Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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Senator Hassan on Colonial Pipeline Hearing: ‘I’ve talked with small school districts in my state of New Hampshire that are better prepared for cyberattacks than Colonial Pipeline’

Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

June 08, 2021

When Senator Hassan Asked About Prior Plans for Ransomware Attacks, CEO Told Senator Hassan the Company Had ‘No Discussion About Ransom’

WASHINGTON – During a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) pressed Colonial Pipeline President and CEO Joseph A. Blount, Jr. on the recent cyberattack it experienced and its decision to pay hackers a ransom payment. When Senator Hassan asked Mr. Blount if the company had a cybersecurity plan prior to the attack that included guidance about paying a ransom, he said, “Senator specifically, no, no discussion about ransom and action to ransom.”

Senator Hassan also issued the following statement after the hearing:

“It is a stunning admission that Colonial Pipeline did not have a plan in place if hackers requested a ransom payment. I’ve talked with small school districts in my state of New Hampshire that are better prepared for cyberattacks than Colonial Pipeline was. Colonial Pipeline operates critical infrastructure that families and our economy rely on. It is unacceptable that it was so unprepared for a cyberattack, and it is a wakeup call that more must be done to secure our critical infrastructure.”

Watch Senator Hassan’s full hearing questioning here.

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Sens. Hassan, Cassidy & Rep. Slotkin Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Overhaul National Stockpile and Expand Domestic Manufacturing

Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

June 08, 2021

Bipartisan Legislation Would Help Reduce Reliance on Foreign Adversaries like China for Critical Supplies and Help Prevent Future Shortages

WASHINGTON –– U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA) and Representative Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-08) introduced the bipartisan Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act to make long-overdue improvements to the Strategic National Stockpile, which is maintained by the federal government to ensure access to medical supplies during public health emergencies. This comprehensive, bipartisan bill will help reduce America’s dependence on foreign adversaries like China for critical supplies, boost domestic manufacturing, and improve transparency to ensure the effectiveness of the Strategic National Stockpile during future public health emergencies.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it was immediately clear that our country was unprepared to meet the magnitude of the crisis. For instance, in New Hampshire, medical professionals were unable to acquire the supplies that they needed to safely care for their patients, and in some cases were given defective supplies,” Senator Hassan said. “This failure must never happen again, which is why I am glad to introduce this important, bipartisan bill to help ensure that our country has the critical supplies that it needs in the event of another emergency. Our bill will make long overdue improvements to the Strategic National Stockpile and strengthen domestic manufacturing to help create jobs and reduce our reliance on foreign countries for PPE, ventilators, and other necessary supplies that keep Americans and Granite Staters safe.”

“COVID-19 showed the danger of our nation’s dependence on China and other foreign countries for life-saving supplies,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We need to strengthen the Strategic National Stockpile by producing these supplies at home which creates jobs and bolsters our independence.”

“Last spring as cases of COVID-19 surged across the country, our frontline medical workers were sent into combat against a deadly virus without the armor they needed to protect themselves,” said Representative Slotkin. “When Michigan and other states called on the Strategic National Stockpile for urgently needed masks, gloves and other protective gear, what we got was nowhere close to what we needed. We can never again let our country be dependent on foreign suppliers for the equipment we need when crises like this pandemic strike. This bipartisan package of bills addresses the lessons of the past year: it will boost domestic production of critical medical supplies; reduce our dependence on foreign manufacturers; give our frontline workers the protection they need for future crises; and improve maintenance and oversight of our stockpile.”

The bipartisan Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act would:

  • Improve maintenance of the stockpile to ensure stockpile items are in good working order and ready to use if and when a crisis hits;
  • Increase manufacturing of critical supplies in America to diversify sources of personal protective equipment and partner with industry to replenish existing stocks;
  • Provide more federal resources to states to expand or maintain their own strategic stockpiles; and
  • Bring transparency to stockpile allocations by requiring a report to Congress on all requests for stockpile supplies during the pandemic and the response to each request.

