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Category: US Senate

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fischer, Luján Announce Bipartisan, Bicameral Universal Service Fund Working Group

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

    Today, U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chair of the Senate Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ranking Member, announced the reconstitution of the Universal Service Fund (USF) Working Group.

    In the House, Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chair Richard Hudson (R-NC9) and Ranking Member Doris Matsui (D-CA7) are spearheading the effort. Senators Moran (R-KS), Klobuchar (D-MN), Capito (R-WV), Peters (D-MI), Sullivan (R-AK), and Rosen (D-NV) have joined as members. 

    “All Nebraskans deserve to have access to critical communication and Internet services, regardless of their zip code. That’s why I’m proud to announce we are reorganizing and utilizing this bipartisan, bicameral working group. Our goal is to evaluate broadband programs and the USF to help support the mission of connecting unserved and underserved communities across the country. I look forward to this important work alongside my colleagues in the Senate and House,”     Fischer said.  

    “The Universal Service Fund has been a lifeline for rural, Tribal, and underserved communities in New Mexico and across the country – connecting schools, hospitals, and families to affordable, reliable internet. For nearly 30 years, the Universal Service Fund has been instrumental in expanding broadband access across the country. I’m glad to once again join bipartisan, bicameral leaders to modernize and strengthen the USF and ensure it remains well-equipped to connect Americans no matter where they live. I’ll keep fighting to protect this vital program for the communities that depend on it,”     Luján said. 

    “Expanding access to broadband is a top priority for me. By launching this bipartisan working group alongside Congresswoman Matsui and Senators Lujan and Fischer, we’ll gain the insights needed to ensure the Universal Service Fund is reaching the Americans who need it most – while also protecting it from waste, fraud, and abuse,” Hudson said.

    “Reliable, high-speed broadband isn’t a luxury—it’s a fundamental pillar of modern life. For decades, the Universal Service Fund has helped connect millions of families, schools, and libraries through critical programs like Lifeline, E-Rate, and rural broadband deployment. But the digital divide still persists, and the stakes for getting this right have never been higher. That’s why we’re relaunching this bipartisan, bicameral working group—to modernize and strengthen the Universal Service Fund, and ensure it continues to meet the evolving connectivity needs of all Americans,”     Matsui said.

    Background    :

    This bipartisan, bicameral working group—originally launched in 2023—was established to evaluate and propose potential reforms to the USF with the goal of developing a forum to guide education, awareness, and policymaking. Today’s reorganization of the USF Working Group highlights the continued commitment to close the digital divide with solutions that support sustained access to universal connectivity while improving interagency coordination and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.

    Note:     In the coming weeks, a USF Working Group request for comment portal will be open on Fischer’s website to allow for the submission of updated comments regarding the future outlook of the USF in the near and long terms.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Markey Lead Delegation in Pressing For Investigation Into ICE’s Excessive Use of Force, Aggressive Arrest Tactics

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    June 12, 2025

    Immigration agents have escalated arrest tactics, including hiding identities, targeting schools and churches, arresting bystanders

    “ICE’s escalating aggression is not making us safer.” 

    “In light of these reports of ICE’s potential violations of agency policy and constitutional rights, we ask that [Homeland Security watchdogs] review these matters.”

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) led Massachusetts’ Congressional delegation in pressing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) increasingly aggressive and intimidating tactics used during enforcement actions. The lawmakers requested an immediate investigation by DHS’s Office of Inspector General and Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) and necessary corrective action.

    “ICE’s conduct has gone beyond simply enforcing the law against people convicted of violent crimes and has subjected community members who pose no threat, including parents and children, to seemingly needless harm,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    Over the past month, ICE arrested nearly 1,500 Massachusetts residents during a series of large-scale immigration raids. During these raids, ICE agents have used increasingly aggressive tactics, including psychological and physical coercion, hiding agents’ identities and refusing to provide identification, targeting sensitive locations like schools and churches, and arresting people who are not the targets of raids, including U.S. citizens. 

    Officers recently used a sledgehammer to break the window of a parked car in New Bedford, Massachusetts, raining shards of glass on a couple waiting for their attorney. Similarly, in Chelsea, Massachusetts, ICE agents stopped a family leaving church, reportedly held a gun up to the car, then broke the car window and threw the father to the ground to handcuff him. In Worcester, Massachusetts, local law enforcement reportedly forced a teenager to the ground and held her face to the pavement during an ICE arrest. 

    The agency’s tactics have also caused psychological terror. Agents have covered their faces with masks, worn plain clothes, and driven unmarked vehicles — including in the case of the Tufts University student, Rumeysa Ozturk, whose arrest at first appeared to be a kidnapping. Agents have intentionally conveyed false identities, such as a recent case in which agents reportedly posed as utility workers. 

    “This obfuscation not only stokes fear but makes it more difficult for community members to distinguish real agents from impersonators, and kidnappings by civilians posing as ICE officers are on the rise,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    As ICE attempts to ramp up arrest numbers to an unprecedented 3,000 per day, agents have encountered the wrong person and nevertheless proceeded with the arrest. ICE agents recently arrested an 18-year-old high school student, Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, who has been a resident of Milford, Massachusetts since age six. Though ICE intended to arrest his father, agents proceeded to detain the teenager, who had no pending criminal charges — horrifying his town and communities around the country.  

    Almost half of the individuals recently arrested by ICE in Massachusetts have no criminal record whatsoever, according to ICE’s own data. 

    “These seemingly indiscriminate arrests sweep in long-time community members, including young people who have spent almost their entire lives in the United States,” wrote the lawmakers. “Some law enforcement agencies are sounding the alarm that ICE’s tactics actually make their jobs harder by eroding community trust in law enforcement.”

    As a result of these potential violations of agency policy and constitutional rights, the Massachusetts congressional delegation urged the Homeland Security Inspector General and head of CRCL to investigate ICE’s conduct, including its excessive force and rationale for using military gear; the agency’s plan to prevent the use of immigration enforcement as a tool for retaliation against critics, dissenters, or political opponents; and CRCL’s capacity to conduct this oversight given recent reductions to the watchdog office.

    “The human toll of these tactics is immense. Families are being separated, and citizen and noncitizen community members alike are left living in fear,” wrote the lawmakers. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Stansbury Press Trump on Musk’s and DOGE’s Failures, Offer Recommendations to Cut Waste, Lower Costs Without Hurting Middle-Class Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    June 12, 2025

    Lawmakers’ recommendations would save U.S. government more than $2 trillion over next decade while making everyday Americans better off; provide stark contrast to Republican bill that would cut health coverage for millions

    “Mr. Musk’s efforts at DOGE were never truly about cutting waste….DOGE pushed reckless policies that gutted essential services and ousted experienced civil servants, all while reducing oversight and increasing profits for Mr. Musk’s companies.”

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee for Delivering on Government Efficiency, wrote to President Donald Trump, pressing him on Elon Musk’s and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)’s failures to cut government waste and lower costs. The lawmakers laid out a set of recommendations that would, in stark contrast to Republican proposals, eliminate $2 trillion in wasteful government spending without slashing critical government programs and causing economic chaos.

    The letter follows a public feud between Trump and Musk, which began shortly after Musk’s departure from the White House. It also comes as Republicans jam through Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which includes multi-trillion-dollar tax cuts for the rich, paid for by massive cuts to Americans’ health care coverage.

    “It is time to eliminate the real waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending, rather than ravaging programs that keep Americans safe, secure, and healthy just to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations,” wrote the lawmakers. “You should learn from Elon Musk and DOGE’s mistakes, end your attacks on critical federal programs, and instead act on these recommendations.”

    The lawmakers highlighted DOGE’s failure to identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse — instead, Musk’s approach increased costs and suffering for Americans. DOGE’s “wall of receipts” included significant errors and misinformation. Musk’s efforts to gut up to 10% of the federal workforce were found to have created “exponentially larger waste.” When DOGE did make cuts to the federal budget, they seemingly ran afoul of the law.

    “In a futile search for fraud in the wrong places, and an ill-informed effort to slash the federal workforce, DOGE has imposed more costs on American taxpayers than it has saved, all while helping Elon Musk’s business empire and DOGE employees’ pockets,” wrote the lawmakers.

    As an alternative to DOGE’s failures, the lawmakers offered recommendations to reduce wasteful government spending, eliminate unfair loopholes and giveaways to the wealthiest Americans, make the government more efficient and effective, and save taxpayers at least $2 trillion over the next decade.

    “Although Mr. Musk and DOGE have failed at achieving their purported savings goals, you could choose to end this government waste while avoiding dangerous cuts to important federal programs,” wrote the lawmakers.

    The lawmakers’ recommendations include: cracking down on healthcare profiteering, negotiating better contracts for the Department of Defense, saving on education programs, cutting waste and abuse in the federal tax code, keeping the federal government’s cloud and other IT markets competitive, and reducing waste in unnecessary federal arrests and detention programs.

    “Our recommendations would save the U.S. government more than $2 trillion over the next decade. Meanwhile, your tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy would cost U.S. taxpayers $4 trillion over the same period,” concluded the lawmakers. “It is time to eliminate the real waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending, rather than ravaging programs that keep Americans safe, secure, and healthy just to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations.”

    In April, Senator Warren and Representative Stansbury introduced the SGE Ethics Enforcement & Reform (SEER) Act, a bill to strengthen transparency and ethics requirements for Special Government Employees (SGEs). The bill would have reined in Elon Musk while he was in the SGE role by restricting certain SGEs from officially communicating with agencies and offices that regulate or contract with large companies owned by the SGE.

    To mark 130 days of Elon Musk’s government service as an SGE, Senator Warren recently published a report detailing 130 acts of Musk’s corruption. While serving as an SGE and leading DOGE, Musk maintained extensive financial conflicts of interest through his ownership of or stake in several private and publicly traded companies including Tesla, SpaceX, X and xAI, the Boring Company, and Neuralink.

    Senator Warren first wrote to Musk in January with 30 proposals that would cut at least $2 trillion of wasteful government spending over the next decade. She has identified numerous instances of waste, fraud, and abuse in government during her twelve years in Congress and repeatedly called out unsustainable spending, abusive practices and programs, and government contractors that line their pockets at taxpayers’ expense.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders, King Introduce Bill to Ban Prescription Drug Ads

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders

    WASHINGTON, June 12 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced the End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act, legislation that would ban prescription drug advertising on television, radio, print, digital platforms and social media. The bill would also answer Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s repeated calls to end prescription drug advertising, a position he promoted while campaigning for President Trump in 2024. 

    “The American people are sick and tired of greedy pharmaceutical companies spending billions of dollars on absurd TV commercials pushing their outrageously expensive prescription drugs,” Sanders said. “With the exception of New Zealand, the United States is the only country in the world where it is legal for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their drugs on television. It is time for us to end that international embarrassment. The American people don’t want to see misleading and deceptive prescription drug ads on television. They want us to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and ban these bogus ads.” 

    “The widespread use of direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical companies drives up costs and doesn’t necessarily make patients healthier,” King said. “The End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act would prohibit direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceutical drugs to protect people. This bill is a great step to ensure that patients are getting the best information possible and from the right source: their providers and not biased advertisements.” 

    Last year, the 10 largest drug companies made more than $100 billion in profits while the pharmaceutical industry spent over $5 billion on television ads. Prescription drug commercials now account for more than 30% of commercial time on major networks’ evening news programs. In the first three months of this year, Big Pharma spent more than $725 million advertising just 10 drugs. Meanwhile, the American people pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs and one in four Americans cannot afford the costs of the medicine their doctors prescribe. 

