Countermeasures
Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) recently convened a roundtable in Janesville, Wis., to address the fight against fentanyl.
The effort focused on Rock County and targeted methods the federal government could aid in keeping Wisconsin communities safe.
The session involved leaders from the Rock County... Read More »
Responding to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak worldwide, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) last week exercised procurement options for SIGA Technologies, Inc.’s intravenous TPOXX treatments of smallpox.
Those treatments, valued at approximately $26 million,... Read More »
Lawmakers and educators are espousing the benefits of the Cybersecurity Opportunity Act's recent enactment, which officials maintain would bolster cybersecurity job training programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson... Read More »
Responding to the ongoing American struggle with opioids in general and fentanyl in particular, United States Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) joined the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition (HC ARC) and other stakeholders in his state to address the larger issue of addiction and overdose.
Last... Read More »
Writing to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgrim this week, a group of Republican senators requested details on the agency’s moves to crack down on illegal narcotics and their suppliers.
Citing the ongoing opioid crisis that, as of Feb. 9, 2022, led to more than... Read More »
Through letters dispatched to the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Energy, Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have requested briefings on federal network... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Tim Scott (R-SC), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) have introduced the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act (SISA), which seeks to make the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 permanent.
Through SISA, the sanctions regime serves as the nation's best tool to restrain... Read More »
As the monkeypox virus continues to spread and health officials warn that vaccine supply is not meeting demand, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) to intradermal injections of Bavarian Nordic’s JYNNEOS vaccine.
The... Read More »
In a request for information published this week, the United States Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) reached out for details on the scientific capabilities to support its Food, Agriculture and Veterinary Defense (FAV-D) Program.
Part of a larger... Read More »
A group of lawmakers have introduced a bill they said seeks to enable Afghans with temporary status, who undergo additional vetting, to apply for permanent legal residency.
Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Richard... Read More »
With approval from the House Appropriations Committee, some $30 million has been marked for Justice Department use on the Community-Based Approaches to Advancing Justice Grant Program -- an effort begun just last year to reduce violent hate crimes in communities nationwide.
The funding was added... Read More »
Pfizer Inc. and Valneva SE this week started a Phase 3 clinical study -- Vaccine Against Lyme for Outdoor Recreationists (VALOR) -- to study the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of a Lyme disease vaccine candidate known as VLA15.
Currently, VLA15 is the only Lyme disease vaccine undergoing... Read More »
A group of Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) lawmakers are requesting a hearing to address Chinese influence and information theft at Federal Reserve Banks.
HSGAC Ranking Member Rob Portman (R-OH) joined Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Rand Paul... Read More »
Curtiss-Wright Corporation officials said the firm has secured
contracts valued over $220 million from Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI) and General Dynamics Electric Boat to aid the Navy's defense platforms.
“Curtiss-Wright is proud to have been awarded these important naval defense... Read More »
In the latest letter to United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, a group of Republican Senators pressed for plans to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, claiming that it is beyond U.S. operational control and open for terrorist infiltration.
Despite the fact that no deadly... Read More »
A bill from United States Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and James Lankford (R-OK), the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act, advanced out of Senate committee last week, putting to the Senate floor the idea of simplifying the application process for federal disaster assistance.
“Victims of natural... Read More »
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) has joined three House of Representatives colleagues in forming a caucus that targets disaster preparedness and recovery efforts.
Mace recently joined Reps. Troy A. Carter Sr. (D-LA), Carlos A. Gimenez (R-FL) and Joe Neguse (D-CO) in launching the Bipartisan Congressional... Read More »
A pair of lawmakers are commending Senate passage of a measure enhancing law enforcement training for those interacting with individuals with mental health, behavioral health and substance use issues.
Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) joined 19 colleagues in co-sponsoring... Read More »
A total of three bills authored by United States Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) crossed out of committee and to the floor of the Senate last week, offering potential means of enhancing Department of Homeland Security human and drug trafficking efforts.
The bills include the Non-Intrusive Inspection... Read More »
The Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Act crossed its first legislative hurdle last week, after it was advanced from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to full Senate consideration.
A joint work from U.S. Sens. Gary... Read More »
From a virtual press conference to a letter to the White House, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) led eight colleagues in pressing for the Biden administration to tap the Defense Production Act to increase domestic production of monkeypox vaccines.
The senator’s state of New York currently... Read More »
A group of lawmakers have introduced a measure they said seeks to bolster southern border law enforcement operations.
Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH), Mayra Flores (R-TX), Susie Lee (D-NV) and Chris Pappas (D-NH) recently introduced the Advanced Border Coordination Act. The bill would establish Joint... Read More »
After a favorable vote from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, a bill that would reauthorize the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) office will face consideration of the full Senate.
The Offices of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and Health Security Act... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awarded a $127 million contract to defense, technologies, and shipbuilder company Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) to improve systems integration through research, development, testing, and evaluation efforts.
Over five years, HII will work to improve the... Read More »
The House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee has advanced the Spectrum Innovation Act (H.R. 7624), which would enhance domestic communications networks.
U.S. Reps. Bob Latta (R-OH) and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA), chairman of the House Commerce Communications and Technology... Read More »
As more states and localities declare emergencies over the growing monkeypox outbreak, President Joe Biden this week formed an official White House national monkeypox team from other agencies to guide federal response.
Helming the team will be FEMA’s Regional Administrator for the American... Read More »
A Republican group of senators recently introduced a bill requiring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary to complete a comprehensive southern border strategy within 12 months of enactment.
U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and James... Read More »
In letters dispatched to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), House Homeland Security Committee leaders have pressed for details of the federal government’s preparations for and response to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak.
Committee... Read More »
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Weapon System (GWS) program.
The agreement reflects a maximum amount of $3,286,745,005, noting the GWS program domestically... Read More »
New legislation up for consideration in the U.S. House would revamp the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts on weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) by modernizing its Countering WMD office and formalizing and expanding its Office of Health Security.
The Health Security and Countering... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently announced the selections for $1.16 billion in climate resilience funding through two competitive grant programs to help communities across the nation enhance climate and disaster... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) recently introduced legislation that seeks to bolster the nation’s ability to counter community threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones.
The Safeguarding the Homeland from the... Read More »
For use later this year, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) announced last week that they had bought 66 million doses of a Moderna bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster candidate.
“We must stay vigilant in our fight against COVID-19 and continue to expand... Read More »
In a close vote of 217-213, the House advanced the Assault Weapons Bill (H.R. 1808) last week, marking the first vote on an assault weapons ban by the full House since 1994.
Originally introduced by U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), the ban advanced with support from major gun safety... Read More »
Following inspection and approval of a Bavarian Nordic manufacturing facility overseas, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week that it now has access to – and plans to allocate – another 786,000 doses of the company’s JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine nationwide.... Read More »
