DonnyFerguson.com
Friday, September 17, 2021
“When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty, and property of the people ... and ... becomes an instrument in the hands of evil rulers for their oppression ... it is a ... sacred obligation to their posterity to abolish such government, and create another in its stead.”
– Sam Houston
In today’s issue:
COVID NEWS
1) Biden study on COVID origins covers up Communist Chinese role
2) Johnson: It is shocking Fauci does not have firm grasp on effectiveness of natural immunity
JUSTICE
3) Senate hearing exposes FBI mishandling of Nassar sex abuse case
4) Whistleblowers allege inhumane treatment of unaccompanied migrant children by HHS contractors
5) New report on civil asset forfeiture helps you avoid government injustice
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
6) House leaders demand full committee hearing with inspectors general on Biden disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal
7) Comer, Donalds request declassified quarterly reports on Afghanistan reconstruction and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel
FREEDOM FIGHTERS
8) Amazon forced to back down after blocking ads for book exposing BLM radicals
9) Gompers teachers can finally vote for union decertification
GREEN SCHEMES
10) Biden schemes with radical enviros to end gray wolf management
OFF TO THE RACES
11) New poll shows Dems on track to lose House as Americans revolt against ultra-liberal policies
12) New ads in 10 congressional districts slam nine Dems, one GOPer on proposed $3 trillion in new taxes & spending
13) Youngkin endorsed by three major Virginia employer organizations
14) As 2022 polls sour vulnerable Senate Dems turn on each other
15) Arizona’s ‘Jelly Kelly’ refuses to say if he backs $3.5 trillion spending scheme
16) As some Dems speak out against party’s radical new veer, Florida Senate hopeful Demings hides behind The Squad
PROHIBITION DOESN’T WORK
17) Study: Cannabis use not associated with adverse outcomes for couples undergoing IVF
18) Delaware: Supreme Court says marijuana odor isn’t grounds for warrantless arrest
19) Clinical trial: CBD administration associated with short-term improvements in verbal recall
JUSTICE
Senate hearing exposes FBI mishandling of Nassar sex abuse case
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned witnesses at the hearing titled Dereliction of Duty: Examining the Inspector General’s Report on the FBI’s Handling of the Larry Nassar Investigation. The first panel included four current and former Olympic or competitive gymnasts, including Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisman, who came forward to report to the FBI their experiences of sexual abuse at the hands of their former team doctor, Larry Nassar, and detailed their efforts to report it to the authorities. The second panel included Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who authored a scathing report on the FBI’s handling of the Nassar investigation, and FBI Director Christopher Wray. Despite invitations, Justice Department officials refused to testify in today’s hearing, prompting criticism from the athletes involved.
Grassley asked the gymnasts, based on their experiences, what more the federal government can do to protect young athletes. He also inquired about the investigative efforts of SafeSport, the national nonprofit tasked with handling allegations for amateur athletes.
“What can you tell Congress and the government witnesses testifying here today about what additional steps, if any, we should take to ensure we better protect child athletes?” Grassley asked.
Grassley questioned Wray on what disciplinary action the FBI took to hold accountable the agents who mishandled the investigation. He also asked about the breakdowns at the FBI that ultimately led to the failure to properly investigate the allegations of abuse against several young athletes.
“The Inspector General’s report shows that W. Jay Abbott, a senior official in the Indianapolis field office at FBI, was allowed to retire in 2018 and evade prosecution even though this report describes significant misconduct by him and an agent under his supervision. I’ve asked that the Attorney General reconsider the decision not to file charges against some of the individuals involved in the case. And I’d like you to provide this committee with a list of all disciplinary actions that took place with respect to FBI personnel who were the subject of this investigation. I believe you owe that at the very least to the victims at today’s hearing,” Grassley said.
“Why didn’t the Children’s Unit at headquarters play a greater supervisory or coordination role here, for example by ensuring that the correct office at the FBI handled this matter? Why didn’t it follow up to ensure that the Indianapolis office had referred the matter to an FBI office that had jurisdiction over these allegations?” Grassley asked.
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 disgraced Olympic physician Larry 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.
In July, the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General released a report confirming that multiple FBI field offices failed to promptly and properly respond to repeated allegations of sexual abuse of Olympic gymnasts and other young athletes by Nassar. The investigation was initiated after Grassley led an effort in Congress to examine the FBI’s handling of the case. Since the report’s release, Grassley has led a bipartisan effort pushing for corrective action and the swift implementation of the inspector general’s recommendations.
In addition, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn delivered opening remarks, saying.
“Every single person in authority who turned a blind eye to these young athletes’ allegations is complicit in Nassar’s crime, and each one of them should be considered a predator. We cannot save future generations of women and girls from this kind of horrific abuse if we continue to settle for diplomatic resolutions. We owe it to these young women — and to girls and women everywhere — to figure out why their government failed them, why these institutions did not listen to them, and that process begins today,” said Senator Blackburn.