    Banning direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising is not a radical idea. In addition to Secretary Kennedy, the American Medical Association endorsed a ban a decade ago. Studies have shown that more than half of prescription drug ads are misleading or false, causing many Americans to underestimate the associated risks. Harvard researchers found that the majority of the most advertised drugs had little to no therapeutic benefit compared to existing prescription drugs. America’s seniors are particularly at risk of being misled as pharmaceutical companies strategically target them by pushing high-priced medications that may cause them harm. 

    For example, in 2010, Eli Lilly spent $205 million on direct-to-consumer ads and made $3.2 billion in sales for the antidepressant drug Cymbalta, despite Food and Drug Administration (FDA) findings that the company’s ads made unsupported and misleading claims of effectiveness and minimized its safety risks. Merck spent $300 million marketing the painkiller Vioxx and made $2.5 billion in sales, despite finding in 2000 that their product raised the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Dr. David Graham, a senior FDA official, testified in 2004 that Merck’s failure to stop selling Vioxx had resulted in as many as 55,000 unnecessary deaths from heart attacks and stroke. 

    Drug companies are also spending huge amounts of money on prescription drugs that cost, in some cases, more than ten times as much in the United States than other countries. In 2023, Novo Nordisk spent $263 million on direct-to-consumer ads for Wegovy and $208 million on ads for Ozempic. Today, Novo Nordisk charges nearly $1,000 a month for Ozempic in the United States, while this same exact drug can be purchased for just $59 in Germany, $71 in France, $122 in Denmark, and $155 in Canada. Novo Nordisk also charges Americans with obesity $1,349 a month for Wegovy while this same exact product can be purchased for just $92 in the United Kingdom, $137 in Germany, $186 in Denmark and $265 in Canada. 

    Joining Sanders and King as cosponsors of the legislation are Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill). 

    Read the bill text here. 

    Read a summary of the bill here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warnock Joins Faith Leaders at Vigil to Decry Cruel Cuts to Working Families in GOP Tax Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Warnock Joins Faith Leaders at Vigil to Decry Cruel Cuts to Working Families in GOP Tax Bill

    Senator Reverend Warnock joined national faith leaders on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to bear witness to the GOP tax bill that would reward the wealthiest Americans with tax cuts while targeting the most vulnerable with cuts to health care
    “Pentecost Witness for A Moral Budget” brought together faith leaders, policymakers, and activists to pray, speak up on behalf of marginalized Georgians and Americans, and advocate for a moral budget
    In his remarks, Senator Warnock recalled how he was arrested in 2017 protesting the last GOP reconciliation bill, only to be back again as a U.S. Senator fighting for working families in this latest legislative fight  

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) spoke out against cruel cuts to working families in the GOP tax bill during a gathering on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with clergy and faith leaders moved by a moral conscience. The gathering, dubbed “Pentecost Witness for A Moral Budget”, was aimed at speaking up for the country’s most vulnerable—the very people the Senator’s faith calls on him to protect. The Senator and faith leaders decried how vulnerable Georgians and Americans are under real and dire threat in a moment that serves as a test to both their faith and our democracy. As the legislation text stands currently, the GOP tax bill being rammed through Congress by Washington Republicans would cut $800 billion from Medicaid, leaving 16 million more Americans uninsured, including an estimated 750,000 Georgians. 

    “I came to the Capitol in 2017 when they were trying to pass a tax cut for the wealthiest of the wealthy. […] I got arrested that day. Here I am, eight years later, having transformed my agitation into legislation, my protest into public policy. But I’m here today because I still know how to agitate. I still know how to protest. I’m not a Senator who used to be a pastor. I’m a pastor in the Senate. And so, here’s what we have come to do today. If this budget were an EKG, it would suggest that many of my colleagues have a heart problem. And we have gathered today to perform moral surgery because our children deserve better. They are talking about waste, fraud, and abuse. There is not enough waste, fraud, and abuse to cut $800 billion from Medicaid. That means some people will not get covered. Seniors, and veterans, and children. $300 billion out of SNAP. That means they are taking food out of the hungry mouths of children in order to give people like Elon Musk a tax cut,” said Senator Warnock at the faith-based rally.

    Faith leaders and policymakers attending the gathering were praying, testifying, storytelling, reading Scripture verses about people experiencing poverty in the Bible and standing for justice, as well as advocating for a moral budget.

    The public witness event was led by Reverend Jim Wallis, the founding Director of the Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice, as well as Reverend Adam Taylor of Sojourners and Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner with the National African American Clergy Network. Senator Warnock was also joined by Senate colleagues Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). 

    A transcript of Senator Warnock’s remarks can be found below:

    Hello everybody. Thank you all so very much for standing on the Capitol steps in this moral moment in America. And I have to tell you that as I stand here today with my friend Jim Wallace, and with the Reverend Barbara Williams Skinner, and so many others, this feels like deja vu. 

    Because they were trying to pass a reconciliation bill in 2017 during the first Trump administration. And when they were trying to pass that bill, I was not a United States Senator. I came to the Capitol in 2017 when they were trying to pass a tax cut for the wealthiest of the wealthy. I came with clergy, including the Reverend Barbara Williams Skinner. And as I stood there, I said then what I want to say today: that a budget is not just a fiscal document, it’s a moral document. Show me your budget, and I’ll show you who you think matters and who does not. Who you think is dispensable. 

    And we stood there in 2017 making the same point. I was with the Reverend Doctor William Barber, and I said, “Which one of us is getting arrested today? You or me?” I got the short straw. I got arrested that day. And the Capitol police, they were professional, they didn’t mishandle me, and they deserve credit for doing what we asked them to do. But what they didn’t understand that day as they said, “Pastor, if you don’t stop praying, if you don’t stop singing in the rotunda of the Capitol, we’re going to have to arrest you.” What they didn’t understand is that I had already been arrested. My mind and my imagination and my heart had been arrested by the heartbeat of children who should not lose their food and who should not lose their health care in order to give wealthy people a tax cut. 

    And so they arrested me that day in 2017. Here I am, eight years later, having transformed my agitation into legislation, my protest into public policy. But I’m here today because I still know how to agitate. I still know how to protest. I’m not a Senator who used to be a pastor. I’m a pastor in the Senate. And so, here’s what we have come to do today. If this budget were an EKG, it would suggest that many of my colleagues have a heart problem. And we have gathered today to perform moral surgery because our children deserve better. They are talking about waste, fraud, and abuse. There is not enough waste, fraud, and abuse to cut $800 billion from Medicaid. That means some people will not get covered. Seniors, and veterans, and children. $300 billion out of SNAP. That means they are taking food out of the hungry mouths of children in order to give people like Elon Musk a tax cut. And the folks who vote for this will be in someone’s church next Sunday. I have a scripture for them: Away with your noise. Away with your songs. I will not hear them. I hate your festivals. I hate your solemn gatherings. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

    God is not impressed by you quoting scripture. God is not impressed by you showing up to church on Sunday. The acid test of your faith is the depth of your commitment to the least and left out of God’s hungry children. In closing, and nobody believes a Baptist preacher when he says in closing, let me just say this to you: in this dark moment in our country, we know what they are trying to do to Medicaid. We know what they are trying to do to SNAP. We know what they are trying to do to federal workers. We know there are starving people abroad right now—children—through their cuts to USAID. But there is something else they are doing that is even more sinister. They are trying to weaponize despair. They are trying to convince you that they have already won and so you need not fight. This is what you must resist. You must resist the despair that is so deep that you stop fighting. Because when we fight, we win. Are you ready to stand up in this moral moment? Are you ready to stand up for our children? Are you ready to stand up for the elderly? Are you ready to stand up for the seniors and those who are struggling? Are you ready to stand up for the best in the American spirit? So let’s stick together, let’s pray together, let’s work together, let’s fight together. Truth crushed to Earth will rise again.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warnock Successfully Pushes Trump Administration to Rehire Hundreds of Unfairly Fired CDC Workers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Warnock Successfully Pushes Trump Administration to Rehire Hundreds of Unfairly Fired CDC Workers

    Following a months-long pressure campaign from Senator Reverend Warnock, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reportedly reinstating more than 400 people who were unfairly fired
    The news follows previous successful efforts by Senator Warnock to pressure the administration to reinstate CDC probationary staff and fellows who work on public health threats
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “I have been pressuring this administration for months to reinstate unfairly fired workers at the CDC so they can continue doing the critical work of keeping our families and communities safe from infectious diseases and other public health crises. I’m glad they have heard our calls to reverse course”

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) released the following statement regarding his successful efforts to push the Trump Administration to rehire unfairly fired workers at the Georgia-based CDC:

    “The rehiring of hundreds of dedicated health workers, many of whom call Georgia home, is welcome news for those of us who believe that public health is vital to our wellbeing and safety—not a political game. I have been pressuring this administration for months to reinstate unfairly fired workers at the CDC so they can continue doing the critical work of keeping our families and communities safe from infectious diseases and other public health crises. I’m glad they have heard our calls to reverse course and have seen the results of their reckless mistakes and rehired some of these workers. But we must remain vigilant, because this administration is determined to dismantle our public health system, which ensures our food and water are safe, our brave servicemembers stay healthy when serving abroad, and top researchers have the resources they need to combat heart disease, maternal mortality, cancer, and diabetes. I will continue to call for all these unjustly fired workers to be rehired,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.

    Last month during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, Senator Warnock demanded answers from the nominee to be the Deputy Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about the wrongful firings of high-performing public health experts. In April 2025, Senator Warnock rallied in the streets of Atlanta with current and former employees of the CDC to show support for the Georgians who have been callously fired from their life-saving work at the public health institution. In March 2025, Senator Warnock successfully pressured the administration to reinstate CDC probationary staff and fellows who work on public health threats. Last year, the Senator visited the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia for the first time as Senator to learn about the agency’s efforts to protect public health, including work to combat the maternal mortality crisis and how federal funding plays a role in keeping Georgia and the country safe from infectious diseases. During Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s nomination hearing in committee, Senator Warnock spoke at length defending the importance of the CDC which employs over 10,000 hardworking Georgians. Shortly after, the Senator spoke for nearly an hour on the Senate floor, in large part in defense of the CDC’s critical work to defend public health and national security. The Senator continued to pressure HHS Secretary Kennedy to reverse the CDC firings.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Issues Statement Following Air India Plane Crash

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    June 12, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), issued the following statement after the Air India plane crash that occurred in Ahmedabad, India:

    “I want to extend my prayers and condolences to the families of the many victims who perished in the Air India plane crash that occurred last night. I hope that Nebraskans will join me in prayer for those who lost their lives and their loved ones. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I also stand ready to support efforts to assist our Indian partners in responding to this tragedy and to ensure the safety of international air travel.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Micron Announces Massive Chips Investment, Onshoring Production

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    Today, the Trump Administration announced a $200 billion investment by Micron Technology, the sole U.S.-based manufacturer of advanced memory chips – only the latest large-scale investment secured since President Donald J. Trump took office.
    The investment includes construction of a second chip fabrication facility in Boise, Idaho, and modernizing its Manassas, Virginia, facility — onshoring production of its advanced DRAM technology from Taiwan for the first time and creating 90,000 direct and indirect jobs.
    It’s all part of President Trump’s commitment to revitalizing American manufacturing and establishing the country as the global leader in technology — particularly in artificial intelligence.
    Since President Trump took office, leading technology companies have pledged trillions of dollars in U.S.-based manufacturing and production, including Project Stargate, Apple, NVIDIA, IBM, TSMC, and others.
    It’s another big win for American workers, national security, and leadership in the world — and the best is yet to come.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Presses FAA Administrator Nominee to Uphold 1,500-Hour Pilot Training Standards, Trump’s Nominee Refuses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    June 11, 2025

    Senator also pushes nominee Bryan Bedford to strengthen, not weaken, FAA’s oversight of Boeing

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Ranking Member of the CST Aviation Subcommittee—pressed Federal Aviation Administrator nominee Bryan Bedford to commit to upholding the strong 1,500-hour certification standard for our nation’s pilots and strengthening the FAA’s oversight of Boeing at his confirmation hearing. In light of Mr. Bedford’s previous comments against the 1,500-hour rule, Duckworth raised concerns that Mr. Bedford would unilaterally attempt to weaken this standard and produce less-prepared pilots in the immediate aftermath of our nation experiencing the first major deadly commercial crash in more than a decade, amid a surge in near-misses with an air traffic controller shortage and aging controller equipment. When Duckworth asked Mr. Bedford for his commitment to not reduce the 1,500-hour rule if confirmed, Mr. Bedford refused to commit. Duckworth’s remarks can be found on the Senator’s YouTube.

