiums will increase for 20 million Americans. A typical family of four would see a ten-thousand-dollar increase when those premium tax credits go away, and a typical 60-year-old couple would see a seventeen-thousand-dollar increase.

    So, think about that. Parents, grandparents are going to see a seventeen-thousand-dollar increase.

    And because of those costs, Americans are gonna lose their health care coverage. The non-partisan data shows us that four million Americans will lose their health care, more than a million of them suffer from a chronic illness. So if they don’t have health insurance, who’s gonna pay for that coverage to make sure they get their treatment? Well, everybody’s gonna pay for it.

    And that’s on top of the unprecedented health care cuts to Medicaid that were passed in that bill.

    I heard from one of my constituents, Jen in North Conway, New Hampshire. North Conway is a small community in the eastern part of New Hampshire. Her story, I think, shows just how important these tax credits are.

    Because Jen was diagnosed with leukemia. She started getting chemotherapy to treat it. And she was able to, because of the Family and Medical Leave Act, she was able to take time off from her job for three months. But then, because FMLA ended, she lost her job. And when she lost her job, she lost her health coverage.

    Her husband had to act as her caregiver, but then he had to get back to work. And his employer did not provide health insurance.

    But the way Jen was able to continue her chemotherapy was because she and her husband were able to afford health insurance under the Affordable Care Act because of those premium tax credits.

    They lowered Jen’s premiums by seven hundred dollars per month and they allowed her to continue her chemo treatments.

    Look, when the reconciliation bill was debated and we saw the tax breaks for the wealthiest and the big corporations, a lot of our colleagues on the other side of the aisle didn’t think seven hundred dollars a month was very much money.

    But I can tell you, for Jen and her husband, seven hundred dollars savings each month – eight thousand dollars a year – is the difference between being able to continue to have the health care they need, to continue putting food on the table, continue to pay their rent and losing all of that.

    But most important, the tax credits were there when she needed them – when she got sick and could no longer work.

    The clock is ticking.

    We first introduced the legislation on this issue back in 2019.

    We’ve succeeded in securing temporary extensions that have helped fuel record enrollment in the Affordable Care Act.

    But we’re approaching another deadline and we need to take action now to permanently extend those tax credits and to end the back-and-forth every year so people know they can count on them.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Hampshire Congressional Delegation Marks 60th Anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), alongside U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), released the following statement marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid:

    “On this momentous 60th year of Medicare and Medicaid, we should be recognizing the success of these two programs in helping Granite Staters access and afford life-saving health care. Instead, families, older adults, people living with disabilities and health care providers across New Hampshire are bracing for disaster as the largest cuts to health care in American history take effect.

    “Under Congressional Republicans’ and President Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Betrayal’ tens of thousands of Granite Staters are going to have their health care ripped away, thousands more are going to face higher costs and too many rural hospitals and nursing homes are going to be forced to close their doors. All to help fund deficit-exploding tax giveaways for the wealthiest Americans.

    “We need to do everything possible to defend against these attacks on the health and economic security of our constituents. And instead of raising costs for families, Congressional Republicans should be working to lower costs for families. That includes fighting to preserve Medicare and Medicaid to ensure that 60 years from now, these programs are still helping Granite Staters access necessary and often life-saving care.”

    Under the “Big Beautiful Betrayal” that was recently signed into law by President Trump, health care costs are expected to skyrocket while more than 15 million Americans are expected to lose health care coverage—including approximately 46,000 Granite Staters—due to cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Committee Advances Senator Hassan’s Legislation to Speed Up FDA’s Sunscreen Approval Process

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

    HELP Committee Also Advances Additional Hassan-Led Bills

    WASHINGTON – The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee unanimously voted today to advance a package that includes the SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act, bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) to modernize the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s process for reviewing and approving new sunscreens. The FDA has not approved a new sunscreen active ingredient since 1999, while other countries, such as France and South Korea, have innovative sunscreen products on the market that often use newer, more effective UV filters. The SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act would require the FDA to improve its outdated approval process and will help American consumers access more effective sun protection options that have been safely used in other countries for years.

    “As Granite Staters head outside and enjoy summer, Congress needs to remove the outdated barriers that prevent Americans from being able to use modern sunscreen products,” said Senator Hassan. “This commonsense bipartisan legislation will modernize the FDA’s approval process to allow American manufacturers to make more up-to-date, effective sunscreens that people are already using safely around the world. I am pleased to see this important measure advance, and I will continue working to get this bill signed into law.”

    As part of the bipartisan package, the HELP Committee also advanced the bipartisan Prescription-to-OTC Process Act, led by Senators Hassan and Husted (R-Ohio), which directs the FDA to communicate more clearly with the health industry about the process and standards for switching medications from prescription to over-the-counter marketing. In addition, the committee voted unanimously to advance Senator Hassan’s Advocate for Employee Ownership Act, which establishes an Advocate for Employee Ownership position at the Department of Labor to promote and improve access to employee stock ownership plans, or ESOPs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Introduces Circuit Court Nominee Joshua Dunlap of Scarborough at Judiciary Committee Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Click HERE for a full-resolution image

    Click HERE to watch and HERE to download video of Senator Collins introducing Mr. Dunlap

    Washington, D.C. – Today, at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator Susan Collins introduced Joshua Dunlap of Scarborough, Maine, who has been nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

    Mr. Dunlap grew up in Vassalboro, Maine, and is currently a partner in the litigation group of Pierce Atwood LLP, in Portland, where he co-chairs the firm’s Appellate & Amici division. He has practiced at Pierce Atwood for over fifteen years, handling substantial civil litigation matters in both appellate and trial courts. He also chairs the Maine Appellate Rules Committee, to which he was appointed by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Prior to his work at Pierce Atwood, Mr. Dunlap clerked for the Honorable Paul J. Kelly, Jr., of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Mr. Dunlap graduated first in his class from Notre Dame Law School. He came to Washington for his hearing with several members of his family, including his parents, wife, and children.

    Senator Collins:

    “Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Durbin, members of this committee, I’m pleased to appear before this distinguished committee today to wholeheartedly support Joshua Dunlap’s nomination to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. 

    “Josh grew up in Vassalboro, Maine and now lives in Scarborough with his wife, Sydney, and their three children. If you look in back of me, you will see his three children, his wife, his parents, and numerous other members of his family. In fact, 20 of them, who are so proud of his nomination that they’ve made the trip to Washington. Josh graduated first in his class from Notre Dame Law School, where he received the law school’s highest honor, awarded to the student with the most distinguished academic record. He then clerked for Judge Paul Kelly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. 

    “In 2009, Josh joined the very well-respected law firm Pierce Atwood in Portland, Maine. During his 16 years at the firm, he has specialized in complex civil litigation matters and currently serves as co-chair of the firm’s Appellate & Amicus division. Josh is admitted to practice in multiple U.S. Courts of Appeal and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He has also assisted special masters in three original jurisdiction proceedings before the U.S. Supreme Court. Finally, Josh also chairs the Maine Appellate Rules Committee to which he was appointed by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. This impressive experience, coupled with his extraordinary intelligence and integrity, makes Josh exceptionally well-qualified for a seat on the First Circuit. His substantial appellate litigation experience will bring a practitioner’s perspective to the court. 

    “The committee has already received many compelling letters of support for this nominee, and I would like to highlight a couple of them. A diverse group of faculty and alumni of Notre Dame Law School who taught Josh or studied alongside him have praised his, “respect for differing views” and “deep appreciation for the rule of law.” A letter signed by 19 leading Maine attorneys, who described themselves as having a broad spectrum of political views and legal philosophies, wrote that Josh has all the qualities the finest judge’s exhibit; he is hardworking, courteous and judicial in temperament, very smart, and of sterling character with a commitment to fairness and the rule of law. 

    “Mr. Chairman, before I conclude, I would like to thank Judge William Kayatta, whom Josh has been nominated to replace, for his outstanding service to the First Circuit. I joined in recommending him to President Obama, and had the honor of introducing Judge Kayatta to this committee. Now, it is my honor to recommend Josh, who actually worked with Judge Kayatta early in his tenure at Pierce Atwood, to this committee. I am confident that, if confirmed, Josh will serve Maine and the nation extraordinarily well in this critical role. 

    “For these reasons, I urge the committee to support his nomination, and I appreciate this opportunity to introduce him to the committee.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Advocates for Kay Hagan Tick Act as Bill Unanimously Advances out of Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Click HERE for a full-resolution image

    Click HERE to watch and HERE to download video of Senator Collins’ remarks

    Washington, D.C. – Today, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee unanimously approved the reauthorization of the bipartisan Kay Hagan Tick Act. The bill now advances to the Senate floor for consideration by the full body. At the hearing, U.S. Senator Susan Collins spoke in support of advancing the reauthorization of her landmark legislation, which she coauthored with Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), that became law in 2019. The Kay Hagan Tick Act strengthened the federal effort to confront the escalating incidence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. Confirmed cases of Lyme disease reached a record number in Maine – 3,218 – last year.

    Senators Collins and Smith named their bill in honor of former Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) who passed away on October 28th, 2019, due to complications of the tick-borne disease known as the Powassan virus. Senator Angus King (I-ME) and a bipartisan group of 13 other Senators have cosponsored the legislation.

    Senator Collins: 

    “I authored the original Tick Act in 2019 with Senator Tina Smith. Our bipartisan legislation strengthened federal efforts to confront the escalating incidents of Lyme disease and other vector borne illnesses. Our bill is named after our former colleague, Senator Kay Hagan, who passed away in October 2019 from complications of the deadly tick-borne disease known as the Powassan virus. It is my hope that reauthorizing the Tick Act will help to prevent further tragedies. 

    “The incidence of tick-borne diseases has exploded in the past 20 years. Maine reached a new Lyme disease record last year with 3218 reported cases. This is more than double the number of cases reported in Maine just five years ago. I’m encouraged that we’ve made progress in the five years since this bill was first introduced, for example, a clinical trial for Lyme disease vaccine for people is underway right now at Maine Health’s Institute for Research. Reauthorizing the Tick Act would allow crucial developments such as the development of a vaccine to continue. 

    “The Tick Act uses a three-pronged approach to address Lyme and other tick and vector borne diseases. This approach consists of first, implementing HHS’s national strategy to combat vector borne disease. Second, reauthorizing funding for the CDC’s four Centers of Excellence in vector borne disease. And third, reauthorizing grants to state and local health departments to assist them in bolstering their public health infrastructure. 

