Biden strips taxpayer protections from Fannie, Freddie losses ahead of possible market crash
11 stories today
DonnyFerguson.com
Monday, September 20, 2021
“I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people except for a few public officials.”
- George Mason
In today’s issue:
HONORING OUR HEROES
1) Bipartisan bill honors 13 American heroes killed in Afghanistan with Congressional Gold Medals
COVID NEWS
2) Did our govt delete COVID data on orders from Communist China?
3) Senators move to block Biden vax mandate, order it be sent to Congress
YOUR MONEY
4) Biden strips taxpayer protections from Fannie, Freddie losses ahead of possible market crash
JUSTICE
5) Grassley demands Biden AG investigate DOJ and FBI over botched Nassar investigation
GREEN SCHEMES
6) Boebert rips partisan scheme to move Bureau of Land Management back to DC, slams Bennet and Hickenlooper for failing to defend Colorado
7) Biden EPA order shuts down amateur motorsports, shocking even Democrats
8) Language hidden in Dems $3.5 trillion spending spree creates blank check for federal ‘climate police’
IMMIGRATION
9) AFP applauds immigration plan with clear pathway to citizenship for legal residents
OFF TO THE RACES
10) Hassan endorses vax mandate just four weeks after opposing it
11) POLITICO: Senate Dems silent as Taliban holds Americans hostage because ‘don’t want to hurt their own party’s president’
HONORING OUR HEROES
>>> Bipartisan bill honors 13 American heroes killed in Afghanistan with Congressional Gold Medals
U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced a bipartisan bill to award Congressional Gold Medals to the 13 American servicemembers who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 26th.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to the 13 courageous men and women who gave their lives in Afghanistan to save those they had never met. These servicemembers embodied true American heroism in the face of persistent evil. Honoring these heroes, including Tennessee native Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss, with Congressional Gold Medals is the least we can do to express our deep appreciation for their service and sacrifice,” said Senator Blackburn.
“Thirteen brave men and women gave the last full measure to protect Americans and our Afghan allies at a critical moment in our nation’s history—they are American heroes. As the U.S. concludes 20-years of combat in Afghanistan, I believe it’s fitting that Congress commemorates their sacrifice in this moment with the Congressional Gold Medal,” Senator Daines said. “On behalf of a grateful nation, thank you to these heroes and their families, and to all who wear the uniform and protect our freedom.”
“We should honor these 13 servicemembers, including U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo of Lawrence, Massachusetts, who were killed last month in Afghanistan while serving our country and working to protect the lives of others. These individuals demonstrated incredible courage throughout their careers, and we owe it to them to pass legislation to recognize their heroic service with the Congressional Gold Medal,” Senator Warren said.
Blackburn, Daines, and Warren are pushing for Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Cpl. Daegan W. Page, Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak and Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.
U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Bernie Sanders (D-V.T.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) have also cosponsored the bill.
Congresswoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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COVID NEWS
>>> Did our govt delete COVID-19 data on orders from Communist China?
U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) sent a follow-up letter to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) demanding answers to questions that may shed light on data relating to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and NIH’s COVID-19 data retention policies.
This push for answers comes amid reports that Chinese researchers requested some data be deleted from NIH-controlled databases. In part, the senators wrote “[o]n June 28, 2021, we wrote to you requesting answers to seven questions pertaining to the NIH’s role and responsibility with respect to the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) relating to COVID-19 data. On September 8, 2021, your office provided a response that failed to fully and completely answer all seven questions and failed to provide the requested records.”
The senators went on to say “[a]s we have made clear to you, Congress has a constitutional responsibility to engage in oversight of the executive branch and the executive branch has an obligation to Congress and the American people to substantively respond. In light of our responsibility and your obligation in that regard, we are reposing the unanswered questions from our June 28, 2021, letter.”
With more than 650,000 American lives lost and trillions of taxpayer dollars spent to support the American people, businesses and the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic, the public deserves to know what their government knows about the origins of this global illness and the research data that it possesses.
