NewzIntel.com

Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cotton to Greer: Investigate Jack Smith for Election Interference

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
    July 30, 2025

    Cotton to Greer: Investigate Jack Smith for Election Interference

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Acting Special Counsel Jamieson Greer requesting an investigation into whether former Special Counsel Jack Smith violated federal law by using political actions to influence the 2024 election against then-candidate President Donald Trump.

    In part, Senator Cotton wrote:

    “These actions were not standard, necessary, or justified—unless Smith’s real purpose was to influence the election. In fact, throughout Special Counsel Smith’s tenure, he regularly used far-fetched and aggressive legal theories to prosecute the Republican nominee for president. I would add that President Biden also called during the election for President Trump to be ‘locked up.’”

    Full text of the letter may be found here and below.

    Mr. Jamieson Greer
    Acting Special Counsel
    United States Office of Special Counsel
    1730 M Street NW
    Washington, D.C. 20036-4504

    Dear Acting Special Counsel Greer:

    I write requesting the Office of Special Counsel to investigate whether Jack Smith, Special Counsel for Attorney General Merrick Garland, unlawfully took political actions to influence the 2024 election to harm then-candidate President Donald Trump. As the Office of the Special Counsel is tasked with ensuring federal employees aren’t conducting partisan political activity under the guise of their federal employment, you’re well situated to determine whether Smith broke the law.

    Many of Smith’s legal actions seem to have no rationale except for an attempt to affect the 2024 election results—actions that would violate federal law.

    Consider just the following examples, where Smith expedited trial proceedings and deliberately published information, with no legitimate purpose:

    • After filing the indictment against President Trump on August 10, 2023, Smith demanded the trial start January 2, 2024, with jury selection beginning as early as December 11, 2023. Defendants in these types of cases typically have more than two years to prepare for trial, but President Trump’s defense team had fewer than six months to review 13 million pages of evidence and thousands of hours of video footage provided by prosecutors. Notably, jury selection was to begin just two weeks before the Iowa caucuses.
    • On December 11, 2023, after President Trump filed his defense with the District of Columbia District Court, Smith pressed for a trial before the election by moving for an expedited review by the appeals court. On the same day, however, Smith further escalated this push and filed a petition with the Supreme Court to bypass the district court. Smith skirted the normal appellate process but failed to articulate a legitimate reason the court should grant this abnormal request.
    • Following the Supreme Court’s decision recognizing presidential immunity, Smith’s prosecution team filed an initial brief on September 5, 2024, although there was no defense motion pending. The judge granted Smith permission to file the brief on September 26, 2024, but pointed out this was “procedurally irregular.” This timeline is highly unusual considering complex litigation matters normally take place over several months, rather than a mere three weeks. This action also appears to violate the Justice Department’s 60-day rule, which prohibits timing any action, for the purpose of affecting any election or giving advantage or disadvantage to a candidate, within 60 days of the election.
    • Smith’s brief on Trump’s immunity from prosecution was 165 pages, which required special permission to exceed the normal maximum page limit by four times. In fact, Smith also incorporated grand jury testimony typically kept secret at this point in other proceedings. This action appears to be a deliberate and underhanded effort to disclose unsubstantiated and extensive allegations timed to maximize electoral impact.

    These actions were not standard, necessary, or justified—unless Smith’s real purpose was to influence the election. In fact, throughout Special Counsel Smith’s tenure, he regularly used far-fetched and aggressive legal theories to prosecute the Republican nominee for president. I would add that President Biden also called during the election for President Trump to be “locked up.”

    President Trump of course vanquished Joe Biden, Jack Smith, every Democrat who weaponized the law against him, but President Trump’s astounding victory doesn’t excuse Smith of responsibility for his unlawful election interference. I therefore ask the Office of Special Counsel to investigate whether Jack Smith or any members of his team unlawfully acted for political purposes.

    Sincerely,

    Tom Cotton

    United States Senator

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 07.30.2025 Sens. Cruz, Cortez Masto Lead Bipartisan FULL HOUSE Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) introduced the Facilitating Useful Loss Limitations to Help Our Unique Service Economy (FULL HOUSE) Act. This bipartisan bill restores professional gamblers ability to deduct 100% of their gambling losses, ensuring they are not unfairly taxed on phantom income.
    Sen. Cruz said, “The FULL HOUSE Act would restore the previous law and ensure professional gamblers are taxed on what they actually earn, not phantom income. This is a matter of basic fairness and integrity. I’m grateful for the bipartisan support of my colleagues, Senators Catherine Cortez Masto, Jacky Rosen, and Bill Hagerty, and I urge my fellow Senators to support this fix.”
    Sen. Cortez Masto said, “Taxing people on money they don’t have will stifle the tourism industry in states like Nevada, push poker tournaments offshore, and drive betting into underground, unregulated markets. There is bipartisan support to fix this mistake, and it is time for my colleagues in both parties and chambers of Congress to get it done.”
    Sen. Rosen said, “Our bipartisan bill fixes a harmful provision included in the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ that taxes casino players who lose money. It’s not just bad math, it’s bad policy. If we don’t fix this misguided provision, people would be discouraged from visiting casinos and Nevada’s tourism economy would take a hit. I’m glad to see bipartisan agreement to fix this mistake.”
    Read the full text of the bill here.
    BACKGROUND
    The “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) reduced the amount of gambling losses an itemizing taxpayer could deduct—from 100% of gambling winnings to just 90%. This legislation would restore fairness for professional gamblers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement of Intelligence Vice Chairman Warner on Confirmation of Joe Kent to Lead NCTC

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON – Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted 52-44 to confirm Joe Kent to head the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC):

    “In May, Congress received clear written evidence that Mr. Kent, while serving as chief of staff to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, sought to manipulate intelligence to match a political narrative promoted by President Trump. His efforts to alter intelligence assessments in support of demonstrably false political claims is not only a gross violation of the solemn responsibility with which the intelligence community is charged, which is to speak truth to power regardless of politics, but it is also a threat to our ability to keep the nation safe. When intelligence is shaped to fit political agendas instead of hard facts, it blinds decision-makers to real threats, sows confusion among our allies, and emboldens our adversaries.

    “With today’s party-line vote to confirm Mr. Kent to one of the nation’s most sensitive counterterrorism roles, the Senate missed an opportunity to hold the Trump administration accountable for openly politicizing intelligence – a precedent that, if left unchecked, threatens to erode trust in our intelligence agencies, compromise the integrity of national security assessments, and ultimately make Americans less safe.”

    On May 21, the Senate Intelligence Committee received copies of emails indicating that Mr. Kent pressured career intelligence officials to revise and suppress analytical conclusions that contradicted public claims made by President Trump. Specifically, Kent pressed the National Intelligence Council (NIC) to rewrite findings about the relationship between Venezuela’s government and the criminal gang Tren de Aragua (TDA) “so this document is not used against the DNI or POTUS,” and to emphasize supposed ties between the Venezuelan government and TDA. Despite the pressure, the April 7 assessment issued by the NIC reaffirmed the original conclusion that Venezuela’s government “probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA and is not directing TDA movement to and operations in the United States.” Shortly thereafter, the senior career analysts leading the NIC were dismissed from their positions by DNI Gabbard.

    Sen. Warner spoke in opposition to Mr. Kent’s nomination on the Senate floor prior to the vote. Video of those remarks is available here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement of Intelligence Vice Chairman Warner on Confirmation of Joe Kent to Lead NCTC

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON – Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement after Senate Republicans voted 52-44 to confirm Joe Kent to head the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC):

    “In May, Congress received clear written evidence that Mr. Kent, while serving as chief of staff to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, sought to manipulate intelligence to match a political narrative promoted by President Trump. His efforts to alter intelligence assessments in support of demonstrably false political claims is not only a gross violation of the solemn responsibility with which the intelligence community is charged, which is to speak truth to power regardless of politics, but it is also a threat to our ability to keep the nation safe. When intelligence is shaped to fit political agendas instead of hard facts, it blinds decision-makers to real threats, sows confusion among our allies, and emboldens our adversaries.

    “With today’s party-line vote to confirm Mr. Kent to one of the nation’s most sensitive counterterrorism roles, the Senate missed an opportunity to hold the Trump administration accountable for openly politicizing intelligence – a precedent that, if left unchecked, threatens to erode trust in our intelligence agencies, compromise the integrity of national security assessments, and ultimately make Americans less safe.”

    On May 21, the Senate Intelligence Committee received copies of emails indicating that Mr. Kent pressured career intelligence officials to revise and suppress analytical conclusions that contradicted public claims made by President Trump. Specifically, Kent pressed the National Intelligence Council (NIC) to rewrite findings about the relationship between Venezuela’s government and the criminal gang Tren de Aragua (TDA) “so this document is not used against the DNI or POTUS,” and to emphasize supposed ties between the Venezuelan government and TDA. Despite the pressure, the April 7 assessment issued by the NIC reaffirmed the original conclusion that Venezuela’s government “probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA and is not directing TDA movement to and operations in the United States.” Shortly thereafter, the senior career analysts leading the NIC were dismissed from their positions by DNI Gabbard.

    Sen. Warner spoke in opposition to Mr. Kent’s nomination on the Senate floor prior to the vote. Video of those remarks is available here.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Leading National Security Dems Alarmed by Trump’s Steep Concessions to China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senate Armed Services Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) joined Ranking Senate Defense Appropriator Chris Coons (D-DE), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), and several other key members of the Appropriations, Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence Committees raised the alarm over public reporting that President Trump is pausing export controls on critical technology sold to China and undermining relations with Taiwan as part of an effort to secure a trade deal with Beijing.

    The Senators are deeply concerned that President Trump’s desire for a perceived “deal” is clouding crucial U.S. export control decisions that could imperil national security, threaten U.S. artificial intelligence advantages, and put other American-generated emerging technologies critical to military programs at risk.

    The twelve U.S. Senators, who also included Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations Ranking Member Brian Schatz (D-HI), Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Tim Kaine (D-VA), Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Senate Armed Services Committee member Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Senate Intelligence Committee member Michael Bennet (D-CO), Senate Armed Services Committee member Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Senate Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance Ranking Member Andy Kim (D-NJ), issued the following joint statement:

    “President Trump has spent the past six months eroding our advantages over China, but recent developments make clear how willing his administration is to sacrifice American economic and technological leadership for symbolic “wins” with China in Trump’s self-inflicted trade war.

