Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

June 10, 2021

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) today introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure that all communities, including rural and underserved areas, have access to quality emergency health care. The Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act would make sure that ambulance providers are adequately reimbursed by Medicare for the cost of providing services, protecting ambulance and EMT services across the country and particularly in rural areas where they are desperately needed.

“Ambulances provide lifesaving care for Nevadans every day, but if Congress doesn’t act, many providers in our rural communities could face major cuts in funding that would dramatically alter services available to rural Americans,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Without reimbursements that actually cover the costs of ambulance services, lifesaving care in rural counties could become extremely expensive or unavailable. My bipartisan legislation would provide financial certainty for these first responders until Congress has the data to permanently address ambulance payments and ensure that Nevadans in every corner of our state can access the emergency health care services they need.”

“Whether an automobile accident, a fire, a health crisis, or another catastrophe, paramedics are there in those first critical minutes when courage, skill, and compassion are most needed,” said Senator Collins. “Our bipartisan bill would support these first responders, especially those in rural and underserved communities, by ensuring they are adequately reimbursed by Medicare for their services. As a senator representing one of the most rural states in the country, I will continue to support the brave men and women who work around the clock to protect our communities.”    

“Emergency access to health care should not be limited for rural communities. This bill gives families in rural areas peace of mind,” said Dr. Cassidy, senator from Louisiana.

Currently, ambulance service providers and suppliers across the country are reimbursed by Medicare at rates below the cost of providing services, necessitating add-on payments for urban, rural, and super-rural ambulances. Congress has extended current add-on payments through December 31, 2022. The Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act would extend those rates for an additional five years. Additionally, the bill would protect ambulances from reimbursement changes tied to census data that has inaccurately captured the need for services in rural regions.

The Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act is supported by the American Ambulance Association, the Congressional Fire Services Institute, the International Association of Firefighters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Association of EMTs, the National Rural Health Association, and the National Volunteer Fire Council.

The Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act is cosponsored by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

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Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

Ahead of the Biden-Putin Summit, the HALT Act calls for renewed U.S. leadership to negotiate a multilateral freeze on the testing, production, and further deployment of nuclear weapons

 

Washington (June 10, 2021) –Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and House Rules Committee Chairman James McGovern (MA-02) today announced the reintroduction of the bicameral Hastening Arms Limitation Talks (HALT) Act, legislation outlining a vision for a 21st century nuclear freeze movement. The HALT Act comes 39 years to the week after one million people gathered in New York’s Central Park to promote a nuclear weapons freeze – the largest such peace demonstration in U.S. history. Then-Representative Markey addressed the demonstration on June 12, 1982, urging President Ronald Reagan to abandon costly and unneeded new nuclear weapon systems and to enter into arms control negotiations with the then-Soviet Union. Experts credit the freeze movement with creating the political will necessary for the negotiation of bilateral arms control treaties between the United States and former Soviet Union, and then Russia. The HALT Act reintroduction comes as President Biden is set to meet with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, at a summit in Geneva, Switzerland where the two leaders are set to discuss bilateral arms control. 

 

Joining Senator Markey and Chairman McGovern as co-sponsors of the HALT Act are Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Representatives Donald Beyer (VA-08), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), and John Garamendi (CA-03). Senators Markey and Merkley and Representatives Beyer and Garamendi are co-chairs of the Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group.

 

“Four decades ago, I joined the one million Americans gathered at New York’s Central Park to demand a freeze to the Cold War arms race. This rally led to the negotiations of arms control treaties and agreements that eliminated and limited entire classes of nuclear weapons,” said Senator Markey. “It’s time for a reboot with a 21^st Century nuclear freeze movement adapted for our multipolar world that halts quantitative and qualitative upgrades in the stockpiles of the world’s nuclear weapons powers. The age of arms control incrementalism must end if we hope to spare taxpayers the $634 billion bill over the next decade on unneeded nuclear weapons programs. I’m proud to reintroduce the HALT Act with Representative McGovern to lay out an achievable blueprint of action that can restore U.S. nonproliferation leadership and reduce the role and number of these existential weapons around the world.” 

