Policy
Sens. Collins, Carper introduce legislation securing federal firefighter benefits for disease contracted in line of duty
U. S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Tom Carper (D-DE), co-chairs of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, introduced legislation Monday to ensure federal firefighters receive financial benefits if they contract a disease in the line of duty. The Federal Firefighter Fairness Act of 2021 would... Read More »
CBP initiates reimbursable service agreements
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have made 11 tentative selections for new reimbursable services agreements, noting the effort would enhance security, promote cross-border trade and facilitate domestic essential travel. “Reimbursable services agreements are a fundamental... Read More »
United States, Sudan working to strengthen nuclear safeguards, security
National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Acting Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Kasia Mendelsohn met virtually with the Sudanese Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority on Thursday to discuss Sudan’s efforts to effectively and safely regulate that... Read More »
Rep. Krishnamoorthi examines domestic violent extremism foreign support
During the recently conducted House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence’s World Wide Threat hearing, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) raised questions that included examining domestic violent extremism foreign support. The effort in which Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Avril... Read More »
Sens. Thune, Hassan introduce bills supporting quantum information science
Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced last week bills to enhance the nation's ability to be globally competitive within the quantum information science (QIS) realm. Sen. John Thune's (R-SD) Quantum Network Infrastructure and Workforce Development Act would strengthen... Read More »
Biden administration lays out $1.7B plan to fight COVID-19 variants as part of American Rescue Plan
In response to the $1.7 billion investment tacked onto the American Rescue Plan to address COVID-19 variants, the Biden administration last week released a plan to rapidly invest those funds into genomic sequencing, innovation partnerships, and a new health data infrastructure. From the total,... Read More »
Sens. Rubio, Hawley and Scott introduce legislation banning TikTok from government devices
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Rick Scott (R-FL) joined forces to introduce legislation Thursday that would ban all federal employees from using TikTok on government devices. While the U.S. Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, and... Read More »
Bill targets border drug trafficking
Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) introduced last week the Eradicate Crossing of Illegal Tunnels (EXIT) Act, which expedites efforts to address cross border tunnels, removing red tape preventing law enforcement from acting. Hartzler said the bill would empower Customs and Border Patrol (CBP)... Read More »
Lawmakers reintroduce nuclear weapons use bill
A group of lawmakers recently reintroduced the No First Use Act, which establishes that U.S. policy is not to use nuclear weapons as a means of warfare first. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), chairman of the House Armed... Read More »
GAO: USAID, CDC spent $1B to assess countries’ abilities to address infectious disease threats
A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office has found the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spent nearly $1 billion assessing whether other countries’ capacity to address infectious disease threats before the... Read More »
Biden nominates Jill Hruby as under secretary at NNSA
President Joe Biden nominated Jill Hruby as under secretary for nuclear security and administrator of the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Hruby is a mechanical engineer who joined Sandia National Laboratories as a member of the technical staff in 1983 and... Read More »
Measure bolsters federal cybersecurity workforce
Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) recently reintroduced the Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act, which seeks to develop and retain highly-skilled federal workforce cybersecurity professionals. The senators maintain that agencies throughout the... Read More »
Rep. Higgins seeks northern border reopening plan
Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) has forwarded correspondence to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas Higgins, seeking advanced proposals to reopen the United States-Canada border. “I write you to advocate that the Department immediately advance concrete proposals for a phased... Read More »
New FDA guidance stresses necessary role of remote drug facility oversight during pandemic
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released new guidance this week to clarify how it will request and conduct remote interactive evaluations during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, noting how critical such evaluations will be to operations. This was meant for any FDA-regulated facilities,... Read More »
Trust for America’s Health approves of Biden FY2022 budget’s public health investments
Officials with Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) said the increases for public health programs in President Joe Biden’s FY 2022 budget are an important step in the country’s future. The budget request includes a 23 percent increase to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)... Read More »
OPCW delivers report on 2018 chemical weapon incident in Syria
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) released the findings of its investigation on an incident that occurred in Saraqib, Syrian Arab Republic, on Feb. 4, 2018. OPCW’s Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) is charged with identifying the perpetrators of the use... Read More »
DNI report assesses intelligence community threats
Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines recently spearheaded an effort in which Congress received a report assessing intelligence community threats. The endeavor examined various threats against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, great power competition, and rapidly evolving... Read More »
