Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of this week’s G7 Summit, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) is joining a group of Congressional colleagues to push the Biden administration to work toward a global agreement that addresses the ecological threat posed by marine plastic litter and microplastics. In their letter to President Biden, King and his fellow lawmakers emphasized that this crisis requires American leadership on the international stage, and encouraged the administration to engage in international discussions and implement domestic policies that will effectively minimize plastic waste.

“Plastic pollution has exploded into a global crisis that threatens our public health, economic security, and the future of our planet. We need bold action to tackle this crisis and we have a unique moment to work with our colleagues around the world to break free from plastic pollution,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “We are writing to encourage your Administration’s full participation in international dialogues to establish a binding global agreement to address plastic pollution.”

“The G7 Leaders’ Summit represents a vital opportunity to demonstrate American leadership on a critical international issue. It is important to address plastic pollution as an environmental, environmental justice, and climate crisis through green recovery efforts as the world aims to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic,” they continued. “We encourage your Administration to participate in discussions to launch a global agreement to address marine plastic litter and microplastics in advance of the Fifth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly. We urge your Administration to advocate for a binding agreement that addresses both land- and sea-based sources and looks to upstream solutions for addressing this challenge through source reduction.”

Senator King was a cosponsor the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, which tackles the problem of plastic waste on a global scale by spurring innovation and finding uses for the plastic waste that already exists to keep it from entering the oceans. The legislation was signed into law in December 2020. In November 2020, Senator King received the inaugural “Hero” Award from the National Park Foundation in honor of his lifelong environmental stewardship and advocacy.

Full text of the letter is available here and follows below.

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Dear President Biden,

We write to you to share our strong support for protecting our environment and our ocean from the devastating impacts of plastic pollution. We were excited to learn that United Kingdom Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has added to the agenda for the G7 Leaders’ Summit the goal to start negotiations for a global agreement to address marine plastic litter and microplastics. Plastic pollution represents a global crisis that will require bold international cooperation to address. We write to urge your Administration’s full participation and support for this process and other international forums to show America’s commitment to leadership in addressing this global crisis.

Nearly 11 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the ocean every year – from sources at-sea and on land.[1] Without any action, this flow is expected to triple to nearly 29 million metric tons by 2040.1 This plastic pollution causes incredible harm on wildlife through ingestion and entanglement – globally, 100,000 marine mammals die every year as a result of plastic pollution.[2] However, the impacts of plastic extend far beyond harming wildlife and polluting our shores – plastic production and waste management are directly contributing to climate change. The greenhouse gas emissions linked to this production are estimated to reach 1.3 billion tons by 2030, equivalent to 300 coal-fired power plants. We cannot tackle the issue of climate change or environmental justice without addressing plastic waste.

A recent study found that despite the United States only accounting for 4% of the global population in 2016, the U.S. generated 17% of all plastic waste and ranks third among countries contributing to coastal plastic pollution.[3] The science is clear – all this plastic impacts human health from toxic chemicals leaching out of plastic to the fact that the average person ingests nearly a credit card’s amount of microplastics each week.[4] Americans are fed up with the plastic pollution crisis and broadly support many steps to tackle the plastic pollution crisis.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the U.S. exported 1.37 billion pounds of scrap plastic in 2020.[5] At least 40% of this plastic waste was exported to countries outside the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that have high percentages of waste mismanagement, such as India, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The U.S. has been sending scrap recycling materials to Asia for several decades, but the unacceptable environmental and social impacts of this practice have become clear. The ability to properly handle these materials is overwhelming and the impact is past a crisis tipping point.

Plastic pollution has exploded into a global crisis that threatens our public health, economic security, and the future of our planet. We need bold action to tackle this crisis and we have a unique moment to work with our colleagues around the world to break free from plastic pollution. We are writing to encourage your Administration’s full participation in international dialogues to establish a binding global agreement to address plastic pollution.

The G7 Leaders’ Summit represents a vital opportunity to demonstrate American leadership on a critical international issue. It is important to address plastic pollution as an environmental, environmental justice, and climate crisis through green recovery efforts as the world aims to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage your Administration to participate in discussions to launch a global agreement to address marine plastic litter and microplastics in advance of the Fifth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly. We urge your Administration to advocate for a binding agreement that addresses both land- and sea-based sources and looks to upstream solutions for addressing this challenge through source reduction.

