Policy
NTI helps launch fund to help countries prepare for pandemics
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) is part of a new initiative to help fill gaps in pandemic preparedness that have emerged with the rapidly evolving COVID-19 coronavirus crisis. NTI, along with other global health security organizations, is helping to launch a fund called the Global Health... Read More »
House subcommittee leads initiative to combat transnational trafficking
A bipartisan coalition of Congress members recently launched an effort to combat transnational trafficking. The Counter-Trafficking Initiative is designed to explore and expose the breadth and reach of transnational trafficking networks and their illicit finances. “Whether it’s human... Read More »
Sen. Durbin initiates inquiry into transfer of funds from National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account
During the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee’s hearing on the President’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget for National Guard and Reserve Components, Sen. Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) inquired about a funds transfer. Durbin, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee,... Read More »
Legislation seeks to provide protections for NIOSH-certified respirators
Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Ben Sasse (R-NE) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced Wednesday a bill ensuring National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-certified respirators have the same liability protections as other medical products,... Read More »
HHS to provide initial funding for certain states, localities as part of COVID-19 response
Specific states and local jurisdictions stand to benefit from federal funding under a targeted effort to counter COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced this week. Through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an initial $25 million cooperative... Read More »
Bipartisan effort introduces Cure the Coronavirus Act to spur vaccine efforts
The bipartisan Cure the Coronavirus Act ( H.R. 6019) was introduced this week in the House in response to a growing presence of COVID-19 in the United States. Through the legislation, U.S. Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA-), Rep. Peter King (R-NY), and Rep. Jaime Herrera... Read More »
Air Force Secretary to visit the Minot Air Force Base
U.S. Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett is visiting the Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota Thursday at the invitation of Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND). Hoeven invited Barrett to visit the facilities during her confirmation process last year. The senator, a member of the Senate Defense... Read More »
Sen. Collins probes US health officials on coronavirus response
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) urged officials from U.S. health agencies to take action to stem the spread of the coronavirus at a Senate Health Committee hearing on the coronavirus this week. Specifically, Collins said they should work to prevent drug shortages and protect Americans,... Read More »
Lockheed Martin touts F-35 milestones
Lockheed Martin recently highlighted a pair of F-35 aircraft milestones, one related to delivery and the other to logged flight hours. Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office have delivered the 500th F-35, and last month, the F-35 enterprise surpassed 250,000 flight hours. “These... Read More »
GAO offers NNSA portfolio management recommendation
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) a portfolio management recommendation regarding the agency’s nuclear weapon stockpile modernization efforts. The GAO said the recommendation stemmed from the NNSA modernizing the nation's... Read More »
Congress reaches deal on $8.3B emergency funding package to fight coronavirus
U.S. House and Senate leaders reached an agreement on an $8.3 billion emergency supplemental appropriations package on Wednesday to fund the nation’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, including critical funding for vaccine research and development. “Today Democrats and Republicans in... Read More »
Right-wing extremists account for majority of extremist-related murders last year, ADL reports
Right-wing extremists were responsible for a majority of extremist-related murders in the United States last year, according to a report by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Of the 42 extremist-related murders in the nation last year, 38 were committed by individuals subscribing to various... Read More »
Firm secures Rio Grande Valley border wall contract
Two government agencies said Southwest Valley Constructors Co. has secured a contract to build 15 miles of new Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector border wall. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) officials announced the contract, valued at $179,580,000,... Read More »
Rep. Buchanan urges rapid COVID-19 response after cases reach Florida
With reports of COVID-19 cases spreading further across the U.S. day by day, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) has become the latest lawmaker calling for swift congressional action to contain the virus. While the novel coronavirus’s spread in the United States has remained low, Centers for... Read More »
Lawmakers seek medical supply chain clarity
Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Gary C. Peters (D-MI) recently forwarded correspondence to two agencies to inquire about medical supply chain security and stability in the event of a coronavirus outbreak. Johnson and Peters sent a letter to Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary... Read More »
Measure addresses border personnel fentanyl exposure
Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced last week a measure designed to protect Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees from accidental exposure to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. The Synthetic Opioid Exposure Prevention and Training Act of 2020 would... Read More »
Reps. Fitzpatrick, Jackson Lee and Ruiz chair coronavirus task force
Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), and Raul Ruiz (D-CA) have been selected to head up the new Bipartisan Congressional Coronavirus Task Force. The task force will marshal the experience and expertise of Congress members and committee leaders to develop an action plan for... Read More »
