DonnyFerguson.com
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
In today’s issue:
THE ECONOMY
1) Biden plays inflation Blame Game but polls show most voters blame him
2) McHenry: With floundering economy flashing warning signals ‘the economic ignorance of my Democrat colleagues is stunning’
3) AFP: $3 Trillion Tax Increase Would Devastate Economy
4) Radicalized Dems grow more out of touch as poll shows 80 percent support Right to Work
OFF TO THE RACES
5) Newsom is destroying California and must go
6) Vulnerable Senate Dems remain silent on Biden’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal
7) NC Senate Dem recruits silent as governor vetoes ban on Critical Race Theory
8) Senate Dem recruit in Wisconsin dodges – FOUR TIMES – on Biden’s vax mandate
9) Las Vegas Review-Journal blasts struggling Senator Masto for feigned moderate conversion
COVID NEWS
10) Chip Roy demands Biden admin explain restrictions on monoclonal antibody treatments
11) Rep. Barry Moore shreds unconstitutional Biden vax mandate: America 'under siege from within'
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
12) North Korean missile tests a scheme to land ‘pay day’ from Biden
13) GOP Armed Services women release powerful statement on the future of Afghan women
14) House GOP demand Biden admin turn over documents on Taliban access to critical minerals
THE LIBERAL AGENDA
15) Voters stunned as Dems take radical abortion agenda to sickening new lows
16) Rodgers rips mask off ‘Pelosi’s grand socialist agenda to destroy freedom’
17) Pelosi silences bipartisan criticism to ram through $66 billion ag spending scheme
18) Top House VA Republican slams Pelosi for ignoring vets to go on spending spree
19) Dems propose paying for socialist agenda by raising taxes on everyone but their wealthy supporters
JUSTICE
20) US Supreme Court asked to intervene after state denies man occupational license for criticizing police
21) Supreme Court urged to end ban on religious schools receiving tuition assistance
THE ECONOMY
Biden plays inflation Blame Game but polls show most voters blame him
Joe Biden and Senate Democrats’ reckless tax and spending spree is hitting middle class Americans directly in their pocketbooks. Under Joe Biden’s leadership, inflation is hitting record highs causing Americans to pay more for everything from food to gas. And, instead of curbing the reckless spending that is causing record inflation, Joe Biden is blaming job creators.
In true Democrat fashion, Joe Biden isn’t letting the inflation crisis go to waste. In fact, he’s using it to push his radical anti-business agenda. The key takeaway from the “White House Competition Council’s” inaugural meeting was to regulate businesses so they can’t raise prices. Even liberal economists disagree with the White House’s assessment. They say that Democrats’ reckless tax and spending spree is driving up inflation, not job creators. The White House is just using them as another scapegoat in their never-ending political blame game.
But voters see right past this shameless attempt to blame others for the Biden Administration’s failures. According to NRSC/RGA polling, a majority of voters blame Biden’s radical economic policies for the record spike in inflation. See below:
Statement from NRSC Spokesman Jonathan Turcotte:
“Whether it’s record numbers of illegal border crossings, leaving Americans behind in Afghanistan, or skyrocketing consumer prices, Joe Biden and Senate Democrats will find anyone to blame but themselves. The truth is that their reckless tax and spending spree is crushing middle class Americans who must pay more for everyday goods. Now, they want to ram through another $5.5 TRILLION in reckless spending that will do nothing but drive inflation even higher. Joe Biden and Senate Democrats are using record inflation as a political weapon against private businesses. There’s nothing they won’t do to advance their far-Left agenda. Americans deserve leaders in Washington who don’t play politics with their pocketbooks.”
- NRSC
McHenry: With floundering economy flashing warning signals ‘the economic ignorance of my Democrat colleagues is stunning’
The House Committee on Financial Services held a markup of its portion of Democrats’ partisan $3.6 trillion spending package that would fundamentally restructure Americans’ relationship with the federal government. Democrats’ tax-and-spending spree would be disastrous for our economic recovery—leading to sluggish growth, weak job creation, and further consumer price increases.
Read Republican Leader McHenry’s opening remarks as prepared for delivery:
“Thank you, Madam Chair.
“Today we’re marking up our Committee’s portion of the $3.6 trillion reconciliation monstrosity. This package has been described by the New York Times as a bill that, quote ‘would touch virtually every American, at every point in life, from conception to old age.'
“That is breath-taking.
“At a time when economic indicators are flashing red, Democrats are preparing to jam through the largest spending bill we have ever seen.
“I understand my colleagues across the aisle don’t want to hear from Republicans about the debt and deficit, so let me read what Democratic Senator Joe Manchin had to say just two weeks ago:
“‘Over the past 18 months, we’ve spent more than $5 trillion responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Now Democrat congressional leaders propose to pass the largest single spending bill in history with no regard to rising inflation, crippling debt, or the inevitability of future crises.’