Text of the letter follows.
September 16, 2021
VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION
Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
Director
National Institutes of Health
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20892
Dear Dr. Collins:
On June 28, 2021, we wrote to you requesting answers to seven questions pertaining to the NIH’s role and responsibility with respect to the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) relating to COVID-19 data. On September 8, 2021, your office provided a response that failed to fully and completely answer all seven questions and failed to provide the requested records.
As we have made clear to you, Congress has a constitutional responsibility to engage in oversight of the executive branch and the executive branch has an obligation to Congress and the American people to substantively respond. In light of our responsibility and your obligation in that regard, we are reposing the unanswered questions from our June 28, 2021, letter. If you are unable to respond to each question and provide the requested records, please explain why that is the case.
In addition, we’d like to note that in your most recent letter, you stated that the National Center for Biotechnology Information has initiated “an independent review of the [Sequence Read Archive] processes and standard operating procedures” with respect to the withdrawal request relating to the COVID-19 data. You also noted that NIH “conducted an analysis of withdrawal requests from January 2020 through June 2021.” With that in mind, we request the final report of investigation, or an equivalent document, for the latter review and an explanation for why that review was done. Further, we request that you answer several additional questions, provide the requested records and schedule a briefing to address your answers no later than September 30, 2021:
1. With respect to deleting data from the NIH Sequence Archive, please name all personnel that have the authority to do so. In your answer, please provide the names and titles of the personnel that were involved in the deletion of SARS-CoV-2 data.
2. With respect to the Wall Street Journal report, which Chinese researcher(s) requested that the data be deleted from the NIH Sequence Read Archive? When did the deletion occur?
3. After deletion, does the NIH Sequence Read Archive maintain any accessible back-up of the deleted data? If so, please provide all records to us.
4. Please list all collaborating partners to the NIH Sequence Read Archive.
5. In the past five years, how many researchers and other personnel associated with the communist Chinese government, as well as those not associated with the Chinese regime, have requested that data be deleted from the NIH Sequence Read Archive? Please list by requestor, date, reason, and the information to be deleted. Please also note whether and when that material was in fact deleted.
6. More specifically, in the past five years, how many researchers and other personnel associated with the communist Chinese government, as well as those not associated with the Chinese regime, have requested that data be deleted from the NIH Sequence Read Archive relating to coronaviruses? Please list by requestor, date, reason, and the information to be deleted. Please also note whether and when that material was in fact deleted.
7. In your letter, you stated NCBI has initiated “an independent review of the SRA processes and standard operating procedures” with respect to the withdrawal request relating to the COVID-19 data.
a. When was that review initiated?
b. Which unit and personnel will be involved in the review?
c. What are the other countries that have requested withdrawal of data from the database?
d. Do you plan to analyze withdrawal requests that occurred prior to the COVID-19 outbreak? If not, why not?
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
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>>> Senators move to block Biden vax mandate, order it be sent to Congress
Senator Mike Braun (Ranking Member of the HELP Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety), Senator Dan Sullivan, Senator Bill Hagerty, Senator Roger Marshall, and Senator Mike Lee, along with Congressman Fred Keller (PA-12) (Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Workforce Protections), are demanding Congressional review of President Biden’s vaccine mandate on private employees before it goes into effect and oppose this unlawful, unnecessary federal command.
Last week, President Biden issued vaccine and testing mandates for private businesses with more than 100 employees, which will affect more than 80 million Americans, threatening $14,000 fines for persons who do not comply.
Not only is this a highly inappropriate invasion of what should be a personal decision for every American that threatens to worsen the current labor shortage, but a federal directive impacting tens of millions of Americans warrants review by Congress, the representatives elected by the American people to make the laws.
Once the Biden administration formally issues this order, the Senators and Rep. Keller will bring it before Congress for review, under either the Congressional Review Act or other appropriate means.