    “I want to thank Senator Smith for partnering with me, as well as our 14 bipartisan co-sponsors, including members of this committee, Senators Marshall, Hassan, Hawley, Hickenlooper and Banks. Again, Mr. Chairman, I’m very grateful for your including this on the markup agenda, and I’m delighted that we’re going to report the bill today”

    +++

    In addition to Senators Collins, Smith, and King, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jim Banks (R-IN), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO).

    The complete text of the legislation can be read here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Calls for Large-Scale Increase of Humanitarian Aid in Gaza and Diplomatic Efforts to End the War

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined 43 of her Senate colleagues to express unified alarm about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, call for the large-scale expansion of humanitarian aid, and urge the Trump Administration to resume diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire agreement and end the war.

    “The acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza is also unsustainable and worsens by the day. Hunger and malnutrition are widespread, and, alarmingly, deaths due to starvation, especially among children, are increasing,” the Senators wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. “The ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ has failed to address the deepening humanitarian crisis and contributed to an unacceptable and mounting civilian death toll around the organization’s sites. To prevent the situation from getting even worse, we urge you to advocate for a large-scale expansion of humanitarian assistance.”

    The letter underscores the remaining viable pathway that would end the war, bring home Israeli hostages, ensure Hamas can no longer pose a serious military threat to Israel, and achieve a diplomatic resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    The Senators also affirm their opposition to the permanent forced displacement of the Palestinian people, which would be contrary to international humanitarian law and a sustainable and lasting peace.

    “We ask that the Administration make this clear as it seeks an end to the war,” the Senators wrote. “We stand in strong support of diplomatic efforts to return all hostages, end the fighting in Gaza, and bring humanitarian relief for the safety and prosperity of the Israeli and the Palestinian people.”

    The letter was led by U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and co-signed by 39 other Senators in addition to Senator Baldwin.

    The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

    Dear Secretary Rubio and Special Envoy Witkoff:

    With recent efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas being unsuccessful, the situation in Gaza remains perilous. Efforts to secure an agreement are as critical and urgent as ever and we urge the resumption of good-faith talks as quickly as possible. While we appreciate that additional aid is beginning to enter Gaza, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Yet there still remains a viable pathway to end this war, bring home Israeli hostages, and achieve a diplomatic resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    The Israeli hostages, held in Gaza by Hamas since their brutal attack on Israel on October 7th, have suffered far too long, as have their families. It is imperative that those still living be brought home as soon as possible, before more perish as the war drags on. And it is essential that the remains of those presumed killed – including Americans Omer Neutra and Itay Chen – be reunited with their loved ones. After many months of despair, it is long past time to bring all of the hostages home.

    The acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza is also unsustainable and worsens by the day. Hunger and malnutrition are widespread, and, alarmingly, deaths due to starvation, especially among children, are increasing. The “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” has failed to address the deepening humanitarian crisis and contributed to an unacceptable and mounting civilian death toll around the organization’s sites. To prevent the situation from getting even worse, we urge you to advocate for a large-scale expansion of humanitarian assistance and services throughout the Gaza Strip, including through the use of experienced multilateral bodies and NGOs that can get life-saving aid directly to those in need and prevent diversion.

    Beyond a negotiated ceasefire, a permanent end to this war will also require an end to Hamas rule in Gaza and ensuring that Hamas can no longer pose a serious military threat to Israel. We reaffirm our strong support for continued U.S.-led diplomacy with Israel, Palestinian leaders, and other partners in the Middle East in pursuit of the long-term goal of a negotiated two-state solution with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in lasting peace, security, dignity, and mutual recognition.

    Finally, we write to underscore our strong opposition to the permanent forced displacement of the Palestinian people. This would be antithetical to international humanitarian law, to a sustainable end to this war that prioritizes the long-term safety and security of Israelis and Palestinians alike, to achieving a lasting peace in the Middle East, and expanding the Abraham Accords. We ask that the Administration make this clear as it seeks an end to the war.

    We stand in strong support of diplomatic efforts to return all hostages, end the fighting in Gaza, and bring humanitarian relief for the safety and prosperity of the Israeli and the Palestinian people.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Capito, Hassan Lead Bipartisan Bill to Deliver First Responders with Training and Tools to Prevent Overdose Deaths

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced the Safe Response Act, bipartisan legislation to reauthorize a grant program that allows states, local government entities, and Tribes to train and provide resources to first responders to respond to drug overdoses.

    “The opioid crisis has left thousands of families across Wisconsin with an empty seat at the dinner table. As we start to turn the tide on this epidemic, we need to double down on what is working and ensure communities have the tools they need to reverse overdoses and poisonings,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to back this bipartisan bill to ensure first responders have the training they need to use lifesaving tools like Narcan and protect Wisconsin families from the heartbreak of losing a loved one too soon.”

    “West Virginians know all too well the devastation and heartbreak drug overdoses cause in our communities. That’s why it is essential Congress provides the resources and training our first responders need to administer life-saving overdose reversal drugs and keep themselves safe in the process. I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing this legislation that will equip our first responders with the necessary tools to save more lives,” said Senator Capito.

    “Fire fighters, paramedics, police officers, and other first responders are on the frontlines fighting the opioid epidemic and we must keep working to ensure that they have the resources and support that they need,” said Senator Hassan. “This bipartisan legislation will help to ensure that more first responders in New Hampshire and across the country have access to training on how to use overdose reversal drugs like naloxone to save more lives.”

    According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there were 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2024. Of those, over 50,000 overdose deaths were due to opioids, including fentanyl. This marked a sharp decline from the previous year — a decrease of 26.9% from the 110,037 deaths estimated in 2023 – in part due to the availability of opioid reversal drugs like naloxone.

    The 2018 SUPPORT Act included a grant program to provide funding for states, local government entities, Indian Tribes, and tribal organizations to train and provide resources to first responders to respond to an overdose. The Safe Response Act would reauthorize this grant program, included as part of the bipartisan SUPPORT Act, providing $57 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for grants to first responders and those in key community sectors to respond to overdoses. Grants may be used to:

    • Ensure that first responders and other members of key community sectors have the knowledge and training to utilize overdose reversal devices or administer overdose reversal medications, such as naloxone;
    • Provide technical assistance and training about how first responders and other members of key community sectors, such as first SUD treatment providers and emergency medical service agencies, can better protect themselves in the event of exposure to such drugs;
    • Establish processes, protocols, and mechanisms for referral to appropriate treatment, which may include an outreach coordinator or team to connect individuals receiving opioid overdose reversal drugs to follow-up services; and
    • Educate first responders and members of key community sectors about the need to follow standard safe operating procedures in instances of exposure to fentanyl, carfentanil, and other dangerous and illicit drugs.

    Senator Baldwin’s Safe Response Act has garnered strong support from local, state, and national public safety leaders and organizations, including the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association, Racine Police Chief Alexander Ramirez, Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski, Kenosha Fire Chief Daniel Tilton, Green Bay Metro Fire Chief Matthew Knott, Rock County Sheriff Curt Fell, Kenosha City Administrator and former Kenosha Chief of Police John Morrissey, Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly, Waukesha Fire Chief Robert Goplin, Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse (MAPDA), Big Cities Health Coalition, National Association of Police Organizations, National Council of Urban Indian Health, and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).

    “As Chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department, I know firsthand the importance of supporting our first responders with critical training and resources to prevent overdose deaths. We recognize the importance of the Safe Response Act as substance misuse and overdose continue to significantly impact our local communities,” said Aaron Lipski, Chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department and Chair of RISE – Drug-Free MKE. “Thank you, Senator Baldwin, for your dedication to the ongoing efforts of helping those in the community with substance use issues to receive the best possible immediate and follow-up care through training and valuable resources to present a positive outcome for all involved.”

    “The reauthorization of the Safe Response Act is a smart and necessary allocation of funds. As someone who spent decades in law enforcement and now serves in city leadership, I’ve seen firsthand how critical it is for our first responders to have the right tools, training, and resources,” said John W. Morrissey, Kenosha City Administrator and former Kenosha Police Chief. “The increased funding—from $36 to $57 million annually—will make a real difference for communities like Kenosha. I fully support this legislation and urge Congress to move it forward.”

    “The opioid epidemic is not an abstract concept for local communities in Wisconsin. We are on the frontlines and need the resources to respond to this public health crisis. Senator Baldwin’s leadership on the Safe Response Act is deeply appreciated. This is an important tool to support first responders and our residents,” said Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway.

    “As Fire Chief of the Green Bay Metro Fire Department, I’m proud to support Senator Baldwin’s Safe Response Act. Every day, our firefighters and paramedics witness the impact that the opioid and fentanyl crisis has on our community. This legislation will give first responders the training and resources they need to save lives and stay safe while doing it,” said Matthew Knott, Chief of the Green Bay Metro Fire Department.

    A one-pager on this legislation is available here. Full text of this legislation is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy champions resolution encouraging NATO members to meet their five percent defense spending commitments

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON – Senator John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today introduced a resolution urging North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries to fulfill their commitments to spend five percent of their GDP on defense. He emphasizes the importance of sincerity in fulfilling these obligations, noting that some countries, such as Spain, have refused to meet the five percent commitment, demanding a carveout. Spain struggled to even meet their two percent defense spending target. All NATO members must take this commitment seriously to strengthen our collective security. 

    “NATO is one of the greatest defensive alliances in all of human history. My resolution commends our allies for their commitment to allocate five percent of their GDP to our shared defense and strongly encourages them to fulfill their promises in good faith. If we want to deter our adversaries, we need real investments in our defense, not bridges that have little, if anything, to do with national security,” said Kennedy.

    Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) cosponsored the bill.

    “Now more than ever, the New Axis of Evil is threatening the security of free nations, and every NATO member country needs to spend their fair share to keep our adversaries from accomplishing their goals. Our resolution urges all NATO members to fulfill their obligation to spend 5% of GDP on defense and address the security risks we are facing,” said Blackburn.

    “It’s past time for NATO members to pony up. It’s not the job of the American taxpayers to pay to defend the entire world. Thank God for President Trump who is finally standing up for American taxpayers and fighting to put America First,” said Tuberville.

    “NATO members agree: Deterrence is more important now than at any time in recent memory. The axis of aggressors is watching, hoping the West underestimates its threats. I am grateful for the Hague Summit Declaration’s spending commitment, and I will continue pressing member nations to follow through on their word. The free world can achieve peace through collective strength,” said Wicker.

