Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) and Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) led a group of 23 lawmakers in a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Secretary Howard Lutnick and Acting National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Laura Grimm, demanding that the Trump Administration restore 24/7 operations at the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Sacramento and Hanford Forecast Offices. 

It was recently reported that the NWS Sacramento and Hanford Weather Forecast Offices are unable to maintain 24/7 operations due to severe staffing shortages, following layoffs, resignations, and a hiring freeze by the Trump Administration.

“These service reductions represent the beginning of a public safety crisis with potentially catastrophic consequences if the NWS is unable to retain the staff necessary to maintain around-the-clock weather monitoring in California,” wrote the lawmakers. “Across the state’s airports, highways, farms, and reservoirs, accurate, reliable, and timely weather forecasting is critical for every Californian.” 

From hurricanes and tornadoes to atmospheric rivers, NWS provides the forecasting necessary to keep Americans safe and prepared for natural disasters. In California, NWS experts are critical for wildfire prediction and water management. NWS also delivers critical services for our farmers, our military, and our critical infrastructure. However, since the Trump Administration took office, over 500 NWS employees have been laid off or pushed into early retirement. Those cuts mean that nearly half of NWS offices have staffing vacancy rates of 20 percent or higher.

“The National Weather Service is a public safety lifeline and an essential public good. This is not waste or fraud. Americans depend on accurate and timely weather forecasts and alerts not just to plan their day, but to prepare for, and survive, deadly natural disasters,” the lawmakers concluded. “We demand that you immediately reinstate all terminated workers at these offices, lift the federal hiring freeze for NWS, and ensure that the Sacramento and Hanford weather forecast offices are adequately staffed to maintain 24/7 operations.”

Full text of the letter can be found below or HERE.

Dear Secretary Lutnick and Acting Administrator Grimm,

Due to terminations, hiring freezes, and vacancies, the National Weather Service (NWS) recently announced that it would cease 24-hour 7-day-a-week operations at the Sacramento and Hanford Weather Forecast Offices. These service reductions represent the beginning of a public safety crisis with potentially catastrophic consequences if the NWS is unable to retain the staff necessary to maintain around-the-clock weather monitoring in California. Across the state’s airports, highways, farms, and reservoirs, accurate, reliable, and timely weather forecasting is critical for every Californian. We urge immediate action to halt any service interruptions at the Sacramento and Hanford Weather Forecast Offices by reinstating terminated workers and lifting the federal hiring freeze for NWS.

Across NWS, reports have recently stated that as many as 500 employees have been terminated or taken an early retirement, representing a 12% reduction in staffing since President Trump took office. A recent internal assessment by NWS employees found that nearly half of NWS Weather Forecast Offices had vacancy rates of 20% or higher, a level that represents “critical understaffing.” The Sacramento office currently has seven vacancies for meteorologists, out of 16 positions, while the Hanford office has eight vacancies out of 13 positions—leaving both offices operating at half strength as we approach the peak of wildfire season. Slashing staffing in half at the offices responsible for predicting wildfires, atmospheric rivers, and natural disasters is unacceptable, puts thousands of lives at risk, and does nothing to increase government efficiency.

Recent years have demonstrated that wildfire season in California is now year-round. In 2024, California saw 8,018 wildfires, burning a total of 1,049,963 acres.4 Since 2013, an average of 1,029,049 acres have burned annually.5 NWS fire weather forecasting plays a critical role in predicting wildfire and protecting the lives of millions of Californians who live in fire prone areas. Incident meteorologists at NWS are often at the frontline to provide information to wildfire managers and first responders to safely contain wildfires.

The Office of Water Prediction and the National Water Prediction Service also play a critical role in hydrological predictions, in concert with NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations. Water managers in California rely on the forecasting expertise of these federal agencies to make reservoir operating decisions. Without the NWS’s expert hydrological forecasters, water managers in California are left blindly guessing and forced to make life-or-death decisions amid the state’s swings between crippling drought and catastrophic flooding.

