Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

Today, Congressman Jerry Nadler (NY-12) issued the following statement: 

“If the evidence initially presented by Jeffrey Goldberg weren’t damning enough, the latest tranche of messages revealed today make it clear that the Trump Administration has been lying—and continues to lie—about the confidential war plans shared by Secretary Hegseth in an unsecured Signal chat.

“The latest text messages confirm that in yesterday’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe lied under oath in their testimony. Perjury is a crime, and they should be prosecuted.

“Any other military officer who demonstrated such disregard for security protocols would likely face dismissal from service and even a court-martial.

“The Trump Administration appears to believe that cabinet secretaries and senior officials are immune from the law. They are not.

“Even today, official Administration X accounts continue to lie about the timeline and sensitive nature of these plans. These lies, along with Secretary Hegseth’s careless attitude, cannot go unpunished. The Trump Administration must be held accountable. I renew my calls for Secretary Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to resign; and now call for every member of the signal chat to resign, and for DNI Gabbard and Director Ratcliffe to face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S House Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), John Garamendi (D-CA), and Kathy Castor (D-FL) reintroduced the Children’s Health Protection Act of 2025, legislation to codify into law the only office within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dedicated to children’s health, the Office of Children’s Health Protection (OCHP). This office would be responsible for rulemaking, policy, enforcement actions, research and applications of science that focuses on prenatal and childhood vulnerabilities, safe chemicals management; and coordination of community-based programs to eliminate threats to children’s health where they live, learn and play. 

Similarly, the legislation would also make the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee a permanent advisory committee. This advisory committee will advise the EPA Administrator in regards to the activities of the Office of Children’s Health Protection, all relevant information regarding regulations, research, and communications related to children’s health, and continue to serve the EPA in protecting children from environmental harm. 
The Children’s Health Protection Act of 2025 aims to ensure that no President will be able to remove these safeguards that help shield children from environmental harms to their health. 

“Today, I am proud to reintroduce the Children’s Health Protection Act which confronts the urgent need to address the unique health risks children face from environmental factors,” said Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY). “By codifying the 1997 Executive Order that created the EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection—the only office within the EPA dedicated to protecting children’s health—this bill makes certain that the Office will remain a critical resource for our children, especially as the EPA’s critical functions are threatened.”

 “While the Trump Administration is stripping EPA regulations that protect children’s health, I’m thrilled that Congressman Nadler and Castor are leading the way to improve indoor air quality in our nation’s schools,” said Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA). “Our bill will ensure that the EPA prioritizes children’s health, allowing them to grow up and live happy, healthy lives. In 2018, the Trump Administration attempted to eliminate the EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection, which ensures that federal regulations for chemicals and other toxic substances account for children’s unique health needs. In 2025, Congressman Nadler, Castor and I are fighting to prevent the Trump Administration and any future administration from making such a reckless decision.” 

“The physical and mental health of children in America is paramount.  Children face greater health risks from dirty air and water pollution, and are at greater risk of developing chronic health conditions like asthma and diabetes.  Young people also are vulnerable to stress and trauma from extreme events and climate-related disasters. This bill will ensure that the EPA’s critical work to protect children’s environmental health continues with strong congressional support,” said Congresswoman Kathy Castor. 

In addition to Representatives Nadler, Garamendi, and Castor, the bill is also cosponsored by Representatives Carson, Chu, Cohen, Dexter, Evans, Hayes, Holmes Norton, Johnson (GA), Lee (PA), Magaziner, Ocasio Cortez, Sorenson, Thanedar, Tlaib, and Tokuda. 

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BACKGROUND:
 
Since its creation in 1997 through Executive Order, the EPA’s OCHP has been crucial in protecting children, who are uniquely vulnerable, from environmental hazards. It has done so through policy, research focusing on their unique prenatal and childhood health vulnerabilities, safe chemicals management, and coordination of community-based programs to eliminate threats to children’s health.
 
The OCHP also studies how natural disasters affect children’s health, not only through exposure to hazards like mold and water-borne pathogens but also by analyzing the mental toll of displacement and loss. 
 