Whistleblowers allege inhumane treatment of unaccompanied migrant children by HHS contractors
House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) and Oversight Republicans sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra expressing concerns over massive, no-bid contracts totaling billions of dollars for the care of unaccompanied alien children. The Biden Administration is—according to whistleblowers—awarding these contracts to companies with no prior childcare experience and tasking them with caring for the surge of unaccompanied children arriving at the Southern border.
“We write today to express our continued concern with the Department of Health and Human Services’ use of massive, no-bid contract awards to handle the ongoing unaccompanied child crisis and whether HHS is adequately supervising those contractors. In light of multiple whistleblower complaints received by the Committee alleging disturbing conditions at HHS Emergency Intake Sites (EIS) housing unaccompanied children, there are serious questions about HHS’s use of and failure to adequately oversee multiple contractors with no childcare experience,” wrote the lawmakers.
The Committee received multiple whistleblower complaints from federal employees who were working at the Fort Bliss EIS. The complaints detail unclear communication and chains of command, no formal childcare training provided by HHS, and children desperate for basic life-necessities and sanitary housing. In addition, the complaints state that multiple private contractors were awarded massive servicing contracts in a no-bid process even though they had no childcare experience, and some contract staff were on site with children prior to completing background checks.
“If these reports are true, this is unacceptable. Not only is this a gross mismanagement of taxpayer dollars, but it is inhumane treatment of children. This cannot be allowed to continue in America. HHS must do a better job of caring for these children. It is imperative that Committee Republicans understand whether HHS is adequately supervising its contractors, whether the contractors caring for children are actually qualified to do so, whether those contractors are providing the services they promised in exchange for billions of dollars in taxpayer funds, and if the allegations of neglect and poor conditions are true, then what steps are HHS and the contractors taking to remedy the conditions,” concluded the lawmakers.
To assist Committee Republicans in conducting oversight of this issue, the lawmakers are requesting all contracts and related information regarding the care of unaccompanied minors at the Fort Bliss EIS.
New report on civil asset forfeiture helps you avoid government injustice
A new Competitive Enterprise Institute report calls attention to a government injustice impacting too many Americans: civil asset forfeiture. The report offers advice to citizens on how to reduce risk of property seizure by law enforcement officials, such as during traffic stops, and explains how government succeeds in seizing and keeping personal property even without a criminal conviction.
“We live in a country where law enforcement officers regularly take property from civilians stemming from unproven police allegations of criminal conduct, with little chance of ever having the property returned,” explained report author Dan Greenberg, attorney and former state legislator. “The U.S. Constitution is supposed to protect the property of its citizens, but civil asset forfeiture does the opposite.”
The report delves into the major barriers people face in trying to get their cash, vehicle, or other property returned after it’s been seized by the government. While evidence suggests the median cash forfeiture in most states is less than a thousand dollars, in some states a few hundred dollars, property owners bear the cost of legal representation – which typically exceeds the value of the property. Because of that, people give up.
Another problem is that police departments benefit financially from seizing personal property, the report explains, so they have incentive to do it and lobby lawmakers in states and in Congress to keep the status quo.
Absent reform from lawmakers, there are steps that citizens can and should take to reduce their risks when interacting with police, the report explains. “This paper is written for those law-abiding civilians who wish to exercise their rights under the law to protect their ownership of their rightfully acquired and rightfully possessed property from the wrongful exercise of government officials’ seizure and forfeiture powers,” said Greenberg.
The report walks through scenarios on how to get through a routine police stop in a calm, responsive, legal way that reduces law enforcement ire or added scrutiny.
COVID NEWS
Biden study on COVID origins covers up Communist Chinese role
House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) sent a letter to the Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines requesting all raw intelligence reports, meeting notes, and emails relied upon by the Intelligence Community (IC) when developing the recently released Assessment on COVID-19 Origins. The Biden Administration’s 90-day study was woefully inconclusive and failed to provide Americans a thorough response on the origins of the virus.
“On May 26, 2021, President Biden ordered the Intelligence Community to begin a 90-day study into the origin of the virus that caused the ongoing pandemic. The report, recently released on August 27, 2021, did not provide a conclusive assessment on the origin of the virus. Unfortunately, the Assessment on COVID-19 Origins only served to provide more confusion providing the American public with a vague, two-page unclassified summary,” wrote Ranking Member Comer. “This is an unacceptable response that gives the American people little confidence our country is prepared for the next pandemic. Therefore, to assist the Committee with its oversight, we request all raw intelligence reports, meeting notes, and emails relied upon by the IC to develop the Assessment.”
Johnson: It is shocking Fauci does not have firm grasp on effectiveness of natural immunity
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) sent a letter to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of National Institute of Allersgy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Dr. Janet Woodcock, Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding President Biden’s announcement of vaccine mandates in both the public and private sectors without making any exceptions for those who have been previously infected with COVID-19 and have natural immunity.
