Policy
Bill seeks to bolster gun background checks
U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) has introduced a measure designed to bolster the gun background check system. Officials said the Preventing Pretrial Gun Purchases Act amends federal gun laws as a means of ensuring the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) denies gun sales... Read More »
Reps. Kelly, Demings advocate enhanced public safety
Lawmakers and law enforcement personnel recently gathered in Washington, DC, to address the national rise in violent crime and the need to keep communities safe. U.S. Reps. Robin L. Kelly (D-IL) and Val Demings (D-FL) previously introduced the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological... Read More »
Republicans demand Biden administration action on fentanyl flooding United States
In a letter to President Joe Biden, 116 Republican members of Congress, led by U.S. Rep. Bran Steil (WI), pressed the administration to immediately crack down on fentanyl distribution and list the drug as a permanent Schedule 1 substance. Drug overdoses have been on the rise for years, though... Read More »
NIH uses $4.5M in grant funds to create collaborative research centers focused on Valley Fever
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) last week announced the allocation of $4.5 million across three grant awards to create collaborative research centers in the United States, focusing specifically on investigating treatments and vaccines specifically related to Valley Fever. These centers... Read More »
DHS affirms collaborative Super Bowl security initiative
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has worked with state and local law enforcement personnel to ensure employee, player, and fan safety during Super Bowl LVI. “The Department of Homeland Security is fundamentally a department of partnerships, and those... Read More »
Sen. Rubio seeks to end U.S.-China university partnerships that bolster development of Chinese military technologies
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has forwarded correspondence to 22 domestic universities, noting he is encouraging termination of partnerships in support of Beijing’s military-civil fusion (MCF) strategy. The issue stands with universities located in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) backing the... Read More »
Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act seeks added protections against cybersecurity threats
This week, U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced a legislative package known as the Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act that proposes new requirements for private owners and federal agencies alike to address cybersecurity. “It is clear that, as our nation... Read More »
U.S. Air Force awards $17M warfighter health protection contract to Battelle
The U.S. Air Force has awarded a five-year, $17 million contract to Battelle to conduct research that advances health protection for the warfighter in present and near-future operational environments, the company announced Wednesday. Awarded under the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Airman... Read More »
Rep. Kim establishes human trafficking task force
Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) said she has established a Human Trafficking Congressional Task Force to combat human trafficking while aiding Orange, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino county victims. “Human trafficking is modern-day slavery that exploits some of the most vulnerable members of our... Read More »
Bill addresses China-affiliated drone purchases
U.S. Reps. Garret Graves (R-LA) and Seth Moulton (D-MA) have introduced a bill seeking to prohibit the use of federal grants to purchase drones produced by companies associated with the Chinese government. The Infrastructure Grant Security Act ensures the increased integration of drones does not... Read More »
Operation Overdrive: New DEA operation targets drug violence, overdoses in U.S. cities
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) launched a new initiative this week to combat drug-related violent crime and overdose deaths in 34 major cities across 23 states. Known as Operation Overdrive, this initiative intends to attack the criminal drug supply chain and associated violence as a... Read More »
National terrorist threats remain high due to proliferation of conspiracy theories, misinformation
According to the latest National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), threat levels throughout the country remain heightened due to mis-, dis-, and mal-information, stoked by foreign and domestic sources. While much focus has been paid to... Read More »
House advances America COMPETES Act to add regular federal inspection of Strategic National Stockpile
The America COMPETES Act (H.R. 4521) from U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), advanced last week by the House, proposes increased domestic competitiveness and oversight through greater maintenance and inspection of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). “If there’s... Read More »
Bill addresses Congressional authority over international arms sales
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) has re-introduced the Values in Arms Export Act of 2022, which seeks to restore Congressional authority over international arms sales. Additionally, the legislation would prevent domestic arms from being used to violate the laws of war and human rights.... Read More »
Sens. Rubio, Coons introduce Agility in Manufacturing Preparedness Act to bolster domestic biopharmaceutical manufacturing
A combined legislative effort from U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Chris Coons (D-DE) brought the Agility in Manufacturing Preparedness Act (S.3553) to the Senate this week, offering a proposal of how to improve domestic biopharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities for public health... Read More »
DHS launches Cyber Safety Review Board
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently launched Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), maintaining it would unite government and industry leaders to bolster cybersecurity. Authorities indicated the CSRB was formed in accordance with President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14028 on... Read More »
Senate advances legislation bolstering FEMA disaster response efforts
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) have offered responses regarding the Senate advancing legislation they sponsored targeting bolstered Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster response efforts. The Achieving Equity in Disaster Response, Recovery and Resilience... Read More »