The Children’s Health Protection Act will ensure this vital work continues by strengthening and securing the OCHP and the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee.
 
The Children’s Health Protection Act of 2025 is endorsed by a wide range of health advocacy groups and environmental justice organizations, including: Allergy & Asthma Network, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Lung Association, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, California Brain Tumor Association, Children’s Environmental Health Network,  Climate Mental Health Network, Climate Psychiatry Alliance, Endocrine Society, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, Health Care Without Harm, Healthy Schools Network, International Society for Environmental Epidemiology: North America Chapter, Medical Students for a Sustainable Future, Moms Clean Air Force, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Center for Healthy Housing, National Environmental Health Association, Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition, OneGreenThing, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility,  Pediatric Endocrine Society, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Physicians for Social Responsibility Maine, Physicians for Social Responsibility of Pennsylvania, Physicians for Social Responsibility – Texas, Prevention Institute, Rachel Carson Council, Rachel’s Network, San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility, Sears-Swetland Family Foundation, Society for Public Health Education, Toxics Information Project (TIP), and 350 Bay Area Action.

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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:

“Nearly 5 million children in the United States have asthma, and asthma causes more missed school days than any other chronic disease,” said Kenneth Mendez, President and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). “Environmental factors such as poor indoor air quality and outdoor air pollution play a role in making asthma symptoms worse. That’s why we need the EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection – to focus attention on steps to reduce asthma triggers. We thank Representatives Nadler, Garamendi, Castor for introducing this legislation to make this office permanent and ensure the health concerns of children are at the forefront of the EPA’s work.”

“Children are the brightest part of our future,” said Deb Brown, Chief Mission Officer of the American Lung Association. “That’s why it’s critical to do everything we can to protect them. With lungs and other organs that are still developing, children are more vulnerable to the health harms from air pollution. Ensuring there will continue to be an office and a team dedicated to protecting the health of children from environmental hazards is a small step that will reap large benefits for our future.”

“There are big gaps in our understanding of the long-term health outcomes resulting from exposure to the great number of toxins we’ve dumped into the environment over the last 50+ years,” said Sydney R. Sewall, MD, MPH, Pediatrician and President of Physicians for Social Responsibility (Maine Chapter). “We do know that children are at greatest risk, and more EPA policies need to be directed at reducing this risk.”

“Given the devastating environmental rollbacks we are witnessing each day, the time is now to formally protect the Office of Children’s Health Protection within EPA. We must continue to protect children from environmental harms like toxic air pollution, lead, tainted drinking water, and climate change. Rep. Nadler and Garmendi’s bill has never been more urgent,” said Heather White, OneGreenThing Founder & CEO

“Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) commends Representative Nadler for safeguarding the health of children by introducing legislation to make the EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection and the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee permanent fixtures,” said Paige Knappenberger, Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility’s Environment and Health Program. “As physicians, PSR members know that children have unique vulnerabilities to environmental harms like climate change and air pollution and deserve special protections from these harms so they can have safe places to grow, play and learn.”

“The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments enthusiastically endorses Rep. Nadler’s bill introduced this week, the “Children’s Health Protection Act of 2024”, said Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN, Executive Director of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. “This bill aims to make the EPA Office of Children’s Health Protection (OCHP) and the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee permanent. Established in 1997, OCHP is the only office within EPA dedicated to the health of children and as such, it safeguards our children from potential environmental harms to their health. We strongly urge members of Congress to support this bill to avoid any possibility of future administrations dismantling of this crucial office.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jerry Nadler (NY-12) issued the following statement: 

“I am appalled by the Trump Administration’s repeated pattern of targeting students for exercising their fundamental First Amendment rights—targeting them for deportation on that basis. Once again, it is a Columbia student, this time Yunseo Chung, a legal permanent resident, who is being targeted to silence dissent and suppress free speech. Another student, Momodou Taal, who is enrolled at Cornell, has similarly been ordered to surrender to ICE. Regardless of any opinions on the content of the speech these students have exercised, their arrest is not a matter of genuine national security concerns, but rather a direct assault on the very freedoms that define our country.