“On September 9, 2021, President Biden announced vaccine mandates in both the public and private sectors without making any exceptions for those who have been previously infected with COVID-19 and have natural immunity,” the senator wrote. “When asked to comment on the effectiveness of natural immunity against the virus based on recent studies from Israel, Dr. Anthony Fauci stated he did not ‘have a real firm answer’ on that. Almost 20 months into the pandemic, it is shocking that the chief medical advisor to the president does not have a firm grasp on the effectiveness of natural immunity, but still promotes freedom-robbing vaccine mandates. This administration clearly does not want the public to question whether natural immunity is more effective than vaccines. As President Biden revealingly declared, the vaccine mandate ‘is not about freedom or personal choice.’ This administration’s decision to disregard the effectiveness of natural immunity and demand vaccination ignores current data and is an assault on all Americans’ civil liberties.”
The full text of the letter can be found here and below.
Dear Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Woodcock:
On September 9, 2021, President Biden announced vaccine mandates in both the public and private sectors without making any exceptions for those who have been previously infected with COVID-19 and have natural immunity.[1] When asked to comment on the effectiveness of natural immunity against the virus based on recent studies from Israel, Dr. Anthony Fauci stated he did not “have a real firm answer” on that.[2] Almost 20 months into the pandemic, it is shocking that the chief medical advisor to the president does not have a firm grasp on the effectiveness of natural immunity, but still promotes freedom-robbing vaccine mandates. This administration clearly does not want the public to question whether natural immunity is more effective than vaccines. As President Biden revealingly declared, the vaccine mandate “is not about freedom or personal choice.”[3] This administration’s decision to disregard the effectiveness of natural immunity and demand vaccination ignores current data and is an assault on all Americans’ civil liberties.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have openly admitted that they have not fully studied natural immunity, while also promoting vaccination over natural immunity. The CDC recommends that, regardless of prior infection status, individuals should be vaccinated as “experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19.”[4] The FDA has also stated “[a]t this time, researchers do not know whether the presence of antibodies means that you are immune to COVID-19; or if you are immune, how long it will last.”[5]
Recent studies in Israel, however, appear to show that natural immunity may provide similar or even better protection than vaccines in the fight against COVID-19. In one preprint study, researchers found that, in terms of protecting against COVID-19, previous SARS-CoV-2 infection provided similar protection compared to the BioNTech vaccine.[6] Another preprint study from Israel found that individuals with previous infection had 13 times the protection from the Delta variant than fully vaccinated, previously uninfected individuals.[7] The same study found that there was a 27 fold increased risk for symptomatic breakthrough infection in vaccinated individuals compared to reinfection for individuals with natural immunity.[8]
The Israeli studies are not alone in suggesting the potency of natural immunity. Earlier this year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published an article about a January 2021 study from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology with the headline “Lasting immunity found after recovery from COVID-19.”[9] The article stated that the researchers found that more than 95 percent of those who recovered from COVID-19 had durable immune system memory of the virus up to 8 months later.[10] The article noted that “the results provide hope that people receiving SARS-CoV-2 vaccines will develop similar lasting immune memories after vaccination.”[11]
According to the CDC, an estimated 120 million Americans had been infected with COVID-19 as of May 2021.[12] The CDC itself acknowledges that immunity to a virus can occur “through infection with the actual disease (resulting in natural immunity).”[13] I was tested for antibodies and found that seven months after having an asymptotic case of COVID-19, my serology is positive for antibodies against SARS-COV-2 at roughly the same level as an individual that has received the Moderna vaccine.[14] My experience seems consistent with the previously mentioned January 2021 study that found immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 lasted up to 8 months after infection.[15] Some researchers and studies have found that natural immunity from COVID-19 could last years or potentially decades.[16]
To better understand Dr. Fauci’s, FDA’s, and CDC’s positions regarding natural immunity from COVID-19, I request the following information:
Approximately 20 months into this pandemic, why have U.S. health agencies not fully studied COVID-19 natural immunity?
Please explain why Dr. Fauci supports vaccine mandates for all individuals without apparently considering studies that show the effectiveness of natural immunity against the virus.
Did Dr. Fauci recommend to study the protection offered by natural immunity prior to President Biden’s decision to impose vaccine mandates? If not, why not?
Did FDA and CDC consider the January 2021 NIH article titled, “Lasting immunity found after recovery from COVID-19,” or other studies on natural immunity, when deciding that individuals, regardless of previous COVID-19 infection, should be vaccinated? If not, why not?
Does the FDA and CDC agree with the World Health Organization’s statement that “[a]vailable scientific data suggests that in most people immune responses remain robust and protective against reinfection for at least 6-8 months after infection”? [17] If not, why not?