“President Biden has vastly overstepped the authority of the federal government by issuing vaccine mandates and testing requirements for private businesses. We will not sit by as this President chips away at liberty this country was built on, and that’s why we are formally challenging this rule under the Congressional Review Act.” - Senator Mike Braun.
“This rule is unconstitutional overreach by the President of the United States, pure and simple. Individual freedoms and the rule of law are too often an afterthought with this administration, while broken promises continue piling up. We all want to put this pandemic behind us, but the decision to vaccinate is an individual choice, and should not be mandated by the federal government,” said Senator Dan Sullivan. “The federal government does not have the constitutional or statutory authority to take this action, and to make this clear we will be exercising our Congressional authority to overturn this rule with a Congressional Review Act Resolution.”
“While I believe in the effectiveness of the vaccine—a product of the Trump Administration’s remarkable Operation Warp Speed—this top-down federal order, which President Biden vowed he would not issue, not only intrudes on what should be a personal decision for each American, but it will make it even harder for small business owners to hire and retain employees,” said Senator Hagerty.
“President Biden’s vaccination decree is an all-out assault on private business, our civil liberties, and our entire constitutional system of limited government. The White House continues to ignore the Constitution as well as the science proving the benefits of natural immunity so they can justify an Executive Order that wipes out Americans’ control over their own healthcare options. Simply put, the Administration is overstepping its authority and we must hold them accountable with a formal challenge under the Congressional Review Act,” said Senator Marshall. “As a former physician who believes the vaccine has saved countless lives, I stand by my belief that receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is a personal choice that should be made following a conversation with one’s doctor instead of being administered across the board by government decree.”
“The President cannot rule by decree. President Biden’s mandate is the most egregious incursion on the medical rights of Americans in our nation’s history, and it clearly exceeds the President’s power. This resolution will allow Congress to protect the American people and the Constitution.” – Senator Mike Lee
“With his latest order, President Biden is attempting to weaponize the federal bureaucracy to force job creators to become the vaccination and testing police. At a time when we should be doing everything possible to get Americans back to work safely, this politically-driven mandate will unnecessarily stifle private sector job growth across the country.” - Congressman Fred Keller
The National Federation of Small Businesses said of the mandates: “Small businesses face daily challenges from pandemic requirements, locating qualified workers, rampant inflation, and supply chain disruptions. Small business owners and their employees want to operate in a safe and healthy manner that allows them to stay open. Additional mandates, enforcement, and penalties will further threaten the fragile small business recovery.”
On September 8, President Joe Biden announced vaccine mandates that extend to 80 million private sector workers and additional mandates on millions of federal workers and contractors. These mandates are expected to force private-sector employers with more than 100 employees to become vaccinated or produce at-least-weekly negative test results before coming to work. And as announced, the federal employee and contractor plan doesn’t even include the option of weekly testing rather than taking a vaccine.
To implement this mandate, OSHA is expected to promulgate an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) that will remain in place for six months. After this timeframe, OSHA must promulgate a permanent standard. Development of a permanent standard in six months would drastically outpace the 93 months it has taken OSHA, on average, since 1981 to develop and finalize permanent standards.
Historically, OSHA has used its ETS authority sparingly, with many such orders being successfully challenged in the courts. Of the nine times OSHA has issued an ETS, the courts have fully vacated or stayed the ETS in four cases and partially vacated an ETS in one case.
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) can be used by Congress to overturn certain federal agency regulations and actions through a joint resolution of disapproval. If a CRA joint resolution of disapproval is approved by both houses of Congress and signed by the President, or if Congress successfully overrides a presidential veto, the rule at issue is invalidated.
# # # #
YOUR MONEY
>>> Biden strips taxpayer protections from Fannie, Freddie losses ahead of possible market crash
U.S. Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) suspended Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements (PSPAs) restrictions.
“Housing is cyclical, and so are failed liberal housing policies.
“In the 2000s, flawed federal policy steered many borrowers, especially low and middle-income borrowers, into purchasing homes they could not afford. When the bubble burst, those homebuyers, many of whom were minorities and first-time homeowners, suffered severe losses in generational wealth.
