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Ukrainian artillerymen fire the M109 self-propelled howitzer during training at Grafenwoehr Training Area, May 12, 2022. Soldiers from the U.S. and Norway trained Armed Forces of Ukraine artillerymen on the howitzers as part of security assistance packages. (U.S. Army/Sgt. Spencer Rhodes)

WASHINGTON: The Defense Department agency responsible for overseeing foreign arms sales would like to have a presence on the ground to monitor the use of US weapons in Ukraine, but when that will happen is still unclear, its deputy directorsaid Thursday.

We do think that over time, we would like to be able to extend our insights with a greater presence on the ground going forward, Jed Royal, deputy director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, told reporters during a roundtable.

During peacetime, DSCA sends personnel to a foreign nation to open warehouses and arms bunkers to examine equipment and check the serial numbers of high-value weapon systems, Royal said. Right now, in Ukraine, thats just not available to us as a tool.

Currently, DSCA has personnel stationed in Europe that work directly with Ukrainians on arms transfers occurring outside of Ukraine, using paper receipts to track weapons as they move down echelon. However, those officials are somewhat limited in their ability to do more robust monitoring of US made weapons, Royal said.

Once we have more people in country, we should be in a position to actually go do more physical validation [and] verification, going forward, he said. Thats the kind of thing that were looking for here. It still wont be like a peacetime environment for it. So were going to have to get creative in how we do this.

RELATED: US-made jets, air defense on Ukrainian fighter pilots wish listbut not Gray Eagle

Royal added that the agency is not looking to send an operational detachment, but eventually hopes to have a security cooperation office in Ukraine similar to those DSCA has based in other countries.

I wouldnt venture [to guess] in terms of when we will be able to do that or what the what the operational status might be, or the threat environment might be in Ukraine [when we do that], he said, adding that the decision would not be made internally by DSCA but would fall to more senior government officials.

Until then, the assurances DSCA officials have received from the Ukrainians are very robust and satisfactory, he said.

Getting weapons from American stockpiles to Ukrainian forces involves several US agencies, with DSCA responsible for coming up with options of US gear that can meet Ukraines requirements, conducting the necessary security reviews, and pushing those proposal to senior government leaders, who ultimately make the decision on which arms to send.

The United States has delivered more than $6 billion in arms to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February. On Thursday, President Joe Biden said that the US would announce another package worth $800 million in the coming days, which would include advanced Western air defense system for Ukraine, more artillery and ammunition, counter-battery radars, additional ammunition for the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system weve already given Ukraine and more HIMARS coming from other countries as well, he said.

While Congress has been broadly supportive of security assistance to Ukraine, lawmakers across the political spectrum including Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. have raised concerns about the departments seeming lack of oversight.

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DoD agency wants to put weapons monitors on the ground in Ukraine - Breaking Defense

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday condemned parts of the recently announced bipartisan gun safety deal, describing some provisions as constitutional deficiencies and vowing to introduce amendments as it comes to the Senate floor.

Unfortunately, this legislation was assembled as many are in secret, absent well placed leaks to journalists, Paul wrote on Twitter. There doesnt appear to be a willingness or time provided to read, understand, debate or amend this bill.

I will try anyway, he continued. To this end, I will introduce amendments to correct the constitutional deficiencies of this bill and hope my colleagues and the Senate leadership will do the same.

Senate negotiators on Tuesday released the text of a long-awaited deal on gun safety that would take firearms away from dangerous people and provide billions of dollars in new mental health funding, among other measures.

The Senate quickly voted 64-34 on Tuesday evening to advance the legislation, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and 13 other GOP senators supporting the measure.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he expects the bill to pass the Senate by the end of the week.

Schumers timeline aims to get ahead of the Senates upcoming two-week recess. But a quick passage of the legislation requires an agreement from all 100 senators, so Paul could delay the final vote if he doesnt give way.

Paul said he supports some of the bills provisions, like a section that includes juvenile records in background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21.