    “Conflicts in Europe and the Middle East and tensions in the Indo-Pacific threaten our global stability and security. It’s critical for NATO nations to honor their commitments on national defense, ensuring military readiness within the NATO alliance,” said Cornyn.

    Kennedy also penned an op-ed in Newsweek, arguing that Congress needs to hold NATO member countries to their five percent defense spending commitments.

    Background:

    • The Trump Administration secured a historic win by encouraging NATO member countries to move toward spending 5 percent of their GDP on collective defense. 
    • However, the Hague Summit Declaration allows countries to evade their commitments in two ways: (1) by not specifying that all allies must meet the five percent requirement, and (2) by permitting 1.5 percent of the total to include spending that is only loosely related to defense.  
    • Spain has recently said that it will not be meeting the five-percent commitment. Italy has said it may include a bridge to Sicily as part of its non-traditional defense total.

    The resolution:

    • Congratulates President Trump and NATO leadership on this historic agreement.
    • Strongly urges NATO leadership to compel its members to adhere to the five percent commitment.
    • Calls on NATO allies to ensure their non-traditional defense expenditures are legitimate defense spending.

    The full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Homeland Security Committee unanimously passes Kennedy, Peters bill to end government payments to deceased Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) today unanimously voted to advance Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Sen. Gary Peters’ (D-Mich.) Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, which would save hard-earned taxpayer money by curbing erroneous payments to individuals who have passed away.

    Kennedy’s original bipartisan legislation set up key provisions to save federal taxpayer dollars by curbing erroneous government payments to individuals for a temporary three-year period, and this new Kennedy-Peters bill would make the temporary provisions permanent. The original bill is expected to save at least $330 million from 2024 to 2026.

    “Today’s unanimous Senate Homeland Security Committee vote to pass my Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act is a major win for every American worried about waste, fraud, and abuse in our federal budget. There’s no reason hardworking Americans should have to pay for the government’s mistaken payments to dead people. I look forward to the full Senate passing our bill right away,” said Kennedy.

    “This bill would help save millions of taxpayer dollars by ensuring that the Social Security Administration can permanently share important data with the Treasury’s Do Not Pay system, preventing wrongful payments to deceased individuals. I have long supported this legislation because I believe it is a vital step in safeguarding taxpayer dollars and ensuring the integrity of our payment systems,” said Peters.

    In January 2025, the Treasury Department announced that it recovered $31 million in fraud and improper payments during the first five months of the implementation of Kennedy’s Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, in which the Social Security Administration shared its Death Master File with the Treasury Department to avoid erroneous payments temporarily.

    The Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act would permanently amend the Social Security Act to allow the Social Security Administration to share the Death Master File – a record of deceased individuals – with the Treasury Department’s Do Not Pay system. This change would rein in the government’s ability to make improper payments to deceased people in the future.

    The bill would also allow the Treasury’s Do Not Pay working system to compare death information from the Social Security Administration with personal information from other federal entities and to share this information with any paying or administering agency that is authorized to use the Do Not Pay system. 

    Background: 

    Kennedy has championed the cause of saving billions of dollars in taxpayer money by ending improper payments to deceased Americans in recent years:

    • In December 2024, Kennedy urged his colleagues to save taxpayer dollars and support the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased Americans Act on the Senate floor.
    • In May 2024, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs unanimously passed Kennedy’s Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act. 
    • Kennedy’s Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act became law in December 2020. The bill mandates the sharing of the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File with the Department of the Treasury’s Do Not Pay working system within three years after enactment. The three-year exchange runs from December 27, 2023, to December 27, 2026.
    • In 2021, Kennedy wrote this op-ed sounding the alarm on the government’s sending more than $1 billion to deceased Americans.
    • In 2019, Kennedy questioned U.S. Government Accountability Office Comptroller General Hon. Gene L. Dodaro about improper payments sent to deceased people. 

    Full bill text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tillis, Colleagues Introduce Framework to Combat Foreign Online Piracy, Protect American Copyright Holders

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced a discussion draft of the Block Bad Electronic Art and Recording Distributors (Block BEARD) Act of 2025 bipartisan legislation that would allow copyright owners, who have had their property stolen, to seek U.S. federal court action to block dedicated foreign online piracy operations from making that stolen content available to American households. 

    “Foreign piracy sites are stealing from American creators, threatening good-paying jobs, and exposing U.S. consumers to real online harms via malware, identity theft, and the like,” said Senator Tillis. “The Block BEARD Act gives us a smart, targeted tool to stop these criminal operations at the source without infringing on legitimate speech or due process. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan discussion to protect our creative economy and digital security and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the House to address this important matter.” 

    “Foreign websites pirating American movies, TV shows, art, and books steal tens of billions of dollars from the U.S. economy each year,” said Senator Coons. “This costs our creative community hundreds of thousands of jobs. Today, the United States takes an important step to join the many other nations around the world that have taken steps to crack down on foreign IP theft. This bipartisan legislation will give Americans the tools they need to protect their intellectual property rights, while ensuring the internet remains a vibrant forum for free speech. I look forward to working with my colleagues and with stakeholders on all sides of this issue to advance this much-needed bill.”

    “Tennessee’s thriving creative community must be protected from the theft of creative works by foreign criminals,” said Senator Blackburn. “Foreign piracy operations jeopardize the American creative industry through phishing, identity theft, and financial fraud, and the Block BEARD Act would protect creators by enabling them to pursue legal action in U.S. federal courts against these criminals.”

    “I’m proud to join my colleagues in this effort to protect creators and consumers alike from foreign criminal enterprises seeking to steal our intellectual property and exploit Americans,” said Senator Schiff. “As Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property and a steadfast advocate for the creative community, I understand that robust protections are essential for innovation and economic growth in the digital age. This commonsense approach will provide the courts with the tools they need to combat foreign piracy operations and help level the playing field for American artists and creators who deserve to be fairly compensated for their work.” 

     “We are grateful to Senators Tillis, Coons, Blackburn, and Schiff for their leadership in crafting a carefully tailored proposal that empowers US federal courts to protect consumers, rightsholders, and markets from large scale foreign piracy while preserving the protections contained in the DMCA,” said Mitch Glazier, Chairman and CEO, Recording Industry Association of America. “Similar tools have been proven effective around the world over the last ten years with no harm to speech, Internet infrastructure or security, or participation online, and we strongly support this effort to create a simple, effective, judicial remedy with due process in the U.S.”

    “Piracy steals hundreds of thousands of jobs from the film and television industry, drains billions from the U.S. economy, and puts millions of American consumers at risk – and the Block BEARD Act will provide us with a safe and effective way to counter this danger and combat large-scale copyright infringement,” said Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO, Motion Picture Association. “With bold leadership from Senators Tillis, Coons, Blackburn, and Schiff, the Block BEARD Act will equip our nation with a tool that’s worked in dozens of countries worldwide: a narrow, targeted means to fight the worst forms of foreign piracy while protecting free speech and the rule of law.”

    Background:

    The Block BEARD Act would empower copyright owners to seek U.S. federal court orders against foreign websites dedicated to digital piracy, preventing them from making stolen content accessible to American households. To obtain relief, copyright holders must present evidence of specific harm and demonstrate the criminal nature of the targeted site. Courts could then direct internet service providers block access to the identified sites, while granting those providers immunity from liability, including for claims related to the petitioner’s actions.  The legislation includes strong public interest safeguards to protect free expression, due process, and legitimate online services operating in compliance with U.S. law. This targeted legal tool mirrors successful approaches used in over 50 democratic countries to curb foreign piracy operations that undermine creative industry jobs and expose users to malware, identity theft, and fraud.  

    Full text of the Block BEARD Act is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Comments on the Passing of Bill Deaton

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today on the passing of Bill Deaton of London, Kentucky. 

    “I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend, Bill Deaton. A successful businessman and leader in London, he will be remembered for his generosity and his entrepreneurial spirit. His legacy will surely be remembered by many. Elaine and I send our sincere condolences to Judy, his wife of 58 years, his children, his grandchildren, and all his family and friends.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Comments on the Passing of Betty Lou Weddle

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the following statement today on the passing of Betty Lou Weddle of Liberty, Kentucky: 

    “Elaine and I were incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of our good friend in Casey County, Betty Lou Weddle. When I first sought my current office back in 1984, it was Betty Lou and her late husband, T.M., who took me around their community to meet voters and local leaders. We remained in close contact for the next four decades, and every time I visited Casey County, Betty Lou was always the first person I met with to discuss what mattered to her area. We worked together on the Central Kentucky Ag-Expo Center in Casey County – a project that reflects the hospitality, passion, and instinct for public service Betty Lou displayed throughout her life.

    “Betty Lou contributed her entire life to her Casey County home as a farmer, teacher, and community leader. She was deeply committed to her husband throughout their 68 years of marriage and raised two children, Tom and Linda, who have followed in her footsteps as public servants of the highest degree. I share my deepest condolences with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and will hold the entire Weddle family in my prayers.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McConnell Remarks at McCain Institute Russia Task Force Event

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, delivered opening remarks at a McCain Institute event “Highlighting Policy Recommendations for Post-War Russia.” Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

    It’s hard to think of a more appropriate home for the Task Force’s important work than the McCain Institute, or a more fitting ringleader than a proud McCain alumnus like Dan Twining.  

    My good friend, John McCain, was so unapologetic and clear-eyed about the scope of America’s interests. And he relished being the speck in Vladimir Putin’s eye through his solidarity with the free peoples of eastern Europe…

    He supported the expansion of the greatest military alliance in the history of the world… And stood for the right of sovereign nations to choose their destiny.

    When Putin called the fall of the Soviet Union the “greatest political catastrophe of the 20th century,” John understood that he meant it, and urged our colleagues to take Russia’s neo-Soviet ambitions seriously.

    In the not-so-distant past, that sort of clarity – acknowledging that Russia still threatened America’s interests – could invite public scorn…

    …Like the sort of sanctimonious condemnation a certain former colleague of mine received from President Obama during a prime-time debate.

    We heard that Putin would moderate… That his ambitions were limited… And that anyone who suggested otherwise was a dusty Cold Warrior past his prime.

    Well, to that I say: It is so good to be among friends!

    ***

    Needless to say, the importance of grappling with Russia’s behavior and motivations can no longer be laughed away.

    Wake-up call is perhaps the most tired phrase of the past three years.

    And yet that’s exactly what Putin’s escalation in 2022 was: an urgent, overdue, uncomfortable, and undeniable alarm.

