Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16)

Late last night, the House Budget Committee took up the Republicans’ disastrous reconciliation bill and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) voted no. Republicans reconvened the committee at 10pm ET to pass their bill, which had failed on Friday after several Republicans blocked it to negotiate further – and even more damaging – cuts to Medicaid. 

“Republicans just approved a budget that will rip away healthcare, end nutrition programs, explode the national debt and be incredibly harmful to every American except those in the top 0.1%,” said Rep. Escobar. “This bill makes America sicker, poorer and hungrier so that billionaires can enjoy massive tax breaks.”

The Penn Wharton Budget Model, a non-partisan scorekeeper released their analysis of the Republican budget bill. According to their economists, Americans who make less than $51,000 a year would see their after-tax income fall by about $700 as a result of the Republican proposal beginning next year. 

This would devastate low-income communities such as El Paso, where 43% of El Pasoans earn less than $51,000 according to census statistics.

But the top 0.1 percent? The Penn Wharton Budget Model shows that the top 0.1 percent would see their after-tax income increase by an average of more than $389,000 starting next year.

With this budget, Republicans are deliberately choosing to explode the deficit, and kick 13.7 million people off their healthcare. Americans will be sicker, poorer and hungrier because Republicans have chosen to prioritize billionaire handouts.

Video of the Congresswoman’s reaction after the vote can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16)

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) joined Representatives Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Jason Crow (CO-6), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Dan Goldman (NY-10), and more for a press conference to continue their calls on Republicans to finally place the commemorative plaque honoring the U.S. Capitol police officers that protected the Capitol on January 6^th.

As part of H.R. 2471, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, Democrats included a provision requiring the Architect of the Capitol to obtain an honorific plaque listing the names of all officers from various law enforcement agencies who responded to the violence on January 6, 2021. This provision set a deadline of March 2023 for the plaque to be displayed. 

Despite the plaque having been finished, House Republicans have refused to hang up the plaque, nor have they offered a timetable to do so.

In January, Congresswoman Escobar joined nearly 60 Democrats to request an update from Speaker Johnson about the status of the plaque’s placement.

Photos of the event can be found here. Video of her remarks can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16)

Following the alarming arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and threats of arrest to Members of Congress due to a recent oversight visit to the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility, U.S. Representatives Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Jason Crow (CO-6) today sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons to condemn the recent events and urge them to issue clarifying direction to DHS personnel about the explicit legal right that a Member of Congress has to access a detention center. 

“During a site visit by three Members of Congress – Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver – Newark Mayor Ras Baraka waited outside in a fenced-in parking lot as protestors gathered on the other side of the fence,” they wrote. “He was told to leave the fenced-in part of the parking lot and, despite complying with the request, was arrested by ICE agents. Subsequently, a DHS spokesperson indicated that arrests of the attending Members of Congress are ‘on the table,’ alleging that one of them ‘body-slammed’ an ICE officer – a claim uncorroborated by witnesses or available video evidence.”

They continued, “The Department itself has affirmed the oversight duties of Members of Congress in guidance posted by ICE dated to February 2025. Arresting Members of Congress for performing their lawful oversight duties cannot be ‘on the table’ because that action would be explicitly unlawful.”

“We anticipate your prompt confirmation that clarifying direction has been given by May 17, 2025,” the representatives concluded.

The full text of the letter can be read here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN)

Rep. Burchett to Introduce Legislation to Codify President Trump’s Executive Orders

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-03) released the following statement after voting NO on Trump and House Republicans’ devastating budget bill:

“Today, House Republicans—at the direction of Donald Trump—conducted the biggest theft in U.S. history. Their budget reconciliation bill is the largest transfer of wealth from the country’s most vulnerable to its richest.