“I ask unanimous consent to enter his op-ed into the record.
“Madam Chair, the unemployment rate stands at 5.2 percent. There are 10.9 million unfilled jobs.
“Hiring has slowed and layoffs have increased.
“The annual growth rate of wholesale prices is now higher than it was in 2010. And in August, we saw the largest increase in these prices, on an annual basis, on record.
“To say we are in choppy economic waters is a massive understatement.
“And in the face of all this data, all the growing concern among families about how they are going to pay bills and put food on the table – Democrats want to tax and spend at a level never seen before.
“The economic ignorance of my Democrat colleagues is stunning.
“On Friday, we discussed the serious housing crisis facing renters and property owners. We heard about how this committee has been leading the charge on solutions.
“Well, where are your solutions? They’re not in this bill. What changed since Friday? I thought it was a crisis?
“While Republicans have been calling for solutions since May, Democrats can’t find space among the $330 billion it wants to spend on expanding federal housing programs to solve this problem? You can’t be serious.
“Instead of addressing the rental crisis in this reconciliation package, Democrats have decided to move a separate bill – one that has no support in the Senate and has no hope of becoming law.
“But I’ll give you an opportunity to fix that. In fact, I’ll offer it twice. First, to your reconciliation bill--it fits within our instruction and complies with the reconciliation rules.
“And if you can’t find a way to accept it in a bill, we’ve been told is certain to become law, I’ll give you yet another opportunity to accept it as an amendment to your misguided, stand-alone ERA bill.
“Let’s see if my colleagues on the other side can cast a vote that matches their rhetoric.
“Let me close by saying this.
“You know this version of reconciliation won’t become law. I know it won’t become law. Even Democratic Senators have said they don’t support it. It’s going to be rewritten dozens of times behind closed doors as Democrats desperately search for enough votes to secure passage.
“Look, I get it. When you have the political leverage, you use it. But just look at what’s happening in our country. We are just now starting to emerge from this pandemic and our economic recovery could not be more fragile.
“Passing this bill is a mistake and it’s the American people who will pay the price.
“Republicans will offer several amendments today to rein in some of these bill’s worst elements. I hope you all consider the damage that would be done if you once again go it alone.
- House Financial Services GOP
AFP: $3 Trillion Tax Increase Would Devastate Economy
Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips issued the following statement in response to the plan proposed by the House Ways and Means Committee to increase taxes by $3 trillion to “pay for” Sen. Bernie Sanders’ $3.5 trillion reconciliation spending spree:
“Virtually everything Americans buy is getting more expensive, businesses are operating at half capacity because they can’t find enough workers, and Washington’s answer is to increase taxes by nearly $3 trillion to pass the biggest and most wasteful spending bill in history. This Bernie Sanders reconciliation package would be an unmitigated disaster for our economy, it would put inflation into overdrive, raising the cost of groceries and goods that Americans need most. This is not a vision for recovering stronger from this pandemic, it’s an attempt to use a global crisis to put government in control of almost every aspect of our lives.”
- AFP
Radicalized Dems grow more out of touch as poll shows 80 percent support Right to Work
It’s true: People prefer Right to Work States over Forced Unionism. It’s one of the many reasons why passing the National Right to Work Act is so important!
In an article in the Washington Examiner, National Right to Work Foundation and Committee President Mark Mix shares some interesting information everyone should know.
The increase in people employed in right-to-work states is more than four times the rate of those in forced unionism states, according to an analysis of government data by the National Institute for Labor Relations Research.
People want to live and work in right-to-work states. In the decade after 2009, forced unionism states lost 7.4% of their residents aged 35 to 54, while right-to-work states saw an increase among that age group.
It’s no wonder polls consistently show that more than 80% of Americans support the right-to-work principle that no worker should be forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment. Union members, too, overwhelmingly agree.
- NRTW
OFF TO THE RACES
Newsom is destroying California and must go
Every California voter who believes in individual liberties needs to vote in the recall election. Voting ends on Tuesday, Sept. 14. Ballots can be hand-delivered, sent through the mail, or submitted in person.
“This election is about more than one failed governor. It is about the priorities in the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s implementation of a criminal catch-and-release program has resulted in a crime wave that affects every Californian.
“Newsom’s refusal to follow basic forest management practices, as well as his decision to cut the budget for firefighters, equipment, and fire breaks has led to the devastating fires that continue to ravage some of the most beautiful land and forests in the world.
“Lastly, under Newsom’s failed leadership, California has become a taxpayer disaster and if not for the voters in 2020, Newsom would have stripped away property tax protections with Proposition 13.
