Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ranking Member of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, were joined by Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) in reintroducing the Central American Women and Children Protection Act (S. 2003) to address the protection and safety of women and children in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. The bipartisan legislation seeks to decrease and deter violence against women and children in the Northern Triangle and increase safe access by female and child survivors of violence to adequate, appropriate, and coordinated support services. The bipartisan bill would also enhance the performance, will, and capacity of justice system officials in Central America, including police, prosecutors, and courtroom personnel to provide a coordinated, multi-disciplinary, victim-centric response to crimes of violence against women and children.  

“As a nation committed to protecting the most vulnerable and to fostering global and regional security and stability, the United States has both a moral imperative and fundamental responsibility to provide assistance to counter the alarming levels of violence perpetrated against women and children in Central America. We cannot sit idly by as our closest neighbors suffer from some of the highest rates of homicide – and femicide – in the world, and impunity persists for horrific violence against women,” Chairman Menendez said. “By strengthening criminal justice systems and family courts’ ability to protect victims, and promoting prevention and early detection in community and school environments, the Central American Women and Children Protection Act of 2021 lays a critical foundation for the social and economic development for communities in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.”

“I am proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation which would provide much-needed resources, training and additional tools for the victims of violence in Central America, who are predominantly women and children,” Rubio said. “By increasing the capacity of the criminal justice systems, and family courts in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, the U.S. is supporting the strengthening of these institutions by providing assistance, protection, and empowering families with clear objectives to protect survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, abuse, and neglect.”

Find a copy of the legislation HERE.

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Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the highest-ranking Latino in the U.S. Congress, delivered the keynote address at the Alumni Society’s Annual Leadership Summit, where he addressed a network of top Latino business leaders in the United States about the importance of pushing corporate America to address the lack of corporate diversity.

 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. MENENDEZ’S REMARKS

 

“It’s time for America’s corporate leaders to realize that improving diversity is not just an act of benevolence,” said Sen. Menendez in his keynote to corporate leaders. “It is the smart thing to do for your bottom line. This is about your ability to compete in a country where nearly 20 percent of the population is already Hispanic and by 2060, one in three Americans will be. This is about catering to a fast-growing Latino consumer base that commands nearly $1.5 trillion in purchasing power. This is about succeeding with a Latino population that is collectively a decade younger than the rest of America and is more brand loyal than other racial and ethnic groups…Just imagine the untapped profit potential for companies who have yet to incorporate Latino voices, experiences and wisdom into their leadership ranks?,” the senator emphasized.

 

Following his keynote address, Sen. Menendez discussed how he became engaged on the issue of corporate diversity and inclusion with Pedro A. Guerrero, one of the Alumni Society’s cofounders. The senator shared how this issue has been at the forefront of his priorities since the days he was building his public service career as Mayor of his hometown, Union City, N.J., and the role he believes Latinos can play in pushing corporate America to do better on this critical issue.

 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH SEN. MENENDEZ’S CONVERSATION WITH PEDRO GUERRERO

 

Sen. Menendez also spoke about the Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act of 2021, a bill he introduced earlier this year to address shortcomings in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) diversity disclosure rule and require public companies to report demographic information of their boards and senior management. This legislation would also require the Director of the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion having to publish a best practices and compliance report to the SEC every three years and establish a Diversity Advisory Group, which would study the status of corporate diversity and submit annual reports to Congress.

 

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Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

Washington, D.C. —  U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement after Chinese ride-hail company Didi filed for an initial public offering. Last year, Rubio and Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) worked to pass the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act into law. The HFCAA subjects Chinese and other foreign companies listed on American exchanges, like Didi, to the same audit oversight standards as all other U.S. listed firms. The law requires that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) delist and ban over-the-counter trading for firms that are out of compliance with U.S. regulators for a period of three years. In other words, because the Chinese Communist Party prevents the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) from conducting an audit, Didi would be delisted from American exchanges in three years.   
 
“America cannot continue to allow unaccountable companies based in China to ignore our nation’s laws,” Rubio said. “Every time the SEC allows companies like Didi to list on American exchanges, it funnels desperately needed U.S. dollars into Beijing and puts the investments of American retirees at risk. The Biden Administration should take action to block Didi’s IPO and work with us on a legislative solution to prohibit all IPOs from unaccountable actors.”
 
