Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Representative Austin Scott (GA-08), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), released the below statement regarding S. 1071, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 312-112 with his support, sending it to the floor of the U.S. Senate, enroute to the President’s desk for his signature. The NDAA sets Department of Defense (DoD) policies and authorizes funding levels for defense programs.

“The entire state of Georgia plays a key role in implementing President Donald Trump’s strategy of Peace Through Strength,” Rep. Scott said. “The FY26 NDAA strengthens the U.S. military, provides a pay raise to our service members, saves taxpayer dollars, and enhances the quality of life for our warfighters and their families. I am proud of my work on this important piece of legislation to support our armed forces in their mission of defending the United States.”

Rep. Scott authored (13) different initiatives that will now become law following Senate passage and the President’s signature:

• Extended the authority for an additional three years that would allow for retired members of the Armed Forces to be appointed to competitive or excepted service positions in the Department of Defense without a waiver. This will allow more retired military personnel to continue to serve our country as civilians at Robins Air Force Base.

• Extended the authority for depot working capital funds, like Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex (WR-ALC), to be used for unspecified minor military construction from September 30, 2025 to September 30, 2027. This will enable WR-ALC to continue to modernize their facilities.

• Delayed the full retirement of the A-10C “Warthog” aircraft, several dozen of which are based at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, GA. The Scott amendment requires the Air Force to maintain a minimum of 93 A-10 aircraft in FY 26. The A-10C provides close air support and combat search-and-rescue capabilities unmatched by any other aircraft in the Air Force’s inventory.

• Extended the intergovernmental support agreements (IGSA) pilot program until September 30, 2030. Moody AFB has benefitted greatly from partnership tools, particularly the IGSA. The agreements provide additional flexibility in some areas for the base and keeps funds local. Moreover, Moody enjoys tremendous support from the Lowndes County community and government to include three IGSAs signed between Moody and Lowndes County.

• Established a pilot program to provide service personnel with a voluntary option to enroll in a low-premium supplemental insurance plan to help protect against uncovered out-of-pocket expenses resulting from a cancer diagnosis in the family.

• Modified and extended annual reporting on military and security developments involving the Russian Federation to include Russia’s strategic goals, force posture, and military spending.

• Authorized the Baltic Security Initiative to strengthen the armed forces of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to deter Russian aggression, increase interoperability, and support modernization;

• Directed the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a strategy by January 1, 2030, to eliminate the acquisition of computer displays by the Department of Defense from nations such as Russia or China;

• Established the United States Navy, Air Force, and Space Force Museum systems;

• Enhanced congressional oversight of the U.S. Africa Command to prohibit the use of funds to modify or combine the responsibilities or lower the rank of the Commander of any geographic combatant command until the Secretary of Defense submits a report to the congressional defense committees.

Other provisions inserted by Rep. Scott included establishing minimum facility requirements for military working dogs and authorizing the Secretary of Defense to evacuate family pets of American citizens during emergency evacuations on a space available basis.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (9th District of Illinois)

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky released the following statement after voting against final passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (FY26 NDAA):

“Today, I once again voted against passage of the Republican’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). While I support several important components of this legislation, I could not in good conscience vote for the bill in its entirety. The FY26 NDAA authorizes over $890 billion in additional Pentagon spending. That is $8 billion more than the Pentagon itself said it needed. Our greatest security threats have no military solutions, and it is time our budget reflects that. We must instead make the investments in health care, education, housing, clean air and water, and public transit that Americans deserve.

“Further, this legislation removed House-passed provisions that would lead to In vitro fertilization (IVF) coverage under TRICARE and restore collective bargaining rights to civilian employees. I was also discouraged to see that the bill still discriminates against the transgender community. With this year’s illegal military strikes against innocent boats in the Caribbean, the last thing we need to do is give the Pentagon even more power. 

“Although I opposed this bill, there were several bright spots, including a 3.8% pay raise for all service members, the repeal of the 1991 and 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), and a new requirement for military personnel to display the name of the military service they are affiliated with when supporting civilian law enforcement activities in our communities.