“The recall is California’s chance to reclaim their state and anyone who is registered to vote in the state or knows people who are, needs to encourage them to vote to recall Newsom.”
- ALG
Vulnerable Senate Dems remain silent on Biden’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal
As Senators return from an eventful August recess, the hot topic on Capitol Hill continues to be the Biden Administration’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal and the calls for answers.
As expected, Senate Democrats – most notably, vulnerable Democrats fearing the backlash from standing up to their party’s leadership – have remained silent and refused to call out the Administration for its failures. Instead, they are ready to turn the page and focus on passing their reckless socialist tax-and-spending bill that will bankrupt our country and continue to fuel the inflation crisis.
But we can’t forget that the withdrawal from Afghanistan was an unmitigated disaster that put terrorists back in charge of the country. It resulted in the death of 13 U.S. service members, the abandonment of over 100 U.S. citizens and the majority of allied Afghans behind enemy lines, a donation of $212 million worth of U.S. military equipment to the Taliban, and the international community questioning our resolve throughout the world.
Now that Democrat Senators like Raphael Warnock, Catherine Cortez Masto, Maggie Hassan, Michael Bennet, and Mark Kelly have had some time to relax and think about where they stand, will they finally speak up and hold the Administration accountable? How will they answer the most basic question, “Was there anything that should have been done differently?”
- NRSC
NC Senate Dem recruits silent as governor vetoes ban on Critical Race Theory
Concern over ahistorical Critical Race Theory being taught in public schools has prompted protests from parents across the country. On Friday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper vetoed a bill passed by the North Carolina legislature that would restrict school districts’ ability to promote Critical Race Theory.
The veto has caused an uproar in North Carolina, but the two leading Democrat candidates for U.S. Senate have yet to speak out.
State Senator Jeff Jackson, at a town hall meeting in July, was very clear about his opinion on Critical Race Theory: it doesn’t exist! Former NC Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley has yet to address the issue directly, as her campaign strategy doesn’t allow for her to discuss any issue in any substantive way. However, her top surrogate, Congresswoman Cori Bush, is a radical who enthusiastically supports Critical Race Theory, and much more.
Recent NRSC polling shows how deeply unpopular major pillars of Critical Race Theory are.
In light of this veto, do State Senator Jackson and former Justice Cheri Beasley support the Governor’s decision to rule in favor of Critical Race Theory?
- NRSC
Senate Dem recruit in Wisconsin dodges – FOUR TIMES – on Biden’s vax mandate
Over the weekend, Wisconsin Senate candidate Democrat Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes was asked FOUR times in one interview if he supported President Biden’s vaccine mandate on small businesses. Barnes refused to take a hard stance, talking out of both sides of his mouth.
Statement from NRSC Spokeswoman Lizzie Litzow:
“On an issue that is on the forefront of everyone’s minds and impacts millions of Americans and small business owners, Mandela Barnes attempted to talk out of both sides of his mouth because he can’t help but cave to Biden and his radical Left base. Wisconsinites need a leader who will fight for them and tell them where he or she stands on important issues, not a wishy-washy politician who is too scared to put a stake in the ground.”
- NRSC
Las Vegas Review-Journal blasts struggling Senator Masto for feigned moderate conversion
Catherine Cortez Masto’s fake moderate schtick is not fooling anybody in Nevada. One look at her record makes it clear that Cortez Masto prefers Bernie Sanders’s reckless socialist agenda and far-Left efforts to abolish the filibuster over helping Nevada families, workers, and job creators. Don’t take it from us. Click here to read what Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Victor Joecks has to say about Cortez Masto’s radical record.
If Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto has a moderate bone in her body, now would be an opportune time to demonstrate it […]
One would be coming out in opposition to Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending plan. That is a staggering amount, especially after the trillions spent over the past 18 months responding to the pandemic.
That is not a moderate bill, especially with inflation spiraling out of control. Wholesale prices jumped 8.3 percent year-over-year in August.
Even if she wants to spend that much, it would make sense to publicly oppose spending that much. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said recently he won’t support a bill that large, although he left himself some wiggle room. In a 50-50 Senate, he can stop the bill. If the bill is going to be pared back anyway, Cortez Masto might as well take the opportunity to tack to the middle.
Another way to show moderation would be to oppose Democrats’ attempts to eliminate the filibuster. The filibuster requires most bills to receive 60 votes in the Senate to advance. But in March, Cortez Masto came out in support of gutting the filibuster.
This shouldn’t be a surprise. Cortez Masto led Senate Democrats’ fundraising operation last cycle. Biden reportedly considered her as for vice president. She’s the definition of a Democrat insider.
