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COVID-19 relief funds should not be used to ‘harden’ schools

It is perhaps inevitable that political leaders, looking for ways to “harden schools” against mass shootings after the horror of Uvalde, would set their sights on the federal funds dedicated to helping schools and students recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced last week that she is putting $100 million toward school security, using in part the money provided to the state through the American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, known as ESSER.

And 15 U.S. senators are backing a bill that would make it easier to redirect unspent ESSER funds allocated to local school districts for such things as locks, panic buttons, room security systems, video surveillance, and hiring and paying the salaries of armed school-resource officers. “Currently, our schools nationwide have over $100 billion in unspent COVID-relief funds they cannot use for school security,” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said in a statement.

There are two problems with that statement. One, there appears to be nothing stopping states or districts from using the money on security. While the spending is intended to be connected to COVID, some districts are already investing in school safety. Pasco County, Fla., for instance, has a $30,000 line item in its  ESSER spending plan for bullet-proof vests. And Reynolds’ plan for Iowa reflects her intent to use the state’s share of the money for safety measures.

Second, the fact that billions in COVID-relief dollars have not been spent so far doesn’t mean that districts haven’t committed to using that money before the program ends in late 2024. FutureEd’s analysis of more than 5,000 local spending plans compiled by the Burbio data-services firm and covering three-quarters of the nation’s students shows that school districts are projected to spend as much as $10 billion on ventilation upgrades and another $5 billion on other repairs. Most of these projects are just getting underway and may require extensions for spending beyond the September 2024 deadline.

Likewise, many districts have committed billions more to hiring additional teachers, tutors and mental health professionals through 2024. Only a fraction of those salary and benefit costs have been paid so far. If that money were redirected to metal detectors and security guards, students would lose out on the academic and social-emotional support they need.

Which raises a final point: Districts across the country are using ESSER funds to bring psychologists, therapists and social workers into schools to help students suffering from anxiety and depression after the pandemic. This infusion of support comes at a time when political leaders of all stripes acknowledge the role that mental health plays in school shootings like those at Uvalde, Parkland, and Sandy Hook. Indeed, the gun safety bill signed into law includes money for school mental health support and services.

Replacing mental health professionals with armed security guards will do nothing to address the underlying problems that contribute to these tragedies. And hardening schools, including arming teachers, could be counterproductive if not dangerous, three education leaders explained in a recent essay. In this fraught, post-pandemic environment, politicians would be wise to let local education leaders determine what their students need.

Phyllis W. Jordan is associate director of FutureEd, a think tank at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

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Biden to announce extension of increased US troop presence in Poland: report

President Biden reportedly plans to announce the extended presence of American troops in Poland who were stationed there over the winter amid Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Biden will officially make the announcement while in Europe for a NATO security alliance summit he is attending with other world leaders, NBC News reported on Monday, citing two former administration officials with the matter.

Several hundred more troops could be stationed in Poland more permanently, according to the news outlet, which also discussed the move with a European official.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

The Defense Department first sent troops to Poland in early February in an effort to bolster Eastern Europe’s and NATO’s defenses ahead of the expected Russian invasion of Ukraine, which came on Feb. 24.

The Pentagon deployed at least 4,700 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to Poland, which borders Ukraine, throughout February. Other American troops were also repositioned in Germany and Romania ahead of the invasion.

In late March, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced he would extend the presence of the troops in Poland as the war in Ukraine dragged on.

“Nobody knows how long the need is gonna be there, the acute need for these deterrents and defense capabilities because we don’t know how long this war in Ukraine is going to last,” said Pentagon press secretary John Kirby at the time.

Biden visited the troops in late March to raise their spirits and champion the cause. During that visit, the White House said about 10,500 troops were in Poland.

The Biden administration last week announced a $450 million security package for Ukraine that includes patrol boats, thousands of rounds of ammunition and tactical vehicles.

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At least 3 dead, 50 injured in Amtrak train derailment in Missouri

At least three people were killed and 50 injured when an Amtrak train en route to Chicago derailed and fell sideways off a track in northwest Missouri.

The train, carrying 255 people, collided with a truck that was obstructing a crossing near Mendon, Mo., according to a statement by Amtrak.