“Despite these important provisions, this legislation exacerbates an already over-bloated Pentagon budget and funds several defense policies which will not make people any safer. This is why I could not support its final passage.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (9th District of Illinois)

The Medical Device Recall Improvement Act would bolster communication between medical device manufacturers, hospitals and health care professionals, and patients

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (9th District of Illinois)

Full Text of Letter (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Kathy Castor (FL-14), and Doris Matsui (CA-07) demanded answers from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding the company’s covert use of an Android loophole to track users across the internet, regardless of their explicit privacy choices. The letter comes ahead of this Thursday’s markup in the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee of the Energy & Commerce Committee and underscores the urgent need for Congress to rein in Big Tech’s repeated abuses of Americans’ privacy.

The lawmakers are highlighting newly published research showing that Meta exploited developer-only Android features to dismantle core privacy protections and secretly monitor users’ web activity. They warn that Meta continued this practice even when users took every available step to protect their personal information online.

“Unbeknownst to Meta’s users, Meta’s new tracking method followed them across the web even if the user tried to keep their browsing private,” wrote the lawmakers. “Even users who had chosen every available safeguard—opting out of cookies, using a VPN, or enabling incognito mode—were still tracked against their will, as Meta continued to listen through these hidden channels.”

The Members stress that this conduct reflects a sustained pattern of Meta disregarding user privacy.

“This persistent pattern demonstrates that the Meta’s covert tracking we address today is part of a broader corporate strategy, not an isolated lapse,” concluded the lawmakers.

The Members are seeking detailed answers about how Meta used this hidden tracking method, what data was collected, and whether the company will permanently delete all information obtained through the exploit.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL)

WASHINGTON — The House Ways and Means Committee today advanced bipartisan legislation authored by Reps. Brad Schneider (IL-10) and Blake Moore (UT-01) to halt counterfeit and pirated imports into the United States. The bill, H.R. 4930, changes how Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can share the packing and shipping information of suspected counterfeit products with key intellectual property rights holders, transportation carriers, and e-commerce platforms. This unanimously bill passed the Ways and Means Committee.

“Counterfeit goods undercut American businesses, threaten jobs, and endanger public safety,” said Rep. Schneider. “We need to help CBP disrupt counterfeit trafficking networks and better safeguard our economy and communities. I’m proud that this commonsense legislation – co-authored by my colleague Rep. Blake Moore – has received bipartisan and unanimous support in the Ways and Means Committee. I urge the Speaker to bring it to the floor for a vote.”

“The global economy is flush with threats from counterfeiters, IP thieves, and black-market traders,” said Rep. Moore “This bill will unlock real-time intelligence sharing between CBP and the private sector that will help shut down these networks and cut off the flow of counterfeit products before they reach American shores. This will safeguard American businesses and protect our citizens from dangerous counterfeit goods. I’m thrilled that this bill has generated strong bipartisan support and unanimously passed through the Ways and Means Committee today.”

Background:

While CBP’s job is to identify counterfeit products at U.S. ports of entry and flag for businesses when they suspect a particular shipment might be counterfeit or pirated, they are currently only allowed to provide limited information about shipments in question. CBP is not permitted to share packing materials (such as the external container in which goods are shipped), images, labels, invoices, or packing slips that identify the product’s country of origin, with key parties such as property rights holders, carriers like DHL, UPS, or FedEx, and e-commerce platforms like Etsy and Amazon.

This bill would provide explicit authority for CBP to share all relevant information with companies, carriers, and platforms where a shipment in question contains suspected counterfeit or pirated products. The bill also broadens the range of parties with whom CBP can disclose such information, including shipping companies and e-commerce sites where the product in question may be sold.

Under this bill, CBP would be allowed to share:

• Shipping labels and tracking numbers
• Sender and recipient addresses
• Invoices and manifests
• Outer packaging images, like courier tape, weight notations, and box markings
• Container-level packaging information and data

This means CBP could flag patterns of behaviors such as:

• Repeat senders across multiple shipments
• “Drop addresses” used by organized counterfeiters
• Common entry ports or air routes

Example: A counterfeit electronics shipment from Shenzhen repeatedly enters via the Port of Los Angeles, using the same fake return address and tracking patterns. With this bill, CBP can share these patterns with carriers like UPS, DHL, and FedEx to intercept future parcels earlier in the pipeline.

The Moore-Schneider bill is supported by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies, American Apparel & Footwear Association, Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council, Baby Safety Alliance, International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition, International Trademark Association, Partnership for Safe Medicines, Pharmaceutical Security Institute, and Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade.

You can read the full bill here.