“Fifteen years later, the Biden administration is repeating the very same mistakes. Relaxing restrictions on risky mortgages when housing supply is near a record low risks overheating an already-hot market. Unfortunately, we know how this ends: wiped-out homeowners, and another wave of taxpayer bailouts.”
# # # #
JUSTICE
>>> Grassley demands Biden AG investigate DOJ and FBI over botched Nassar investigation
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to reexamine the Justice Department’s and FBI’s mishandling of its investigation into sexual abuse of young athletes by disgraced Olympic physician Larry Nassar. At a Judiciary Hearing this week, survivors of Nassar’s abuse detailed how the FBI failed to promptly and properly investigate claims of abuse, allowing for more than 100 other young athletes to be victimized.
“Nassar abused hundreds of young athletes while FBI sat on its thumb. DOJ refused to attend the Judiciary Committee hearing this week to face questions. Attorney General Garland should assign a federal prosecutor or special counsel to uncover what the FBI knew and when, as well as to seek prosecutions of those involved in the cover-up. These brave gymnasts and all Nassar survivors deserve accountability, especially from the Justice Department,” Grassley said.
A recent Justice Department inspector general report detailed the FBI’s mishandling of the Nassar investigation, prompting this week’s hearing, where star gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisman testified about the FBI’s inaction. The Justice Department refused to participate in the hearing, despite the committee’s request.
At the hearing, Grassley previewed legislation he is working on to strengthen a federal “child sex tourism” statute that the inspector general identified as being inadequate in the Nassar case.
As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017, Grassley convened the first congressional hearing on protecting young athletes from sexual abuse, and co-authored legislation requiring amateur athletic organizations to report instances of sexual abuse. He also conducted oversight of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s response to the scandal involving Nassar. Grassley crafted legislation to improve safeguards for young athletes and ensure proper use of funds designed to investigate allegations of abuse. Grassley’s efforts were included in a legislative package that later became law.
# # # #
GREEN SCHEMES
>>> Boebert rips partisan scheme to move Bureau of Land Management back to DC, slams Bennet and Hickenlooper for failing to defend Colorado
Rep. Boebert condemned the Department of Interior’s partisan decision to move the Bureau of Land Management headquarters back to D.C. and condemned Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper for failing to stand up for Colorado by using procedural tactics easily available to them.
Rep. Lauren Boebert stated: “The fight to keep the Bureau of Land Management in Grand Junction was always bipartisan, but when it came down to the wire, Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper folded and failed to stand up for Colorado by using procedural tools to leverage the Biden regime to keep the main Bureau of Land Management headquarters, Director, and senior leadership in Grand Junction. The junior senator from Michigan held up eight high-level Department of Defense nominations to leverage a win for his state, but Bennet and Hickenlooper combined couldn’t find the courage to place a hold on just one nominee. As usual, these politicians’ promises were nothing more than empty words. I hope they will be vigilant in ensuring the rug isn’t pulled out from under them and that the new promises the Biden regime made them materialize. These new Grand Junction jobs need to be delivered, people should know about them and what they are, and the details shouldn’t be changed later.
“Today’s rushed decision isn’t about helping western communities. It is clearly a partisan attack on rural communities. It hasn’t been thought-out, and important questions have yet to be answered, including where will employees that move back to D.C. work? As the Department of the Interior is essentially empty currently, when will these employees go back to in-person work? How many employees will move to D.C. and Grand Junction? What employees will move to D.C. and Grand Junction? Where will the employees that move to D.C and Grand Junction move from? When will impacted employees receive written notice? Given the lack of detail and information provided for this reprogramming, appropriators should immediately reject this political, partisan move that isn’t in the best interest of taxpayers, the agency, or its employees.