    “In just the last two days, we have seen reporting that the Trump administration has cancelled a long-planned high-level security dialogue with Taiwan and denied the president of Taiwan the ability to transit the United States—a longstanding tradition respected by administrations of both parties. These developments come right on the heels of a decision to pave the way for the sale of advanced AI chips to China and to freeze export controls on additional American technologies enabling them to now flow to China, even as Beijing tightens export controls on the United States. Independent media reports today suggest these moves are an attempt to secure trade concessions, curry favor with President Xi Jinping, and ensure President Trump gets a visit to China. The president is demonstrating to Beijing that he can be cajoled into giving up America’s core interests.

    “In the face of lackluster domestic economic forecasts and anemic interest from Beijing in achieving a real breakthrough in talks, President Trump and his economic team have ceded leverage and negotiating power to Beijing in a desperate attempt to lure President Xi to a meeting with President Trump. Even more dangerously, they risk putting American national security, technological advantage, and economic prosperity on the chopping block in order to do so.

    “President Trump is handing our primary geopolitical adversary the keys to the castle of 21st century global technological dominance. Doing so will enable Chinese leadership in artificial intelligence, infusing the Chinese military with the technological advantage it needs to continue hostile operations across the globe. He is signaling his ambivalence about standing with Taiwan, our long-term partner in the region and a powerhouse of the global economy. And he is emboldening Beijing to take aggressive actions and seek even more aggressive concessions in whatever trade negotiations may follow.

    “President Trump and this administration must reset their dangerously weak approach to China and make clear they will no longer accept symbolic wins in exchange for steep American concessions. An administration convinced it can renegotiate the world order needs to stop negotiating against itself.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Leading National Security Dems Alarmed by Trump’s Steep Concessions to China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Senate Armed Services Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) joined Ranking Senate Defense Appropriator Chris Coons (D-DE), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), and several other key members of the Appropriations, Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence Committees raised the alarm over public reporting that President Trump is pausing export controls on critical technology sold to China and undermining relations with Taiwan as part of an effort to secure a trade deal with Beijing.

    The Senators are deeply concerned that President Trump’s desire for a perceived “deal” is clouding crucial U.S. export control decisions that could imperil national security, threaten U.S. artificial intelligence advantages, and put other American-generated emerging technologies critical to military programs at risk.

    The twelve U.S. Senators, who also included Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations Ranking Member Brian Schatz (D-HI), Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Tim Kaine (D-VA), Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Senate Armed Services Committee member Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Senate Intelligence Committee member Michael Bennet (D-CO), Senate Armed Services Committee member Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Senate Subcommittee on National Security and International Trade and Finance Ranking Member Andy Kim (D-NJ), issued the following joint statement:

    “President Trump has spent the past six months eroding our advantages over China, but recent developments make clear how willing his administration is to sacrifice American economic and technological leadership for symbolic “wins” with China in Trump’s self-inflicted trade war.

    “In just the last two days, we have seen reporting that the Trump administration has cancelled a long-planned high-level security dialogue with Taiwan and denied the president of Taiwan the ability to transit the United States—a longstanding tradition respected by administrations of both parties. These developments come right on the heels of a decision to pave the way for the sale of advanced AI chips to China and to freeze export controls on additional American technologies enabling them to now flow to China, even as Beijing tightens export controls on the United States. Independent media reports today suggest these moves are an attempt to secure trade concessions, curry favor with President Xi Jinping, and ensure President Trump gets a visit to China. The president is demonstrating to Beijing that he can be cajoled into giving up America’s core interests.

    “In the face of lackluster domestic economic forecasts and anemic interest from Beijing in achieving a real breakthrough in talks, President Trump and his economic team have ceded leverage and negotiating power to Beijing in a desperate attempt to lure President Xi to a meeting with President Trump. Even more dangerously, they risk putting American national security, technological advantage, and economic prosperity on the chopping block in order to do so.

    “President Trump is handing our primary geopolitical adversary the keys to the castle of 21st century global technological dominance. Doing so will enable Chinese leadership in artificial intelligence, infusing the Chinese military with the technological advantage it needs to continue hostile operations across the globe. He is signaling his ambivalence about standing with Taiwan, our long-term partner in the region and a powerhouse of the global economy. And he is emboldening Beijing to take aggressive actions and seek even more aggressive concessions in whatever trade negotiations may follow.

    “President Trump and this administration must reset their dangerously weak approach to China and make clear they will no longer accept symbolic wins in exchange for steep American concessions. An administration convinced it can renegotiate the world order needs to stop negotiating against itself.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On 60th Anniversary of Medicare & Medicaid, Reed Seeks to Repeal Health Care Cuts in Trump’s ‘Big, Ugly Betrayal’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, on the 60th anniversary of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, U.S. Senator Jack Reed joined Democratic colleagues in introducing new legislation to repeal the health care cuts in President Donald Trump and Republicans’ ‘Big, Ugly Betrayal’ tax and budget law and permanently extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced tax credits, which expire at the end of the year.

    The sweeping billionaires-first tax law, which Senator Reed strongly opposed, was passed using a legislative process known as reconciliation that only required a 50 vote majority to pass. The law includes nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade, with Rhode Island projected to lose $4 billion in federal Medicaid funding over that timeframe, according to projections from experts at health policy organization KFF.

    Nationwide, Trump’s law will result in an estimated 15 million people losing their health insurance under Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. It will have significant repercussions for many health clinics, hospitals, patients, seniors and nursing homes.

    “Sixty years ago, President Johnson signed the landmark law establishing Medicare and Medicaid. These programs have helped save lives, but now they are under partisan attack and need protection. President Trump and Congressional Republicans enacted a law to kick millions of hardworking people off their health insurance under Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, denying them coverage when they need it most,” said Senator Reed. “While billionaires get a bigger tax break, average Americans will be forced to pay more for health care and so will states. Democrats are offering a bill to reverse that trend, and expand access to health care. I am pleased to join my colleagues in introducing legislation to repeal the Medicaid cuts in the ‘Big Ugly Betrayal’ law and extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced tax credits so every American has access to affordable, cost-effective health insurance that meets their needs.”

    Studies show that people without health insurance are more likely to delay or forgo the care they need, which often leads to worse health outcomes that are more expensive in the long run. Hospitals will also face higher costs because federal law requires them to provide emergency care to patients who can’t afford it.

    While billionaires and millionaires reap trillions of dollars from the Trump tax bill, young workers will no longer have access to the enhanced premium tax credits that helped them afford health insurance under the ACA. Those credits made ACA health coverage more affordable for roughly 22 million Americans by lowering monthly premiums an average of $705 annually, according to KFF. Congressional Republicans refused to extend those credits, which are now set to expire at the start of 2026, and could force millions of Americans to be hit with higher health insurance premiums.

    The Providence Journal reported: “An additional 40,000 will see their insurance premiums balloon by an average of 85% when tax credits that expanded Obamacare coverage expire at the end of 2025, leading to more Rhode Islanders uninsured or underinsured.”

    In addition to taking away people’s health care, the Republican tax law makes massive cuts to nutrition assistance and other critical programs that Rhode Islanders rely on in order to provide a larger tax windfall for the ultra-wealthy. According to the Providence Journal, the Trump tax and budget law means: “An estimated 144,000 Rhode Islanders losing some form of SNAP benefits, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. More than two-thirds of SNAP recipients are children, the elderly or people with disabilities.” The budget package cuts federal SNAP funding by 20 percent through 2034 — the largest cut in SNAP history. Rhode Island could be required to contribute more than $51 million annually in state cost-share for benefits, which have always been fully federally funded.

    The law also jeopardizes clean energy jobs in Rhode Island by phasing out clean energy and energy efficiency tax credits and incentives that were passed in the Inflation Reduction Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 30th, 2025 Heinrich Votes Against Advancing Trump’s Nominees for DOI and DOE

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, voted no on the nominations of Lanny Erdos to be the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Audrey Robertson to be the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and Timothy Walsh to be DOE Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management, citing Trump’s nominees’ history of ignoring the will of Congress.

    VIDEO: Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) votes no on Trump Administration DOI and DOE nominees during a hearing on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, July 30, 2025.

    Explaining his no votes to Trump’s nominees, Ranking Member Heinrich blasted previous nominees’ promises to respect the will of Congress during hearings, “then, after they are confirmed, they have withheld funds that we have appropriated, they have canceled programs that we have established, they have closed offices that we have created, and they pursued policies that we have never approved.”

    A video of Heinrich’s opening remarks is here.

    A transcript of Heinrich’s remarks as delivered is below:

    Turning now to today’s agenda item, let me simply say that, under the first Trump Administration, I would have been able to support all three of these nominees.

    But we have had nominee after nominee come before this Committee and assure us that they would follow the law and respect the will of Congress.

    Then, after they are confirmed, they have withheld funds that we have appropriated, they have canceled programs that we have established, they have closed offices that we have created, and they pursued policies that we have never approved.

    Until this Administration respects the will of Congress, I am unable to support its nominees, and I will vote no on all three as a result.

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: On 60th Anniversary of Medicare & Medicaid, Reed Seeks to Repeal Health Care Cuts in Trump’s ‘Big, Ugly Betrayal’

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, on the 60th anniversary of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, U.S. Senator Jack Reed joined Democratic colleagues in introducing new legislation to repeal the health care cuts in President Donald Trump and Republicans’ ‘Big, Ugly Betrayal’ tax and budget law and permanently extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced tax credits, which expire at the end of the year.

    The sweeping billionaires-first tax law, which Senator Reed strongly opposed, was passed using a legislative process known as reconciliation that only required a 50 vote majority to pass. The law includes nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade, with Rhode Island projected to lose $4 billion in federal Medicaid funding over that timeframe, according to projections from experts at health policy organization KFF.

    Nationwide, Trump’s law will result in an estimated 15 million people losing their health insurance under Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. It will have significant repercussions for many health clinics, hospitals, patients, seniors and nursing homes.