Looking at the recent criminal past of anyone is a good idea before assessing gun ownership, Paul said. However, that idea was paired with many questionable or bad ones in this legislation.

He specifically raised concerns over a proposed $750 million in funding for states to implement crisis intervention orders, including red flag laws that allow a court to confiscate a firearm from someone deemed to be a significant danger to themselves or others.

Paul raised due process concerns over some states existing red flag laws, explicitly referencing those implemented in New York, Washington state and Washington, D.C.

He also criticized a prohibition on using the funds to train or equip school personnel with firearms.

In fact, we should be doing the opposite, encouraging schools to train and arm proper personnel as desired and needed in their schools, Paul said.

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Rand Paul vows to introduce amendments to gun safety bill - The Hill

Meanwhile, as Congress argues over the details of how to make America a safer place to live, Rhode Island quietly and quickly raised the minimum age to buy rifles, shotguns and semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 and also banned high-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

The Hill:House Fails To Pass Bill Creating Active Shooter Alert SystemThe House on Wednesday failed to pass a bill that sought to create a communications network that would alert people when an active shooter is in their community. The legislation, dubbed the Active Shooter Alert Act, was considered under suspension, a process that allows legislation to be passed quickly with two-thirds support. The bill did not reach that threshold, failing in a 259-162 vote despite having bipartisan sponsorship 16 Republicans helped introduce the legislation. (Schnell, 6/22)

CNN:Guns: Senate Will Take Critical Vote To Advance Bipartisan Bill Toward Final PassageThe Senate is poised to take a critical vote on Thursday to advance a major bipartisan gun safety bill toward final passage. The vote is expected to succeed with Republican support, putting the legislation on a path to pass the Senate as soon as this week. The bipartisan gun deal represents the first major federal gun safety legislation in decades. It includes millions of dollars for mental health, school safety, crisis intervention programs and incentives for states to include juvenile records in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. It also makes significant changes to the process when someone ages 18 to 21 goes to buy a firearm and closes the so-called boyfriend loophole, a victory for Democrats, who have long fought for that. (Foran, Fox, Zaslav and Barrett, 6/23)

Houston Chronicle:Texas Republican Representing Uvalde Supports Bipartisan Gun BillThe Texas congressman whose district includes Uvalde says he plans to vote for a bipartisan gun bill that the Senate is poised to pass this week even as many of his Republican colleagues are likely to oppose it. U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a San Antonio Republican, tweeted Wednesday that he supports the gun bill drafted by a bipartisan group of senators, including U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, after recent mass shootings, including a gunmans attack on an elementary school in Uvalde that resulted in the deaths of 19 kids and two teachers. (Wermund, 6/22)

The Hill:Rand Paul Vows To Introduce Amendments To Gun Safety BillSen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday condemned parts of the recently announced bipartisan gun safety deal, describing some provisions as constitutional deficiencies and vowing to introduce amendments as it comes to the Senate floor. Unfortunately, this legislation was assembled as many are in secret, absent well placed leaks to journalists, Paul wrote on Twitter. There doesnt appear to be a willingness or time provided to read, understand, debate or amend this bill. (Schonfeld, 6/22)

In updates from Texas and Rhode Island

Houston Chronicle:Uvalde Massacre Prompts Calls To Expand Mental Health ResourcesDespite growing calls for gun reform in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting, a Texas Senate committee discussing legislative responses to the massacre spent little time debating firearm safety measures in two days of public hearings. While senators questioned mental health, law enforcement and school safety experts for hours, the group flew through testimony from gun control activists. The advocates had gathered at the Capitol to call for stronger background checks, waiting periods when purchasing assault-style rifles, and red flag laws that would temporarily remove firearms from people deemed a danger to themselves or others. (Harris and Scherer, 6/22)