“From my first days in Congress, I have done everything I can to keep the Bureau headquarters in Grand Junction. While I’m disappointed with today’s decision and the details are light, this could still ultimately be a win for Grand Junction and the West as a western headquarters will remain in Grand Junction, more jobs will move to Grand Junction, and all the jobs that moved out West won’t be moved back to D.C.”
House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman stated: “Today's misguided, partisan decision has nothing to do with executing good land management and everything to do with centralizing and growing big government. A two-quarterback BLM system with one headquarters in D.C. and another headquarters in Colorado will layer bureaucracies, further confusing and complicating an already confused and complicated agency. A Friday afternoon audible to reverse a move that would save millions of taxpayer dollars and put employees closer to the people affected by their decisions is another bad play call by a Biden administration already on the hot seat. Unfortunately American farmers, ranchers and all the rural communities that rely on public lands are the ones who bear the brunt of the confusion. I strongly oppose the administration's decision and urge them to reconsider and actually listen to what the communities out west need most.”
Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse said: “Putting management of lands in the West back into the hands of D.C. bureaucrats will only result in less effective management, loss of economic activity, and even greater mistrust of the federal government. It’s inconceivable that the Administration would ignore the wishes of not only Colorado’s local communities but also those of rural communities throughout the West who are impacted by the Bureau of Land Management’s decision-making. The Headquarters’ move to Grand Junction garnered strong bipartisan support in the House, the Senate, the state of Colorado, and the entire West. This ridiculous notion of having dual headquarters is a display of the worst kind of D.C. theatrics that will only lend to further uncertainty about BLM's land management decisions. The Biden Administration’s betrayal of rural America will not be forgotten. The question now is for Colorado Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper: Will you still vote to confirm Tracy-Stone Manning if she does not commit to reversing this terrible decision for the people of Colorado?”
Rep. Boebert’s amendment prohibiting the use of funds made available in the FY2022 budget from being used to close the Bureau of Land Management headquarters in Grand Junction passed with unanimous, bipartisan support, reaffirming that moving the agency back to D.C. is only a position held by radical entrenched swamp creatures like Secretary Haaland and Tracy Stone-Manning.
The misguided decision to move the Bureau’s headquarters back to D.C. will hurt taxpayers. The Bureau’s initial move West cost taxpayers approximately $18 million and the move back will likely cost at least that and more. Furthermore, there is no identified location to move the agency back to as the M Street location no longer exists due to skyrocketing leasing costs.
Rep. Boebert fought hard to keep the Bureau of Land Management headquarters in Grand Junction, and she will continue to work protect the remaining jobs at the Bureau’s Grand Junction location.
In her first month in office, Rep. Boebert led a letter to President Biden requesting that the Bureau of Land Management headquarters remain in Grand Junction.
In February, Rep. Boebert participated in a bipartisan and bicameral roundtable with Governor Polis and Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper calling on the Biden administration to keep the Bureau of Land Management headquarters in Grand Junction.
In March, Rep. Boebert joined local stakeholders in inviting Secretary Haaland to visit the Bureau of Land Management headquarters in Grand Junction to hear how the agency’s move West has benefited rural Americans.
Later in March, Rep. Boebert introduced the Local Opportunities, Conservation, and American Lands (LOCAL) Act to require that the Bureau of Land Management headquarters remain in Grand Junction.
In April, Rep. Boebert joined Chairman of the Western Caucus, Congressman Dan Newhouse, at a roundtable with rural stakeholders discussing how the Bureau’s move West has given them a voice in land management decisions.
In July, Rep. Boebert joined a bipartisan and bicameral roundtable with Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, Congressman Neguse, Governor Polis, and Secretary Haaland at the Bureau of Land Management headquarters in Grand Junction. Secretary Haaland heard from the farmers, ranchers, and rural community members that would be harmed if she moved the Bureau’s headquarters back to D.C.
Later in July, Rep. Boebert led Reps. Doug Lamborn and Ken Buck in calling on Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper to hold up Tracy Stone-Manning’s nomination in order to secure a commitment from the Biden administration to keep the Bureau of Land Management headquarters in Grand Junction.