Is the FDA or CDC aware of any adverse events in previously infected individuals that have been vaccinated? Please provide a complete list of these adverse events.
How many Americans received a vaccination after having COVID-19? If this data is unavailable, please explain why.
Provide the current estimated total number of infections of COVID-19 in the U.S.
Do the FDA and CDC dispute the findings of the two Israeli studies cited in this letter? If so, please provide the data that contradict these studies.
Provide the estimated number of breakthrough infections in vaccinated persons versus reinfections in previously infected persons.
Please explain why “antibody testing is not recommended to determine whether you are immune or protected from COVID-19.”[18]
Has the FDA or CDC examined the duration of natural immunity compared to vaccine immunity? If not, why not?
Please provide a response no later than September 29, 2021. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
House leaders demand full committee hearing with inspectors general on Biden disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal
House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) and Subcommittee on National Security Ranking Member Glenn Grothman R-Wis.) sent a letter to Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Subcommittee Chairman Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) requesting a full Committee hearing with Inspectors General as soon as possible on President Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. On August 18, 2021, Oversight Republicans initially requested a hearing with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. Committee Democrats ignored the request and have failed to hold the Biden Administration accountable.
“We wrote you requesting a hearing on the situation in Afghanistan; you failed to respond,” wrote the lawmakers. “Since then, Committee Republicans have secured the commitment of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) and all three components of the Lead Inspector General for Overseas Contingency Operations (Lead IG) to testify before our Committee. Both SIGAR and Lead IG recently published Quarterly Reports on the situation in Afghanistan. These reports—particularly their classified annexes—present new information and valuable context regarding the security situation in Afghanistan. These IGs are willing to testify about their findings and provide unvarnished and balanced facts to the Committee.”
The lawmakers are requesting the following witnesses to appear before the Committee:
The Honorable John Sopko
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
Mr. Sean O’Donnell
Acting Inspector General, Department of Defense
Ms. Diana Shaw
Acting Inspector General, Department of State
Mr. Thomas Ullom
Acting Inspector General, Agency for International Development
Comer, Donalds request declassified quarterly reports on Afghanistan reconstruction and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel
House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.) and Representative Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) wrote Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko and the Lead Inspector General for Overseas Contingency Operations requesting they declassify the classified annexes of their most recent Quarterly Reports on Afghanistan Reconstruction and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
“The classified annex presents new information and valuable context regarding the security situation in Afghanistan. We respectfully request you declassify the report as soon as possible so the American people can have a better understanding of the facts surrounding the Afghanistan withdrawal,” wrote the lawmakers to both IG Sopko and the Lead IG.
The withdrawal from Afghanistan has been an unmitigated disaster that cost the lives of 13 U.S. service members and left Americans stranded. It is vital for Congress and the American public to understand what happened in Afghanistan, if accurate intelligence was being communicated across government, and if President Biden acted in accordance with that intelligence.
FREEDOM FIGHTERS
Amazon forced to back down after blocking ads for book exposing BLM radicals
Earlier this week, The Heritage Foundation was informed that Amazon would not support paid promotion of Heritage Senior Fellow Mike Gonzalez’s exposé on the Black Lives Matter movement, “BLM: The Making of a New Marxist Revolution.” Amazon declared promotion of the book “no longer complies with our current Creative Acceptance Policies” because it “contains book/s or content that is not allowed. Content that revolves around controversial or highly debated social topics is not permitted.” In other words, Heritage viewpoints were effectively being censored.
Heritage appealed the decision earlier this week, giving Amazon well beyond its own stated response time before issuing a forceful statement Thursday morning. Amazon subsequently reversed its decision and will allow paid promotion of Gonzalez’s book to move forward. Importantly, an Amazon spokesperson told The Daily Signal’s Fred Lucas that the original decision banning promotion was the result of human error, not an automated decision by a computer or algorithm.
Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James said:
“While we appreciate Amazon reversing this egregious decision, this incident is consistent with the trend of Big Tech companies to suppress conservative speech they disagree with. That’s why The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Technology Policy continues to monitor Big Tech companies and recommend legislative and regulatory solutions to ensure that they are held accountable when they unfairly suppress speech, especially speech that encourages healthy debate on the critical issues that America faces. “Amazon’s original stated reason for suspending the ad included that it does not allow ‘content that revolves around controversial or highly debated social topics.’ Using that standard, one of the world’s largest booksellers apparently wouldn’t allow ads for the biggest bestseller in history—the Bible.”
Kara Frederick, research fellow in Heritage’s Center for Technology Policy, released the following statement upon learning of Amazon’s reversal:
“This episode is a reminder that while sometimes Big Tech can be pressured to respond in certain cases of wrongdoing, there are so many more instances where those without the resources or large-enough public profile simply have to live with the arbitrary decisions made by these companies. The fact that this was the result of human error further demonstrates the need for Big Tech companies to establish clear, sensible, and consistent rules and policies, and then implement those rules and policies fairly across the board. They also must be willing to publicly admit mistakes when they do occur, whether intentional or not. Big Tech’s influence over everyday American life continues to grow. It’s vital that we establish clear standards for how these companies behave, and mechanisms to hold them accountable when they don’t.”