    “Now is not the time for less flight training for our pilots,” said Duckworth. “Not only is it deeply disappointing that Mr. Bedford refused to commit to upholding the 1,500-hour rule, it’s also dangerous. Incident after incident, it has been pilots who have made last second decisions to avert disaster. Well-trained pilots are our last line of defense. Without a firmer commitment, I remain deeply skeptical about his nomination.”

    Additionally, Duckworth warned against any future attempt by the FAA to delegate airworthiness inspection authority back to Boeing—an authority that would allow the company to self-inspect its own aircraft for commercial use. Duckworth’s warning comes after the Department of Transportation (DOT) Inspector General’s issued an October report that found FAA’s oversight of Boeing production was not only “not effective,” but so ineffective that it issued 16 separate recommendations for the FAA to fix its oversight process. To help ensure Boeing’s aircraft designs meet certification safety standards, Duckworth urged Mr. Bedford to refrain from delegating this inspection authority back to Boeing until the FAA completes all 16 recommendations. Mr. Bedford refused to commit.

    “I’ve long been troubled by FAA’s ineffective oversight of Boeing,” said Duckworth. “I believe strongly that FAA must not delegate inspection authority back to Boeing until—at a minimum—FAA fixes its ineffective oversight of Boeing’s production. After Boeing’s CEO refused to rule out accepting this authority when I questioned him back in April, it’s deeply disappointing that Mr. Bedford also wouldn’t rule out offering this authority back to Boeing today. That’s two red flags about the future of FAA and Boeing’s relationship that our nation should not ignore.”

    One of the most shocking findings in the DOT Inspector General’s October report was that that shortly before the Boeing door plug blowout, individuals within FAA wanted to delegate airplane airworthiness inspection authority back to Boeing without any criteria by which to assess whether Boeing could be trusted to properly carry out these inspections. This is particularly concerning because, prior to the 737 MAX crashes and production problems with the 787, the FAA allowed Boeing to self-inspect their aircraft to ensure they conformed with their FAA-approved type design. However, in the wake of the MAX crashes, it was found that Boeing had a pattern of abusing this authority and producing 737 MAX aircraft with nonfunctioning Angle of Attack Disagree alerts.

    Duckworth has long pushed for improved federal oversight of Boeing. Last year, she urged then-FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker to make sure the FAA requires transparency and accountability as it oversees Boeing’s Safety and Quality Plan. Duckworth also implored FAA to scrutinize Boeing’s bad behavior and use its civil enforcement authority more often, when appropriate, and also called on the agency to review Boeing’s disturbing pattern of failing to disclose critical safety information about 737 MAX planes to pilots.

    Last year, Duckworth also called on FAA to reject a petition by Boeing for a safety exemption to allow the 737 MAX 7 to be certified to fly despite having another known safety defect that has not yet been fixed. The Senator subsequently met with then-Boeing CEO David Calhoun and urged him to withdraw the company’s petition, which the company did just days later, crediting Duckworth’s reasoning for the decision.

    For years before the deadly DCA crash, Duckworth was sounding the alarm that we must make these critical aviation safety investments immediately to prevent all-too-often near-misses from becoming catastrophic tragedies. Last Congress, Duckworth chaired two CST Aviation Subcommittee hearings—one last December and the other a year prior—to address our aviation industry’s chilling surge in near-deadly close calls and underscore the urgent need to improve air traffic control systems to protect the flying public.

    Duckworth helped author the landmark bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 that was signed into law last year and included several of her provisions to safeguard the 1,500-hour rule, improve safety, expand the aviation workforce and enhance protections for travelers with disabilities. Duckworth has noted that while it was a tremendous victory for the flying public, more needs to be done to address the recent issues that have come to light with Boeing since a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines flight mid-flight.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Murray, Booker, Schumer Renew Push to Protect IVF Amid Ongoing GOP Attacks Against Reproductive Freedom

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    June 11, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Patty Muray (D-WA), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today led 25 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in introducing legislation that would establish a nationwide right to in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Ever since Roe was repealed by Donald Trump’s Supreme Court majority, Republicans’ ongoing assault against reproductive freedom has threatened Americans’ access to IVF services—as evidenced by the Alabama Supreme Court ruling last year that shut down state clinics and painted IVF parents and their doctors as criminals. The Protect IVF Act would protect against such attacks by creating a statutory right for patients to access IVF services, a right for doctors to provide IVF treatment in accordance with medical standards as well as a right for insurance carriers to cover IVF without prohibition, limitation, interference or impediment. By establishing a statutory right, this would preempt any state effort to limit such access and help ensure no hopeful parent—or their doctors—are punished for trying to start or grow a family.

    “Donald Trump loves to tell everyone how strongly he supports IVF—but the reality is, he’s the reason IVF is at risk in the first place,” said Senator Duckworth. “If Trump really cares about protecting IVF, then the choice is simple: instead of signing toothless executive orders, he should call on Republicans to support my bill to establish a nationwide right to IVF. Otherwise, all the pro-IVF talk is just more lip-service from people who have proven time and again they have no interest in actually taking any meaningful action to protect IVF access.”

    “The anti-choice movement has never been about protecting life—it has always been about controlling women. Republicans’ efforts to rip away women’s reproductive rights and enshrine fetal personhood bit by bit are having catastrophic consequences for women across America and putting access to IVF in jeopardy,” said Senator Murray. “Trump is full of empty talk when it comes to IVF, but he’s refused to take any action that would meaningfully improve access, and he’s empowering the very same anti-abortion activists who are working to ban IVF nationwide. The Protect IVF Act would establish a statutory right to access IVF and other assisted reproductive technology, so that all Americans can grow their families on their own terms, free from Republican interference.”

    “Donald Trump and Senate Republicans have repeatedly jeopardized American families’ fundamental right to make their own decisions about when and how to start a family,” said Senator Booker. “Congress must act to ensure that the freedom to start and grow a family using IVF treatment is protected and accessible to everyone in the United States.”

    “Despite all the smoke and mirrors and hollow Executive Orders, Donald Trump and Republicans have led an unrelenting crusade against reproductive rights for years, refusing to support legislation that would truly protect access to IVF. Senate Democrats are united in protecting access to pro-family fertility treatment and giving every American the freedom to decide when and how to build a family. We will continue to fight extreme rightwing Republicans threatening access to IVF across the country, going against scientific evidence, and accelerating their ideologically-driven crusade,” said Leader Schumer. 

    In addition to Duckworth, Murray, Booker and Schumer, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), John Fetterman (D-PA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Mark Warner (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Angus King (I-ME), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Chris Murphy (D-CT).

    The Protect IVF Act is endorsed by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, Endocrine Society, MomsRising, Indivisible, What to Expect Project, Legal Momentum: The Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Center for Reproductive Rights and the National Women’s Law Center.

    “In February 2024, a single court ruling in Alabama put providers’ ability to offer standard-of-care fertility treatments at immediate risk,” said Sean Tipton, ASRM Chief Advocacy and Policy Officer. “Since then, we have only seen an uptick in government leaders on both sides of the aisle expressing their support for medical procedures like IVF that make it possible for millions of Americans to start and grow their families. As a result, our federal lawmakers should rally behind legislation that would protect patients’ rights to reliable access to high quality fertility care and providers’ rights to deliver IVF in accordance with scientific and evidence-based clinical guidelines. We thank Senators Duckworth, Murray, Booker, and Schumer for their tireless leadership on the Protect IVF Act and urge immediate passage of this important bill.”

    “The path to parenthood is often filled with emotional and financial challenges, and for too many Americans, uncertainty about the future of IVF only adds to that burden,” said Barbara Collura, President/CEO, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. “No one should have to wonder if accessing medical care to build their family will be legal in their state. We can solve this right now by passing the Protect IVF Act, championed by Senator Tammy Duckworth. This legislation offers a clear solution to protect access to IVF nationwide. It’s time to give people the peace of mind they deserve and ensure that the ability to build a family is protected—once and for all.”

    Full text of the legislation can be found on the Senator’s website.

    Throughout her time in the Senate, Duckworth has made protecting reproductive freedom a top priority in the face of Republicans’ anti-choice crusade. Duckworth has long pushed to pass her Right to IVF Act—which Senate Republicans blocked not once, but twice last year—that would both establish a right to IVF and other assisted reproductive technology (ART), expand access for hopeful parents, Veterans and federal employees, as well as lower the costs of IVF for middle class families across the country. Last September’s vote marked the fourth time Senate Republicans blocked Duckworth-led legislation that would protect access to IVF nationwide—Duckworth’s Access to Family Building Act, which builds on previous legislation she introduced in 2022.

    Duckworth was the first Senator to give birth while serving in office and had both of her children with the help of IVF. In 2018, she advocated for the Senate to change its rules so she could bring her infant onto the Senate floor.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Warren, Democrats Lead Push to Reverse Trump and Hegseth’s Ban on Transgender Servicemembers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    June 12, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic colleagues in introducing legislation to support our military readiness and national security by prohibiting discrimination against transgender servicemembers.

    “If you are willing to risk your life for our country and you can do the job, it shouldn’t matter if you are gay, straight, transgender, Black, white or anything else,” said Duckworth. “Every transgender servicemember earned their role through rigorous training and is more qualified to serve in those roles than Pete Hegseth is to be Secretary of Defense. I’m proud to join Senator Warren and my Democratic colleagues in working to reverse the Trump Administration’s offensive transgender military ban, which is disruptive to our military, hurts readiness and not only does nothing to strengthen our national security—it actively makes things worse.”

    Banning transgender servicemembers undermines our military’s readiness. The Administration’s actions hurt our national security and dehumanize the thousands of transgender servicemembers who have made meaningful contributions to our Armed Forces. To ensure the United States can continue to benefit from the service of transgender individuals, who have raised their hand to defend and protect their country and meet the same rigorous standards as their peers, the Fit to Serve Act prohibits the Defense Department from: 

    • Banning transgender servicemembers from the military; 
    • Prescribing qualifications for service on the basis of gender identity; 
    • Denying necessary health care for servicemembers on the basis of gender identity; 
    • Forcing a servicemember to serve in their sex assigned at birth; or 
    • Otherwise discriminating against servicemembers on the basis of gender identity.