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Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

Headline: House Labor Leaders Introduce Bill to Protect Workers and Level the Playing Field

WASHINGTON – Today, House labor leaders will introduce the Labor Enforcement to Securely (LET’S) Protect Workers Act. The LET’S Protect Workers Act is a transformative bill that will protect America’s workers and crack down on dishonest employers and corporations by raising penalties for violations of workers’ rights and protections.  

The bill introduction is accompanied by a damning report entitled, “A Slap on the Wrist: How it Pays for Dishonest Employers to Take Advantage of Workers” which illustrates how current civil monetary penalties for labor violations fall short, allowing dishonest employers to exploit workers.  And it underscores the lack of accountability for serious infractions, such as illegal child labor, worker fatalities, wage theft, union-busting, and discriminatory health coverage practices, emboldens companies to keep breaking the law. 

“Every American should be fairly compensated and be able to return home safely at the end of the day,” said Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce. “Unfortunately, shortcomings in our labor laws enable unethical employers to exploit workers, endanger children, and suppress the right to organize—with little accountability.  That’s why I’m proud to reintroduce the LET’S Protect Workers Act, which will hold bad actors accountable and strengthen penalties for labor law violations. This bill will help level the playing field and, once again, restore the balance of power between workers and their employers.”

“Far too often, bad employers break our labor laws by violating safety standards or retaliating against workers for union organizing, and yet they get off with merely a slap on the wrist,” said Congressional Labor Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Donald Norcross, Mark Pocan, Debbie Dingell, and Steven Horsford. “Today, we’re introducing legislation that would finally establish meaningful penalties to protect workers and hold bad actors accountable. Every day, working people bravely organize for fairer workplaces, and lawmakers need to have their backs. We’re calling on every one of our colleagues to join us in supporting this legislation and fighting for workers.”

Responsibly strengthening civil monetary penalties will save workers’ lives, prevent disabling injury, protect the welfare of children, safeguard the most vulnerable workers, and undergird the right to organize by raising the cost of noncompliance and deterring violations.  The LET’S Protect Workers Act will:  

• Increase civil monetary penalties for violations of child labor, minimum wage and overtime, worker health and safety, and farmworker protection standards.
• Improve mine safety and reliable funding of black lung benefits through new and increased civil monetary penalties and the option to shut down scofflaw operators.
• Set new penalties for retaliation against workers who exercise their family and medical leave rights.
• Strengthen enforcement of mental health parity requirements for employer-sponsored health plans.
• Close a loophole that allows employers to escape penalties for failing to keep records of workplace injuries if OSHA does not detect the violation within six months.
• Create new penalties for violations of the National Labor Relations Act, consistent with the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.

The LET’S Protect Workers Act is co-sponsored by 70 Representatives including Alma S. Adams (NC-12), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), André Carson (IN-07), Troy A. Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-25), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (CA-31), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Christopher R. Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Valerie P. Foushee (NC-04), Lois Frankel (FL-22), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Daniel S. Goldman (NY-10), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Timothy M. Kennedy (NY-26), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), John W. Mannion (NY-22), Doris O. Matsui (CA-07), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Frank J. Mrvan (IN-01), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Janice D. Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Melanie A. Stansbury (NM-01), Haley M. Stevens (MI-11), Thomas R. Suozzi (NY-03), Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13), Mark Takano (CA-39), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Lauren Underwood (IL-14),  Maxine Waters (CA-43), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Val T. Hoyle (OR-04), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Glenn Ivey (MD-04),  and Angie Craig (MN-02).

The LET’S Protect Workers Act is endorsed by AFL-CIO, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Child Labor Coalition, Communications Workers of America (CWA), Economic Policy Institute (EPI), Family Values @ Work, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), National Consumers League, National Employment Law Project (NELP), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), UNITE HERE, United Auto Workers (UAW), United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), and United Steelworkers (USW).

To read the full text of the LET’S Protect Workers Act, click here. 

 

To read the fact sheet of the LET’S Protect Workers Act, click here.

 

To read the section-by-section of the LET’S Protect Workers Act, click here.

 

To read the report entitled, “A Slap on the Wrist: How it Pays for Dishonest Employers to Take Advantage of Workers,” click here. 

 

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Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

Headline: Scott Votes for Defense Bill for FY26

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after voting for the final passage of S. 1071, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026:

“The FY26 NDAA provides support to servicemembers, guarantees the defense of the American people, and invests in shipbuilding and our national security. This bill includes a 3.8% raise for all servicemembers, extends efforts to improve childcare and military housing, and protects workers from reduction in force at a public shipyard without cause.  