Gompers teachers can finally vote for union decertification
Teachers at Gompers Preparatory Academy in San Diego will have a long-awaited chance to remove San Diego Education Association (SDEA) union bosses from their school. State labor board officials had refused to schedule the teachers’ requested election until the board resolved “blocking charges” union officials filed against the school. Gompers teachers petitioned the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) for a decertification election back in January 2020, but union officials filed strategically-timed unfair labor practice charges against the school to block the vote. Under PERB’s rules, any pending litigation against an employer is automatically presumed to affect employees’ desire to remove a union, so PERB blocked the teacher’s vote.
The petitioners obtained free representation from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation attorneys, who argued the behavior alleged by the union’s charges had not affected the teachers’ desire to remove the union. A PERB administrator refused to grant the teachers a vote without even holding a hearing on the merits of the union’s blocking charges.
Foundation attorneys appealed that decision, arguing the policy of automatically accepting union blocking charges without investigation was an unacceptable infringement on workers’ freedom to choose their own workplace representatives.
The Board refused to overturn its policy. As a result, the teachers were forced to wait nearly two years for the charges to be dropped. Now that the union has dropped the charges as part of a settlement agreement among the parties, PERB finally scheduled a decertification election. Ballots will be mailed to Gompers teachers on September 8, and the teachers will have until October 4 to return them.
This is the first time in recent years the SDEA will be subject to a secret ballot vote at Gompers. The union took over in January 2019 through a “card check” unionization drive. During a card check drive, professional union organizers approach employees, often in the presence of union militants, and demand they sign cards that count as official “votes” for unionization.
Card Check is notoriously a far less reliable way of gauging employee support for unionization, as pressure from coworkers and union organizers often force workers to sign off on unionization they would not have accepted had their decision been private. According to Gompers teacher Jessica Chapman, the union “got signatures using deceptive tactics…unionization was forced upon us – we were never even given the respect of a vote.”
“Finally, the teachers at Gompers Preparatory Academy will get their long-sought-after vote to remove union officials, but the PERB should never have allowed union officials to manipulate the process for so long just to avoid a secret ballot vote,” said National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation President Mark Mix. “The PERB’s no-evidence-required rule for union blocking charges is just one of many examples of biased labor laws and regulations that benefit union officials looking to shield themselves from accountability from the workers they supposedly represent.”
“Now that they finally get their vote, the teachers of GPA should be on guard against union misinformation and coercive tactics during the mail ballot election,” added Mix. “Unfortunately, there is a long and documented history of union bosses’ willingness to say or do anything just to maintain their own power, even if it means selling out the very people they claim to represent.”
GREEN SCHEMES
Biden schemes with radical enviros to end gray wolf management
This week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) completed initial reviews of two petitions from special interest groups to list the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the western United States. USFWS announced it will be conducting a 12-month comprehensive status review, despite robust state-led efforts to manage the species.
"Once again, radical special interest groups have hijacked the ESA and are wasting taxpayer resources. Forcing agencies to conduct meaningless reviews to examine recovered species is not accomplishing any long-term goals when state wildlife experts are already managing and caring for species local to their communities. It is also disappointing that the Biden administration is caving to these groups and giving credence to these petitions instead of proactively working with states on actual recovery mechanisms. Absent political interference, this review will almost certainly show state management is more than adequate in preserving wolves across the West." - House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.)
"The gray wolf is an Endangered Species Act success story. Through partnerships between states, local communities, tribes, private landowners, and the federal government, we have worked to restore gray wolf species throughout the western United States and celebrated their recovery by removing them from the endangered species list. Less than a month ago, the Biden Administration upheld the Trump Administration’s delisting, allowing local species managers to continue their successful efforts. While it is disappointing - but not at all surprising - to see litigious environmental groups once again waste resources that could be used to aid species that are actually endangered, I look forward to the wolf’s delisting being upheld as the best available science and comprehensive state and local management plans are reviewed." - Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.)
"Wolf reintroduction has a long and controversial history, both at the federal and state levels. Idaho's comprehensive wildlife management policies consider critical economic factors, from big game hunting to ranching, and should not be second guessed by Washington D.C." - U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho)
U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s announcement that it will initiate a comprehensive status review of the gray wolf in the western U.S.
“The state of Wyoming has long demonstrated it can effectively manage and protect the state’s wolf population. Both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the courts have determined the gray wolf has recovered enough to be delisted in the state.
“Today’s actions are just more of the endless political antics from Washington bureaucrats and extreme environmentalists who have no interest in doing what’s right for Wyoming. Wyoming, not Washington, continues to be in the best position to manage the state’s wolf population.”