This month, Rep. Boebert’s amendment prohibiting the use of funds made available in the FY2022 budget from being used to close the Bureau of Land Management headquarters in Grand Junction passed the House Committee on Natural Resources with unanimous, bipartisan support.
Background on the Bureau of Land Management headquarters’ move West:
The Bureau of Land Management headquarters was established in Grand Junction in August of 2020 after a competitive process to select the new location. Grand Junction was chosen because of its substantial cost savings, travel accessibility, quality of life attributes, and increased representation among the communities affected by land management decisions. Since its opening, the headquarters has proven to be an overwhelming success for rural Colorado, taxpayers, federal employees, the Bureau of Land Management, and communities impacted by land management decisions.
99% of the 245 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management are in the West, so it only makes sense that the agency’s headquarters should be near its field offices and near the people its decisions affect. Since its opening, the headquarters’ western location has allowed diverse constituencies to have a voice in land management decisions, and Western stakeholders like sheriffs, ranchers, and county commissioners who would never have traveled to Washington D.C. for a meeting have already found their way to Grand Junction to meet with senior leadership.
The move has already started to benefit taxpayers. The agency estimates it will save more than $2 million in fiscal year 2021 in lease costs and $1.9 million in salary savings annually based on locality pay. The Department of the Interior has also reported that it saved $1.9 million on travel costs in fiscal year 2020.
The establishment of the headquarters in Grand Junction has reduced the number of long cross-country flights and travel costs, improved training, delegated more responsibility to employees in the field, increased operating hours due to proximity of time zones, improved customer service and coordination with local communities, ensured better decisions earlier in the decision-making process, reduced commute times for employees, and provided good-paying local jobs.
Any misguided effort to move the Bureau back to D.C. would have significant costs. The initial move West cost taxpayers approximately $18 million and any move back would cost at least that and more. Furthermore, there is no identified location to move them back to as the M Street location no longer exists.
Land management decisions are best made by the people who live, work, and raise their families on or near public lands and that are invested in local communities. Many Bureau employees excitedly made the move, grateful to escape the swamp and to experience many of the issues firsthand that they had been working on for years. Several have done interviews and gone on the record to make clear that this is where they want to be, and that they don’t want to live or work in Washington D.C. It is rewarding for Bureau employees to be able to have access to the types of recreation activities available on the public lands they manage like hiking, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, off-roading, climbing, and wildlife viewing.
Additionally, as a result of the Bureau’s move West, it received an overwhelming number of job applications from Westerners with expertise in public lands management. The resulting expansion of the Bureau of Land Management’s talent pool is already improving public land management decisions and helping the agency serve its constituency effectively.
The Bureau’s move West was flawlessly executed by senior leadership and dedicated career staff, and not one federal employee was removed as a result of the agency’s move West. The Department of the Interior found jobs for people that wanted to stay in D.C. and paid expenses to help employees make the move West. The Bureau’s move West also successfully avoided any Equal Employment Opportunity or U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board complaints, legal challenges, or adverse union activities.
The local Mesa County community gave the Bureau a warm welcome and created a Relocation Task Force to ensure an easy transition for all employees and their families. Task force services included pre-move visits to provide a single point of contact and provide information, a real estate team to help locate housing, and a school placement team to ensure the best education options were available including charter schools.
Colorado benefitted immensely from the move West by having more than 80 Bureau employees assigned to our state, including more than 40 in Grand Junction that are estimated to provide $11 million in annual economic benefits. Additionally, more than 300 other positions were assigned out West as a result of the relocation.
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>>> Biden EPA order shuts down amateur motorsports, shocking even Democrats
This week, Senators Richard Burr (R-NC), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) reintroduced the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act, legislation to protect American motorsports from unnecessary regulatory overreach by the federal government.