The National Weather Service is a public safety lifeline and an essential public good. This is not waste or fraud. Americans depend on accurate and timely weather forecasts and alerts not just to plan their day, but to prepare for, and survive, deadly natural disasters. If the NWS weather forecast offices in Sacramento and Hanford, together covering the entire Central Valley, cannot monitor overnight conditions, that puts our constituents in danger. This is a reckless and unnecessary risk that offers no benefit to the American public. We demand that you immediately reinstate all terminated workers at these offices, lift the federal hiring freeze for NWS, and ensure that the Sacramento and Hanford weather forecast offices are adequately staffed to maintain 24/7 operations. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

                                                

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative David Kustoff (TN-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reps. David Kustoff (R-TN) and August Pfluger (R-TX), as well as U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), introduced the Small Biotech Innovation Act to exempt research and development-intensive small biotech manufacturers from the Medicare drug price negotiation program.

“It is critical that the United States remains at the forefront of developing new medical technologies, treatments, and drugs,” said Congressman Kustoff. “The Small Biotech Innovation Act will help smaller companies invest in research and development by alleviating the excessive Biden-era regulations placed on them. This legislation is an important step in boosting innovation and helping find new cures for patients across the globe.”

“The Inflation Reduction Act has proven to fall short in several areas, including its small biotech exemption that disincentivizes companies from investing in R&D and hinders the development of innovative therapies. By tying eligibility to R&D spending, we can better incentivize companies to develop new treatments that will benefit patients nationwide,” said Congressman Pfluger. “The bicameral Small Biotech Innovation Act is a forward-thinking approach that will strengthen America’s leadership in life-saving science by modernizing the small biotech exemption to reward real innovation and research investment, and ultimately protect these innovative small biotech companies.”

“When the federal government stands in the way of developing better care, there’s a problem. The cures developed through small biotech innovation change the future for many patients. Instead of limiting it, we should encourage it,” said Dr. Cassidy.

The Small Biotech Innovation Act would counter the negative impact that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will have on innovation and drug development by providing any small biotech that spends a certain amount of money on research and development with the ability to delay one of their drugs for IRA negotiation for a year. The bill also prohibits any company that is owned by a foreign adversary from being eligible for the delay.
 

Click here for the full text of the bill.  

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Doug LaMalfa 1st District of California

Washington, D.C.—This week, Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) reintroduced the Protecting Children from Experimentation Act, legislation that prohibits doctors from performing gender reassignment procedures on minors. The bill is designed to protect children from irreversible medical interventions that carry serious, lifelong consequences.

“Vulnerable kids are being deceived into surgeries or life-altering drugs they shouldn’t even have to contemplate,” said Rep. LaMalfa. “Minors shouldn’t be making permanent decisions to alter their bodies, and adults, especially in the medical field, have no business coercing them into it. Let kids be kids. This isn’t compassionate care, it’s irreversible harm. When adults lead children down this path, that’s not medicine. It’s abuse, and they should be held accountable.”

Under the bill, doctors who knowingly perform gender reassignment procedures on minors would face civil and criminal penalties, including fines and potential imprisonment. Additionally, the person who underwent the procedure as a minor would have the right to bring civil action against the provider. The legislation includes clear exceptions for children born with medically verifiable sex development disorders.

The Protecting Children from Experimentation Act was previously introduced in both the 117th and 118th Congress and continues to build on growing concerns among parents, medical professionals, and lawmakers about the long-term harms of subjecting minors to unproven and irreversible procedures.

Congressman Doug LaMalfa is Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and a lifelong farmer representing California’s First Congressional District, including Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba Counties.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

(Washington, D.C.) – This week, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) joined Congressmen Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and nearly 200 other congressional lawmakers in urging the Department of Labor to continue the Job Corps program. In a letter to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Cleaver and the bipartisan cohort of lawmakers highlighted the benefits of the program and reiterated its importance to young workers and small businesses across the nation. 

“Nearly 20,000 young people utilize Job Corps to learn skills for in-demand vocational and technical job training,” the lawmakers wrote. “Job Corps is one of the few national programs that specifically targets the 16-24-year-old population that is neither working, nor in school, and provides them with a direct pathway into employment openings in industries such as manufacturing and shipbuilding. The program also connects these young Americans with apprenticeships, higher education opportunities, or the military.”

“As companies continue to onshore and invest in the men and women of our country, a steady stream of skilled laborers will be required to meet the growing workforce demand,” the lawmakers continued. “The Job Corps program is uniquely positioned to fill that role and provide these hardworking young Americans with the vocational and technical job training that will set them and our country up for success.”

