NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders Statement: “Netanyahu Was Wrong in 2002. He Is Wrong Now.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    BURLINGTON, Vt., June 19 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today released the following statement:

    In 2002, in testimony to Congress urging the United States to go to war in Iraq, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated: “There is no question whatsoever that Saddam is seeking… nuclear weapons…. If you take out Saddam’s regime, I guarantee you that it will have enormous positive reverberations.”  

    Netanyahu was wrong. Very wrong. The war in Iraq resulted in 4,492 U.S. military deaths, over 32,000 wounded, and a cost of roughly three trillion dollars. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis also died as a result of that tragic war.

    Netanyahu was wrong regarding the war in Iraq. He is wrong now. We must not get involved in Netanyahu’s war against Iran.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Questions Army Leaders on Munitions Production, Drone Utilization and Funding Challenges

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) questioned Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George about the Army’s modernization initiative and its potential impact as well as the importance of stable funding and current and future drone capabilities at a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing.

    “I share your concerns with modernization. I share the concerns of many in Congress about the loss of the organic industrial base. Current events have made one thing clear: the commercial industrial base alone cannot meet our munitions demands. That’s why Congress has advocated for investing in Army-owned, organic industrial base facilities,” Boozman said.

    “It is – there are probably a couple of threats if we don’t figure out how to get scalable solutions together, we are going to put our Army in a bad position and that is absolutely one of them. I would be honored to work with you,” Driscoll stated.

    Boozman, along with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04), has pushed back on the Army’s intentions to potentially downsize the Pine Bluff Arsenal rather than expand its operations to help meet munitions needs. The lawmakers subsequently called for detailed plans for the future of the Arsenal as a critical element of the defense industrial base.

    As a senior Appropriations Committee member, Boozman also questioned the effect temporary funding and authorities – in the form or continuing resolutions – has on military missions and commitments.

    “We wouldn’t be able to make some of the changes because it would be based on previous years. That would obviously be a detriment to us in the Army. We know the battlefield is constantly changing,” George responded.

    “Predictable funding is a virtuous concept that helps us in a lot of different ways. When we continue to have CRs, it makes our spending decisions and the downstream effect on our suppliers even more amplified,” Driscoll continued.

    The senator concluded by pressing for details on the Army’s plan to integrate and field mass small drone technology in light of recent drone attacks abroad, including Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web that successfully targeted Russia’s air fleet.

    “We need to produce – we’re producing very few drones stateside. We need to have [that] here in our organic industrial base. That’s certainly one area where there’s an intersection where we need to improve on,” George explained.

    Boozman previously discussed the threat of drone attacks on U.S. domestic military installations and assets with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Further Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Extension.  (a)  The enforcement delay specified in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14166 of January 20, 2025 (Application of Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok), as extended by Executive Order 14258 of April 4, 2025 (Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay), is further extended until September 17, 2025.  During this period, the Department of Justice shall take no action to enforce the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (the “Act”) (Public Law 118-50, Div. H) or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the Act, including for distributing, maintaining, or updating (or enabling the distribution, maintenance, or updating) of any foreign adversary controlled application as defined in the Act.  In light of this direction, even after the expiration of the above-specified period, the Department of Justice shall not take any action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period or any period prior to the issuance of this order, including the period of time from January 19, 2025, until the date of this order.(b)  The Attorney General shall take all appropriate action to issue written guidance to implement the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.(c)  The Attorney General shall further issue a letter to each provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period, as well as for any conduct from the effective date of the Act until the date of this order.(d)  Because of the national security interests at stake and because section 2(d) of the Act vests authority for investigations and enforcement of the Act only in the Attorney General, attempted enforcement by the States or private parties represents an encroachment on the powers of the Executive.  The Attorney General shall exercise all available authority to preserve and defend the Executive’s exclusive authority to enforce the Act.
    Sec. 2.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.(d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Justice. 
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    June 19, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Further Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Extension.  (a)  The enforcement delay specified in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14166 of January 20, 2025 (Application of Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok), as extended by Executive Order 14258 of April 4, 2025 (Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay), is further extended until September 17, 2025.  During this period, the Department of Justice shall take no action to enforce the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (the “Act”) (Public Law 118-50, Div. H) or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the Act, including for distributing, maintaining, or updating (or enabling the distribution, maintenance, or updating) of any foreign adversary controlled application as defined in the Act.  In light of this direction, even after the expiration of the above-specified period, the Department of Justice shall not take any action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period or any period prior to the issuance of this order, including the period of time from January 19, 2025, until the date of this order.(b)  The Attorney General shall take all appropriate action to issue written guidance to implement the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.(c)  The Attorney General shall further issue a letter to each provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period, as well as for any conduct from the effective date of the Act until the date of this order.(d)  Because of the national security interests at stake and because section 2(d) of the Act vests authority for investigations and enforcement of the Act only in the Attorney General, attempted enforcement by the States or private parties represents an encroachment on the powers of the Executive.  The Attorney General shall exercise all available authority to preserve and defend the Executive’s exclusive authority to enforce the Act.
    Sec. 2.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.(d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Justice. 
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    June 19, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: NY Times Opinion: “Senator Padilla: The Trump Administration Handcuffed Me, but I Refuse to Stay Silent”

    US Senate News:

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

    ICYMI: NY Times Opinion: “Senator Padilla: The Trump Administration Handcuffed Me, but I Refuse to Stay Silent”

    NY Times Op-Ed

    Padilla: “If this administration is willing to handcuff a U.S. senator, imagine what it is willing to do to any American who dares to speak up.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, published an op-ed in the New York Times this morning following his forcible removal from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s press conference, where he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed after attempting to ask a question.

    Padilla blasted President Trump’s unprecedented militarization of Los Angeles and warned against the immense consequences of the Trump Administration’s increasingly callous anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions, not only for hardworking immigrants essential to our communities and economy, but for the fundamental democratic rights of Americans across the country. He called Trump’s manufactured crisis in Los Angeles a “warning shot” and a “wake-up call” for his Republican colleagues and the American people to speak up against Trump’s egregious continued abuse of power.

    Key Excerpts:

    • If you watched what happened to me or Mr. Lander these past few days and thought this was about any one politician or altercation, you are missing the point. If this administration is willing to handcuff a U.S. senator, imagine what it is willing to do to any American who dares to speak up. If that’s what can happen when the cameras are on, imagine what is already happening in communities across the country when the cameras are off. Today, it’s immigrants on the receiving end of Donald Trump’s outrage machine. Tomorrow, it could be anyone.
    • As the proud son of immigrants from Mexico who came to California to pursue the American dream, I am living proof of the promise this country provides to all of us. Where else can the son of a housekeeper and a short-order cook become a senator? But I also know that America’s promise doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because throughout our history ordinary people have called out our country’s contradictions and called on the government to live up to the principles of equality established at our founding.
    • As we’ve seen in Los Angeles, public safety is not the point — the spectacle is. Americans are living through a historic moment of presidential overreach. With a cabinet of yes-men and underqualified attack dogs surrounding him — from the D.H.S. Secretary to the F.B.I. director to the secretary of defense — Mr. Trump is now testing the boundaries of his power. And he’s using the theatrics around his immigration policies to do it.
    • If you thought any of this administration’s theatrics in Los Angeles these past few weeks was truly about immigrants, it’s time to wake up. If federal troops can deploy to Los Angeles against the wishes of the governor, the mayor and even local law enforcement, they can do the same tomorrow in your hometown. This is a fundamental threat to the rule of law nationwide.
    • Democracy doesn’t fall from any one decision or any one attack. It falls from a thousand cuts that slowly erode our fundamental freedoms. It falls when good people see our democracy sliding backward but still choose to say nothing.
    • To any American wondering if democracy is lost or if they can ever make a difference, I’d say this: If the Trump administration was this scared of one senator with a question, imagine what the voices of tens of millions of Americans organizing will do. No one is coming to save us but us.

    Senator Padilla has been outspoken in calling out the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles and Trump’s misguided deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marine Corps. This past weekend, Padilla led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty servicemembers to American cities. Last week, Padilla and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) demanded answers regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to deploy approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles. Padilla has spoken at a spotlight hearing and on the Senate floor multiple times to blast President Trump for manufacturing a crisis by launching indiscriminate ICE raids across Los Angeles and deploying the National Guard and active-duty servicemembers to the region. He also joined all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats earlier this week in calling on Chairman Grassley to schedule Department of Homeland Security Secretary Noem for a broad oversight hearing for testimony before the committee.

    Full text of Senator Padilla’s NY Times op-ed is available here and below:

    NY Times: Senator Padilla: The Trump Administration Handcuffed Me, but I Refuse to Stay Silent

    By U.S. Senator Alex Padilla

    Growing up in the northeast San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles in the 1980s and 90s, you know what can happen if you don’t completely cooperate with law enforcement.

    Even so, it was jarring last week when, despite clearly identifying myself as a U.S. senator, I was forcibly removed from a news conference at which Kristi Noem, the secretary of homeland security, promised to “liberate” Los Angeles from our democratically elected mayor and governor. As I was thrown to the ground, handcuffed and walked down a hall while officers refused to tell me why I was being detained, my mind raced with questions.

    Where are they taking me? Am I being arrested? What will a city already on edge from being militarized think when they see their senator has just been handcuffed?

    What will my wife and our three boys think?

    I imagined similar questions were running through the mind of Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller and mayoral candidate, this week when he, too, was handcuffed by federal agents for asking them whether they had a warrant to arrest a migrant he had locked arms with. Like me, Mr. Lander had the audacity to question the legitimacy of federal actions, only to find himself pushed against a wall and detained.

    If you watched what happened to me or Mr. Lander these past few days and thought this was about any one politician or altercation, you are missing the point.

    If this administration is willing to handcuff a U.S. senator, imagine what it is willing to do to any American who dares to speak up.

    If that’s what can happen when the cameras are on, imagine what is already happening in communities across the country when the cameras are off.