To read the bill text for the Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act click here. To read the section-by-section, click here.

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Sen. Cruz in The Dallas Morning News: ‘Inflation Could Wreck American Wealth’

Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today published an op-ed in The Dallas Morning News detailing how the Biden-Harris administration’s massive spending spree could result in an inflation crisis and destroy the wealth of hard-working Americans.
In the op-ed, Sen. Cruz wrote:
“Since 2012, our inflation rate has been around 2% or under. But in April, it was announced that our inflation rate had ticked up to 4.2%, and it may keep going up. This is a problem because when the inflation rate rises, which can happen when the federal government prints money to keep up with a massive spending increase, our dollars have less purchasing power and prices go up.”
[…]
“Biden has proposed a $6 trillion budget, and Congress already passed a $1.9 trillion bill Biden wanted ostensibly for COVID-19 relief. But only 9% of that bill went to actual COVID-19 relief, and the huge price tag on the bill is part of what’s driving the inflation we’re seeing today.
“As the author Ronald Wright once said, each time history repeats itself, the price goes up. I sincerely hope no one tells Biden what comes after a trillion.
“And how is Biden going to pay for all of this new spending? By raising taxes. He’s been very transparent about that. Basically, if you’re an American and you’re working, your taxes are going up. He’s going to raise corporate taxes, individual taxes, the death tax, the capital gains tax. He’s raising taxes on everything. In fact, Biden wants to raise the American corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, which would put it higher than Communist China’s 25% corporate tax rate.”
Read his full op-ed here and below.
Inflation could wreck American wealthThe Dallas Morning NewsSen. Ted CruzJune 8, 2021
In just the four months that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been in office, we’ve experienced a border crisis, a gas crisis, and a war in the Middle East. Now, we’re also on the verge of an inflation crisis.
Since 2012, our inflation rate has been around 2% or under. But in April, it was announced that our inflation rate had ticked up to 4.2%, and it may keep going up. This is a problem because when the inflation rate rises, which can happen when the federal government prints money to keep up with a massive spending increase, our dollars have less purchasing power and prices go up.
If you’re looking to remodel your kitchen, buy a bigger house to fit your family, or take a road trip this summer, you should expect to pay more to do those things than you otherwise would have just last year or in 2019.
Everywhere we look, prices are rising.
Lumber prices have increased 340% in the past year, and Americans looking to buy homes should expect to pay over $35,000 more for a newly built house. Food and even the price of diapers are rising, squeezing Americans and especially lower and middle income households.
We have also seen gas prices rise as a key pipeline responsible for delivering fuel all over the Eastern Seaboard was attacked by Russian hackers and had to shut down operations for days.
If the gas crisis is a candle flame and lumber prices are a campfire, then growing inflation is a forest fire that has ignited, and may eventually burn through our entire economy.
I’ve described Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale 2.0. But when it comes to inflation, Biden might actually be worse than Carter. Faced with rising inflation, higher prices and voters’ discontent, Carter gave a speech in 1978 proposing to “hold down government spending, reduce the budget deficit and eliminate government waste” to tackle inflation.
Biden, by contrast, doesn’t talk about massive government spending, our $28 trillion national debt, and our growing deficit. In his joint address to Congress in late April, Biden never uttered the words “debt,” “federal spending” or “reduce” – except when it came to the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.
Biden has proposed a $6 trillion budget, and Congress already passed a $1.9 trillion bill Biden wanted ostensibly for COVID-19 relief. But only 9% of that bill went to actual COVID-19 relief, and the huge price tag on the bill is part of what’s driving the inflation we’re seeing today.
As the author Ronald Wright once said, each time history repeats itself, the price goes up. I sincerely hope no one tells Biden what comes after a trillion.
And how is Biden going to pay for all of this new spending? By raising taxes. He’s been very transparent about that. Basically, if you’re an American and you’re working, your taxes are going up. He’s going to raise corporate taxes, individual taxes, the death tax, the capital gains tax. He’s raising taxes on everything. In fact, Biden wants to raise the American corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, which would put it higher than Communist China’s 25% corporate tax rate.
Even Larry Summers, who served as secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton and director of the National Economic Council under President Barack Obama, argued in a recent article about Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill that “macroeconomic stimulus” could “set off inflationary pressures of a kind we have not seen in a generation, with consequences for the value of the dollar and financial stability.”
But here’s the good news – after Jimmy Carter came Ronald Reagan. The American people were tired of inflation, constant crises and a president who didn’t have the strength to fight back.
Politics has a natural pendulum sense to it – things tend to go too far, and then they go back in the other direction. The far left is driving the train right now, and we need to reduce federal government spending and make the case that free markets, low taxes and low regulations work. That’s what we need to do to pull our country and our economy back from the damage we’re about to see over the next couple of years with Biden and the Democrats in charge.
In the Senate, I’ll be fighting to curb inflation and for policies that promote fiscal sanity. The strength of our economy depends on it.
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Senator Mike Braun, colleagues introduce bill to hold ATF accountable, give certainty to gun owners and manufacturers