The train fell off of its track after the collision, derailing eight cars and 2 other locomotives, Amtrak said.

The rail company said 243 passengers and 12 crew members were on board the train traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago. The Washington Post reported that the Missouri State Highway Patrol said three people died.

The three deceased were taken to the University of Missouri Hospital in Columbia, Mo., before being declared dead, the hospital told CNN.

The train derailment will be investigated further by a 14-person team from the National Transportation Safety Board, according to the Post.

“Our Incident Response Team has been activated, and we are deploying emergency personnel to the scene to help support our passengers, our employees and their families with their needs,” Amtrak said.

The Hill has reached out to Amtrak, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the National Transportation Safety Board for comment on the incident.

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Abortion rights proponents file wave of lawsuits challenging bans

Abortion rights activists have quickly filed a slew of lawsuits in states with trigger bans on abortions that went into effect following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last week.

Lawsuits have so far been filed by organizations like Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in about half of the 13 states that had trigger laws dependent on the overturning of Roe.

In Mississippi, where the state government brought forward the case that ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court overturning Roe, the Jackson Women’s Health Organization filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking to prevent Mississippi from activating its trigger ban, which would prohibit all abortions unless the mother’s life is in danger or a rape was reported to law enforcement.

The trigger ban was certified by Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R) on Monday.

In its lawsuit, Jackson Women’s Health argues that abortions are still protected in Mississippi by the state’s own constitution through a 1998 decision by the Mississippi Supreme Court.

In the case of Pro-Choice Mississippi v. Fordice, a group of physicians from women’s health clinics successfully sued to overturn a statute that required the permission of both parents or guardians of a minor seeking an abortion before the procedure was performed.

The court ruled that there was nothing more “personal and private” than what a person did with their own reproductive system in that case. The Center for Reproductive Rights said in a statement that the decision from this case remains valid as good law.

Abortion providers also filed a lawsuit in Texas on Monday seeking to stop the state’s pre-Roe abortion laws from going into effect. These laws would make abortion providers criminally liable for performing abortions.

Texas has sought to pass some of the most extreme anti-abortion laws in the U.S., including one that would allow anyone in the state to sue someone suspected of helping facilitate an abortion — whether they were a health care provider or the person who drove the pregnant person to a facility — for a minimum judgement of $10,000.

“Every day, every hour that abortion remains legal in Texas is a chance for more people to get the care they need. The clinics we represent want to help as many patients as they can, down to the last minute,” Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement regarding the Texas lawsuit.

Some suits have already resulted in trigger laws being barred from going into effect.

The Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit in Louisiana on Monday along with Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, leading to a judge blocking the state’s abortion trigger ban pending a review of the law.

A Utah state court granted a request by Planned Parenthood Association of Utah to temporarily block the state’s abortion ban, allowing for abortions to continue being performed.

“Today is a win, but it is only the first step in what will undoubtedly be a long and difficult fight,” Planned Parenthood said in a statement.

The reproductive health care organization also filed a lawsuit in the Idaho Supreme Court to block the state’s total trigger ban, which is set to take effect later in the summer.

Similar to the lawsuit filed in Mississippi, the plaintiffs argued that abortions were still protected in the state through the Iowa State Constitution, citing the document’s “guarantee of the fundamental right to privacy in making intimate familial decisions.”

The ACLU and Planned Parenthood have filed a lawsuit in Kentucky state court, challenging both the state’s trigger ban as well as its six-week ban that had previously been blocked in federal court, but will likely go into effect in light of the Supreme Court’s decision.

They requested that a temporary injunction against these laws be issued and argued that they violated Kentucky’s state constitution and Kentuckians’ rights to privacy and self-determination.

In Congress, Democrats have called on Biden to use the “full force of the federal government” to ensure access to abortions across the country.

“You have the power to fight back and lead a national response to this devastating decision, so we call on you to take every step available to your Administration, across federal agencies, to help women access abortions and other reproductive health care, and to protect those who will face the harshest burdens from this devastating and extreme decision,” a group of Democratic senators said in a letter to Biden.

The Biden administration has indicated it plans on ensuring access to abortions through certain pathways, including medical abortion pills through the mail, as well as countering any efforts to restrict travel for the sake of getting an abortion.