    Today, it’s immigrants on the receiving end of Donald Trump’s outrage machine. Tomorrow, it could be anyone.

    We have seen this playbook before. In fact, it’s what drew me to politics in the first place, back in 1994. I had just earned my mechanical engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with my sights set on a lucrative career in engineering, but life had a different plan for me. I returned home from school to find hateful TV ads and a statewide ballot called Proposition 187, a proposal targeting immigrant families and communities like mine. It was the result of a Republican governor who was up for re-election and who had turned to scapegoating immigrants to try to improve his declining political standing.

    As the proud son of immigrants from Mexico who came to California to pursue the American dream, I am living proof of the promise this country provides to all of us. Where else can the son of a housekeeper and a short-order cook become a senator? But I also know that America’s promise doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because throughout our history ordinary people have called out our country’s contradictions and called on the government to live up to the principles of equality established at our founding.

    And so I got involved. Alongside friends and family, I marched against the vile anti-immigrant rhetoric that was growing in California. Because of the movement that started in the 1990s, a generation of diverse leaders have come of age in California. Today, we celebrate immigrants — knowing full well that California has become the fourth-largest economy in the world, not despite our immigrants but because of them.

    So when Mr. Trump began to face a groundswell of criticism a few weeks ago for his unpopular Medicaid cuts, failed tariff wars and embarrassing public breakup with a billionaire adviser, I suspected that it wouldn’t be long before he broke out the same tired anti-immigrant tactics to distract the public. Raids intensified, detentions skyrocketed and Mr. Trump’s narrative of crisis escalated in the hopes of diverting attention from his political failures.

    If the administration were primarily targeting dangerous criminals, as some White House officials have claimed, there would be no debate. But new reporting shows that less than 10 percent of immigrants taken into ICE custody since October have serious criminal convictions. They may be undocumented, but who are they? Oftentimes, they’re hardworking cooks, day laborers, carwash employees, farmworkers and construction workers. Many are the same people Mr. Trump declared essential workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    But as we’ve seen in Los Angeles, public safety is not the point — the spectacle is. Americans are living through a historic moment of presidential overreach. With a cabinet of yes-men and underqualified attack dogs surrounding him — from the D.H.S. Secretary to the F.B.I. director to the secretary of defense — Mr. Trump is now testing the boundaries of his power. And he’s using the theatrics around his immigration policies to do it.

    That’s why when Angelenos gathered to protest these injustices, the administration labeled them “insurrectionists,” deliberately twisting dissent into something dangerous to use as a pretext for repression.

    So if you thought any of this administration’s theatrics in Los Angeles these past few weeks was truly about immigrants, it’s time to wake up. If federal troops can deploy to Los Angeles against the wishes of the governor, the mayor and even local law enforcement, they can do the same tomorrow in your hometown. This is a fundamental threat to the rule of law nationwide.

    What’s happening in Los Angeles is a warning shot. But I pray it can also be a wake-up call — for my Republican Senate colleagues who have stayed silent in the face of their colleague’s handcuffing, but also for Americans of every stripe who think they’re insulated from Mr. Trump’s power grabs because they’re not immigrants or because they’re not from a blue state.

    Democracy doesn’t fall from any one decision or any one attack. It falls from a thousand cuts that slowly erode our fundamental freedoms. It falls when good people see our democracy sliding backward but still choose to say nothing.

    Even as I’ve seen the authoritarian instincts of this administration up close, I know America is not past saving. True liberation doesn’t come through military occupation. It comes through democratic participation — participation like what we saw this past weekend, when millions of Americans came out to protest this administration’s abuse of power.

    To any American wondering if democracy is lost or if they can ever make a difference, I’d say this: If the Trump administration was this scared of one senator with a question, imagine what the voices of tens of millions of Americans organizing will do. No one is coming to save us but us.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 06/18/2025 VIDEO: Blackburn Slams White House ‘Cabal’ for Hiding Biden Cognitive Decline and Hijacking Executive Power

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) slammed the Biden White House during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for hiding Joe Biden’s cognitive decline for four years and the subsequent shameless coverup by the media and Democrats. Senator Blackburn laid out how Joe Biden’s cabal behind the curtain has undermined the faith of the American people in public institutions. 

    Click here to download video of Senator Blackburn’s remarks during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

    Many of Joe Biden’s Own Cabinet Members Knew He Was Unfit to Serve

    Senator Blackburn: “You could look at any of the footage and see what was transpiring with President Biden, and I think the fact that many of his own cabinet members knew that he was not fit to serve, and that there was a cabal behind the curtain who was making all the decisions it is so offensive to the American people, and it’s not something that is a partisan issue. As I talk with Democrats, many of them have lost faith in what they thought was going to be a very moderate Joe Biden administration, and it turned into be the far-left Bernie Sanders version of the Democrat party that was using the autopen and making decisions and committing our great nation to policies that the American people did not support and would never have supported.”

    Biden Staffers Were Willing to Do Undemocratic Things to Hold onto Power

    Senator Blackburn: “These staffers were willing to do undemocratic things, using their term to keep the president in office. To keep Biden there, they were willing to do undemocratic things, unlawful things. That behavior… undermines the faith of Tennesseans and all Americans in our public institutions because they could see what was happening, but they were being lied to by people in the White House who were probably then running in their office and saying, ‘Well, we pulled it off another day.’”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: We Do Not Want American Troops Involved in a Foreign War

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Senator Marshall Joins The Vince Show to Discuss The President’s One Big Beautiful Bill, English Language Requirements for Truck Drivers, and the Iran / Israel Conflict
    Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Vince Coglianese on The Vince Show to discuss President Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill,’ his new legislation to mandate all truck drivers speak English, and what could happen next in the ongoing conflict in Iran. 

    Click HERE to listen to the full interview.
    On the progress being made in the OBBB negotiations:
    “We’re making incredible progress in the Senate. I think first of all, we have to figure out what all the Senators can agree upon and then follow back up with the House. … Probably the one thing that is still missing, there are a lot of us who would still like to see some more cuts – there’s about $2 trillion of cuts so far. We’d like to see a little bit more, if at all possible.
    “We think another couple hundred billion dollars is sitting there. We’ve given those suggestions to leadership. I just think it’s an incredible negotiation going on now between House leadership with Mike Johnson and, of course, Leader Thune in the Senate and the White House. I can tell you, they’re all in the same room, they’re working hard and just trying to find that sweet spot where we can get to 218 in the house, 51 in the Senate.”
    On what will happen to the SALT Deduction:  
    “I know everyone is fixated on the amounts 20, 30, $40,000, and by the way, that’s a $400 billion hit over the next 10 years. Red states subsiding, blue states $400 billion. But I really think it’s when you should not be able to benefit from them at what salary – if you’re making $500,000 a year, should you still get that, and be able to write that off? And if you’re making $600,000?  …So that’s another dial to keep your eye on, as we go forward.”
    On why the OBBB is needed to keep the southern border secure:  
    “[DHS] is going to run out of money very soon. It’s expensive what they’re doing; they probably said maybe $100,000 per person when it comes to arresting them, housing them, going through the process, and deporting them. You think about that we have 400,000 violent illegal aliens out there. It’s going to be very expensive to do. I think they’re living on borrowed time and borrowed money.
    “And to your point, as much as anything, this bill will allow President Trump to fulfill his campaign promise to secure the border, arguably forever, but at least for the next four years. And so, I say, I think it’s all it’s going to have $45 billion to build 2000 miles of barrier, double the number of ice removal agents, etc.”
    On the newest legislation for English literacy requirements for truck drivers:   
    “So, we want to codify President Trump’s rules, so that way, heaven forbid another Barack Obama President comes in here. And he’s the one who said it was okay – he took this rule out that required the English language to drive, and we’re not just talking little trucks, we’re talking the big trucks, the big semis that we see on the roads – I mean, it just makes sense.
    “And by the way, I’m not the first to say this, but common sense is not very common in Washington, DC, but under President Trump, he’s restoring common sense. This is just a common-sense issue: that if you’re driving a big truck, you need to be able to take a driver’s test in English and be able to read and speak English proficiently. It’s just common sense.”
    On what’s happening in Iran and if American forces will become involved:
    “I think that we all agree that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. I think that is the absolute bottom line. I think that we have trust that President Trump is weighing all the different sides of this conversation. I think that most of us hope that Israel can finish the job. I think there’s a way that they can finish the job as well without us. I think that’s what would be best. And I certainly don’t want to get ahead of the President, if he decides differently, there’ll be a darn good reason that he decided differently.
    “I never want to speak for the President. I think that most senators hope and believe that Israel can finish the job on their own. We’ll continue our defensive posture. Do everything we can to stay out of the war … Again, we’re talking about us to look through the eyes of the Iranian people – this is a great time for them. What we’re hoping to see over there is a regime change as well and end this terrorist organization. We have confidence that President Trump will thread the needle properly to do whatever needs to be done. But the great thing is, I know philosophically, President Trump is not going to get us into another endless war.
    “We do not want American troops in there. I think we would all just have a fit to see one American troop in there on the ground. It’s a big difference between that and a precision strike, if that’s what’s necessary. President Trump has demonstrated precision strikes in the past, but I just don’t see any circumstances that we’re going to have American boots on the ground in this. Look, Israel’s got this under control – why do we want to go in there and make this thing get worse?… I certainly believe that Iran was very close to nuclear warheads – they had 60% enriched uranium enough to make at least 10 atomic bombs. Look, nuclear power plants in America never go beyond 6% enrichment. They’re sitting there at 60%, there’s no doubt in my mind that they were planning on making a nuclear weapon.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin Announce $30 Million in Federal Funding for O’hare Airport Runway Extensions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    June 18, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $30,000,000 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Authority for O’Hare International Airport. The federal funding will be used to pave Runway 9R/27L an additional 3,290 feet in length to reduce delays, accommodate more passengers and allow for increased aircraft operations.