    It was a reminder that the realities of geopolitics don’t care which region we’d rather prioritize or what we’d rather spend our treasure on. The bravery of Ukraine’s defenders and the suffering of its civilians press us to remember that our enemies get a vote.

    There are, of course, promising signs that the West has managed to free itself from the delusion that hegemonic aggressors can be appeased.

    Reports of our European allies’ rebuilding their military strength are not exaggerated.

    Nearly all NATO members today are striving toward the Baltics’ example of investment and readiness… And those who are not should hear from all of us.

    In the process, allies are making overdue sacrifices to stamp out dependency on Russian energy…

    They’re placing enormous investments in cutting-edge American-made weapons…

    And they’re proving willing to break domestic political china – even changing a Constitution or two – to unlock deeper and more sustained commitments to collective defense.

    This transformation is real. It’s well underway. And it’ll be essential to securing America’s interests in the coming decades.

    What about here at home? As friends of Ukraine, we may be tempted to dwell on the ways we drag behind this progress… and overlook the ways we underpin it.

    We may rightly be frustrated by years of murky commitments, slow-walked assistance, fear of escalation, and confusion about who the aggressor is.

    But I would suggest that, on this, America has much to be proud of.

    Just consider the cascading benefits of U.S. assistance to Ukraine: a small fraction of our defense budget has helped Ukraine resist and degrade a more powerful military aggressor.

    After years of talk and little action to address the shortcomings of our own arsenal and defense industrial base, we’ve spurred massive investments in replenishing stocks and producing deterrent capabilities faster.

    By partnering with the world’s most experienced practitioners of drone warfare, we’ve tapped into a wealth of knowledge about the changing nature of the modern battlefield. Ukraine’s expertise is teaching America today what our forces will need to prevail tomorrow.

    And as NATO’s biggest spender, America has encouraged much of our allies’ transformation.

    ***

    Of course, I don’t mean to suggest that we’ve escaped the gravitational pull of complacency and short-sightedness for good. Our allies’ progress is not assured forever. European security – and trans-Atlantic security – is not some clock to be wound once and left alone.

    Perhaps the biggest lesson of 2022 – even bigger than the need to invest urgently today – is the importance of long-term commitments, and steady, annual investments in defense.

    And on this front, America must continue to lead by our example. We simply cannot expect allies to reach and sustain five percent if we’re only willing to spend three-and-a-half, ourselves.

    A strategy to lead from behind is no strategy at all. And as the Task Force makes perfectly clear, this goes beyond spending targets – it’s about presence, too.

    Even as our allies and partners build more lethal forces, there’s still no more credible deterrent than American commitment.

    No wonder European allies generously support rotational deployments of U.S. troops and invest in state-of-the-art training ranges for joint exercises. These commitments improve our collective readiness and interoperability, and they’re worth sustaining.

    The task of illustrating the strategic importance of Europe to America’s security interests is not ours, alone. In fact, for years now, there’s been no more effective communicator of what’s at stake in Ukraine – strategically and morally – than Putin, himself.

    As he continues to throw a generation into the meat-grinder of combat and target Ukrainian mothers and children at will, Putin is sending a clear message.

    And in the face of his brutal aggression and public revisionism, overwhelming majorities of Americans recognize Russia as our adversary… and see that the outcome of Putin’s war of conquest matters immensely to us.

    Much to the dismay of restrainers and isolationists who thought they’d get to freelance American foreign policy, the President of the United States increasingly sees Putin’s signals for what they are.

    The President has been right to recognize Putin’s play for time. He’s been right to entertain proposals for new, secondary sanctions. Most importantly, he’s been right to green-light further lethal assistance to Ukraine.

    I’ve said this before: Stopping the killing is a noble goal, but the price of peace matters. And there will be no enduring peace unless Ukraine is equipped to credibly deter further aggression from Russia.

    ***

    The appetite of neo-Soviet imperialism does not end with Ukraine. How do we know?

    Because Putin’s predecessors subjugated far wider swaths of Europe…

    Because he invaded Georgia…

    And because, as we speak, his troops are in Moldova, too!

    Nations that have spent centuries in Russia’s shadow do not stumble westward by accident.

    Finland and Sweden did not join NATO out of symbolic solidarity with Ukraine.

    They did it because they know that Putin wants more.

    So the Task Force is right to take the long view and grapple seriously with what comes next.

    What comes next for the trans-Atlantic alliance?

    What comes next for the increasingly aligned authoritarians working to undermine U.S. interests and influence?

    What comes next for America and our ability to defend these interests and preserve this influence?

    As you put it, our deterrence is not divisible. And I would add: this is because our credibility is not divisible.

    No U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific has time to waste on the notion that the implications of deterrence in Europe are confined to a separate sphere of influence.

    No ally in Europe can afford to miss the crystal-clear connection between Russian aggression and support from China, North Korea, and Iran.

    The consequences of America’s strategic decisions still ripple across oceans and continents with equal speed.

    And a headline that reads “Russia Wins, America Loses” will read as clearly in Beijing, Tehran, and Pyongyang as it does here in Washington.

    Avoiding that outcome will take more work from all of us. Thank you for all you’re doing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Celebrates Advancing of Historic Housing Bill, Inclusion of Streamlining Rural Housing Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, during a Senate Banking Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and his committee colleagues unanimously (24-0) passed the bipartisan Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act of 2025.  Ricketts celebrated the legislative package’s inclusion of the Streamlining Rural Housing Act that he introduced last week.  Ricketts also discussed the importance of meeting rising demand for rural housing.

    “Across Nebraska, rural housing has been a huge demand,” said Ricketts.   “When I was Governor of Nebraska, our state created a rural workforce housing fund to be able to help communities and developers to be able to create more rural housing stock.  At the state level, we made this a simple program and it was very successful.  I’ve heard from housing developers in Nebraska that have challenges when they are drawing money from both HUD and USDA Rural Development because of the overlapping authorities.  These agencies require separate processes for environmental review and housing inspections.  This produces more regulatory costs and bureaucratic red tape, which leads to delays to completion in projects.  The Streamlining Rural Housing Act will require the two agencies to enter into a memorandum of understanding to align the different housing standards.  This bill is the first step to enhance efficiency and eliminate conflicting requirements that delay approvals so we can build more housing in rural states like Nebraska and across the country.”

    Senator Ricketts also co-sponsored the Housing Supply and Innovation Framework Act, Rural Housing Service Reform Act, VA Home Loan Awareness Act, and Veterans Affairs Loan Informed Disclosure (VALID) Act which were included in the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025.

    Click here to watch more.

    Senator Ricketts’ comments were made during a business meeting of the Committee on Banking.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Delivers Opening Statement At Spotlight Forum Examining Trump Administration’s Voter Suppression Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    July 30, 2025

    Today’s spotlight forum comes after Durbin and Padilla led all Senate Democrats in reintroducing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at his and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla’s (D-CA) spotlight forum entitled “Protecting the Future of American Democracy: Fighting a Surge in Voter Suppression.” Today’s spotlight forum examined the recent surge in voter suppression by Republican state legislatures and the Trump Administration, ranging from attempts to purge voter rolls to the push to invalidate the results of the 2024 North Carolina State Supreme Court election through targeted disenfranchisement of voters after they had cast their ballots.

     

    Today’s spotlight forum comes after Durbin and U.S. Senator Reverand Raphael Warnock (D-GA) led all Senate Democrats in reintroducing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, legislation that would update and restore critical safeguards of the original Voting Rights Act.

     

    Key quotes:

    “We are here today because the sacred right to vote in America is under attack. Republican elected officials—and now federal institutions under the Trump Administration—are attempting to further restrict access to the ballot under the false banner of ‘election integrity.’ Most disturbingly, some of these efforts are being carried out or enabled by the very government entities charged with protecting that right.”

    “This betrayal is deliberate. It is strategic. It is eroding the foundation of our democracy. Let me be clear. There is no longer a functioning federal entity actively safeguarding your right to vote.”

    “The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, once the proud defender of voting access for communities of color, military service members, rural voters, and people with disabilities, has turned inward. Under a reimagined mission, aligned with MAGA politics and driven by the lies of widespread voter fraud, the Division’s Voting Section has completely abdicated its role in confronting the real and rising tide of disenfranchisement.”

    “Look at North Carolina, where there was an aggressive, though thankfully unsuccessful, attempt to discard valid ballots and overturn an election after Justice Allison Riggs—now a member of the state’s highest court and a witness here today— finally won her seat.”

    “Look at our federal agencies. The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security are making demands for voter rolls from multiple states to initiate voter roll purges. These efforts, made under the guise of combating fraud, will disproportionately endanger voters of color, low-income communities, and active-duty military personnel.”

    “What we are witnessing today is not a series of isolated misjudgments. This is a coordinated effort—emboldened by the myth of the stolen 2020 election—to restrict access to the polls through redistricting, voter roll purges, and legislative barriers.”

    “We must treat this effort to erode our democracy with the urgency it demands. Yesterday, I joined Senators Warnock, Schumer, Blumenthal, Booker, [and Padilla], in reintroducing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This legislation would restore and strengthen preclearance protections gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013 and reestablish meaningful federal oversight of voting laws in jurisdictions with a history of discrimination.”

    “The last time the Voting Rights Act was reauthorized, the Senate unanimously passed the legislation… This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the passage of the original Voting Rights Act, and 20 years since its last reauthorization—and unfortunately, the bipartisan support we once saw for protecting the most fundamental of our rights has disappeared.”

    “Have we forgotten Selma? Have we forgotten that people bled on the bridge and others lost their lives so that all Americans could have the freedom to cast their ballot without intimidation and baseless, discriminatory restrictions?”

    “We must act—not just to protect the future, but to honor the legacy of those who fought to secure the ballot. History is watching, and it will not be kind to silence.”

    Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

    -30-

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Questions Judicial Nominees During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    July 30, 2025

    Durbin’s questions provided the nominees a chance to clarify their controversial positions and past remarks before the Committee

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Joshua Dale Dunlap, nominated to be a United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit; Eric Chunyee Tung, nominated to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; William Walter Mercer, nominated to be a United States District Judge for the District of Montana; and Stephen Chad Meredith, nominated to be a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

     

    Durbin first asked Mr. Tung to clarify his commentary on gender roles and LGBTQ+ rights. Just months ago, in remarks for a Federalist Society event, Mr. Tung defended originalism and wrote, “Whether there’s a constitutional right to abortion, same-sex marriage, sodomy, pornography, transgender procedures — the answer for the originalist is simple: No.”