Cortez Masto may want Nevadans to think she’s a moderate, but she doesn’t act like one in Washington, D.C.
-NRSC
COVID NEWS
Chip Roy demands Biden admin explain restrictions on monoclonal antibody treatments
Congressman Chip Roy (TX-21) sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra inquiring about recent changes to the process for doctors to obtain monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatments for COVID-19.
“As you know, antibody treatments such as bamlanivimab, bamlanivimab/etesevimab, and casirivimab/imdevimab were approved under Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) and have been shown to be effective in treating COVID-19 patients.[1],[2] Providers across the country, including providers in Texas, have utilized these treatments, aiding in effective treatment of COVID-19 patients.[3] Unfortunately, numerous doctors and healthcare professionals who serve COVID-19 patients are reportedly being denied or limited orders for these treatments by HHS,” the letter reads.
However, on September 3, 2021, HHS, in an effort to “promote optimal and equitable use of the available supply of monoclonal antibodies,” began restricting and regulating all orders of these treatments.
“The last thing HHS should be doing is impeding on providers’ ability to best serve their patients, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Congressman Roy said of the letter. “This recent HHS order will further prevent doctors from being able to treat their patients and prevent their patients from receiving the care they need when they need it. The federal government should not be in the business of dictating healthcare; the American people deserve answers on why and under which authority HHS made this decision.”
Full text of the letter is below:
The Honorable Xavier Becerra
Secretary
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20201
Dear Secretary Becerra,
I write to you today to inquire about the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) recent update to COVID-19 monoclonal antibody (mAb) ordering process for all sites.
As you know, antibody treatments such as bamlanivimab, bamlanivimab/etesevimab, and casirivimab/imdevimab were approved under Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) and have been shown to be effective in treating COVID-19 patients.[4],[5] Providers across the country, including providers in Texas, have utilized these treatments, aiding in effective treatment of COVID-19 patients.[6] Unfortunately, numerous doctors and healthcare professionals who serve COVID-19 patients are reportedly being denied or limited orders for these treatments by HHS.
According to a notice of changes announced by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) on September 3, 2021, HHS immediately implemented changes to “promote optimal and equitable use of the available supply” of these treatments. Further, the notice also indicates HHS is “limiting immediate orders and shipment only to administration sites with HHSProtect accounts and current utilization reporting” and “Reviewing all orders for alignment with utilization, currently estimated at 70% of orders.[7]
These recent changes have appeared to have an immediate effect on the ability to expeditiously care for and treat COVID-19 patients. It is essential that providers have the freedom to choose what treatments are most suitable for their patients without interference or delays caused by your department.
Please provide answers to the following by October 14, 2021:
For what reasons, and by whom, was this change authorized?
Is there a current or expected shortage of any monoclonal antibody treatments in the U.S.?
If so, which treatments?
Nationally, how many doses of each antibody treatment, including bamlanivimab, bamlanivimab/etesevimab, and casirivimab/imdevimab, are currently available?
Your notice indicates this is a temporary change. If this is the case, when does HHS plan to revert to normal procedures for ordering these antibody treatments?
Under what regulatory or statutory authority is HHS operating under to limit and review orders or limiting these orders to sites with HHSProtect accounts?
Is HHS prioritizing providers with HHSProtect accounts for fulfillment of orders of mAb treatments?
Is HHS reviewing all U.S. provider mAb treatment orders?
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Chip Roy
Member of Congress
- Rep Chip Roy
Rep. Barry Moore shreds unconstitutional Biden vax mandate: America 'under siege from within'
U.S. Representative Barry Moore (AL-02) issued the following statement after President Biden announced sweeping new vaccine mandates on American citizens.
“President Biden’s federal vaccine mandate is yet another breathtaking and blatantly unconstitutional power-grab by an out-of-control Administration. The Biden Administration’s statement that issuing vaccine mandates was 'not the role of the federal government' has now been revealed as a barefaced lie, just like the President’s claim that he had a plan for Afghanistan. It is clear to Americans and our allies abroad that deceit, ineptitude, and even subversion are at the foundation of this Administration.
“The nation that Americans have defended for over two centuries is under siege from within, and Americans will not and must not allow it to continue unchallenged. If Joe Biden does not step down, Congress must immediately move to impeach him before he causes more irreversible damage to our economy, freedoms, and global prestige.”
- Rep Barry Moore
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
North Korean missile tests a scheme to land ‘pay day’ from Biden
U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Lead Republican of the House Armed Services Committee, released a statement regarding North Korea’s most recent missile tests.