    “Illinois’s airports are critical economic engines for our state and the source of jobs for so many working families,” Duckworth said. “I’m proud to join Senator Durbin in announcing this investment of federal funding to help expand and modernize infrastructure at O’Hare International Airport. I will continue to work alongside Senator Durbin to make traveling more efficient and reliable for all passengers while ensuring that our communities are receiving the much-needed federal resources they deserve.”

    “O’Hare keeps millions of Americans connected with reliable air travel. By improving and modernizing its infrastructure, we are laying the foundation for increased connectivity and reliability,” said Durbin. “Today’s announced federal funding for O’Hare will enhance the travel experience for passengers. I will continue working with Senator Duckworth to ensure Illinois airports have the necessary federal resources to keep passengers safe and connected.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth to Hegseth: “Let the Military Get Back to Its Real Job Defending Americans, Not Policing Them”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    June 18, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) excoriated Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for deploying American servicemembers to police and intimidate their fellow Americans in our nation’s communities, something that actively undermines the Secretary’s own self-proclaimed goal of strengthening our military’s warfighting capabilities and protecting Americans from real foreign threats. Duckworth underscored how misusing our military for domestic law enforcement matters diverts taxpayer dollars and our Armed Forces’ attention away from the combat training that servicemembers need to face foreign enemies abroad. Duckworth’s remarks can be found on the Senator’s YouTube.

    “The unjustified, un-American misuse of the military in American cities pulls resources and attention away from our Armed Forces’ core missions to the detriment of the country, the warfighters and, yes, even the warfighting that Secretary Hegseth claims to love,” said Senator Duckworth. “The military should not be playing cop against their fellow Americans—and the longer they do, the less they’re preparing for real warfighting against real foreign threats to the American people. It’s time Mr. Hegseth let the military get back to its actual job and stop forcing them to do DHS’s. If he wants to be DHS Secretary, he can apply for it when he’s been fired from being Defense Secretary due to his incompetence.”

    During today’s Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing, Duckworth noted that the Trump Administration’s deployment of American servicemembers to California is just the latest in a deliberate, systematic and dangerous politicized campaign to reorient our military away from warfighting and toward intimidating Americans in their own communities. On his first day back in office, President Trump directed U.S. Northern Command to revise its Unified Command Plan and add new planning requirements to combat “criminal activities.” Trump also signed a series of executive orders redirecting the Defense Department’s priorities toward supporting domestic law enforcement, including one in April that tells the Department to “use national security assets for law and order.” This is an egregious misuse of the military that undermines its core mission to protect and defend our nation from foreign threats, and thereby makes all Americans less safe.

    Over the weekend, Duckworth joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty service members to American cities. And, while questioning the Commandant of the Marine Corps during a hearing last week, Duckworth slammed the Trump Administration’s deployment of 700 Marines into Los Angeles. The Senator said, “I don’t condone violence or property destruction, but using active-duty Marines this way sets a dangerous precedent that risks damaging public trust in our military and politicizing a military force that must remain mission-focused. President Trump is asking Marines to be away from their families for a situation that the President himself said yesterday was ‘simmering, but not very much.’”

    Since he was first nominated and throughout his confirmation hearing, Duckworth has made it clear that Pete Hegseth is manifestly unqualified to lead our men and women in uniform as Secretary of Defense. After his egregious national security breach that needlessly put the lives of our troops in greater danger, Duckworth has demanded that Hegseth resign in disgrace or be fired immediately.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Calls on Biden to Release Autopen Consent Records, Grills Democrats for Covering Up Biden’s Cognitive Decline

    US Senate News:

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

    Wednesday, June 18, 2025

    In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called on former President Joe Biden to release documents showing that he consented to his staff’s use of the autopen.

    “Today, I call on former President Biden and his staff: release the documents… Show us the documents where the President authorized the use of the pen for every single pardon and clemency and stay application. Let’s see it. Let’s see all of it. And if you won’t do it, we should subpoena those documents, and we should find out the truth of who was really running the White House because I think we can see it was not Biden,” Senator Hawley said.

    Senator Hawley called out Democrats for lying to the American people about Biden’s mental acuity for years and for failing to take accountability or even attend the hearing.  

    “All you have to do is look over at this side of the dais to see that the stonewall continues… Where are they?” Senator Hawley said. “They lied to us for four years, and we know they lied. They know they lied. It’s why they’re not here. They don’t want to answer a single question. They can’t bear to show their faces in public.”

    Senator Hawley has long raised concerns about President Biden’s mental fitness. In February 2024 following the release of the Hur Report, he called on then Attorney General Merrick Garland to invoke the 25th Amendment or prosecute Biden.

    Watch the full video here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Calls on Biden to Release Autopen Consent Records, Grills Democrats for Covering Up Biden’s Cognitive Decline

    US Senate News:

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

    Wednesday, June 18, 2025

    In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called on former President Joe Biden to release documents showing that he consented to his staff’s use of the autopen.

    “Today, I call on former President Biden and his staff: release the documents… Show us the documents where the President authorized the use of the pen for every single pardon and clemency and stay application. Let’s see it. Let’s see all of it. And if you won’t do it, we should subpoena those documents, and we should find out the truth of who was really running the White House because I think we can see it was not Biden,” Senator Hawley said.

    Senator Hawley called out Democrats for lying to the American people about Biden’s mental acuity for years and for failing to take accountability or even attend the hearing.  

    “All you have to do is look over at this side of the dais to see that the stonewall continues… Where are they?” Senator Hawley said. “They lied to us for four years, and we know they lied. They know they lied. It’s why they’re not here. They don’t want to answer a single question. They can’t bear to show their faces in public.”

    Senator Hawley has long raised concerns about President Biden’s mental fitness. In February 2024 following the release of the Hur Report, he called on then Attorney General Merrick Garland to invoke the 25th Amendment or prosecute Biden.

    Watch the full video here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Commemorates Juneteenth, Recommits to Fighting for Liberty and Justice for All

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Senator Markey is an author of Juneteenth National Independence Act signed into law in June 2021
    Watch: Senator Markey in conversation with “Boston Ben” Haith, organizer, activist, and designer of the Juneteenth flag
    Boston (June 18, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Senate author of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act of 2021, released the following statement today in anticipation of Juneteenth and in celebration of the fourth anniversary of Juneteenth’s commemoration as a federal holiday.
    “This Juneteenth, families, neighbors, and communities will come together to celebrate, remember, and reflect on the day when word of emancipation finally reached enslaved people in the Deep South in 1865. But Juneteenth isn’t only about what happened 160 years ago—it’s about everything that happened after, and what we are still fighting for today: civil rights, equity, and inclusion. On Juneteenth, we are reminded that freedom didn’t come all at once, and it still must be claimed, defended, and expanded.
    “With Trump and Republicans trying to eradicate diversity programming and cut funding to institutions and schools for recognizing our diverse history, we must stand together to say that people and history will not be erased. We must make sure our systems—our schools, our courts, our hospitals—treat Black Americans with dignity and fairness. This President has no regard or respect for the Constitution, the rule of law, or our most sacred values as a nation. He is testing our democracy day in and day out. And in the face of this test, we must recommit ourselves to the fight for justice, liberty, and freedom for all.
    “This movement for faith and freedom will not be stopped. Juneteenth is about progress and truth and never giving up on the idea that our country can be better. I am proud to commemorate Juneteenth, and I will continue to fight for liberty and justice for every community.”
    Last Friday, Senator Markey met with “Boston Ben” Haith, a long-time organizer, activist, and designer of the Juneteenth flag, to discuss the enduring legacy of Juneteenth. Senator Markey and Mr. Haith met at Roxbury State Heritage Park, the same park where the official Juneteenth flag raising occurred in June of 2000. For a video of their discussion, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff Raise Concerns Over Transfer of Health Data for Immigration Raids, Demand End to Sharing of Personal Data

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff Raise Concerns Over Transfer of Health Data for Immigration Raids, Demand End to Sharing of Personal Data