Source: United States Senator Mike Braun (Indiana)

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Mike Braun of Indiana along with Senators: Barrasso (R-WY), Blackburn (R -TN), Cramer (R-ND), Crapo (R-ID), Lummis (R-WY), Risch (R-ID), and R. Scott (R-FL) introduced the ATF Accountability Act to provide transparency to gun owners across America on rules made by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 

The ATF engages in a secretive classification review process where the agency makes decisions about whether a particular firearm is regulated by the National Firearms Act. Decisions and justification for decisions are often only made available to manufacturers in private correspondence. This causes a lot of uncertainty for both gun-owning Americans and firearm manufacturers, especially in combination with the ATF’s refusal to make final public rules regarding classification. 

Law-abiding gun-owning Americans are too often last to know the classification status of firearms, leaving them unsure as to what licenses or tax stamps are required for legal ownership, and firearm manufacturers are forced to make production decisions without final approval by ATF. Additionally, contrary to regular administrative procedure, gun manufacturers have no way to appeal if they believe that a classification decision was reached in error or is not reflective of a comprehensive review. 

“American gun owners and manufacturers have been left in the dark for far too long with closed-door rule changes by the ATF. Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights shouldn’t be the last to know the classification status of firearms, or what licenses or tax stamps they need to avoid running afoul of the law. The ATF needs accountability and transparency, which this bill accomplishes.” – Senator Mike Braun

The ATF Accountability Act: 

Policy Details: 

  • The ATF Accountability Act creates an appeals process following a ruling by ATF with specific regular timeframes.
  • The bill permits gun manufacturers to appeal the legal status or classification of any product by filing with the Director of Industry Operations with jurisdiction. After which, the appeal is directed to an administrative law judge. 
  • This bill is endorsed by the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition (FRAC).

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Murphy, Cassidy, Cardenas, Fitzpatrick Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Promote Compliance with Mental Health Parity Laws

Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

June 08, 2021

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D., (R-La.), both members of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, on Tuesday introduced legislation that would incentivize further compliance with federal mental health parity laws. The Parity Implementation Assistance Act would authorize $25 million in grants to states to support their oversight over health insurance plans’ compliance with mental health parity requirements, as long as states collect and review comparative analyses from insurers. The Parity Implementation Assistance Act builds upon the Murphy-Cassidy Mental Health Parity Compliance Act of 2019, which became law in 2020 and provided federal and state health insurance regulators with additional tools to monitor and assure compliance with mental health parity laws. U.S. Representatives Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.-29) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.-1) are introducing the House companion legislation.

“Way too often, insurance companies still use red tape and bureaucratic hurdles to deny care to people with mental illness. That’s against the law, and gradually, Senator Cassidy and I have been improving enforcement of the federal mental health parity law.  This bill is the next step. The Parity Implementation Assistance Act would provide states with badly needed funding to support mental health parity implementation and enforcement,” said Murphy.