For decades, amateur motorsport enthusiasts have converted street vehicles into dedicated racecars to race on non-public roads. However, in 2015, the Obama Administration proposed a rule that would allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fine these enthusiasts for converting their personal cars into racecars. This rule contradicted Congressional intent in the Clean Air Act, an interpretation that has been upheld for more than 50 years. Although the EPA removed this devastating language from its final rulemaking, the agency still maintains vehicle modification of motorsports is unlawful.
“Amateur motorsports are a unique American pastime,” said Senator Burr. “This bipartisan legislation provides certainty for folks who enjoy America’s long-held racing tradition, in the spirit Congress intended when it passed the Clean Air Act more than 50 years ago. I’m proud to work with my colleagues on this commonsense legislation to protect the legacy of American motorsports for years to come.”
“Folks in the motorsport community have always relied on the freedom to modify their vehicles to race and compete,” said Senator Tester. “This legislation will codify that freedom into law by preventing unnecessary regulations on motorsport hobbyists, allowing amateurs and professionals alike to uphold tradition while still following the intent of the Clean Air Act.”
“Arizona has a rich tradition of motorsports and racing which also plays a role in our state’s economy,” said Senator Kelly. “The Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2021 will protect Arizona’s amateur racers and auto mechanics from burdensome regulations so these enthusiasts can continue to enjoy the hobby and thrill of motorsports in our state and across the country.”
In 1965, Congress passed the Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act, which amended the Clean Air Act to set the first federal vehicle emission standards. It defined the term “motor vehicle” as “any self-propelled vehicle designed for transporting persons or property on a street or highway.” In 1970, Congress clarified that the Clean Air Act’s anti-tampering provision for reducing harmful air pollutants does not apply to vehicles manufactured or modified for racing.
Congress passed the Clean Air Act Amendments in 1990, directing the EPA to set emission standards for “non-road vehicles” that contribute to air pollution. It excluded vehicles “used solely for competition” from these new rules. This clarification was instructive as it separated vehicles used in organized racing from “motor vehicles.”
After examining the legislative history, it is clear that Congress never intended to provide the EPA with the authority to regulate vehicles used solely for competition, including vehicles modified to be used exclusively for racing.
The Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act simply reaffirms Congressional intent of the Clean Air Act, further protecting amateur motorsports from unnecessary regulation in the future.
Senator Burr first introduced the RPM Act in 2016 and reintroduced it in 2019.
Organizations supporting the RPM Act include:
· American Motorcyclist Association (AMA)
· Auto Care Association (Auto Care)
· Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA)
· California Automotive Wholesalers Association (CAWA)
· Formula Drift
· Harley-Davidson
· International Hot Rod Association (IHRA)
· LKQ Corporation (LKQ Corp)
· Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA)
· Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC)
· Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF)
· National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM)
· North American Trailer Dealers Association (NATDA)
· Off-Road Business Association (ORBA)
· Performance Racing Industry (PRI)
· Service Station Dealers of America and Allied Trades (SSDA-AT)
· Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA)
· Tire Industry Association (TIA)
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>>> Language hidden in Dems $3.5 trillion spending spree creates blank check for federal ‘climate police’
U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released his opening remarks from the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Local Food Systems, and Food Safety and Security hearing entitled “Milk Pricing: Areas of Improvement and Reform.”
Below is an excerpt:
“Apparently $28 billion worth of conservation and other spending will be added later, perhaps on the House floor.
“The bill did however identify something called the Civilian Climate Corps, which I think is better described as the climate police.
“We have no information on what the climate police may be, what its purpose is, how it will work, why it is needed, or any other answers to the most fundamental questions American taxpayers expect this body to know and deliberate on before spending trillions of dollars.
“We do know that President Biden’s so called “American Jobs Plan” proposes mobilizing the next generation of resilience workers to advance environmental justice.
“We also know that in this bill, Democrats are directing the climate police to operate on federal forests and private land. That’s the last thing farmers and ranchers need.”