 

“The world is moving in the wrong direction on nuclear disarmament and arms control, and a U.S.-led, multilateral freeze on nuclear weapons testing, production, and deployment is urgently needed to avert disaster,” said Congressman McGovern. “Every penny spent on nuclear weapons serves no purpose but to strengthen the hand of evil in the world and bring humanity one stop closer to extinction. It is time for a 21^st century nuclear freeze movement so we can hit the brakes on this dangerous escalation, honor our existing treaty obligations, expend our time and money on improving our country and world, and abolish nuclear weapons before they abolish us.”

 

Specifically, the HALT Act makes it U.S. policy to seek any of the following negotiated steps to reduce the number and salience of nuclear weapons:

• An agreement on a verifiable freeze on the testing, production, and further deployment of all nuclear weapons and delivery vehicles for such weapons;
• A bilateral U.S. agreement with the Russian Federation on a treaty or agreement that covers non-strategic nuclear weapons or strategic systems not covered by the New START Treaty;
• Negotiations of a verifiable Fissile Material Treaty or Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty in the United Nations (UN) Conference on Disarmament or another international forum;
• Series of U.S. disarmament summits to reduce stocks of weapons-usable nuclear material;
• U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and mobilization of  all countries covered by Annex 2 of the CTBT to pursue similar action necessary for entry-into-force of the treaty;
• Other engagements with all other countries that possess nuclear weapons to negotiate and conclude future multilateral arms control, disarmament, and risk reduction agreements; and
• Prohibition of funds to prepare for or to conduct U.S. explosive nuclear-weapon testing in fiscal year 2022 or any future year.

“The HALT act is an important reminder that there is strong congressional and public support for reducing the dangerously large stockpiles of US and Russian nuclear weapons. When Presidents Biden and Putin meet next week in Geneva, they need to focus their energies on the greatest danger we face: nuclear war. It is time to take the next step on nuclear arms control. We thank Sen Markey for his leadership,” said William J. Perry, former U.S. Secretary of Defense (1994-1997).

 

“President Biden saved the bipartisan nuclear arms control process when he worked with Russian President Putin to extend the New START treaty earlier this year. That treaty will expire in 5 years, so we must negotiate a new agreement to replace it. That process must begin now, and Senate support will be essential. We thank Sen Markey for his leadership on the HALT Act,” said Tom Collina, Policy Director, Ploughshares Fund.

 

“The Council for a Livable World commends Senator Markey’s leadership to reintroduce the HALT Act. Rather than sleepwalking into a renewed arms race, that the United States should retake its place in leading the world to reduce the threats posed by nuclear weapons through dedicated arms control, effective nonproliferation efforts and principled diplomacy. This has been an issue championed by Americans, Democrats and Republicans alike, since the dawn of the nuclear age, and this administration and this Congress should rededicate themselves to that cause,” said former nine-term Congressman and Council for a Livable World Executive Director John Tierney.

 

“The United States and Russian nuclear arsenals are an existential threat to the entire human race and to our own citizens,” said Cole Harrison, Executive Director, Massachusetts Peace Action. “The HALT Act provides a critical roadmap to reduce the danger of nuclear war and resume serious steps to freeze development of nuclear weapons and delivery systems, reduce nuclear weapons, ratify the CTBT and kickstart diplomacy embracing all nuclear weapon states.  We need to stop the new arms race and stop the rush to a new cold war with Russia and China!”

 

“Nuclear arms races increase the risk of nuclear use, waste precious budgetary resources, and endanger those who work at or live near production facilities,” said Diana Ohlbaum, Legislative Director for Foreign Policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation.  “The HALT Act would encourage bilateral and multilateral negotiations to reduce nuclear arsenals, ban nuclear explosive testing, and take nuclear weapons off a hair-trigger alert.  FCNL believes this legislation would bring a much-needed dose of sanity to U.S. nuclear policy and make all of us more secure.”

 

“The HALT Act, introduced by Senator Markey and Representative McGovern, is good for the security of Americans, and is good for the security of everyone in the world. When the US leads, others follow. The HALT Act calls for the production and further deployment of nuclear weapons to be halted, and for the US to engage with the other nuclear-armed countries on additional risk-reduction, arms control and disarmament agreements. This will make for a more secure world, and will free up resources to address public health, climate and economic recovery from the pandemic,” said Alyn Ware, Global Coordinator, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament.