The White House on Monday met with executives from major health insurance companies to ensure that members have access to contraceptives at no cost. The Affordable Care Act guarantees women’s preventative services, like birth control and contraceptive counseling, for covered members.

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Defense & National Security — US amps up weapons to Ukraine, Russia ups attacks

The Biden administration is preparing to send an advanced air defense system to Ukraine to help Kyiv fight back against the Russian invasion, an announcement that was followed by a devastating Kremlin strike on a Ukrainian mall.

We’ll share the details on the Washington’s latest weapons pledge and Russia’s response, plus NATO’s move to increase its quick-reaction force and what to watch for at this week’s NATO meeting.

This is Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, I’m Ellen Mitchell. Subscribe here.

US preps advanced air defense system for Ukraine

The Biden administration is preparing to send an advanced air defense system to Ukraine as part of another tranche of military assistance to help Kyiv fight back against the Russian invasion.  

• White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G-7) summit Monday that the U.S. is in the process of finalizing a package that will include “advanced air defense capabilities,” though he declined to provide details on the specific system.
• “This week, as the President told his fellow G-7 leaders — and as he told President Zelensky — we do intend to finalize a package that includes advanced medium- and long-range air defense capabilities for the Ukrainians, along with some other items that are of urgent need, including ammunition for artillery and counterbattery radar systems,” Sullivan said.

More details: CNN reported that the Biden administration is preparing to send Ukraine a Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, a medium- to long-range air defense system that has a range of more than 100 miles.  

A plea: President Biden and other G-7 leaders met virtually with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, the second day of the summit in Germany.

• Sullivan said that during the closed-door meeting, Zelensky brought up recent Russian missile strikes on Kyiv and asked for more air defense capabilities “that could shoot Russian missiles out in the sky.”
• The Ukrainians have been pleading for more heavy weapons to push back against the Russian assault that has been focused on the eastern part of the country.

Still unclear: It’s unclear precisely when the U.S. will finalize the next military assistance for Ukraine.

• The Biden administration just last week announced another $450 million security assistance package including more advanced rocket systems, ammunition and other weaponry.
• A senior defense official told Pentagon reporters later on Monday that the U.S. is seeking ways to help Ukraine’s air defense: “That’s certainly something that we’re looking at — is the way to help the Ukrainians with additional air defense assets. I don’t have the particulars associated with the systems, but as soon as we know that and as soon as those are finalized, we will certainly work to provide you with those details and the particulars of the systems that we’re employing.” 

Read more here 

NATO to significantly increase quick-reaction force

While the West moves to ship more weapons to Ukraine, NATO seeks to bolster its defenses against any potential conflict spillover by significantly increasing its quick-reaction force “to well over 300,000” soldiers, the head of the alliance said Monday. 

• During a news conference, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the military alliance plans to increase its Response Force on its eastern flank. 
• “We will enhance our battlegroups in the eastern part of the Alliance up to brigade-levels. We will transform the NATO Response Force and increase the number of our high readiness forces to well over 300,000,” Stoltenberg said. “We will also boost our ability to reinforce in crisis and conflict.”

What that includes: Stoltenberg said the boost in military units will also include more pre-positioned equipment, stockpiles of military supplies, more forward-deployed capabilities, upgraded defense plans and strengthened command and control.

“These troops will exercise together with home defense forces, and they will become familiar with local terrain, facilities, and our new pre-positioned stocks,” Stoltenberg said. “So that they can respond smoothly and swiftly to any emergency. Together, this constitutes the biggest overhaul of our collective deterrence and defense since the Cold War.”

Read more here

Alleged Russian attack on Ukrainian mall rocks West

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alleged on Monday that Russia had hit a crowded shopping mall in the Kremenchuk region, calling it “one of the most daring terrorist acts in European history,” with resulting casualties likely significant.

Sharing video from the strike on his Telegram account, Zelensky said: “The mall is on fire, firefighters are trying to extinguish the fire, the number of victims is impossible to imagine.”

• He added that about 1,000 people may have been in the structure when it was struck, and the shopping mall had posed “no strategic value” or danger to Russian forces. 
• “This is not a mistaken hit of missiles. This is a planned Russian strike at this shopping center,” Zelensky said. 