    In addition to Duckworth and Warren, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Fetterman (D-PA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    U.S. Representative Adam Smith (D-WA-09) introduced companion legislation in the House, which is cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), Joe Courtney (D-CT-02), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01), Maxine Dexter (D-OR-03), Laura Friedman (D-CA-30), Robert Garcia (D-CA-42), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06), Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51), Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-AL), Chris Pappas (D-NH-01), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Mark Takano (D-CA-41) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12).

    Duckworth, a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), has been leading the opposition in the Senate against Donald Trump’s un-American transgender military service ban. In April, Duckworth led over a dozen of her colleagues in pushing back against the ban for being a blatant violation of our brave servicemembers’ civil rights and weakening our national security. Secretary Hegseth responded to Duckworth’s letter—but he did not answer many of the questions that were asked about the short- and long-term impacts of the ban on servicemembers, readiness and national security as well as taxpayer cost and more. In response, last week Duckworth led 22 of her colleagues in urging Hegseth to not implement the ban and in demanding answers from the Secretary—including what specific data is being used to back up their misguided claim that transgender servicemembers are not in the “interests of national security” and how much it will cost taxpayers to train the replacements of perfectly capable transgender servicemembers that they are forcing out of our military.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amid Trump’s Threats to Critical Agriculture Support Programs, Duckworth Discusses Agricultural Priorities with Illinois Farm Bureau

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    June 11, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—founding co-chair of the Senate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Caucus—met with Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) President Brian Duncan and IFB members to discuss shared priorities to grow Illinois’s agriculture industry and support our farmers. Duckworth and the members discussed the importance of supporting our family farmers by expanding the biofuels market, increasing agricultural exports and improving farm safety net programs as Donald Trump continues to threaten critical federal agricultural programs. Photos from today’s meeting can be found on the Senator’s website.

    “America has always depended on our nation’s farmers to grow the food and fuel we need, and I’m proud to advocate for them on both the national and international stage,” Duckworth said. “The work of Illinois’s farmers is so important to the strength of our state and our nation, and I will continue to do everything I can to support the Illinois Farm Bureau and farmers across the state at the federal level.”

    In the Senate, Duckworth has been a leader in supporting biofuels, including expansion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and permanent authority to use E15 fuel year-round. To help increase the availability of E15 biofuels, Duckworth helped introduce the bipartisan Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act and the bipartisan Next Generations Fuel Act to allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. Duckworth additionally helped introduce the bipartisan Home Front Energy Independence Act to ban Russian oil and expand use and production of biofuel that’s grown in the American heartland, while providing American families with a less expensive option to fuel their vehicles. Earlier this year she helped introduced the Farm to Fly Act to help accelerate the production and development of SAF.

    As a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Duckworth has been an advocate for Illinois agriculture across the globe and helped secure significant wins for Illinois and American agriculture. After Duckworth’s visit in 2023, Japan announced a regulatory change that will lead to an increase in imports from U.S. biofuel producers, supporting our farmers and growing Illinois’s economy, and following a prior trip to Taiwan in 2022, she helped secure a commitment from Taiwan to purchase an estimated $2.6 billion of our Illinois’s corn and soybeans.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IN THE NEWS: Ranking Member Coons highlights Secretary Hegseth’s “poor judgement” in appropriations hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, drew attention for his opening statement and questioning of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth yesterday, where he called attention to Secretary Hegseth’s “poor judgement.” Reports noted that Ranking Member Coons criticized Secretary Hegseth’s leadership on multiple fronts, including his failures to secure appropriate funding for the department, his focus on culture war issues at the expense of military readiness, and his role in the administration’s efforts to weaken our nation’s relationships with NATO allies.

    The comments occurred yesterday at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing on the president’s fiscal year 2026 budget request.

    From the Washington Post: Sen. Chris Coons describes ‘chaos and poor judgement’ under Hegseth

    Sen. Chris Coons (Delaware), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, opened his remarks at a hearing featuring Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with a list of ways the former Fox News host has exhibited what Coons called “poor judgment” and executed decisions that Coons said are damaging to the country’s military and national security.

    “For the very first time,” Coons noted, U.S. troops are “operating under a full-year continuing resolution” — a temporary piece of legislation to keep the government open because the administration and Congress have failed to pass an annual appropriations bill. And that means “tens of billions of dollars less in purchasing power than under the previous administration,” Coons said.

    From NBC: Sen. Chris Coons says Hegseth spending too much time ‘fighting culture wars’

    Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., the top Democrat on the subcommittee, criticized staffing shake-ups at the Pentagon and the focus on culture war issues…

    He also slammed Hegseth for sharing military information on Signal. “Mishandling important and sensitive information in the middle of an operation by a secretary is unthinkable,” Coons said.

    From NOTUS: Congress Wants to Know Where the Department of Defense’s Budget Is

    “The department has been unacceptably slow in providing us with the account-level information that we need to draft the defense appropriations bill,” Sen. Susan Collins told Hegseth, echoing a critique her Democratic colleague Sen. Chris Coons lodged earlier….

    “We are still waiting for real budget details. This is officially the latest budget submission of the modern era,” Coons said. “This committee, to do its job, wants to work with you on the details.”

    From The Daily Beast: Hegseth Blasted by Top Republican Over Trump-Putin Bromance

    When it was Senator Chris Coons’ turn to question Hegseth, he also raised concerns, and said it seems Putin has no intention of negotiating.

    “It seems to me concerning that the 2026 request eliminates aid to Ukraine entirely,” the Democratic Party senator said.

    Coons also took issue with Hegseth’s comments about Europe freeloading. He noted that Article 5 was only invoked once after 9/11, when America’s allies deployed to Afghanistan alongside the U.S. and suffered casualties. He also noted that 50 other countries have delivered support for Ukraine.

    From the Las Vegas Sun: Senators critical of Defense Secretary as hearing kicks off

    Pete Hegseth met with bipartisan criticism Wednesday as the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee hearing kicked off.

    Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, slammed him, saying that “more of your time so far has been spent inside the building on culture wars, rather than outside the building, deterring real ones.”

    He criticized Hegseth’s moves to fire the previous chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other “qualified uniformed leaders” and said the Pentagon is worried more” about each other than America’s enemies.

    From CBS News [VIDEO]: Coons blasts Hegseth for request to eliminate funding for Ukraine’s war against Russia

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Budd, Blumenthal Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Award MACV-SOG Elite Special Operations Units with Congressional Gold Medal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG). The bill recognizes the service members of MACV-SOG, one of the most distinguished and elite special operations units in United States military history, for their achievements in conducting rescue missions for downed pilots, deep-penetration reconnaissance, sabotage, and direct-action missions against the North Vietnamese.

    “MACV-SOG operators rank among the most elite special operations forces in U.S. military history. During the Vietnam War, they carried out highly classified, extraordinarily dangerous missions to combat communist insurgencies by obtaining vital intelligence for critical military operations, setting the gold standard for U.S. special operations. In North Carolina, there are fifty-nine living members of this unit, and many more across the country. Their devotion to duty deserves our deepest respect and recognition. I hope my colleagues will join Senator Blumenthal and I in our effort to honor these service members with a Congressional Gold Medal for their unparalleled bravery, sacrifice, and enduring contributions to our nation’s security,” said Senator Budd.

    “The servicemembers who were a part of MACV-SOG played a vital role in protecting and defending our great nation. Performing highly covert operations, facing incredible dangers, and gathering invaluable intelligence, members of MACV-SOG displayed a bravery and dedication to our country that is profoundly inspiring. Awarding these servicemembers a Congressional Gold Medal rightfully recognizes their great contributions to our nation and shines a light on the pivotal roles they played in our military history,” said Senator Blumenthal.

    Read the full bill text HERE.

    Background

    MACV–SOG was established in January 1964 as a dedicated joint military task force to conduct high-risk and special activities in the denied areas of North Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

    These covert operations remained unacknowledged by military leadership and unknown to the United States public until their existence began to be declassified decades later. This secret war denied MACV–SOG members their just recognition and deprived the families of deceased and wounded operators from knowing the full extent of the sacrifice of their loved ones to the United States.

    To date, twelve MACV–SOG operators have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King, New England Colleagues Urge Coast Guard to Delay Removal of Navigational Buoys

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Angus King and a bipartisan cohort of the New England Senate Delegation are urging the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to delay the removal of navigational buoys off the coast of New England so they can better engage with stakeholders and understand the impacts of the proposal. In a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Kevin Lunday, the Senators ask for USCG to extend the comment period for public input, undertake more extensive outreach and enhance the compilation of data before making any final decisions on the removal of the navigational buoys.

    The USCG launched the Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative in April 2025, a component of its broader Short-Range Aids-to-Navigation Modernization effort. This initiative proposed the discontinuation of 351 coastal buoys across New England (Maine accounts for the largest share at 145 buoys). In parallel, an additional 2,349 buoys and beacons are under review for future removal as part of the Harbor Buoy Modernization Initiative and the Shallow Water Level of Service Study (SWLOSS), scheduled for phased implementation from 2026 through 2029. In total, some 2700 buoys are up for consideration for removal along the New England coast.

    These efforts collectively represent a significant reconfiguration of the region’s maritime navigational infrastructure affecting both commercial and recreational mariners; despite the technical justifications for the initiative, the USCG approach has raised concerns throughout New England’s maritime community.

    “We write regarding our concerns with the First District Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative and related efforts. Principally, we have reservations about how this would affect the safety of mariners throughout District One, the timeline the agency is proposing and the sufficiency of the agency’s communications with stakeholders of the proposed changes. We understand the need to modernize the Aids-to-Navigation (ATON) system, and we commend the agency for proactively initiating a program to assess current systems and to propose appropriate changes. However, we urge the agency to slow down this effort to ensure that the agency understands the needs of the communities and mariners in our states. Therefore, we urge you to extend the public comment period and increase public and Congressional engagement as outlined in this letter,” the Senators began.

    “We understand that Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Electronic Navigation Charts (ENC), Electronic Charting Systems (ECS) and smartphone navigation applications have changed many facets of navigation,” they continued. “However, prudent mariners continue to depend on non-electronic and traditional means of navigating, including charts and visual navigation aids like buoys and related ATON.”

    The Senators concluded, “With respect to the First District Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative, we are troubled that the current proposal would discontinue 916 buoys and beacons (309 Coastal and 607 Harbor buoys) in District One as soon as this year and into 2026. We appreciate the need to modernize, but the Coast Guard and other stakeholders need to maximize navigation safety utilizing all available means – electronic and visual. As you are well aware, mishaps continue to show the need for mariners to competently pilot their vessels, and effective coastal piloting relies on GPS, Radar and visual navigational aids including buoys, beacons, lights, ranges and lighthouses.”

    Joining King on the letter are Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumental (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Susan Collins (R-ME).

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

    +++

    Dear Acting Commandant Lunday:

    We write regarding our concerns with the First District Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative and related efforts. Principally, we have reservations about how this would affect the safety of mariners throughout District One, the timeline the agency is proposing and the sufficiency of the agency’s communications with stakeholders of the proposed changes. We understand the need to modernize the Aids-to-Navigation (ATON) system, and we commend the agency for proactively initiating a program to assess current systems and to propose appropriate changes. However, we urge the agency to slow down this effort to ensure that the agency understands the needs of the communities and mariners in our states. Therefore, we urge you to extend the public comment period and increase public and Congressional engagement as outlined in this letter.