Stateline:Rhode Island Raises Rifle-Purchasing Minimum Age To 21Rhode Island has joined a growing list of states that have increased the minimum age to buy rifles, shotguns and semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21.Democratic Gov. Dan McKee this week signed a package of gun measures passed after recent high-profile mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. The package includes bills that ban high-capacity magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, prohibit the open carry of loaded firearms in public and raise the age limit for purchasing firearms and ammunition to 21. (Vasilogambros, 6/22)

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Active Shooter Bill Fails In House; Senate Votes Today On Gun Safety Bill - Kaiser Health News

OPINION:

Progressives have a plan to expand antitrust law that would effectively nationalize Americas most successful companies. They even hope to get conservatives on board. The bill most likely to get consideration this Congress would, according to Ryan Bourne and Brad Subramaniam of the Cato Institute, generally make it unlawful for major online platforms to engage in conduct that has produced tech products that consumers enjoy.

This proposal, if enacted, would prevent Apple from preloading FaceTime and iMessage into your apps and Google would have to remove Google Maps. Amazon Prime would be de facto banned.

If this sounds to you like a bad deal for consumers, you are spot on. This is nothing more than a Trojan Horse bill intended to expand federal power over the private sector.

Conservatives have a long history of embracing free-market economics. It wasnt so long ago that the Republican Party was known for encouraging entrepreneurship and celebrating success. Now, there is an emerging split between the populist wing and the traditional free marketeers of the Republican Party that endangers the economy. Because this fight is over Big Tech, some on the right are willing to toss aside small, limited government first principles for short-term political gain.

One Republican has dug in for the fight and is willing to take on Big Government ideas coming from both progressive Democrats and populist Republicans. For Fox News, Republican Sen. Rand Paul wrote on June 13, 2022, that he shares a degree of anger with Big Tech companies, yet he will not toss aside his love of free-market principles for legislation that would deprive consumers of the technological innovation that only free-market competition can provide.

Mr. Paul criticized Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchars bill, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (S. 2992), as creating a presumption that mergers are a violation of antitrust law. Mr. Paul remains critical of Republican Sen. Josh Hawleys bill, the Trust-Busting for the Twenty-First Century Act (S. 1074), that would forward the progressive goal of preventing mergers and ignoring the welfare of the consumer. The Hawley bill bans all mergers and acquisitions by companies with a market capitalization exceeding $100 billion. The Klobuchar bill is an attempt to empower government bureaucrats control over private enterprise, while the Hawley bill is a direct attack on success. Both would lead to pain for consumers and stagnation for a struggling American economy.

Ms. Klobuchars legislation would expand the power of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice over private enterprise. President Bidens pick to run the FTC, Lina Khan, actually wrote an early version of this legislation. Politico reported in May, Lina Khan, President Joe Bidens Federal Trade Commission chair, helped write the House version of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act when she was a staffer on the Judiciary Committee. The Politico story cited heartburn from moderate Democrats who fear the radical legislation will cause even more economic headwinds and weaken the partys electoral prospects. Progressive Democrats intend on rushing this legislation through the Senate because they worry that a potential Republican majority following an election dominated by economic concerns would be less apt to beat up on successful technology companies.

These words from President Ronald Reagan are as true today as they were in 1981: We who live in free-market societies believe that growth, prosperity, and ultimately human fulfillment, are created from the bottom up, not the government down. Brilliant entrepreneurs are far better at driving the economy than unelected government bureaucrats.

American consumers and voters dont want a federal government that has racked up over $30 trillion in debt to run our nations most innovative corporations into the ground.

Brian Garst is vice president of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity.

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The progressive antitrust Trojan Horse - Washington Times

Victoria Knight

[UPDATED on June 21]

Harmony is not often found between two of the most boisterous senators on Capitol Hill, Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

But it was there at Tuesdays Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee markup of legislation to reauthorize the Food and Drug Administrations user fee program, which is set to expire Sept. 30.

