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House of Representatives

Patriot Act Extended by House of Representatives

February 15, 2011 by Daniel

The vote to extend the Patriot Act failed last week, but sailed to an easy vote Monday night with a vote of 275 – 144.

FoxNews report:

Last week’s vote surprised many lawmakers, with some not even aware the House was considering it under special, expedited rules.

“Clearly we wanted to see the bill passed,” said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) when asked to defend his method of summoning the Patriot Act renewal to the floor last week.

Lawmakers crafted the Patriot Act in response to the September 11th attacks.

The Patriot Act extensions deal with special “roving” wiretaps, which allow law enforcement officials to use one search warrant to monitor a suspect’s calls, even if he or she skips from phone to phone. Traditional search warrants only apply to a single telephone line. The bill also grants anti-terrorism officials the authority to search library records.

Filed Under: National, Politics Tagged With: current events, House of Representatives, politics

House GOP Conservatives Unveil $2.5 Trillion in Spending Cuts

January 20, 2011 by Daniel

Conservative Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, unveiled in a “Spending Reduction Act” today that would cut $2.5 Trillion over the next ten years. To go along with it is a companion bill to be introduced in the Senate by Sen. Jim DeMint.

The Daily Caller –

Jordan’s “Spending Reduction Act” would eliminate such things as the U.S. Agency for International Development and its $1.39 billion annual budget, the $445 million annual subsidy for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the $1.5 billion annual subsidy for Amtrak, $2.5 billion in high speed rail grants, the $150 million subsidy for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and it would cut in half to $7.5 billion the federal travel budget.

But the program eliminations and reductions would account for only $330 billion of the $2.5 trillion in cuts. The bulk of the cuts would come from returning non-defense discretionary spending – which is currently $670 billion out of a $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year – to the 2006 level of $496.7 billion, through 2021.

Going back to 2006 levels would reduce spending by $2.3 trillion over ten years. It is a significantly more drastic cut than the one proposed by House Republican leadership in the Pledge to America last fall, which proposed moving non-defense, non-mandatory spending for the current fiscal year back to 2008 levels, which was $522.3 billion. Jordan’s proposal includes the recommendation from the Pledge for the current fiscal year, which ends in September.

The proposal would cut the federal work force by 15 percent and freeze automatic pay raises for government employees for five years.     Continue reading

Filed Under: National, Politics Tagged With: Conservative, current events, economy, GOP, House of Representatives

Republicans Projected to Take Control of House

November 2, 2010 by Daniel

Fox News is projecting that the Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives from the Democrats with a likely pick-up of around 60 seats, give or take a few.

As it is likely that the power in the Senate will be retained by Democrats, the overwhelming sweep by the Republicans an their takeover of the House is major news. As is the transfer of power from Pelosi to Boehner.

Topics that helped get voters out include the economy and health care. And, it is these hot issues, among others, that helped get people out early and in advance.

It is only the hope of many people across America that the outcome and enthusiasm from these elections is carried through to 2012.

Filed Under: National, Politics Tagged With: election, House of Representatives, Senate

Obama Signals Rangel To End Career

July 31, 2010 by Daniel

As time goes by, more and more democrats are coming out with response for Charlie Rangel to step down due to charges of ethics violations. One of those voices is President Obama when he told Harry Smith of the “Early Show,”

“I think Charlie Rangel served a very long time and served– his constituents very well. But these– allegations are very troubling. And he’ll– he’s somebody who’s at the end of his career. Eighty years old. I’m sure that– what he wants is to be able to– end his career with dignity. And my hope is that– it happens.”

Time will tell whether Charlie will take the advice of Obama and his collegues.

Filed Under: National Tagged With: House of Representatives, Obama

When Congressmen Attack

June 14, 2010 by Daniel

Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-NC)

It’s no secret by now that Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-NC) physically handled a student. If it is news to you, please watch the video:

As you can see, Etheridge was clearly placing his hands on this student. And for what? Who knew that a simple question like, “Do you support the Obama agenda” would get you a reaction like that?

