Policy
Legislation to provide greater oversight of federal prisons’ COVID-19 efforts reintroduced to Congress
U.S. Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA) and U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) recently reintroduced the Federal Correctional Facilities COVID-19 Response Act to revise the prison system’s COVID-19 response. “The COVID-19 outbreaks at federal prisons across the... Read More »
HSI, partners warn consumers of COVID-19 post-vaccine survey scam
Homeland Security Investigations, a division of the Department of Justice, is warning U.S. citizens about a scam targeting vulnerable consumers with promises of gifts and cash in exchange for participating in fraudulent post-vaccination surveys. The fraudulent surveys are used to illegally... Read More »
Legislators introduces bill addressing doctor shortages during pandemic
U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell (D-AK), John Katko (R-NY), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), and Rodney Davis (R-IL) introduced legislation Monday designed to mitigate the nationwide physician shortages by boosting the number of Medicare-supported residency positions. The Resident Physician Shortage Act of 2021 would... Read More »
HHS to expand older adult COVID-19 vaccine access
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to expand older adult COVID-19 vaccine access. The initiative would provide nearly $100 million to assist with... Read More »
Senators introduce bill to build on Abraham Accords, normalize Israel relations
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jim Risch (R-ID), Todd Young (R-IN), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced last week the Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2021, hoping to strengthen and expand peace and normalization agreements between Israel and surrounding nations. The bill... Read More »
Bill seeks to bolster relations between United States, Taiwan
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) recently reintroduced a bill designed to enhance the relationship between the United States and Taiwan. The Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act would strengthen the relationship between the nations by creating an interagency Taiwan policy task... Read More »
Bill targets bolstering military survivor benefits
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) and Sen. John Boozman (R-AR) recently introduced a measure they said adjusts monthly benefits for family members and survivors of veterans who lost their lives in service to the nation. The Caring for Survivors Act of 2021 seeks to... Read More »
Senators urge VA to counter coronavirus vaccine misinformation spreading among veterans
A bipartisan group of senators, led by U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), wrote to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) last week with concerns about and calls to action against coronavirus vaccine misinformation being sown among veterans. While misinformation has been a... Read More »
Phoenix man charged with fraud over $450,000 in COVID relief funds
A Phoenix man is in custody after being charged with fraudulently applying for Paycheck Protection Program loans, investigators with the federal government said. James Theodore Polzin, 47, of Mesa, Ariz., was charged with three charges of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency... Read More »
Rep. Meeks, Sen. Durbin offer input on GAO Mexico firearms trafficking report
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) have offered thoughts regarding the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) update of its January 2016 report assessing firearms trafficking from the United States to Mexico. Meeks and Durbin provided input regarding how the report... Read More »
Bill seeks to empower immigration courts
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) has introduced four bills designed to empower immigration courts and make offender aliens deportable. “The Biden administration’s reckless policies are openly inviting gangs and cartels to flock to the border, so it’s more urgent than ever that we ensure dangerous... Read More »
More than 300 Medical Reserve Corps units assisting U.S. COVID-19 vaccination efforts
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is playing a major role in the fight against COVID-19 in the United States, deploying more than 300 units to assist vaccination efforts in 43 states, plus Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. “MRC units started training for COVID-19... Read More »
DHS to provide $20M in grants for targeted violence, terrorism prevention
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Wednesday that they will be making available $20 million in grant funding through the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program to help communities develop programs to combat terrorism and targeted violence.... Read More »
Agencies warn of online vaccine scams
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and INTERPOL personnel said the agencies have partnered to issue public warnings concerning online COVID-19 vaccines and treatment purchases. “Counterfeit vaccines threaten the health of consumers who are duped by nefarious actors seeking to exploit the... Read More »
House Foreign Affairs Committee to consider SAFE Act efforts to involve United States in CEPI
A bill first introduced in the 116th Congress -- the Securing America from Epidemics (SAFE) Act (H.R. 2118) -- is making the rounds in the House of Representatives again, thanks to its reintroduction by U.S. Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA). Bera, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia,... Read More »
Report calls for national priorities to address COVID-19 pandemic misinformation
A recently released Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security at the Bloomberg School of Public Health report is calling on the United States to address COVID-19 health misinformation and disinformation. The call for a national strategy stems from the findings in "National Priorities to Combat... Read More »
Congress eyes domestic terrorism law
Lawmakers began laying the groundwork for domestic terrorism legislation that would explicitly bar certain violent and/or hate groups and acts occurring in the United States, much the way that current legislation bars international acts of terrorism and violence. “As we sit here today, we are... Read More »
Sen. Capito visits Customs and Border Protection training facilities