“Yunseo, who has lived in this country since she was seven years old, is being targeted not for any legitimate criminal wrongdoing, but for her participation in a protest. No matter how anyone, including the President of the United States, feels about their speech, these actions are protected by the Constitution. Yet, the Trump administration has deployed immigration officials to detain and deport her solely for her political views. This is an abuse of power that mirrors the darkest chapters of our history, in which dissidents were persecuted for speaking out against the government.

“Let’s be clear: there is no credible legal justification for this. It is a transparent attempt to punish those whose exercise of free speech is contrary to the administration’s foreign policy agenda, and part of Trump’s greater attempt to control higher education in America, similar to his effort to strong-arm universities like Columbia to fall in line with the MAGA agenda—or face financial ruin.

“Deporting Yunseo will do nothing to make Jewish students safer on campus. Fully funding the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR)—the office charged with fighting antisemitism on college campuses—would make Jewish students safer. However, in his reckless attempt to close the Department of Education, Trump has shuttered the OCR’s New York office and six others, crippling the only enforcement mechanism available to Jewish students. Arresting students and chilling their free speech is no solution to the problem of the Trump administration’s making.

“I stand strongly in support of everyone’s right to free speech as protected in the Constitution. We cannot fall in line with Trump’s suppression of free speech.”

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), the most senior Jewish Member of the House of Representatives, issued the following statement ahead of a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on former Gov. Mike Huckabee’s nomination as U.S. Ambassador to Israel:

“Governor Mike Huckabee is woefully unfit to serve as the United States’ ambassador to Israel. A vote by any Senator for Huckabee is a vote for enacting policies that are counter to American interests, Israel’s vital character as both a Jewish and democratic state, and Israel and the region’s long-term security. A vote for Huckabee is a vote to empower a Christian nationalist vision for American foreign policy.

“Huckabee, like President Trump, has a disturbing history of spreading dangerous, unfounded fantasies that not only jeopardize U.S. interests but also destabilize global relations, as evidenced by his brazen denial of the existence of the Palestinian people. During his 2008 presidential campaign, he said that there is “no such thing as a Palestinian.”[1] Huckabee has said the two-state solution is “unworkable” and that any Palestinian state needs to be “outside” of the Land of Israel. Also similar to Trump, Huckabee has spoken about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in terms of “real estate” and suggested that there is “plenty of land” for a Palestinian state in neighboring countries like Egypt, Syria, or Jordan. He has also peddled offensive Holocaust comparisons when, in 2015, he said the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would “take the Israelis and march them to the door of the oven.”[2] In this moment of tumult in the region, we cannot afford a United States ambassador with such dangerous views.

“Huckabee’s positions are not the words of a thoughtful diplomat—they are the words of a provocateur whose views are far outside international consensus and contrary to the core bipartisan principles of American diplomacy. In one of the most volatile and violent areas in the world today, there is no need for more extremism, and certainly not from the historic ambassador’s post and behind the powerful seal of the United States. All those committed to Israel’s future and a vision of a prosperous Middle East must band together to oppose Mike Huckabee’s nomination.

“I urge my colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee not to advance his nomination, and should his nomination come to the floor, I implore every Senator to vote a resounding no.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ02)

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Van Drew slammed Atlantic City Electric’s (ACE) request to impose an 8% increase on utility bills for consumers in South Jersey to fund the installation of smart meters. This move comes on top of a 17% hike that New Jersey residents are already bracing for starting June 1st. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) is expected to vote on this additional increase in April.

“South Jerseyans are not a piggy bank that ACE can raid whenever they feel like it,” said Congressman Van Drew. “These meters will only drive up costs, and there is no reason to force people to pay for something they do not want. I do not blame people for rejecting these meters and choosing to pay the $15 a month penalty instead. People who have had them installed are seeing their bills go up for no reason. Why should anyone pay more for something that makes things worse?

