Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)

Washington, DC – Tonight, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) issued the following statement: 

“Today, I voted against Republicans’ plan to reduce access to Social Security, reduce funding for veterans’ health care, slash infrastructure investments, and cut nutrition and rent assistance for families who need it most. Republicans had months to negotiate with Democrats to craft a bipartisan funding bill. Instead, they chose to set the stage for massive new tax cuts for Trump, Elon, and their billionaire buddies. 

“As Congress’ only PhD physicist, I’m also deeply concerned about the $185 million in cuts to our Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation programs in this bill. A funding gap of this size would substantially affect our national security, paving the way for countries like Iran, terrorist groups, and other adversaries to more easily get their hands on nuclear material. 

“At the end of the day, Republicans control the House, Senate, and White House. If they can’t put an end to their infighting, and still refuse to negotiate a compromise with Democrats, they alone will be responsible for a shutdown.”

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) and Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) announced that they led 37 Members of Congress in expressing their concern with the recent firing of 168 workers at the National Science Foundation (NSF).

In a letter to President Trump and NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan, the Members wrote:

“These rash decisions, alongside the Administration’s freeze on NSF grant funds and cancellation of all grant review panels, will not only cause our country to miss out on the scientific breakthroughs that cancelled research could lead to, but we could also lose a generation of scientists who cannot complete their NSF-supported graduate and postdoctoral training. A “brain drain” from the federal government, or from the STEM fields overall, would be catastrophic […]

“If our country fails to continue to make these advancements, we fear that China and our other research-focused adversaries will fill the gap and get ahead. This poses a threat to our national security not only because of the potential improvements in defense-related technologies, but also because more and more of the free world will become dependent on their inventions and economy, giving China the upper hand in world affairs.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)

Today, Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas), joined by every Ways and Means Republican, reintroduced the Unfair Tax Prevention Act to discourage foreign countries from attacking U.S. jobs and tax revenues through the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Pillar 2 so-called Under Taxed Profit Rule (UTPR) surtax. The bill ensures that if a country moves forward with a UTPR surtax on American workers and businesses, the United States will impose a reciprocal tax measure that will apply as long as the foreign country’s unfair tax remains in place.
 
“When it comes to international taxes, the United States should put American businesses and the U.S. Treasury first – a departure from the Biden administration’s policies of putting America last,” said Rep. Estes. “The OECD and their so-called Under Taxed Profit Rule in Pillar 2 is a disgraceful surtax that disproportionately impacts U.S. job creators and our country’s economic competitiveness by targeting our companies for foreign treasuries’ gains. Ways and Means Republicans stand behind President Trump, who has clearly stated that he will protect American interests in any global tax negotiations, in defending our tax base from unfair extraterritorial taxes by foreign countries. Our allies and partners should take note – abandon the UTPR surtax.”
 
Background
The Unfair Tax Prevention Act defends Americans from unfair taxation by foreign countries with a reciprocal tax measure for any country that decides to target Americans under the guise of the OECD deal:

• Defines “foreign-owned extraterritorial tax regime entities” (FETR entities) as foreign-controlled entities connected with entities operating in jurisdictions with extraterritorial taxes aimed at U.S. business operations, including the UTPR surtax. 
• Strengthens anti-avoidance rules in the U.S. base erosion and anti-abuse tax (BEAT), by eliminating the 3% base erosion percentage floor and the $500 million gross receipts test for FETR entities.
• Revokes the ability of FETR entities to disregard certain service payments and payments subject to withholding taxes, and treats 50% of cost of goods sold as a base erosion tax benefit.
• Accelerates the scheduled BEAT rate increase and tax credit changes for FETR entities.