The U.S. is one of only 8 countries to not ratify the Basel Convention. While the U.S. signed the Basel Convention in 1990 and the U.S. Senate gave its advice and consent for ratification in 1992, lack of implementing legislation has prevented the U.S. from participating. We stand ready to work with you to ensure U.S. compliance with the Basel Convention and encourage your Administration to develop domestic regulatory policies to prohibit the export of plastic waste to countries outside the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

We believe the U.S can show global leadership on plastic pollution by engaging in international discussions and implementing domestic policies that will effectively minimize our plastic waste.

We thank you for your continued leadership and look forward to working with you on this issue.

[1] “Breaking the Plastic Wave: A Comprehensive Assessment of Pathways Towards Stopping Ocean Plastic Pollution.” Pew Charitable Trusts.

[2] “Facts and Figures on Marine Pollution.” United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

[3] Law, K.L. “The United States’ Contribution of Plastic Waste to Land and Ocean.” Science Advances.

[4] https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.9b01517

[5] U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, December 2020. 

Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), co-chair of the Senate Broadband Caucus, Patty Murray (D-Wash), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) are introducing new bipartisan legislation aimed at closing the growing digital divide in communities across the country. The Digital Equity Act of 2021 would create new federal investments targeted toward a diverse array of projects at the state and local level that promote “digital equity”— a concept defined by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance as the, “condition in which all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy and economy.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted just how essential the internet is to everyday American life,” said Senator King. “In the 21st century, an affordable high-speed broadband connection is a prerequisite for a wide range of economic, educational, and business opportunities. Unfortunately, too many of our citizens cannot access a reliable internet connection or do not know how to use the technology – leaving them further and further behind in an increasingly-digital world. Our bipartisan bill will make critical investments in digital equity and digital inclusion, so we can ensure that Americans of all ages and backgrounds can not only access a broadband connection, but make the most of the opportunities it provides.”

“For so many of us, having a reliable broadband connection is a given—we use the internet to pay bills, do our taxes, keep in touch with family, do homework, and much more. That was true before the pandemic, but it’s even more true now. For far too many in Washington state and across the country getting online isn’t so easy to do. This can prevent people from applying for jobs, learning new skills, signing up for health care, accessing unemployment benefits, and more. That’s the digital divide,” Senator Murray said. “While we’ve made some headway expanding internet access to more families by investing in critical infrastructure like rural broadband, that isn’t much help if they don’t have the tools and skills to actually use their broadband connection. The Digital Equity Act is an important bipartisan step Congress must take to help states, counties, Tribes, and others do more to close this digital divide. This bill is an investment in our families, our workforce, and our overall competitiveness in a 21st century economy.”
“Too many Americans – especially in overlooked and underserved communities – lack access to broadband internet, negatively impacting the way they live and work,” Senator Portman said. “This bill aims to address these access gaps by encouraging the creation and implementation of comprehensive digital equity plans in all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico and supporting digital inclusion projects undertaken by groups, coalitions, and/or communities of interest. With this support, we can further our efforts to bridge the digital divide.”

“The pandemic has shown how real the digital divide is in our great State, and how important it is to ensure that every home has a robust broadband connection,” said Susan Corbett, Founder & CEO of the Digital Equity Center. “We need to advance digital equity and inclusion by increasing access to broadband, computers and devices, and expanding digital literacy training for every Maine citizen.”
According to the Pew Research Center, before the pandemic nearly one in five teenagers in the U.S. said they had been unable to complete homework assignments due to lack of a reliable internet connection. The digital divide, also sometimes referred to as the “homework gap” as it applies to students, exacerbates existing wealth and income gaps in our communities; subsequently, many people—including those from communities of color, people with disabilities, low-income households, and rural communities, overwhelmingly impacted by the digital skills gap—are at risk of being left behind in an increasingly technology-driven world, absent intervention.

According to 2019 U.S. Census data, 36 million households do not subscribe to a wireline broadband service—including 15% of Maine households. 26 million of these households across the nation are in urban areas. 10 million are in rural areas. The lower a household’s income, the less likely they are to consistently subscribe to a wireline broadband service.

To that end, the Digital Equity Act of 2021 strengthens federal support for efforts to help ensure students, families, and workers have the information technology capacity needed to fully participate in society by establishing two grant programs to be administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to promote digital equity nationwide:

·       Building Capacity within States through Formula Grants: The legislation creates an annual $125 million formula grant program for all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to fund the creation and implementation of comprehensive digital equity plans in each State.

·       Spurring Targeted Action through Competitive Grants: The legislation also creates an annual $125 million competitive grant program to support digital equity projects undertaken by individual groups, coalitions, and/or communities of interest.