 

“It is by no means certain that the world’s nuclear-armed states will continue to have enough good luck, responsible leadership, and managerial competence to avoid nuclear conflict. Sustaining progress on disarmament, particularly involving the United States and Russia, is not a choice but a necessity for human survival. This legislation provides practical options for President Biden’s efforts to reduce nuclear risks and downsize bloated nuclear arsenals,” said Daryl G. Kimball, Executive Director, the Arms Control Association.

 

“We are grateful for Senator Markey and Representative McGovern’s continued leadership on the HALT Act, which puts forward sensible policies to help further limit and reduce nuclear weapons. Amid a pandemic and a worsening climate emergency, it should be clear that putting resources toward weapons of mass destruction will only hasten our demise. Now is the time to reinvest in solutions that will benefit both people and the environment,” said Daniel Jasper, Asia Public Education and Advocacy Coordinator, American Friends Service Committee.

 

 

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Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

June 10, 2021

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) announced today that key provisions from their legislation, the Women’s Economic Employment in Trade Act, were added in the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, which advanced in the Senate this week. The measures included from the senators’ bill promote human rights and the economic empowerment of women and address discrimination in our nation’s trade and development program, the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).

Around the world, women disproportionately face challenges in the workplace and barriers to entering the workforce. These challenges include legal barriers to work, restrictions on property ownership, restricted educational opportunities, violence and harassment, and wage discrimination. The Women’s Economic Empowerment in Trade Act would ensure countries receiving trade preferences under GSP strengthen standards on worker rights, human rights, and the rights of women.

“U.S. trade preferences shouldn’t be supporting countries whose industries exclude women, violate human rights, or discriminate against them,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Under my legislation, if a country wants to trade with America, its industries should follow standards that empower women. Standing up for women will always be a priority of mine, and I’m proud to see a bipartisan majority in the Senate pass the provisions I worked on with Senator Casey so we can better empower them across the globe.”

“The advancement of women’s rights and economic empowerment is a matter of human rights, economics and global security. The improvements to the Generalized System of Preferences contained in the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 are long overdue and will ensure countries receiving trade preferences under GSP protect and strengthen the rights of women and workers. The Senate, in advancing this legislation, is affirming the leadership of the United States in upholding the rights of workers, human rights and supporting women’s full economic participation, globally,” said Senator Casey.

A 2015 study by the McKinsey Global Institute found that reducing or eliminating gender-based discrimination could increase global GDP by $12 trillion to $28 trillion. And new research draws the connection between gender discrimination, particularly as it relates to family law, and societal outcomes, with worse outcomes for conflict, stability, economic performance, governance, and food security.

The GSP renewal contains numerous Democratic priorities, including those proposed by Senators Cortez Masto and Casey to: 

• Add new mandatory eligibility criteria, which countries must meet to be eligible for GSP, on human rights.
• Add criteria, which the President takes into account when designating a country as a GSP beneficiary, on equal protection under law and women’s economic empowerment;
• Update the definition of “internationally recognized worker rights” to include the elimination of discrimination in occupation and employment.
• Provide new reporting requirements on how GSP promotes worker rights and women’s economic empowerment.
• Direct USTR to encourage and support the reporting by beneficiary developing countries of sex-disaggregated economic and business data, including the gathering of information consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

June 10, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they have joined all 50 Senate Democrats to introduce a Senate resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month.

The resolution highlights the contributions LGBTQ individuals have made to American society, notes several major milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBTQ Americans, and resolves to continue efforts to achieve full equality for LGBTQ individuals. The resolution also recognizes how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic compounds the systemic inequality that LGBTQ people face in healthcare, employment, and housing systems in the United States, leading to a disparate impact on LGBTQ people.

“Discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community has no place in Oregon or any place across the nation,” Wyden said. “This LGBTQ Pride Month, we celebrate the progress made in the fight for equality in same-sex marriage rights and employment while recognizing how much farther America still must go to achieve true equality and inclusion. I have always been proud to stand with LGBTQ Americans in the fight for equal treatment under the law in every aspect of their lives – from education, healthcare, housing, public services and beyond, and urge my colleagues to support the overdue Equality Act.”