     

    “You seem to be questioning landmark Supreme Court decisions like Lawrence v. Texas and Obergefell [v. Hodges.] Let me ask you point blank: do you believe there’s a constitutional right formarriage for same-sex couples?” Durbin asked.

    Mr. Tung responded only that if confirmed as a circuit judge, he would “be bound” by the precedent in the Supreme Court’s ruling.

     

    “What do you believe now [in regard to gender roles?]” Durbin asked.

     

    Mr. Tung dodged the question by stating that he could not comment on “live issues” as a judicial nominee.”

     

    Durbin responded, “See that is where we run into problems. When we get down to basic values and positions, we know what he [wrote] years ago. I asked him what he believes today, and he tells me he can’t tell me the answer because he is possibly going to be on the bench. So, it’s very difficult to really understand where you stand on this situation.”

     

    Durbin then asked Mr. Dunlap about minors’ abortion rights. In March 2015, Mr. Dunlap submitted written testimony to the Maine Legislature in support of a bill that would have made it more difficult forminors and incapacitated people to access abortions. The bill he supported sought to change Maine law which does not require minors to obtain the consent of a parent or guardian before having an abortion.

     

    “Should a minor who is sexually assaulted or a victim of incest be forced to give birth if her parents do not consent to her having an abortion? Durbin asked.

    Mr. Dunlap would not directly answer but claimed that his own views would not be relevant if he is confirmed to the bench and that he would “faithfully” abide by binding precedent.

     

    “Let me ask you: are you saying what you said [in] March 2015 is the same position you hold today or a different one?” Durbin asked.

     

    Mr. Dunlap again said his personal views are not applicable if confirmed as a judge.

     

    What about Obergefell? Durbin asked.

    Mr. Dunlap responded, “that would be binding precedent should I be confirmed.”

     

    Durbin then asked Mr. Tung about his affiliation with Mike Davis, the president of the right-wing Article III Project. According to public reporting, Mr. Davis has played a key role in advising President Trump on judicial nominations during his second term.

     

    “Is he [Mike Davis] your friend?” Durbin asked.

     

    To which Mr. Tung replied that they are friends.

     

    “Have you had any conversations regarding your nomination before President Trump announced it on July 2? Durbin asked.

     

    “Just simply that it happened, Senator,” Mr. Tung responded.

     

    Durbin then asked about Mr. Davis’s overtly racist remarks. In an October 2023 social media post, Mr. Davis wrote “[t]he violent Black underclass is a danger to America” and “[t]hese monsters will kill.”

     

    “Do you condemn this offensive statement by Mr. Davis?” Durbin asked.

     

    Mr. Tung refused to fully condemn the statement and instead said only that Mr. Davis’s comments “are not necessarily my views.”

     

    Video of Durbin’s first round of questions in Committee is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s first round of questions in Committee is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s first round of questions in Committee is available here for TV Stations.

     

    During the second round of questions, Durbin asked Mr. Mercer about his views of January 6 defendants.

     

    “What is your reaction to the full and unconditional pardon of the January 6 defendants by President Trump?” Durbin asked.

    Mr. Mercer refused to answer the question and instead said the judiciary has no involvement with the pardon power.

    Durbin then asked Mr. Meredith about his anti-choice record. Beginning in 2017, Mr. Meredith defended Kentucky law that required doctors to present certain information to patients before performing an abortion procedure. As part of his defense of that law, he stated, “not every patient understands the consequences of an abortion procedure.”

     

    “Do you believe that female patients are less likely or less able to understand medical advice than male patients? Durbin asked.

    Mr. Meredith asked Durbin to clarify.

     

    “Well, you said not every patient understands the consequences and we know we’re talking about primarily of women of childbearing status. You went onto say there are a ‘number of patients who don’t understand the nature of the fetus [within them].’ Do you believe that female patients are less likely to understand this?” Durbin asked.

     

    Mr. Meredith claimed that he was summarizing the evidence in the record for the court.

     

    “If you want to clarify what you said in light of what I quoted, please do so. At this point, I think there really is serious question as to what you’re trying to say,” Durbin responded.

     

    Video of Durbin’s second round of questions in Committee is available here.

    Audio of Durbin’s second round of questions in Committee is available here.

    Footage of Durbin’s second round of questions in Committee is available here for TV Stations.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Marshall & Baldwin Introduce Legislation to End Dairy Mislabeling

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) to introduce the bipartisan Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act (DAIRY PRIDE Act) of 2025. This legislation will ensure that non-dairy products cannot engage in duplicitous labeling practices, such as calling non-dairy imitation products “milk” or “yogurt” that do not contain dairy and are instead from a plant, nut, or grain.
    “Consumers deserve clear, honest labels on the products they purchase. Misleading labels on non-dairy products, which are often nutritionally inferior, cause confusion and undermine the value of real dairy,” said Senator Marshall. “With 90% of Americans falling short of daily dairy intake recommendations, milk stands out as an excellent source of critical nutrients like Calcium and Vitamin D, essential for building strong bones in kids and adults. These imitation products not only fail to match the 13 essential nutrients found in whole milk but also harm dairy farmers who tirelessly meet rigorous health standards to deliver the most nutritious drink known to man.”
    “Wisconsin is known across the world as America’s Dairyland because our hardworking dairy farmers produce the best products with the highest nutritional value,” said Senator Baldwin. “But, for far too long, imitation dairy products made from plants and nuts have ridden the coattails of our dairy farmers and gotten away with using dairy’s good name without meeting those standards. I’m proud to work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to settle this once and for all by requiring the federal government to stop these imitation products of lesser nutritional value from using labels like milk, cheese, and yogurt.”
    The legislation was cosponsored by Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Angus King (I-Maine), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania), Tina Smith (D-Minnesota), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), and Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota).
    “Dairy comes from cows, goats, and sheep—not almonds. Plant-based products’ misleading branding is a disservice to consumers and the farmers who dedicate their lives to making the nutritious dairy products Idahoans enjoy,” said Senator Risch. “The DAIRY PRIDE Act requires the FDA to enforce accurate definitions for dairy terminology, end deceptive labeling, and advocate for the farmers who feed us.”
    “As an Aroostook County native, I know how essential the dairy industry is to Maine’s economy and how hard our state’s dairy farmers work to produce nutritious milk, yogurt, cheese, and other products. It is unfair for non-dairy products to capitalize on milk’s nutritious brand,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would help protect our dairy farmers and the quality of their goods by requiring non-dairy producers to accurately label their products.”
    “Our dairy farms are the heart of Vermont’s economy, our history, and our communities.  The work they do should be protected and supported. That’s why I’m proud to join Senators Baldwin, Risch, and Collins in introducing the bipartisan DAIRY PRIDE Act,” said Senator Welch. “This bill will give our farmers much needed support and correct FDA’s misguided efforts to allow non-dairy products to use dairy names—giving dairy farmers the protections they need to thrive.”
    This legislation is supported by the National Milk Producers Federation, American Farm Bureau Federation, EDGE Dairy Farmer Cooperative, Midwest Dairy Coalition, FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, Idaho Dairymen’s Association, and Associated Milk Producers, Inc. (AMPI).
    Click here to read the full bill text.
    Background:

    Current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations define dairy products as being from animals. But the most recent FDA guidance on fluid dairy products allows plant-based alternatives to continue to use dairy terms despite not containing dairy.
    The DAIRY PRIDE Act would require the FDA to issue guidance for nationwide enforcement of mislabeled imitation dairy products within 90 days and require the FDA to report to Congress two years after enactment to hold the agency accountable for this update in its enforcement obligations.
    Senator Marshall understands the nutritional importance of real, whole dairy products. He introduced the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which would expand healthy milk options in schools by reversing the Obama-era law that took whole milk out of school cafeterias.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall’s Bill to Strengthen Employee Ownership in America Unanimously Passes Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), released the following statement after the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) unanimously voted to advance the bipartisan Retire through Ownership Act. This bill provides legal and regulatory clarity, making the formation of new employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) easier and operating current ESOPs less burdensome.“Kansans are known for their work ethic, and they deserve a secure retirement following a lifetime of hard work,” said Senator Marshall. “Today, every Republican and Democrat member of the HELP Committee voted to advance my bipartisan legislation that will make it easier for Americans to save for the future and retire with confidence. I urge Congress to swiftly pass this legislation.”
    Read the full bill text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: We’re Not Tired of Winning

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Senator Marshall Joins the Brian Kilmeade Show to Discuss Trump Trade Deals, the MAHA Movement, and Democrats Obstructing Confirmations
    Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Brian Kilmeade on The Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio to discuss President Trump’s historic trade deals and what they mean specifically for Kansas agriculture, MAHA movement momentum, China deterrence, and Senate Democrats’ attempts to obstruct the confirmation process.