Western leaders react: The G7 leaders quickly condemned the attack as “abominable” in a joint statement on Monday. 

• “We, the Leaders of the G7, solemnly condemn the abominable attack on a shopping mall in Kremenchuk,” according to the statement.
• “Indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians constitute a war crime. Russian President Putin and those responsible will be held to account.” 

An increase in strikes: Earlier on Monday, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters that Russia has increased its strikes into Ukraine in the past week, though they could not pinpoint the reason. 

“It could be related to the G7. It certainly could be related to the Ukrainian movement of [High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems] into theater,” they said, referencing the system the West was providing Kyiv in its fight. “Or it could be a larger portion of their long-term battle strategy here. I’m just not sure.” 

Read that story here 

Pentagon: Russia’s latest nuke threats ‘irresponsible’

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s weekend pledge to transfer nuclear-capable missile systems to Belarus is being viewed by U.S. officials as “cavalier” and “irresponsible” language, a senior U.S. defense official said Monday.  

“Certainly, anytime anybody uses the word nuclear you have concerns. Quite honestly it seems pretty irresponsible of a national leader to talk about the employment of nuclear weapons and to do so in a generally cavalier fashion,” the defense official told reporters in an on-background briefing.

Over the weekend: Putin on Saturday told Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that the Kremlin will transfer Russian-made Iskander-M missile systems to Belarus “in the next few months.”  

The mobile, short-range ballistic missile systems with a range of up to 310 miles “can use both ballistic and cruise missiles, both in conventional and nuclear versions,” the Russian leader told Lukashenko at a meeting in St. Petersburg, according to a readout from Moscow.   

Always watching: The U.S. defense official said Washington takes such threatening language seriously and has “from the very beginning” of Russia’s attack on Ukraine on Feb. 24.   

• “The way that statement read from Putin was, ‘Hey we’re going to give them Iskanders, and oh, by the way, they can hold nuclear weapons.’ And everybody takes that very seriously when you use that language,” the official said.
• “Our strategic forces are always monitoring things in that regard,” they added. 

Read the full story here

BIDEN AT NATO SUMMIT: FIVE THINGS TO WATCH

President Biden will convene with allies this week at a NATO summit in Madrid, which is expected to focus on the security alliance projecting its unity and coordination amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.  

The meeting, which follows the Group of Seven summit in Germany, is expected to cover a hosts of issues beyond the Russian war, including the bids by Finland and Sweden to join the organization. 

Read about the five things to watch for at the meeting here 

ON TAP TOMORROW

• President Biden will attend the G-7 summit where he will meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson, then deliver remarks at the final session of the summit. He will then travel to Madrid to participate in the NATO summit. 
• Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to Madrid to attend the NATO Leaders Summit and then to Stuttgart, Germany for the change of command ceremony for Gen. Christopher Cavoli, set to become head of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe for NATO. 
• Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will give the opening speech at the Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government in Madrid, Spain at 9:30 a.m.
• The U.S. Institute of Peace will host a virtual discussion on “Delivering Justice for Ukraine: Pursuing Accountability for Russian Atrocities and Restoring the Constitutional Rights of the Ukrainian People,” with Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova; Ukrainian Ambassador at Large Anton Korynevych; U.S. Ambassador at Large for Global Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaack and Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, at 1 p.m.   
• The Atlantic Council, the Elcano Royal Institute, the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Munich Security Conference will provide a “NATO Public Forum” during the NATO Summit at 3 p.m. 
• The Center for Strategic and International Studies will hold an event on “National Security and Artificial Intelligence: Global Trends and Challenges,” at 4 p.m.   

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Jan. 6 committee announces last-minute hearing for Tuesday 
• Russian-backed hackers target Lithuanian websites 
• GOP senator says Ukraine has ‘demonstrated’ it won’t allow Russian occupation 
• GOP senator makes surprise trip to Kyiv 
• NBC to air primetime special for Ukraine on Sunday 
• Biden decries ‘barbarism’ after Russia strikes kindergarten in Kyiv 
• The Hill: Opinion: What’s Putin’s next move? 

That’s it for today. Check out The Hill’s Defense and National Security pages for the latest coverage. See you tomorrow!