“Since President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris came into office they’ve enriched nearly every dictator there is. They have refused to enforce Nord Stream 2 sanctions – paving the way for Vladimir Putin to get his pipeline. The Mullahs in Iran have received billions in sanctions relief, with billions more on the way. The Taliban now has billions of dollars in U.S. military equipment and installed their new terrorist-run ‘government’ on the anniversary of 9/11. China has received more push back from the Biden-Harris administration on climate issues than the inhumane imprisonment of over a million Uyghurs.
“Given the Biden-Harris administration’s pitiful track record – it’s no surprise that Kim Jong Un now wants his pay-day from President Biden. That’s why he feels emboldened to resume testing missiles and restarted the Yongbyon nuclear reactor. We need to respond by strengthening alliances in the region, enforcing the sanctions regime, and increasing our investment in missile defense.”
- House Armed Services GOP
GOP Armed Services women release powerful statement on the future of Afghan women
U.S. Representatives Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Liz Cheney (R-WY), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), and Lisa McClain (R-MI), members of the House Committee on Armed Services, released the following statement expressing their concern for the future of Afghan women.
“The bright future for generations of Afghan women has now been extinguished by the Taliban’s return to power. Female politicians, journalists, mothers, and school-aged girls now fear for their safety.
“The Taliban has not changed – they are still the brutish and repulsive terrorists they were twenty years ago. Last week, the Taliban murdered a pregnant policewoman in front of her family. Just a few months ago, the Taliban attacked a school in Kabul, killing at least 90 people, many of them young girls just leaving class. Last month, it was reported that the Taliban captured the district governor of Charkint, Salima Mazari. In the recent weeks since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, Taliban leaders have warned women to stay at home for their safety from Taliban militants, formed a government absent any female representation, barred women from entering schools and their places of work, and broken up peaceful demonstrations by brave Afghan women with gunfire, arrests, and beatings.
“It is unacceptable and abhorrent that women who now seek to serve in public office or want to receive an education in Afghanistan will face either punishment or death. Under Taliban control, women are stripped of any rights and face forced ‘marriage’ to terrorists who rape them – there is a human toll to this withdrawal that will be felt for generations.
“The legacy of our nation’s first female Vice President will include the abandonment of Afghan women – leaving them at the hands of a barbaric terrorist organization. The worst part is that this was all avoidable.
“We have worked for 20 years to secure these basic human rights for Afghan women, and we cannot allow them to be stripped away once more. The Biden-Harris Administration must acknowledge the brutal human rights atrocities being committed by the Taliban against Afghan women. The Biden-Harris Administration must commit that no taxpayer money or foreign aid will go to the Taliban regime and make it clear that the United States will never give official recognition to the terrorist Taliban government in Afghanistan.”
- House Armed Services GOP
House GOP demand Biden admin turn over documents on Taliban access to critical minerals
House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Ranking Member Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Ranking Member Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) sent a letter to U.S. Geological Survey Acting Director Dave Applegate, requesting information pertaining to the extent of the Taliban’s ability to develop Afghanistan's natural resources. In part, the members wrote:
"As we observed the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, President Biden’s recent abandonment of Americans, Afghan allies, and military assets to the Taliban left our nation dismayed. Throughout the withdrawal process, the President claimed his Administration planned for every contingency. Despite these assurances, the Biden Administration inadequately considered the impacts of the Taliban gaining control of Afghanistan’s critical minerals. Prior to President Biden’s withdrawal, U.S. military service members were placed in harm’s way to provide security for civilian U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists who made more than 250 trips to Afghanistan to research the country’s natural resources. Therefore, we seek to assess the extent of the natural resources and U.S. taxpayer funded research the Taliban will exploit."
- House Natural Resources GOP
THE LIBERAL AGENDA
Voters stunned as Dems take radical abortion agenda to sickening new lows
NRSC Chairman Rick Scott joined EWTN Pro-Life Weekly last week to discuss the Democrats’ radical agenda to eliminate the Hyde and Helms Amendments. For over 40 years, the Hyde Amendment has been in place to protect American taxpayers from being forced to pay for abortions. And for nearly 50 years, Congress has also upheld the Helms Amendment, which protects taxpayer funds from being sent overseas to pay for elective abortions. An NRSC poll taken this year shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans oppose funding overseas abortions. Democrats are simply out of touch.
In July, the House of Representatives, including Senate hopefuls Val Demings, Tim Ryan and Conor Lamb voted to kill both the Hyde and Helms Amendments. In the Senate, incumbents like Mark Kelly, Maggie Hassan, Catherine Cortez Masto, Raphael Warnock, Michael Bennet and every other Senate Democrat have failed to stand up to the radical left and protect the unborn.
- NRSC
Rodgers rips mask off ‘Pelosi’s grand socialist agenda to destroy freedom’
Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered remarks in today’s markup of the Democrat’s Build More Inflation Act, Speaker Pelosi’s grand socialist scheme to destroy freedom and embolden America’s enemies on the backs of American families.