This user fee program, which was first authorized in 1992, allows the FDA to collect fees from companies that submit applications for drug approval. It was designed to speed the approval review process. And it requires reauthorization every five years.

Congress considers this bill a must-pass piece of legislation because its used to help fund the FDA, as well as revamp existing policies. As a result, it also functions as a vehicle for other proposals to reach the presidents desk especially those that couldnt get there on their own.

And thats why, on Tuesday, Sanders took advantage of the must-pass moment to propose an amendment to the user fee bill that would allow for the importation of drugs from Canada and the United Kingdom, and, after two years, from other countries.

Prescription medications are often much less expensive in other countries, and surveys show that millions of Americans have bought drugs from overseas even though doing so is technically illegal.

We have talked about reimportation for a zillion years, said a visibly heated Sanders. This bill actually does it. It doesnt wait for somebody in the bureaucracy to make it happen. It actually makes it happen. He then went on for several minutes, his tone escalating, citing statistics about high drug prices, recounting anecdotes of people who traveled for drugs, and ending with outrage about pharmaceutical companies campaign contributions and the number of lobbyists the industry has.

I always wanted to go to a Bernie rally, and now I feel like Ive been there, Paul joked after Sanders finished talking. He went on to offer his support for the Vermont senators amendment a rare bipartisan alliance between senators who are on opposite ends of the political spectrum.

This is a policy that sort of unites many on both sides of the aisle, the outrage over the high prices of medications, added Paul. He said he didnt support drug price controls in the U.S. but did support a worldwide competitive free market for drugs, which he believes would lower prices.

Even before Sanders offered his amendment, the user fee bill before the committee included a limited drug importation provision, Sec. 906. It would require the FDA to develop regulations for importing certain prescription drugs from Canada. But how this provision differs from a Trump-era regulation is unclear, said Rachel Sachs, a professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis and an expert on drug pricing.

FDA has already made importation regulations that were finalized at the end of the Trump administration, said Sachs. But no applications under the directive have been approved yet. She added that whether Sec. 906 is doing anything to improve the existing regulation is unclear.

Sanders proposed amendment would have gone further, Sachs explained.

It would have included insulin among the products that could be obtained from other countries. It also would have compelled pharmaceutical companies to comply with the regulation. It has been a concern in drug-pricing circles that even if importation were allowed, there would be resistance to it in other countries, because of how the practice could affect their domestic supply.

A robust discussion between Republican and Democratic senators ensued. Among the most notable moments: Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) asked whether importing drugs from countries with price controls would translate into a form of price control in the U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said his father breaks the law by getting his glaucoma medication from Canada.

The committees chair, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), held the line against Sanders amendment. Although she agreed with some of its policies, she said, she wanted to stick to the importation framework already in the bill, rather than making changes that could jeopardize its passage. Many of us want to do more, she said, but the bill in its current form is a huge step forward, and it has the Republican support we need to pass legislation.

To my knowledge, actually, this is the first time ever that a user fee reauthorization bill has included policy expanding importation of prescription drugs, Murray said. I believe it will set us up well to make further progress in the future.

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), the committees ranking member, was adamant in his opposition to Sanders amendment, saying that it spelled doom for the legislations overall prospects. Want to kill this bill? Do importation, said Burr.

Sanders, though, staying true to his reputation, didnt quiet down or give up the fight. Instead, he argued for an immediate vote. This is a real debate. There were differences of opinions. Its called democracy, he said. I would urge those who support what Sen. Paul and I are trying to do here to vote for it.

In the end, though, committee members didnt, opting to table the amendment, meaning it was set aside and not included in the legislation.

Later in the afternoon, the Senate panel reconvened after senators attended their weekly party policy lunches and passed the user fee bill out of the committee 13-9. The next step is consideration by the full Senate. A similar bill has already cleared the House.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

This story can be republished for free (details).

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A Proposal to Import Drugs from Other Countries Creates an Unusual Alliance in the Senate - Kaiser Health News