In addition, Montana Representative Matt Rosendale issued the following statement in regards to the Biden administration announcing the reintroduction of a status review to determine if the gray wolf population is at risk.
“Montana’s gray wolf population has effectively been managed through state-ran efforts. There is no reason why Washington should involve itself at the behest of radical environmental groups,” Representative Rosendale said. “This is the Biden Administrations first step toward classifying the gray wolf as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. A designation would be disastrous for the state of Montana and I oppose it.”
OFF TO THE RACES
New poll shows Dems on track to lose House as Americans revolt against ultra-liberal policies
Club for Growth PAC released a new poll showing the Republicans are well positioned to retake the US House of Representatives in 2022 and Biden’s far-left tax and spend proposals will hurt him and his party at the ballot box.
Fox’s Paul Steinhauser published an exclusive report on the poll.
“Under Joe Biden, the Democratic party has lost a significant amount of ground with voters,” said David McIntosh, President, Club for Growth PAC. “His proposals on social engineering, climate, voting, and $3 trillion in new taxes along with his abysmal leadership on Afghanistan and education will likely cost his party the House in 2022.”
Key Takeaways:
Republicans pulled to within two points on the generic congressional ballot by late July, a position that would correlate with likely retaking the House, particularly with a bump from redistricting.
With mounting inflation and a public policy agenda driven by borrow-and-spend programs, Joe Biden’s approval rating had already shrunk by late July to below 50%.
Voters view inflation, ballooning deficits, and high taxes as the biggest problems today.
Voters support making the middle-class tax cuts permanent and stopping the massive proposed Democratic tax hikes.
Voters overwhelmingly support ending continuous deficit spending and requiring a balanced federal budget.
A super-majority of voters also support reducing out-of-control spending to stop runaway inflation, including cutting the unspent money from Biden’s previous two trillion-dollar spending bill.
New ads in 10 congressional districts slam nine Dems, one GOPer on proposed $3 trillion in new taxes & spending
Club for Growth will release TV advertisements in 10 congressional districts focusing on out-of-control spending, inflation, and the $3 trillion tax increase proposed by Biden and the Democrats in the reconciliation bill. The ads will run for one week, beginning on Thursday, September 16. This is the first phase of what will be a $2 million campaign opposing the Biden/Pelosi $3 trillion tax bill.
The ads will run in nine districts held by persuadable Democrats and one held by a Republican, Rep. Adam Kinzinger. Kinzinger has sided with Biden and Pelosi numerous times including the so-called infrastructure bill and spending.
Fox’s Paul Steinhauser published an exclusive report on the ads and recent Club for Growth PAC polling.
“Washington is out of touch with America,” said Club for Growth President David McIntosh. “Democrats and even some Republicans need to realize that their constituents will roundly reject the out-of-control spending and $3 trillion increase in taxes.”
FL-07: Stephanie Murphy (D)
GA-07: Carolyn Bourdeaux (D)
IL-16: Adam Kinzinger (R)
ME-02: Jared Golden (D)
NJ-05: Josh Gottheimer (D)
NV-03: Susie Lee (D)
TX-15: Vicente Gonzalez (D)
TX-28: Henry Cuellar (D)
TX-34: Filemon Vela (D)
VA-07: Abigail Spanberger (D )
Youngkin endorsed by three major Virginia employer organizations
Political outsider, successful business leader, and Republican nominee for governor Glenn Youngkin announced endorsements from three organizations representing thousands of Virginia small businesses: National Federation of Independent Business Virginia PAC (NFIB), Associated Builders and Contractors Virginia (ABC-VA), and Virginia Contractor Procurement Alliance (VCPA).
“Virginians have a clear choice this November between a proven businessman and bold leader with a plan and Terry McAuliffe’s failed record as governor that left Virginia’s job machine broken and its economy stalled,” said Glenn Youngkin. “I am honored to receive the endorsement of small businesses leaders from across the Commonwealth, who recognize that my Day One Game Plan will jumpstart the economy and add 400,000 jobs and 10,000 startups.”
“The NFIB Virginia PAC is proud to endorse Glenn Youngkin, who understands what small business owners are going through during this turbulent time,” said Nicole Riley, NFIB State Director in Virginia. “Youngkin’s commitment to enacting tax relief for small businesses, protecting workers from forced unionization or the loss of their jobs and creating a reasonable regulatory environment makes him the clear choice for Governor. Virginia needs a governor who understands that the key to growing our state’s economy is to enact policies that allow our job creators to thrive. Glenn Youngkin is someone who understands this challenge and is ready to take the reins on day one and get the Commonwealth back on track.”