Excerpts and highlights from her prepared remarks:
PROMISE OF AMERICA
“Mr. Chairman, I believe in the Promise of America. It’s here that we can turn our dreams into a reality.
“Dreams to build a better life, work hard, and leave this country better off for our children. That is America’s history for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all.
“We’ve done more to lift people out of poverty and raise the standard of living than any nation in the history of the world. But today, there’s an overwhelming sense that America’s promise is slipping away from us.”
CRISES
“Americans left behind in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
“Recovery from Hurricane Ida in Louisiana and Mississippi.
“Ongoing crisis at the Southern border.
“Rising COVID cases and pressures on our hospital systems.
“Public health officials breaking our trust and undermining vaccine confidence.
“A record number of deaths of despair.
“Inflation ticking up every day on American families.
“These are the challenges that people are worried about and rightfully expect us to address.”
THE BUILD MORE INFLATION ACT
“That is not what is happening today as we consider the Energy and Commerce provisions of the Left’s $3.5 trillion tax and spending spree.
“This should be called the Build More Inflation Act.
“Liberal-led spending has already raised record price increases on working families. Spending $3.5 trillion for a liberal wish list will only make the rising costs worse.
“This is Speaker Pelosi’s grand socialist agenda to destroy freedom and embolden our enemies on the backs of American families.
“This massive bill fundamentally changes American life and security for the worst.
“Blackouts, unaffordable electricity bills, tax hikes, entire American industries and jobs destroyed, no hope to cure diseases, long lines of the sick begging the government for lifesaving treatments, and weak American defenses against our adversaries like China and Russia.
“That’s the future my colleagues across the aisle are proposing today.”
“The freedom-loving men and women of this country deserve better.
“I think about a man from Deer Park, Washington, who drives his own truck to provide for his family.
“He told me that because of higher gas prices and inflation he doesn’t know what his future holds.
“Under the Build More Inflation Act, we know the answer because it shuts down American energy.
“Just like our Keystone pipeline workers, he loses his job.
“His livelihood is gone—all while Democrat’s political allies and campaign donors get billions and billions of kickbacks to advance a radical political agenda.
“It’s cruel.”
THIS IS NOT THE AMERICAN WAY
“The Build More Inflation Act must not dictate our future.
“Mr. Chairman, I strongly oppose it.
“My colleagues and I will do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes in this markup to expose how the bill before us will build more inflation, reward our nation’s enemies, and end the American Dream.
“I urge this Committee to stop the partisanship directed by Speaker Pelosi and return to its rich bipartisan history of solving our greatest challenges.
“That’s the American way.
“We have a promise to keep—for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for ALL.”
- House Energy and Commerce GOP
Pelosi silences bipartisan criticism to ram through $66 billion ag spending scheme
After a nine-hour markup on Friday, Agriculture Democrats rammed through an incomplete, partisan, and unvetted budget reconciliation package to the tune of $66 billion. The measure omitted $28 billion in additional spending after House and Senate Democrat leaders failed to draft a conservation title or obtain a CBO estimate. After various questions were posed from both Republicans and Democrats, Chairman Scott informed Members the missing funds will be inserted “as the bill heads to the floor.”
Following the charade, Republican Leader of the House Agriculture Committee, Glenn “GT” Thompson issued the following statement:
“It’s Groundhog Day here at the House Agriculture Committee. Despite touting his commitment to bipartisanship, Chairman Scott sadly fell in line with Speaker Pelosi yet again during the second hyper-partisan reconciliation process this year. I’m greatly disappointed to see my colleagues across the aisle so brazenly disrespect the long bipartisan history of this great Committee by supporting this socialist spending spree.
“Leading up to the 2018 Farm Bill, Republican Committee leadership held more than 100 public events for members on both sides of the aisle to better understand the needs of farmers, ranchers, and foresters. Instead of taking a strategic pause to thoughtfully review this legislation, Democrats voted to advance it. This bill prioritizes partisan pet projects over the needs of our nation’s farm families and doesn’t dedicate a dime to crucial programs like the commodity safety net, crop insurance, broadband, or disaster assistance.
“Friday’s markup was a disastrous sham from start to finish, and my Democrat colleagues should be ashamed of their complete disregard of process and decorum. Democrats refused to adequately address the implications of President Biden’s many tax proposals, and ultimately, farm families will end up footing the bill for this reckless spending package. The message couldn’t be clearer—President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, and Congressional Democrats are perfectly fine leaving rural America in the dust.”
- House Ag GOP
Top House VA Republican slams Pelosi for ignoring vets to go on spending spree
Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, delivered the following opening statement, as prepared, at the start of the Committee’s markup of the Democrats’ partisan reconciliation package – which includes an additional $18 billion dollars for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA):
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This is the second time this year that our Committee has received reconciliation instructions.