    California Senators Demand Department of Health and Human Services Identify the Authority Used to Share Personal Information from Medicaid with Homeland Security
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) raised the alarm on potential violations of federal privacy laws in the transfer of the personal data of millions of Medicaid recipients to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that could be used to facilitate additional immigration raids furthering the Trump Administration’s mass deportation agenda.
    California is one of seven states that was reportedly targeted by DHS for the disclosure of this personally identifiable data.
    “We are deeply troubled that this administration intends to use individuals’ private health information for the unrelated purpose of possible enforcement actions targeting lawful noncitizens and mixed status families. The decision by HHS to share confidential health information with DHS is a remarkable departure from established federal privacy protections that should alarm all Americans,” wrote the Senators.
    The Senators asked DHS and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to provide details and legal justification for how the sharing of data without individuals’ consent did not violate federal law under the Privacy Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and other regulations guiding the government’s use of personal information, including addresses and private health information.
    The Senators also demanded that DHS destroy any data already shared to prevent any misuse of this personally identifiable information, and to cease these data sharing partnerships with HHS.
    “Authorized access, use, and disclosure of sensitive [personally identifiable information] health data are subject to federal and state laws enacted to protect individuals and their right to privacy,” continued the Senators. “We demand that this administration immediately reverse all actions contrary to existing privacy laws and restore trust and integrity to the Medicaid program.”
    Full text of the letter is available here and below:
    Dear Secretary Kennedy, Secretary Noem, and Administrator Oz:
    We write to you today to express our alarm regarding reports that Trump administration officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ordered the transfer of highly sensitive personally identifiable information (PII) belonging to millions of Medicaid enrollees to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These actions not only raise ethical issues but are contrary to longstanding HHS policy and raise significant concerns about possible violations of federal law under the Privacy Act of 1974, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and the Social Security Act. We demand immediate clarification of the actions taken by HHS officials to provide DHS access to any such data. Additionally, we demand that HHS immediately cease sharing access to such data with DHS, and we request that DHS destroy any and all such data provided on the terms of any information sharing agreement between the agencies.
    According to reports, on June 10, 2025, two senior advisors at HHS ordered the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide Medicaid enrollees’ PII – including addresses, names, social security numbers, and immigration status – to DHS, even though CMS officials made clear that “multiple federal statutory and regulatory authorities do not permit CMS to share this information with entities outside of CMS.”  This comes as the Trump administration continues to target noncitizens. We are deeply troubled that this administration intends to use individuals’ private health information for the unrelated purpose of possible enforcement actions targeting lawful noncitizens and mixed status families. The decision by HHS to share confidential health information with DHS is a remarkable departure from established federal privacy protections that should alarm all Americans.
    We request that you provide the following information by July 9, 2025:
    1. Identify the federal authority or authorities that HHS relied on to share states’ Medicaid data with other federal agencies, including whether it was for the purposes of immigration enforcement.
    2. Identify each state Medicaid program whose data was shared with DHS officials and the total number of Medicaid enrollees whose data was shared, including state-by-state totals.
    3. Identify each type of personal data shared with DHS, such as name, address, and other personally identifiable datapoints.
    4. Provide copies of each written request from DHS regarding the transfer of state Medicaid data to CMS, including the date of each request, the specific information requested, and the justification for DHS needing such information.
    5. Provide detailed information on the method used to transfer state Medicaid data from CMS to DHS.
    6. Provide a copy of a CMS memorandum, dated June 6, 2025, per public reports, signed by Medicaid’s Deputy Director, that outlines legal, regulatory, and ethical prohibitions to sharing state Medicaid data from HHS to DHS.
    a. Include any additional records, such as correspondence within HHS and between HHS and DHS, in response to the June 6, 2025, memorandum regarding the request and ultimate decision to share this data with DHS.
    b. Include a copy of the June 10, 2025, email from HHS directing the transfer of “the data to DHS by 5:30 ET today.” 
    7. Provide a copy of any Memoranda of Understanding or Agreement between HHS and DHS regarding the framework of sharing states’ Medicaid data.
    8. Provide a detailed description of how DHS intends to utilize this information.
    9. Provide a list of all federal, state, and local agencies with existing access to this information and why it is necessary for each agency to have access to such information.
    10. Provide a list of all federal, state, and local agencies that your agencies intend to provide this information to and why it is necessary for each agency to have access to such information.
    Authorized access, use, and disclosure of sensitive PII health data are subject to federal and state laws enacted to protect individuals and their right to privacy. We demand that this administration immediately reverse all actions contrary to existing privacy laws and restore trust and integrity to the Medicaid program.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Slams Energy Secretary for Budget Cuts Gutting American Renewable Energy, Technological Innovation, and Industry

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla Slams Energy Secretary for Budget Cuts Gutting American Renewable Energy, Technological Innovation, and Industry

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to question Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on President Trump’s America-last budget bill that would decimate the renewable energy economy, hamper American innovation and competitiveness with China, and hinder critical industrial development. Padilla called out Wright’s blatant hypocrisy for directly contradicting the three priorities he outlined during his confirmation hearing:
    1. To “unleash American energy at home and abroad to restore energy dominance;”
    2. To “lead the world in innovation and technology breakthroughs;” and
    3. To “build things in America again and remove barriers to progress.”
    Despite his stated support for American energy dominance, Wright’s budget request proposes a 74 percent reduction in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy budget and zeroing out the Wind and Solar Energy Technologies Offices. It also defunds the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, which was authorized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Padilla emphasized that solar energy was the fastest growing energy source in the world last year, and criticized the Trump Administration for undermining American energy leadership by trying to eliminate the Solar Energy Technologies Offices.
    Padilla blasted Wright for backtracking on his goal to restore American global leadership in technological and science innovation, highlighting the 14 percent cut to the Office of Science and a 57 percent cut to ARPA-E in the Trump Administration’s budget request. He pressed Secretary Wright on his previously stated support for the United States’ national labs — including premier research institutions in California — which Wright has called “crown jewels.” Padilla pushed Wright to preserve federal funding for these labs to protect America’s global competitiveness and national security.
    PADILLA: There seems to be a disconnect between what you say are priorities and your budget requests. It’s already been raised that these reductions would also lead to staff reductions in national labs, which we’ve recognized, you’re on the record, these are premier research institutions. When you came to California, you reaffirmed your commitment to the national labs, and you said that they were important to maintain and secure our “competitive advantage and security.” So unless I got that wrong, how do you expect the United States to lead the world when your budget proposal seeks to decimate our research and development capabilities?
    WRIGHT: It does hurt me to cut expending in science.
    PADILLA: Then don’t do it.
    WRIGHT: I share that passion with you.
    PADILLA: Then don’t do it.
    WRIGHT: I share that passion with you.
    PADILLA: Then don’t even propose it.
    The Department of Energy’s recent cancellation of 24 projects totaling $3.7 billion in investments under the Industrial Demonstrations Program undercut Wright’s commitment to restoring American industrial development. Padilla emphasized that these funds are meant to promote groundbreaking innovation in heavy industries like cement, glass, chemicals, and iron, among others, including three large California industrial projects that support thousands of jobs.
    PADILLA: It’s not just because billions of the public and private dollars are in California and the thousands of jobs related, but how does canceling industrial grants that lead to more industrial jobs further the goal of building things in America again?
    WRIGHT: Because an evaluation showed that the projects at the end were not viable. If we built, there’s no point in building a bridge to nowhere. If you make a factory, make a product 25 percent more expensive, but customers won’t pay 25 percent, where’s the win?
    PADILLA: Well, the projects that are being cut are more than just viable. I would argue they are critical, and we’ll be following up with you.
    Video of Senator Padilla’s questioning of Secretary Wright is available here.
    Earlier this year, Senator Padilla questioned Secretary Wright in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee nomination hearing amid the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. Padilla called out Wright for his 2023 LinkedIn post denying the link between climate change and the rise in more frequent and severe fires.
    More information on the hearing is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Leads Quad Cities Lawmakers in Pressing U.S. Army for Answers on Rock Island Arsenal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) led a group of Quad Cities lawmakers, including Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), in a letter to U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll reemphasizing their request for a briefing to discuss any potential command and personnel changes at the Rock Island Arsenal (RIA). Members of the Iowa and Illinois congressional delegation first requested a dedicated briefing in April. 
    “The details you or Army leadership have reported to Congress differ from those shared with us from the RIA community. As the Army continues to implement transformation initiatives, we hear about the personnel impacts, such as roughly 150 positions within [Joint Munitions Command] headquarters, and 400 positions Arsenal wide that will be eliminated once the initiative is complete. We request a full briefing on the implementation plans, including workforce and mission impacts, and proposed timelines,” the lawmakers said. 
    The lawmakers underscored how the RIA community contributes significantly to the objectives of the Army to deliver warfighting capabilities and will continue to do so in the future.  
    “While we can appreciate and recognize the need to eliminate inefficiencies and support our national defense objectives, which may include reductions in workforce, we would like to understand the obsolete programs that the Army finds are present at RIA … We find that RIA is a highly efficient installation, as demonstrated by the dedicated workforce and capabilities embedded there. Contradictory conclusions should be justified by evidence,” the lawmakers continued. 
    Background:
    Grassley has long been a champion for Rock Island Arsenal, including through his legislation to expand manufacturing opportunities for Army arsenals. He also helped secure provisions in appropriations legislation and the annual defense bill to help ensure the long-term viability of the Rock Island Arsenal. Along with the other signatories, he introduced the Arsenal Workload Sustainment Act in March to boost workload at Army arsenals, including Rock Island Arsenal. 
    Text of the letter can be found HERE or below. 
    VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION 
    The Honorable Daniel D. Driscoll   
    Secretary of the U.S. Army   
    Dear Secretary Driscoll,  
    We appreciate your recent testimonies before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees in which you highlighted the importance of the Rock Island Arsenal (RIA). As you continue to plan and implement the reorganization outlined in the April 30, 2025, Army Transformation and Acquisition Reform memorandum, we ask that the Department of the Army be forthcoming and transparent with all stakeholders of RIA, especially members of Congress.  
    On April 4, 2025, members of the Iowa and Illinois delegation wrote to you outlining the saliency of RIA and requested a briefing to discuss any potential command and personnel changes to be made at the Arsenal. Unfortunately, our offices have not been provided a dedicated briefing on these plans, regardless of continual follow-up and directives being released to realign the headquarters and units within the Army Material Command (AMC) and Joint Munitions Command (JMC). From our questions during the broader Army transformation brief to the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) staff on May 22, and the SASC Army posture hearing on June 5, the last we understand from the Army is that the impact will be the likely removal of 100 personnel and the elimination of a data center. The details you or Army leadership have reported to Congress differ from those shared with us from the RIA community. 
    As the Army continues to implement transformation initiatives, we hear about the personnel impacts, such as roughly 150 positions within JMC headquarters, and 400 positions Arsenal wide that will be eliminated once the initiative is complete. We request a full briefing on the implementation plans, including workforce and mission impacts, and proposed timelines.  
    On May 21, 2025, the Department of the Army provided a response to a letter sent by members of the Iowa and Illinois delegation. While we can appreciate and recognize the need to eliminate inefficiencies and support our national defense objectives, which may include reductions in workforce, we would like to understand the obsolete programs that the Army finds are present at RIA. This includes the outdated, redundant, and inefficient programs cited in the May 21 response. We find that RIA is a highly efficient installation, as demonstrated by the dedicated workforce and capabilities embedded there. Contradictory conclusions should be justified by evidence.  
    It is encouraging to know that you and the Army are willing to work to improve the workload and operations at RIA, which may lead to additional jobs. The RIA community has contributed significantly to the objectives of the Army to deliver warfighting capabilities, and we have no doubt that it will continue to do so in the future. We look forward to hearing from you on the Army’s course of action for RIA and working with you increase the workload at RIA. Thank you for your continued dedication to our soldiers and to Army readiness.  
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Unanimously Passes Grassley-Klobuchar Resolution Supporting Public Access to C-SPAN Streaming Across All Platforms