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Health Care — Democrats press Biden to take action on abortion

Nightmare fuel: Scientists found an 18-foot-long python in Florida that weighs 215 pounds.  

Today in health care, Democrats are looking to President Biden for a more forceful response to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.  

Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where we’re following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, we’re Peter Sullivan, Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Pressure grows on Biden to take action on abortion 

Democrats are increasing pressure on President Biden to take executive action to protect abortion rights in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. 

Action from the president alone cannot reverse the slew of state bans going into effect after Friday’s ruling, but vocal Democrats say the urgency of the moment requires taking all action available to increase abortion access as much as possible.   

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) led a group of 23 Senate Democrats calling on Biden to explore a range of executive actions. Among their ideas: 

• Allowing abortions to be performed on federal property.  
• Providing vouchers for women to travel out of state to get an abortion. 
• The Congressional Black Caucus called on Biden to declare a public health emergency around abortion to “utilize additional flexibilities and deploy resources where necessary.” 

The question: How far is Biden comfortable going? The pressure is a test of how far Biden is willing to go on the issue as much of his party is outraged and demanding action.

The president, a Catholic, has sometimes had a complicated history on abortion, for example reversing his support for the Hyde Amendment banning federal funding for abortion amid controversy in 2019 during the presidential primary.   

Read more here. 

Harris: No discussion about abortion on federal land

Vice President Harris downplayed one of the potential ideas for executive action on Monday, saying that the Biden administration is not discussing providing abortion services on federal lands in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that struck down Roe v. Wade. 

“I mean, it’s not right now what we are discussing,” Harris said in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on Monday when asked if using federal lands is an option. 

Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.), have called on the Biden administration to use federal land as places where people can receive abortions in states that restrict them. 

Harris instead called on Americans to vote for Democrats. 

There’s some debate among legal scholars that providing abortion services would violate the Hyde Amendment, though it’s not clear if that’s the case. 

Dismissing the idea is likely to anger progressives and activists, who are growing impatient with what they view as a lack of a concrete action plan from the administration.  

Read more here. 

OFFICIALS PRESS INSURERS ON FREE CONTRACEPTION COVERAGE 

Top Biden administration officials met with health insurance industry executives Monday to ensure that their plan members have access to contraceptive services at no cost.  

• Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met with major health insurance groups and plan sponsors to remind them of the legal obligation under ObamaCare to provide contraceptive coverage for free. 
• The meeting comes just days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and left states to decide whether abortion is legal. In a concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas called on the Supreme Court to reconsider its landmark 1965 case protecting access to contraceptives. 

In all 50 states, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) guarantees coverage of women’s preventive services, including free birth control and contraceptive counseling, for individuals and covered dependents. 

In 2020, the law provided 58 million women access to preventive services without cost sharing. 

In a statement, the secretaries said they are concerned about complaints that some plans are not following the law and denying coverage in certain instances. 

Read more here.  

JUDGE BLOCKS LOUISIANA TRIGGER LAW BANNING ABORTION  

A Louisiana judge blocked enforcement on Monday of statewide abortion ban designed to automatically go into effect when Roe fell. 

Two abortion rights groups on Monday filed a challenge to Louisiana’s trigger law, which went into effect following the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that struck down the federal right to abortion. 

The Center for Reproductive Rights and Boies Schiller Flexner LLP requested emergency relief allowing providers in the state to continue providing abortions and patients to access the procedure. 

In an email after the judge’s decision Monday, the Center for Reproductive Rights said, “Abortion care will resume in the state and a hearing has been set for July 8th.” 

The groups, filing on behalf of organizations such as Hope Medical Group for Women and Medical Students for Choice, asked the court to review the state’s trigger laws and determine what options exist for lifesaving care that requires aborting a pregnancy. 

Read more here.  

DC, NYC quickly max out on monkeypox vaccines

New York City and Washington, D.C., both ran through their supplies of vaccines to treat monkeypox less than a day after launching their local immunization initiatives. 

New York became the first major city in the U.S. to begin offering vaccines for monkeypox last week, making the two-dose Jynneos smallpox vaccine available to men who have sex with men as well as men who have had multiple sexual partners in the past 14 days. 