“There is no one more capable than the American worker when given a chance at success. We urge you to support our request so that local Job Corps Centers can continue connecting young Americans with careers and opportunities available to them. We are confident that, in collaboration with the Administration and Job Corps Centers in our communities, we can strengthen this program, continuing to develop a highly skilled and competitive labor force,” the lawmakers concluded.

On May 29, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a notice that it will begin a phased pause in operations at contractor-operated Job Corps centers across the country. Job Corps is a national program with over 120 centers nationwide. Job Corps offers at-risk youth varied academic opportunities and career pathways in business and industry.

Congressman Cleaver has been a longtime supporter of Job Corps and the benefits it provides to young workers across Missouri, requesting Congress to provide adequate funding for the program and Job Corp Centers throughout the Show Me State.

The official letter from lawmakers is available here.

 

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)

Today, U.S. Representative and Vice-Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Mike Quigley (IL-05) reintroduced the Trafficking Reduction and Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Act to help the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reduce the trafficking of illegal firearms and prevent criminals from obtaining these weapons.

By repealing restrictions on gun trace data, the TRACE Act will enable the ATF to track the movement of illegal firearms across state lines and to share that data with state and local law enforcement. The bill will also hold gun dealers accountable by requiring them to monitor their inventory and report lost or stolen inventory to the ATF. The TRACE Act will help law enforcement crack down on the gun ‘black market,’ which often funnels firearms to states and cities with stricter gun laws in place, including Chicago.

Quigley first introduced the TRACE Act in 2011 and has continued to revive the bill in each Congress since. 

“The Chicago Police Department alone recovers roughly 7,000 illegal guns every year, but current law requires gun buyer background check records to be destroyed after 24 hours. My bill will stop the madness and require these background checks to be maintained for at least 180 days,” said Quigley. “I’m proud to reintroduce the TRACE Act this Gun Violence Awareness Month. Together, we can stop guns from ending up in the wrong hands.”

In September 2022, Quigley led and passed the NICS Denial Notification Act as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022. The law now requires background check denials to be reported to state authorities to help enforce gun laws. Quigley also cosponsored the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Passed in June of 2022 with Quigley’s support, the law provided $250M for community violence intervention, $750M for crisis intervention, expanded background checks, closed the “boyfriend” loophole, and more. 

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a key advocate for gun violence prevention, has endorsed the legislation. 

“Huge quantities of firearms are recovered in the illegal market and at crime scenes every year, providing law enforcement the opportunity to trace these weapons and better understand where they are coming from. Yet, Congress has shielded the gun industry from public scrutiny and has deprived law enforcement of key data needed to truly understand and address the flow of crime guns. The TRACE Act will remove these barriers, allowing law enforcement to stymie the flow of firearms into our communities and hold lawbreaking gun industry actors accountable,” said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy at Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “Brady applauds Rep. Quigley for reintroducing the TRACE Act and is proud to support this legislation.” 

The TRACE Act would:

• Require background check records to be maintained for a minimum of 180 days. The Tiahrt Amendments currently require 24-hour record destruction, making it nearly impossible to catch law-breaking gun dealers who falsify their records or to track straw purchasers who buy guns on behalf of criminals.
• Require gun dealers to perform inventory checks to report lost and stolen guns, a measure currently prohibited under the Tiahrt Amendments. If law-abiding dealers reported inventories, the ATF would be much more effective at identifying lost and stolen weapons and proactively combating corrupt gun dealers.
• Repeal restrictions on gun trace data disclosures. Currently, members of the public, including researchers and litigants, cannot get trace data from the ATF under Tiahrt restrictions. Trace data is also inadmissible as evidence in civil proceedings under the existing policy. The TRACE Act would repeal these restrictions.
• Require that new firearms have a second, hidden serial number located inside the frame or receiver that is only visible under infrared light when the firearm is fully disassembled. This would make it harder for criminals to remove serial numbers from firearms in an attempt to evade law enforcement.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dwight Evans (2nd District of Pennsylvania)

Bill would help victims & survivors hold companies accountable in court, discourage illegal sales, defective guns and irresponsible marketing

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) stood alongside members of the Bipartisan Working Group to End Domestic Violence during a press conference on the House Triangle as part of a national Day of Action. The event highlighted the urgent need to protect and expand federal funding for victim service organizations that are the backbone of survivor support across the country.
Rep. Costa underscored the critical role these programs play in helping survivors recover—mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially—especially in underserved communities like those in California’s Central Valley.

