Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today pressed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the decision to include only one DDG-51 Flight III destroyer in President Joe Biden’s budget request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, contradicting previous budget plans that planned for at least two and threatening Bath Iron Works’ production schedule. During this morning’s hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee focusing on the Department of Defense budget posture, Senator King strongly pushed back against the move to cut the destroyers from the budget – echoing concerns that he raised with top Navy officials earlier this week in a hearing in the Subcommittee on Seapower. Cutting one DDG-51 would break the Navy’s multiyear procurement contract, creating instability in the nation’s defense industrial base, eliminating a ship which is commonly understood to be the “workhorse of the Navy”.

SENATOR KING: “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary I want to discuss just for a moment those hard choices. The top Navy unfunded priority is a destroyer that was eliminated from the budget that it was already committed to under the multi-year procurement. That has several problems – one, national security; these Flight III DDG destroyers are the workhorse of the Navy – eyes and ears around the world, very important part of our assets, but it also sent a shudder through the industrial base. It’s unprecedented, in my experience, that a multi-year has been breached, which would actually cost the government money in penalties. I hope, Mr. Secretary, that you and Admiral Gilday can work with us to restore that ship, because I think it has importance beyond just the one ship, but the symbolism of breaking a multi-year and also pulling back on our commitment to increasing the capacity of the Navy is I think, a very important priority. That’s not really a question, it’s an entreaty to you to work with us to try to find the funds to restore that ship, and restore the Navy’s number one unfunded priority. Will you commit to working with us on that?”
AUSTIN: “Absolutely, Senator, we will do everything we can to ensure we maintain a good working relationship with Congress. And I appreciate your tremendous support throughout and especially now. We want to make sure that we maintain a ready, capable and sustainable force. We also want to make sure that the industrial base has the ability to produce what we’ve asked them to produce. And, current plans are to buy that DDG in [2023].”

SENATOR KING: “Thank you. I live within 8 miles of the industrial base in Maine and the industrial base is not something you can just turn off and on. It’s got to be something that’s sustained and maintained overtime.”

In May, Senator King joined the Maine delegation to express opposition toward the reduction of one DDG-51 from the budget. Last month, Senator King joined Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Representative Jared Golden (D-Maine) to host Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Mike Gilday in Maine to tour Bath Iron Works and meet with leadership and employees. In April, Senators King, Collins, and Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) hosted Acting U.S. Secretary of the Navy Thomas Harker at both Bath Iron Works and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In March, Senators King, Collins and Representatives Pingree and Golden sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, urging them to provide unequivocal support to the long-standing and congressionally mandated requirement for a larger and more capable Navy fleet. 

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Subcommittee on Seapower, Senator King is recognized as a thoughtful voice on national security and foreign policy issues in the Senate. In addition to his committee work, Senator King serves on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, the Senate North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Observer Group, and is co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. He voted in favor of the Senate’s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021, which includes several funding and policy priorities advocated for by Senator King to support military facilities and communities in Maine and advance the national defense. The legislation – including $3.0 billion for the procurement of 2 DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in fiscal year 2021 – became law earlier this year after Senator King and the overwhelming majority of his colleagues voted to override former President Trump’s veto.

Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) today wrote to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), encouraging him to respond to a commentary piece in the Wall Street Journal titled, The Science Suggests a Wuhan Lab Leak. The commentary piece was written by Steven Quay, MD, PhD and Richard Muller.

“Finding the true origins of Covid-19 are of the utmost importance,” wrote the senators. “Over 3.7 million people have died across the globe from this virus. We must find the truth to ensure this never happens again. Furthermore, if this virus was engineered in a lab and released into the world, we must hold those responsible to account.”

Graham and Paul asked Dr. Fauci to comment on two scientific issues raised in the Wall Street Journal commentary. 

“CoV-2, which is the novel coronavirus that leads to the COVID-19 disease contains a special genome sequence which is not only the least likely to be found in nature but also the most likely to be created through gain-of-function experiments,” wrote the senators. “This genome sequence which Dr. Quay and Mr. Muller refer to as “double CGG” has never been found in nature.