Reconciliation may be the answer to weak and ineffective Democrat control.
But, it is not the answer to the problems facing our country, our economy, or our veterans.
I said it before and will say it again - our constituents did not send us here to give only a passing glance as their hard-earned dollars go out the door.
Yet, for the second time in eight months, that is exactly what the Democrat Majority in D.C. is doing.
The bill we are considering today would hand V.A. $18 billion dollars.
That is in addition to the almost $40 billion dollars that V.A. received for COVID-relief – tens of billions of which hasn’t been touched.
It is also in addition to the $270 billion dollars in V.A.’s base budget - the largest base budget V.A. has ever received.
This bill was released on Saturday, giving Members only 48 hours outside of normal business hours to review it.
That is unacceptable.
Veterans are a wise investment.
Veterans are also taxpayers.
Veterans deserve support.
Veterans also deserve more than wasteful government spending.
And, more than an unnecessary and partisan reconciliation bill that they will pay for in higher taxes and skyrocketing inflation and that their grandchildren will still be paying for after they’re gone.
V.A. has serious infrastructure issues.
Republicans worked with Democrats in 2018 to pass a law to fix them.
That law is the Asset and Infrastructure Review – or, AIR – Act.
V.A. has spent three years collecting the data that the Department and the AIR Commission will use to fix V.A. medical facilities to better serve veterans.
We are awaiting AIR Commission nominations from the White House.
Making major investments in V.A.’s infrastructure outside of AIR would be a waste of time and taxpayer money.
That is not to mention that we sit here today while veterans are in crisis.
Two days ago was the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terror attack.
That tragic day led to two decades of war that veterans and their families have borne the brunt of.
Two weeks ago, those same veterans and families were left reeling as 13 of our own were killed during the Biden Administration’s failure in Afghanistan.
Hundreds of Americans have been abandoned in Afghanistan by this President.
Many more Afghan allies – the men and women that veterans served alongside and owe their lives to – have been abandoned in Afghanistan by this President.
Veterans - particularly those who served in Afghanistan - have been left questioning whether their service mattered.
Families - particularly those who lost loved ones in Afghanistan - have been left questioning whether their losses mattered.
The pain, grief, and trauma that has caused will leave scars that could last a lifetime.
We should be here today discussing that fact.
We should be laser focused on making sure veterans and families have what they need to heal.
That we are not doing that is a deep shame.
The Democrat Majority in D.C. should have to answer for it.
Several Republicans and I wrote to Chairman Takano two weeks ago asking for a hearing on how the Afghanistan crisis was impacting veterans.
I wrote to him again last week asking that we use the time we have today for that hearing.
Our requests have gone unanswered.
Make no mistake about it, today’s markup is nothing but a distraction.
This reconciliation package is unnecessary and I will oppose it.
However, this Committee will report text to comply with the instruction.
My fellow Republicans and I will offer several amendments today to:
• Support veterans and families suffering from the Biden Administration’s failure in Afghanistan;
• Make smart investments in V.A. infrastructure; and
• Save taxpayer dollars.
I hope our amendments are adopted.
Then, I hope we can start putting veterans and taxpayers before liberal wish lists and partisan politics, and finally grapple with the havoc the crisis in Afghanistan is wreaking on the veteran community.
- House Veterans’ Affairs GOP
Dems propose paying for socialist agenda by raising taxes on everyone but their wealthy supporters
To pay for some of the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion (actually, $5 trillion) spending spree, they have proposed a wave of sweeping new tax hikes that will amount to the largest tax hike in at least the last few decades.
One thing is certain, these new taxes do not only impact the rich. In fact, liberals would like to give the wealthy in high-tax states like New York and California a tax cut as part of the plan!
The Democrats’ plan is to jack up taxes on everything: Individual rates, corporate rates, capital gains rates, tobacco taxes, crypto taxes, and more. These will impact nearly every American.
Even more concerning is that all of this is being proposed while the American economy battles inflation and a sluggish economy, fueled by overreach from Washington. President Biden and Democrats are ready to double down on this failed strategy.
Statement from NRSC Spokesman T.W. Arrighi:
“The American economy is in trouble. Poor economic policies and reckless spending have greatly hampered our economic recovery. Now, Democrats want to double down and unleash the largest tax hike in memory to go along with trillions in new spending. This reckless bill will hurt working-class Americans at a time when they need support the most, and Senate Democrats appear ready and willing to support this folly. How much clearer must the evidence be before Democrats wake up to our current predicament?”