UN shoring up most vulnerable nations against coronavirus with $15M funding
While raising the global risk surrounding the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, to very high, the World Health Organization (WHO) this week released $15 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) as a means of shoring up defenses in more vulnerable nations. “We do not yet see evidence... Read More »
Representatives applaud Senate passage of communications bill
The U.S. Senate recently passed the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, a bipartisan House bill that would secure America’s telecommunications supply chain. The bill was introduced by Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Greg Walden... Read More »
Sens. Feinstein, Markey seeks answers from GAO on NNSA nuclear spending
U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Edward Markey (D-MA) are asking the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine if the nuclear modernization activities by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) are sustainable and affordable. The GAO issued a report in 2017 recommending... Read More »
CBP Acting Commissioner pitches $18.2B budget plan to House Appropriations Committee
The House Appropriations Committee took testimony from Acting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Mark Morgan this week, regarding the CBP’s portion of the Trump administration’s proposed FY 2021 budget. For CBP, that portion amounts to a more than $18.2 billion budget... Read More »
Senators introduce bill to block Defense Department from diverting funds to build border wall
A bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate that would reverse the Department of Defense’s recent transfer of $3.8 billion to be used to a border wall. Further, the Restoring Military Priorities Act of 2020 would reduce the transfer authority of the DoD to prevent President Trump from diverting... Read More »
Spreading coronavirus forces U.S. administration’s targeted response plans
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, charged Wednesday night with leading the federal government’s response to the coronavirus epidemic, has named a top AIDS expert to coordinate the response and clamped down on future outgoing coronavirus messaging by government health officials and... Read More »
Resolution to support Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations introduced in House
The co-chairs of the House Global Health Caucus introduced a resolution in support of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI). GAVI is dedicated to saving the lives of children in the world’s poorest countries by improving access to new and underutilized vaccines. Since... Read More »
Democratic US Senators urge decisive action on coronavirus outbreak
Following the Trump administration’s request for $2.5 billion to address the growing novel coronavirus outbreak, Democratic U.S. Senators this week urged that appropriate resources be put in place to guarantee an effective response. “The highly contagious and rapidly spreading Coronavirus... Read More »
Federal lawmakers urged to provide supplemental funding to local health departments
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) is urging the Trump Administration and Congress to approve emergency supplemental funding for local health departments to respond to the coronavirus. “Our nation has taken strong steps to help address the spread of... Read More »
Sen. Hawley seeks answers from FDA on plans to mitigate drug shortages
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) is seeking answers from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on how it will mitigate potential drug and medical device shortages. The inquiry follows a recent report that the recent outbreak of novel coronavirus has threatened the domestic supply of some 150... Read More »
National Governors Association opposes cuts to National Guard
The National Governors Association (NGA) became the most recent organization to oppose a nearly $1.7 billion cut from the National Guard and Reserve. The cut is part of a Trump administration proposal that would divert $3.8 billion in funding to the U.S.-Mexico wall border. The budget cuts... Read More »
Chinese inspections not impacted despite COVID-19 outbreak, FDA says
One of the greatest concerns pushed by U.S. lawmakers since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus -- COVID-19 -- has been the potential impacts on products coming from China, but this week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) insisted its inspections have not been hindered, nor has the virus... Read More »
U.S. braces for spread of coronavirus on home turf
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Monday night sent Congress a total $2.5 billion emergency supplemental spending request to fight the coronavirus outbreak, which top U.S. government officials warned will inevitably spread across the nation. “The administration believes... Read More »
Senators demand to know how terrorist leader was allowed to emigrate to United States
Three Republican senators recently sent a letter to Chad F. Wolf, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), wanting to know how a former al-Qaeda leader in Iraq was allowed to emigrate to the United States as a refugee and become a citizen. The Department of Justice... Read More »
DHS offers states increased flexibility for REAL ID applications
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials is providing state governors with increased flexibility regarding electronic submission of required documents for REAL ID applications. Specifically, DHS said states may now add identity and lawful status source documents, through a secure... Read More »
Lawmakers seek information on targeting Chinese-American scientists as potential spies
U.S. Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Judy Chu (D-CA) are seeking information from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on reports that Chinese-American scientists are being targeted as potential spies. A recent article in The New York Times reported... Read More »
Commandant of the Coast Guard highlights achievements, future efforts in 2020 address
Adm. Karl Schultz, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, recently gave his annual State of the Coast Guard Address in Charleston, S.C., highlighting the guard’s plans and accomplishments. During the speech, Schultz outlined plans to expand the Coast Guard’s footprint in the Charleston area. ... Read More »