House Active Shooter Alert Act proposes AMBER Alert-like system for notifying public of gun danger
In introducing the Active Shooter Alert Act (H.R.6538) to the House this week, U.S. Reps. David Cicilline (D-RI) and Fred Upton (R-MI) proposed creating a system similar to the AMBER Alert system for law enforcement to use in notifying the public of active, local gun violence. AMBER Alerts are... Read More »
FDA Advisory Committee to hold virtual discussion on possible Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for young children
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will hold a virtual meeting on Feb. 15 to discuss the possibility of allowing Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine to be used on children as young as 6 months old. The companies... Read More »
Bill seeks to criminalize dangerous drone activity
U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced this week the Drone Act of 2022, which seeks to criminalize dangerous drone activity, including actions of drug and human traffickers embracing drone technology to facilitate operations. The legislators noted... Read More »
DHS highlights increase in human trafficking arrests, seizures
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released its annual Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) report, reflecting an increase in arrests and seizures. “The courageous public servants of the Department of Homeland Security dedicate every day to supporting the... Read More »
Sens. Baldwin, Cassidy push genetic surveillance and genomic sequencing bill as path to viral threat tracking
With the introduction of the Tracking Pathogens Act (S. 3534) this week, U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) proposed the institution of national genomic sequence-based surveillance as a means of charting circulating pathogens, transmission patterns, and... Read More »
Justice Department unveils human trafficking combating initiative
The U.S. Department of Justice unveiled its new National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking this week in accordance with the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. “Human trafficking is an insidious crime,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Traffickers exploit and endanger some of... Read More »
Sen. Ernst, colleagues urge Biden administration to enforce Iranian oil tanker sanctions
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) recently joined nine colleagues seeking enforcement action regarding a growing fleet of Iranian oil tankers evading domestic sanctions. Ernst and her colleagues forwarded correspondence to President Joe Biden to also address the issue of entities purchasing Iranian... Read More »
Bipartisan Congressional lawmakers announce support for National AI Research Resource
In a letter written to the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), a bipartisan collection of senators and representatives last week urged continued pursuit of artificial intelligence development, albeit with special care to ethics and... Read More »
Federal lawmakers press U.S. Army for development of new situational awareness technology for close-quarters
In a letter dispatched to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth last week, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, along with U.S. Reps Brian Higgins and Joseph Morelle, urged the development of new cameras to boost military situational awareness. Specifically, they... Read More »
Sen. Tester tours Hawaii military facilities, receives readiness briefs
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, recently joined U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) in touring the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Honolulu. The effort also included operational briefings regarding the force posture of the U.S.... Read More »
Reps. Thompson, Costa, Neguse advocate for increase in wildfire mitigation efforts
A group of lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to President Joe Biden advocating increased wildfire mitigation efforts. U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), and Joe Neguse (D-CO) spearheaded the correspondence that included signatures from 11 House of Representatives... Read More »
FTC sues to block Lockheed Martin from $4.4B acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a lawsuit to block Lockheed Martin Corporation from the vertical acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc to prevent critical market consolidation. Regulators argued the $4.4 billion acquisition effort would remove the last independent U.S.... Read More »
Bill seeks to bolster federal disaster response
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) is espousing the benefits of a bill that would bolster federal disaster response efforts. Peters, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, recently detailed how the Repeal of Obsolete DHS Contracting Requirements Act would address a... Read More »
Bill seeks to bolster federal cybersecurity
U.S. Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and James Comer (R-KY) introduced Tuesday legislation to bolster the federal government’s cyber defenses in the wake of a series of high-profile cyberattacks. Maloney, chairwoman of the Oversight and Reform Committee, and Comer, ranking member of the... Read More »
Rep. Griffith introduces legislation ensuring domestically-produced PPE
U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) has introduced legislation requiring the federal government to partner with domestic personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturers to ensure a supply during national emergencies. The Domestic Security Using Production Partnerships and Lessons from Yesterday... Read More »
Sens. Murray, Burr release discussion draft of PREVENT Pandemics Act in effort to improve public health systems
Trying to bolster U.S. public health and medical preparedness and response systems after COVID-19 exposed their flaws, U.S. Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Burr (R-NC) have released a discussion draft of a new bill calling for overhaul across the board. Known as the Prepare for and Respond... Read More »
HHS to distribute more than $2B additional funds for healthcare providers hurt by COVID-19 pandemic
Building on the nearly $9 billion in funding already granted to the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) and healthcare providers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced plans to make more than $2 billion of additional relief... Read More »