    “Sixty years ago, President Johnson signed the landmark law establishing Medicare and Medicaid. These programs have helped save lives, but now they are under partisan attack and need protection. President Trump and Congressional Republicans enacted a law to kick millions of hardworking people off their health insurance under Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, denying them coverage when they need it most,” said Senator Reed. “While billionaires get a bigger tax break, average Americans will be forced to pay more for health care and so will states. Democrats are offering a bill to reverse that trend, and expand access to health care. I am pleased to join my colleagues in introducing legislation to repeal the Medicaid cuts in the ‘Big Ugly Betrayal’ law and extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced tax credits so every American has access to affordable, cost-effective health insurance that meets their needs.”

    Studies show that people without health insurance are more likely to delay or forgo the care they need, which often leads to worse health outcomes that are more expensive in the long run. Hospitals will also face higher costs because federal law requires them to provide emergency care to patients who can’t afford it.

    While billionaires and millionaires reap trillions of dollars from the Trump tax bill, young workers will no longer have access to the enhanced premium tax credits that helped them afford health insurance under the ACA. Those credits made ACA health coverage more affordable for roughly 22 million Americans by lowering monthly premiums an average of $705 annually, according to KFF. Congressional Republicans refused to extend those credits, which are now set to expire at the start of 2026, and could force millions of Americans to be hit with higher health insurance premiums.

    The Providence Journal reported: “An additional 40,000 will see their insurance premiums balloon by an average of 85% when tax credits that expanded Obamacare coverage expire at the end of 2025, leading to more Rhode Islanders uninsured or underinsured.”

    In addition to taking away people’s health care, the Republican tax law makes massive cuts to nutrition assistance and other critical programs that Rhode Islanders rely on in order to provide a larger tax windfall for the ultra-wealthy. According to the Providence Journal, the Trump tax and budget law means: “An estimated 144,000 Rhode Islanders losing some form of SNAP benefits, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. More than two-thirds of SNAP recipients are children, the elderly or people with disabilities.” The budget package cuts federal SNAP funding by 20 percent through 2034 — the largest cut in SNAP history. Rhode Island could be required to contribute more than $51 million annually in state cost-share for benefits, which have always been fully federally funded.

    The law also jeopardizes clean energy jobs in Rhode Island by phasing out clean energy and energy efficiency tax credits and incentives that were passed in the Inflation Reduction Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: July 30th, 2025 Heinrich Votes Against Advancing Trump’s Nominees for DOI and DOE

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, voted no on the nominations of Lanny Erdos to be the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Audrey Robertson to be the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and Timothy Walsh to be DOE Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management, citing Trump’s nominees’ history of ignoring the will of Congress.

    VIDEO: Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) votes no on Trump Administration DOI and DOE nominees during a hearing on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, July 30, 2025.

    Explaining his no votes to Trump’s nominees, Ranking Member Heinrich blasted previous nominees’ promises to respect the will of Congress during hearings, “then, after they are confirmed, they have withheld funds that we have appropriated, they have canceled programs that we have established, they have closed offices that we have created, and they pursued policies that we have never approved.”

    A video of Heinrich’s opening remarks is here.

    A transcript of Heinrich’s remarks as delivered is below:

    Turning now to today’s agenda item, let me simply say that, under the first Trump Administration, I would have been able to support all three of these nominees.

    But we have had nominee after nominee come before this Committee and assure us that they would follow the law and respect the will of Congress.

    Then, after they are confirmed, they have withheld funds that we have appropriated, they have canceled programs that we have established, they have closed offices that we have created, and they pursued policies that we have never approved.

    Until this Administration respects the will of Congress, I am unable to support its nominees, and I will vote no on all three as a result.

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Helps Reinstate FBI Whistleblower, Delivers Keynote Address During National Whistleblower Appreciation Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – At the National Whistleblower Day celebration on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced he has succeeded in reinstating Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) whistleblower Michael DeBey’s clearance and employment with the agency. This is the sixth whistleblower Grassley has successfully restored so far this year.

    During his remarks, Grassley also spoke about his work to support patriotic whistleblowers and the important role they play in rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. Grassley is the co-founder and co-chair of the Whistleblower Protection Caucus.

    Remarks by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
    “Whistleblower Appreciation Day”
    Wednesday, July 30, 2025

    It’s an honor to be among patriots here today.

    Today, nobody will be treated like a skunk at a picnic.

    Whistleblowers too often get the short end of the stick for simply telling the truth.

    Instead, whistleblowers ought to be recognized for what they are: patriots and the government’s most powerful tool to root out waste, fraud, and abuse.

    So, I’m proud to have introduced the National Whistleblower Appreciation Day resolution for the 12th year in a row.

    Throughout my career, I’ve fought for whistleblowers.

    I’m committed to ensuring that federal agencies treat whistleblowers fairly and are held accountable for retaliating against them.

    That goes for both Republican and Democratic administrations.

    When I first was elected to the Senate in 1981, I worked with brave whistleblowers like Ernie Fitzgerald.

    Ernie was fired in 1968 by President Nixon for blowing the whistle on waste and fraud in Defense Department contracts.

    I worked to pass laws to eliminate fraud that whistleblowers like Ernie told me about.

    Now, because of this work, I passed the False Claims Amendment Act in 1986.

    It’s helped recover more than $78 billion in fraud so far, and prevented countless billions more.

    My “anti-gag” provision also became law. It’s an important sword and shield to protect whistleblowers.

    Far too often, federal agencies tried to silence or intimidate whistleblowers through nondisclosure agreements.

    My anti-gag provision is designed to put a stop to that.

    I also championed laws and legislation to expand whistleblower protections for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    This Congress, I introduced much needed legislation to strengthen whistleblower protections for FBI employees.

    But just because we’ve introduced legislation and passed good laws doesn’t mean we can stop paying attention.

    I’ve worked hard to ensure individuals who retaliate against whistleblowers are held accountable. I’ve also pushed federal agencies to do right by whistleblowers.

    IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler made legally protected disclosures about government misconduct.

    They were retaliated against and sidelined from doing their job.

    This year, at my urging, they were taken out of the shadows of retaliation and were promoted by the Treasury Department.

    I also pushed the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to end the seven-year nightmare for Customs and Border Protection whistleblowers Mark Jones, Mike Taylor and Fred Wynn.

    These brave whistleblowers faced years of retaliation for blowing the whistle on the government’s failure to collect DNA at the border.

    At my urging, this year the Department of Homeland Security promoted them and restored their law enforcement credentials.

    So, they got their guns and badges back to do their job.

    I’ve also worked to restore the security clearances of FBI employees who had them suspended or revoked.

    These FBI employees were retaliated against and, as we all know, the FBI’s illegal power move is to take away security clearances.

    And it’s not just government whistleblowers who are important.

    I’ve introduced legislation to protect private sector whistleblowers from retaliation for exposing waste, fraud, abuse and misconduct.

    I’m the lead cosponsor of the bipartisan Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act.

    That bill increases whistleblower protections for employees of federal contractors and subcontractors.

    I also introduced the bipartisan Securities and Exchange Commission Whistleblower Reform Act of 2025.

    The bill protects corporate whistleblowers who report violations to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Additionally, I’m proud to have introduced the bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Whistleblower Protection Act.

    That bill is designed to increase transparency and provide whistleblower protections to employees who work in the Artificial Intelligence field.

    But like I said, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

    The task of supporting whistleblowers doesn’t start and stop with this day or depend on who’s in the White House.

    If you make legally protected disclosures, you’re a whistleblower and ought to be protected from retaliation.

    This administration has said Mr. Reuvini isn’t a whistleblower.

    I’ve publicly disagreed.

    The other two people who came forward about Mr. Bove are also whistleblowers.

    Here’s my message to all whistleblowers in this room: just because I may disagree with the conclusions in a whistleblower disclosure, it doesn’t mean that I don’t support a whistleblower’s right to come forward.

    And regardless of the content of the disclosure, every whistleblower must be protected from retaliation.

    That’s why last week, I wrote President Trump about the importance of protecting whistleblowers from retaliation.

    As this administration reduces the federal workforce, it must ensure terminations aren’t done because a protected disclosure was made. This administration, just like all the rest, has an obligation to comply with whistleblower laws.

    In my letter, I also reminded President Trump of my outstanding request that he hold a Rose Garden Ceremony for whistleblowers.

    I’ve asked every president since Ronald Reagan to have a Rose Garden ceremony honoring whistleblowers.

    I’m not giving up on that request just like I’m not giving up on any of you.

    Whistleblowers are some of the bravest people out there. It takes guts to stick your neck out and report misconduct.

    All of you here have put your careers, livelihoods and reputations on the line in service to our great country.

    God Bless you for your service and sacrifices.

    I’ll continue to fight for you.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz-Collins Bipartisan Legislation To Reform Disaster Recovery Passes Key Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs yesterday unanimously voted to advance a bipartisan housing package which included the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act. The provision, authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), would help communities recover from major disasters.

    “Right now, each time a disaster happens, communities in crisis are forced to wait for Congress to pass a disaster funding bill before HUD can help. Our provision changes the law so they no longer have to wait. As soon as a disaster strikes, HUD will be able to help communities begin the process of recovery,” said Senator Schatz.

    “With natural disasters increasing in frequency and intensity—as we saw earlier this month with the devastating floods in Texas—it is critical that states have the necessary resources to respond in order to protect public safety, property, and our economy,” said Senator Collins. “Our bipartisan legislation would allow communities to immediately focus on helping families and local businesses recover instead of waiting on the federal bureaucracy in the wake of a natural disaster.”

    The Schatz-Collins measure addresses long-standing recommendations from the HUD Office of the Inspector General and Government Accountability Office to establish a permanent and predictable funding process. The bill accelerates assistance to disaster-impacted communities by:

    • Creating a disaster recovery fund to allow HUD to predictably assist communities;
    • Authorizing HUD to issue regulations to codify program requirements and reduce unnecessary red tape, delays, and unpredictability that stems from the current process;
    • Supporting resilience as a part of – rather than separate from – disaster recovery;
    • Authorizing “quick release” funds to support grantee capacity right after an event;
    • Improving federal coordination by establishing an office at HUD devoted to disaster recovery and resilience; and
    • Reducing unnecessary administrative burdens and interagency requirement conflicts.