·       Supporting Research and Evidence-Based Policymaking: The legislation tasks NTIA with evaluating digital inclusion projects and providing policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels with detailed information about which projects are most effective.

“During the pandemic, we saw more and more neighborhoods, towns, counties, cities and states figuring out ways to cover the cost of internet service and purchase computers while also providing technical support and digital skills training. The solutions were local. Digital equity solutions in the U.S. have always been local. On the one hand this is fabulous because trusted community relationships are essential to effective digital inclusion work. On the other hand, financial support of local digital inclusion work has been sorely lacking. We celebrate the announcement of the Digital Equity Act because it invests in local solutions,” said Angela Siefer, Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.

As co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Broadband Caucus, Senator King has been a strong advocate for expanding affordable broadband access as a way to increase economic opportunity in rural Maine – and has raised the issue consistently during the coronavirus pandemic. He played a key role in securing the inclusion of billions of dollars in the American Rescue Plan for broadband investment – which he voted in favor of, and published an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News emphasizing the plan’s historic investment in broadband. The March edition of Senator King’s “Inside Maine” podcast focused on this historic investment during a conversation with Tilson Technologies’ Josh Broder, and Pew Charitable Trusts’ Kathryn de Wit. Senator King has also urged the Biden Administration to update federal standards for high-speed broadband to reflect modern uses, calling for updating the definition of high-speed broadband to 100 megabits per second of upload and download speed.

The Digital Equity Act of 2021 is endorsed by over 100 organizations, including: AARP, Alliance for Community Media, American Library Association, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, Broadband Connects America, Center for Law and Social Policy, Center for Media Justice, Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, Coalition on Adult Basic Education, Common Cause, Common Sense, Consortium for School Networking, Competitive Carriers Association, EdTech Center @ World Education, Free Press Action Fund, International Society for Technology in Education, Microsoft, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, National Coalition for Literacy, National Collaborative for Digital Equity, National Congress of American Indians, National Consumer Law Center on behalf of their low-income clients, National Digital Inclusion Alliance, National Hispanic Media Coalition, National League of Cities, National Parent Teacher Association, New America’s Open Technology Institute, Next Century Cities, NTEN, Public Knowledge, Rural Telecommunications Congress, Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, State Educational Technology Directors Association, and the Urban Libraries Council.

Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) are introducing legislation to make it easier for small farms and ranches to provide locally-produced meats to consumers. The Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act would give individual states the option to permit intrastate distribution of custom-slaughtered meat such as beef, pork, goat or lamb to consumers, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and grocery stores. The legislation comes days after a ransomware attack forced the world’s largest meat processor to shut down nine U.S. plants and disrupted production at other facilities – reinforcing the importance of local producers in a resilient food supply chain. In addition to Senators King and Paul, cosponsors include Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Marsha Blackburn (R-T.N.), Mike Braun (R-I.N.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Mike Lee (R-U.T.).

“Cyberattacks and the coronavirus pandemic have exposed vulnerabilities in the global food supply chain, which is why it is more vital than ever that we cut red tape keeping local farmers and ranchers from feeding their communities,” said Senator King. “Maine’s local farmers and ranchers create top-notch agricultural products, but burdensome regulations create unnecessary challenges that hinder local economic activity. Under current rules, a Maine farmer could be forced to send his or her animals halfway across the state for processing just so they can sell the product to a neighbor down the road. These extra hoops don’t work for our farmers, and they don’t work for consumers – let’s simplify this process for everyone.”

“With inflation causing the cost of food to continuously rise, it is now more important than ever for families to have direct access to the resources of small farms and ranches for local foods,” Dr. Paul said. “The PRIME Act will make it easier for farmers to sell and consumers to buy locally-produced meat.”

Across the nation, farmers and ranchers are seeing a growing demand for meat that has been raised and processed locally. Under current law, farmers and ranchers must have their animals processed at a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified facility to sell their product commercially. However, many states – including Maine – have a limited amount of USDA-approved processing facilities, which are often at capacity due to farmers and ranchers of all sizes and types racing to get their animals processed and off to market. That makes it expensive and time-consuming for farmers to transport their animals, sometimes 100 miles or more back and forth across the state or even out of state, when they intend to sell the meat to their neighbors.