“These smart meters are just a way for ACE to increase their profits by replacing workers with machines. They want to make more money while doing less for customers. It is pure greed, and it is not right. The NJBPU needs to reject this increase, or they need to step down. If they are not working for the people of New Jersey, they should not be in those positions. South Jersey has had enough of these unfair rate hikes.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ02)

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Van Drew released the following statement in response to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) accepting a report that includes a proposal for income-based electric rates.

“Once again, the NJBPU is taking direct aim at the hardworking middle class of New Jersey,” said Congressman Van Drew. “On top of the outrageous 17% rate hikes that will hit hardworking families and businesses beginning June 1st, they are now considering income-based fixed rates—a policy that will burden the very people who are already struggling to pay their bills. This is absolutely wrong.

“For the third time, I am calling on the leadership of the NJBPU to resign. Instead of standing up for the people they are supposed to serve, they are doubling down on ultra-leftist policies that will further burden the middle class and make life in NJ even more unaffordable. With utility companies raking in profits while families are pinching pennies to get by, it is clear the system is broken.

“The NJBPU’s leadership is out of touch with the people they are supposed to represent, and I will not stand by while they make our state less affordable and less competitive. This has to end. We need a new direction for New Jersey, and that starts with leadership that listens to the people. Our next Governor must take immediate action to reverse and put an end to the harmful policies being pushed by the NJBPU. I will continue to fight against these sky-high rate hikes and these disastrous policies at every turn.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ02)

Washington, DC – Today Congressman Van Drew released a tele-town hall, where he answered questions submitted from thousands of constituents across South Jersey. He addressed a wide variety of topics such as his vow to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, the impact of the Trump tariffs, cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), key government funding bills, the rising cost of electricity, and more. 

To listen to the tele-town hall, click here. To listen to past tele-town halls, click here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ02)

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Van Drew issued the following statement regarding the passage of the Continuing Resolution (CR), H.R. 1968, which ensures that the federal government remains operational by continuing current spending levels until September.

“Tonight, I voted in favor of the Continuing Resolution because it is a vital step in keeping our government open and maintaining essential services for the American people,” said Congressman Van Drew. “This bill simply extends current funding levels through September, preventing a government shutdown and providing time needed for President Trump and Congress to continue advancing their agenda to put Americans first. Right now, there is misinformation circulating around this resolution, and I will not stand by as false narratives spread. The CR includes no cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. In fact, this bill ensures that these critical programs can continue uninterrupted and fully funded. 

“When it is time to vote on a full budget in September, I will not support any proposal that includes cuts to these programs, unless they target waste, fraud, and abuse. By passing this CR today, we are making sure the essential functions of the government stay funded, and that the government remains accountable to the American people.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ02)

Congressman Van Drew Slams Disturbing State Mandate Requiring Hospitals to Ask Parents About Newborn’s Sexuality and Gender Identity

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29) was proud to join Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), along with Congresswomen Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), in reintroducing their bicameral resolution to overcome a significant obstacle to the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). This resolution would remove an arbitrary deadline set by Congress in 1972, affirming the ERA as the 28th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex.

“When I was 27, I represented my state at the National Women’s Conference in Houston—and I still have the ERA pin I wore that day. I’ve kept it all these years because the fight isn’t over. Two years ago, I went to Seneca Falls and met with the next generation of activists. Let me tell you—they are just as committed, just as fearless, as I was back then. And like me, they’re still waiting for this country to guarantee women the same constitutional protections as men,” said Congresswoman Garcia. “Those fighting against the ERA are the same ones who fear powerful women—the ones who pay us less, promote us less, and try to silence us. It’s long overdue to make the ERA the 28th Amendment of the Constitution. I stand today for justice, for fairness, and for future generations of women and girls who deserve fairness, justice, and equality of opportunities.”

“For centuries, women – particularly women of color and LGBTQ+ folks – have been treated as less than – less deserving of pay, less protected by law, less free to show up as our authentic selves in a world that constantly pushes us down,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “By enshrining the ERA into law, we are taking the necessary step to center our most vulnerable and marginalized communities, close the gender wage gap, combat sex discrimination, reduce gender-based violence, ensure freedom over our bodies, and more. The time is now to affirm gender equality once and for all.”