At a time when Trump Tariffs are already causing prices to rise, House Republicans are making the lives of millions of Americans more even more difficult by passing a bill that rips healthcare from nearly 14 million Americans who rely on Medicaid including 300,000 in my district. They are stealing school meals from over 18 million children to pay for another $150 billion to the Pentagon for wasteful and dangerous projects like mass deportation flights, the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, and boondoggles like Trump’s Golden Dome. But guess what? It doesn’t pay for itself; it would add $5 trillion dollars to the national debt.

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” This bill does the exact opposite. The Congressional Budget Office confirms the bill will raise incomes for the wealthiest 10% of Americans while slashing incomes for the poorest 10%. It also guts Medicare, SNAP, and Head Start, cutting vital lifelines from families who are already struggling.

The fact that so many Republicans voted to actively harm their own constituents just to curry favor with Donald Trump is shameful. I’m proud to stand with my Democratic colleagues who fought tooth and nail to delay this disaster. If Democrats were in control of Congress, we would vote on raising wages and cutting costs for working Americans, not handouts to billionaire donors.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

WASHINGTON, DC— This week, U.S. Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA-08) and Mike Thompson (D-CA-04) sent a joint letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth following reports that the Trump Administration is considering Travis Air Force Base as an immigration detention facility:

“It’s outrageous and inappropriate for the Trump Administration to use Travis Air Force Base as an immigration detention facility. Converting Travis into an immigration facility would undermine its vital national security mission. Travis Air Force Base has long been known as the ‘Gateway to the Pacific’ because it plays a crucial role in our national security by providing transportation for personnel and materiel around the world, particularly in support to Ukraine.” said the Representatives.

“Unfortunately, this is not the President’s first attempt to inappropriately utilize Travis Air Force Base, hampering its critical mission. In February we uncovered that Trump was using Travis’s military aircraft to transport undocumented individuals at three times the cost of commercial flights. Later that month, we were able to stop his attempt to send trained medical personnel to the proposed migrant detention camp in Guantanamo Bay. Now, the President wants to turn Travis into a mass deportation center. All these instances compromise our national security and are simply absurd.

“We are deeply alarmed by Trump’s blatant abuse of presidential power and his indifference to the rule of law. His utter disregard for the Posse Comitatus Act, which explicitly prohibits using active-duty military personnel for domestic law enforcement functions, is gravely concerning.

“We will continue Congress’s oversight role and work to ensure the American people understand the unlawful, wasteful, and dangerous path Trump is pursuing.”

This letter is the latest in a series of actions by Rep. Garamendi and Rep. Thompson to hold the Trump Administration accountable for misusing military resources in immigration enforcement.

In January, Rep. Garamendi’s office sent a letter demanding answers from the Department of Defense regarding the use of C-17s and C-130s from Travis Air Force Base to deport undocumented immigrants. 

In February, Rep. Garamendi followed up with another letter pressing the Trump Administration over plans to deploy medical professionals to a proposed migrant detention facility in Guantanamo Bay. The Department of Defense recently responded to that inquiry, but Rep. Garamendi’s office found the response inadequate.

Read the full letter here and below.

Pete Hegseth
Secretary of Defense
Office of the Secretary of Defense 
1000 Defense Pentagon 
Washington, DC 20301 

Dear Secretary Hegseth, 

We are deeply frustrated and gravely concerned by recent reports regarding the proposed use of Travis Air Force Base (AFB) as a migrant detention site. In our previous correspondence, we requested detailed assessments on the impact of this plan, including its effects on military resources, infrastructure, ongoing construction projects, and overall readiness. To date, these critical details remain unclear.

While the federal government must address immigration challenges with humane and practical solutions, utilizing a military installation for civilian law enforcement and detention operations raises significant concerns about the misuse of military resources, operational readiness, and national security. The decision to use Travis AFB as a migrant detention center would both constitute a dangerous militarization of immigration enforcement and unnecessarily degrade military readiness.

Travis AFB plays a critical role in national security and is responsible for the global transportation of personnel and material. Whether providing aid to Ukraine or transporting personnel and equipment into the Pacific, Travis AFB must maintain its readiness to respond to global crises.

