U.S. Policy
Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) recently sent a letter to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials expressing concern over a plan to divert personnel to the nation’s southern border.
The TSA plans to divert 40 air marshals to the southern border to work with... Read More »
The fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was approved out of the Senate Armed Services Committee, authorizes full funding for two projects at the Fort Drum military base in Upstate New York.
The NDAA includes funding for a new railhead and a new Unmanned Aerial... Read More »
A California federal grand jury indicted Wednesday Mark Steven Domingo for planning to bomb a rally in Long Beach in late April.
The former U.S. Army infantryman was charged with providing material support to terrorists and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.
Domingo expressed in... Read More »
The House Agriculture Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee recently conducted a hearing to examine animal pest disease prevention and response, determining U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Congressional coordination is needed.
“The livestock industry faces pest and disease... Read More »
A group of lawmakers introduced this week legislation designed to address the short-term, medium-term, and long-term challenges to detecting, treating, and eventually eliminating Valley Fever.
Valley Fever, also known as coccidioidomycosis, is an infection caused by the fungus Coccidioides and... Read More »
In an assessment of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and a planned Defense Department upgrade to a new system known as OCX, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found efforts will most likely continue to be delayed.
The upgrade has already faced around five years of delays, but... Read More »
Legislation that would increase immunization rates across the country to prevent future outbreaks of contagious diseases was introduced in Congress this week.
The Vaccine Awareness Campaign to Champion Immunization Nationally and Enhance Safety (VACCINES) Act will give the Center for Disease... Read More »
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently created an education module
to help clinicians recognize the early signs of and diagnose Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF).
The bite of an infected tick spreads RMSF. Symptoms include headache, fever, and sometimes a rash.... Read More »
Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) recently joined a group of House colleagues in introducing the Afghan Allies Protection Act, which officials said demonstrates support for the thousands Afghan and Iraqi allies.
Since 2002, the government has employed thousands of Afghan and Iraqi allies to serve alongside... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently supported a bill designed to prohibit expending funds which could lead to war with Iran without express approval from Congress.
Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) has joined Sens. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Rand Paul (R-KY) as well as several other colleagues in advocating for the... Read More »
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Co., recently conducted a test flight of its HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The aircraft is based on the UH-60M Black Hawk and is customized for U.S. Air Force rescue missions. The U.S. Air Force plans to replace its HH-60G Pave Hawk... Read More »
A bill that would implement a behavioral threat assessment process across federal, state, and local governments to protect communities continues to gain traction among lawmakers.
The Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety (TAPS) Act of 2019 -- sponsored by Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) – has... Read More »
Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced last week a measure designed to modernize the Department of Defense (DoD) workforce by establishing a recruitment element and military career tracks for digital engineering.
The Armed Forces Digital Advantage Act stems from the... Read More »
The bipartisan Jake Laird Act was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last week during National Police Week and Mental Health Awareness Month.
The bill enables local law enforcement to temporarily remove and retain firearms with probable cause from individuals who are determined to... Read More »
An international law enforcement operation has dismantled a complex transnational organized cybercrime network that attempted to steal an estimated $100 million from victims in the United States and around the world.
The crime syndicate used malware called GozNym to try and infect tens of... Read More »
The full U.S. Senate on Thursday approved bipartisan legislation that would reauthorize the nation’s all-hazards preparedness and response law.
“I am pleased my Senate colleagues joined me in supporting this legislation that ensures America’s biodefenses are ready for the public health... Read More »
Rep. Michael T. McCaul (R-TX) recently expressed gratitude to the Homeland Security Committee for its consideration of the DHS Cyber Incident Response Teams Act of 2019.
“I’m proud to introduce legislation that ensures DHS can foster collaboration between the private and public sectors,”... Read More »
Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME), members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, recently praised the progression of a measure designed to authorizes funding and enables comprehensive, congressional oversight for the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC).
The Committee... Read More »
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced this week a bill intended to bolster counterterrorism efforts under an updated Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB).
The Counter Threats Advisory Board Act seeks to authorize and rename CTAB, would codify the board for... Read More »
Thirteen U.S. senators introduced legislation Wednesday that aims to protect American elections from foreign interference.
“The Russian government interfered in American elections in 2016, and if we don't stop them, they and other governments are going to do it again,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)... Read More »
A group of Democratic senators recently announced the reintroduction of legislation seeking to address the root causes of the Central American migrant crisis, outlining the coordinated regional response needed to manage violence and humanitarian concerns effectively.
Senate Democratic Leader... Read More »
Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) recently introduced a measure designed to ban those employed or sponsored by Chinese military institutions from receiving American student or research visas.
The... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced two bills this week that support homeland security efforts.
The first bill is the Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act (H.R. 1313), sponsored by Rep. Peter King (R-NY). It seeks to standardize performance periods for the Transit Security Grant... Read More »
Rhode Island recently launched the nation’s first statewide cybercrime support and recovery hotline, enabling residents to address identity theft, financial fraud, cyberstalking, cyberbullying and other cybercrimes.
Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), who helped secure $282,600 in federal funding for... Read More »
Though efforts by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have helped many countries hit by the Zika virus since its emergence in 2015, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) determined that its efforts could do with improvement, particularly when tracking funds and planning... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) are urging Senate committee leaders to hold a markup session on a bill that would discourage Russia and any other foreign actors from disrupting U.S. elections.
The bill, the Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines... Read More »
The U.S. Senate is fast tracking bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the nation’s all-hazards preparedness and response law, according to the Alliance for Biosecurity.
U.S. Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Bob Casey (D-PA) on May 8 sponsored S. 1379, which has been referred to the U.S. Senate... Read More »
Legislation introduced in the House last week aims to protect U.S. elections against foreign interference and malicious attacks.
The Election Security Act, introduced by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD) and Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), includes seven provisions.
The bill... Read More »
Senate Democrats blasted the U.S. Department of Defense for its transfer of $1.5 billion to build part of a wall on the southwest border.
“Once again, the Department of Defense has ignored decades of precedent and cooperation with the Congress in carrying out a transfer of funds without... Read More »
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently made final guidance available to government stakeholders on testing to extend the expiration date of stockpiled medical countermeasures (MCMs) used during public health emergency preparedness and response for anthrax exposure.
Stockpiles of... Read More »
A group of House Energy and Commerce Committee members are urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to examine fifth-generation (5G) infrastructure and technology security.
Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR), Communications and Technology Subcommittee... Read More »
Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Eliot L. Engel (D-NY) introduced last week a measure designed to retain Russian nuclear forces limits.
The Richard G. Lugar and Ellen O. Tauscher Act to Maintain Limits on Russian Nuclear Forces calls for an extension of New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) is seeking additional federal funds to fight a superbug called Candida Auris that is spreading throughout New York.
Schumer is urging the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to designate the spreading and multidrug-resistant fungus an official emergency, which... Read More »
An amendment increasing federal funds by $300 million for the Strategic National Stockpile received U.S. House Appropriations Committee approval on Wednesday as part of an almost $190 billion fiscal year 2020 spending bill covering the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) and... Read More »
Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) recently joined 17 colleagues in expressing concerns over the expanding mission of active duty service members deployed to the southern border.
The group of legislators forwarded correspondence to Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan... Read More »