    We understand that Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Electronic Navigation Charts (ENC), Electronic Charting Systems (ECS) and smartphone navigation applications have changed many facets of navigation. However, prudent mariners continue to depend on non-electronic and traditional means of navigating, including charts and visual navigation aids like buoys and related ATON. Indeed, the agency’s regulations on ATON acknowledges that “The Coast Guard maintains systems of marine aids to navigation consisting of visual, audible, and electronic signals which are designed to assist the prudent mariner in the process of navigation.”

    With respect to the First District Coastal Buoy Modernization Initiative, we are troubled that the current proposal would discontinue 916 buoys and beacons (309 Coastal and 607 Harbor buoys) in District One as soon as this year and into 2026. We appreciate the need to modernize, but the Coast Guard and other stakeholders need to maximize navigation safety utilizing all available means – electronic and visual. As you are well aware, mishaps continue to show the need for mariners to competently pilot their vessels, and effective coastal piloting relies on GPS, Radar and visual navigational aids including buoys, beacons, lights, ranges and lighthouses.

    Because the scope of the proposed effort is significant and will have a lasting impact, we request that the Coast Guard extend the comment period for public input on the District One initiative until September 1, 2025, undertake more extensive outreach and enhance the compilation of data on which the agency is relying.  Specifically, we request a dedicated public website on this initiative, an extension to the comment period, a briefing after the agency has winnowed its list of ATON to discontinue and a commitment to implement the District One ATON effort no earlier than October 1, 2026. The extension of the public comment period will allow the Coast Guard to conduct outreach, enhance public comment via additional means other than a single email address (e.g. a dedicated website) and allow mariners to practically consider these changes during peak recreational and commercial seasons.  Lastly, we also are seeking a delay in implementing the actual changes by approximately one year to allow for sufficient review and collaboration ahead of implementation.

    We appreciate your attention to this matter and request a follow-up discussion with you regarding this matter by June 26th, 2025.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Collins, King Announce USS Gravely to Visit Eastport for Fourth of July Celebration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced today that Eastport will receive a port visit during the city’s 2025 Fourth of July celebration. The U.S. Navy has committed to sending the guided missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG-107), which has a crew complement of approximately 330 sailors.

    USS Gravely is a battle-tested warship and recently saw action in the Red Sea.

    “We are grateful to the U.S. Navy for honoring the State of Maine with this port visit during Eastport’s Fourth of July celebration,” said Senators Collins and King. “The arrival of the USS Gravely will give Mainers a special opportunity to meet the sailors bravely serving our country. It’s an honor to welcome these servicemembers to our state as we mark Independence Day, and we thank the Navy for making this visit possible.”

    The Eastport Fourth of July parade and festival is the largest in the state and draws thousands of Maine people every year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Celebrates House Passage of His Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Require Baby Changing Stations on Amtrak Trains 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined U.S Representatives Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02) this week in celebrating the House passage of the bipartisan, bicameral Baby Changing on Board Act. This bill would require each Amtrak train to be outfitted with baby changing stations in all accessible restrooms and to post adequate signage indicating their availability. The Baby Changing on Board Act directs Amtrak to utilize current funding streams to install baby changing stations on new cars until Amtrak can meet a minimum service requirement. 
    “A lack of safe and sanitary spaces for parents to care for their children while traveling can make any journey more challenging. Longer train rides can be especially stressful for parents who need to utilize baby changing stations more than once when riding the rails. While some trains are equipped with these crucial facilities, Amtrak can—and must—do more to increase access to these private, sanitary spaces to care for their children,” said Senator Welch. “The House’s passage of our bipartisan bill brings us one step closer to ensuring a smooth ride for rail passengers with infants.” 
    “The route from Memphis to New Orleans – the main Amtrak route used by Tennesseans – is almost nine hours, meaning families need access to changing facilities for their children,” said Senator Blackburn. The Baby Changing on Board Act would ensure that families traveling by Amtrak are supported with baby changing stations in all accessible restrooms.” 
    “Parents and caregivers shouldn’t have to worry about whether there’s a safe, clean place to care for their kids while traveling,” said Rep. Underwood. “I am so pleased that this legislation has passed the House and is now one step closer to becoming law. This common-sense, bipartisan legislation is a practical and necessary step to make sure families have access to the amenities they need on Amtrak.” 
    “Ensuring families have access to baby changing stations in Amtrak train cars is a simple, common-sense solution that will make a world of difference,” said Rep. Van Drew. “As a parent myself, I know how important it is for families traveling with young children to feel comfortable and supported during their journeys. By tapping into existing funding to put in these stations, we are meeting a real need and making travel a lot easier for parents and their little ones. Every family deserves that kind of support on their journeys.” 
    The Baby Changing on Board Act is endorsed by A Better Balance, MomsRising Together, and the National Women’s Law Center. 
    In Fiscal Year 2024, Amtrak set an all-time ridership record with 32.8 million passenger trips and operated routes connecting 46 states, Washington D.C. and two Canadian provinces. The average duration of a trip on Amtrak’s most traveled route, the Northeast Regional, can last between 3.5 and 8 hours, from D.C. to New York and from D.C. to Boston, respectively. Amtrak’s longest route, connecting Los Angeles to Chicago, can take passengers 65 hours to travel. Parents and families who are traveling often need to change a newborn child’s diaper every two hours, making accessible, safe, and comfortable changing facilities essential.  
    Learn more about the Baby Changing on Board Act.  
    Read the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Introduces Legislative Package to Protect American Way of Life from Communist China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced a legislative package of four bills that would counter malicious efforts to disrupt American prosperity by Communist China and other adversaries. The package includes the No Capital Gains Allowance for Americans Adversaries Act, the PRC Military and Human Rights Capital Markets Sanctions Act, the No China in Index Funds Act, and the Protecting Endowments from our Adversaries Act (PEOAA). This legislative package limits the ability of adversaries like Communist China from taking advantage of America’s economic strength and tax benefits intended for Americans.
    “Communist China is the greatest threat to the American way of life,” said Ricketts. ”Communist China is actively threatening a rules-based system that has maintained peace and prosperity for over 80 years. America’s markets are supposed to benefit Americans. We can’t allow our markets to fund our adversaries like Communist China.”
    The No Capital Gains Allowance for Americans Adversaries Act would:
    Treat capital gains on all Chinese, Russian, Belarusian, Iranian, and North Korean stocks as ordinary income. Such investments would then not be eligible for the lower capital gains tax rates.
    Eliminate the “step-up in basis” for Chinese, Russian, Belarusian, Iranian, and North Korean assets inherited at death – which reduces an heir’s tax liability by ignoring gains that occurred before inheritance.
    Direct the Securities and Exchange Commission to maintain a public list of securities covered by this Act and require that sellers of covered securities disclosure to customers that sales of those securities will be treated as ordinary income.
    The PRC Military and Human Rights Capital Markets Sanctions Act would:
    Direct the President to compile and maintain a single public list of sanctioned companies and their affiliates.
    These lists include those that target human rights violators, including companies that utilize coerced labor in production, companies that proliferate dangerous technologies, and those that have connections to the Chinese military and intelligence services.

    Prevent U.S. persons from purchasing, selling, or holding:
    A publicly-traded security issued by a sanctioned company or affiliate of the sanctioned company;
    A publicly-traded security that is a derivative of a publicly issued security issued by a sanctioned company or affiliate of the sanctioned company;
    A security that provides investment exposure to a publicly-traded security issued by a sanctioned company or affiliate of the sanctioned company.

    Give a U.S. person 180 days after enactment to divest from the prohibited securities.
    The No China in Index Funds Act would:
    Prohibit index funds from investing in Chinese companies and require them to divest from such investments within 180 days after date of enactment.
    The Protecting Endowments from Our Adversaries Act (PEOAA) would:
    Apply to private college and university endowments over $1,000,000,000
    Disincentivize endowments from investing (directly or indirectly) in adversarial entities that are on any of the following US Government Lists (USG):
    Entity List
    Military End User (MEU) List
    Unverified List
    FCC Covered List

    Impose a 50% excise tax on the principal investment at the time of acquisition if an endowment invests in a company that is listed.
    Impose a 100% excise tax on the realized gains derived from listed investments one year after an entity is listed.
    BACKGROUND:
    Other countries have investment incentives not applicable to some foreign investments. For instance, China provides investment incentives through its tax code, but foreign investments are eligible only with the pre-approval of the Chinese government.
    Companies that have their business relations with the United States cut off or strictly restricted should not be allowed to sell securities in the U.S., or to U.S. persons, whether directly or indirectly through a mutual fund or ETF.
    Index mutual funds minimize their expenses by simply investing in all the companies in a certain market sector, without looking closely at the individual companies. There are unique difficulties in evaluating the risks of investing in Chinese companies. Americans should not invest in these companies without carefully evaluating the risk. This bill will keep these hard-to-evaluate Chinese stocks out of index mutual funds.
    University and college endowments are funds or assets donated to support various activities of the institution. These institutions often invest billions from their endowments into organizations and companies listed on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List. While maintaining a tax advantage, endowments can fund these entities even if they pose national security concerns.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville Joins “Kudlow” to Discuss President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business Network to discuss President Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” and how the Senate needs to pass it quickly to enact historic tax cuts for Americans. Senator Tuberville also discussed the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) numbers and shared how President Trump’s tariffs are delivering positive results in Alabama.  

    Excerpts from Senator Tuberville’s interview can be found below and the full interview can be found on Rumble or YouTube. 

    KUDLOW: “Joining us now is Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, [the] great Senator Tommy Tuberville. Senator, welcome back as always. I just wanna try this thesis out in you. Mr. Trump acted so decisively to stop the riots in Los Angeles, to protect the work of ICE, to keep the deportations going, to make it very clear that criminals would be thrown into jail, if you spit on somebody, you’re going to jail, etc., etc. That was a big win, I mean, I think it was a big win and a big loss for Democrats. But here’s my questions there. I think that kind of action, which is so popular—it’s like an 80/20 issue—plays into passage of the one big, beautiful bill because people want promises made, promises kept. They want the Trump agenda, and they see that he is unhesitatingly defending the Trump agenda on which he was elected last November. What you think? I’m going from LA to one big, beautiful bill.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, if you just think about this summer coming up, it’s probably gonna be the ‘summer of hate’ instead of the ‘summer of love,’ Larry. We got huge problems. 1,400 protests just this weekend, but at the end of the day, President Trump never hesitated with this. He goes in—this is a third world country run by a communist governor. And the guy should be in jail, and also the mayor. This is an absolute disgrace. The American people—actually the citizens of California—should be treated a lot better than this. But at the end of the day, it is really gonna help, I think, also, as you said, coming back to the big, beautiful bill, President Trump means business. If you look at this bill, about ¾ of it is tax cuts for all Americans. Tax cuts.”

    KUDLOW: “Mhmm.”

    TUBERVILLE: “And that’s what we need. We gotta get that done. The other—there’s some things in there, that I don’t agree with all of it—a little bit too much spending, but the one thing we have to get done is the tax cuts and all those other things will work itself out as we go through this bill and another reconciliation down the road. But, yeah, President Trump means business. He knows what he’s doing. He’s got huge backing from really smart people like [Secretary Scott] Bessent and [Secretary Howard] Lutnick, and all the people that are working, all the trade and tariff deals. I’m fired up about the big, beautiful bill being passed here in the very near future.”