“As a doctor, it’s clear mental health and physical health are linked. In 2016 and 2020 we passed legislation taking steps to ensure Americans with mental illness have the same access to treatment for both. This bill strengthens accountability and enforcement to build on those efforts,” said Dr. Cassidy.

“These are hard times for everyone, and the impact of the pandemic is taking a toll on the mental health of many people in our communities,” said Cárdenas. “Despite this, those who attempt to receive care are far too often met with barriers in coverage. Our legislation will give states the resources needed to successfully implement parity compliance measures and help people access mental health care and treatment on the same basis as any other illness.”

“As a Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Addiction Task Force, I am proud to support the bipartisan Parity Implementation Assistance Act,” said Fitzpatrick. “Now, more than ever, it is imperative we provide crucial support for the millions of those struggling with mental health or a substance use disorder in our country. And a crucial part of this mission is ensuring that our mental health and substance use disorder parity laws are being enforced.”

“As states work to implement the new parity law passed by Congress at the end of last year, it is vital that the Federal government provide state insurance commissioners with resources to ensure compliance,” said American Psychiatric Association President Vivian Pender, M.D. “COVID-19 may appear to be subsiding, but discrimination against those seeking behavioral health treatment is a longstanding problem, and we are still dealing with a mental health crisis, the opioid epidemic, and the disparities produced by social determinants of mental health. This legislation is a necessary step to enhance the ability of states to effectively implement the parity law so that patients can access the life-saving care that they need.”

“We applaud Senators Murphy and Cassidy and Representatives Cárdenas and Fitzpatrick for their continued leadership and steadfast commitment to improving compliance with MHPAEA! The Parity Implementation Assistance Act would provide critically needed resources to state regulators so they can improve parity enforcement using the new documentation requirements,” said Shawn Coughlin, President and CEO, National Association for Behavioral Healthcare.

“The Parity Implementation Assistance Act is an important step toward ensuring Americans receive coverage for mental health and addiction treatment at a time of unprecedented need,” said former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, founder of The Kennedy Forum. “I applaud Senators Murphy and Cassidy and Congressmen Cardenas and Fitzpatrick for their leadership in helping to make the promise of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act a reality.”

In 2016, Murphy and Cassidy co-authored the bipartisan Mental Health Reform Act, which was signed into law by President Obama.

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Durbin Questions Secretary Of State Blinken On Afghanisatn

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

06.08.21

Durbin also urges for safe return of Illinois-native Mark Frerichs

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today, at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing about the State Department’s Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Budget Request, questioned Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the United States’ policy towards Afghanistan in the future.

“It appears the Taliban is going to be a political force there. There is also a government in place. I’m not quite sure if there is any accommodation between them going on or expected,” Durbin said. “I think we’ve spent a vast amount of our fortune and many American lives trying to build an indigenous Afghan security force so they can stabilize the situation and stop the outgrowth of terrorism when it occurs…so whose side are we on in the future of Afghanistan?”

Blinken responded by saying the United States is on the side of the Afghan people to ensure they can move forward with peace, security, and freedom. Blinken noted that there are ongoing discussions between the government and the Taliban to see if they can come to a peaceful accommodation that ends the conflict. Blinken also assured Durbin that even though the United States is withdrawing its military forces from Afghanistan, that the United States will remain engaged in diplomatic and development efforts to assist the Afghan government and its people. 

Durbin also urged Blinken to do everything in his power to bring home Mark Frerichs, originally from Illinois and a veteran of the U.S. Navy, who was abducted in Afghanistan last year. Frerichs has spent nearly ten years living and working as an independent contractor in Afghanistan.

“Mark is an American who is being held captive in Afghanistan. I hope that you will give me an update in the next 24 to 48 hours on what we are doing to bring him home,” Durbin asked.

