U.S. Policy
According to a letter from the Republican leads on three House committees, not enough is being done to deter Russia from utilizing nuclear weapons in its assault on Ukraine – and they urged President Joe Biden to be clearer and more combative in his approaches.
At this point, said U.S. Reps.... Read More »
Following up on the demands made by the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week published its official strategy for barring importations from China’s Xinjiang region and cracking down on goods made from forced labor.
China has come... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) announced the reintroduction of the Default Proceed Sale Transparency Act, which seeks to close a loophole enabling some gun sales to be completed without Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) background check results.
U.S. Reps. Mike Quigley (D-IL), Jimmy... Read More »
The upcoming fiscal year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) overcame one of its major hurdles last week, advancing out of the Senate Armed Services Committee after consideration of 433 amendments and the adoption of 223.
Committee markup and approval is the first big step to set... Read More »
The U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) recently led an investigation that led to the indictment of 20 Mexican nationals among 39 defendants for narcotics trafficking.
The individuals had roles in a $4.7 million conspiracy to distribute more than 335 kilograms of methamphetamine and 22... Read More »
Department of Justice and European Union officials are espousing the benefits of a recent two-day workshop in The Hague to share best practices and enhance collaboration in confronting ransomware attacks.
“Only by working together with key law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in the EU... Read More »
A positive vote of 84-14 in the Senate passed the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 through its final legislative hurdle last week, advancing it to President Joe Biden to sign.
The legislation introduced by U.S. Sens.... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood (IL) and Jimmy Panetta (CA) led 18 colleagues in sending a letter to President Joe Biden, encouraging him to improve supply chains, national preparedness, and vaccine delivery efficiency.
They hope this will help the nation recover economically from the COVID-19... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), Don Bacon (R-NE), Val Demings (D-FL), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) recently introduced legislation that seeks to ensure federal police and first responders are paid full compensation earned.
The Law Enforcement Officer Fair Retirement Act enables officers to... Read More »
Taking up a law enforcement-focused bill first introduced by U.S. Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), U.S. Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced a companion to the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act this week.
Backed by both police groups... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) recently joined 34 colleagues in forwarding correspondence to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), seeking a review of the department's southern border policy.
The lawmakers noted that the follow-up letter to DHS Inspector General... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) personnel are espousing the benefits of the agency publishing the Resilient Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Reference Architecture document.
The document incorporates modern cybersecurity principles to... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced the People Over Pentagon Act this week, which seeks a $100 billion cut from the defense budget.
“The United States spends more on defense than the next nine countries combined, and cutting it by $100 billion will still keep the... Read More »
U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) has joined a group of colleagues in introducing a measure that addresses an illegal alien policy loophole.
Kennedy recently detailed the Keep Our Communities Safe Act, indicating the measure addresses a catch-and-release loophole, requiring the government to... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY) has introduced a resolution designating June as National Cybersecurity Education Month.
“In today's hyper-connected world, cybersecurity is national security,” Garbarino,
ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security's Cybersecurity,... Read More »
A bipartisan group of senators revealed a limited agreement for gun safety legislation on June 12, in an effort to reform American gun laws in the wake of a series of mass shootings across the country,
While numerous Democrats supported the bill, 10 Republicans backed it as well, promising the... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and John Garamendi (D-CA) have called on Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for more scrutiny of industry mergers following a recent U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) report that labeled consolidation of the defense industry a threat.
In February, the DoD noted that... Read More »
U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) have introduced a bill to strengthen acquisition laws by preventing military contractor price gouging.
“As Chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, I know how much we pay for parts to keep military equipment... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Peter Meijer (R-MI), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Dina Titus (D-NV), and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) recently introduced legislation that seeks to create comprehensive federal restrictions to prohibit the most dangerous drone uses.
The Drone Act would, among other provisions, prohibit attaching... Read More »
As Congress contemplates the best approach to tackling the problem of overdose deaths, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced last week the Fighting Emerging Narcotics Through Additional Nations to Yield Lasting (FENTANYL) Results Act (S.B. 1160).
The FENTANYL Results Act, the... Read More »
After an Inspector General report found that more than two-thirds of National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant recipients failed to disclose foreign ties, U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) urged legislative action this week to punish those who fail to reveal foreign financing.
“The HHS OIG (Health... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) has introduced legislation that seeks to clarify state flexibility to apply unused state and local COVID-19 Fiscal Recovery Funds school security measures.
The Securing Our Schools Act (H.R. 7979) would provide schools with additional needed... Read More »
The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee recently conducted a hearing addressing the uptick in ransomware attacks and the use of cryptocurrencies as ransom payments in these attacks.
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Gary Peters (D-MI) convened the... Read More »
After considering data from a Phase 3 clinical trial of approximately 30,000 participants, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) unanimously voted to recommend the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine gain Emergency Use Authorization... Read More »
On Monday, President Joe Biden signed into law the Homeland Security for Children Act (H.R. 4426), which requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to more thoroughly factor children’s needs into its strategies.
“I am extremely proud that President Biden signed my bill into law,”... Read More »
Stating fears of misuse, 14 Republican senators wrote to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) this week to request detailed information on how $350 billion sent to state, local, territorial and Tribal governments for COVID-19 relief has been used.
The funds in question all came from the... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has detailed a summary of terrorism threats, as well as responses to threats and resources to aid in bolstering safety.
Per DHS, individuals in online forums routinely promoting domestic violent extremist and conspiracy theory-related content have... Read More »
A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, urging the Biden administration to increase sanctions on Vladimir Putin enablers amid Russia's war with Ukraine.
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Vice... Read More »
As Congress once again questions the nature of the gun violence epidemic in the United States following several mass shootings events, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform announced this week that it will hold a hearing on gun violence with testimony from a survivor, police, educators, and... Read More »
A bipartisan group of senators called on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Committee this week to back U.S. Customers and Border Protection (CBP) with resources for proper staff and security at the U.S.-Canada border.
Led by U.S. Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and John Hoeven (R-ND), the... Read More »
Last week, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) gathered more than 40 scientists and researchers from various fields and nations for a hybrid virtual-and-physical conference on the potential cascading effects of a nuclear conflict.
Food security, supply chain resilience, and disaster management... Read More »
The first briefing of the Bipartisan Border Security Technology Caucus took place this week, in conjunction with geospatial analytics company Orbital Insight, to address how best to aid law enforcement agencies in monitoring and collecting data on cross-border migration.
A House-focused... Read More »
Since Oct. 1, 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) have arrested 124 people with outstanding warrants.
According to the law enforcement agency, 105 were arrested between October and April 30, 2022, as travelers attempted to enter... Read More »
Adm. Linda L. Fagan recently relieved Adm. Karl L. Schultz to become the Coast Guard's 27th Commandant, becoming the first woman to lead any branch of the armed forces.
"We witness a tradition long-standing, Change of Command, as a new admiral assumes leadership of our nation’s oldest... Read More »
U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) officials have detailed additional Ukraine security assistance valued at up to $700 million, noting the allotment seeks to meet that nation's needs in its fight with Russia.
The authorization serves as the 11th drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for... Read More »