- NRSC
JUSTICE
US Supreme Court asked to intervene after state denies man occupational license for criticizing police
Earlier this month, Joshua Gray, a private investigator from Massachusetts, filed a petition for certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court asking the Court to reverse a decision by the Maine Department of Public Safety denying him a license as a professional investigator in Maine. The Department based its denial on the fact that it disapproved of Gray’s criticism of the Department’s own employees’ conduct in a police shooting that left two dead. The Institute for Justice (IJ) filed the petition on Gray’s behalf.
IJ Senior Attorney and lead counsel Paul Sherman said, “When the government retaliates against people because of their speech, it violates the First Amendment. That’s true whether the government is imposing a fine, withholding a parade permit, or denying an occupational license.”
Gray’s problems with the Department began after he criticized the conduct of Maine police in the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Kadhar Bailey and 18-year-old Amber Fagre in February of 2017. Believing that the shooting could have been avoided had it not been for police recklessness, Gray expressed his criticisms on his Facebook page. But when Gray later applied for a license as a professional investigator in Maine, the Department denied Gray’s application on the ground that his online criticism contained factual errors, and therefore he lacked the “good moral character” required for licensure.
Gray said, “Police shootings are one of the most widely debated political issues today. If I had praised the Maine police for the shooting of Kadhar Bailey and Amber Fagre, they would have had no excuse for denying me a professional investigator’s license. They singled me out because I criticized them. That’s censorship, and it violates my First Amendment rights.”
Some of Gray’s statements were mistaken; for example, he initially misidentified the officer who shot Amber Fagre. When an attorney general’s investigation revealed that this officer had in fact shot Bailey but not Fagre, Gray updated his Facebook page with a correction. Other supposed “factual” errors included Gray’s speculation about whether one of the off-duty officers involved had been drinking before the shooting, as well as his opinion that the shooting should be considered murder. Based on these alleged errors—and nothing else—the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in April of this year affirmed the Department’s denial of Gray’s application.
IJ Attorney John Wrench said, “If a police officer had sued Gray for defamation, he would have received greater First Amendment protection. If Gray had been fired from government employment because of his Facebook posts, he would have received greater First Amendment protection. But because Gray was instead denied the right to work in the occupation of his choice, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court deferred to the Department of Public Safety’s decision to withhold a license from one of its vocal critics. That’s unconstitutional.”
Gray’s petition comes just three years after the Supreme Court’s groundbreaking ruling in National Institute of Family & Life Advocates v. Becerra (NIFLA), in which the Court rejected the idea that “professional speech” was entitled to reduced protection. In that case, the Court held that government regulation of speech within occupations is subject to the same heightened First Amendment rules as other content-based burdens on speech.
IJ Senior Attorney Robert Johnson said, “Before NIFLA, lower courts for decades had treated occupational licensing boards as though the First Amendment simply didn’t apply to them. The Supreme Court rightly rejected that view. The decision of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court conflicts directly with that ruling. It is vital that the Supreme Court take up this case and reaffirm that there is no occupational licensing exception to the First Amendment.”
Gray’s case could have profound implications for other licensed occupations. There are today hundreds of licensed occupations that vary widely by state, most of which have “good moral character” requirements. At the same time, the growth of social media has made it easier than ever for licensing boards to deny licenses based on disagreement with an applicant’s political views.
Gray said, “I’m not just fighting for my rights; I’m fighting for the rights of all Americans who want to debate issues of national importance. If the Maine Department of Public Safety can deny me a license because of a handful of mistakes in Facebook posts discussing an issue of national importance, no social-media user’s right to an occupational license is safe.”
The Institute for Justice is the nation’s leading legal advocate defending occupational speech. IJ has successfully challenged restrictions on occupational speech throughout the country, protecting the speech of engineers, tour guides, health coaches, psychologists, teachers, and others.
- IJ
Supreme Court urged to end ban on religious schools receiving tuition assistance
Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFPF) and yes. every kid. last week filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case, Carson V. Makin. The brief urges the Court to rule that Maine’s discrimination against religious schools from participating in the state’s tuition assistance program violates the Free Exercise clause.
yes. every kid. Executive Director Andrew Clark issued the following statement:
“Students and parents should have the ability to access an education that works for them, no matter whether that school is considered ‘religious’ or not. We are urging the Court to ensure state programs cannot continue to violate the Constitution and discriminate against students who wish to attend a religious school.”
As the brief states:
“This case highlights the lack of consistent standards among free exercise cases and the persistent divergence between the strict scrutiny applied as a matter of course to free speech and the lesser, and messier, standards applied to free exercise. In education, both labels turn on viewpoint, which is beyond the ken of government. Where, as here, the education satisfies the obligation imposed by the state, that is where the state’s inquiry should stop.”
- AFP