Durbin concluded his questioning by asking Blinken to ensure Afghans who helped the American war effort are kept safe after our military leaves the country. Durbin mentioned a recent Chicago Sun-Times article that described the efforts of an Afghan interpreter who saved the lives of troops during the war effort, and the danger the interpreter could face as America ends its military operations in the country. Durbin has been a strong supporter of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program and recently joined colleagues in a bipartisan letter to President Biden in support of improving, extending, and expanding the program, as well as options for keeping safe those applicants who may face immediate danger in Afghanistan.    

Video of Durbin’s remarks from the hearing is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks from the hearing is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks from the hearing is available here for TV Stations.

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Durbin Calls On Colleagues To Support President Biden’s First Judicial Nominees On The Floor Today

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

06.08.21

WASHINGTON – Ahead of their confirmation votes on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged his Senate colleagues to support the nominations of Julien Xavier Neals, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey; and Regina M. Rodriguez, to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado.  These will be the first judicial nominees confirmed by the Senate during the Biden Administration.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin highlighted the nominees’ extensive legal experience—experience that was noticeably absent with many judicial nominees during the previous Administration.   Mr. Neals serves as Chief Judge of the Newark Municipal Court.  During his two years on this court, not only did he preside over more than 6,000 cases, but he supervised the entire court’s operations.  Ms. Rodriguez became Chief of the Civil Division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the first Latina and Asian-American person to do so.  She is the first person of Asian-American descent to be nominated for a Federal judgeship in the State of Colorado.

“This week, the Senate will consider several of President Biden’s judicial nominees.  I believe that they understand the role of the judge in our system. They’ll bring much-needed experiential and demographic diversity to our nation’s court,” Durbin said.  “Given the background of these judges in trying cases, arguing appeals, and issuing rulings from the bench, I believe—and the Committee agreed—these judicial nominees are ready for service.”

Durbin concluded, “I commend these two nominees who passed out of our Committee with strong bipartisan votes to my colleagues on the floor today. I hope they’ll join me in supporting them.”

Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

Mr. Neals was advanced out of Committee by a vote of 16-6 with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Kennedy (R-LA), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) voting “aye” with all Committee Democrats.

Ms. Rodriguez was advanced out of Committee by a vote of 17-5 with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Kennedy (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) voting “aye” with all Committee Democrats.

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Wyden Co-sponsors Bill to End LGBTQ+ and Religious Discrimination in the Child Welfare System

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

June 08, 2021

Washington, DC – U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said today he is co-sponsoring legislation that would prohibit discrimination against prospective foster or adoptive parents, and children and youth in the foster care system on the basis of religion, marital status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act also would bar harmful practices like conversion therapy for children participating in child welfare programs receiving federal funding, improve services to LGBTQ+ and religious minority youth, and establish a National Resource Center for LGBTQ+ youth in foster care within the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families.  

“Foster children in Oregon and nationwide need every possible opportunity to be placed in a home with loving parents who will raise them with the support and care that all children deserve,” Wyden said. “This legislation taking its name from an American hero who devoted his life to a more inclusive country would live up to that goal by ensuring prospective foster and adoptive parents do not face discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or religion.”

There are nearly 425,000 children in the foster care system, and more than 122,000 children waiting for a permanent family. This legislation is designed to increase the number of homes available to all children in foster care and to improve services to LGBTQ+ and religious minority youth. About 28 percent of homeless youth with a foster care history identify as LGBTQ+ and are more likely to experience adverse events, such as being physically harmed or stigmatized, compared to peers with no foster care history. This legislation would put an end to discriminatory policies and create a system that supports the best interests of children and foster and adoptive parents alike.

Specifically, the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act would:

  • Prohibit organizations receiving federal funding from discriminating against children, youth, families, and individuals on the basis of religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), and marital status in the administration and provision of child welfare services.
  • Ban conversion therapy for children participating in child welfare programs receiving federal funding.
  • Promote safety, well-being, and permanency for LGBTQ+ children in foster care.
  • Require data collection on LGBTQ+ youth and families so we can better monitor these trends and issues, and it would establish a dedicated National Resource Center for LGBTQ+ youth in foster care within the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families. 