    The full text of the provision is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Helps Reinstate FBI Whistleblower, Delivers Keynote Address During National Whistleblower Appreciation Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – At the National Whistleblower Day celebration on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced he has succeeded in reinstating Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) whistleblower Michael DeBey’s clearance and employment with the agency. This is the sixth whistleblower Grassley has successfully restored so far this year.

    During his remarks, Grassley also spoke about his work to support patriotic whistleblowers and the important role they play in rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. Grassley is the co-founder and co-chair of the Whistleblower Protection Caucus.

    Remarks by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
    “Whistleblower Appreciation Day”
    Wednesday, July 30, 2025

    It’s an honor to be among patriots here today.

    Today, nobody will be treated like a skunk at a picnic.

    Whistleblowers too often get the short end of the stick for simply telling the truth.

    Instead, whistleblowers ought to be recognized for what they are: patriots and the government’s most powerful tool to root out waste, fraud, and abuse.

    So, I’m proud to have introduced the National Whistleblower Appreciation Day resolution for the 12th year in a row.

    Throughout my career, I’ve fought for whistleblowers.

    I’m committed to ensuring that federal agencies treat whistleblowers fairly and are held accountable for retaliating against them.

    That goes for both Republican and Democratic administrations.

    When I first was elected to the Senate in 1981, I worked with brave whistleblowers like Ernie Fitzgerald.

    Ernie was fired in 1968 by President Nixon for blowing the whistle on waste and fraud in Defense Department contracts.

    I worked to pass laws to eliminate fraud that whistleblowers like Ernie told me about.

    Now, because of this work, I passed the False Claims Amendment Act in 1986.

    It’s helped recover more than $78 billion in fraud so far, and prevented countless billions more.

    My “anti-gag” provision also became law. It’s an important sword and shield to protect whistleblowers.

    Far too often, federal agencies tried to silence or intimidate whistleblowers through nondisclosure agreements.

    My anti-gag provision is designed to put a stop to that.

    I also championed laws and legislation to expand whistleblower protections for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

    This Congress, I introduced much needed legislation to strengthen whistleblower protections for FBI employees.

    But just because we’ve introduced legislation and passed good laws doesn’t mean we can stop paying attention.

    I’ve worked hard to ensure individuals who retaliate against whistleblowers are held accountable. I’ve also pushed federal agencies to do right by whistleblowers.

    IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler made legally protected disclosures about government misconduct.

    They were retaliated against and sidelined from doing their job.

    This year, at my urging, they were taken out of the shadows of retaliation and were promoted by the Treasury Department.

    I also pushed the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to end the seven-year nightmare for Customs and Border Protection whistleblowers Mark Jones, Mike Taylor and Fred Wynn.

    These brave whistleblowers faced years of retaliation for blowing the whistle on the government’s failure to collect DNA at the border.

    At my urging, this year the Department of Homeland Security promoted them and restored their law enforcement credentials.

    So, they got their guns and badges back to do their job.

    I’ve also worked to restore the security clearances of FBI employees who had them suspended or revoked.

    These FBI employees were retaliated against and, as we all know, the FBI’s illegal power move is to take away security clearances.

    And it’s not just government whistleblowers who are important.

    I’ve introduced legislation to protect private sector whistleblowers from retaliation for exposing waste, fraud, abuse and misconduct.

    I’m the lead cosponsor of the bipartisan Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act.

    That bill increases whistleblower protections for employees of federal contractors and subcontractors.

    I also introduced the bipartisan Securities and Exchange Commission Whistleblower Reform Act of 2025.

    The bill protects corporate whistleblowers who report violations to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Additionally, I’m proud to have introduced the bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Whistleblower Protection Act.

    That bill is designed to increase transparency and provide whistleblower protections to employees who work in the Artificial Intelligence field.

    But like I said, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

    The task of supporting whistleblowers doesn’t start and stop with this day or depend on who’s in the White House.

    If you make legally protected disclosures, you’re a whistleblower and ought to be protected from retaliation.

    This administration has said Mr. Reuvini isn’t a whistleblower.

    I’ve publicly disagreed.

    The other two people who came forward about Mr. Bove are also whistleblowers.

    Here’s my message to all whistleblowers in this room: just because I may disagree with the conclusions in a whistleblower disclosure, it doesn’t mean that I don’t support a whistleblower’s right to come forward.

    And regardless of the content of the disclosure, every whistleblower must be protected from retaliation.

    That’s why last week, I wrote President Trump about the importance of protecting whistleblowers from retaliation.

    As this administration reduces the federal workforce, it must ensure terminations aren’t done because a protected disclosure was made. This administration, just like all the rest, has an obligation to comply with whistleblower laws.

    In my letter, I also reminded President Trump of my outstanding request that he hold a Rose Garden Ceremony for whistleblowers.

    I’ve asked every president since Ronald Reagan to have a Rose Garden ceremony honoring whistleblowers.

    I’m not giving up on that request just like I’m not giving up on any of you.

    Whistleblowers are some of the bravest people out there. It takes guts to stick your neck out and report misconduct.

    All of you here have put your careers, livelihoods and reputations on the line in service to our great country.

    God Bless you for your service and sacrifices.

    I’ll continue to fight for you.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Denounces Starvation In Gaza, Criticizes Israeli Government’s Conduct Of War

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today spoke on the Senate floor about the crisis of starvation in Gaza, which has resulted in almost a third of Palestinians going for several days without eating and at least 63 people dying from malnutrition this month alone. Schatz criticized the Netanyahu government’s decision to cut off aid into Gaza and later set up an entity that failed to distribute aid safely and effectively.

    “The fact that this catastrophe was preventable is precisely what makes it so indefensible,” said Senator Schatz, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. “People have been warning for months that the Israeli government’s actions would result in exactly this kind of tragedy, where children are dying by the dozens and hundreds of thousands of people are starving for days. What possible explanation is there for letting infants and 2- and 3-year-olds starve? What tactical advantage is being gained?”

    Senator Schatz continued, “Standing up for our shared humanity, whatever our other differences and preferences, should not be a matter of controversy. The government of Israel is behaving terribly. Its conduct of the war is indefensible. And it is not in spite of my Jewishness and my Judaism that I feel this way – it is because of it.”

    A transcript of Senator Schatz’s remarks is below. Video is available here.

    The mass starvation and death sweeping through Gaza is a moral tragedy and a strategic abomination. What started as a war with a just cause – to go after Hamas for the unspeakable atrocities it committed on October 7th and bring home the hostages – quickly turned unjust and immoral.

    Everyone knows how complicated and fraught the Middle East is. Everyone knows that navigating this generations-long conflict requires nuance and depth and a historical understanding in order to try and get it right. Everyone knows that smart and sincere and decent people can disagree on this issue. But what is happening today is entirely different. There is no excuse for this horrific suffering. It’s not making Israel or Israelis or Jews any safer…nor is it helping to bring home the 50 remaining hostages who’ve been in brutal captivity for almost 2 years.

    The fact that this catastrophe was preventable is precisely what makes it so indefensible. People have been warning for months that the Israeli government’s actions would result in exactly this kind of tragedy…where children are dying by the dozens and hundreds of thousands of people are starving for days.

    The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which Israel scrambled to set up 2 months ago, has failed. According to the BBC, where there used to be 400 U.N. aid distribution sites, there are now just 4 run by the GHF. And as a result, a third of Gazans are going multiple days in a row without eating. The World Health Organization reports that at least 63 people, many of them children, have died from malnutrition this month alone. And more than a thousand Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid at GHF sites, according to the U.N.

    In May, the GHF’s first executive director resigned, saying, “It is clear that it is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.”

    Whether you believe that this organization was set up to fail intentionally from the start, or more charitably, that the Israeli government established it without understanding that it wouldn’t succeed, it doesn’t matter. What is plainly obvious now is that it is not working. You don’t have to be some left-wing organization…or get your data from the Hamas government…to acknowledge that the GHF is failing at its fundamental mission of feeding people.

    Which raises the question: why? Here we have an Israeli security apparatus that can – and did – synchronize an attack of exploding pagers across an entire country. They can reach in and gather intelligence from the high command of their greatest adversaries. The IDF is widely viewed as punching way above its weight in almost every way. And yet, Israel is asserting that, given all of those capabilities, the one thing that they can’t do is facilitate aid distribution. That’s too hard for them.

    Food and medical assistance routinely get into conflict zones all around the world. Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gaza should not be any different. What is different are the stated goals of the extremists in the Israeli government.

    “The only way to win the war and bring back the hostages is to completely stop the ‘humanitarian’ aid, conquer the entire Gaza Strip, and encourage voluntary migration.” That was the National Security of the government of Israel. Completely stopping humanitarian aid. Conquering the entire Gaza Strip. Encouraging migration. Those are their words – these are not my words.

    And as starvation takes hold, their response is to deny that is even happening. “There is no starvation in Gaza.” Who said that? The Prime Minister of Israel. Ben-Gvir added, “If they were hungry, they would have returned the hostages home.” If they were hungry, they would have returned the hostages home.

    It’s worth pausing on that for just a moment. Too many people in the Netanyahu government make no distinction between the actual enemy that is Hamas and innocent civilians. The idea that a desperate mother, malnourished herself, and out of breast milk for her infant; or a 7-year-old running to the front of an aid line to get whatever scraps he can for him and his siblings – the idea that these people are in charge of which hostages are released and when, and they suddenly are being held to account for the actions of Hamas on October 7th – is preposterous.

    It’s another example of the casual dismissal of civilian death and suffering as if it’s an inevitable consequence of having to go after the bad guys. War is hell and all of that. But what possible explanation is there for letting infants and 2 and 3-year-olds starve? What tactical advantage is being gained?

    Standing up for our shared humanity, whatever our other differences and preferences, should not be controversial. But too often, when someone is critical of Israel, and they’re a Jew, they’re characterized as a self-hating Jew. When someone is critical of Israel, and they’re not a Jew, they’re characterized as antisemitic.

