Washington, D.C. The Legacies of War Recognition and UXO Removal Act was introduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin) and Jerry Moran (Kansas) to recognize contributions of Southeast Asian communities to the United States military during the Vietnam War.

The Bill acknowledges specific individuals and Vietnamese American communities who supported the U.S. during the war by evacuating refugees, rescuing U.S. pilots shot down in enemy-controlled territory, and /or gathered key intelligence for the U.S. military.

In a press release, Senator Baldwin said, "Americans are indebted to the Hmong-Americans and other Diasporas from Southeast Asia for their service and sacrifice to support our troops in the war in Vietnam. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to recognize and honor the efforts of these brave refugees and immigrants and work to do right by those communities who are still facing the consequences of the war."

The legislation also authorizes funding for the removal of landmines and other UXO left behind in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos and would provide financial assistance to programs for those injured by landmines and other legacies of war. According to Baldwin's press release, there are tens of millions of UXO remaining in the three countries. Over 50,000 civilians in Laos, 38,000 civilians in Vietnam, and 65,000 civilians in Cambodia have been injured or killed by these remnants of the war.

Download the full text of the legislation from UXOInfo.com.

Fresno, California Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16) led 100 of his colleagues in issuing a bipartisan letter to U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Jim Costa Congressman California 16th district Administrator John Barsa, urging the agency to invest in demining and UXO removal activities to help address the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Nagorno Karabakh."

The letter reads in part "It's clear that more needs to be done to protect the people of Artsakh and bring lasting peace to the region,...Demining efforts save lives and this conflict has put thousands at stake. The peace process must resume. I'm hopeful Administrator Barsa will act quickly to fund demining and UXO removal in Nagorno Karabakh to prevent avoidable casualties during and after the conflict."

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Washington, D.C. Congressmen TJ Cox (CA) and Brad Sherman (CA) led a letter signed by 89 of their Democratic and Republican colleagues in defense of The USAID demining program in the Republic of Artsakh. The letter was sent in response to the USAID's recent decision to end all support for humanitarian landmine clearance in the traditional boundaries of Artsakh at the end of 2019. The development is a reversal of the testimony USAID Administrator, Mark Green offered on April 9, 2019, during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in which he stated on the record, that USAID is committed to completing the clearance of landmines and UXO within the traditional boundaries of Nagorno Karabakh.

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Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal along with Congress Members Alexandria Cortez and Jose Serrano sent a letter of concern to The Committee on Armed Services to push for alternatives to OB/OD for use on Vieques. In particular, the group is requesting $10M from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) be used for closed detonation chambers.

The letter reads in part, "The military has now been engaged in cleanup efforts on the island for years - a crucial and overdue process. But those efforts have included open-air burning and detonation of hazardous wastes."

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Washington, D.C. Rep. Duffy, Sean P. [R-WI] introduced HR 2097, 'Legacies of War Recognition and Unexploded Ordnance Removal Act' to recognize the Hmong, Khmer, Laotian, and other ethnic groups commonly referred to as Montagnards, who supported and defended the Armed Forces during the conflict in Southeast Asia and to authorize assistance to support activities relating to clearance of UXO and other explosive remnants of war.

The Bill mentions the tragic legacy of the conflict in Southeast Asia and the UXO which continues to "litter forests, rice fields, villages, school grounds, roads, and other populated areas hindering development and poverty reduction efforts" in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

The proposed Bill states that, "Since 1993, the United States has provided more than $3,400,000,000 in assistance to more than 100 countries, including more than $132M in Vietnam, $200M in Laos, and $140M in Cambodia.

To honor the Montagnard Freedom Fighters with recognition for their support and defense of the Armed Forces, it calls on Congress to "continue to support activities to clear UXO and other explosive remnants of war in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and strengthen people-to-people ties and reaffirm America's long-standing commitment to Southeast Asia."

The draft Bill proposes an authorization and appropriation of $250M over a five year period (i.e., $50M for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024).

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Washington, D.C. Representatives Jackie Speier (CA-14) and David Valadao (CA-21) are co-chairs of the recently established Congressional UXO/Demining Caucus. The caucus was apparently setup with a focus on international humanitarian demining programs.

Although listed as a "new" caucus, this is not the first time that Congressional leadership setup a caucus to examine UXO issues. Several years ago, a UXO caucus was setup which was more focused on the domestic UXO problem.

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Washington, D.C. Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9] introduced legislation to require DoD to develop and implement a strategy for removing UXO in Syria and Iraq. The bill, titled the "Unexploded Ordnance Removal Act", specifically requires the U.S. government to provide assessments about threats posed by improvised explosive devices, landmines, and other ordnance to US strategic and military populations as well as the countries' civilian populations.

Keating, a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and ranking member on its Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Subcommittee said, "One imminent focus of our attention needs to be unexploded ordnance there. The Syrian civil war and the rise of ISIS has caused a proliferation of mines around civilian population centers, including schools, hospitals, and places of worship. Worse, oftentimes, these devices are hidden in everyday objects such as refrigerators or toys.....If these explosives are not cleared and continue to maim and kill civilians, including children, the lasting insecurity will provide the perfect environment for the rise of other terrorist groups."

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Waikola, Hawaii Hawaii County Mayor, Harry Kim, sent a letter to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health (ODASA ESOH) asking for assistance in adjusting the UXO clearance schedule for portions of the Former Waikoloa Maneuver Area. The request was made to accommodate the construction of affordable housing units.

According to the letter, the US. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has put restrictions on new funding due to the potential for UXO in the area. The funding restriction essentially stopped development projects in the area.

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Washington, D.C Formed in 2011 by Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AK) and Susan Davis (D-CA), the Congressional EOD Caucus has been reaffirmed for the 115th Congress with the addition of co-chairs Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) and Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN).

Mast is a former Army EOD technician who served in Afghanistan while Waltz is a retired command Sg. Major with the Army National Guard.

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Florida Congratulations to retired EOD veteran Brian Mast! UXOInfo has been keeping up with Mast along the campaign trail as he sought to win the Congressional seat for District 18 to represent North Palm Beach County and the Treasure coast in Florida. When the polls closed, he indeed emerged as the winner.

Mast, who served for 12 years and lost both of his legs in an IED explosion in Afghanistan, was running as a Republican candidate to replace the vacant seat of Democrat Patrick Murphy.

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