“As the representative of Hampton Roads, home to significant military installations, I am proud that the final bill supports our region’s shipbuilding industrial base with $26 billion for shipbuilding provisions that includes full funding for the advance procurement of the first CVN-82 and full funding of the Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier Program, as well as full funding of the third Columbia-class Ballistic Missile Submarine and one Virginia-class Submarine. The final bill also improves the AUKUS agreement between our partners and strengthens the efficiency of the agreement. The bill also authorizes funding for military construction projects across Hampton Roads including funding for a Child Development Center at Naval Station Norfolk and Dry Dock 3 Modernization at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.” 

“I am thankful that many culture war provisions included in the original House-passed version of this year’s NDAA were ultimately rejected such as provisions attacking LGBTQ+ servicemembers, undermining efforts to diversify our fighting force, and restricting university research. Ultimately, this bill supports our service members and our allies while ensuring America’s national security.”

 

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Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

Headline: Scott Votes to Send Trump Impeachment Inquiry to Judiciary Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after voting No on the Republican Motion to Table H.Res. 939, Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States for high crimes and misdemeanors:

“During his first term in office, I voted twice to impeach Donald Trump for his abuse of his office and his incitement of the deadly insurrection on January 6, 2021. House Republicans have shown little interest in conducting congressional oversight over Donald Trump and his Administrations during his time in office. 

“During his second term, Donald Trump has engaged in corrupt abuses of the Emoluments Clause, threatened violence against Members of Congress, and committed apparent war crimes in the Caribbean amongst other out-of-control, illegal behavior that demeans and abuses the Office of the President. It is long overdue for the House Judiciary Committee to hold hearings and investigate all potential high crimes and misdemeanors committed by President Trump.” 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Donald Norcross (1st District of New Jersey)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the House of Representatives.

The FY26 NDAA improves military readiness and strengthens American industry by cutting red tape, fixing outdated systems, and supporting defense innovation. The FY26 NDAA also includes a 3.8% pay raise for all servicemembers and authorizes $1.5 billion in new construction of barracks, dormitories, housing, and child development centers.

“The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a commitment to our nation’s security and a steadfast investment in the courageous men and women in our armed forces. After a year-long effort, we have delivered a robust bill that ensures that our troops are manned, trained, and equipped with the best to carry out our nation’s mission and return home safely. It provides a $3.8% pay raise to all servicemembers, and it cuts down on red tape to make certain that our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to keep our country safe,” said Congressman Donald Norcross. “This bipartisan legislation strengthens our industrial base, supports our allies, and streamlines procurement and decision-making. As ranking member of the Tactical Air and Land Subcommittee, I was honored to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to strengthen our national defense, invest in our industrial base, and deliver for South Jersey.”

Fiscal Year 2026 NDAA Priorities Secured by Rep. Norcross: 

• Over $618 million for CH-47 helicopters, which will be manufactured by South Jersey workers.
• Nearly $2.5 billion for the KC-46 refueler aircraft, which flies out of Joint Base McGuire-Dix Lakehurst.
• Required an Army study to on the consequences of ammunition research and development away from Picatinny Arsenal in Wharton, New Jersey.
• Required the Secretary of Defense to submit regular reports when they are housing undocumented immigrants on military bases, including if migrants are held at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
• $9.9 million investment to enhance Army command and control for unmanned systems and their defense which will be developed by South Jersey workers.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) today released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026:

“The NDAA should be a bipartisan bill focused on strengthening our national defense and supporting our brave servicemembers. While the bill includes a small number of real Democratic wins, it remains divisive and harmful.

“I appreciate the tireless work of Democratic leadership and Ranking Member Smith to strip out some of the most extreme poison pill provisions. But even after those efforts, I cannot in good conscience support a bill that grants more funding and unchecked power to the Trump administration.

“The bill includes outrageous attacks on federal workers’ collective bargaining rights, opens the door to blatant anti-equality and pro-discrimination measures within the Pentagon, and maintains cruel anti-LGBTQI+ provisions that would deny servicemembers and their families access to essential gender-affirming care. It even allows President Trump to continue deploying federal troops to target and terrorize immigrant communities.

“It’s infuriating that Republicans continue to treat our servicemembers as political pawns. Our military families deserve better – a bill that reflects our highest ideals, not fuels more division.”

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