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V), ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, visited the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) training facilities in West Virginia Monday. Capito visited the training facilities in Summit Point, W.V, and the Advanced... Read More »
House Republicans outline plan to counter China threat to United States
Rep. John Katko (R-NY), lead Republican of the House Homeland Security Committee, recently highlighted the great powers’ competition between the United States and China and how the homeland security mission plays a heightened critical role. House Republicans maintain China will be the chief... Read More »
Independent board questions AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine data
AstraZeneca, already racked with setbacks in the European Union, faced another crisis in its COVID-19 vaccine efforts on Tuesday when the U.S. Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) expressed concerns that recent trial data released by the company is outdated. The focus of concern is AZD1222,... Read More »
President Biden expresses support for COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) commended President Joe Biden for his statement of support for the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. The legislation seeks to combat ongoing anti-Asian racism and violence and all other types of hate related to the coronavirus. Meng introduced the bill, with U.S. Senator... Read More »
Sens. Smith, Young introduce One Health legislation to combat disease outbreaks
U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-MN) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced a bill that would improve coordination among government agencies when studying animal and human health to prevent disease outbreaks. Specifically, the Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act would require the... Read More »
Bipartisan, bicameral legislation seeks to support federal firefighters
Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jon Tester (D-MT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) reintroduced legislation last week designed to support federal firefighters by correcting disparity between federal firefighters and state, local and municipal... Read More »
Rep. Luetkemeyer introduces bill to permanently crackdown on illicit fentanyl
A new bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) last week, the Stopping Illicit Fentanyl Trafficking Act, seeks to permanently schedule all illicit fentanyl and remove concerns surrounding the pending expiration of a temporary Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) effort. “One of... Read More »
Rep. Carter reintroduces bill to establish, expand state strategic stockpiles
U.S. Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) reintroduced legislation that would establish and expand state strategic stockpiles Thursday. The legislation, H.R. 2006, would help states prepare for future events like the COVID-19 pandemic, the Congressman said. "The COVID-19 pandemic made it... Read More »
House Homeland Security Committee advances seven bills
The House Committee on Homeland Security advanced seven pieces of legislation this week, including bills that would secure critical infrastructure networks, enhance air travel safety during COVID-19 and future pandemics, improve information sharing, and support first responders. One of the bills... Read More »
Session targets biological threats reduction
Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and Munich Security Conference (MSC) personnel recently collaborated to convene 19 current and former global leaders and experts to address reducing high-consequence biological threats. The endeavor was offered in conjunction with the MSC’s “Beyond... Read More »
IDSA, health partners call on House leaders to increase federal investments for antimicrobial resistance fight
Warning that antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest public health threats of the age, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and several partner organizations wrote to House leaders last week urging them to create a comprehensive One Health approach to counter the rising... Read More »
U.S. Department of Commerce to expand restrictions on Russian exports in response to poisoning
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced Wednesday that it will expand its export restrictions on Russia in response to a March 2, 2021, determination by the Secretary of State that the country’s government had used chemical or biological weapons against... Read More »
WHO, EMA reaffirm safety of AstraZeneca vaccine following EU suspensions
Following the suspension of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine by several European countries this week, owing to reports of rare types of blood clots emerging among the vaccinated, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that vaccinations continue. While the European Union suspensions... Read More »
FDA grants first marketing authorization for a COVID-19 diagnostic test beyond current emergency
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted this week marketing authorization of the BioFire Respiratory Panel 2.1, allowing it to become the first SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic able to be marketed past the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. BioFire Respiratory Panel 2.1 is a test by BioFire Diagnostics... Read More »
U.S. Senators Grassley, Leahy offer bipartisan bill to tackle EB-5 program fraud, abuse
Bipartisan legislation introduced on Thursday by U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) would provide a five-year reauthorization of the EB-5 Regional Center Program, which is set to expire in June, and lays out potential integrity measures designed to prevent program fraud and... Read More »
DHS, other agencies assess federal election integrity
Department of Homeland Security personnel recently joined the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in assessing findings regarding federal election integrity. The findings from a joint report to the President issued... Read More »
Bill seeks to create federal penalties for criminals targeting law enforcement
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) joined 16 colleagues to introduce this week legislation designed to create federal penalties for individuals deliberately targeting local, state, or federal law enforcement officers with violence. The Protect and Serve Act would make it a federal crime to knowingly cause,... Read More »