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act is endorsed by 175 organizations.

In addition to Wyden, other co-sponsors of the bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) are U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tom Carper (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

 

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Warren, Strickland & Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Investigate and Hold Police Officers and Departments Accountable for Discriminatory Practices

Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

June 08, 2021

Bill Text | One-Pager

Washington, DC – Today, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.-10) reintroduced the Enhancing Oversight to End Discrimination in Policing Act to strengthen the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) and state governments’ ability to investigate police departments with a pattern or practice of unconstitutional and discriminatory behavior.

The legislation is co-sponsored by Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

During the Obama administration, DOJ used its authority to investigate police departments with a track record of unconstitutional policing and hold them accountable by entering into consent decrees – court-monitored settlements mandating that police departments adopt specific reforms. Consent decrees are powerful oversight tools that allow DOJ to combat police abuse and force local police departments to adopt meaningful reforms.

That practice came to a complete halt in the Trump administration. The former Attorney General Jeff Sessions severely curtailed DOJ’s ability to deploy these powerful tools by issuing guidance that limited the use of consent decrees. That guidance weakened a Division that already had limited capacity to pursue pattern or practice investigations due to funding constraints. While Attorney General Garland recently announced the rescission of that memorandum, the Trump Administration’s attack on consent decrees demonstrates the need for Congress to provide additional authority and resources for DOJ to conduct these investigations, and to give state governments the funding and tools necessary to act in case DOJ won’t.

“Communities across the country are calling for real reforms to end the systemic racism that plagues not just policing but the entire criminal legal system. We must begin by holding police officers and departments accountable when they engage in racist or discriminatory policing, and provide robust resources at the federal and state level to investigate police departments with histories of unconstitutional policing,” said Senator Warren. “”This legislation is just one step – I will keep working with my colleagues for a complete overhaul of our policing and justice systems.”

“Across the country, Americans have urgently called on their government officials to re-imagine policing, rebuild trust, and improve public safety for all, especially African-Americans and other communities of color,” said Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland. “I’m proud to introduce the Enhancing Oversight to End Discrimination in Policing Act with Senator Warren, because Congress has a critical role to provide the resources and accountability needed to ensure that all of our communities are properly served, protected, and respected.”

The Enhancing Oversight to End Discrimination in Policing Act of 2021 would:

  •  Empower state attorneys general to pursue pattern or practice investigations and cases, providing a critical backstop if DOJ fails to act, and create a grant program to assist states in pursuing investigations and consent decrees.
  • Triple funding for DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, and dedicate $100 million per year for the next 10 years to the Division to pursue these investigations into police departments with a history of engaging in unconstitutional and discriminatory policing practices.
  • Encourage DOJ to look beyond traditional law enforcement mechanisms when fashioning remedies with police departments, and consider reform mechanisms like mental health support, civilian oversight bodies, and community-based restorative justice programs.
  • Prevent conflicts of interest in pattern and practice investigations by barring certain officials from being designated to bring federal actions for pattern and practice violations if there would be a conflict of interest.

The legislation is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.; Demand Progress; National Urban League; National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE); National Action Network;  and the Public Rights Project.

“For too long, communities of color have borne the brunt of state-sanctioned violence and discrimination at the hands of police,” Joi Chaney, Senior Vice President & Executive Director of the Washington Bureau of the National Urban League. “Now, we must take up the work to reverse all the ways that the previous administration made it harder for the federal government to compel police departments with long histories of discrimination to reform. The Enhancing Oversight to End Discrimination in Policing Act would empower federal and state governments to investigate and hold accountable officers and departments that engage in racist policing, incorporate restorative justice remedies in consent agreements, and establish community oversight measures. The National Urban League is proud to support this bill.”

