Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Bryan Steil (Wisconsin-1)

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) announced the introduction of two pieces of legislation aimed at providing support and fairness to veterans and their families: the No Veteran Falls Through the Cracks Act and the Survivor Benefits Fairness Act.

 “Our men and women who have worn the uniform deserve the benefits they have fought for and earned,” said Steil said “Whether it is ensuring timely follow up from healthcare providers or protecting grieving families from bureaucratic overreach, I will continue to work to provide meaningful support to veterans and their families.”

Background:

The No Veteran Falls Through the Cracks Act

Under current law, if a veteran cancels a mental health appointment online, the VA is not mandated to follow up and reschedule as they would with a phone cancellation. While some cancelations may be routine scheduling conflicts, these can also be signs of a broader mental health crisis. 

This bill would require the VA to connect with veterans and reschedule his or her mental health appointment, standardizing VA policies for cancelations across the board. 

Congressman Steil previously introduced this legislation in the 117^th Congress.

To read the full text of the legislation, click HERE.

The Survivor Benefits Fairness Act

Under current law, if a deceased veteran’s family receives benefit checks and dies during the month they received a payment, the VA is permitted to request the entire month’s payment back. This has led to circumstances where families are asked to remit a month’s benefit check when their family member passes away just hours before the end of the month. 

This bill would ensure that the VA cannot demand the families of beneficiaries pay back their monthly benefits in the event of a surviving spouse’s death.

Congressman Steil previously introduced this legislation in the 118^th Congress.

To read the full text of the legislation, click HERE. 

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Bryan Steil (Wisconsin-1)

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bryan Steil issued the following statement in response to Senator Bernie Sanders visit to Kenosha: 

“Democratic socialist Senator Sanders’ fear mongering tour comes to Wisconsin today to try to sell open borders, reckless spending and boys in girls’ sports,” said Steil. “In Wisconsin we want secure borders, control of spending and boys out of girls’ sports. I will continue working to deliver meaningful results for Wisconsin families who are still struggling from the policies that President Biden and Senator Sanders pushed over the last four years.” 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Bryan Steil (Wisconsin-1)

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) joined Majority Whip Tom Emmer (MN-06) in introducing the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, which will ban government bureaucrats from issuing Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) to individuals. Congressman Steil issued the following statement in response to the introduction of the legislation:

“Financial privacy and independence is the bedrock of America’s financial system,” said Steil. “Government mandated CBDCs provide an opening for government digital tracking and overregulation that would violate the rights of Americans. I am proud to join Majority Whip Emmer in introducing this important legislation, codifying President Trump’s recent Executive Order into law.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Bryan Steil (Wisconsin-1)

Janesville, WI – Congressman Bryan Steil released the following statement in response to President Trump’s Address to the Joint Session of Congress:

“After four years of runaway government spending, a wide-open southern border, and bureaucratic red-tape that drove up costs, Americans voted for a change. President Trump and Congress are already delivering,” said Steil. “I look forward to working with President Trump to continue lowering costs for Wisconsin families, securing our border, and unleashing American energy.”

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Pocan (2nd District of Wisconsin)

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Mark Pocan (WI-02) and Robin Kelly (IL-02), along with Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), led a bicameral letter with 97 of their colleagues to President Trump urging him to maintain CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention. If the Division is shuttered, the United States can expect to see thousands of new cases of HIV, billions of dollars of government spending on lifetime HIV-related healthcare, and unnecessary deaths nationwide from this preventable condition. In his first Administration, President Trump declared an ambitious and commendable goal of ending the HIV epidemic in the United States, and over the last eight years, the US has reduced HIV incidence.

“On February 5, 2019, you declared a commendable and ambitious goal of ending the HIV epidemic (EHE) in the United States,” the Members wrote. “One of the pillars of your initiative, as shown on CDC’s website, is prevention. It is imperative that you uphold this commitment. As CDC has currently identified, we must prevent new HIV transmissions through proven interventions, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), if we are to achieve a 90 percent reduction in new infections by 2030.”

“Prevention provides a large return on investment for the federal government – adjusted for inflation, a lifetime of medical costs for a person with HIV can be over $500,000,” the Members continued. “Losing the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention would be an enormous loss to HIV providers.”

“As Members who serve the public, it is our duty to not only protect Americans from avoidable disease and early death, but to also avoid unnecessarily spending billions in taxpayer dollars down the line when HIV rates eventually skyrocket due to this potential action,” the Members concluded. “Just last week, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution, which continues funding levels from Fiscal Year 2024, that appropriated funding to CDC for carrying out HIV/AIDS programs. Accordingly, we expect CDC will continue to carry out those programs.”

A full copy of the letter can be found here.

The list of signers includes: Representatives Mark Pocan (WI-02), Robin Kelly (IL-02) and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Jeff Merkley (OR)

Senators Tammy Baldwin (WI), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Cory Booker (NJ), Chris Coons (DE), Tammy Duckworth (IL), Dick Durbin (IL), Ben Ray Lujan (NM), Chuck Schumer (NY), Raphael Warnock (GA), Ron Wyden (OR)

Representatives Alma Adams (NC-12), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-At Large), Nanette Barragan (CA-44), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Troy Carter (LA-02), Sean Casten (IL-06), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Costa (CA-21), Angie Craig (MN-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Jason Crow (CO-06), Danny Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Bill Foster (IL-11), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Laura Friedman (CA-30), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), William Keating (MA-09), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), George Latimer (NY-16), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Jim McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Grace Meng (NY-06), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Scott Peters (CA-50), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Darren Soto (FL-09), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Frederica Wilson (FL-24)