Additionally, military personnel’s involvement in civilian detention and law enforcement contradicts established legal frameworks, including the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts military engagement in civilian law enforcement. Assigning resources toward immigration enforcement risks blurring this crucial distinction and setting a concerning precedent for the use of military installations for purposes beyond their intended scope.

We demand answers from the Department of Defense to the following inquiries, no later than 30 days after receipt:

1. Has the Department assessed the potential impact on Travis AFB’s infrastructure, specifically regarding water and energy, should a detention site be established at the base?
2. How will diverting space and resources for a detention center at Travis AFB impact ongoing or future operations?
3. How many migrants does the Department expect to detain at Travis AFB?
4. Does the Department plan to reassign military personnel at Travis AFB to assist in detention operations?
5. How will the Department ensure military personnel are not performing law enforcement activities at this detention center?
6. What authorized and appropriated funds are being diverted to build and maintain this detention center?

We urge you to provide full transparency on how this decision will affect Travis AFB and to reconsider any action that might compromise military readiness and interfere with ongoing or future operations.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Representative John Garamendi (D-CA-08) led a letter, along with 24 California Democratic colleagues, urging that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimburse the $460 million still owed to California Hospitals for emergency expenses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During COVID-19, hospitals expanded capacity and invested in ventilators and PPE, often at the request of state or local governments. These funds from FEMA are crucial for California’s healthcare system, where nearly half of all hospitals operate at a loss.

In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals in California were essential in treating patients while also maintaining their core mission of delivering healthcare services to everyone in need. However, in their response to the crisis, these hospitals faced significant financial burdens as they expanded their capacity—often at the request of state or local governments. They also invested in critical resources such as ventilators, secured substantial supplies of personal protective equipment, and hired additional clinical staff to ensure they could continue providing care to their communities.”

“However, FEMA has failed to fulfill its obligation to reimburse our healthcare systems for the care and services they delivered. Recent data shows that 260 of California’s hospitals and health systems have applied for $3.4 billion in FEMA public assistance and $2.84 billion has been obligated.1 Many of these outstanding claims date back to 2020.2 We appreciate the progress FEMA has made since November in obligating these funds and ask that the remaining funds be promptly obligated to ensure California’s hospitals can continue their vital work.”

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

Dear Acting Administrator Hamilton,

We respectfully request that you take immediate steps to expeditiously obligate and disburse the remaining $460 million outstanding claims for eligible expenses incurred in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic submitted by Californian hospitals and health systems.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals in California were essential in treating patients while also maintaining their core mission of delivering healthcare services to everyone in need. However, in their response to the crisis, these hospitals faced significant financial burdens as they expanded their capacity—often at the request of state or local governments. They also invested in critical resources such as ventilators, secured substantial supplies of personal protective equipment, and hired additional clinical staff to ensure they could continue providing care to their communities.

However, FEMA has failed to fulfill its obligation to reimburse our healthcare systems for the care and services they delivered. Recent data shows that 260 of California’s hospitals and health systems have applied for $3.4 billion in FEMA public assistance and $2.84 billion has been obligated.

Many of these outstanding claims date back to 2020.2 We appreciate the progress FEMA has made since November in obligating these funds and ask that the remaining funds be promptly obligated to ensure California’s hospitals can continue their vital work.

California’s hospitals were critical in ensuring the health and safety of our communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, the failure to deliver on the outstanding FEMA applications has left our hospitals in a precarious position. Nearly half of the state’s hospitals operate at a loss every day while providing care, and an additional 12% are only just above breaking even. Already, our communities are seeing service cuts and facility closures.

Moreover, by 2030, our hospital and health systems will face a critical inflection point as state requirements for seismic safety will go into effect. Current budget deficits, made worse by delayed FEMA payments, will only be exacerbated by the proposed decreases in federal reimbursement for Medicare and Medicaid patients. This combination of factors could put California’s healthcare system, particularly for care providers in rural and low-income areas, on the brink of crisis.