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution from Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) marking the 39th anniversary of C-SPAN 2’s first Senate broadcast and urging all television providers, including streaming services, to carry the network.
    For nearly four decades, C-SPAN 2 has served as a conduit between the public and the Senate, offering Americans an uninterrupted and unfiltered lens to view their elected representatives working on the electorate’s behalf. C-SPAN does not receive taxpayer dollars and is funded by America’s cable and satellite television operators as a public service.
    “Transparency brings accountability, and C-SPAN’s coverage has brought transparency to the people’s business. This public service strengthens our system of self-government by boosting civic engagement, and ought to be available on all television and streaming platforms. The Senate unanimously stands behind C-SPAN in its fight to be platformed by streaming giants,” Grassley said.
    “C-SPAN has connected the Senate with the American people for nearly 40 years—providing the public an opportunity to see their government at work on the Senate floor and in committee meetings,” Klobuchar said. “Access to this live coverage on all platforms is essential to keeping the American people informed and engaged in their democracy.” 
    Background:
    Over 39 years, C-SPAN 2 has recorded more than 43,830 hours of Senate action, including more than 169,000 speeches from a broad range of ideologies. The network has documented more than 23,493 roll call votes, acting as a living ledger of Senate decision-making.
    Find text of the resolution HERE.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: What They Are Saying: Law Enforcement Officers Laud Senate Judiciary Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Major law enforcement organizations representing over 310,000 officers nationwide say the One Big Beautiful Bill will supercharge their efforts to safeguard national security and public safety.

    The Senate Judiciary Committee’s provisions, released last week by Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), will provide historic investments to strengthen America’s border security and expand resources for law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe.

    Here’s what they’re saying:

    National Association of Police Organizations
    “It is state and local law enforcement officers who, during the course of daily patrols and duties, will encounter non-citizen offenders and immigration violators who pose a threat to national security or public safety. The Senate Judiciary Committee title of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on immigration and law enforcement grants state and local law enforcement the necessary resources and latitude to work with their federal partners and pursue investigations relating to violent crimes, human smuggling, and gang and drug activity. These partnerships and investigations are essential to keeping our nation’s communities safe by getting dangerous criminal aliens off our streets.”

    The Major County Sheriffs of America
    “The Major County Sheriffs of America appreciates the Senate budget reconciliation package’s inclusion of $10 billion in state and local assistance. The package strengthens vital partnerships through Operation Stonegarden and enhances our ability to locate and apprehend criminal aliens, investigate trafficking and gang activity and support court operations and detention facilities. Importantly, it continues investment in COPS and Byrne JAG programs, essential for hiring and equipping officers while enhancing local law enforcement capacity. These provisions demonstrate strong federal commitment to supporting sheriffs and the communities we serve.” 

    Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association
    “Senator Grassley continues to demonstrate strong leadership and unwavering support for our federal law enforcement professionals. At a time when our nation faces serious challenges – from border security to the fentanyl crisis – his commitment to public safety and to those who serve on the front lines is deeply appreciated. We stand with Senator Grassley and all leaders who prioritize the recruitment and retention of top talent in law enforcement, and we urge Congress to take further action to support these dedicated individuals.”

    National Council of Prison Locals 33
    “On behalf of the 30,000 federal correctional employees represented by the Council of Prison Locals 33, I am writing to express our strong support for the provisions contained in the Senate Reconciliation Bill… We applaud the work of Senator Grassley and his staff for seeing the importance of these provisions and much needed increase to funding for staffing and infrastructure, and are hopeful others will follow his lead.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Blumenthal Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Mark National Elder Abuse Awareness Month, Shed Light on Senior Fraud Schemes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) are introducing a resolution recognizing June as National Elder Abuse Awareness Month and standing in support of seniors who’ve been victim to fraud schemes. The resolution applauds the Elder Justice Coalition’s work to increase public awareness of elder abuse and calls on those working with older adults to learn the signs of abuse and promote long-term prevention efforts.

    On Tuesday, Grassley will chair a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee to examine how scammers target senior citizens, continuing his efforts to protect seniors from financial predators and help older Americans live with security and dignity.

    “Elder abuse isn’t limited by geography or income. It occurs in nursing homes and private residences—the very places meant to offer them care and protection. With a fast-growing senior population in our country, the urgency to act has never been greater. This month…we recommit to raising awareness of elder abuse and implementing protections for those in our society who protected us first,” Grassley said.

    “Too many of our nation’s seniors are victims of physical abuse, emotional exploitation, and financial scams. Senior citizens deserve peace of mind, support, and care—not the anxiety and fear that comes with the threat of elder abuse. This resolution reaffirms our commitment to our senior citizens and advocating for their safety, rights, and wellbeing,” Blumenthal said.

    “Elder abuse prevention is enhanced greatly when public awareness is raised. The Grassley-Blumenthal resolution is a powerful example of raising national public awareness about elder abuse. Its joint designation of June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and June as Elder Abuse Awareness Month allows vital attention to be focused on the issue while also empowering those in adult protective services and our long-term care ombudsman to continue their important work. The Elder Justice Coalition salutes Senators Grassley and Blumenthal for their steadfast advocacy of elder justice in America,” Elder Justice Coalition National Coordinator Bob Blancato said.

    Text of the resolution can be found HERE.

    Background:

    Elder abuse remains a challenging problem and comes in many different forms, including physical, sexual or psychological abuse, financial exploitation, neglect and social media abuse. Last year, an estimated one in six older Americans experienced some form of abuse in a community setting.

    According to reports, only one in 24 cases of elder abuse are reported, and only one in 44 cases of elder financial exploitation are reported. Most reported cases of abuse, neglect and exploitation take place within private homes.

    Grassley today spoke on the Senate floor ahead of introducing the resolution. His remarks follow:

    [embedded content]

    Today I want to recognize June as National Elder Abuse Awareness Month, and I’m introducing a resolution with Senator Blumenthal for this purpose. This is a time to shed light on a crisis that too often remains in the shadows.

    Last year, an estimated one in six older Americans experienced some form of abuse in a community setting — whether physical, emotional, financial or neglect.

    For every elder abuse case that’s reported, as many as 24 go unreported. These aren’t just numbers. They’re our parents, our grandparents, our neighbors and our veterans.

    Elder abuse isn’t limited by geography or income. It occurs in nursing homes and private residences—the very places meant to offer them care and protection. 

    With a fast-growing senior population in our country, the urgency to act has never been greater.

    This month, we recommit to building a society that views aging not as a burden, but as a source of wisdom, experience, and continued contribution. 

    We recommit to raising awareness of elder abuse and implementing protections for those in our society who protected us first.

    I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring older Americans this month. 

    In the Senate Judiciary Committee, I’m working to support and protect our seniors. Tomorrow I’m holding a hearing to examine how scammers are targeting older Americans. This continues my efforts to ensure that seniors are protected from financial predators and can live with the security and dignity they deserve. 

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Grassley to Washington Post Editorial Board: Politics Shouldn’t Overcome Principle in the Debate Over Universal Injunctions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) highlighted the unconstitutional nature of universal injunctions in a response to the Washington Post Editorial Board. Read his Letter to the Editor below.
    To: Washington Post Editorial BoardFrom: Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) Regarding the May 29 editorial, “In defense of nationwide injunctions”
    The Post’s Editorial Board argued that, in spite of the lack of historical precedent and constitutional basis for universal injunctions, this judicial maneuver is ostensibly a necessary “check on presidential power.”
    But allowing district judges to exert bloated authority beyond the cases and controversies before them only creates further imbalance among the branches of government. The Post should have taken into serious consideration Article III of the Constitution, which limits courts to deciding “cases” or “controversies” — as well as the first 150 years of American history, during which time, as the board acknowledged, scholars have found no documented use of a universal injunction.
    It’s not the judiciary’s responsibility to set policy; that power is vested in the people through their elected leaders. For decades, Congress has failed to write specific legislation, leaving the door open for a variety of interpretations. Congress can and must pass clearer laws, but the legislative branch’s past mistakes aren’t a free pass for district judges to overstep constitutional guardrails and play policymaker.
    The continued use of universal injunctions does far more harm than good to our nation’s system of checks and balances. What’s more, injunctions place severe pressure on the Supreme Court by frequently forcing it to respond to emergency appeals.
    The bill I introduced to eliminate universal injunctions would instead encourage appropriate appellate action by making temporary restraining orders immediately appealable. In those cases where widespread judicial relief is appropriate, Congress has already provided a mechanism: class-action lawsuits. Courts should no longer be permitted to avoid the class certification process by opting instead for universal injunctions.
    I hope the Supreme Court steps in quickly to address injunctions. In the meantime, I’ll keep moving my legislative fixes toward the finish line, including through reconciliation.
    I continue to encourage my Democratic colleagues to join me in this effort. Many Democrats have sharply criticized the practice in the past — including in the case of the mifepristone ban The Post’s editorial referenced — but have shelved their opposition to universal injunctions since President Donald Trump returned to office. The Post itself argued for limiting injunctions in a separate editorial last June.
    The constitutional dangers posed by universal injunctions haven’t changed over the past year; the only thing that has is the White House’s current occupant. We shouldn’t let politics overcome principle by failing to address this bipartisan problem now.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Secures More Than $7 Million to Strengthen Reno-Tahoe Airport’s Infrastructure

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) announced that she secured over $7.6 million for Reno-Tahoe International Airport to allow the airport to accommodate more overnight aircraft operations and improve overall airfield efficiency. The funding comes from the Airport Infrastructure Grant program, established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Senator Rosen helped write and pass. This funding will help add 8,850 square yards of ramp at the airport.
    “Reno-Tahoe International Airport is vital to Northern Nevada’s economy — bringing visitors from around the world who contribute to our economy,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to have secured this funding to support the airport’s expansion and ensure it has the infrastructure it needs to meet growing demand. I’ll continue working to deliver the federal resources to boost Nevada’s tourism economy.”
    Senator Rosen continues delivering federal resources to support Nevada’s airport infrastructure. Last year, she announced nearly $28 million for airport safety and runway upgrades at Harry Reid International Airport. In February 2024, Rosen secured $7 million for terminal expansion at Reno–Tahoe International Airport through the Airport Terminal Program —which she personally helped create in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. And in November 2023, Senator Rosen secured $60.9 million for Nevada airports, directing more than $6.9 million to Reno–Tahoe International Airport and over $46 million to Harry Reid International Airport.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, DeLauro, Scott, Baldwin Call on Department of Education to Immediately Cease Illegal Plan to Transfer Career and Technical Education Program Responsibilities to Labor Department

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    As McMahon and Trump attempt to illegally dismantle ED, top lawmakers call on McMahon to follow the explicit mandates in key authorizing and appropriations laws—ensuring essential educational programs are faithfully administered for students nationwide

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee; Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee; Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce; and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, sent a letter to Department of Education (ED) Secretary Linda McMahon calling out the Department’s illegal efforts to attempt to transfer responsibility over career and technical education (CTE) programs to the Department of Labor (DOL).