The city gave no prior indication of its plans to start administering vaccines and the one clinic that was giving out doses was out of appointments on the same day it started booking them. 

• On Monday, D.C. followed New York by announcing that it too would make rounds of Jynneos available to gay and bisexual men; transgender women and gender-nonconforming people; sex workers and people who work in high-risk situations.
• D.C. Health made appointments available beginning at 1 p.m. EDT, and within hours there were no more appointments available on the department’s website. 

A fluctuating supply: When monkeypox cases began cropping up around the U.S., federal health authorities said there were about 72,000 doses of Jynneos in the Strategic National Stockpile, a paltry amount compared to the more than 100 million doses of ACAM2000, an older smallpox vaccine. 

The White House has said that it expects around 300,000 more doses of Jynneos to arrive in the coming weeks. 

Read more here. 

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Genetic Screening Results Just Got Harder to Handle Under New Abortion Rules (Kaiser Health News) 
• America is sliding into the long pandemic defeat (The Atlantic) 
• FDA panel to advise on whether — and how — Covid vaccines should be updated (Stat) 

STATE BY STATE

• In states that allow abortion for rape and incest, finding a doctor may prove impossible (Politico) 
• With little short-term hope, Texas’ abortion-rights movement sets its sights on the long run (The Texas Tribune) 
• Illinois governor calls special session on abortion (Axios)  

OP-EDS IN THE HILL

• Can the US handle the unintended consequences of banning abortion? 
• With Roe’s demise, will the art of persuasion make a comeback in abortion debate? 
• Hyperbole, bias dominate activist media’s abortion coverage 

That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill’s Health Care page for the latest news and coverage. See you tomorrow.

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Advancing US investment in K-12 cybersecurity education is a matter of national security

As our nation faces rising threats from increasingly sophisticated cyber adversaries, there has never been a more urgent need to fill the cybersecurity talent pipeline. Last year, cybercrime cost the U.S. $6.9 billion and experts predict global cybercrime costs to grow to $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Cyber attacks from malicious actors are a serious threat to both our economic stability and national security, as we have seen through the increase of cyber intrusions against critical infrastructure sectors in recent years. At the same time, there is a significant workforce gap which leaves the United States in an even more vulnerable position.

Currently, there are more than 700,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the United States. To date, we have failed to adequately invest in educational and workforce development to address the growing cyber threat, but there is a solution. We can ensure that the next generation of Americans is better equipped to take on the evolving threat landscape.

Less than half of K-12 students today are getting any cyber-related education. It is imperative that we move to correct this by introducing our children to cybersecurity education as early as kindergarten and investing in K-12 student cybersecurity literacy. By incorporating cybersecurity into our school curriculum, alongside core subjects like math and science, we will be able to bring up the next generation with the skills necessary to fill the cybersecurity workforce gap, as well as protect themselves and their families from cybercrimes.

The cybersecurity incidents making headlines make it clear that advancing cybersecurity education is a matter of national security. In fact, the Office of the National Cyber Director has stressed the importance of educating students on cybersecurity early to create awareness about these career paths and address this national security imperative. Earlier this month, bipartisan bicameral members of Congress came together to designate June as the National Cybersecurity Education Month in order to advance cybersecurity literacy among our nation’s K-12 students, prepare them for cybersecurity careers, and involve more educators and the public in this effort. I was proud to lead this effort in the House.

Increased awareness on the national level is great progress, but more must be done. I am calling on my colleagues in Congress to join me in this effort. One step we must take is supporting K-12 cybersecurity education programs in the federal government that serve to address our nation’s cybersecurity talent gap. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, for example, Congress dedicated $6.8 million for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program (CETAP) to enhance cybersecurity education, training, and more. Through this program, DHS’s Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA) provides comprehensive K-12 cyber education training tools and resources for both teachers and students. Congress should continue funding this program so it can expand and achieve its goal of reaching every K-12 student across the country. In fact, I’ve introduced a bill to do just that, the Cybersecurity Grants for Schools Act of 2022, and I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to follow suit.

The CETAP program has equipped more than 25,000 teachers across the country to teach K-12 cybersecurity curriculum, reaching more than 3.4 million students nationwide. Yet with more than 50 million students enrolled in K-12 programs in any given year, we are only scratching the surface. With more funding, the number of students exposed to both the skills and career paths associated with cybersecurity would grow exponentially.