For years Rep. Estes has been sounding the alarm and pushing back against the OECD’s global tax scheme, and outside organizations, like the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce, agree. Earlier this week, he commented on reports that Treasury delivered a memo to the White House in response to President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 executive action on OECD. In January, Rep. Estes praised President Trump’s executive actions rejecting the OECD tax deal. On that same day, he also joined Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-Missouri) in introducing the Defending American Jobs and Investment Act. Earlier that month he published an op-ed in London’s Telegraph outlining U.S. opposition to the OECD deal. He previously published an op-ed with MP Priti Patel on the OECD Pillar Two tax scheme, led a letter to Treasury demanding accountability and traveled with Ways and Means colleague to Germany and France to discuss Pillar Two with European leaders. He also introduced legislation to impose reciprocal taxes on countries that use the OECD deal to impose unfair taxes on U.S. business and raid the U.S. tax base in the last Congress. Earlier, he penned an op-ed in The Hill outlining the concerns with the OECD deal and published a Bloomberg op-ed with Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) highlighting how the OECD tax deal would harm the United States.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)

Today, Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) issued the following statement after reports that Treasury delivered a memo to the White House in response to President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 executive action on OECD.
 
“I’m pleased to hear that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has followed through on the president’s directive to dismantle the disastrous OECD agreements that put America last and allow foreign countries to target U.S. job creators for their own treasuries’ gains,” said Rep. Estes. “The Trump administration made clear from day one that it will defend American interests in any global tax negotiations. Delivery of the Treasury report directly to the White House is a positive step in confirming that the U.S. is not going to cede our tax authority or our tax revenues. Ways and Means Chairman Smith has already introduced legislation to assist in this process, and I look forward to introducing a bill soon as well.”
 
Background:
For years Rep. Estes has been sounding the alarm and pushing back against the OECD’s global tax scheme. In January, Rep. Estes praised President Trump’s executive actions rejecting the OECD tax deal. On that same day, he also joined Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-Missouri) in introducing the Defending American Jobs and Investment Act. Earlier that month he published an op-ed in London’s Telegraph outlining U.S. opposition to the OECD deal. He previously published an op-ed with MP Priti Patel on the OECD Pillar Two tax scheme, led a letter to Treasury demanding accountability and traveled with Ways and Means colleague to Germany and France to discuss Pillar Two with European leaders. He also introduced legislation to impose reciprocal taxes on countries that use the OECD deal to impose unfair taxes on U.S. business and raid the U.S. tax base. Earlier, he penned an op-ed in The Hill outlining the concerns with the OECD deal and published a Bloomberg op-ed with Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) highlighting how the OECD tax deal would harm the United States.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)

Today, on World Down Syndrome Day, Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) is reintroducing the Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act. The act federally prohibits doctors from knowingly performing an abortion because of a baby’s prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis. 
 
“All children deserve the right to life, and aborting a child based solely on their genetic condition with an additional chromosome is discriminatory,” said Rep. Estes. “We must fight for the voiceless and most vulnerable members of our society. Individuals with Down syndrome are a blessing to our communities and families, often having an exceptional quality of life – working, being a part of a family, participating in sports, and more. Yet unborn children with a Down syndrome diagnosis are facing discrimination in the womb, and it is tragically wrong.”
 
The bill prohibits any person from coercing a woman to abort her unborn child because of a Down syndrome diagnosis. The legislation places the responsibility on the doctors who perform the abortions, not the women who receive the abortions. Violators can face a fine, imprisonment of up to five years, or both.
 
The Joint Economic Committee estimates that 60% to 90% of unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted in the United States, a disproportionate amount when compared to the estimated 18% of all pregnancies that end in abortion.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)

Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) issued a statement following Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin’s announcement that the EPA would be reviewing the definition of Waters of the United States, or WOTUS.
 
“For too long, Kansas farmers and ranchers have dealt with ambiguity and uncertainty as a zealous EPA attempted to dictate every pond and puddle in our state,” said Rep. Estes. “Kansans are good stewards of the resources here in the Sunflower State and don’t need bureaucrats in the swamp regulating the small water reserves on their land. This WOTUS announcement will relieve the burdensome provisions from the last administration while providing clarity and flexibility for the farmers, ranchers, communities and stakeholders who are caretakers of our water resources.”
 