Endorsing organizations include: AIDS Institute, AIDS United, American Academy of HIV Medicine, amfAR, AVAC, Fast-Track Cities Institute, Heptatitis B Foundation, Hep B United, HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, HIV Medicine Association, Human Rights Campaign, International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, NASTAD, NMAC, Positive Women’s Network – USA, PrEP4All, SAGE, Treatment Action Group, Vivent Health, Equality California, Silver State Equality, AIDS Foundation Chicago

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Pocan (2nd District of Wisconsin)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) released the following statement after he voted against the Partisan Republican government funding bill: 

“Today’s vote was not even Congress doing the bare minimum. The House Republican Caucus has ceded all of their constitutional authority to Donald Trump and his unelected billionaire side kick, Elon Musk. This bill gives Trump and Musk a blank check to continue gutting congressionally appropriated funds and dismantling essential government services – removing all guard rails on where American taxpayers’ money goes. This bill also underfunds veterans’ healthcare, cuts housing assistance, slashes medical research, and does nothing to lower the cost of living for Americans. I hope the Senate rejects this bill and forces Congressional Republicans to the negotiating table to pass appropriations bills that include congressional directives to ensure funds are spent as Congress intends.”

The Republican funding bill cuts critical programs, while increasing funds for the Department of Defense (DoD) and immigration enforcement.

• Veterans: Fails to provide nearly $23 billion in advance funding for the VA’s Toxic Exposures Fund created by the PACT Act. 
• Medical Research: Cuts over $1 billion from medical research, including NIH by $280 million and medical research funded by DoD by $860 million. This includes research for Alzheimer’s, autism, childhood cancer, breast cancer, Parkinson’s, and traumatic brain injury.
• Farmer Programs: Cuts $30 million from conservation programs that help farmers improve their operations and protect the local environment.
• Food Assistance: Underfunds the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) by $20 million at a time of rising food costs, and would leave 25,000 seniors unable to participate in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.
• Housing: Cuts rent subsidies for low-income and working Americans by more than $700 million, threatening evictions for 32,000 households

A fact sheet on how the Republican continuing resolution is hurting hardworking Americans is here.

A fact sheet detailing how this continuing resolution gives a blank check to Elon Musk and President Trump is here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Pocan (2nd District of Wisconsin)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) announced that he will host a town hall in Belmont, Wisconsin on Saturday, March 8, at 11:00 am. Today, he formally invited Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) who represents the district immediately to the west of Lafayette County. Pocan invited constituents from both his district and the 3rd to hear their concerns about what is happening in Washington. 

“I just wanted to invite Derrick Van Orden to participate in this town hall, given he only lives an hour away and it’s just on the border of his district. From what I understand, he may have never had an open public town hall. It might just be that he doesn’t know how to have one, so I thought it’d be the right thing to do and welcome him to participate in mine to see what one looks like given that many of his constituents may already be there.”

The town hall will be at: 

    Village of Belmont Community Building
    222 S Mound Ave 
    Belmont, WI 53510

Members of the media are also invited to attend. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Pocan (2nd District of Wisconsin)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) announced that he will host a town hall in Belmont, Wisconsin on Saturday, March 8, at 11:00 am.  The town hall will be held less than 10 miles from the border of Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District. Pocan has invited constituents from both his district and the 3rd to hear from a Member of Congress. 

“With everything at stake in Washington, Members of Congress must hold town halls more than ever to hear from their constituents. I welcome the opportunity to hear from mine, even those who disagree with me. It’s important for elected officials to hear from everyone.” 

“Last week, the House Republican majority voted on a new budget that would enable one of the largest transfers of wealth from the middle class and those aspiring to be in the middle class to pay for a $4.5 trillion tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Donald Trump.” 

“I’m hosting this town hall close to the 3rd district because as I understand it, the current Representative has not held an open town hall in more than two years. This legislation is too consequential to ignore one’s constituents, and I welcome 3rd Congressional District constituents to hear the truth about how this legislation will impact them.”

The town hall will be at: 

    Village of Belmont Community Building
    222 S Mound Ave 
    Belmont, WI 53510

Members of the media are also invited to attend. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Pocan (2nd District of Wisconsin)

Fisher, a farmer on Medicaid in Western Wisconsin, has seen more than $30k of Federal Grants Frozen from Trump’s & Musk’s DOGE Cuts

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gerry Connolly (D-Va)

Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Adam Smith, Ranking Member of the Committee on Armed Services, Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Rep. Jim Himes, Ranking Member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence sent a letter to President Trump’s National Security team demanding answers to questions stemming from a report in The Atlantic that asserts the team texted sensitive and potentially classified information, including plans for the United States’ military action against Houthi targets on March 15th two hours before the operation, over an unclassified messaging app.  

In the letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, the Ranking Members wrote:  “We are deeply troubled by the report in The Atlantic that you and other Trump Administration officials conferred about highly sensitive national security matters, including ‘precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing’ concerning pending military actions against the Houthis, via the open-source Signal messaging service. We are especially concerned that the reported deliberations may have constituted a security breach… . These actions could have compromised the operational security of, and by implication the safety of the service members involved in, the related military activities.” 

The Ranking Members called for answers to multiple questions, including whether the information from the March 15th action was disclosed as reported and, if so, by whom. The Members asked whether any information shared could have compromised the operational security or capabilities of the U.S. armed forces or those of a U.S. ally or partner. The Members further asked what measures have been taken to ensure any disclosures are preserved, in accordance with federal law, and what steps have been taken to ensure such a breach “will not occur again.” 

Click here to read the letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.