    Click HERE or on the image above to listen to Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    On President Trump’s trade deals:
    “Brian, I mean, we’re ecstatic, absolutely ecstatic. Every time I see the President, I’ll tell him we’re not tired of winning. But you know, who’s excited about these trade deals are my Kansas farmers and the aerospace industry. What Kansas exports are agriculture products and airplanes, and jets. So just ecstatic about these deals. The President removing these non-trade barriers all these countries, in addition to giving us basically zero types of penalties going into their country’s tariffs, but they’re also opening their markets, and they’re moving investment into America. Just this past week, I had several of the large pharma companies who make their drugs overseas, very popular, very successful [say that] they’re moving that manufacturing here, so we’re all excited about them.”
    On Fed Chair Powell and interest rates:
    “I sure hope so. Jerome “too late” Powell, he is too late, kind of like “too tall” Jones. This is Jerome “too late” Powell. He should have cut it a quarter point, some time ago, a quarter point now, half point in the future. He’s a lame duck, and I don’t know what he’s going to do. If he doesn’t drop something today, I just have to think it’s politically or emotionally motivated.”
    On the progress of the MAHA movement:
    “Yeah, we’re making great progress. Making incredible progress. We have a group of bills that will help support that movement as well. A group of bills that’s going to make our soil healthier, help our farmers grow more with less pesticides, and with less fertilizers. The thing I’m worried about right now, which is coming to my attention, Brian is China continues to make a lot of knockoffs. So, for instance, China is making a knockoff of a GLP-1, that they’re sending to the US, that’s compounded into a pharmacy. 14 people have died from that. So, one of my big emphases here is moving all that supply chain back to the United States. It’s easier said than done.”
    On U.S.-China trade deals:
    “The big picture is that with China, we have a $270 billion trade deficit to address. I think that people missed the calculated way that the Trump administration is doing this. Basically, they boxed in China. Think about it. They’ve done the EU. They’ve done Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, and Australia, so that by having bilateral trade agreements with them, it’s putting a lot of pressure on China. One other thing China does to cheat is they’ll send a bunch of T-shirts that they made or tennis shoes, and they’ll send them to Vietnam, and then Vietnam is getting them in at their lower tariff rate. So, the President is doubling up on that type of transaction to make sure that those are tarred appropriately. So, we absolutely are getting there. To your point, I’m much more concerned about fentanyl poisoning, their intellectual property theft, the counterfeits they make, all those things. But I have faith in Scott Bessent. This guy is one of the sharpest people I’ve ever met.”
    On Democrats stalling nominations and spending bills:
    “I think this is the big political picture here, and you get this, but what’s driving the Democrat Party right now is the far left. Chuck Schumer is scared to death of AOC on the far left, so they’re demanding he’s got to do something. He’s got to do something. So, he’s doing everything in his power to gum up the process, whether it’s nominations or appropriations bills as well. He’s in a panicked mode right now, and he’s lashing out, slowing up what is traditionally done. People that would pass with unanimous consent and take zero floor time, we’re having to vote on them three times and spend two hours or more on each one of them. So, if they’re going to keep doing that, then we just need to stay here in August till we get more of these people confirmed.
    On the Senate delaying recess until nominations are confirmed:
    “The Democrats secretly want to all go home, right? That is their number one priority. These people are professional politicians; they’re used to having all summer off. And by the way, when I go back, I’m going to work harder back in Kansas than I do here. Then, at the same time, their leader is scared to death. I can’t believe he’s still there. Their leader hasn’t been fired yet, but he’s scared to death to be in a primary. So it’s all about his political legacy right now, keeping that together. But I just have to emphasize, Brian, yes, I want to go home, but I’ve done four telephone town halls up here with people back in Kansas in the last two weeks, with over 5,000 people on each one of those calls. You can go home on weekends. We’ve had significant, strong events as well. We could stay for easily two weeks, and still go back and accomplish that mission of targeting the great things about the Big Beautiful Bill, whether it’s the biggest tax cut in American history or no tax on tips, all those types of things. So, I think we can walk and chew gum. But, what we could do most to help the people of America is get President Trump’s nominations confirmed so they can execute his agenda.”
    On Democrats battling each other on bipartisan bills:
    “First of all, the one thing I learned politically up here is when your opponent is forming a circular firing squad, don’t hop in the middle of them. So, I think we need to give them all the rope we can on this. This kind of takes us back to what I was talking about earlier. The far left of the Democrat Party is the tail wagging the dog. Here’s Cory Booker running for president, right? He’s trying to reach that primary base, saying he’s the most radical, progressive person up here. That’s what he’s doing right there. And again, this is a party that won’t stop digging. They’re in this hole. They have no respect for law and order. They he just keep digging and digging. These bills that she’s proposing are bipartisan, stronger law and order support the police. He’s out there still shouting like this mayor candidate from New York that wants to defund the police. So, I think this is all political. They’re more interested in running for president, Cory Booker is. Then here, you have Amy Klobuchar, who’s one of the most moderate Democrats, level-headed people up here. And to be honest, it’s just been a joy to get to know and work with her. We’re in bipartisan prayer breakfast together. It’s something you’ll never see, but she gave just an incredible lesson to us today about life in our bipartisan prayer breakfast.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: The USDA is Coming to Kansas City

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Senator Marshall Questions Deputy Secretary of Agriculture About the USDA Reorganization
    Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), questioned Deputy Secretary of Agriculture,The Honorable Stephen Alexander Vaden, during a recent Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry hearing focused on the recently announced USDA reorganizational proposal.

    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full exchange.
    Highlights from the hearing include: 
    On why the USDA relocation to Kansas City makes sense:
    Senator Marshall: “Mr. Vaden, welcome. Glad you’re here today. In your testimony, you were mentioning some of the advantages of moving to some of these communities. And I would just point out that you failed to mention that moving to Kansas City that suddenly you would have the advantage of being a Chiefs fan, rather than suffering through another year here with the Washington Commanders. You failed to mention, to be within an hour of the most storied basketball program in the nation, and just barely two hours away from the first land-grant university in America.
    “And I just would want to give you a chance to talk a little bit more. You think about the Kansas City Metro, within a two-hour drive of the Iowa State University, the Nebraska University, Missouri, Arkansas…. How far away is Auburn? Not too far. So, my point is, you know what? You can’t coach talent. You have to have talent, and within just miles of there, some of the greatest ag research in the world. How important is that to American agriculture to have, let alone the affordability issues you mentioned?”
    Deputy Secretary Vaden: “It’s vital. And I want to add to the mix, NBAF. We haven’t forgotten about that. You haven’t either. I know there’s some unfinished business left there. But when you think about the potential that facility has and the technology and level of research that can go on there that are vital for the future of American agriculture, you’ve pointed to many of the reasons why Kansas City also joined as one of our five hubs.
    “The Department put some thought into this. We want to spark that level of collaboration that you have noted, whether it be with our land grant and non-land grant university partners, whether it be with individual farmers, whether it be with the local Chamber of Commerce in an area that is driven and motivated, even though it may be in an urban setting, by agriculture.
    “I know that you’re well aware that the Federal Reserve has a location in Kansas City, and that we’re looking at the shape of the agricultural economy for inclusion in the Beige Book, so we look to what the Kansas City Fed has to say. USDA will be able to take advantage of all of these synergies, and not only Kansas City, but the other hubs that we have laid out.”
    On the USDA’s right to reinitiate the relocation process:
    Senator Marshall: “Over the past four years, it was reported that only 6% of USDA employees were in the office as well. And more and more, just a crescendo of complaints from my ag producers back home that they could work with their local FSA officer or their conservation officer, but then that report would get somehow clogged here in DC. I want to compliment the White House on the $10 billion that was appropriated in [the] spring; within days, my farmers had the help that they needed.
    “And then, more recently, I think it was a $16 billion, so something is working, right from a standpoint of customer services. And I just can’t help but think when you’re when you have people working for USDA out there, going to church, going to the soccer match, all those type of things with the local farmers and ranchers, is going to be a better service of wealth. So just talk about customer service, how that was going to be impacted by these people, the net, net moving out into the hinterlands, as we call it.”
    Deputy Secretary Vaden: “Well, I don’t consider it the hinterlands, I consider it home, Senator. But with regard to having more people in the field, we agree with you that we think the level of service will improve. Not only do we agree with you, even if we had a disagreement, the Congress has legislated on this point, and this is another matter that drove our consideration of this plan, and that’s looking at USDA reorganization authority, which was granted to us by the Congress in 1953.
    “And if you actually look at the statute, I’m a former judge, so I tend to look at statutes. What does the statute say? The statute says, in carrying out this law, quote, ‘the Secretary shall seek to simplify and make efficient the operation of the Department of Agriculture, to place the administration of farm programs close to the state and local levels,’ close quote from the statute. This is exactly what Congress intended: the maximum amount of USDA resources dedicated out in the field, not in Washington, D.C.”
    Senator Marshall: “Just want to make one last point, President Trump’s tariffs are working. He has made incredible trade deals that are going to open up markets that we never had access to before. We’ve never sold a cheeseburger in all of Europe. Ethanol: 40% of our corn crop goes to ethanol. Suddenly, the EU, UK, and all these countries are going to be buying ethanol as well. We’re seeing manufacturing jobs move back to this country because of these tariffs as well. American agriculture will benefit significantly from long-term trade. Agreements for long-term success as well, and we can’t wait to see what’s next coming out of the White House and the tariffs. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Opening Remarks on Protecting Online Data

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, delivered the following opening statement at the subcommittee hearing titled “Protecting the Virtual You: Safeguarding Americans’ Online Data.”

    Testifying at the hearing was Alan Butler, Executive Director and President of the Electronic Privacy Information Center; Samuel Levine, Senior Fellow at the UC Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice; Kate Goodloe, Managing Director at the Business Software Alliance; Paul Martino, General Counsel at the Main Street Privacy Coalition; and Joel Thayer, President of the Digital Progress Institute.

    A rough transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below and a video can be downloaded here.

    Senator Klobuchar: Well. Thank you very much, Chair Blackburn, and thank you to all of our witnesses, and I’m really grateful for your leadership on these issues, Madam Chair, and your willingness to work with me and Senator Blumenthal and many others. 

    We all know new technologies have made it easier for people to monitor their health, collaborate with colleagues, communicate with loved ones, and more. But federal law doesn’t do enough, as we all know, to address the privacy that comes with these innovations, the privacy concerns.

    Technology companies collect an enormous amount of personal information about our daily lives. They know what we buy, who our friends are, where we live, where we work and travel, even how much we would be willing to pay for something. Yet, for too long, the big tech companies, many of which dominate the market that they operate in, have been telling American consumers, “Just trust us,” even though their business models are designed to collect personal information and to use it for profit. 

    The bottom line is that we are the product, we are, and that’s how many tech companies make their money, and a lot of it. In 2024, Google and Meta earned a combined $420 billion in advertising revenues alone. And they made a lot more money because Americans lack privacy protections. An American’s data earned Meta $68 in a single quarter last year. Think about that, all these people who don’t realize that they’re being tracked. But a European Facebook user with a comprehensive privacy protection only generated $23, and that money can be used for a lot of other things that people need right now.

    And it seems like every day we hear a new story about companies playing fast and loose with data and taking advantage of customers. Earlier this year, a whistleblower from Facebook, now Meta, testified to another subcommittee about how the company would track users so closely that it could identify when teenage girls felt emotionally vulnerable and then target them with ads exploiting these emotions. For example, when a teenage girl would delete a selfie, Facebook might serve her an ad for diet products. 

    Criminals also view huge troves of data as attractive targets for hacking. We’ve seen major data breaches ranging from the 2017 Equifax database breach that exposed sensitive financial information from more than 140 million individuals to the hack of Change Healthcare, affecting 190 million people and causing more than 100 electronic systems vital to the U.S. health care system to be shut down. 

    On my way here, I was on the phone with the mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, because they, like so many other jurisdictions, are responding to a targeted cyber-attack on their IT infrastructure, which has shut down some of the city’s digital services and may have compromised city employee data. 