“Do you agree with the authors’ assertion, that the double CGG sequence is strong evidence that this virus originated in a lab? If not, what are the counter arguments to their conclusions?

The second question from the senators dealt with “viral improvement” and differences between COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses such as MERS and SARS.

“When MERS and SARS arose “they evolved rapidly as they spread through the human population, until the most contagious forms dominated.  COVID-19 didn’t work that way.  It appeared in humans already adapted into an extremely contagious version. No serious viral ‘improvement’ took place until a minor variation occurred many months later in England.”

They note the commentary raised the issue of, “Such early optimization is unprecedented, and it suggests a long period of adaption that predated its public spread.  Science knows of only one way that could be achieved: simulated natural evolution, growing viruses on human cells until the optimum is achieved.  That is precisely what is done in gain of function research.”

Full letter is attached.

#####

Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement following a phone call with Gayle Smith, State Department Coordinator for Global COVID-19 Response and Health Security, on the Biden Administration’s plan to distribute 500 million vaccine doses worldwide.

“I support the effort of the Biden Administration to donate vaccines to at-risk populations throughout the world and hope other countries will follow America’s lead. I believe this to be a good investment by the American taxpayer.

“The roughly $3.5 billion required to purchase and distribute 500 million doses of vaccine will help prevent a reemergence of the COVID-19 virus which makes America and the world safer. 

“Again, I do hope other nations will contribute their fair share. The sooner we have vaccines available to the world, the better.”

##### 

Source: United States Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss)

HYDE-SMITH CONTINUES PUSH FOR THOROUGH FDA REVIEW OF DANGEROUS CHEMICAL ABORTION PILLS

At Hearing, Senator Questions FDA Inconsistencies in Regulating Abortion Pill vs. COVID Vaccines

VIDEO:  Senator Hyde-Smith Highlights Need for Review of Dangers to Women’s Health.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today continued a push for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a thorough review of the risks to women’s health from a chemical abortion pill made more widely available during the pandemic.

During a Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee hearing to review the FY2022 FDA budget request, Hyde-Smith questioned FDA regulatory inconsistencies regarding the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for mifepristone, the chemical abortion drug.

In April, Hyde-Smith led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the FDA that expressed concerns about the agency’s decision not to enforce the mifepristone REMS during the pandemic and requested the agency mandate complete reporting of adverse effects of the drug on women.

“The FDA decision is alarming because this drug is dangerous.  The limited data we do have  shows unacceptable rates of complications for women and girls,” Hyde-Smith said.

“I am particularly struck by the inconsistency of FDA’s actions.  For instance, the FDA and CDC imposed a pause on the Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine after reports of blood clots in some women.  At the same time, FDA is expanding the approval for chemical abortion pills that have much, much higher risks of blood clots than the J&J vaccine,” she said.

More than 20 percent of reported complications from mifepristone use were life threatening or resulted in death, and over 70 percent of reported complications required follow up surgery, including total hysterectomy, Hyde-Smith reported.

Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock, in her response at the hearing and in a letter, said the agency will undertake a review of the REMS for mifepristone. 

“I will have to look at the conditions of the REMS.  All serious events need to be reported to the FDA.  So let me look into that, but it may well be that if a person has a headache after using this drug that that may not have to be reported because it’s a non-serious, self-limited event,” Woodcock said.

Hyde-Smith responded, “Twenty percent, though, that’s pretty serious for life threatening or resulting in death.”

In January, Hyde-Smith and Congressman Bob Latta (R-Ohio) introduced companion legislation, the Support and Value Expectant (SAVE) Moms and Babies Act of 2021 (S.78 and HR.554), to prevent labeling changes for already-approved abortion drugs; prevent providers from dispensing these drugs remotely, by mail, or via tele-medicine; and prevent FDA approval of new chemical abortion drugs.