    KUDLOW: “I mean, you—look, you’ve probably seen some of these numbers from the White House Legislative Affairs, but a 15% tax cut to working families, [has] 82% [support], [support for the] child tax credit [is even] higher, [at] 81% percent. Ending taxes on tips, [has] 77% [support] to 18% [non-support]. Cutting taxes on overtime, [has] 74% [support] to 18% [non-support]. I mean, these are like 75% to 80% [support] to 20% [non-support] issues. You know what they’re like, Senator. They’re like law and order, punishing criminals, or deporting murderers and sex traffickers[which are all popular issues]. They’re 80/20 issues too. And I’m just saying, to me it all kind of comes together—I know LA seems a long way from one big, beautiful bill, but in the public’s mind, the guy they hired to be president is doing what folks want, and I think there’s been momentum. That’s why I wanna get the one big, beautiful bill done as soon as possible, sir.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Exactly. Take our country back like he’s doing in California. Take our economy back like he’s gonna do with this bill. This bill is gonna help a lot of people, Larry, and it’s gonna build growth. You know, just last week, I talked to a group in Alabama that President Trump saved 300 jobs at this manufacturing textile mill because of what he did with tariffs.” 

    KUDLOW: “Mhmm.”

    TUBERVILLE: “That’s gonna happen. Biden, Obama, Clinton, they all sold our manufacturing out. Anywhere you drive in this country, you’re gonna see manufacturing plants that are just old, dilapidated. Nobody’s working there—small towns gone to heck in a hand basket. But at the end of the day, President Trump means business. He’s gonna get people to come back. He’s gonna tariff everybody that’s against this country, especially China. And we’re gonna get manufacturing back and take care of ourself instead of other people.”

    KUDLOW: “Well, you know, full cost expense is gonna help that. But the bigger story is the tariff inflation is missing in action. And I think these exporting countries with their unfair trading practices—you know, Senator, I think they’re eating the tariff. That’s what I think is happening because there’s no inflation. It’s only 1.4% for the past four months. That’s remarkable. Every economist practically in the liberal media was completely wrong.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, the Democrats have been hollering, ‘Chicken little, the sky is falling. The sky is falling,’ and all we have to do is look at really what’s going on and everything is getting better. You know, we might not have improved a lot, but we haven’t tanked like the Democrats were expecting because look at all the things we’re having to go through, the tariffs, the wars, all these protests. They’re doing everything they can to slow President Trump down. It’s not working. He’s not listening to the nonsense anymore. The media can do what they want to, but he’s gonna do exactly what he told American people he’s gonna do. He’s gonna stick with it. He’s got a game plan. And I’m looking forward to this game plan continuing on. When we get these tax cuts done, the country is gonna take off in the right direction, and you don’t have to worry about inflation. We’re gonna be on the way up.”

    KUDLOW: “Senator Tuberville, President Trump is hinting at putting in a new Fed chairman. I mean, this guy, Jay Powell, should have been cutting rates with the absence of inflation. How about you running the Federal Reserve System? A commonsense guy like you—businessman, you know the farm community. We need somebody. I know your eye—you got your eye on the Alabama governorship. I got the Federal Reserve checked off for you.”

    TUBERVILLE: “Well, the one thing I will tell you and [you] hit it on one of those ideas there, Larry. The interest rates are killing our farmers. We’re gonna lose our farmers if we don’t get this interest rate down. It’s costing them a fortune. They can’t make a profit. And what happens when we lose our farmers like we did manufacturing, we’re gone go south. And we cannot allow that to happen. We gotta protect our farmers. Yeah, let’s drop the interest rates. Drop them now. They were way too high for way too long.”

    KUDLOW: “Senator Tommy Tuberville, that’s the best. Thank you for your wisdom, sir.”

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Experts Agree: Trump’s Trade War Is Short-Term Pain With No Long-Term Gain

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    06.12.25

    Cantwell, Experts Agree: Trump’s Trade War Is Short-Term Pain With No Long-Term Gain

    “We’re really going to hurt our long-term competitiveness as a nation from doing this,” says Cantwell

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, participated in a spotlight forum on tariffs hosted by Democratic senators.

    At the forum, Sen. Cantwell questioned witnesses about the long-term damage that President Trump’s trade war is inflicting on America’s long-term competitiveness.

    “We should be doubling down now on workforce training. Instead, we’re throwing it into cost and chaos, and so we’re really going to hurt our long-term competitiveness as a nation from doing this,” said Sen. Cantwell. “So, we’re not getting any short-term gain. Nobody’s going to make any money here.”

    “Senator, you’re absolutely right,” responded Adam Posen, President of the nonpartisan Peterson Institute for International Economics. “Even if our goal is to create more manufacturing or good jobs […], you can’t compete in manufacturing if you’re further up the value chain, where the better jobs are, if you can’t substitute for these imports at any reasonable price.”

    “This is short-term pain and long-term pain,” added Thea Lee, Economist and Former Deputy Undersecretary for International Labor Affairs. “There is no short-term pain for the long-term gain, because we are destroying the rules-based system.”

    This week, Sen. Cantwell joined 30 Senators in filing an amicus brief in a key case, Oregon v. Department of Homeland Security, challenging the Trump Administration’s abuse of emergency powers to impose global tariffs.

    In April, Sen. Cantwell introduced the bipartisan Trade Review Act of 2025 to reaffirm Congress’ key role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy, and reestablish limits on the president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs. Her bill has since picked up 12 additional cosponsors – an equal mix of Republicans and Democrats – and been endorsed by multiple major U.S. business organizations, including the National Retail Federation, which is the largest retail trade association in the world. House members also introduced a bipartisan companion bill.

    On April 16, Sen. Cantwell joined nine local business owners and leaders at the Port of Seattle to push back against the Trump administration’s chaotic tariffs-first trade policy. On May 29, she gathered stakeholders at the Port of Seattle again to respond to the chaos caused by President Donald Trump scrambling to keep his draconian tariffs in place amid court challenges.

    “American businesses need a rules-based trade system. That means American families would have the certainty, not chaos and not higher prices. We know this: That when you start trade wars, usually that means you end up closing markets,” Sen. Cantwell said in at the May 29 press conference.

    In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries. More information about how those tariffs will affect consumers and businesses in the State of Washington can be found HERE.  

    For the past four months, President Trump has been sowing economic chaos across the country with unpredictable and ever-changing tariff announcements. His back-and-forth announcements and actions have whipsawed American businesses and consumers, as well as close neighbors and allies.

    Federal Reserve Chairman Powell recently warned, “What looks likely, given the scope and scale of the tariffs, is that … the risks to higher inflation, higher unemployment have increased.”  This week, the Federal Reserve issued its “beige book” report, which found that all 12 Federal Reserve Districts “indicated that higher tariff rates were putting upward pressure on costs and prices.”  Today, the World Bank also said that because of a “substantial rise in trade barriers,” it is cutting its forecast for U.S. economic growth in 2025 in half, while also cutting its estimate for global economic growth, and warned that the world economy “is once more running into turbulence” and “Without a swift course correction, the harm to living standards could be deep.’’

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Leads Senate Vote to Block Trump’s Corrupt Weapons Deals

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    June 12, 2025

    [embedded content]
    WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday forced two votes in the Senate to object to President Trump’s corruption of U.S. foreign policy and block a $1.9 billion arms sale to Qatar and a $1.32 billion arms sale to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after Trump demanded billions of dollars in luxury gifts and business deals from the two countries. Senate Republicans blocked the votes. Ahead of the votes, Murphy addressed his colleagues on the Senate floor.
    “What we need to say here is not that we are going to permanently pause our military relationships with these countries, but for the time being while these two nations are willing to pay the president tribute, we cannot endorse or condone business as usual. These are important partners of the United States in the region, and they will be important partners in the future, but this is an exceptional moment where the corruption and our effort to stop the corruption has to take priority and has to take precedent,” Murphy said.
    Murphy concluded: “And so, I’m going to vote for both of these resolutions while also still believing that we are going to have a continued, important bilateral relationship with Qatar and with the UAE. But if we start to endorse and grease the wheels of this kind of corruption, then there will be no end. Because once it becomes accepted, once it becomes implicitly endorsed by the United States Senate that foreign governments can put money into the personal treasury of the President in order to gain favorable treatment from the United States of America that becomes the way our foreign policy works.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy to Defense Secretary Hegseth: You Are Not Willing to Defend Our Democracy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    [embedded content]

    WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, on Wednesday questioned U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during a Defense Subcommittee hearing on President Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget. Murphy challenged Hegseth on his readiness to deploy the military for President Trump’s political benefit but not to defend the Capitol during January 6th. He also pushed Hegseth to explain why taxpayers are being asked to foot the bill to modify and upgrade the luxury jet the Qatari government gifted Trump for his personal use after his term ends. 

    Murphy pressed Hegseth for refusing to say whether he supported calling in the National Guard to quell the January 6th Capitol riot: “I think that speaks to the worry that many Americans have, that there is a double standard. That you are not willing to defend against attacks made on our democracy by supporters of the president, but you are willing to deploy the National Guard to protect against protesters who are criticizing the president. 

    Murphy continued: “That’s not how our taxpayer dollars are supposed to work. They’re supposed to be used to defend the United States, no matter the nature of the political affiliation of the protesters.” 

    Murphy highlighted the brazen corruption of using taxpayer dollars to upgrade the luxury jet from Qatar after Hegseth confirmed it would be transferred to Trump after his presidency ended:  “Why would we ask the American taxpayer to spend upwards of a billion dollars on a plane that would then only be used for a handful of months and then transferred directly to the president? … I think this is extraordinary, Mr. Chairman. We’re talking about a pretty massive investment of appropriations dollars into a plane that, the Secretary is saying, is currently planned to be transferred personally to the president. There’s a lot of other pending needs that we need to fund. This would seem to be low on the list.” 

    A full transcript of Murphy’s exchange with Hegseth can be found below:

    MURPHY: “Thank you very much Mr. Chairman. Thank you Mr. Secretary for being here today.

    “I wanted to build on some of the questions that Senator Schatz was asking, just to try to build a fact predicate for some of the tough spending decisions we’re going to have to make here. Just to confirm, I heard you say, with respect to the gift of the plane from Qatar, that we do not yet have a signed MOU with the government of Qatar, is that right?”

    HEGSETH: “Correct. We’re in the process of working through that.”

    MURPHY: “And did you also say we don’t have a signed contract with the company that is going to do the work, or did you say that we have a contract, you’re just not willing to disclose the terms?”

    HEGSETH: “The terms should not be disclosed of anything related to an aircraft of this type.”

    MURPHY: “So, in 2018, when the contract was signed with Boeing to do the upgrades, or the new contracts for Air Force One, the terms of that contract were disclosed. They were made public. In fact, it was the Trump administration that issued a press release giving the total as $3.9 billion. Are you saying this time around, even after you signed the contract, you’re not going to make public any of the terms of the contract?”

    HEGSETH: “I wasn’t involved in that previous administration decision, but we’re happy to take a look.”

    MURPHY: “The Air Force testified before the House that that contract would likely deliver the new Air Force Ones by the 2028 timeframe. It doesn’t stand to reason that you will be able to retrofit the plane from Qatar much sooner than 2028. I’m trying to understand what the gap is that we’re trying to fill. If this contract ends up being a half a billion dollars and the gap only ends up being six months, that doesn’t sound like a wise investment for this committee to make.”

    HEGSETH: “Senator, I would defer to the expertise of the Air Force as far as timing of modifications and when that would happen, but there’s also been delay after delay after delay on the Boeing side, so I don’t know that a firm fixed date yet, unfortunately, can be counted on.”