    “We write to express our deep opposition to attempts, including the Interagency Agreement (IAA) dated May 21st, to move the administration of any aspect of career and technical education (CTE) programs authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 or the adult education programs authorized under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act in Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor,” write the lawmakers, noting that: “Perkins CTE and adult education are education programs whose purpose is to expand educational opportunities to youth and adults. Any attempt to move these programs to Labor would fundamentally alter the purposes of those programs and risk turning them into short-term job training programs, no different than those that are funded under WIOA. Most importantly, it would upend decades of work that took place at the state and local level to embed CTE programs into secondary and postsecondary offerings and improve the quality of CTE and adult education.”

    The lawmakers noted that in addition to being illegal, ED’s attempt to transfer administration of grant funding for CTE programs to DOL while maintaining some policy functions at ED would actually create more inefficiency and trouble for everyone who depends on the programs: “This likely would mean states, institutions of higher education, and school districts would have to work with two federal agencies in the administration of these programs, leading to delays in agency decision-making and grant administration. This will likely lead to increased inefficiency in the administration of these important programs.”

    “We have a simple demand: to follow our nation’s education and appropriations laws as Congress wrote them. Congress authorized the Department of Education to carry out Perkins career and technical education programs and adult education programs, and Congress annually appropriates funding to the Department of Education to carry out these programs,” state the lawmakers. “Should the Trump Administration have ideas for changing which agency should administer the federal career and technical education program, then the administration needs to propose its ideas to Congress for full and fair consideration through the normal legislative process. In the meantime, we urge you to cease plans to implement this IAA immediately and implement CTE and adult education programs as specified in authorizing and annual appropriations laws.”

    The full letter is available HERE and below:

    The Honorable Linda McMahon

    Secretary

    U.S. Department of Education

    400 Maryland Avenue, SW

    Washington, DC  20202

    Dear Secretary McMahon:

    We write to express our deep opposition to attempts, including the Interagency Agreement (IAA) dated May 21st, to move the administration of any aspect of career and technical education (CTE) programs authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006[1] (Perkins) or the adult education programs authorized under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act in Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)[2] from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor (Labor). Congress authorized the Department of Education to carry out career and technical education programs, most recently with the bipartisan reauthorization of Perkins in 2018 and adult education programs in WIOA. Congress also appropriates funding annually, on a bipartisan basis, to the Department of Education to carry out career and technical education programs and adult education programs. You have also acknowledged in congressional testimony, that only Congress is responsible for determining whether to dismantle the Department of Education and its programs. We write to remind you that it is not within your authority to move the administration of these programs to any other agency. Perkins CTE and adult education are education programs whose purpose is to expand educational opportunities to youth and adults. Any attempt to move these programs to Labor would fundamentally alter the purposes of those programs and risk turning them into short-term job training programs, no different than those that are funded under WIOA. Most importantly, it would upend decades of work that took place at the state and local level to embed CTE programs into secondary and postsecondary offerings and improve the quality of CTE and adult education. 

    Congress passed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act in 2018 to reauthorize Perkins and clearly vested responsibility for administering the law to the Department of Education.[3] The law also vests the Secretary of Education with various responsibilities, including: allotting funds to States;[4] rulemaking under the law;[5] assisting States in establishing State-determined levels of performance required under the law;[6] carrying out numerous reporting requirements;[7] making grants to outlying areas;[8] making grants to Indian tribes, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiian organizations;[9] reviewing and approving State plans;[10] working with States to implement improvement activities;[11] withholding a portion of an eligible agency’s allotment if the agency is not properly implementing improvement activities;[12] waiving distribution rules for Perkins formula dollars under certain circumstances;[13] and enforcing maintenance of effort requirements;[14] among other activities. But the law does not contain any provisions that would permit you to offload your responsibilities to another agency.

    Additionally, Congress authorized the Secretary of Education to carry out adult education programs in Title II of WIOA. As part of that title, Congress directed the Secretary to undertake various responsibilities in administering the adult education programs, including awarding grants to eligible agencies;[15] determining allotments for formula disbursements;[16] awarding grants to outlying areas;[17] carrying out fiscal management provisions;[18] enforcing supplement not supplant and maintenance of effort provisions;[19] carrying out national leadership activities;[20] awarding grants to state for integrated literacy and civics education;[21] and carrying out certain reporting requirements.[22] WIOA Title II does not contain any provisions that would permit you to offload your responsibilities to another agency.

    Congress also passes annual, bipartisan appropriations that provide funding to the Department of Education to carry out the Perkins career and technical education programs and the WIOA Title II adult education programs. As part of that annual appropriations process, Congress does not provide affirmative authority to the Department of Education to transfer career and technical education funding or adult education funding to Labor. In fact, the only transfer authority provided to the Department of Education by the annual appropriations bill is the authority to transfer one percent of discretionary funds between education appropriations accounts, so long as no such appropriation is increased by more than three percent by any such transfer.[23] Such a limited transfer within the Department of Education is not what you are contemplating here.[24] Moreover, transfers of any other type, including the type contemplated by the Department’s May 21st  IAA with the Department of Labor, are prohibited by section 512 of Division D of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (and maintained by the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025), which states, “None of the funds made available in this Act may be transferred to any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government, except pursuant to a transfer made by, or transfer authority provided in, this Act or any other appropriation Act.”[25] As with the authorizing statutes, the annual appropriations process clearly requires the Department of Education to carry out both Perkins career and technical education programs and adult education programs.

    In testimony to Congress, you have stated that you will follow the law.[26] In May, before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, you testified that only Congress can abolish the Department of Education and end its functions, stating about you and President Trump, “We both know and understand that the Department of Education cannot be closed unless Congress votes to do that.”[27] But, troublingly, you also said about the Department that, “It is actually a pass-through mechanism for funding that is appropriated by Congress. And whether the channels of that funding are through HHS or whether they’re funneled through the DOJ, or whether they’re funneled through Treasury or SBA or other departments, the work is going to continue to get done.”[28]

    Respectfully, federal agencies are not interchangeable entities that simply hand out money to states and localities. Instead, each agency provides its own specific expertise in the administration of federal programs, in this case education programs. The Department of Education has the expertise in working with state educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and local school districts in the administration of these programs. Schools in local communities and state educational agencies rely on the guidance and technical expertise from the educational experts at the Department of Education to carry out these programs. Congress recognizes the expertise that specific agencies provide and very deliberately decides which agency to vest authority with when passing laws. Congress was similarly clear in 2018, when it vested the Department of Education with the authority to carry out Perkins career and technical education programs and did not provide any mechanism in the law for the Department to transfer that authority to another agency.

    The May 21 IAA flies in the face of laws enacted by Congress, annual appropriations requirements, and practice in states. The IAA also seems to purport to transfer the administration of grant funding for CTE and adult education programs to the Department of Labor, while maintaining some policy functions for CTE and adult education programs at your Department. This likely would mean states, institutions of higher education, and school districts would have to work with two federal agencies in the administration of these programs, leading to delays in agency decision-making and grant administration.  This will likely lead to increased inefficiency in the administration of these important programs.

    We have a simple demand – to follow our nation’s education and appropriations laws as Congress wrote them. Congress authorized the Department of Education to carry out Perkins career and technical education programs and adult education programs and Congress annually appropriates funding to the Department of Education to carry out these programs. Relying on interagency agreements drafted behind closed doors with no notice to the lawmakers who are responsible for the authorization and appropriations for these programs  cannot be considered “working with Congress” as one of your staff recently claimed you were doing on this matter.[29] Should the Trump Administration have ideas for changing which agency should administer the federal career and technical education program, then the administration needs to propose its ideas to Congress for full and fair consideration through the normal legislative process. In the meantime, we urge you to cease plans to implement this IAA immediately and implement CTE and adult education programs as specified in authorizing and annual appropriations laws. If you continue to flout the very clear reading of the law in this case, it will affirm deep concerns we have about how you will faithfully execute all laws you are tasked with carrying out as the Secretary of Education. 

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Announces $5.8 Million to Upgrade Airports Across Louisiana from His Infrastructure Law

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is granting Louisiana a total of $5,764,492.00 in funding from his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to improve airport infrastructure in Farmerville, Ruston, Oak Grove, Many, Lake Charles, and Abbeville.
    “Airports are the first impression communities make on people visiting our state,” said Dr. Cassidy. “These upgrades help local airports grow, create jobs, and improve regional development.”

    Grant Awarded
    Recipient
    Project Description

    $454,821.00
    Union Parish Police Jury (Farmerville)
    This grant will provide federal funding to construct an 8,400 square foot sponsor-owned hangar for aircraft storage to help the airport be self-sustaining by generating revenue.