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IMMIGRATION
>>> AFP applauds immigration plan with clear pathway to citizenship for legal residents
Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips issued the following statement applauding the The Protecting Children of Long-Term Visa Holders Act legislation introduced this week by a group of bipartisan members. The House had previously presented a similar bill called America’s Children Act.
“We thank Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Dick Durbin (D-IL) for their work in introducing the Protecting Children of Long-Term Visa Holders Act. This solution gives dependents of long-term visa holders who have grown up in America the opportunity to give back to the communities that invested in their success. For too long, barriers in our immigration system have prevented these individuals from applying their talents here in America. This bill helps resolve this injustice by preventing their visas from expiring once they turn 21.”
Over 200,000 children and young adults are living in the United States as dependents of long-term non-immigrant visa holders (including H-1B, L-1, E-1, and E-2 workers). These individuals grow up in the United States, attend American schools, and graduate from American universities. Because they have maintained legal status, these individuals are not eligible for protection under DACA or the work authorization that comes with it.
The Protecting Children of Long-Term Visa Holders Act aims to close gaps in our immigration system by providing a permanent solution for these young people. Specifically, the bill would provide a pathway to permanent residency for individuals who were brought to the United States as dependent children of workers admitted under approved employer petitions, have maintained status in the United States for 10 years (including four years as a dependent), and have graduated from an institution of higher education.
This bill would also establish age-out protections that lock in a child’s age on the date on which they file for a green card rather than the final action date. Finally, the legislation would provide work authorization for children of temporary visa holders over the age of 16 whose green card applications are pending.
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OFF TO THE RACES
>>> Hassan endorses vax mandate just four weeks after opposing it
No impartial observer has ever accused Maggie Hassan of being consistent, but she may have topped her best flip-flop with her endorsement of President Biden’s vaccine mandate.
Last week, President Biden announced that vaccine mandates would not only be required for all federal employees but also employees at any company with 100 or more workers. The latter requirement set off a firestorm of legal action taken by governors in opposition, including New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu.
When asked about such a federal mandate in August, Senator Maggie Hassan said she did not believe that the federal government had clear authority to make such a national dictate.
Well, that didn’t last long…
Yesterday, Senator Hassan endorsed the historic sweeping mandates in an interview with WMUR. She invoked Washington’s inoculation of colonial troops against smallpox, completely misunderstanding the broader concern of forcing small businesses to force vaccines on employees and applicants.
Hassan’s flip-flop is the latest glaring example of her lack of independence. She is a hardcore Democrat partisan, even if it means trampling on individual rights in the “Live Free or Die” state.
Statement from NRSC Spokesman T.W. Arrighi: “Maggie Hassan’s flip-flop on vaccine mandates proves that not only has she become a Democrat hack but that she is wildly out of step with her state’s ‘Live Free or Die’ motto. As her state’s Governor and small businesses scramble to protect themselves against drastic government overreach, she is offering cover for President Biden and the far Left. Independence is important to Granite Staters, and big government liberals like Maggie Hassan have no business speaking for them in Washington.”
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>>> POLITICO: Senate Dems silent as Taliban holds Americans hostage because ‘don’t want to hurt their own party’s president’
Joe Biden’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal is facing criticism from members of Congress. Even Democrats have slammed Biden for leaving Americans behind to fend for themselves against the Taliban. But some Senate Democrats still refuse to criticize the Biden Administration’s abandonment of Americans. Why? Because they are playing politics with the lives of Americans stranded in Afghanistan.
According to Politico, Democrats in Congress are “fretting” over how to hold Biden accountable because they “don’t want to hurt their own party’s president.”
Hundreds of Americans and thousands of Afghan allies are still stranded in Afghanistan because of Biden’s botched withdrawal – and Senate Democrats’ number one priority is not hurting Joe Biden politically. Senators like Mark Kelly, Maggie Hassan, Raphael Warnock, Catherine Cortez Masto, and Michael Bennet would rather stay silent on Joe Biden’s failure to keep Americans safe than hold him accountable.
Americans deserve leaders who don’t play politics with their safety.