Adam Goldsteinwith The Huffington Post had this to say:

The talking points here ask questions like: why isn’t the interviewer willing to identify himself? Is he an RNC operative? Is this an ambush interview designed to discredit Etheridge? Is this part of a plot to score political points?

Let me make this really simple: I don’t care.

I don’t. I don’t care if it’s a Republican operative–congressmen shouldn’t assault Republican operatives. I don’t care if it’s an ambush interview–congressmen shouldn’t attack ambush interviewers. I don’t care if it’s the ghost of Richard Nixon, foaming at the mouth rabid and wearing nothing but a placard accusing Etheridge of being of questionable parentage. No matter who this is, Etheridge doesn’t have the legal right to put hands on him for asking a question.

Some people are trying to deflect blame by questioning the motives of the would-be interviewer, as if the law of assault was a complicated moral issue. It isn’t, by the way. It’s a simple moral issue. If someone asks you a question, you don’t get to start grabbing him or her. Asking whether the questioner has some political motive is as morally bankrupt as asking what specifically Tina Turner said to Ike before he started hitting her–as if there were any answer that would suddenly make the conduct okay.

While it really doesn’t matter what was asked, and if the student did or didn’t give his name, the underlaying problem is this is a violation of the protection to the freedom of information. As citizens, we are protected when it comes to the right to bear arms, freedom of speech and press, but are we protected when it comes to being informed?

The Obama administration feels that there is too much information out there, and also feel that there should be some level of policing of that info as well. So, watch what you say and who you say it to. Especially around angry Congressmen who support the Obama agenda.

What did Etheridge have to say after the assault?

“I have seen the video posted on several blogs. I deeply and profoundly regret my reaction and I apologize to all involved. Throughout my many years of service to the people of North Carolina , I have always tried to treat people from all viewpoints with respect. No matter how intrusive and partisan our politics can become, this does not justify a poor response. I have and I will always work to promote a civil public discourse.” – via CNN Poilitical Ticker

Filed Under: National Tagged With: first amendment, House of Representatives

Houses Passes Health Care Reform Bill 219-212

March 21, 2010 by Daniel

Obama and Pelosi on Health Care Reform | HuffingtonPost

That’s right, it passed. 219 ayes vs. 212 nays in a stunning vote against the people and their liberty.

How did they each person vote?

  FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 165

(Democrats in roman; Republicans in italic; Independents underlined)
      H R 3590      RECORDED VOTE      21-Mar-2010      10:49 PM
      QUESTION:  On Motion to Concur in Senate Amendments
      BILL TITLE: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

  Ayes Noes PRES NV
Democratic 219 34    
Republican   178    
Independent        
TOTALS 219 212    


—- AYES    219 —

Ackerman
Andrews
Baca
Baird
Baldwin
Bean
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Boccieri
Boswell
Boyd
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Brown, Corrine
Butterfield
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carney
Carson (IN)
Castor (FL)
Chu
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly (VA)
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Courtney
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Dahlkemper
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Donnelly (IN)
Doyle
Driehaus
Edwards (MD)
Ellison
Ellsworth
Engel
Eshoo
Etheridge
Farr
Fattah
Filner
Foster
Frank (MA)
Fudge
Garamendi
Giffords
Gonzalez
Gordon (TN)
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hall (NY)
Halvorson
Hare
Harman
Hastings (FL)
Heinrich
Higgins
Hill
Himes
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hodes
Holt
Honda
Hoyer
Inslee
Israel
Jackson (IL)
Jackson Lee (TX)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Kagen
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick (MI)
Kilroy
Kind
Kirkpatrick (AZ)
Klein (FL)
Kosmas
Kucinich
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
Levin
Lewis (GA)
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Luján
Maffei
Maloney
Markey (CO)
Markey (MA)
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McNerney
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Michaud
Miller (NC)
Miller, George
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy (NY)
Murphy, Patrick
Nadler (NY)
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Owens
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Perriello
Peters
Pingree (ME)
Polis (CO)
Pomeroy
Price (NC)
Quigley
Rahall
Rangel
Reyes
Richardson
Rodriguez
Rothman (NJ)
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Salazar
Sánchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schauer
Schiff
Schrader
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Sestak
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Sires
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Speier
Spratt
Stark
Stupak
Sutton
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tierney
Titus
Tonko
Towns
Tsongas
Van Hollen
Velázquez
Visclosky
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Welch
Wilson (OH)
Woolsey
Wu
Yarmuth