“ABC-VA is an organization that is committed to growing Virginia businesses, creating good paying jobs, and developing a skilled workforce through our apprenticeship programs. Glenn Youngkin’s plan for Virginia supports free enterprise and fiscal responsibility. He will invest in educational programs that create both career and college ready pathways for Virginians. We believe Glenn Youngkin is the candidate best equipped to support Virginia’s commercial and industrial construction industry and its thousands of employees and suppliers.” said ABC-Virginia Chairwoman Rhonda Bridgeman, President/Owner, Comfort Systems of Virginia, Inc. “Today, we enthusiastically endorse Glenn Youngkin for Governor of Virginia. Like many of my fellow SWaM certified businesses, access to opportunity and the ability to compete on a level playing field are critical to our growth. Glenn Youngkin’s is the change we need to help all small, women, and minority owned businesses rebound and grow.”
“Terry McAuliffe and the Democratic run leadership of the General Assembly have stated that they will repeal right to work in Virginia. The biggest impact of this change may very well be your Virginia home grown construction industry, small businesses and jobs that have flourished for three and four generations,” said Virginia Contractor Procurement Alliance President Jack Dyer. “The only way to protect these Virginia businesses and jobs is to vote for Glenn Youngkin, a man who understands fully the impact failed union polices will have on Virginia. The VCPA unanimously endorses Glenn Youngkin for Governor.”
"ABC-VA looks forward to working with a Youngkin Administration to grow opportunity for employees and employers alike. Glenn will work with our industry to fix our skilled worker shortage while protecting every employee’s right to work. No employee should be compelled, as a condition of employment, to join or pay dues to a labor union. Protecting employee’s rights is of critical importance to the growth and prosperity of Virginia’s business climate,” said ABC-Virginia President Patrick Dean.
Virginia’s job recovery from the pandemic ranks 44th in the Nation and was recently ranked the 49th best state to start a business. If Virginia had grown as fast as our competitor states during Terry McAuliffe’s failed term as governor, Virginia would have created nearly twice as many jobs as it did.
Youngkin recently released his Day One Game Plan, laying out the actions he will take on his first day in office toward achieving his vision of making Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family.
In order to reinvigorate job growth and jumpstart Virginia’s economy, Youngkin proposed:
Protecting Virginians from forced unionization;
Cutting job killing regulations by 25%;
Launching #JumpstartJobs to develop talent, train workers, attract investment, and make Virginia the easiest state to start a business;
Reinvigorating small business by enacting a small business tax holiday and ending the tax on Rebuild VA and PPP loans; and
Keeping Virginia open and protecting lives and livelihoods.
These Day One Game Plan actions will add 400,000 jobs and 10,000 startups.
As 2022 polls sour vulnerable Senate Dems turn on each other
The clock is ticking to write and vote on the $3.5 trillion ($5 trillion in actuality) liberal tax and spending spree. With each passing day, however, Democrat infighting worsens. Progressives and “moderates” are in open combat in the House, as committee markups highlight the large policy fractions within the party.
From state and local tax (SALT) deductions that amount to tax breaks for the wealthy, to Medicare prescription drug negotiation, to the overall price tag, it is clear that Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Schumer have a major problem on their hands. The Democrats, for lack of a better word, are in disarray.
Meanwhile, on the Senate side, Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin were called to the White House in a frantic effort by the President to break their opposition to the historic tax hikes and reckless spending. Manchin has even suggested that other Senate Democrats agree with his position.
One thing is clear: Vulnerable Democrat Senators who love to call themselves “independents” are silent, non-factors, per usual. Maggie Hassan has dodged reporters, and others like Mark Kelly, and Catherine Cortez Masto have been invisible.
Statement from NRSC Spokesman T.W. Arrighi: “The Democrats are falling apart. The House Democrats are in open warfare against each other, and vulnerable Senate Democrats are once again cowering behind Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin until the coast is clear to offer an opinion. These cowardly Senate Democrats know the damage that the proposed tax and spending spree will cause to our economy, but they are willing to risk it to keep peace with the far Left. Thankfully, this is a road to ruin, not only for this bill but for Democrat majorities in both Houses.”
Arizona’s ‘Jelly Kelly’ refuses to say if he backs $3.5 trillion spending scheme
Does Mark Kelly support the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion reckless tax and spending spree? That seems to be the question on everybody’s mind. But inquiring minds will be hard-pressed to get an actual answer from Mark Kelly who continues to demur when asked if he supports this socialist spending spree.
Arizona’s Cronkite News is one of those inquiring minds. They asked Mark Kelly nearly a week ago if he supports his party’s reckless spending. So far, he has completely snubbed them:
Cronkite News: “We also contacted Senator Kelly last Friday, and as of today, he still has not replied.”
Instead of answering straightforward questions, Mark Kelly is hiding behind Kyrsten Sinema and running scared.
Statement from NRSC Spokeswoman Katharine Cooksey: “If Mark Kelly has issues with Bernie’s socialist spending spree, he should speak up. Until then, it is safe to assume that Kelly 100% supports tax hikes on Arizona families and job creators as well as amnesty without border security.”