###
  
 
 

Source: United States Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss)

HYDE-SMITH, COLLEAGUES TAKE PANDEMIC LESSONS TO IMPROVE SUMMER MEAL PROGRAMS

Hunger-Free Summer for Kids Act Would Help States Reach More Children in Need

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) is part of a bipartisan group that today introduced legislation that applies lessons learned from the pandemic to make child nutrition programs more efficient, flexible and better equipped to reach children in need during the summer.

Hyde-Smith is an original cosponsor of the Hunger-Free Summer for Kids Act to add flexibility to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which offers children free lunch and snacks in the summer.  A majority of children in Mississippi qualify to receive free or reduced-priced meals.

“The flexibility granted to schools and nonprofits early in the pandemic were very important to ensure children could have access to and receive meals, especially in rural areas.  We now want to keep those successful solutions in place to make USDA nutrition programs more effective,” Hyde-Smith said.  “This smart and bipartisan legislation, I believe, will be very beneficial for children and families in Mississippi and across the country.” 

Current summer meals regulations require children to eat meals together at a central location, which can be difficult for children in rural or underserved areas.

The Hunger-Free Summer for Kids Act proposes two alternative options states can utilize through the program:

1. Allows meals to be consumed off-site through innovative means like mobile feeding and backpack meal programs.  This off-site process proved successful in the pandemic.  The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, enacted in March 2020, authorized waivers allowing off-site meal distribution to a parent or guardian to take home to their children.  USDA approved a Mississippi waiver in June 2020, which provided greater flexibility to school districts and other nutrition providers to deliver meals.
2. Authorizes the summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program to provide eligible families $30 per summer month per child to purchase eligible food items from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) approved retailers.  Summer EBT reduced child hunger by over 30 percent in USDA pilot programs.  Additionally, the Pandemic EBT program is essentially the same approach this bill proposes for families to use during the summer.

U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced the Hunger-Free Summer for Kids Act.  Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and John Thune (R-S.D.) also cosponsored the measure.

Leading national advocacy groups supporting the bill include Feeding America, Share Our Strength, Tusk Philanthropies, Bread for the World, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, the Alliance to End Hunger, and Save the Children.

###
  
  
 

Source: United States Senator for California – Dianne Feinstein

Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement after G7 finance ministers committed to moving toward mandatory disclosure of climate-related risks by financial institutions:

“The G7 members’ decision to move toward mandatory, more standardized disclosure of financial institutions’ climate-related risks is a welcome development.

“We need greater transparency when it comes to the financial risks posed by climate change, as well as improved international coordination. That’s why I introduced in March the Addressing Climate Financial Risk Act.

“The reality is that climate change is already causing and exacerbating natural disasters that have a profound effect on our financial system. In California, where wildfire and drought pose tremendous threats to our population as well as our economy, we understand that all too well.

“Wildfires are making property insurance unaffordable and less available. Drought is making it harder for farmers to grow their crops. And sea-level rise is threatening homes and critical infrastructure.

“Every G7 country must do more to reduce carbon emissions. But we must also guard against the risk that climate change already poses to our financial institutions and protect consumers from those risks.”

Background:

• Senator Feinstein is author of the Addressing Climate Financial Risk Act, a bill to improve the ability of U.S. federal regulators to understand and mitigate risks from climate change within the financial system. Last month, President Biden issued an executive order that included several provisions of the bill, including requiring a report from the Financial Stability Oversight Council on the risks climate change poses to the financial system and a review of existing financial rules and guidance to incorporate climate risk.
• In January, Senator Feinstein called on Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to implement key provisions of the Addressing Climate Financial Risk Act including creating a permanent group of experts on climate financial risk, climate economics and climate change. Secretary Yellen subsequently created a “Treasury Climate Hub” to coordinate climate policy strategy, including with the Financial Stability Oversight Council.
• Last September, Senator Feinstein called on the Treasury Department’s Federal Insurance Office to issue a report on the impact of increased wildfire risk due to climate change on private insurance markets. President Biden’s May executive order included requiring a report on the risks that climate change poses to insurance markets.
• Last June, Senators Feinstein and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) called on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to include specific recommendations for addressing the financial risk of climate change in the report by its Climate-Related Market Risk Subcommittee that was subsequently released in September 2020.

###