—- NOES    212 —

Aderholt
Adler (NJ)
Akin
Alexander
Altmire
Arcuri
Austria
Bachmann
Bachus
Barrett (SC)
Barrow
Bartlett
Barton (TX)
Berry
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blunt
Boehner
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boozman
Boren
Boucher
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Bright
Broun (GA)
Brown (SC)
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Buchanan
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Buyer
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Cantor
Cao
Capito
Carter
Cassidy
Castle
Chaffetz
Chandler
Childers
Coble
Coffman (CO)
Cole
Conaway
Crenshaw
Culberson
Davis (AL)
Davis (KY)
Davis (TN)
Deal (GA)
Dent
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dreier
Duncan
Edwards (TX)
Ehlers
Emerson
Fallin
Flake
Fleming
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Garrett (NJ)
Gerlach
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Granger
Graves
Griffith
Guthrie
Hall (TX)
Harper
Hastings (WA)
Heller
Hensarling
Herger
Herseth Sandlin
Hoekstra
Holden
Hunter
Inglis
Issa
Jenkins
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan (OH)
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Kissell
Kline (MN)
Kratovil
Lamborn
Lance
Latham
LaTourette
Latta
Lee (NY)
Lewis (CA)
Linder
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
Lungren, Daniel E.
Lynch
Mack
Manzullo
Marchant
Marshall
Matheson
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McClintock
McCotter
McHenry
McIntyre
McKeon
McMahon
McMorris Rodgers
Melancon
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller, Gary
Minnick
Moran (KS)
Murphy, Tim
Myrick
Neugebauer
Nunes
Nye
Olson
Paul
Paulsen
Pence
Peterson
Petri
Pitts
Platts
Poe (TX)
Posey
Price (GA)
Putnam
Radanovich
Rehberg
Reichert
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Royce
Ryan (WI)
Scalise
Schmidt
Schock
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shadegg
Shimkus
Shuler
Shuster
Simpson
Skelton
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Souder
Space
Stearns
Sullivan
Tanner
Taylor
Teague
Terry
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Tiberi
Turner
Upton
Walden
Wamp
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Young (AK)
Young (FL)

 

Filed Under: National Tagged With: administration, Health Care, House of Representatives, Pelosi

The Pelosi Health Bill Option

October 29, 2009 by Daniel

Health care reform takes new form today with the release of the Pelosi Option.

This 1990 page option convieniently falls below the $900 billion limit imposed by President Obama at a cost of $894 billion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). However, the CBO indicates more analysis is needed and that the report was not final.

Certainly more time is needed with a bill staged at a whopping 1990 pages. Everyone needs more time to read and dissect this new proposal that is said to be praised by Obama. The Pelosi Option had no Republican input.

So, what can be expected in the Pelosi Option?

  • require everyone to sign up for insurance from their employer, a government program or a pool
  • an expansion of Medicaid
  • penalties for employers who don’t provide health care for employees
  • higher taxes

Is this the end of the list? No, but rather a simple start. Pleanty of time should be allowed in order to read this version, but Pelosi reportedly would like to have it voted on by Veteran’s Day.

If you have the time to read the Pelosi Option, please do. They have proven in the past that they are unwilling to take the time to. If something sticks out to you, and think it deserves more attention, feel free to contact me. Together we can dissect it and share what we find.

Click here to read the bill.

Filed Under: National, Politics Tagged With: administration, Congress, Health Care, House of Representatives, Obama, Pelosi, Senate, White House

European Missile Defense System Shelved by Obama

September 17, 2009 by Daniel

Departmentt of Defense discusses decision of European missile defense system.
Departmentt of Defense discusses decision of European missile defense system. Photo by Reuters.

President Barack Obama, along with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, announced today that the longtime debated missile defense system would not be continued. The missile defense system would have been built in Poland and the Czech Republic.