It is critical to act quickly to allocate the remaining $460 million in federal reimbursements for hospitals’ costs incurred in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that our healthcare systems receive the compensation they deserve. We stand ready to work with you to accomplish this.

The letter was co-signed by the following California members: Representative Nanette Barragán, Representative Julia Brownley, Representative Salud Carbajal, Representative Judy Chu, Representative Gilbert Cisneros, Representative Lou Correa, Representative Jim Costa, Representative Laura Friedman, Representative Robert Garcia, Representative Jimmy Gomez, Representative Jared Huffman, Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Representative Ted Lieu, Representative Doris Matsui, Representative Kevin Mullin, Representative Jimmy Panetta, Representative Nancy Pelosi, Representative Raul Ruiz, Representative Linda Sánchez, Representative Mark Takano, Representative Mike Thompson, Representative Norma Torres, Representative Juan Vargas, and Representative George Whitesides.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Representative John Garamendi (D-CA-08) led a bicameral letter expressing concern about President Trump’s understanding of the important role the United States plays in nuclear weapons safety and nonproliferation. This letter was co-led by the Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group Co-Chairs, Representative Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), along with Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37), Representative Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07), Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA-02), and Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA-04).

Nuclear nonproliferation refers to efforts to deter the spread of nuclear weapons. This happens via discouraging nuclear buildups by countries that already possess nuclear weapons and by working to prevent non-nuclear states from obtaining nuclear weapons.  

A world with more nuclear weapons is a less safe world. By cutting funding for nonproliferation activities and firing professionals responsible for managing the United States nuclear weapons stockpile, the Trump administration has failed to demonstrate it appreciates this reality.

In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “Nonproliferation is not just about stopping the spread of nuclear weapons – it also includes securing and disposing of dangerous materials, preventing radioactive materials from falling into the wrong hands, and ensuring compliance with international nuclear agreements and export controls. This work is essential to safeguarding public safety, strengthening global oversight, and preventing nuclear accidents or terrorism.”

“Nuclear proliferation is a significant threat to U.S. and global security. At this critical juncture, U.S. allies are reevaluating their non-nuclear status, driven in part by concerns that the U.S. may no longer be a reliable partner. A world with more nuclear weapons is one in which every minor conflict has the potential to cause mass casualties, and where terrorists will have more opportunities to attempt to seize nuclear materials and weapons in nuclear-armed countries. A steadfast U.S. commitment to global nuclear security is more crucial than ever.”

“Underinvestment in nuclear security threatens research and workforce development programs focused on addressing national security challenges such as uranium enrichment, weaponization by foreign actors, the risks posed by artificial intelligence to nuclear security, and technical assistance to U.S. companies developing advanced nuclear reactors.”

The letter requests the President provide answers to the following questions: 

• You have stated clearly your intention to “de-nuclearize.” Will your administration prioritize efforts to secure arms control agreements and nuclear nonproliferation?  

• Does your administration remain committed to the principles of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty? Will you sanction or otherwise condemn any country that withdraws from the treaty to pursue a nuclear weapons program? 

• Will your administration prioritize preventing uranium or other nuclear material from falling into the wrong hands? Will you commit to maintaining robust investments in global tracking and accounting for nuclear material? 

• Which specific programs will be affected by the $185 million reduction of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation account? Please provide details on specific programs and the amounts their funding will be reduced.  

• How will the reduction of manpower and nonproliferation funding at NNSA impact its ability to prevent nuclear accidents or threats? 

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

Dear President Trump:

We write to strongly urge your administration to prioritize nuclear nonproliferation, and to express concern that recent actions suggest a lack of appreciation for the vital role of U.S. leadership in these efforts.  