The Day of Action brought together lawmakers, advocates, and service providers calling on Congress to prioritize long-term, sustainable funding for the infrastructure that supports victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and abuse.
Rep. Costa has long championed efforts to protect survivors and expand access to legal aid, mental health care, housing assistance, and crisis response services.
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Congressman Jim Costa is the Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

Over the last few weeks, Americans have been hearing endless mentions of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Although the Republicans’ reconciliation proposal is certainly big — so big it would add over $4 trillion to our national debt — it is by no means beautiful.
There is no way to hide the ugly reality of this bill. It allows for $2.8 trillion in new borrowing over the 10-year budget window, adds $3.3 trillion to the already more than $36 trillion national debt, and cuts over $700 billion from federal health care spending, primarily Medicaid.
By 2034, our debt-to-GDP ratio would be at 125 percent. Interest payments could exceed $2 trillion a year, making it impossible to pay off the debt. Considering we already spend more on servicing our debt than on stewarding American defense capabilities and health care, we are accelerating down an unsustainable and dangerous path. 
Unrestrained fiscal policy has plagued the U.S. for decades, and it has not been limited to one side of the aisle. While members of Congress sit insulated on Capitol Hill and alternate between irresponsible tax cuts and excessive spending, life gets worse for everyday Americans.
Moody’s recently lowered the U.S. long-term credit ratings to AA1 from AAA. At the same time, the world is moving further and further away from the American dollar. This means Americans are left with a smaller economy, less economic mobility, and a lower standard of living.
As we know all too well, excessive borrowing leads to inflation and drives up interest rates, making it harder for Americans to finance a home, start a business, and put food on the table.
This is unsustainable and has to change very quickly. Don’t just take it from us: In a recent Wall Street Journal editorial, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) wrote called it “essential that Congress deviate from its current path. Under every scenario now being considered, federal debt continues to skyrocket from its current level of almost $37 trillion.”
So far in the 119th Congress, the majority hasn’t shown much of an appetite to deviate from this trajectory. In order to hand out tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy, the Republican reconciliation package would make devastating cuts to food assistance programs, health coverage, and other federal resources that hard-working Americans rely on to make ends meet. Is it so important to our colleagues across the aisle to give a handout to their mega-wealthy buddies that they would strap everyday Americans with even more crushing debt?
The national debt and our federal government’s spending deficit may seem like far-off, intangible concepts when D.C. bureaucrats and television talking heads drone on about them for weeks on end. But the American people know perfectly well how debt adds up. Our constituents have to balance their budgets every month — why can’t the federal government do the same?
The truth is, we can. For decades, Congress has chosen not to do so, perhaps because it isn’t politically expedient or it just takes too much hard work. Regardless, Congress and our federal government broadly are derelict in our duty to responsibly manage the government’s finances.
Since our coalition was founded in the 1990s, the cornerstone of the Blue Dogs’ work has been our relentless focus on fiscal responsibility. For years, Blue Dogs supported legislation to curb reckless spending, hold both Democrats and Republicans accountable to our constituents, and require that Congress balance the budget. We had a willing partner in President Bill Clinton, who remains the most recent example of real fiscal discipline in the federal government. Now, as then, Blue Dogs know that the American people have one demand for their legislators as prices continue to rise and reckless fiscal policy threatens their livelihoods: “It’s the economy, stupid!”
As this cry goes unanswered by a majority in Congress that proposes to drive our national debt to truly harrowing heights, Americans who work hard to pay their bills and take care of their families are losing confidence in their government. Each day this irresponsible spending continues, young Americans’ dreams that they can achieve the economic prosperity their parents did slip further and further away.
The Blue Dogs’ vision to solve this problem is proving that our government can work. We believe that change is not only possible but essential. It doesn’t have to be this way.
There’s another way forward: a bipartisan, commonsense way that pays down our debt while extending tax cuts to working Americans who need them most. Evidently, our offers to Republican leadership to work together on this fell on deaf ears this time.
But with costs rising, confidence in government is sinking. Americans are eager for change, and we remain committed to using a steady hand to deliver pragmatic policies that most Americans agree on. In that spirit, our offer still stands. We are eager to work with our Republican colleagues to solve the issues facing our country and deliver results to the American people.
We ask our colleagues: Will you work with us to deliver results?