    MURPHY: “So, obviously the underlying question here is ‘what is going to happen to the plane at the end of Trump’s presidency?’ The president said on May 12 that this plane would be transferred to his presidential library at the end of his term. Is that your understanding of what is going to happen with this plane?”

    HEGSETH: “The president said that. That’s my understanding, although I would look at what comes out in the MOU.”

    MURPHY: “Why would we ask the American taxpayer to spend upwards of a billion dollars on a plane that would then only be used for a handful of months and then transferred directly to the president? That doesn’t sound like a wise use of taxpayer dollars.”

    HEGSETH: “A lot of the capabilities, as you know, Senator, of that particular platform are and should remain classified. So there are reasons why you might modify, even for a short period of time, an aircraft to ensure the safety and security of the president of the United States.”

    MURPHY: “When do you believe that those upgrades would be made? How long would the president have it before it got transferred to his personal possession?”

    HEGSETH: “That would be a determination of the Air Force, that would take hold of it and make those modifications within whatever time window they believe gets it to the place where it needed to be.”

    MURPHY: “Yeah, I think this is extraordinary, Mr. Chairman. We’re talking about a pretty massive investment of appropriations dollars into a plane that, the secretary is saying, is currently planned to be transferred personally to the president. There’s a lot of other pending needs that we need to fund. This would seem to be low on the list. 

    “Mr. Secretary, one final question. Obviously you know that there is a concern in the public about a double standard that is applied to protests – sometimes protest that turns violent. The president, when he came into office, issued pardons to the individuals that attacked the United States Capitol, including those individuals who beat, savagely, police officers. You have deployed the National Guard and readied Marines in a way that many people think is unnecessary given the state and the local resources. So maybe let me ask the question this way so that you can assuage people’s concerns that there is a double standard: the National Guard was deployed here on January 6, and that was a decision made by the Department of Defense. Do you support that decision? Do you believe that that was the right decision, to deploy the National Guard to defend the Capitol on January 6?”

    HEGSETH: “All I know is it’s the right decision to be deploying the National Guard in Los Angeles to defend ICE agents, who deserve to be defended in the execution of their jobs.”

    MURPHY: “But I think it’s important to know whether you think it was also important to have the National Guard defending the United States Capitol, when there were violent protesters here on the president’s behalf, to make sure that folks know that you care about protest, whether it’s against the president or on behalf of the president.”

    HEGSETH: “Senator, I was in the Washington D.C. National Guard when that happened, and was initially ordered to go guard the inauguration of Joe Biden. But because of the politicization of the Biden administration, my orders were revoked, and ultimately, because of the politics that were being played inside the Defense Department by the previous administration.”

    MURPHY: “But do you support the decision made on January 6 to send the National Guard here to defend the Capitol?”

    HEGSETH: “I support the decision that President Trump made, in requesting the National Guard, that was denied. President Trump requested support for the National Guard in advance and was denied.”

    MURPHY: “You do not support the decision to send the National Guard here to defend the Capitol.  I think that speaks to the worry that many Americans have, that there is a double standard. That you are not willing to defend against attacks made on our democracy by supporters of the president, but you are willing to deploy the National Guard to protect against protesters who are criticizing the president. That’s not how our taxpayer dollars are supposed to work. They’re supposed to be used to defend the United States, no matter the nature of the political affiliation of the protesters. 

    “Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 06/12/2025 PHOTO: Blackburn Meets with Memphis Mayor Paul Young

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after meeting with Memphis Mayor Paul Young today to discuss the importance of local and federal cooperation to expand economic opportunity in Memphis and efforts to crack down on violent crime:

    “It was a pleasure to meet with Mayor Paul Young this afternoon to discuss ways we can continue working together to grow Memphis’s economy and fight violent crime that has blighted the city for too long,” said Senator Blackburn. “FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi are working closely with me to Make Memphis Safe Again, and Mayor Young will be a critical part of our federal efforts to address the unacceptable violence in this city that we all love.”

    Click here to download this photo of Senator Blackburn and Mayor Young.

    BACKGROUND

      • Last year, Tennessee was ranked among the top ten states for motor vehicle thefts, and Tennessee saw a nearly 200% increase in auto theft crime by juveniles in 2023.
      • The current federal carjacking statute requires prosecutors to prove defendants had an “intent to cause death or bodily harm,” which has made it harder to bring federal carjacking prosecutions and accounts for the decrease in federal carjacking prosecutions in certain parts of the country.
      • The Federal Carjacking Enforcement Act would fix this drafting error by requiring prosecutors only have to prove the knowing taking of a motor vehicle.
      • In cases in which death results following a carjacking, the bill would maintain the higher “intent to cause death or bodily harm” requirement.
    • Senator Blackburn introduced the AFTER SCHOOL Act to establish a grant program administered through the U.S. Department of Justice for localities to receive funds to establish, maintain, and strengthen after school programs proven to reduce juvenile crime and recidivism.
      • Much of the crime committed in Memphis is driven by juvenile offenders, who are committing more and more aggravated assaults, robberies, and carjackings against innocent city residents;
      • The gap of time after school and before their parents get home is prime time for violent behavior among youth, and the four hours following the end of the school day (around 2:00 to 6:00 PM) is typically the peak of violent crime.
    • Senator Blackburn also introduced the Restoring Law and Order Act to increase funding for law enforcement and help keep violent criminals behind bars by establishing a “Make America Safe Again” federal grant program to:
      • Hire more police officers and detectives, so that states can better target violent crime;
      • Provide funding for law enforcement agencies to target drug-related crimes such as fentanyl;
      • Detain and deport illegal aliens who have committed crimes in the United States;
      • Use public safety tools such as bail and pretrial detention to prevent dangerous offenders from returning to communities; and
      • Give state and local governments the funds to eliminate investigatory backlogs and more-quickly process criminal evidence.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Fischer Announce Bipartisan, Bicameral Universal Service Fund Working Group

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Senate Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, and Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chair of the Senate Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, announced the reconstitution of the Universal Service Fund (USF) Working Group. Last Congress, Senator Luján launched the original bipartisan, bicameral working group to evaluate and propose potential reforms to the USF.
    In the House, Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chair Richard Hudson (R-NC9) and Ranking Member Doris Matsui (D-CA7) are spearheading the effort. Senators Moran (R-KS), Klobuchar (D-MN), Capito (R-WV), Peters (D-MI), Sullivan (R-AK), and Rosen (D-NV) have joined as members.
    “The Universal Service Fund has been a lifeline for rural, Tribal, and underserved communities in New Mexico and across the country – connecting schools, hospitals, and families to affordable, reliable internet. For nearly 30 years, the Universal Service Fund has been instrumental in expanding broadband access across the country. I’m glad to once again join bipartisan, bicameral leaders to modernize and strengthen the USF and ensure it remains well-equipped to connect Americans no matter where they live. I’ll keep fighting to protect this vital program for the communities that depend on it,” Luján said.
    “All Nebraskans deserve to have access to critical communication and Internet services, regardless of their zip code. That’s why I’m proud to announce we are reorganizing and utilizing this bipartisan, bicameral working group. Our goal is to evaluate broadband programs and the USF to help support the mission of connecting unserved and underserved communities across the country. I look forward to this important work alongside my colleagues in the Senate and House,” Fischer said. 
    “Expanding access to broadband is a top priority for me. By launching this bipartisan working group alongside Congresswoman Matsui and Senators Lujan and Fischer, we’ll gain the insights needed to ensure the Universal Service Fund is reaching the Americans who need it most – while also protecting it from waste, fraud, and abuse,” Hudson said.
    “Reliable, high-speed broadband isn’t a luxury—it’s a fundamental pillar of modern life. For decades, the Universal Service Fund has helped connect millions of families, schools, and libraries through critical programs like Lifeline, E-Rate, and rural broadband deployment. But the digital divide still persists, and the stakes for getting this right have never been higher. That’s why we’re relaunching this bipartisan, bicameral working group—to modernize and strengthen the Universal Service Fund, and ensure it continues to meet the evolving connectivity needs of all Americans,” Matsui said.
    Background:
    This bipartisan, bicameral working group—originally launched in 2023—was established to evaluate and propose potential reforms to the USF with the goal of developing a forum to guide education, awareness, and policymaking. Today’s reorganization of the USF Working Group highlights the continued commitment to close the digital divide with solutions that support sustained access to universal connectivity while improving interagency coordination.
    Note: In the coming weeks, a USF Working Group request for comment portal will be open on Senator Fischer’s website to allow for the submission of updated comments regarding the future outlook of the USF in the near and long terms.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Launches Investigation into Organizations Bankrolling LA Riots

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)
    Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, sent letters to multiple organizations launching an investigation into the funding behind the Los Angeles riots and requesting the preservation of key information. The letter also condemns the demonstrations’ “lawless mob actions” and calls for their end. 
    “Credible reporting now suggests that your organization has provided logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions,” Senator Hawley wrote. “Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct.”
    He sent letters to Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Union del Barrio. 
    Read the full letter here or below. 
    June 11, 2025
    Angélica SalasExecutive DirectorCoalition for Humane Immigrant Rights2533 West 3rd St, Suite 101Los Angeles, CA 90057
    Dear Ms. Salas,
    I write in my capacity as Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism regarding your organization’s alleged role in financing and materially supporting the coordinated protests and riots that have engulfed Los Angeles in recent weeks. While peaceful protest is a cornerstone of American democracy, these demonstrations have escalated into lawless mob actions. They have obstructed federal law enforcement, endangered public safety, and disrupted the rule of law. This lawlessness is unacceptable. It must end.
    Credible reporting now suggests that your organization has provided logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions. Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct. Accordingly, you must immediately cease and desist any further involvement in the organization, funding, or promotion of these unlawful activities.
    Furthermore, please preserve the following records from November 5, 2024 to present:
    All internal communications, including emails, text messages, chat logs, and messaging applications, relating to protest planning, coordination, or funding.
    All financial documents related to protests, demonstrations, or mobilization efforts in Los Angeles or elsewhere relating to immigration enforcement.
    All third-party contracts or vendor agreements, including any arrangements with event organizers, transportation providers, security personnel, or communications consultants relating to immigration enforcement or the Los Angeles protests, or similar protests elsewhere.
    Grant applications and funding proposals that relate to or reference immigration enforcement.
    Travel and lodging records for individuals or groups supported or reimbursed in connection with protest activities.
    Media or public relations strategies, including talking points, press releases, and coordination with journalists or influencers relating to immigration protests.
    Donor lists.
    Failure to comply will result in additional action by this Subcommittee, including potential referral for criminal investigation.
    Sincerely,Josh HawleyChairmanSubcommittee on Crime and CounterterrorismU.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Holds 23andMe CEO’s Feet to the Fire for Hoarding Consumers’ Personal Information Ahead of Bankruptcy Sale

    US Senate News:

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

    Thursday, June 12, 2025

    In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) criticized Joseph Selsavage—the Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial and Accounting Officer of ancestry service 23andMe—for his company’s lack of transparency in retaining consumers’ information ahead of its imminent bankruptcy sale.

    “I hope [consumers] will rush to the court house, even as we are here today, to sue you into oblivion,” Senator Hawley said to Selsavage, who failed to provide an adequate explanation for 23andMe’s byzantine privacy policy. The CEO ultimately admitted that 23andMe does, in fact, retain customers’ personal information—even after consumers opt to delete it.