Background
In a press release, the EPA said, “The agencies will move quickly to ensure that a revised definition follows the law, reduces red-tape, cuts overall permitting costs, and lowers the cost of doing business in communities across the country while protecting the nation’s navigable waters from pollution. Given the U.S. Supreme Court’s watershed decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, it is time for EPA to finally address this issue once and for all in a way that provides American farmers, landowners, businesses, and states with clear and simplified direction.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)

Last night, the House passed H.R. 1156 – the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act – by a vote of 295-127, with 83 Democrats joining all Republicans voting in favor of the bill. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates $100 to $135 billion in stolen unemployment insurance (UI) benefits with only $5 billion recovered so far. The legislation extends the statute of limitations for combatting and prosecuting the theft of COVID-era unemployment benefits, giving more time for law enforcement to complete current cases, open new ones and recoup billions of taxpayer dollars. Before the House passed the bill, Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) spoke in support of the legislation.

“We know that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans benefited from unemployment insurance,” said Rep. Estes. “But fraudsters took advantage of an overwhelmed system, resulting in more than $100 billion in sham UI payments, including $466 million in UI fraud in my home state of Kansas. But the statute of limitations is fast approaching on March 27, and if Congress doesn’t act, these scammers are off the hook.”

View video of Rep. Estes’ remarks here.

Full Remarks
Thank you, Chairman Smith, for yielding, and I want to thank you for introducing this common sense legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act.

But before I get into my planned remarks, I want to fact-check some of the colleagues on the other side of the aisle attacking President Trump, claiming that laid-off federal workers are being prevented from receiving unemployment. We’ve been in touch with the Department of Labor, and they’ve published documented guidelines describing filing and eligibility requirements that make it clear federal workers are eligible for unemployment.

The biggest risk to federal workers is not being able to claim their benefits at all because fraudsters got there first.

There have been multiple data breaches at agencies across the government, including the Office of Personnel Management, exposing the personal information of millions of federal workers.

Democrats should be supporting this bill to catch fraudsters that are still out there using stolen identities to file illegitimate claims.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have insisted that, despite their pushback on the Trump administration’s actions, they want to cut waste, fraud and abuse. Well today, they can prove it.

The bill we’re debating is really pretty simple. We know that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans benefited from unemployment insurance. But fraudsters took advantage of an overwhelmed system, resulting in more than $100 billion in sham UI payments, including $466 million in UI fraud in my home state of Kansas. But the statute of limitations is fast approaching on March 27, and if Congress doesn’t act, these scammers are off the hook.

Our legislation today extends the statute of limitations from 5 to 10 years. With nearly 1,700 open cases, this bill gives the Labor and Justice departments the tools they need to go after the criminals. This should be an easy yes for everyone in this chamber. And with that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brett Guthrie (2nd District Kentucky)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, last week, House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) spoke during a Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade hearing titled The World Wild Web: Examining Harms Online. Chairman Guthrie’s remarks focused on the committee’s plans to enact meaningful online safety measures to protect our children and highlighted the story of 16 year old Kentuckian, Elijah Heacock, who tragically took his own life after falling victim to an online extortion scheme. 

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce is scheduled to hold a full committee vote on the TAKE IT DOWN Act to address online safety issues, as part of a larger mark-up of bills, this Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. You can watch the hearing here.

Background:
If enacted, the TAKE IT DOWN Act would protect victims of real and deepfake ‘revenge pornography’ by criminalizing the publication, or threat of publishing, of these harmful images. Additionally, this legislation would require websites to quickly remove such content upon notice from the victims within 48 hours. 

You can view Chairman Guthrie’s full opening remarks from last week here or read highlights below. 

Chairman Guthrie honors Elijah Heacock and outlines the path ahead:
“I wish I could say that we had in place everything we needed to keep our children safe online, and we weren’t having this hearing today. This hearing is about children. It’s not about what’s going on here in Washington, DC; it’s about children. It’s about the families in this audience who’ve lost children. 