    Once in the hands of criminals, data can be used for everything from identity theft to more serious crimes. And we all learned too tragically with the horrific murders in my state of my good friend Melissa Hortman, the former Speaker of the House, and her husband Mark how accessible personal data is, including people’s addresses, because the murderer only killed the people and went to the houses of the people whose addresses he had. 

    Businesses are also using personal data collected across the internet in novel ways, such as to set individualized prices designed to increase costs for consumers.

    Should a person, and this is a question we have to ask as Senators, really have to submit to this kind of intrusive data collection just to send a message to a friend online, to book a flight, or to order some diapers? I don’t think so. 

    That’s why more than 20 states have stepped in. I suspect today we’ll hear from some of our witnesses about the patchwork of state laws. I agree it’s a problem, but I believe we should have passed privacy legislation many, many years ago. I advocated for it back then. We tried, and in fact, in [2024], I [worked on] a comprehensive privacy bill with Senator Cantwell and Kathy McMorris Rogers, a former Republican House member. The bill would have required companies to collect only the information necessary to provide the goods and services that consumers sought, ensured consumers consented before their personal data was shared with third parties, and put consumers in control of their data by allowing them to access, correct, and even delete personal data. 

    But many of the businesses that today complain about the burden of complying with the patchwork of state laws, I have the advantage of having been there then, even before Maria Cantwell’s bill was introduced, when the companies were lobbying against a federal privacy law, and now they’re back complaining about the patchwork of laws. And I would like to change that, but I do think it’s important to know that’s why we’re in the position that we are and to understand why some of these states are looking at this going, “Wait a minute.”

    The need for federal privacy reform is even more urgent as AI continues to expand its role in to our lives. Data is both the gasoline and the engine for AI models. That means that demand for our data is skyrocketing, so it is critical that we set guardrails to ensure the data that powers AI is responsibly sourced and used for legitimate means and protected when you want to have it protected. 

    Luckily, there is a bipartisan agreement that Congress needs to act. The Commerce Committee, on which Chair Blackburn and I also sit, has seen strong bipartisan, bicameral proposals for federal privacy reform. Not everyone agrees with all of them, but there has been some start out of that committee, and I look forward to hearing from our witnesses about why we need these guardrails now. 

    Thank you, Senator Blackburn.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman, Cotton Back Effort to Establish Drone Production Facility at Red River Army Depot

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) joined Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Cornyn (R-TX) to introduce the SkyFoundry Act of 2025, legislation to establish a Department of Defense drone production facility at the Red River Army Depot to develop, produce and field drones for the Department of Defense.

    “The men and women of the Red River Army Depot are committed to providing our servicemembers with the tools they need to defend our nation,” said Boozman. “With unmanned aircraft systems playing an increasingly prominent role in modern warfare, tasking them with developing and sustaining an adequate supply of drone systems would be a win for this skilled workforce and our armed forces. I am pleased to join my colleagues to champion this effort and the Arkansans whose vital contributions to Red River support our national security and local economy.”

    “Large-scale manufacturing of small drones is critical to the Army’s current and future operational capability,” said Cotton. “This bill is a win for national security and for Arkansas as the Skyfoundry program presents a unique opportunity to more fully utilize the Army’s organic industrial base by positioning Red River Army Depot to meet the Army’s emerging requirements.”

    “Establishing a drone manufacturing facility at the Red River Army Depot will help ensure that the United States remains at the forefront of drone production,” said Cruz. “I’m proud to see the Lone Star State continuing to lead in defense innovation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to swiftly pass this legislation.”

    “Russia and China are currently outpacing America in scalable drone production and investment, making us vulnerable to national security threats if left unmatched,” said Cornyn. “This legislation seeks to close this gap and help ensure America remains competitive with our foreign adversaries by establishing a new innovation and production facility that would rapidly improve our ability to develop, test, and mass-produce small unmanned aircraft systems.”

    Specifically, the SkyFoundry Act of 2025 will:

    • Establish a production facility and innovation facility for the manufacturing and development of small unmanned aircraft systems;
    • Utilize a Government-Owned, Government-Operated Contractor Augmented (GOGO/CA) model, blending military, civilian and contract personnel; and
    • Encourage public-private partnerships with industry, academia and nonprofits.

    Boozman has continually championed efforts to support the Red River Army Depot,  successfully securing $47 million in 2024 for workforce support and recently advancing an additional $93 million in funding through the Senate Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Subcommittee as part of the FY 2026 MilCon-VA Appropriations Act.  

    This legislation is supported by the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce and the TexAmericas Center.

    Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10).

    The bill text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman-Backed Legislation to Support Veterans Passes Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, applauded the advancement of four bipartisan legislative initiatives he championed that earned the overwhelming support of his Veterans’ Affairs Committee colleagues. 

    “We must continue to honor those who have sacrificed for our country, and advancing these bills helps fulfill the promise we made to them,” said Boozman. “I am especially pleased that we passed my bipartisan effort to address a scheduling need at the VA by giving veterans the ability to easily make appointments for specialty care through one scheduling system.”

    The Improving Veteran Access to Care Act, co-led by Boozman and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), passed out of committee. This bill would create a centralized platform that streamlines the VA scheduling system by allowing multiple visits and appointments to be scheduled at once, ultimately improving and simplifying the health care scheduling process for those who have served.

    Additional approved measures championed by Boozman include legislation to expand the External Provider Scheduling Program (EPS) to reduce the time necessary for veterans to find and create medical appointments, the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act to identify and ensure American-Jewish servicemembers’ headstones correctly reflect their religious affiliation, and the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025 that would raise compensation and benefits rates so they keep pace with inflation.

    The panel also passed legislation to expand and reauthorize the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, which Boozman and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) designed to provide essential funding for mental health outreach in veteran communities. The senators have been working to extend and enhance the program before it expires at the end of the year.

    “This program was created out of a dire need to improve community-based resources to address the veteran suicide crisis,” said Boozman. “I am pleased we are making progress on reauthorizing this important initiative to support the great work it is producing.” 

    The bills now head to the full Senate for consideration.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Grills Trump Admin on How So-Called ‘Reorganization Plan’ of USDA Hurts Vermont 

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, grilled U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden on the Trump Administration’s reorganization plan for USDA, which will rob rural communities of vital local control and leadership. Senator Welch also questioned Dep. Sec. Vaden about how USDA plans to better balance and allocate resources to specialty crop, organic, and dairy farms in comparison to large commodity farms.  
    “Let me be candid: I have some inclination to be supportive of folks being back home, closer to where they’re serving,” said Senator Welch. “The concern I have is whether the reorganization plan is on the level—whether it’s about empowering local communities or it’s about decimating the already severely cut back work force.” 
    U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’ plan to restructure USDA follows the Department’s firing of 15,000 employees as part of the Trump Administration’s mass-layoff campaign of federal employees. While USDA claims the reorganization will bring USDA closer to farmers, the proposal would force more than 2,000 local USDA federal employees to relocate across five regional hubs in North Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, Colorado, and Utah. The location of these hubs makes it clear that USDA values large-scale commodity and row cropping farms over the small-scale farms in Vermont and the Northeast.  
    Farmers and agricultural organizations have expressed concerns over how the sudden large-scale restructuring of USDA could disrupt essential services the agency provides and erode support for farmers and rural communities. 
    Watch the exchange between Senator Welch and USDA Deputy Secretary Vaden: 

    Read key excerpts of Senator Welch’s questioning below: 

    Senator Welch: “In Vermont, we’ve lost 78 staff members already. And our local USDA is terrific—they’re responsive, we call them, they give us an answer—they help us…So, how am I going to get excited about this so-called ‘reorganization plan’ where folks are going back, but we’ve already lost 78? Tell me why I should be confident about this.” 
    Mr. Vaden: “Well Senator, to use your phrase, this plan is ‘on the level.’ The Secretary and I are both serious. Employees who accept their new locations—they’ve got a job, and we’ve got an office for them, and we’re planning a new home for them in a location where their federal salary will go farther.” 
    Senator Welch: “But here’s what doesn’t make sense to me: If you believe in the local control, why do you fire local people?” 
    Mr. Vaden: “Senator, if you’re referring to the deferred resignation plan, those were voluntary decisions made by individual employees who chose—with the information that the agency provided to them—to seek a new career elsewhere.” 
    Senator Welch: “You know, you’re talking about a lot of federal workers—they felt the axe was coming down, and they had to make a choice between two really terrible things: get fired…or take the buyout. So, that doesn’t satisfy me. And again, we’ve got 78 people who wanted to stay on their jobs, buy and large, and were doing a good job and would answer the phone when I called—and they’re gone. 
    “You know what my concern is, and I’d like to be able to follow up, because I want this in the real world to be beneficial for folks in Vermont, for our farmers who are incredibly valuable citizens.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Advances Cramer Led Priorities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    Members unanimously advanced two Cramer bills to increase veteran access to suicide prevention services in unserved states and support rural veterans’ transportation to health care appointments. 

    ***Click here for audio.***

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) held a markup today, which featured two pieces of legislation led by U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a member of the committee, to enhance rural veterans’ access to health care services. The committee advanced the bipartisan Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act, and language reflecting the Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act, which will now advance to the Senate floor for consideration.

    “It doesn’t matter where a veteran lives, every veteran has earned access to quality and timely health care,” said Cramer. “These bipartisan bills do a couple of things. The one ensures veterans across rural America, including North Dakota, can travel to their medical appointments, whether it’s in their community or at a VA facility. And then, it allows every veteran across the country to be able to receive suicide prevention support if they need it. It’s time to pass this measure on the Senate floor. I know it will pass easily; we just need our leadership to put it up.”

    In April, Cramer and U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the bipartisan Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act to provide priority consideration of SSG Fox SPGP applications to entities in states like North Dakota and Delaware, which have not previously received an award. Entities in five other states have also never received suicide prevention grants. The language is included as part of the Helping Optimize Prevention and Engagement (HOPE) for Heroes Act, which reauthorizes the SSG Fox SPGP, and increases the grant funding available to entities providing mental health support to veterans. Additionally, Cramer included similar language improving access to suicide prevention services in the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations package to ensure North Dakota veterans receive suicide prevention support.

    Cramer also passed the Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act out of committee. This bipartisan bill was introduced with U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) in March. This legislation would permanently reauthorize the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Highly Rural Transportation Grant (HRTG) Program, which provides free transportation services to VA-authorized healthcare appointments for veterans living in rural areas. It would also add Tribal Organizations and Veterans Service Organizations (VSO) as entities eligible to apply directly for the program and provide additional assistance for entities to purchase vehicles. Presently, 35 counties across North Dakota are served by the HRTG program, and this legislation ensures these essential transportation services will remain available for veterans while expanding access and resources for other veterans needing transportation services.