Congress eyes legislation on preventing next pandemic
A panel of public health experts and U.S. senators agreed on several steps Congress should take to prevent or remediate the next pandemic, basing their proposals on lessons learned during the 14 months working to resolve the COVID-19 health crisis. Among their recommendations, aired during a... Read More »
Biden administration issues Department of Defense funding request
The Biden-Harris administration has issued to Congress its priorities for fiscal year 2022 Department of Defense discretionary spending. The $715 billion funding request invests in the core foundations of the nation's strength while advancing key Department of Defense priorities that include... Read More »
Congress members introduce “No Hate” Act
U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of Congress members in announcing the introduction of legislation that would improve hate crime reporting and expand assistance and resources for hate crime victims. The Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer National Opposition to... Read More »
CDC would gain $1.6B prepare-and-respond funding boost under Biden’s FY2022 budget
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the federal government’s nerve center for its COVID-19 pandemic response, would receive an additional $1.6 billion in funding over last year’s approved levels under President Joe Biden’s mammoth $1.5 trillion federal spending plan for... Read More »
CBP details March 2021 operational statistics
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said a review of its March 2021 operational statistics showed a continued trend of increased encounters and arrests. "We are committed to balancing the need to maintain border security, care for those in our custody and keep the American people and... Read More »
Space Systems Command organizational structure unveiled
The U.S. Space Force recently finalized the Space Systems Command (SSC) organizational structure. Command is slated to officially stand in summer 2021 once required conditions are met to re-designate the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, as SSC... Read More »
Bipartisan Congressional effort seeks greater aid for hate crime victims through Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act
A bipartisan, bicameral response to rising hate crimes in the United States led to the introduction of the Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer National Opposition to Hate, Assault, and Threats to Equality Act (Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act) today. The legislation would work to actively improve the... Read More »
COVAX reports more than 38 million COVID-19 vaccines delivered since February
The international COVAX facility has managed to deliver more than 38 million doses of various COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers to more than 100 economies within 42 days of its first international delivery to Ghana on Feb. 24, 2021. It is a positive start for a massive global undertaking meant to... Read More »
CDC funds target COVID-19 vaccine program expansion
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has earmarked $3 billion to 64 jurisdictions to bolster broad-based COVID-19 vaccine distribution, access, and administration efforts. The funding allotment would support local efforts to increase vaccine uptake by expanding COVID-19 vaccine... Read More »
Lawmakers urge refrain from Iran approach
A group of lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to President Joe Biden to encourage a reset if the approach towards Iran versus relinquishing sanctions leveraged over the regime. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Todd Young (R-IN) sent the letter to... Read More »
Senators urge Biden administration to fund secure 5G networks
U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) joined a group of bipartisan Congress members to urge President Joe Biden to request at least $3 billion to fund the adoption of 5G alternatives to Chinese-made equipment. In a letter to the Biden Administration on Monday, the Congress... Read More »
Man sentenced for attempted chemical weapon purchase
Department of Justice officials said a man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison without parole for attempting to purchase a chemical weapon on the dark web. Jason William Siesser, 46, of Columbia, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to acquire a chemical weapon and one... Read More »
Senators introduce legislation to combat illegal firearms trafficking
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced a bill Monday aimed at combating straw purchasing and illegal trafficking in firearms to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals. The Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act would make it a... Read More »
Reps. Cuellar, Katko introduce bill to manage migrant surges
U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and John Katko (R-NY) introduced legislation Friday to address migrant surges at the border that would hold agencies accountable and prevent children from being held longer than they should. The legislation, the Border Surge Response and Resilience Act, would... Read More »
Northern border smuggling, trafficking task force formed
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) personnel have formed a task to address the illegal movement of firearms, ammunition, and explosives across the border. The initiative serves as another step forward to disrupting and dismantling the violations,... Read More »
HHS launches vaccine public education campaign
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching a new public education campaign to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and increase confidence in the vaccines. The department will create a nationwide network of trusted voices – local voices people know and... Read More »
HHS initiates COVID-19 mask design contest
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has initiated a COVID-19 mask design competition, with officials touting a total award of $500,000 available to winning entries. “We know that properly and consistently worn face masks help reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory... Read More »