    I want to be crystal clear. Antisemitism is among the oldest and most vile prejudices that exist. It is real, it is scary, and it is on the rise in the United States. It should be fought at every turn, left, right, and center. And anyone who simply waves it away or denies the urgency of addressing it is either not paying attention or lying.

    But criticizing the conduct of this war. Criticizing Minister Ben-Gvir who talks about ethnic cleansing. Criticizing the withholding of aid. Criticizing the excessive tolerance for civilian casualties. Criticizing Prime Minister Netanyahu’s apparent willingness to cling to power at the expense of Israel, Israelis, and Jews everywhere. That is a separate matter. Everybody gets to do that – just like Americans get to criticize their president without hating America or the people within it. People are more than their government. The government of Israel is behaving terribly. Its conduct of the war is indefensible. And it is not in spite of my Jewishness and Judaism that I feel this way – it is because of it.

    There are a lot of people – including people I know personally, and I believe this – who believe deeply in the sacred idea of Israel. They are good people, and this cannot be about vanquishing one side of the political spectrum – whether that’s the left and center left or right and alt-right. This is about grounding ourselves in the very basic principle, which is: whatever else we’re fighting about, can we please hold the children harmless?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Presidential Message on the 406th Anniversary of the First Representative Legislative Assembly in America

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    Four-hundred-and-six years ago, on a sweltering Virginia day, English settlers gathered in a modest wooden church in Jamestown to form the first representative assembly in the New World.  This historic moment gave birth to the oldest continuous lawmaking body in the Western Hemisphere and laid the foundation for the most successful attempt at self-government in all of human history.
    Seeking prosperity and opportunity in a new land, these early Virginians came together not as subjects of a foreign crown, but as an independent people determined to govern their own affairs.  Against nearly insurmountable odds, they enacted laws to glorify God, promote the common good, and answer to the will of the people, addressing matters of taxation, agriculture, and trade with Native tribes.  What began humbly in Jamestown has flourished through the ages into a rich legacy of self-government that continues to define the American spirit.  As John Adams wrote before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, “We all look up to Virginia for examples.”
    From town halls to statehouses to Congress and the presidency, the ideals that animated that first assembly—self-determination, representation, popular accountability, and devotion to the common good—still coarse through our customs and inspire our way of life.
    As we stand on the cusp of our 250th year as an independent Nation, we pause now to honor the enduring principles of liberty and independence that were born in Virginia, the cradle of American democracy.  These principles have guided our country for more than two centuries, and will continue to light our way for generations to come.
    Today, we reaffirm that self-government and hard-fought freedom are our prized inheritance.  America is not ruled by tyrants or distant powers; it is governed by a free, strong, and independent citizenry.  As the legacy of Jamestown lives on through the Virginia House of Delegates and in the heart of every American citizen, we pay tribute to the heroic tenacity, bravery, and vision of the first settlers.  Through their sacrifice, 406 years later, our Nation now stands taller, prouder, mightier, and greater than ever before—united, free, and governed only by the will of our people as one glorious Nation under God.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Markey and Slotkin, Rep. Strickland Introduce Legislation to Boost Funding for Research on Gun Violence Prevention

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Bill Text (PDF)

    Washington (July 30, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Caucus, along with Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Representative Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), reintroduced the Gun Violence Prevention Research Act, legislation that would dedicate $50 million each year for the next five years for gun violence prevention research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    This legislation arrives at a critical time. After a decades-long prohibition on the CDC’s ability to conduct gun violence prevention research, Congress began to secure $25 million annually for this research in Fiscal Year 2020. However, the Trump administration has effectively dismantled gun violence prevention efforts, decimating the staff at the CDC responsible for this critical research and terminating $158 million—more than half—of federal funding for gun violence prevention programs at the Department of Justice. The Gun Violence Prevention Research Act would help ensure we have the tools to stem the scourge of gun violence in our communities.

    “Stopping the spread of our nation’s gun violence epidemic requires action on the reforms we know are essential and effective,” said Senator Markey. “We must invest more to study the root causes of violence and develop evidence-based solutions. This legislation would allow our nation’s top medical, scientific, and public health researchers to conduct studies that would save lives. It is critical that we chart a path out of this public health crisis.”

    “Gun violence is a uniquely American crisis that continues to impact communities across Michigan and our country,” said Senator Slotkin. “As the first Member of Congress to have two mass shootings in my former House district—Oxford High School and Michigan State University—I’ve seen first-hand the devasting toll gun violence has on our communities. As elected officials, our most basic responsibility is to protect our children from the things that are truly harming them. We must treat this epidemic like the national security threat that it is. And that means using every tool in the toolbox. Let’s get this bill across the finish line.”

    “Make no mistake: gun violence is preventable. Republicans actively choose to watch children, mothers, fathers, and Americans gunned down in deference to the gun lobby,” said Representative Strickland. “We must root out the gun violence crisis in our nation. This legislation will simply treat gun violence as the public health crisis it is, and allow us to research it so we can take steps toward saving lives.”

    Cosponsors of the Gun Violence Prevention Research Act include Senators Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Fetterman (D-Penn.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).

    The Gun Violence Prevention Research Act is endorsed by Brady, Everytown, March For Our Lives, and Giffords.

    In June 2025, Senator Markey reintroduced five gun violence prevention bills, including the 3D Printed Gun Safety Act, Keeping Gun Dealers Honest Act, Gun Violence Prevention Through Financial Intelligence Act, Making America Safe and Secure (MASS) Act, and Protecting Kids from Gun Marketing Act. This package of bills would significantly decrease the pervasive threat of gun violence across the United States by putting an end to the three-dimensional (3D) printing and distribution of “ghost guns,” strengthen accountability measures for irresponsible gun dealers, help banks detect and report suspicious activity related to mass shootings, establish rules that prohibit the marketing of firearms to children, and strengthen state-by-state gun-licensing regulations through federal incentives.

    In April 2025, Senator Markey and Representative Dwight Evans (PA-03) introduced the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act, legislation that would help all victims of gun violence—from survivors to their loved ones, coworkers, and classmates—identify and access resources to help meet medical, legal, financial, and other needs.

    Senator Markey first introduced the Gun Violence Prevention Research Act in 2023.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Secures Provisions to Reestablish NADBank Water Infrastructure Fund in Appropriations Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today celebrated the inclusion of his provisions on the 1944 Water Treaty in the Senate Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2026 to reestablish the North American Development Bank (NADBank)’s Water Infrastructure Fund and require a report on improving water storage and systems:

    “The South Texas agriculture community has suffered due to Mexico’s refusal to comply with the Water Treaty, and they deserve relief and solutions,” said Sen. Cornyn. “My provisions to reestablish NADBank’s Water Infrastructure Fund and require a water systems report are an important step in the right direction to make Texas whole, and I’m grateful to the committee for including this critical language in the appropriations bill.”

    Background:

    Sen. Cornyn has led the charge in Congress to boost Texas’ water supply and ensure Mexico fulfills its treaty obligations to provide annual deliveries of water to South Texas farmers and ranchers. In addition to successfully securing more than $280 million in emergency assistance for Rio Grande Valley farmers and producers affected by the water shortage, he led a request earlier this year to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking for renewed efforts to push Mexico to comply with the 1944 Water Treaty while also securing Secretary Rubio’s commitment to hold Mexico accountable for delays.

    Last year, Sen. Cornyn sent a letter to NADBank urging for the restoration of their Water Infrastructure Fund, raised alarms after a Rio Grande sugarcane mill closed due to acute water shortages, cosponsored a resolution supporting diplomacy, and sent a letter to then-U.S. Secretary of State Blinken urging the Department to engage on Mexico’s violation of the intent of the treaty. Senator Cornyn also led a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on State and Foreign Operations urging them to withhold designated funds from Mexico until they enter into an agreement with the U.S. to balance the deficit of the water deliveries, which the House Appropriations Committee included in their funding bill.

    Under the Treaty Relating to the Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande, Mexico is obligated to deliver an average of 350,000 acre-feet of water annually over a five-year cycle as its contribution to the Rio Grande’s water supply. However, Mexico has consistently delayed fulfilling its water obligation until the end of the five-year cycle, which hinders South Texas farmers’ ability to plan for and grow crops as well as ranchers’ ability to provide water to livestock. The current cycle ends in October and so far, Mexico has paid less than 700,000 acre-feet of water — less than half of what it owes, according to IBWC data.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Cosponsors Sanders’ Resolutions to Block Certain Offensive Weapons Sales to Israel 

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) has cosponsored U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRD) to block the sales of certain offensive weapons to Israel. The JRDs would prohibit the U.S.-financed sale of $675 million for bombs and guidance kits, plus 20,000 fully automatic assault rifles to Israel. The Senate is expected to vote on the JRDs tonight.  
    “The Israeli-inflicted starvation of Palestinians in Gaza must end. This bombing campaign, which has killed and wounded tens of thousands of people and destroyed Gaza, must end. We cannot continue to be complicit. History will judge us for not standing up against this humanitarian catastrophe and these war crimes,” said Senator Welch. “The United States needs to say: Enough.” 
    Yesterday, Senator Welch spoke on the Senate floor about the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and the need for the United States Senate to take immediate action. He condemned Hamas, pushed for a ceasefire, and demanded the release of the remaining hostages. Senator Welch also rejected the Netanyahu government’s illegal use of starvation as a weapon of war.  
    “We all condemn Hamas. We all want the release of the remaining hostages. But we have to ask ourselves the question: is it at all justifiable that there is a policy that has to be recognized that starvation is being used as a tool of warfare? I reject the legitimacy of that act. It’s a war crime, Mr. President. It’s a war crime to starve a population to get what you want from your enemy, as righteous as your defense against an enemy may be,” Senator Welch said in his remarks… “We cannot separate the current starvation in Gaza from the Netanyahu government’s strategy of forcibly displacing Palestinians from their land.” 
    Watch his remarks here: 

    The text of the JRDs can be found below:    

    S.J.Res.34 – To prohibit the U.S.-taxpayer financed $675.7 million sale of 201 MK 83 1,000-pound bombs; 4,799 BLU-110A/B General Purpose 1,000-pound bombs; 1,500 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits for MK 83 bombs; 3,500 JDAM guidance kits for MK 83 bombs; and related logistics and technical support services. 