The decision brought immediate criticism from Republicans. Ohio Representative John Boehner, the House minority leader said, “Scrapping the U.S. missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic does little more then empower Russia and Iran at the expense of our allies in Europe. It shows a willful determination to continue ignoring the threat posed by some of the most dangerous regimes in the world, while taking one of the most important defenses against Iran off the table.”

Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyle commented saying:

“Not only does this decision leave America vulnerable to the growing Iranian long-range missile threat, it also turns back the clock to the days of the Cold War, when Eastern Europe was considered the domain of Russia.

“This will be a bitter disappointment, indeed, even a warning to the people of Eastern Europe. The message the administration sends today is clear: the United States will not stand behind its friends and views ‘re-setting’ relations with Russia more important.”

The Obama administration states that Russia was not the reason for scrapping the missile defense system, but that it was new intelligence about Iran and its short and middle range missiles with a lack of intercontinental ballistic capabilities.

In a secret report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it states that Iran has “sufficient information” and ability to make and deliver a nuclear weapon along with the development of a long range missile system.

The Russian government views the decision by Obama as “a victory for common sense.” Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of Russia’s Parliament, also went on to state “It another positive signal that we have received from Washington that makes the general climate very positive.”

Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev said, “We appreciate the responsible attitude of the President of the United States to implement our agreements. I am ready to continue the dialogue.”

While this missile defense system has been shelved by the Obama administration, it does not mean the area will be left without. The Department of Defense has developed a four-phased plan that would shield the area.

  • Phase One (in the 2011 timeframe) – Deploy current and proven missile defense systems available in the next two years, including the sea-based Aegis Weapon System, the SM-3 interceptor (Block IA), and sensors such as the forward-based Army Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance system (AN/TPY-2), to address regional ballistic missile threats to Europe and our deployed personnel and their families;
  • Phase Two (in the 2015 timeframe) – After appropriate testing, deploy a more capable version of the SM-3 interceptor (Block IB) in both sea- and land-based configurations, and more advanced sensors, to expand the defended area against short- and medium-range missile threats;
  • Phase Three (in the 2018 timeframe) – After development and testing are complete, deploy the more advanced SM-3 Block IIA variant currently under development, to counter short-, medium-, and intermediate-range missile threats; and
  • Phase Four (in the 2020 timeframe) – After development and testing are complete, deploy the SM-3 Block IIB to help better cope with medium- and intermediate-range missiles and the potential future ICBM threat to the United States.

Obama went on to say, “Our new missile defense architecture in Europe will provide stronger, smarter and swifter defenses of American forces and America’s allies. It is more comprehensive than the previous program. Because our approach will be phased and adaptive, we will retain the flexibility to adjust and enhance our defenses as the threat and technology continue to evolve.”

 

Transcript of President Obama’s Remarks

White House Fact Sheet on the “Phased, Adaptive Approach”

Filed Under: National, Politics, World Tagged With: Czech Republic, House of Representatives, IAEA, missile defense, Obama, Poland, Russia, Senate, speech

Cybersecurity Act of 2009 a Test in Presidential Power

August 31, 2009 by Daniel

If it isn’t health care reform, it’s something else. Now it comes in the form of the Cybersecurity Act of 2009, or S.773.

The controversy raised with this is that it gives the President control to shut down the internet if certain emergencies arise. On pages 43-44 of the 51 page bill states:

 

Some will see this as a non-issue. Others feel that it is a total violation on their freedoms. Those who seem most bothered by it, feel the President is creating too much power.

However, the President is doing his hardest to stimulate the job market with anything and everything he can get his hands on. Yes, even with the Cybersecurity Act of 2009 he will try to create jobs. On page 41 the bill says:

One decent thing in the bill overshadowed by the extended power of the President if this passes. While the debate over health care reform is still so rampant, there is great attention that should be paid to the other bills that surface during the debate.

“Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the President, or the President’s designee, shall report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology of the feasibility of- (1)creating a market for cybersecurity risk management, including the creation of a system of civil liability and insurance (including government reinsurance)”

 “The President – (2)may declare a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from any compromised Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network;”

Filed Under: National, Politics Tagged With: Bill, Cybersecurity, House of Representatives, Obama, Senate

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