“America has always been at its best when people come together to march, strive, and push for liberty and justice for all,” said Merkley, the author and lead sponsor of the Equality Act. “The Stonewall Protests—led by transgender women of color—and the major advancements for LGBTQ rights that followed, are an incredible example of that principle. This month—and every month—as we come together to celebrate those heroes, we must all recommit ourselves to building on the progress they created, by doing everything we can to end discrimination against our LGBTQ family, friends, and neighbors. That’s why I’ll keep fighting to get the Equality Act signed into law, and working to ensure that the bells of freedom ring for every American.”

In 2019, Senate Democrats re-introduced the Equality Act, legislation to ensure civil rights laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Equality Act would unequivocally ban discrimination in a host of areas, including employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, access to credit, federal funding assistance, and education.

Joining Wyden and Merkley on the bill, led by Sens. Sherrod Brown D-Ohio, Dianne Feinstein D-Calif., and Tina Smith D-Minn., were Sens. Maggie Hassan D-N.H., Ed Markey D-Mass., Tammy Baldwin D-Wis., Bernie Sanders I-Vt., Kyrsten Sinema D-Ariz., Bob Menendez D-N.J., Tim Kaine D-Va., Bob Casey D- Pa., Michael Bennet D-Colo., Tom Carper D-Del., Angus King I-Maine., Sheldon Whitehouse D-R.I., Alex Padilla D-Calif., Richard Blumenthal D-Conn., Maria Cantwell D-Wash., Jon Tester D-Mont., Elizabeth Warren D-Mass., Patty Murray D-Wash., Jacky Rosen D-Nev., Tammy Duckworth D-Ill., Jeanne Shaheen D-N.H., Chris Coons D-Del., Mark Warner D-Va., Richard Durbin D-Ill., Chris Van Hollen D-Md., Chris Murphy D-Conn., Amy Klobuchar D-Minn., Mazie Hirono D-Hawaii., Catherine Cortez Masto D-Nev., Brian Schatz D-Hawaii, Patrick Leahy D-Vt., Gary Peters D-Mich., Joe Manchin D-W.Va., Ben Ray Lujan D-N.M., Debbie Stabenow D-Mich., Benjamin Cardin D-Md., Kirsten Gillibrand D-N.Y., Chuck Schumer D-N.Y., Jack Reed D-R.I., Cory Booker D-N.J., Martin Heinrich D-N.M., Reverend Raphael Warnock D-Ga., Jon Ossoff D-Ga., John Hickenlooper D-Colo., and Mark Kelly D-Ariz.

 

Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

June 10, 2021

You can watch video of Kaine’s remarks here

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, applauded the committee passage of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), legislation to strengthen America’s child welfare system that included provisions from Kaine’s Child Welfare Workforce Support Act. CAPTA provides funding to states to improve child protective services and funds community-based activities that stop child abuse and neglect before it happens. 

The Child Welfare Workforce Support Act would address high turnover rates among child welfare workers. The bill would help ensure there are enough well-trained child welfare workers and improve outcomes for vulnerable youth. The bill is also sponsored by Senator Tammy Baldwin.

“I am pleased the HELP Committee is taking steps to strengthen our child welfare system and protect at-risk youth,” said Kaine. “These provisions will help prevent abuse by ensuring that vulnerable youth have the support they need to succeed, while also addressing the major shortages in the child welfare workforce.” 

“Our legislation will build best practices for better supporting child welfare workers. When we do more on workforce recruitment, retention, and professional development, we will strengthen the quality of the services being provided children and families,” said Baldwin.

The physical and emotional challenges inherent in child welfare work, combined with relatively low compensation and work benefits, make these careers difficult to sustain, resulting in high turnover rates — including a 30% annual turnover rate in Virginia. High turnover decreases the quality of services delivered to children and families and results in an estimated cost of $54,000 per worker leaving an agency.

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act includes the following provisions from the Child Welfare Workforce Support Act:

Creates a capacity building grant program that would: 

• Reduce barriers to recruitment, development, and retention of child welfare workers.
• Improve support for the child welfare workforce and their efforts to better meet the unique needs of infants and children.
• Provide ongoing professional development opportunities and support, including addressing secondary trauma, to improve the retention of child welfare workers.

Last year, Senator Kaine joined multiple efforts to push for vital resources for the child welfare system that support vulnerable children and families suffering from abuse and neglect during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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