    S.J.Res.41 – To prohibit the sale of tens of thousands of fully automatic assault rifles. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Cosponsors Sanders’ Resolutions to Block Certain Offensive Weapons Sales to Israel 

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) has cosponsored U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRD) to block the sales of certain offensive weapons to Israel. The JRDs would prohibit the U.S.-financed sale of $675 million for bombs and guidance kits, plus 20,000 fully automatic assault rifles to Israel. The Senate is expected to vote on the JRDs tonight.  
    “The Israeli-inflicted starvation of Palestinians in Gaza must end. This bombing campaign, which has killed and wounded tens of thousands of people and destroyed Gaza, must end. We cannot continue to be complicit. History will judge us for not standing up against this humanitarian catastrophe and these war crimes,” said Senator Welch. “The United States needs to say: Enough.” 
    Yesterday, Senator Welch spoke on the Senate floor about the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and the need for the United States Senate to take immediate action. He condemned Hamas, pushed for a ceasefire, and demanded the release of the remaining hostages. Senator Welch also rejected the Netanyahu government’s illegal use of starvation as a weapon of war.  
    “We all condemn Hamas. We all want the release of the remaining hostages. But we have to ask ourselves the question: is it at all justifiable that there is a policy that has to be recognized that starvation is being used as a tool of warfare? I reject the legitimacy of that act. It’s a war crime, Mr. President. It’s a war crime to starve a population to get what you want from your enemy, as righteous as your defense against an enemy may be,” Senator Welch said in his remarks… “We cannot separate the current starvation in Gaza from the Netanyahu government’s strategy of forcibly displacing Palestinians from their land.” 
    Watch his remarks here: 

    The text of the JRDs can be found below:    

    S.J.Res.34 – To prohibit the U.S.-taxpayer financed $675.7 million sale of 201 MK 83 1,000-pound bombs; 4,799 BLU-110A/B General Purpose 1,000-pound bombs; 1,500 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance kits for MK 83 bombs; 3,500 JDAM guidance kits for MK 83 bombs; and related logistics and technical support services. 

    S.J.Res.41 – To prohibit the sale of tens of thousands of fully automatic assault rifles. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: This is America’s Golden Age

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Senator Marshall Joins Fox Business to Discuss President Trump’s First Six Months in Office
    Washington – On Friday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business’ Mornings with Maria to discuss the historic wins that the Trump Administration has secured in just six months, including tax cuts, a secure border, and multiple trade deals, as well as Democrats’ weaponization of the intelligence community.

    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    On President Trump’s First Six Months in Office:
    “Well, we’re on Trump time right now. Maria, I think what’s more important is what the American people think. We did three telephone town halls, 5,000 Kansans on those phone calls, and over 80% of them feel our country’s generally going in the right direction.
    “Now, by the way, 70% of them think work requirements are good as well. But this is the sort of a new golden era. The border is secure. We’re rolling back regulations. The price of gas and groceries are down. President Trump on these trade deals – major, major wins for all of Americans, but especially rural America, when it comes to agriculture and energy opportunities.”
    On Senate Republicans’ work to pass Appropriations bills to avoid shutdown:
    “Well, if there’s a is a shutdown, it’s on the back of Chuck Schumer. He’s doing everything he can to sabotage the process. On the other hand, under the leadership of Susan Collins and all these Appropriations Committees, they’ve got their work done.
    “The big news here is that, actually, we’re going back to pre-pandemic spending levels, working towards a balanced budget. So we’ve done our work. The appropriations committees are passing those out in twenty-five to one unanimous in some of the twelve buckets you’re talking about.
    “So, now we’ll have to bring them to the floor, and we’ll see if Chuck Schumer keeps eight Democrats from voting for those, so we’re doing our work. If anything, if this doesn’t come to fruition, it will be on the back of Chuck Schumer.”
    On Democrats’ weaponization of the intelligence community:
    “They lied to us about Joe Biden’s mental health. They lied to us about COVID. And of course, they’ve lied to us all things Russia, Russia, Russia.
    “I do remember interviewing with you and going back to the FISA court abuse. I think in 2017 you were already covering that. This is the next chapter of that FISA court abuse. And in this case, it’s new evidence with President Obama’s fingerprints all over this.
    “He took evidence that his intelligence agency said, look, there was no interference, and now, he’s turned that narrative around and then weaponized his intelligence community to paralyze President Trump’s presidency going forward.
    “When I look at a story like this, the first thing I want to know is, what’s their motive? Well, the Democrats clearly had a motive here. They wanted to delegitimize the election, and they wanted to cripple President Trump’s agenda going forward. And to your point, they did just that.
    “The next thing I asked, you know, does the story make sense? It makes 100% sense. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but here we have again, this next chapter of the FISA court abuse. This would absolutely be the next chapter of this. Then, where’s the evidence? Well, here’s the evidence. The smoking gun, this document from the White House, this new document, which Tulsi Gabbard has uncovered, that President Obama literally switched the narrative, saying that Russia interfered with the election. He wanted to delegitimize that election and freeze out President Trump’s agenda and the will [of] the American people, by the way.”
    On President Trump’s trade deals and deterring China:
    “Well, Maria, I just want to again compliment President Trump and what he’s doing strategically with trade to try to put China in a box. If you think about his trade agreements, he’s done here, put the UK aside, but you mentioned earlier, trade agreements with Japan, all those South Sea countries right now, as well as Indonesia.
    “Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world, and what China is doing is they’re sending those goods to places like Indonesia and Vietnam, and then trying to get into the US on that lower tariff.
    “So, President Trump is boxing in China right now, and I think he’s made it very, very clear as far as the fentanyl precursors go, and by the way, because the border secure, there’s less fentanyl coming into the country right now. There’s less crime. There’s less fentanyl poisoning as well.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: After Unlawfully Withholding Public School Funding, Trump Admin. Melts & Unfreezes K-12 Public School Funds

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, welcomed the Trump Administration’s decision to relent in the face of public opposition and finally release nearly $6 billion in federal funding for K-12 schools and adult education programs that it had been unlawfully withholding for weeks.
    Instead of disbursing the federal funds on July 1, the Trump Administration abruptly informed states the day before that it would withhold nearly $7 billion that public schools were counting on, forcing school districts nationwide to scramble and plug serious budget holes. Some schools were forced to decide between laying off teachers or ending after school programs in the coming weeks.
    The Trump funding freeze on K-12 public school dollars put about $30 million in federal education funding for Rhode Island at risk for this coming school year. The frozen funds represented 7.6 percent of the entire U.S. Department of Education’s budget for fiscal year 2025.
    Frustrated and alarmed by the unlawful withholding of this federal money for after-school programs, summer learning, teacher training, adult literacy, and other programs, state lawmakers and public educators across the political spectrum spoke out against the Trump Administration’s education funding freeze and urged them to change course.
    “President Trump tried to shortchange students, but elected officials, educators, and communities across the country spoke up and forced the Trump Administration to relent. School districts were left scrambling trying to figure out if they could afford to pay for student services that had already been funded. The Trump White House put those funds in limbo and needlessly left many local school budgets in the lurch. The Trump Administration’s poor management inflicted real stress on schools, teachers, and communities. It’s inexcusable. Students deserve better and elected leaders should be working to strengthen schools, not causing needless partisan chaos,” said Senator Reed.
    Today, without explanation, the Trump Administration finally relented and confirmed it will disburse this funding in the coming days, including:
    Title II-A for professional development: $2.19 billion
    Title IV-A for student support and academic enrichment: $1.38 billion
    Title III-A for English-learner services: $890 million
    Title I-C for migrant education: $376 million
    Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants: $715 million
    Senator Reed repeatedly called on President Trump to release the funding, joining colleagues on both sides of the aisle in demanding the funds flow.
    Reed has also strongly opposed the Trump Administration’s plans to cut federal investments in education by 15 percent.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New $458,000 Federal Investment to Buoy Clean Water Pumpout Facilities for RI Boaters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to protect the health of Rhode Island’s waters, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse announced today that Rhode Island will receive $457,709 through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Clean Vessel Act (CVA) grant program. The federal grant will be used to procure three new pumpout barges and one new pumpout boat that will assist recreational boaters in properly disposing of on-board septic waste.
    The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) administers the program and competitively awards the grants for new or upgraded marine pumpout facilities to local grantees through the DEM Office of Water Resources. Each CVA grant requires a 25-percent match.
    Under state and federal law, it is illegal for boats to discharge any sewage – treated or untreated – into the waters of Rhode Island. The three pumpout barges and pumpout boat will provide boaters in marine waters of Narragansett Bay and coastal Rhode Island an opportunity to conveniently unload waste in a safe and sanitary way.
    “Keeping our waters clean and healthy is good for our economy and the environment. As more boaters enjoy time on the water, we’ve got to ensure we have the right infrastructure in place to meet the growing need for safe and convenient sewage disposal. This new federal funding will help protect Rhode Island’s waterways and ensure there are free, convenient, and efficient pumping options,” said Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee. “Over the years, the Clean Vessel Act has prevented millions of gallons of untreated sewage from polluting our waters, including Narragansett Bay.”
    “We have made decades of enormous progress cleaning up Narragansett Bay to the great benefit of the local economy and our quality of life in Rhode Island. This federal investment will help keep our treasured Bay and other Ocean State waterways clean and free of sewage,” said Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
    Congress passed the Clean Vessel Act in 1992. The law provides funds for the construction, renovation, operation and maintenance of sewage pumpout stations and dump stations for recreational boats, as well as information and education programs that encourage boaters to use pumpout facilities.
    This year, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded over $17.7 million in CVA grants to 21 states.
    Funding for CVA grants are provided through the federal Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which is derived from excise taxes on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels, import duties and interest on the fund.
    Owners of Rhode Island marinas may apply for grants for projects located at the owner’s marina using DEM’s application. A non-owner operator may apply for such a grant, but only if the owner co-signs the application and the grant award.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Department of Education Will Release Education Formula Funding to Alaska

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

    07.25.25

    Washington, DC – Following the news that the U.S. Department of Education will release all remaining education formula funds that they had previously frozen, Senator Murkowski released the following statement:

    “Today, we received official notification that the U.S. Department of Education will release all remaining Congressionally-approved education formula funding that was due to the states,” said Senator Murkowski. “This is a tremendous win for our students, families, and school districts across Alaska. I am grateful that OMB Director Vought agreed with me and my colleagues as we reminded the administration that local communities have the best understanding of the unique needs of their students and how best to serve them. But the anxiety, disruption, and extra work to figure out how to serve students without this funding should never have been necessary. I will continue to advocate for Alaska’s schools and educational programs and work to ensure they have the support they need.”