    “What you’re doing here has all kinds of implications—national security implications, all of it—but nothing is worse than taking the personal, identifiable information of American consumers and keeping it, and lying to them about it, while you make a huge profit off of it,” the Senator continued.

    Senator Hawley also called out Selsavage for repeatedly looking to his legal counsel throughout the course of their exchange: “Don’t talk to your suit behind you. Talk to me.”

    Watch the full video here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Statement on Senate Republicans’ Latest Effort to Force Nevada Public Land Sales in their Billionaire Tax Cut Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement after Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) released legislation that would use public land sales to pay for Senate Republicans’ billionaire tax cut bill. Senator Cortez Masto pushed to get similar provisions struck from the House bill, and just today called out Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum for the administration’s lack of consultation on such a critical issue for Nevada.
    “It is clear that this language was developed behind closed doors without input from critical Nevada stakeholders because it ignores provisions for affordable housing and eliminates funding Nevada relies on for our schools and water conservation projects,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “If we truly want to support affordable housing and economic development in Nevada, everyone needs to be at the table. Shoving lands sales in a reconciliation bill in order to pay for tax cuts for billionaires is not the way forward, and I’ll continue to fight against this misguided proposal.”
    Senator Lee’s language directs the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service to sell a certain percentage of federal lands in Nevada and other Western states for fair market value, while ignoring the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) and the Nevada tradition of sending federal land revenues back to the state to fund drought mitigation, public education, and conservation projects. Senator Lee’s bill would instead send the revenue from future lands sales in Nevada to the general Treasury. The legislation also ignores numerous already-negotiated lands bills across the state, including Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, a years-long effort to help Clark County grow, encourage affordable housing, and protect 2 million acres for conservation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Padilla Objects to EPA Nominees After Republicans Bypass Parliamentarian to Decimate California’s Clean Air Authority

    US Senate News:

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

    WATCH: Padilla Objects to EPA Nominees After Republicans Bypass Parliamentarian to Decimate California’s Clean Air Authority

    WATCH: Padilla: “California’s success drives America’s success. You rein in California’s ability to lead, you restrain our country’s success.” WATCH: Padilla also demands answers from EPA Administrator Zeldin on why the agency bucked longstanding precedent to submit California’s waivers as rules under the Congressional Review ActWASHINGTON, D.C. — After Republicans shortsightedly revoked California’s clean air waivers last month, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to object to the confirmation of all future EPA nominees during the consideration of David Fotouhi to serve as Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Last week, Padilla announced his intent to place a blanket hold on EPA nominations — stating he would maintain holds on all of President Trump’s EPA nominees until Republicans allow California to protect the health of its residents, especially as the Trump Administration ramps up its attacks on California.
    Padilla’s holds — including yesterday’s objection to Fotouhi — come after Republicans overruled the nonpartisan Senate Parliamentarian’s decision and went nuclear on the Senate rulebook in order to rescind California’s clean air waivers, which allowed the state to implement more protective air quality standards for over 50 years. Senate Republicans bypassed the filibuster to rescind these waivers by overruling the Senate Parliamentarian’s determination that any resolutions aimed at overturning California’s waivers would not be entitled to the Congressional Review Act’s (CRA) expedited procedures and would therefore require 60 votes to secure Senate passage. Padilla’s objections prevent fast-track confirmation of EPA nominees, requiring the Senate majority to use a more time-consuming process and hold two separate votes on each nominee.
    As Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, Padilla is also demanding answers from EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on how and why EPA changed its longstanding legal position — which had persisted for 20 years under administrations of both parties — regarding whether California’s Clean Air Act waivers are subject to review under the CRA. The new oversight letter emphasizes that EPA’s actions to submit the waivers to Congress as rules led to the first instance of the Senate successfully using the “nuclear option” to avoid a legislative filibuster when Republicans overruled the Parliamentarian. Padilla asked Zeldin a series of questions, and requested related records and communications, pushing for details on how and why EPA changed its position and submitted California’s waivers as rules to Congress, which led directly to Senate Republicans changing Senate rules to bypass the legislative filibuster.
    Floor Speech on EPA Holds
    In his floor speech, Padilla emphasized that Republicans’ unprecedented actions jeopardize the public health of millions of Californians and blow up the Senate rulebook.
    “This was the very first time in the history of this Senate that the majority decided to go nuclear to take up joint resolutions that were subject to the filibuster one minute and they eliminated the legislative filibuster for them the next. They can deny it all they want, but it’s written there in the record for all of us to see, and it was sparked by the Trump Administration’s EPA abusing the Congressional Review Act and twisting it into something that it was never intended to be.”
    “The consequences will be physical, impacting the health, not just the lungs, but the broader health of the people of my home state of California. So I rise to remind my Republican colleagues and the EPA’s current leadership that these actions will have consequences, and as long as my Republican colleagues continue to try to pull the wool over the eyes of the American people, I’m going to continue to speak up and fight back.”
    “Unfortunately, the Trump Administration and the Republican majority plowed ahead, at the expense of the health of millions of children and families in California and many other states for that matter. They took advantage of the EPA’s clear abuse of the CRA to go nuclear, first overriding the procedural limits in the text of the CRA itself, and then second, by overturning the Parliamentarian’s decision, all in a quest to do away with California’s clear, longstanding authority under the Clean Air Act. That’s unacceptable.”
    Padilla highlighted the importance of California’s clean air waivers for addressing the state’s unique air quality challenges, emphasizing that California has already done nearly all it can to reduce emissions from stationary sources of air pollution but needs its EPA waivers to regulate mobile air pollution sources that cause significant environmental and public health issues. He underscored California’s leadership in port electrification and breakthrough hydrogen technologies, yet mobile sources under the federal government’s jurisdiction continue to produce most emissions.
    “California has done everything it can, and now the federal government needs to step up and do its part, do its part, or get out of the way, and [let] California continue to lead.”
    “That’s why these waivers are so important — because absent the federal government doing its part, California needs the federal waivers to fill the gap, to reduce pollution further, to reach attainment, to protect the lungs and the health of Californians. But now, as a result of the Trump EPA and the Senate Republicans’ abuse of the CRA, the people of California will be forced to breathe more toxic air pollution than they should have to and suffer the devastating impacts.”
    Padilla concluded his remarks by making clear that he will maintain his holds on EPA nominees until the EPA allows California to protect the public health of its residents. He highlighted that the attack on California’s clean air waiver is part of the Trump Administration’s relentless targeting of the state, despite the critical role California plays in bolstering the national economy, and warned his colleagues of the dangers of restricting the state’s leadership.
    “From the minute Donald Trump came back into office, we knew California was a target. … The President decided to not just attack California on climate, but with ICE raids, with a tax on federal funding and research grants, threats to withhold disaster aid, and more. So to President Trump and to all those who choose to target California for a political agenda, you’ll soon see what California is capable of, and you’ll learn that it’s far better to bet on California than against California.”
    “In the meantime, I’ll continue to oppose these EPA nominees until the EPA reverses course and works with California, not just for California’s interest, but our nation’s interest. California is the most populous state in the nation, the largest economy of any state in the nation. California’s success drives America’s success.”
    “You rein in California’s ability to lead, you restrain our country’s success. So I hope we can reach an agreement in the near future. But if not, we’ll continue to raise objections, and I will always stand up and defend California.”
    Video of Senator Padilla’s full floor remarks is available here.
    Oversight Letter to Administrator Zeldin
    Padilla also highlighted his new oversight letter to EPA Administrator Zeldin during a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing this morning, detailing the vast implications that EPA and Republicans’ abuse of the CRA will have in rewriting the Senate rulebook.
    “I believe EPA’s abuse of the CRA led the Republican majority to go nuclear, all in their effort to attack California’s Clean Air Act authority. EPA had never submitted a California waiver to Congress in the 20 years that the CRA has been in effect, under both Democratic administrations and Republican administrations, until now.”
    “So that reckless disregard for the law has had major consequences, not just on California’s ability to reduce emissions and improve public health, but for how the Senate itself operates. And the Senate deserves to know how and why the Trump EPA changed the agency’s longstanding legal position on those waivers.”
    “I’ve asked some important questions, and I’m seeking EPA related records and communications, and so Madam Chair, we will see whether Administrator Zeldin will respect Senators’ oversight authority and will hold the Trump EPA accountable for their abuse of the law.”
    Video of Senator Padilla’s full questioning is available here.
    Background
    Senator Padilla has been a leading voice in pushing back against Republican attacks on California’s Clean Air Act waivers. Over the last month, Padilla has spoken on the Senate floor repeatedly to sound the alarm on Senate Republicans’ revocations of these critical waivers. Padilla, along with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), also led Democratic Ranking Members in strongly warning Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) of the dangerous and irreparable consequences if Senate Republicans overrule the Senate Parliamentarian’s decision on California’s waivers. Many of his Democratic colleagues voiced similar opposition to Republicans’ unprecedented dismissal of the Senate rulebook.
    In April, Padilla, Whitehouse, and Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) welcomed the Senate Parliamentarian’s decision that the waivers are not subject to the CRA. Padilla also joined Whitehouse and Schiff in blasting Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s weaponization of the EPA after the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) similar finding. Padilla and Schiff previously slammed the Trump Administration’s intent to roll back dozens of the EPA’s regulations that protect California’s air and water.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: June 11th, 2025 Heinrich Statement on Senate Republicans’ Plan to Sell Off Public Lands and Raise Energy Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the Senate Republicans’ reconciliation bill text:

    “Senate Republicans think they can get away with taking a sledgehammer to our national public lands, killing thousands of American jobs, and jacking up families’ electricity costs without being held accountable. To hell with that.

    “Senate Republicans have finally said the quiet part out loud: They want to put millions of acres of our public lands up in a fire sale, destroy the investments that have created thousands of manufacturing and clean energy jobs – including in their home states, and obliterate programs that lower energy costs for everyday Americans. If Senate Republicans succeed, we all lose. Countless families lose their ticket to the middle class in the jobs killed and their hard-earned money to unnecessarily high utility bills. And we all lose access to public lands forever, jeopardizing our local economies and who we are as a nation. 

    “In the days ahead, you’ll hear a lot of excuses from Republicans trying to cover for what they’re doing. Do not believe it. This isn’t about building more housing or energy dominance. It’s about giving their billionaire buddies YOUR land and YOUR money.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons Statement on Joint Resolution of Disapproval Vote

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement after voting against two Joint Resolutions of Disapproval over U.S. arms sales to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates:
    “In just a few months, Donald Trump has shown that his second term will be the most corrupt in American history. He needs to be held accountable for this corruption by the courts and by Congress, and I have repeatedly worked to do so over the past several months. I appreciate my colleagues’ efforts to shine a light on this stunning level of corruption by exploring new avenues to do so while we are in the minority.
    “Unfortunately, these resolutions don’t hold President Trump accountable. Instead, they target other countries for the actions of our president, countries that host more than 10,000 U.S. troops on strategically important bases and are our partners. President Trump himself will feel no consequences.”
    “President Trump and his administration are both creating a more dangerous world and driving wedges between our nation and nearly every one of our partners and allies. Canceling these long-planned sales won’t just weaken two nations the world relies on for stability in a region made more volatile by President Trump’s actions, they will also distance us from key partners at a time we cannot afford to do so.
    “The United States negotiated contracts for these arms sales years ago. Many nations already know they cannot count on our president to keep his word. I am concerned that passing these resolutions would send a message that they can’t count on Congress to do so, either.”
    Senator Coons is Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

    MIL OSI USA News –