“It’s about a phone call I had yesterday with the mother of Eli Heacock, who took his own life about two weeks ago because of something that was going on online. He was being scammed… 

“Eli was a twin brother. Because he was a preemie, he had a feeding tube – 16 years old, he had a feeding tube. His mother said to me, ‘well at least he didn’t have to deal with this feeding tube anymore when the medical examiner took it out.’

“It was a kid that everybody loved, she said ‘I couldn’t believe people from five counties showed up to be at his funeral. I didn’t know he touched that many lives.’

“I mean, these are who we’re here to talk about. This is what this hearing is about, and I will say to my friend the Ranking Member, that we want this to be bipartisan. We want these bills to get a bipartisan vote…

“We’re going to have a bill this year – it’s going to pass as soon as we can get everything we need together to do it. We’re going to move on the TAKE IT DOWN Act, that’s why we’re having this hearing today to get this moving quickly.” 

Chairman Guthrie on his commitment to protect children online:
“We’re here for a very serious issue, and I really hope that – and I’ll take my good friend, the ranking member, up on her request – that we make this bipartisan, because it absolutely has to be bipartisan because it touches everybody, and everybody’s district. I know some of us on this [committee] have had the phone calls like I had yesterday, and I know it moves everybody. 

“So, what I want to say is that the TAKE IT DOWN Act, and KOSA, and all these other bills that protect our children for online safety are going to be a focus of this subcommittee, focus on this committee, and we’re getting them across the House floor.” 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brett Guthrie (2nd District Kentucky)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) presented winning Louisville area student groups awards for the 2024 Congressional Art Competition. The Congressional App Challenge allows middle and high school students to compete with peers in their own Congressional District by creating and exhibiting their software applications, or “apps,” for mobile, tablet, or computer devices on a platform of their choice.

“I am so proud to see the hard work and thoughtfulness that our local students put into the designing their apps,” said Congressman Guthrie. “In total, more than 30 student groups from across our district showcased immense ingenuity in their submissions. From developing ways to increase access to mental health resources, to improving physical health, to deepening an individuals’ relationship with God, these students solved real-world problems using modern technology. I know that all these students have a bright future ahead and our nation is in good hands with the next generation!”

Photos from yesterday’s event can be found here.

OVERALL SECOND PLACE: Serenity by Sharvil Saxena from Dupont Manual High School. This app is designed to improve a user’s mental health by including guided daily meditations, a mood tracker, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbox to provide real-time emotional support, and a built-in interface to connect individuals with professional mental health providers as needed.

OVERALL THRID PLACE: Personalized Intelligent Fitness & Nutrition Assistant by Manit Gupta & Bhavit Gupta from DuPont Manual High School & Meyzeek Middle School. This app works to educate users and improve health outcomes by developing individualized exercise routines, dietary recommendations based on available food, and data tracking to detect potential health issues.

MIDDLE SCHOOL FIRST PLACE: Mindful Memory by Ava Zernickow from Hebron Middle School. Mindful Memory is an educational app designed to provide resources for family and loved ones of dementia patients as well as being directly used by individuals living with mild cases of dementia to help them navigate the illness. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL SECOND PLACE: Chosen by Callie Pryor from Hebron Middle School. This app provides information and resources about the adoption process for families looking to expand their family through adoption. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL THIRD PLACE: Just Breathe by Mia Johnson, Leela Schroerlucke, Philippa Bryant and Elaine Paul from Hebron Middle School. This app provides tools and resources to middle and high school students to navigate daily stress and anxiety.

MIDDLE SCHOOL FOURTH PLACE: Mind Bible by Katie Ousley & Evelyn Kardols from Hebron Middle School. This app is designed to further teenagers’ relationship with God by providing educational opportunities about the Bible and Christianity.

The Congressional App Challenge was established by Members of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014 and is a nationwide event intended to engage students’ creativity and encourage their participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields. Eligibility is limited to students currently enrolled in middle or high school and either reside or attend school in the district. The overall first place submission will be invited to the #HouseofCode Showcase in Washington D.C. later this Spring.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brett Guthrie (2nd District Kentucky)

Guthrie Honors Leader McConnell’s Service to Kentucky