    Background:

    On July 16, Senator Murkowski joined her colleagues in a letter to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Russell Vought, asking him to faithfully implement the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, and release the education formula funds that states anticipated receiving on July 1, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy on Trump’s College Sports EO: A Shameless Giveaway to NCAA Bosses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    July 25, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s executive order on college athletics:

    “Trump’s executive order has nothing to do with protecting college sports. This is about protecting the profits of the NCAA bosses, shielding them from antitrust accountability, and weaponizing an NLRB that’s soon to be stuffed with Trump loyalists to block athletes from having a seat at the negotiating table. The multibillion-dollar college sports industry simply would not exist without the labor of college athletes, and it’s a self-serving lie to claim that athletes that dedicate thousands of hours every year training, traveling, and playing are amateurs without the right to unionize and collectively bargain. Trump’s shameless giveaway to the NCAA is bad news for the health, safety, and livelihoods of these athletes and further proof that the only people he’s looking out for are his billionaire buddies.”

    This week, Murphy introduced in the U.S. Senate the College Athlete Right to Organize Act (CARO), legislation to codify the right of college athletes to unionize and collectively bargain for fair compensation and better working conditions. Murphy also introduced the College Athlete Economic Freedom Act  to expand and codify the right of college athletes to be fairly compensated for the use of their Name, Image, and Likeness.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Joins Senate Colleagues in Calling On Administration to Conduct Independent, U.S.-led Investigation Into Death of American Citizen in West Bank

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined 28 of his Senate colleagues in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi calling on the Administration to conduct an independent investigation into the death of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, an American citizen recently killed near the West Bank town of Sinjil. The senators pointed to the repeated lack of accountability in the deaths of other American citizens killed in the West Bank since January 2022, including Shireen Abu Akleh, Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, and Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee. The senators also asked for an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of these six other Americans.

    “We write with grave concern regarding the brutal killing of a Palestinian-American, Saifullah Kamel Musallet, near the West Bank town of Sinjil, on July 11, 2025. The U.S. government must conduct a credible and independent investigation into his death and hold all perpetrators accountable. Protecting and supporting U.S. citizens abroad is one of the foremost responsibilities of the U.S. government. The United States Government has failed to secure accountability for the killing of respected Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, or any of the other five American citizens – Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, and Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee – killed in the West Bank since January 2022. Following the Trump Administration’s sudden revocation of all U.S. sanctions against extremist settlers in the West Bank, the first five months of 2025 have seen the highest rate of settler attacks in years and the killing of another American. We urge you to pursue a different approach,” wrote the senators.

    “Saifullah Kamal Musallet is the seventh American citizen killed in the West Bank since January 2022 — and the fifth in just the last nineteen months. The killings of these Americans in the West Bank have been met by a lack of accountability from the Netanyahu government and an inability to secure justice by the U.S. government. These failures have contributed to an unacceptable culture of impunity when it comes to incidents where civilians have been killed in the West Bank, including Americans,” they continued.

    “The Netanyahu government has failed to hold anyone accountable for any of these seven killings of Americans and the United States government has failed in its responsibility to protect American citizens overseas and demand justice for their deaths,” the senators noted.

    “It is long past time for the U.S. government to demand accountability in these killings of Americans. To that end, we urge you to immediately launch an independent investigation into the brutal killing of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, including the circumstances that blocked ambulances from reaching him. We also ask that you provide us with an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of the six other Americans who have been killed since January 2022, and provide us with a briefing on actions you are taking to ensure accountability for their deaths and to prevent future killings of Americans in the West Bank,” the senators closed.

    U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Ben Lujan (D-N.M.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) also signed the letter.

    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.

    Dear Secretary Rubio and Attorney General Bondi,

    We write with grave concern regarding the brutal killing of a Palestinian-American, Saifullah Kamel Musallet, near the West Bank town of Sinjil, on July 11, 2025. The U.S. government must conduct a credible and independent investigation into his death and hold all perpetrators accountable. Protecting and supporting U.S. citizens abroad is one of the foremost responsibilities of the U.S. government. The United States Government has failed to secure accountability for the killing of respected Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, or any of the other five American citizens – Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, and Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee – killed in the West Bank since January 2022. Following the Trump Administration’s sudden revocation of all U.S. sanctions against extremist settlers in the West Bank, the first five months of 2025 have seen the highest rate of settler attacks in years and the killing of another American. We urge you to pursue a different approach.

    Saifullah Kamal Musallet is the seventh American citizen killed in the West Bank since January 2022 — and the fifth in just the last nineteen months. The killings of these Americans in the West Bank have been met by a lack of accountability from the Netanyahu government and an inability to secure justice by the U.S. government. These failures have contributed to an unacceptable culture of impunity when it comes to incidents where civilians have been killed in the West Bank, including Americans.

    Saifullah Kamel Musallet, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen from Florida, was visiting family in the West Bank when he was beaten to death by extremist Israeli settlers during a settler attack on the town of Sinjil. Reports indicate that ambulances could not reach the injured for more than two hours, with eyewitness accounts stating that settlers and Israeli forces impeded ambulance access. In April of this year, a 14-year-old boy from New Jersey, Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee, was also killed in the West Bank. Amer was reportedly shot at the entrance to Turmus Ayya by Israeli security forces. Reports suggest that Amer was shot a total of 11 times and two other Americans were also shot in the incident.

    Last year, three other U.S. citizens were killed in the West Bank, including two teenagers. Tawfic Abdel Jabbar and Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour were both 17-year-old U.S. citizens visiting their families in the West Bank when they were shot and killed in separate incidents. In both cases they were shot in the head while they were traveling in vehicles. The third U.S. citizen killed in the West Bank last year was Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American citizen raised in Seattle who, according to reports, was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier from a distance of 200 meters.

    The Netanyahu government has failed to hold anyone accountable for any of these seven killings of Americans and the United States government has failed in its responsibility to protect American citizens overseas and demand justice for their deaths.

    It is long past time for the U.S. government to demand accountability in these killings of Americans. To that end, we urge you to immediately launch an independent investigation into the brutal killing of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, including the circumstances that blocked ambulances from reaching him. We also ask that you provide us with an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of the six other Americans who have been killed since January 2022, and provide us with a briefing on actions you are taking to ensure accountability for their deaths and to prevent future killings of Americans in the West Bank.

    We respectfully ask for a response within two weeks.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Cortez Masto Successfully Push Trump Admin to Release Nearly $7 Billion in K-12 Education Funding, Including for Nevada

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) announced that, following their push, the Trump Administration has released nearly $7 billion in K-12 education funding that had been abruptly frozen by the U.S. Department of Education. This funding includes nearly $60 million for Nevada schools, which were needed to fund after-school programs, English language instruction, special education, and teacher training. 
    “Our schools depend on federal resources to support students, train teachers, and maintain critical services,” said Senator Rosen. “This critical education funding was approved by both parties and should never have been withheld by the Trump Administration. I’m proud to have successfully fought back against this harmful freeze and ensure these funds are back in our classrooms where they belong.”
    “President Trump’s decision to withhold $60 million in critical funding for Nevada’s schools was reckless and cruel,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I am glad that the administration listened to our demands to release the funds that our classrooms rely on. I will continue to work with Senator Rosen to prevent Trump chaos from wreaking havoc on our education system and hurting kids in the Silver State.”
    Senator Rosen and Cortez Masto have been staunch advocates for Nevada’s schools and students. Both Senators have called out President Trump for his attempts to destabilize public education nationwide by shuttering the Department of Education, and Senator Rosen  joined an amicus brief opposing the Trump administration’s unconstitutional effort. Senator Rosen has also helped introduce legislation, cosponsored by Senator Cortez Masto, to fully fund special education programs—ensuring Nevada’s students with disabilities receive the support and resources they need to thrive in school.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Tillis, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Increase Housing Supply, Reduce Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Alex Padilla (D-California) recently introduced the bipartisan Housing Supply Expansion Act of 2025, which would modernize the federal definition of “manufactured housing” to include modular or prefabricated homes built without a permanent chassis. By allowing off-chassis manufactured homes, the bill expands consumer access to more efficient and cost-effective designs, providing greater architectural flexibility to better integrate into existing neighborhoods.

    “We must find new, innovative ways to expand affordable housing venues so more individuals can achieve the American Dream of owning their home,” said Senator Crapo. “It is time to throw out established norms and cut bureaucratic hurdles that stand in the way of innovative designs to increasing affordable housing.”

    “I’m proud to support this commonsense legislation that expands housing options for hardworking families in North Carolina and across the country,” said Senator Tillis. “By modernizing the definition of manufactured homes, we can encourage innovative and affordable designs and help more Americans achieve the dream of homeownership.”

    “Manufactured housing plays an important role in helping more Americans access homeownership, but we need to make sure outdated regulations aren’t preventing newer, potentially more innovative models from coming to market,” said Senator Scott. “This legislation will remove red tape and lower the costs of building these types of homes, increasing access to affordable housing opportunities for Americans across the country.”

    “Manufactured homes are some of the most affordable housing solutions on the market, but outdated laws are preventing newer, safer models from becoming widely available,” said Senator Gallego. “Our bipartisan bill makes a simple update to allow for greater design flexibility and bring down the cost of manufactured homes.”

    “We need to build as many homes as we can to address our national shortage, and we can’t let outdated rules needlessly constrain supply,” said Senator Schatz. “Our bill will unlock manufactured homes in both urban and rural areas around the country, making manufactured homes and all housing more accessible and affordable.”