“The state of Alaska ratified the ERA and amended the State Constitution in 1972, and that is a legacy I am proud to continue advocating for at the federal level,” said Senator Murkowski. “It is past time for the equal rights of women to be guaranteed in the United States Constitution, and I will continue to advocate for the passage of this resolution until that is achieved.”

“I am proud that Hawaii was the first state to ratify the ERA, but we must finally amend the Constitution to ensure that the next generation of women are guaranteed equal rights,” said Senator Hirono. “With the reintroduction of this resolution, we reaffirm our commitment to fighting for equal opportunity and equal rights for all. It has been over a century-long fight to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, and we won’t stop until gender equity is enshrined in the Constitution.”

“Women throughout history have fought tirelessly against sexism and inequality, refusing to accept a world that denied them their full rights. Their courage paved the way for progress—but the fight is far from over. We are grateful for the leadership of Senator Lisa Murkowski, Senator Mazie Hirono, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley in reintroducing this important resolution, recognizing the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. This Women’s History Month we renew our commitment to the pursuit of true gender equality. The women who came before us didn’t give up, neither will we,” said Zakiya Thomas, President & CEO, ERA Coalition.

“The Equal Rights Amendment is a short yet powerful declaration — ‘Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex,’” said Congresswoman Dean. “Words matter—and we must be explicit in our Constitution to ensure that equality is a reality for every person in our nation. I’m grateful for Congresswoman Pressley’s leadership in this century-long fight and in the enduring legacy of Congresswoman Shirley Chislom and others before us. We must expand the mission of the 19th Amendment and fulfill the promise of the ERA.”

“There is no deadline for equal rights,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “The United States Congress and the required number of states have ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, which is over 100 years in the making. An arbitrary deadline will not stop progress on equal rights. Now is the time for Congress to pass this resolution to ensure that we enshrine equal protections for our mothers, sisters, daughters, and grandmothers who have championed this cause.”

“Generations of women, especially women of color, have relentlessly fought for equal rights in a system that has long denied them fairness under the law — and that fight is far from over,” said Congresswoman McClellan. “I led the fight in Virginia to make our Commonwealth the final state needed to ratify the ERA, taking a stand on the right side of history. Now, we must finish the job by enshrining gender equality in the Constitution once and for all.”

The Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced 100 years ago to codify gender equality. Since 1923, the constitutional amendment was introduced in every session of Congress until it passed in 1972 in both the House and Senate. Congress then placed an arbitrary seven-year deadline on the ratification process before extending the deadline to 1982, but only 35 ratified the ERA before the arbitrary deadline.  However, with the recent ratifications of the ERA by Nevada in 2017, Illinois in 2018 and Virginia in 2020, the 38 states needed for certification of the ERA to be become the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has now been reached.

Ratifying the ERA, which states, “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex”, would affirm women’s equality in our Constitution, enshrining the principle of women’s equality and an explicit prohibition against sex discrimination in the nation’s foundational document.

As the 28th Amendment, the ERA would serve as a new tool—for Congress, for federal agencies, and in the courts—to advance equality in the fields of workforce and pay, pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment and violence, reproductive autonomy, and protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. Enshrining this protection in our Constitution also ensures enduring protections for all Americans across the country.

It would also signal to the courts that they should apply a more rigorous level of review to laws and government policies that discriminate on the basis of sex, making it more likely for them to be struck down.

Congresswoman Garcia has been a co-lead on this resolution since she first entered Congress in 2019.

Text of the resolution is available here.

See the Congresswoman’s tweet here.

On Equal Pay Day, I joined my colleagues in reintroducing a resolution to remove the arbitrary deadline on the Equal Rights Amendment. The fight for constitutional gender equality has gone on long enough. It’s time to make the ERA the 28th Amendment. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/r8R80EXLBI

— Rep. Sylvia Garcia (@RepSylviaGarcia) March 25, 2025