    $839,000.00
    City of Ruston
    This grant will provide federal funding to construct a 1,050 square foot sponsor-owned hangar for aircraft storage to help the airport be self-sustaining by generating revenue.

    $585,000.00
    West Carroll Kelly Airport Authority (Oak Grove)
    This grant will provide federal funding to construct a 10,000 square foot sponsor-owned box hangar complex for aircraft storage to help the airport be self-sustaining by generating revenue.

    $493,000.00
    Town of Many
    This grant will provide federal funding to construct a 170-foot hangar taxilane and a 5,000 square foot sponsor-owned box hangar complex to improve airfield access and support airport self-sufficiency.

    $2,700,044.00
    Airport Authority District No. 1 (Lake Charles)
    This grant will provide federal funding to construct a new terminal parking lot and reconstruct 2,600 feet of access roads to better serve airport passengers and general aviation users.

    $576,954.00
    Chennault International Airport Authority (Lake Charles)
    This grant will provide federal funding to rehabilitate 5,420 square yards of the existing South Apron pavement to maintain structural integrity and minimize foreign object debris.

    $116,673.00
    City of Abbeville
    This grant will provide federal funding to construct a 700-foot T-Hangar taxilane to bring the airport into conformity with current standards.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Releases Statement on Terrible Outlook of Social Security, Medicare

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) issued the following statement after the release of the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds annual report examining how much longer these programs can pay full benefits promised to taxpayers without significant benefit cuts. The report states that Social Security will become insolvent in 2033, forcing an automatic 23% benefit cut for all current and future beneficiaries. The Medicare Trust Fund will become insolvent in 2033, three years earlier than previously predicted. 
    “In eight years, millions of Americans who rely on Social Security and Medicare will be left stranded if Washington does nothing,” said Dr. Cassidy. “If we borrow to pay for benefits, we will rack up hundreds of trillions of dollars in debt. Congress must do everything we can to address a cliff we all see coming.”
    Read the full report here. 
    Background
    Cassidy has championed his “Big Idea” to save, strengthen, and secure America’s retirement system. He released the inaugural Bill on the Hill video where he asked Capitol Hill visitors from across the country their thoughts on the looming benefit cuts to Social Security and presented his “Big Idea.”
    Cassidy has discussed the “Big Idea” at a public forum with AARP and delivered a keynote speech at the National Institute on Retirement Security’s (NIRS) 15th Annual Retirement Policy Conference on the future of Social Security. He also outlined his Social Security plan in a fireside chat with the Bipartisan Policy Committee, and authored op-eds in the Washington Examiner , the Wall Street Journal , State Affairs, and Washington Post.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Scott Introduces Value Over Cost Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott

    WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced a bill to prioritize the best value available instead of the just lowest cost alternative when choosing products or services for the federal government. The Value Over Cost Act would allow the Administrator of General Services to consider factors of quality and performance instead of only the lowest price.

    “The cheapest option doesn’t always best serve the interest of the government, even when we are working to be fiscally responsible,” said Senator Scott. “This legislation would give the necessary flexibility to secure services and products that would have the best quality, not just the lowest price tag.” 

    Representative Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    Full text of the legislation can be found here. 

    BACKGROUND:

    • The bill allows the Administrator of General Services to prioritize best value (as defined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation) over simply choosing the lowest cost alternative when it benefits the federal government’s interests. 
    • The Federal Acquisition Regulations define the best value by considering factors of quality and performance, not just the lowest price.
    • The language in sections 152(3)(B) of Title 41 and 3012(3)(B) of Title 10 is amended to include the possibility of choosing the best value when it is determined to serve the government’s best interests.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sen. Scott, Colleagues Lead Effort to Strengthen Review of Foreign Land Purchases Near Sensitive U.S. Military Sites

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, is leading an effort to strengthen national security by ensuring the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) can effectively review foreign land purchases near sensitive military, intelligence, and national laboratory sites.

    The Protect Our Bases Act, which Senator Scott introduced along with Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), and Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), requires CFIUS member agencies to annually update records of the military, intelligence, and national laboratory facilities that should be designated as sensitive sites for national security purposes.   

    “The Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to infiltrate and surveil all parts of the U.S national security apparatus requires vigilance from our national security agencies. This legislation will enhance the review of foreign real estate transactions near critical national security installations, helping ensure CFIUS has the information it needs to protect our homeland and keep our nation safe,” said Senator Scott.

    “We must protect sensitive military and government sites from foreign adversaries pursuing intelligence activities on our own land,” said Senator Crapo. “Idaho has multiple military installations and the acclaimed Idaho National laboratory conducting vital research, development and training of critical national security efforts right here in our back yard, and increasing accountability about land sales around these sites is of utmost importance.”

    “We must address the growing threat from the Chinese Communist Party and other hostile regimes trying to get close to our most sensitive military and intelligence sites,” said Senator Tillis. “The Protect Our Bases Act ensures the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has the most up-to-date information on key U.S. national security locations so dangerous land purchases can be blocked well before they become security risks.”

    “Ensuring the safety and security of our military and government installations is a national priority,” said Senator Hagerty. “For too long, foreign adversaries have tried to exploit America’s open real estate market and rule of law in an attempt to gain strategic footholds. The Protect Our Bases Act gives our nation the tools to identify who is buying land near sensitive sites and stop transactions that could put the security of Americans at risk.”

    “As threats from our foreign adversaries, including the Chinese Communist Party, Iran, and Russia, continue to escalate, it’s paramount that we secure our intelligence,” said Senator Britt. “Allowing CFIUS to review foreign land purchases near sensitive military and government sites is just common sense. Proud to join this legislation that takes a crucial step toward strengthening our national security and safeguarding our strategic advantages.”

    “There’s no reason why America’s adversaries should be able to buy land next to our military bases,” said Senator Ricketts. “Farmland adjacent to sensitive sites should remain in the hands of American farmers and ranchers, not Communist China. This commonsense bill will help to protect our troops, prevent espionage, and counter our adversaries.”

    “It’s become all too apparent in recent years that our nation faces a threat from land purchases by foreign adversaries. Allowing the Chinese Communist Party to purchase land near our military bases and government sites poses a severe risk to our national security,” said Senator Moreno. “ We need to strengthen CFIUS to review these purchases near sensitive national security installations to protect our nation’s security from being compromised by the CCP and other enemies.”

    “The security of our nation’s military operations and intelligence cannot be taken lightly,” said Senator McCormick. “Conducting rigorous oversight of foreign real estate transactions near our bases is essential to upholding our national security. This legislation is a much-needed step toward combatting China’s malign influence.”

    BACKGROUND:

    In 2022, Fufeng Group, a Chinese company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, announced it would purchase land near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) determined that it could not evaluate the transaction for national security risks because the Department of Defense had not listed the base as a sensitive site for national security purposes. Although the City of Grand Forks ultimately blocked the transaction, the incident demonstrated a significant flaw in the review process of foreign land purchases. CFIUS relies on its member agencies to provide updated information on sensitive military, intelligence, and national laboratory sites in order to properly assess the security risk of foreign investment in our country. If CFIUS member agencies do not appropriately update their site lists, CFIUS cannot ensure an accurate review.

    In addition to requiring agencies represented on CFIUS to provide updated records of the military, intelligence, and national laboratory facilities that should be sensitive sites on an annual basis, the Protect Our Bases Act makes these records easier for CFIUS to use for national security reviews and requires CFIUS to submit an annual report to Congress certifying the completion of such reviews and the accuracy of its real estate listings.

    For bill text, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Speaks with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) participated in a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing to discuss the Department of Defense’s (DOD) budget for Fiscal Year 2026. During the hearing, Senator Tuberville and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed utilizing AI for military modernization and improving standards for military personnel. Additionally, Senator Tuberville and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General J. Daniel Caine, discussed the future of war fighting.

    Read Senator Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.

    ON LIBERATING LOS ANGELES AND MILITARY PERSONNEL QUALITY OF LIFE

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks for being here today. Mr. Secretary, thanks for looking out for the law enforcement and the millions of people in California that still love this country and want this country to survive and not the radicals that wave non-American flags, that protest in the streets, tear things down. It is ridiculous and thank you for doing what you’re doing, you and President Trump. It’s getting out of hand.”

    [I’m] chairman of the [Senate Armed Services] Personnel [sub]committee. Thanks for your recruiting. You’re doing great. Keep looking out after the quality of life [of our troops]. Please do that. We’ve done research after research. We did give a raise. We wanna continue to give raises. These first-year staffers in this building make tens of thousands [of] dollars more than first-year military personnel. That’s not right. We need to change that. It’s an all-volunteer army and thank you for working towards that.” 

    ON MILITARY STANDARDS

    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Secretary, your opening remarks mentioned the force-wide review of military standards. What’s the status of that review?”

    HEGSETH: “It is ongoing and very close to fruition. We’ve reviewed standards, specifically on Combat MOSs first to ensure that we haven’t seen a reduction in pursuit of quotas or any other agendas. So, standards are being moved back to where they were at their highest level, gender neutral. And then we’re looking at overall fitness standards, overall grooming standards, overall basic standards across our formations that we believe have slipped certainly under the previous administration, but over decades. But we’re being very careful about it too. We don’t wanna make big changes that are wide-sweeping that have unintended consequences. So, we’re looking service by service, but also trying to simplify and clarify as much as possible. High standards, clear standards that set us apart.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thanks for your help on putting me on the Air Force Board of Visitors […] and I look forward to going out soon, it is very important. We understand we do have problems in the Air Force Academy, and we’re going to get those straightened out, one way or another. So, thanks for you and President Trump for putting me on the board of visitors.”

    ON THE FUTURE OF WARFIGHTING

    TUBERVILLE: “General Caine, over the last few years, we’ve seen major efforts to refocus our services for future fights, Marine Corps force design, and the Army’s Transformation Initiative—[these] are major changes to the Joint Force. Can you describe the Joint Staff’s level of involvement in these efforts?”