“Public Rights Project is proud to support this bill to give state attorneys general the enhanced tools and resources they need to investigate systemic racism in police departments across the country,” Jill Habig, Founder and President of The Public Rights Project . “As an organization that works with cities and states to enforce civil rights and protect vulnerable communities, we are committed to addressing both individual actions and institutional factors that create and maintain systems of oppression. We know that state attorneys general can play an essential role in holding police departments-and individual police officers-accountable for unconstitutional practices and racist policing. As an organization, we will continue to hold the government and those who wield its power to the highest standards of legal and moral conduct.”

“The history of police brutality against and profiling of people of color in the United States demands action. Congress can start to address and tackle racist and abusive policing by empowering State Attorneys General with the tools necessary to investigate police misconduct,” Sean Vitka, Senior Policy Counsel at Demand Progress. “The Enhancing Oversight to End Discrimination in Policing Act of 2021 would take an important step in that direction, and we applaud Sen. Warren for advancing the fight for justice. Congress must establish accountability for police who abuse their power.”

The bill was first introduced by Senator Warren and then-Congressman Cedric Richmond in the last Congress.

Senator Warren and Congresswoman Strickland are co-sponsors of Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and then-Senator Kamala Harris’ (D-Calif.) Justice in Policing Act, which includes provisions to strengthen pattern or practice investigations into police misconduct, including giving DOJ subpoena power in pattern or practice cases and providing grants to state attorneys general to conduct pattern or practice investigations. Senator Warren and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) also introduced the Andrew Kearse Accountability for Denial of Medical Care Act to hold law enforcement officers criminally liable for failing to obtain medical assistance to people in custody experiencing medical distress.

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Thune: Biden Builds Back Big Government