As Congress works through its annual appropriations process, I urge my colleagues to remain steadfast in the face of mounting cyber threats. Without adequate funding invested in K-12 cybersecurity education, we risk falling even further behind on the global stage and in the Great Power Competition with Russia and China. By prioritizing K-12 cybersecurity education and training development, we are advancing our national security interests, preparing our future workforce to be more cyber resilient, and equipping them with the skills needed to keep our nation safe and secure now and for future generations. 

Andrew Garbarino represents New York’s 2nd District and serves as the ranking member the of the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation Subcommittee.

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John Eastman says FBI frisked him, took his phone

John Eastman, the lawyer who worked for former President Trump and pushed to overturn the 2020 election results, said in a new court filing on Monday that the FBI seized his iPhone and frisked him outside a restaurant during the execution of a search warrant last week.

Eastman, who has featured prominently in this month’s public hearings of the Jan. 6 House select committee, filed a motion for the return of his property in the U.S. District Court in New Mexico, arguing the warrant was unlawful because it was overly broad, nonspecific and lacked probable cause, violating his Fourth Amendment rights.

He also said the warrant execution violated his Fifth Amendment rights because agents compelled him to unlock the iPhone with Face ID, forcing him in effect to “testify.”

“By its very breadth, the warrant intrudes on significant privacy interests, both of [Eastman] and of others whose communications with him are accessible on the seized cell phone,” his lawyers wrote in the motion.

The Hill has reached out to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for comment.

Eastman was a central player in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, pushing the debunked claim that then-Vice President Pence could reject states’ electors and effectively decide the next president himself.

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 rioting particularly highlighted Eastman’s role during its third hearing this month.

Eastman, who sought a pardon from Trump after the events of Jan. 6, was ordered by a judge this month to turn over troves of emails and documents related to the House panel’s investigation after he sued to block a congressional subpoena.

According to Eastman’s legal team, FBI agents working with the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General approached Eastman outside a restaurant on Wednesday to execute the search warrant.

The agents frisked Eastman and took his iPhone Pro 12 before forcing him to unlock it with facial recognition software.

Eastman said he did not see a search warrant until after his phone was seized. The warrant allowed for the seizure of “any electronic or digital device” and “all information in such devices,” according to Eastman’s court motion on Monday.

The motion filed by Eastman said his phone contained emails and messages related to Jan. 6 and the House panel’s investigation but argued they were protected by attorney-client privilege.

Source: TEST FEED1

Utah judge grants temporary block of state's abortion ban

Utah Third District Judge Andrew Stone granted a request by Planned Parenthood of Utah on Monday for a temporary restraining order against a state law banning most abortions.

The temporary restraining order (TRO) will allow abortions to continue to be performed as they were before the Supreme Court decision and will last for 14 days, according to Utah’s KSL News.

Planned Parenthood of Utah filed a joint lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Utah on Saturday seeking to block a Utah state law known as S. B. 174.

The law was passed in 2020 and is an example of an abortion “trigger” law intended to ban all abortions if and when the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision. The Supreme Court took that step on Friday.

The groups suing argue that the law violates the Utah constitution, calling it “catastrophic” in their lawsuit.

Utah S. B. 174 bans abortions except in cases of rape, incest or severe fetal “brain abnormality,” and excludes the removal of ectopic pregnancies or “a dead unborn child” from its definition of an abortion.

A person who performs an abortion under Utah’s new law could face up to fifteen years in prison as well as significant fines, although women who seek abortions would not be convicted.

Stone approved Planned Parenthood’s request for an emergency hearing regarding the new law before fulfilling its request for a restraining order, Fox 13 Salt Lake City reports.

“The immediate effects that will occur outweigh any policy issues of the state,” Stone said, saying the state was unprepared for a significant change in abortion law.

A further injunction hearing has not yet been scheduled for Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit.

“Today is a win, but it is only the first step in what will undoubtedly be a long and difficult fight,” wrote Planned Parenthood Association of Utah President and CEO Karrie Galloway in response to Stone’s decision.

Source: TEST FEED1