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Know Your Immigration Rights

If you or a loved one encounter immigration enforcement officials, it is essential that you know your rights and have prepared your household for all possible outcomes.

Ask for a warrant: The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects you from unreasonable search and seizure. You do not have to open your door until you see a valid warrant to enter your home or search your belongings.

Your right to remain silent: The Fifth Amendment protects your right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. You are not required to share any personal information such as your place of birth, immigration status or criminal history.

Always consult an attorney: You have a right to speak with an attorney. You do not have to sign anything or hand officials any documents without speaking to an attorney. Try to identify and consult one in advance.

The New York City Office of Civil Justice and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) support a variety of free immigration legal services through local nonprofit legal organizations. To access these resources, dial 311 and say “Action NYC,” call the MOIA Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or visit MOIA’s website.

Learn more here: KNOW YOUR IMMIGRATION RIGHTS  – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries

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

Full Text of Bill (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and Congressman Dave Taylor (OH-02) introduced the bipartisan Drug-price Transparency for Consumers Act of 2025, which would require drug companies to include the list price of prescription drugs in all direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisements. This bill is the identical House version of its Senate companion, which was introduced by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in the United State Senate on January 23, 2025.

“For years, Big Pharma has poured billions of dollars into advertisements to push overpriced prescription drugs on consumers. The United States is one of just two countries in the world that allows pharmaceutical companies to advertise directly to patients. These heavily advertised drugs are often some of the most expensive on the market, driving huge costs on patients,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “Consumers deserve to know the price of a product before they buy it. This is why Congressman Taylor and I are introducing the Drug-price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act to ensure that the costs of medications are made clear in ads.”

“The price of medicine should not be a secret,” said Congressman Dave Taylor. “Disclosing the price of prescription drugs in advertisements will empower patients to make informed decisions and ultimately lead to lower health care costs. Not only will it increase competition, it will ultimately empower Americans to make the best decisions for their health and budget.”

“Transparency is important to driving competition and lowering costs, and older Americans are tired of being kept in the dark about the high prices of prescription drugs they see advertised every day,” said Bill Sweeney, AARP Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. “This bipartisan bill is a commonsense step toward giving consumers the information they need to make more informed choices and to push back against skyrocketing drug costs. AARP applauds Reps. Taylor and Schakowsky for putting patients first and standing up to the drug companies’ marketing practices.”

“CSRxP commends Rep. Taylor and Rep. Schakowsky for their introduction of a U.S. House companion to the bipartisan Drug-price Transparency for Consumers (DTC) Act, that will help deter price-gouging by requiring disclosure of the prices set by brand name drug companies on blockbuster products in advertising directly targeting consumers,” said a spokesperson from the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing (CSRxP).

​​In 2023, pharmaceutical companies in the United States spent nearly $14 billion on DTC drug advertising, including advertisements on TV, in magazines, and on social media. Yet over 70% of prescription drugs that were advertised are rated as having “low therapeutic value,” meaning that these advertisements exist to increase demand for drugs a doctor might not otherwise prescribe. Analysis has additionally shown that DTC advertising produces a return on investment of 100-500% for drug companies, as patients are directed to ask their doctor to prescribe a drug they’ve seen advertised.

By increasing demand for largely low-benefit drugs, costs to government health programs also increase, leaving taxpayers on the hook. A GAO report found that from 2016 to 2018, Medicare spent $320 billion on drugs that were DTC-advertised (58% of Medicare’s total drug spending).

This proposal has garnered support from consumers across the Nation, with a Kaiser Family Foundation survey finding that 88% of Americans support requiring drug companies to include the list price of medication in advertisements.

AARP, the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, Patients for Affordable Drugs Now, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Neurology, and the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing are supporting organizations of this bill.

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