Source: United States Senator for South Dakota John Thune

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today discussed President Biden’s budget, which would raise taxes by $3.6 trillion over 10 years. The budget would raise taxes on middle-class families by allowing the tax relief Republicans passed in 2017 to expire. It also proposes at least 30 separate tax increases, including a hike in the capital gains tax, a hike in the top income tax rate, and a new death tax. 
Full text of Sen. Thune’s speech below (as prepared for delivery):
 “Mr. President, I’m grateful to Senators Klobuchar, Blunt, Peters, and Portman and the two Senate committees they lead for their bipartisan investigation into the events of January 6 and for producing a detailed report in a short amount of time. 
 “The report makes clear that there is more work ahead for the committees.
“More importantly, it also highlights the immense bravery of the men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police who defended the Capitol complex on January 6.
“In the coming days, after a thorough review of the 100-page report, I will discuss its recommendations with my colleagues and work to institute reforms that will make a meaningful change to better protect the U.S. Capitol.
“Mr. President, on a different topic, in his 1996 State of the Union address, Bill Clinton famously declared that “The era of big government is over. 
“Well, after taking a look at the Biden budget, it’s clear that the era of big government is back.
“And it’s bringing big government’s usual companions:
“Big taxation.
“Big spending.
“Big deficits.
“And, it seems likely, big inflation.
“Mr. President, the Biden budget, which the administration quietly slipped out the door before the holiday weekend, would raise taxes by $3.6 trillion over 10 years.
“$3.6 trillion.
“All told, the Biden budget proposes at least 30 separate tax increases, ranging from a hike in the capital gains tax to a hike in the top income tax rate to a new death tax.
“And it would raise taxes on middle-class families by allowing the tax relief Republicans passed in 2017 to expire.
 “Under the Biden budget, in just a few short years working Americans could be facing thousands of dollars in higher taxes.
 “All these hikes, of course, are an attempt to pay for the Biden administration’s new spending.
 “Under the Biden budget, government spending would exceed $6 trillion every year.
“To put that in perspective, the total federal budget in 2019 was $4.4 trillion.
 “An increase to $6 trillion-plus per year – $8.2 trillion by 2031 – is a massive hike.
“Over the course of the Biden budget, government spending would equal around 25 percent of our gross domestic product – far exceeding the average of the past five decades.
 “So what would the consequences of all this spending look like?
“Well, I’ve already mentioned $3.6 trillion in new tax hikes.
 “And then there would be the deficits – which would exceed $1.3 trillion every year for the next 10 years.
 “By 2031 – the end of the Biden budget window – our debt would be $39 trillion.
 “Our debt would equal 117 percent of the U.S. economy: the highest level in our nation’s history.
 “The interest payments on the debt would triple over the next 10 years – to $914 billion.
 “Yes, by 2031 we would be paying nearly $1 trillion a year just in interest.
 “That’s more money than our nation will spend on Medicare this year.
 “So, Mr. President, let’s review: The Biden budget equals taxes, spending, and debt.
 “And here’s the real kicker, Mr. President.
 “The Biden budget hikes taxes and hikes spending and drives up the debt … for pretty much nothing.
 “That’s right.
 “After an initial good year or two, the Biden budget projects permanently weak economic growth.
 “For a majority of the next 10 years, economic growth wouldn’t even hit 2 percent.
 “All that government spending and debt isn’t going to result in prosperity – it’s going to result in permanent economic stagnation.
 “And that means permanently diminished opportunities for American families.
 “Fewer jobs.
 “Lower wages.
 “Weaker career prospects.
 “Mr. President, Democrats like to talk as if government can provide security and salvation.
 “But the truth is, government is not an engine of prosperity.
 “Government might serve as a safety net in difficult circumstances.
“But government will never make you prosperous.
 “It’s a robust economy, not a robust government, that will produce prosperity – that will produce good jobs and good salaries and good benefits and good careers.
 “And that’s why one of the most important jobs of government is creating the conditions that will allow the economy to flourish.
 “That’s what Republicans worked to do with the tax relief we passed in 2017.
 “And as we saw before the pandemic hit, it was working.
 “The Biden budget, on the other hand, focuses on creating a flourishing government.
 “And the economy would pay the price.
 “And working Americans would face a future of diminished earnings and reduced opportunity.
 “Mr. President, there’s a lot more that could be said about the Biden budget.
 “I haven’t even mentioned the diminished investment in our national defense, which could have very serious consequences for our national security.
 “Less than three years ago, the bipartisan National Defense Strategy Commission released a report warning that our readiness had eroded to the point where we might struggle to win a war against a major power like Russia or China. 
 “And while we’ve made some real progress since then, we still have a lot of work to do to ensure our military is prepared to defend our nation and meet the threats of the 21st century.
 “The Biden budget would send us right back to the situation we faced three years ago.
 “I guess it’s not surprising that a budget that fails to be serious about fiscal realities would fail to be serious about national security realities. 
 “But it’s deeply concerning that the president doesn’t seem to understand the importance of investing in our national defense.
 “Mr. President, President Biden has made the priorities of liberal interest groups the top priorities for his administration – whether that’s canceling Keystone XL’s good-paying jobs and economic growth to please the environmental left, or overturning the Mexico City Policy so that taxpayer dollars can go to fund abortions overseas.
 “On the question of abortion, President Biden’s budget abandons decades of bipartisan compromise and eliminates the Hyde amendment, which protects taxpayers from having their tax dollars used to fund abortions here at home.
“You would think that if we can’t agree that the human rights of unborn children should be protected, we could at least agree that taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay for the killing of unborn children.
 “Almost 60 percent of Americans oppose using taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions.
 “But President Biden has made it clear that his allegiance to the radical abortion left trumps the opinions of the American people.
 “And so his budget eliminates the Hyde amendment and imposes a number of other pro-abortion measures – like additional government funding access for the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood.
“Mr. President, the Biden budget might be good news for liberal interest groups.
 “But it’s bad news for the American people and bad news for our country.
 “And I hope my Democrat colleagues will think twice before forcing this massive government expansion onto the American people.
“Mr. President, I yield the floor.”