As some Dems speak out against party’s radical new veer, Florida Senate hopeful Demings hides behind The Squad
The clock is ticking on passage of the Democrats’ prized “Bernie special,” a $3.5 trillion (actually $5.5 trillion) socialist tax and spending spree. While there are many differences in opinions between the House and Senate on the matter, House Democrats are still not on the same page.
Florida Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy once again made her feelings known as she stood up to her party’s leadership and the socialist Squad and outlined her plans to vote no on the reconciliation package: “…there are also spending and tax provisions that give me pause, and so I cannot vote for the bill at this early stage.” One Florida Democrat (Murphy) is willing to buck party leadership, the other (Demings) is not.
In Val Demings’ own words, the “best indicator of future performance is to look at past performance”. The only thing her silence is indicating is that she will never be an independent voice for the people of Florida.
Statement from NRSC Spokeswoman Priscilla Ivasco: “While Stephanie Murphy continues to stand up to her party’s leadership in Washington, Val Demings is blindly following the lead of Nancy Pelosi, AOC and the Squad. The optics aren’t looking good for Demings, who is all in on the socialist tax and spending spree. Floridians don’t need another candidate looking for a promotion with nothing to show for it. She isn’t fighting for Floridians’ best interests. As a matter of fact, she’s not fighting at all.”
PROHIBITION DOESN’T WORK
Study: Cannabis use not associated with adverse outcomes for couples undergoing IVF
A history of marijuana use among men and women is not associated with compromised effects on IVF (in vitro fertilization) outcomes, according to data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.
A team of researchers from Canada and Israel assessed IVF treatment outcomes among male-female, non-donor IVF patients that were either cannabis users or non-users.
Authors reported: “Our study did not show any detrimental impact of current cannabis use on any of the measured IVF outcomes. … All the reproductive outcomes of cannabis users and non-users in our study were comparable. These parameters included measures of ovarian response, sperm quality, efficiency of fertilization, early embryonic development, and implantation. In fact, the ongoing pregnancy rate per cycle start trended higher for the group of cannabis users (35.2 percent vs. 29.1 percent). This could partially relate to the female participants in the user group being younger than the non-user counterparts.”
They concluded, “The results of this study are in line with the newer studies suggesting that the use of cannabis is not associated with a compromised outcome for couples undergoing IVF.”
Other recently published studies have affirmed that a history of cannabis use does not negatively impact fertility rates in either men or women, nor does it adversely impact overall reproductive health in men.
Full text of the study, “The relationship between cannabis use and IVF outcome – a cohort study,” appears in the Journal of Cannabis Research.
Delaware: Supreme Court says marijuana odor isn’t grounds for warrantless arrest
Police officers may not make a warrantless arrest of a person based solely upon the odor of marijuana emanating from them, according to a ruling by the state’s Supreme Court.
In a 4-1 decision, the court determined that the smell of marijuana alone does not provide police with “reasonable grounds to believe” that either a felony has been committed or that a suspect “has committed a misdemeanor … in the officer’s presence.” Under state law, a warrantless arrest is only permissible in those two instances, or if the suspect is under 18 years of age. The possession of up to one ounce of cannabis is a civil violation in Delaware, regardless of the age of the person possessing it.
The majority of the court ruled that there was no possibility that the arresting officer could have reasonably presumed the suspect’s age at the time of the arrest or that the suspect possessed felony quantities of marijuana. The court further found no evidence that the defendant committed a crime while in the arresting officer’s presence.
The court’s ruling reverses a lower court decision and suppresses all further evidence of drug law violations that were identified following the defendant’s arrest.
The case is Juliano v. Delaware.
Clinical trial: CBD administration associated with short-term improvements in verbal recall
The administration of CBD is associated with short-term improvements in verbal recall in healthy subjects, according to randomized trial data published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
A team of Swiss researchers compared the effects of vaporized CBD versus placebo on verbal episodic memory performance in a cohort of 34 young adult subjects (ages 18 to 30).
They reported that those provided CBD exhibited better verbal recall than those provided with a placebo.
Investigators determined: “The present study revealed an average increase of recalled words 20 minutes after vaping CBD compared to placebo condition by 10 percent. Importantly, we did not detect medication effects on attention or working memory performance, suggesting that CBD has no negative impact on these basic cognitive functions.”
They concluded: “CBD might prove useful to enhance disease-related memory impairments being present in psychiatric disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, as well as in stress and stress-related exhaustion related to episodic memory deficits. … [W]hile further research is needed to identify dose-response and time-response relationships, our results show that CBD can improve episodic memory, a drug effect with possible therapeutic potential.”
Full text of the study, “Cannabidiol enhances verbal episodic memory in healthy young participants: A randomized clinical trial,” appears in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.