    During the markup, members of SVAC also passed two pieces of legislation cosponsored by Cramer. The Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) Act would establish a program to award grants to nonprofit organizations and assist them in providing service dogs to eligible veterans. This legislation builds on the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act, a bipartisan bill Cramer introduced along with U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), which authorized a pilot program to connect service dogs with veterans experiencing mental illnesses and was signed into law in 2021. Upon the passage of PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act in 2021, Cramer visited Service Dogs for America, an accredited nonprofit trainer of service dogs in Jud, N.D.

    The other legislation is the Veterans Cost of Living Adjustment Act, which would require the VA to provide a cost-of-living adjustment to increase the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities. It would also raise the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Capito Delivers Floor Speech on Need for Bipartisan Permitting Reform Legislation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

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    To watch Chairman Capito’s floor remarks, click here or the image above.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, delivered remarks on Senate Floor outlining the need for comprehensive, bipartisan reforms to our nation’s environmental review and permitting processes.

    “The opportunity is here, this is right in front of us, and I can guarantee you that I will be at the forefront of these efforts to make sure that these reforms can become a reality. I encourage my colleagues to heed the importance of this moment,”Chairman Capito said.

    Below are the floor remarks of Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) as delivered.

    “As we both know, for too long, critical projects central to American energy development, infrastructure improvement, and economic development have been trapped in a cycle of redundant reviews, shifting goalposts, endless red tape, and regulatory uncertainty.

    “Businesses large and small, looking to build things in our country again, really need certainty that is necessary for long-term investments, and projects needed to deploy new energy technologies, and efforts to restore the environment, have been caught in the same regulatory swamp as well.

    “This has been loaded on for years. Years of changes in guidance have created a complex web of ever-expanding, duplicative, and contradictory requirements, while Congress has not stepped in to provide the clarifications that our country needs. All this has led to lost jobs, missed economic opportunities, and higher prices across America, underpinning the importance of comprehensive reform to our environmental review and permitting processes. I can tell you, I get asked about this consistently, every day, more than a few times a day.

    “So, let me talk a little bit about my home state of West Virginia. I’ve seen firsthand how projects that our communities rely on face needless delays and how costs are then shifted to our families who pay more for energy, housing, transportation, and basic goods as a result.

    “These types of delays nearly stopped what will become one of the most environmentally friendly steel production facilities in the world that will employ over a thousand people in Mason County.

    “Top highway projects, like Corridor H that would improve both safety, mobility, and create economic development, have encountered multiple permitting delays and uncertainty under a litany of environmental statutes. Even West Virginia water extensions, broadband deployments, and bridge replacements have all faced delays from the federal permitting process.

    “If you’ve spent time in my state, visited our communities, or traveled across our mountains, it’s obvious how important these projects are to our state of West Virginia. They impact everything from how we heat our homes, to how we connect our schools with internet, and maintain the roads and bridges that our residents travel on every single day.

    “Point blank, these delays are holding our state and every state back from reaching our full potential, robbing our people of investments and economic development that would improve the quality of their lives. I believe it is time for Congress act.

    “Clearly, I am no stranger to the ever-illusive topic of permitting reform. Throughout my time in the Senate, I have introduced multiple bills on the subject and have been involved in the regulations on this topic, and while we were able to include some reforms in the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act, it is very clear that much more needs to be done.

    “The fact of the matter is, each one of us in this chamber has a critical need in our state that could be addressed by improving our permitting and environmental processes. Like building more housing, we always hear about a housing shortage, or bringing energy projects online, we hear about the expansions of nuclear, that are going to be held in the permitting process, or improving the conditions of surface transportation infrastructure, just to name a few. No matter what our constituents need, we all know that permitting reform is needed to deliver projects more quickly and more efficiently.

    “In my role as the Chair of the EPW Committee, where we have jurisdiction over the laws that set the framework for our environmental review and permitting processes, I could not be more earnest in my desire to lead this effort with our Ranking Member. Our Committee’s involvement on this issue remains apparent by the delivery of not just this speech we’re doing together, but as we continue to work together with the goal of crafting bipartisan legislation.

    “Together, we started bipartisan conversations in our Committee in February, when we held a hearing to gain the perspectives of leaders who are directly involved with navigating these processes.

    “To ensure that we would gather a complete look at all of the issues, we kept the hearing record open for over a month to give all stakeholders the opportunity to share their experience with these existing environmental review and permitting processes, and identify challenges and recommend possible solutions to this Congress.

    “From this record, we garnered 107 submissions representing 146 individual organizations, and an additional 854 individual requests on how to improve the federal environmental review and permitting process.

    “These responses have helped the EPW Committee identify the challenges that persist across the wide variety of projects and to identify consensus on the potential solutions to address these challenges.

    “While we’ve talked about the issue of permitting for a number of years in Congress, it’s important that we currently find ourselves, I think, in like-thought all across the spectrum. Each branch of the federal government, from the Executive, to Congress, and the Judiciary, are united in our dissatisfaction with the current permitting and environmental review processes.

    “The Trump Administration has taken numerous actions to cut red tape and to put the United States in the best possible position to grow our economy and create jobs.

    “The Supreme Court delivered a unanimous decision in the Seven County Infrastructure Coalition case in May that validated what many of my colleagues and I have long been saying, and that is the responsibilities of federal agencies under the [National Environmental Policy Act] have evolved beyond what Congress intended, creating roadblocks instead of considering the environment in federal decision-making.

    “Right now, we have the momentum, I believe, needed to deliver meaningful and lasting reforms to the environmental review and permitting process, and I believe this is an unprecedented opportunity and something we can truly accomplish.

    “I do believe, and we know this well, Senator Whitehouse and I know this well, that there are areas of strong disagreement in this area between the two of us, and what we’re going to try to do is to find those areas of like-thinking, that moves the process along. No matter how difficult it might be, this is the only way we get a permanent solution, so we don’t see the swings of the environmental process that we’ve seen over the last few years.

    “To start, durable and implementable reforms need to be successful, they have to be bipartisan. Legislation that the Senate crafts must take into account all types of projects, not just politically favored projects no matter who is favoring them, or projects that will support the infrastructure needs of some Americans but not others. We must provide clarity and transparency in these processes, and be thoughtful in the way we craft the legislation.

    “We need to address every stage of these processes to find efficiencies while balancing public health, the environment, and the needs of our economy, and our legislation must establish guardrails that cease the endless amounts of agency delays and litigation that stunts the development of our projects. I’ve seen investments in my state collapse under the weight of legal challenges, denying benefits to those that needed it the most.

    “I want to stress that modernizing these processes does not mean cutting corners or weakening our environmental and public health protections, and this is exceedingly important to all of us and to the process. It means focusing the government on meeting the needs of the American people, ensuring the quality of our environment for generations to come, and making the processes more efficient, predictable, and transparent so that they’re not stuck in a bureaucratic purgatory of endless litigation.

    “The reality is this, hardworking Americans want a government that works for them, not one that keeps them waiting for the benefits that many of these projects promise to their communities. What happens when you wait, if the project still goes forward? It gets more and more and more expensive with time.

    “I was encouraged to see bipartisan efforts from our colleagues in the House of Representatives, as last week, Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman and Representative Jared Golden announced a proposal to address many of the concerns I just laid out.

    “As negotiations continue in the Senate, we must remember that it will take the collaboration of both chambers [of Congress] and the Administration to get impactful legislation across the finish line.

    “The opportunity is here, this is right in front of us, and I can guarantee you that I will be at the forefront of these efforts to make sure that these reforms can become a reality. I encourage my colleagues to heed the importance of this moment, and many of our colleagues are talking about this and have great expertise in this area, and we need your help.

    “With that, I yield the floor.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito: The OBBB Delivers Tax Relief for West Virginians

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The One Big Beautiful Bill prevents what could have been the largest tax increase in history for working- and middle-class Americans. By permanently extending and expanding on the successful Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), passed during President Trump’s first term, Senate Republicans are delivering on their promise to foster an environment of economic growth and increase affordability for American families.

    “The One Big Beautiful Bill delivers the largest tax cut in history to hardworking people in West Virginia and across the country. That means that West Virginia families not only get to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks, but they will see their take-home pay increase by thousands of dollars. These tax cuts will also help small businesses grow and hire more people, leading to greater economic growth and more opportunity,” Senator Capito said.

    West Virginia Wins:

    • Around 400 thousand seniors in West Virginia could benefit from the no taxes on social security.
    • 5% of the labor force is employed in occupations that will benefit from the no taxes on tips.
    • Establishes a $6,000 bonus deduction for seniors. 
    • Establishes a permanent small business deduction and increases Section 179, Small Business Expensing Cap from $1.25 million to $2.5 million. 
    • Extends the Hydrogen Tax Credit (945V) until January 1, 2028, which will save Hydrogen Hubs across the country, including West Virginia’s ARCH2 project. 
    • Permanently restores 163j interest deductibility beginning after December 31, 2024, which will provide West Virginia’s small business owners the tools they need to compete, grow, and hire.

    What Others Are Saying:

    “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a landmark victory for West Virginia’s small businesses. By making the Small Business Tax Deduction permanent, Congress delivered the certainty that Main Street needs, allowing small business owners to continue to create jobs, grow their business, and invest in their communities. With the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Senator Capito along with both Chambers of Congress, have strengthened the foundation of our economy and provided a boost not just for small businesses, but a boost for the entire country,” Gil White, NFIB West Virginia State Director, said.

    “Senator Capito has always been a champion and leader for West Virginia’s hospitality and tourism industry, which is an economic driver that employs thousands of West Virginia workers and welcomes millions of visitors to our great state annually. We are thankful for Senator Capito’s support of key provisions in the One Big, Beautiful Bill that will positively impact our restaurant, lodging, and tourism industry members. Important policies included in the bill – such as ‘no tax or tips’ and ‘no taxes on overtime,” full expensing of capital equipment purchases, qualified business income deductions, and permanent family and medical leave credits – provide much-needed benefits to hospitality and tourism employees and regulatory and tax certainty for small business owners that will allow tourism to continue as an economic powerhouse for West Virginia,” Richie Heath, Executive Director of the West Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association, said.

    MIL OSI USA News –