According to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, there are five USDA-inspected and eight state-inspected meat processors in Maine. The PRIME Act would provide states with the option to part from the federal standard, and would shift more safety oversight to states, some of which already have equally rigorous inspection practices, and break down barriers for small farms looking to sell their product in-state. Doing so would help relieve the significant shortage of processing capacity and allow small farms, ranches, and slaughterhouses to thrive. This will give individual states the option to make it easier for farmers to supply their product to farmers markets, restaurants or grocery store in their own state – and give consumers access to farm-fresh product.  

Senator King has repeatedly led legislative pushes to help Maine farmers widen their markets, introducing the PRIME Act with Senator Paul in each of the last three Congresses. Senator King is also the lead sponsor of the New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act, alongside Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) The bipartisan bill would allow meat and poultry products inspected by state Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) programs to be sold across state lines.

Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar

Administration’s proposed increase now moves to Congress for inclusion in budget debate

WASHINGTON – Following calls from U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) for a significant increase in funding to the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, the Biden administration has proposed $9.22 million for the project in its recent budget request for 2022 – up from just $100,000 that was approved for 2021.

As Congress takes up the fiscal year 2022 budget in the coming months, the Senators said they will push to fully fund the Biden administration proposal. Both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate must approve funding for the project during this year’s budget process. The funding Congress approves will then goes to the President to be signed into law.

“This funding will help rural communities in southwest Minnesota access safe and reliable water,” said Klobuchar. “The federal government’s commitment to this project is vital to its success, and it’s important to ensure our water infrastructure has sufficient resources.”

“For far too long, people across southwest Minnesota, northwest Iowa and southeast South Dakota have waited for the federal government to keep its promise to fund the Lewis and Clark Water Project,” said Smith. “These communities already contributed their share of the costs, and even stepped in to fill the gap that the federal government is supposed to cover, because they understand that without reliable sources of clean water, they can’t thrive. I’ve been pressing for additional federal funding to complete this project for years and will work with the Biden Administration to ensure that this proposal is included in next year’s budget. Our communities cannot and should not be forced to wait any longer.”

The Lewis & Clark Regional Water System is dedicated to constructing and operating a first of its kind tri-state drinking water system that will benefit an estimated 350,000 people in southwest Minnesota, southeast South Dakota, and northwest Iowa. Authorized by Congress in 2000, construction oversight is provided by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). The capacity of the completed system will be 45 million gallons of water per day (MGD), with the ability to expand to 60 MGD in the future.

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Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar

Senators work to ensure new Rural Emergency Hospital Medicare designation is swiftly introduced

WASHINGTON – Following passage of their legislation to help rural hospitals stay open, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) are calling on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure a timely and stakeholder-driven implementation of the new and voluntary Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Medicare payment designation. 

In May 2017, Klobuchar and Grassley introduced the bipartisan Rural Emergency Acute Care Hospital (REACH) Act to create a new REH classification under Medicare. This bill strengthens support for hospitals that maintain an emergency room and provide outpatient services. Provisions of this legislation were passed and signed into law as part of the 2020 bipartisan year-end agreement, authorizing the creation of a new Rural Emergency Hospital classification under Medicare.

“The REH designation offers the flexibility to support rural hospitals that can no longer support inpatient services while maintaining services that better align with the specific needs of their patient population including 24/7 emergency care, outpatient care, ambulance services, and more. It is important that federal regulations and guidance adequately consider the needs of rural providers. This will ensure REH is a viable solution for rural hospitals giving rural communities the quality of life they deserve,” the Senators wrote in a letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.

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

Dear Administrator Brooks-LaSure,

Access to emergency and primary health care services is a basic quality of life issue for a resident of any sized community. Section 125 of Public Law (P.L.) 116-260 established the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) voluntary Medicare payment designation. This bipartisan solution will support struggling rural hospitals by allowing them to voluntarily right-size their health care infrastructure while maintaining essential medical services for their rural communities. We request you prioritize the implementation of this law by establishing a project lead at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure a timely and stakeholder driven implementation.

A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found more than 100 rural hospitals have closed in 28 different states since 2013. The COVID-19 pandemic has only further strained rural hospital finances. If nothing is done, more hospitals and rural Americans will continue losing access to essential medical services resulting in poorer outcomes and higher costs for patients and taxpayers. The REH designation offers the flexibility to support rural hospitals that can no longer support inpatient services while maintaining services that better align with the specific needs of their patient population including 24/7 emergency care, outpatient care, ambulance services, and more. It is important that federal regulations and guidance adequately consider the needs of rural providers. This will ensure REH is a viable solution for rural hospitals giving rural communities the quality of life they deserve. We stand ready to support your efforts to implement REH in a timely and stakeholder-driven manner.

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