    “With this small adjustment, our legislation would help increase the production of affordable housing in California during a historic housing crisis,” said Senator Padilla. “Simply modifying the definition of manufactured houses would cost the government nothing and could unlock greater design flexibility while increasing the desperately needed affordable housing supply.”

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Following Capito-led Efforts, Administration Releases Education Formula Funding to States

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS), announced that the U.S. Department of Education will officially release the remaining anticipated education formula funding to states—an issue she has heard about directly from impacted individuals.

    On July 16, Senator Capito led a group of her Republican colleagues in a letter to Russell Vought, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), advocating to release this funding. Shortly after sending that letter, OMB Director Vought notified Senator Capito that the funding to support 21st Century Community Learning Centers would be released. Today’s announcement means that all of the remaining funding requested is now unfrozen. Click here to read the full letter.

    “The education formula funding included in the FY2025 Continuing Resolution Act supports critical programs that so many rely on. The programs are ones that enjoy longstanding, bipartisan support like after-school and summer programs that provide learning and enrichment opportunities for school aged children, which also enables their parents to work and contribute to local economies, and programs to support adult learners working to gain employment skills, earn workforce certifications, or transition into postsecondary education. That’s why it’s important we continue to protect and support these programs. I made this clear to OMB Director Vought and was glad he followed through on my request to release all of the education formula dollars that states across the country are expecting to receive,” Senator Capito said.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray, Commerce Director Nguyễn, WA Clean Energy and Business Leaders Highlight How Clean Energy Cuts in Republican Law Will Raise Energy Costs, Kill Jobs in WA State

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Elimination of clean energy tax credits in Republican legislation recently signed into law could cost WA over $8.7 billion, raise household electricity costs by 12 percent; cost 21,800 jobs in Washington state

    ***WATCH FULL EVENT HERE; PHOTOS AND B-ROLL HERE***

    Washington, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a roundtable discussion at the Seattle City Light Denny Substation in downtown Seattle with Washington State Commerce Director Joe Nguyễn and labor, clean energy, and business leaders to discuss how cuts to critical clean energy tax credits in President Trump and Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act—which was recently signed into law—will raise energy prices for Washington state households, kill thousands of clean energy jobs, and put billions of dollars in new investments for Washington state projects at risk.

    Joining Senator Murray for the event were Joe Nguyễn, Director, Washington Department of Commerce; Dawn Lindell, CEO of Seattle City Light; Christine Reid, Political Director for IBEW 77; Gregg Small, Executive Director of Climate Solutions; and Brandon Provalenko, General Manager of Western Solar in Bellingham.

    The One Big Beautiful Bill Act rapidly phases out critical clean energy tax credits that Democrats passed in the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, and will slow the construction of solar, wind, and battery projects, which made up over 90 percent of new electricity connected to the grid last year. So far in Washington state, the clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act have generated at least $978 million in new private-led investment across seven energy manufacturing facilities in the state. $8.75 billion in outstanding investments to 27 facilities in Washington are at risk under the cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The U.S. Climate Alliance estimates 21,800 Washingtonians will lose their jobs by 2030 due to the reconciliation bill’s cuts to clean energy and manufacturing tax credits, and Washington households will face a $115 annual increase in their energy bills by 2029. The legislation threatens Washington’s energy security and electric grid reliability by stifling renewable energy development at a time of soaring electricity demand. A one-pager from Energy Innovation on how the energy provisions in the Republican bill will affect Washington state is HERE.

    “The fact is, we need clean and renewable energy now more than ever. It’s critical to secure our grid, tackle the climate crisis—and lower costs! That’s why I worked hard to secure clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. Then, Trump and Republicans came in like a wrecking ball—with truly shortsighted and destructive cuts. The harm to our clean energy sector is really immense,” Senator Murray said. “It’s an uphill battle to reverse so much damage, but I am not going to stop fighting. Everyone should know, Trump and Republicans are trying to make even more cuts to clean energy right now in our government funding bills. I’m using every bit of leverage I have as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee to fight back and reject these cuts. And I’m using my voice—and urging everyone to use theirs as well—to shine a spotlight on what these shortsighted, damaging policy changes mean for businesses and families.”

    “This is an attack on Washington’s workers, our economy, and our values. It threatens the jobs we’ve built, makes energy more expensive for families, and puts our competitiveness at risk. These tax credits have brought real investment and real savings to communities across our state. Gutting them now would do real damage — and Washington won’t stand by and let it happen,” said Joe Nguyễn, Director for the Washington Department of Commerce.

    “The passing of the Reconciliation Bill directly impacts City Light and its customers by removing critical clean energy tax credits and incentives necessary for public and private investment in new renewable energy and energy efficiency projects,” said Dawn Lindell, General Manager and CEO, Seattle City Light. “It strips away essential support needed to keep pace with load growth forecasts. Every new megawatt of generation we add will cost significantly more than our current energy portfolio. These are costs that we must now pass on to our customers in the electric rates.”

    “At a time when we have rapidly rising energy costs and increased needs for power due largely to AI and data centers, we need more energy than ever,” said Gregg Small, Executive Director of Climate Solutions. “Renewables like solar and wind and batteries are the cheapest and fastest energy that we can build. We need to double down and accelerate the building of these resilient power sources. The Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress’ policies do the exact opposite, increasing energy costs for everybody and making it much more likely we will have blackouts at critical times.”

    “IBEW 77’s highly trained workforce stands ready to meet the clean energy challenge of the future. Our members—experienced in every facet of utility work, from generation, transmission, safe delivery, and all of the critical supporting classifications—have the skills, adaptability, and drive to build and maintain the advanced energy infrastructure our communities need. But the reduction in clean energy projects threatens this progress. When projects stall, it’s not just jobs at risk—it’s the pace of innovation and the reliability of our energy system that suffers. Our union believes we need to keep building. Investing in clean energy isn’t about today’s economy alone; it’s laying the foundation for a safer, more resilient, and more sustainable future,” said Christine Reid, Political Director for IBEW 77.IBEW 77 is one of the largest outside utility locals in the country, representing about 8,800 members across 34 Washington counties, Northern Idaho, and parts of Montana. Overall, IBEW represents over 20,000 workers in WA state alone. “Our members are on the front lines of energy infrastructure, ensuring the lights stay on and our communities remain connected and safe. In short, these cuts make it harder for new workers to enter the field and for the industry. Our IBEW members are trained and ready to build. We need to build now.”

    “This bill will accelerate rising energy costs across Washington, every household and business will feel it in their utility bills,” said Brandon Provalenko, General Manager of Western Solar in Bellingham and a member of the Washington Solar Energy Industries Association (WASEIA). “Fewer families will go solar, fewer small businesses will reduce or eliminate their bills, and we’ll face a slower, more expensive path to producing the power we need to meet our state’s growing energy demand. That’s the wrong direction, especially when solar and storage remain the fastest, cleanest, and most cost-effective solution on the table.”

    The cuts to clean energy tax credits in the legislation come at the same time as Trump and the Department of Energy’s decision to illegally cut investments provided by Congress to support the research and development of wind and solar energy, in defiance of legislation President Trump himself signed into law in March. In fiscal year 2024, Congress provided $137 million for the Department of Energy to support wind energy initiatives and provided $318 million to support solar energy. The fiscal year 2025 full-year CR that House Republicans wrote, and President Trump signed into law continued these fiscal year 2024 funding levels. But in a spend plan made public by DOE, the Trump administration revealed it is steering hundreds of millions of dollars designated by Congress to support wind and solar energy to other, favored industries—jeopardizing critical progress and ceding ground on key energy solutions of the future—among other harmful cuts. Instead of funding wind energy initiatives at $137 million, the administration is funding them at $29.8 million (a 78 percent cut), and instead of funding solar initiatives at $318 million, it is funding them at $41.9 million (an 87 percent cut).

    Senator Murray has held constant recent events—including multiple events in Washington state—to sound the alarm on Republicans’ devastating reconciliation bill and encourage constituents to raise their voices and call on their Members of Congress to oppose the legislation. Senator Murray and Democrats forced Republicans to take dozens of tough votes over a nonstop 30-hour “vote-a-rama,” which came after Democrats forced a full reading of every word of Republicans’ 940-page bill. Senator Murray spoke repeatedly on the Senate floor during debate over the bill, laying out in detail the harm the legislation would cause. Senator Murray also spoke out repeatedly on the Senate floor against Republicans’ use of a depictive so-called “current policy baseline” to hide the true cost of their deficit-busting tax cuts for billionaires.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Air Force Extending KC-46A Tanker Contract Award to Acquire Up to 75 Additional Aircraft Produced in Everett, WA

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Last month, Murray pressed Air Force Secretary Troy Meink on when the Air Force would award the next tanker production contract

    Senator Murray has long supported production of KC-46As in Everett and pushed for contract extension

    Washington, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the Air Force’s recent decision to extend their contract with Boeing to buy up to 75 additional KC-46A aircraft. Senator Murray has been a longtime champion of KC-46A aircraft, which are produced in Everett, Washington. Last month, at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing to review the Air Force budget request, Senator Murray questioned Air Force Secretary Troy Meink on the timeline for the Air Force awarding the next tanker production contract, and the possibility of Fairchild Air Force Base receiving KC-46As.

    “The decision by the Air Force to extend their contract with Boeing to purchase up to 75 additional KC-46As is a huge deal for Everett and the thousands of skilled aerospace workers in Washington state who are working hard every day to deliver world-class aircraft for our women and men in uniform. This announcement means billions of dollars in new investment in Washington state, and job security for talented aerospace workers in Washington state.

    “I’ve worked for years to make the case to administration officials and anyone who would listen that these next-generation air refueling tankers are critical for keeping up with China and ensuring the success of high-stakes Air Force missions across the globe—and they should continue to be produced in Washington state. Air Force Secretary Meink told me in June that the decision on the next tanker production contract would come ‘within months,’ so I’m glad to see the Air Force roll out their final decision less than a month after our conversation.

    “Extending the existing contract is not only the most cost-effective and well-considered decision for our Air Force, it’s also a boon to Washington state’s entire economy and our expert aerospace workforce.”

    MIL OSI USA News –