    CAINE: “Sure. Thanks for the question. As the services carefully consider what they need to look like, one of my primary jobs is a global integrator. And so, I look at all of these capabilities as well as capacities. And then through a series of formal products that we deliver to the secretary have a chance to give the secretary my views on this. I appreciate the leadership of both of those services, all of the services, and the combatant commanders to identify what the fight of the future looks like and what the force mix of the future needs to look like. So, we’re deeply involved in all that.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.”

    ON MILITARY SERVICE AND SPORTS

    TUBERVILLE: “This is right up my alley here. One important aspect of recruiting is how our services are represented in elite sports. We have made progress here, but we still have to work and work some things out. But West Point this year had a young man that was drafted to play baseball. In the past time when President Trump was in [office], he allowed them to go, do their thing, and [play] baseball, then come back and fulfill their service, but we are disallowing a young man at West Point to go to Major League Baseball. Could you look into that Mr. Secretary?”

    HEGSETH: “Coach, we will review that. Yes.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”

    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: Tuberville Speaks with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) participated in a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing to discuss the Department of Defense’s (DOD) budget for Fiscal Year 2026. During the hearing, Senator Tuberville and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed utilizing AI for military modernization and improving standards for military personnel. Additionally, Senator Tuberville and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General J. Daniel Caine, discussed the future of war fighting.

    Read Senator Tuberville’s remarks below or on YouTube or Rumble.

    ON LIBERATING LOS ANGELES AND MILITARY PERSONNEL QUALITY OF LIFE

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks for being here today. Mr. Secretary, thanks for looking out for the law enforcement and the millions of people in California that still love this country and want this country to survive and not the radicals that wave non-American flags, that protest in the streets, tear things down. It is ridiculous and thank you for doing what you’re doing, you and President Trump. It’s getting out of hand.”

    [I’m] chairman of the [Senate Armed Services] Personnel [sub]committee. Thanks for your recruiting. You’re doing great. Keep looking out after the quality of life [of our troops]. Please do that. We’ve done research after research. We did give a raise. We wanna continue to give raises. These first-year staffers in this building make tens of thousands [of] dollars more than first-year military personnel. That’s not right. We need to change that. It’s an all-volunteer army and thank you for working towards that.” 

    ON MILITARY STANDARDS

    TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Secretary, your opening remarks mentioned the force-wide review of military standards. What’s the status of that review?”

    HEGSETH: “It is ongoing and very close to fruition. We’ve reviewed standards, specifically on Combat MOSs first to ensure that we haven’t seen a reduction in pursuit of quotas or any other agendas. So, standards are being moved back to where they were at their highest level, gender neutral. And then we’re looking at overall fitness standards, overall grooming standards, overall basic standards across our formations that we believe have slipped certainly under the previous administration, but over decades. But we’re being very careful about it too. We don’t wanna make big changes that are wide-sweeping that have unintended consequences. So, we’re looking service by service, but also trying to simplify and clarify as much as possible. High standards, clear standards that set us apart.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thanks for your help on putting me on the Air Force Board of Visitors […] and I look forward to going out soon, it is very important. We understand we do have problems in the Air Force Academy, and we’re going to get those straightened out, one way or another. So, thanks for you and President Trump for putting me on the board of visitors.”

    ON THE FUTURE OF WARFIGHTING

    TUBERVILLE: “General Caine, over the last few years, we’ve seen major efforts to refocus our services for future fights, Marine Corps force design, and the Army’s Transformation Initiative—[these] are major changes to the Joint Force. Can you describe the Joint Staff’s level of involvement in these efforts?”

    CAINE: “Sure. Thanks for the question. As the services carefully consider what they need to look like, one of my primary jobs is a global integrator. And so, I look at all of these capabilities as well as capacities. And then through a series of formal products that we deliver to the secretary have a chance to give the secretary my views on this. I appreciate the leadership of both of those services, all of the services, and the combatant commanders to identify what the fight of the future looks like and what the force mix of the future needs to look like. So, we’re deeply involved in all that.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you.”

    ON MILITARY SERVICE AND SPORTS

    TUBERVILLE: “This is right up my alley here. One important aspect of recruiting is how our services are represented in elite sports. We have made progress here, but we still have to work and work some things out. But West Point this year had a young man that was drafted to play baseball. In the past time when President Trump was in [office], he allowed them to go, do their thing, and [play] baseball, then come back and fulfill their service, but we are disallowing a young man at West Point to go to Major League Baseball. Could you look into that Mr. Secretary?”

    HEGSETH: “Coach, we will review that. Yes.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”

    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: VIDEO: Senator Peters Advocates for Continued Funding for Freight & Passenger Rail Projects Across Michigan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – During a hearing in the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines, and Safety, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) advocated for continued investments to upgrade railroad infrastructure in Michigan. During the hearing, Peters highlighted the success of the bipartisan infrastructure law, which has invested more than $140 million to improve freight operations and passenger service across Michigan.  

    “No state better exemplifies the reality of, and the opportunities for, passenger and freight rail than my home state of Michigan… As the home of the auto industry, and the heart of American manufacturing, Michigan’s freight rail network delivers cars, agricultural products, construction materials, and everyday goods all over our state as well as across international borders,” said Senator Peters, Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines, and Safety.  

    “Michigan is also leading the way when it comes to passenger rail. The Michigan Department of Transportation has effectively taken advantage of resources that Congress provided to improve passenger rail service,” Peters continued. “This includes efforts to restore Amtrak service to the historic Michigan Central station in downtown Detroit and to expand that service across the Canadian border into Windsor in the coming years, a project that I’m going to continue to fight for.” 

    Peters advocated for numerous federal programs that have supported rail projects in Michigan, including the Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program, which is being used for the expansion of accessible and affordable rail transportation service between key urban and rural communities across the state. 

    “This funding has specifically allowed Michigan to conduct the analysis and the planning that they need to support future expansion of passenger rail on all three of our Amtrak lines, the Wolverine, the Blue Water, and the Pier Marquette,” Peters added. 

    To ensure these ongoing projects continue moving forward, Peters made it clear that more must be done to keep these programs on solid financial footing into the future.  

    “Michigan is certainly not alone. Communities across the country have benefited from increased resources to strengthen their rail infrastructure, but this work is far from over,” Peters said. “Programs like the Corridor ID and Railroad Crossing Elimination Grants can only reach their full potential if we follow up with continued investment to ensure projects that are already underway are not abandoned midway.” 

    In response, Ian Jefferies, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of American Railroads agreed with Peters, saying, “My concern, if you let those programs be dormant or stagnate, is that there’s going to be a lot of missed opportunities to partner with public agencies throughout the entire country… to do projects that otherwise may not get done. That will have real benefits to cities and towns across the U.S., and the movement of freight, goods, and people.”  

    To watch video of Senator Peters’ opening remarks and question at the hearing, click here.

    Peters has consistently advocated for investments in our rail infrastructure made possible by the bipartisan infrastructure law, including a $119 million investment to support five major commercial and passenger rail improvement projects across Michigan. In 2023, Peters helped announce $20 million in federal funding to replace the Manistee River Bridge in Manton to increase weight capacity and improve rail crossing safety. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Senator Peters Releases Statement Ahead of Juneteenth National Independence Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following video statement to honor Juneteenth National Independence Day, which commemorates the day the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas learned of their freedom.

    “On Juneteenth National Independence Day, we commemorate the closing of one of our nation’s darkest and most painful chapters, and recommit ourselves to addressing the systemic inequalities and racial disparities that persist in our society,” said Senator Peters. “Together, we can create a better, more inclusive future, one where we tackle disparities in healthcare, education, job opportunities, and housing. And one where we protect the bedrock of our democracy: the fundamental right to vote.”

    Click here for video of his remarks and see below the text as delivered:

    “On June 19th, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform over two hundred thousand of the last enslaved African Americans that they were free. This came more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.  

    “On Juneteenth National Independence Day, we commemorate the closing of one of our nation’s darkest and most painful chapters, and recommit ourselves to addressing the systemic inequalities and racial disparities that persist in our society.? 

    “We’ve made significant progress toward creating a more just and equal society, but at the same time, we know there is still much more work to do to ensure every American has the same opportunities to succeed. No matter the challenges we face, the fight for fairness and equality must continue. 

    “Together, we can create a better, more inclusive future, one where we tackle disparities in healthcare, education, job opportunities and housing. And one where we protect the bedrock of our democracy: the fundamental right to vote.  

    “As we celebrate this holiday, let us remember the obligation we all share to the pursuit of justice, equality, and opportunity for all Americans.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Senator Peters Releases Statement Ahead of Juneteenth National Independence Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) released the following video statement to honor Juneteenth National Independence Day, which commemorates the day the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas learned of their freedom.

    “On Juneteenth National Independence Day, we commemorate the closing of one of our nation’s darkest and most painful chapters, and recommit ourselves to addressing the systemic inequalities and racial disparities that persist in our society,” said Senator Peters. “Together, we can create a better, more inclusive future, one where we tackle disparities in healthcare, education, job opportunities, and housing. And one where we protect the bedrock of our democracy: the fundamental right to vote.”

    Click here for video of his remarks and see below the text as delivered:

    “On June 19th, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform over two hundred thousand of the last enslaved African Americans that they were free. This came more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.  

    “On Juneteenth National Independence Day, we commemorate the closing of one of our nation’s darkest and most painful chapters, and recommit ourselves to addressing the systemic inequalities and racial disparities that persist in our society.? 

    “We’ve made significant progress toward creating a more just and equal society, but at the same time, we know there is still much more work to do to ensure every American has the same opportunities to succeed. No matter the challenges we face, the fight for fairness and equality must continue. 

    “Together, we can create a better, more inclusive future, one where we tackle disparities in healthcare, education, job opportunities and housing. And one where we protect the bedrock of our democracy: the fundamental right to vote.  

    “As we celebrate this holiday, let us remember the obligation we all share to the pursuit of justice, equality, and opportunity for all Americans.”

    MIL OSI USA News –