In May, Rubio and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the No IPOs for Unaccountable Actors Act to prohibit initial public offerings (IPOs) on U.S. exchanges for Chinese companies that are out of compliance with U.S. regulators. This legislation would direct the SEC to prohibit any company headquartered in a jurisdiction in which the PCAOB lacks standard auditing authority, or that retains an auditor PCAOB cannot inspect, from registering a security and making an IPO on a U.S. stock exchange. This would prevent Chinese companies from issuing IPOs or listing on American exchanges through SPACs.

Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

Washington, D.C. —  U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement after the Biden Administration repealed sanctions on several companies involved in shipping and trading petrochemical products as well as former senior Iranian officials.
 
“Hostile nations across the globe are testing the Biden Administration on a daily basis,” Rubio said. “Today’s actions display a dangerous weakness that will only further embolden our enemies.” 
 
Rubio is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a senior member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. 

Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) reintroduced the State Accountability, Flexibility, and Equity (SAFE) for Hospitals Act, which would overhaul the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program to create equity for all states. The bill would update a metric used to determine how much each state is allotted, which has not been reformed since the early 1990s. It would also resolve a longstanding disparity in Medicaid DSH allocations across the nation, including Florida, and prioritize funding for hospitals that provide the most care to Medicaid and low-income patients. Rubio first introduced the legislation in December 2018. U.S. Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) reintroduced companion legislation in the House.
 
Over the course of 10-15 years, Florida hospitals could gain up to $600 million in annual DSH funding as a result of Rubio’s bill. A one-pager of the bill is available here.
 
“For far too long, Florida has not received its fair share of funding for hospitals that serve the most vulnerable patients,” Rubio said. “The current metric used to determine funding is outdated and unfair to hospitals in Florida and across the country. I’m proud to introduce this proposal to reform Medicaid DSH, and it is my hope that this bill will become a framework for future reform.”
 
“I am proud reintroduce the House companion to the SAFE Hospitals Act because it will ensure that our safety net hospitals in Florida actually receive their fair share of federal healthcare funding,” Bilirakis said. “Our bill updates the current antiquated formula from the early 90s to reflect the true needs of each state. The bottom line is that this bill will enable states like Florida to obtain the funding needed to better serve our most vulnerable citizens.”
 
“Florida hospitals and health systems currently lose hundreds of millions of dollars in funding per year due to the outdated formula the federal government uses to distribute some of its funding under the Federal Medicaid Disproportionate Share program,” said Mary C. Mayhew, President and CEO of the Florida Hospital Association. “On behalf of the Florida Hospital Association’s more than 200 hospitals and health systems, I want to thank Senator Rubio for his efforts to bring equality to this program so Florida’s hospitals receive their fair share of this critical funding for some of our most vulnerable and uninsured.”
 
“The Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida commends U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio for sponsoring the SAFE Hospitals Act, legislation that would provide Florida its fair share of federal funding for hospital care provided to Medicaid and uninsured patients. Now is the time to once and for all fix the federal formula for distributing Medicaid Disproportionate Share (DSH) payments to help hospitals cover the cost of uncompensated care. Under Rubio’s bill, the new formula would be based on the national standard poverty rate and use the latest census data, as opposed to the haphazard state-by-state allocation that is still predominantly based on an antiquated formula created over 30 years ago. Sen. Rubio understands the importance of having a fair DSH formula for Florida and numerous other states that have received low DSH allocations for decades. The Safety Net hospitals are optimistic that Florida’s entire Congressional delegation will back the SAFE Hospitals Act to finally fix this problem so Florida gets our fair share. Florida’s Safety Net hospitals have long expressed frustration that another state that chose not to expand Medicaid receives over 475 percent more funding for uninsured patient care than Florida.  And that Connecticut receives the same DSH allotment as Florida but has less than one-fifth the population and, in 2019, served only 0.8 percent the U.S. population at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level, compared to Florida’s 5.9 percent. I am hopeful that Congress will pass this legislation. It is a simple matter of fairness and should have bipartisan support,” Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida President Lindy Kennedy said.
 
The SAFE Hospitals Act would: 
 

• Gradually change the DSH allocation formula so states’ allocations are based on the number of low-income earners living in the state, as a percentage of the total U.S. population earning less than 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
• Prioritize DSH funding to hospitals providing the most care to vulnerable patients, while providing states with the necessary flexibility to address the unique needs of hospitals in each state.
• Expand the definition of uncompensated care to include costs incurred by hospitals to provide certain outpatient physician and clinical services, which is a change recommended by MACPAC.
• Allow states to reserve some of their DSH funding allocations to be used in future years in order to give hospitals more certainty or consistency in the amount of DSH funding they can expect when planning for the future.

Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

Miami, FL — The office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) will host in-person and virtual Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with federal casework issues in their communities. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of Senator Rubio’s eight regional offices a more convenient way to receive federal casework assistance. 
 

In-person Mobile Office Hours:

 
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Citrus County
10:00am – 1:00pm EDT
Citrus County Chamber of Commerce
915 N. Suncoast Blvd.
Crystal River, FL 34429
RSVP here.
 
Calhoun County
1:30pm – 3:00pm CDT
Blountstown Public Library
17731 NE Pear St.
Blountstown, FL 32424
RSVP here.
 
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Jackson County
1:30pm – 3:30pm CDT
Jackson County Public Library
2929 Green St.
Marianna, FL 32446
RSVP here.
 
Pinellas County
2:00pm – 5:00pm EDT
Largo City Hall
201 Highland Ave.
Largo, FL 33770
RSVP here.
 
 

Virtual Mobile Office Hours:

Monday, June 14, 2021
Orange County
1:00pm – 2:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
3:00pm – 4:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Gulf County
11:00am – 1:00pm CDT
RSVP here.
 
Okaloosa County
1:00pm – 3:00pm CDT
RSVP here.
 
Orange County
10:00am – 12:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
Osceola County
11:00am – 12:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
1:00pm – 2:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
Palm Beach County
10:00am – 12:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
Broward County
3:00pm – 4:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Broward County
10:00am – 11:00am EDT
RSVP here.
 
Collier County
2:00pm – 4:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
Escambia County
11:00am – 1:00pm CDT
RSVP here.
 
Osceola County
10:00am – 12:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
2:00pm – 3:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
Nassau County
1:00pm – 3:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
Walton County
1:00pm – 3:00pm CDT
RSVP here.
 
 
Thursday, June 17, 2021
Orange County
9:00am – 11:00am EDT
RSVP here.
 
Polk County
11:00am – 12:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
1:00pm – 2:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
Seminole County
3:00pm – 5:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
Friday, June 18, 2021
Orange County
11:00am – 1:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 
2:00pm – 3:00pm EDT
RSVP here.
 

Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

June 11, 2021

Invasive Zebra Mussels and Asian Carp Pose Major Threat to Great Lakes Ecosystem Due To their Disruption of the Lakes’ Natural Food Chain; 30% Of Invasive Species In The Great Lakes Were Originally Transported Via Ship Ballast Water

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today sent a letter urging the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies to allocate $50 million in funding to protect the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain from the threat of invasive species in the FY2022 budget. Full funding for the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Invasive Species Program would continue efforts to monitor and combat aquatic nuisance species, including zebra mussels and Asian carp, and cut off their access to New York’s waterways. These species pose a serious threat to the natural ecosystems, economy, and public health of the Rochester, Buffalo, Central New York, and North Country regions. 

“The Great Lakes and Lake Champlain provide natural beauty and serve as a cornerstone of local economies, attracting tourists from across the country for fishing and recreational activities, and we must act to stop invasive species from being established in these waterways,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This critical funding will help us move quickly to block zebra mussels and Asian carp from entering and becoming established in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, and will protect the public health and economies of the surrounding regions.”

Zebra mussels are fingernail-sized mollusks native to fresh waters in Eurasia. Asian carp are large, prolific, invasive species that can weigh up to 100 pounds and grow up to four feet long. They consume vast amounts of food, disrupting the food chain that supports native fish. The economy and the ecosystem of the entire Great Lakes region and Lake Champlain are at risk because of the imminent threat of invasive zebra mussels and Asian carp. These aggressive species could devastate the Great Lakes ecosystems, which provide drinking water to over 40 million Americans, support a $7 billion fishing industry and a $15.5 billion boating industry, and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

As part of the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018, Congress authorized $50 million annually for the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Invasive Species Program. This program is led by the EPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office in collaboration with other federal agencies and provides grant funding for efforts to monitor, detect, and respond to aquatic nuisance species within the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Systems. It is also charged with facilitating the development of ballast water management systems for commercial vessels that operate solely within the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.

Gillibrand has long fought to minimize the risk that Asian carp and other invasive species pose to the Great Lake regions and Lake Champlain. She called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to allocate funding toward protecting the Great Lakes from the pervasive threat of Asian carp in their Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 work plan and FY2020 budget. In 2018, Senator Gillibrand announced that following her push, the Senate Interior Appropriations bill included $11 million in federal funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices to control Asian carp in the Mississippi and Ohio River Basis and prevent them from entering the Great Lakes. Gillibrand also reintroduced the bipartisan Invasive Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act in July of 2018, legislation that would protect New York’s natural resources from invasive species by giving the United States Fish and Wildlife Service greater authority to regulate nonnative species and prohibit them from being imported or sold in the United States.

Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott

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Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

06.11.21

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) led a group of colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden encouraging the administration to hold the Ortega-Murillo regime accountable for undermining democracy, denying the right to free and fair elections, and committing gross human rights abuses in Nicaragua. 

“We write in support of immediate actions in response to the Ortega-Murillo regime’s systematic dismantling of independent civil institutions, which is undermining the rule of law in Nicaragua,” the senators wrote. “The United States should act swiftly and decisively to send a clear message urging the Ortega-Murillo regime to reverse course.”

Those joining Cassidy, Risch, and Leahy in signing the letter include U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Todd Young (R-IN). 

“Since December 2020, the Ortega-Murillo regime has severely restricted independent civil society and media, forced unlawful financial regulations on local banks, seized control of the Supreme Electoral Council in violation of Nicaraguan law, and put in place a fraudulent electoral process that denies the Nicaraguan people’s right to freely and fairly choose their leaders in elections in November,” the senators continued. “The regime has begun to arrest and detain prominent opposition candidates for president, eliminating any possibility of a free and fair election.” 

“We recommend considering [taking action] as part of a coordinated strategy with other members of the international community who share U.S. concerns, to support efforts of the Nicaraguan people to end corruption and restore democratic governance in their country, including through free and fair elections in November 2021,” the senators concluded.

The senators recommended the administration take the following actions:

• Review Nicaragua’s continued participation in the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement;
• Investigate the assets and holdings of the Nicaraguan Armed Forces in the United States and hold it accountable for gross violations of human rights; and
• Use tools available under Section 5 of the Nicaragua Human Rights and Anticorruption Act of 2018 and Executive Order 13851 to hold accountable Nicaraguan nationals, including members of the Nicaraguan National Assembly, where there is sufficient evidence of involvement in acts of corruption and other abuses. 

Read the full letter here or below. 

Dear President Biden: 

We write in support of immediate actions in response to the Ortega-Murillo regime’s systematic dismantling of independent civil institutions, which is undermining the rule of law in Nicaragua. The United States should act swiftly and decisively to send a clear message urging the Ortega-Murillo regime to reverse course. 

More than three years after the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo brutally repressed peaceful demonstrations, Nicaraguans have not found justice for the more than 320 people killed and the nearly 800 arbitrarily arrested. Since December 2020, the Ortega-Murillo regime has severely restricted independent civil society and media, forced unlawful financial regulations on local banks, seized control of the Supreme Electoral Council in violation of Nicaraguan law, and put in place a fraudulent electoral process that denies the Nicaraguan people’s right to freely and fairly choose their leaders in elections in November. The regime has begun to arrest and detain prominent opposition candidates for president, eliminating any possibility of a free and fair election.

The Ortega-Murillo regime’s concentration of power over all branches of the Nicaraguan Government and resulting corruption threaten the future of democracy in that country, damage the interests of the United States, and erode confidence in the ability of the Nicaraguan Government to uphold its international obligations, including those under the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).  

Therefore, we urge your administration to take additional measures in response to the repression in Nicaragua. First, the administration should consider Nicaragua’s continued participation in CAFTA-DR if the Ortega-Murillo regime continues to tighten its authoritarian rule in an attempt to subvert the November elections, specifically, and undermine democracy and human rights in Nicaragua generally. The CAFTA was envisioned as a preferential trading arrangement among the free nations of Central America and the United States. The Ortega-Murillo regime’s attempts to crush democracy in Nicaragua are inconsistent with the spirit and principles of CAFTA-DR.

Second, the administration should thoroughly investigate the assets and holdings of the Nicaraguan Armed Forces in the United States and consider appropriate actions to hold it accountable for gross violations of human rights.

Lastly, we recommend using the tools available to you under Section 5 of the Nicaragua Human Rights and Anticorruption Act of 2018 (NHRAA) and Executive Order 13851 to hold accountable Nicaraguan nationals, including members of the Nicaraguan National Assembly, where there is sufficient evidence of involvement in acts of corruption and other abuses to further the efforts by the Ortega-Murillo regime and their accomplices to undermine democracy.

We recommend considering these actions as part of a coordinated strategy with other members of the international community who share U.S. concerns, to support efforts of the Nicaraguan people to end corruption and restore democratic governance in their country, including through free and fair elections in November 2021.

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