Nonproliferation is not just about stopping the spread of nuclear weapons – it also includes securing and disposing of dangerous materials, preventing radioactive materials from falling into the wrong hands, and ensuring compliance with international nuclear agreements and export controls. This work is essential to safeguarding public safety, strengthening global oversight, and preventing nuclear accidents or terrorism.

Your administration’s actions have signaled an underappreciation of critical nonproliferation work. These actions include the hasty firing of over 300 National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) employees overseeing the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile in February and the redirection of $185 million from the NNSA’s Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation account in the recent full-year Continuing Resolution to the nuclear weapons activities account.  

Reports also suggest your administration has suspended two key programs that provide vital assistance to international nuclear inspectors, including those monitoring Iran’s nuclear program. There are vacancies at several high-profile arms control and nonproliferation posts across the administration. The potential for large reductions in the workforce at the Department of Energy, including NNSA experts responsible for maintaining a safe and secure nuclear weapons stockpile, are cause for further concern.

Nuclear proliferation is a significant threat to U.S. and global security. At this critical juncture, U.S. allies are reevaluating their non-nuclear status, driven in part by concerns that the U.S. may no longer be a reliable partner. A world with more nuclear weapons is one in which every minor conflict has the potential to cause mass casualties, and where terrorists will have more opportunities to attempt to seize nuclear materials and weapons in nuclear-armed countries. A steadfast U.S. commitment to global nuclear security is more crucial than ever.

The 2024 Department of Defense Report on the Nuclear Employment Strategy states that “…deterrence alone will not address strategic dangers. Arms control, risk reduction, and nuclear nonproliferation are indispensable in preserving stability, enhancing predictability, deterring aggression and escalation, reducing the consequences if deterrence fails, and mitigating the risk of nuclear arms racing and nuclear war.”

The Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN) account at NNSA, which is being cut by $185 million, funds essential programs that protect U.S. national security. One is the Office of Global Material Security (GMS), which works globally to prevent terrorists from acquiring nuclear or radioactive materials for attacks on the U.S. GMS also collaborates with international partners to secure nuclear materials and combat trafficking. In addition, the DNN account funds the Office of International Nuclear Safeguards, which ensures that countries comply with International Atomic Energy Agency agreements and do not divert nuclear materials to weapons programs or pursue undeclared nuclear activities.

Underinvestment in nuclear security threatens research and workforce development programs focused on addressing national security challenges such as uranium enrichment, weaponization by foreign actors, the risks posed by artificial intelligence to nuclear security, and technical assistance to U.S. companies developing advanced nuclear reactors.  

These actions raise serious concerns about your administration’s commitment to nuclear nonproliferation. As such, we respectfully request prompt answers to the following questions:

• You have stated clearly your intention to “de-nuclearize.” Will your administration prioritize efforts to secure arms control agreements and nuclear nonproliferation? 

• Does your administration remain committed to the principles of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty? Will you sanction or otherwise condemn any country that withdraws from the treaty to pursue a nuclear weapons program?
•  

• Will your administration prioritize preventing uranium or other nuclear material from falling into the wrong hands? Will you commit to maintaining robust investments in global tracking and accounting for nuclear material?

• Which specific programs will be affected by the $185 million reduction of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation account? Please provide details on specific programs and the amounts their funding will be reduced.  

• How will the reduction of manpower and nonproliferation funding at NNSA impact its ability to prevent nuclear accidents or threats?  

To ensure international security, the United States must invest in more than just weapons. We cannot afford to abandon our commitment to nuclear nonproliferation or the technical and policy programs that support it. Prioritizing nonproliferation strengthens deterrence, reduces the risks of nuclear accidents or intentional use, promotes international cooperation, and allows for the peaceful and responsible use of nuclear energy.  

In today’s rapidly changing global environment, the United States commitment to nonproliferation is vital. Continued investment in these efforts will advance international security, stability, and cooperation. For America to lead in creating a safer world, we must reaffirm and uphold our commitment to nuclear nonproliferation.

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